Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director The man who shot and critically injured a state trooper Thursday afternoon shot himself early this morning as a Special Emergency Response Team unit surrounded his Brockway home. 60-year-old Kenneth Lees Sr. was found dead inside his home when the SERT when into the house at 1 a.m. The incident began as members of the Pennsylvania State Police and the Jefferson County Drug Task Force were serving a search warrant on the occupants of the Kenneth Lees Sr. residence at 1881 Cemetery Hill Road near Brockway (about 4 minutes from the Main Street Sheetz) at about 2 o’clock Thursday afternoon. Upon approaching the front door of the residence and announcing their identity and possession of a lawful search warrant, the officers were met with gunfire from an occupant of the home. Trooper First Class Bradley Wilson was struck in the neck and upper torso by two bullets fired from the residence and was immediately incapacitated. Troopers and office...

by Jasmine Carlson Ridgway High School '15 On September 13-15, 2013, Pheasants Forever Chapter 630 had its 3rd Annual Youth Outdoor Hunt. This hunt is for kids with disabilities and life threatening illness. I’ve been involved every year and I’ve learned something new from each youth. This year the chapter took two wonderful boys and their families. Reece Scolari, 10, is in remission for kidney cancer and Ryan Tucker, 17, who has cerebral palsy and is paralyzed from the chest down. Both boys are from St. Marys. The boys were ecstatic when they arrived at the Queenstown Hunt Club where there is a lodge owned by Rosebud Mining of Kittanning. The first day at the lodge consisted of a greeting dinner, gifts and trap shooting. During the meet and greet I meet both families they all were amazed at the beauty of Rosebud’s lodge. Both families were then gathered around the fire place. Reece and Ryan were given hunting equipment, hunting vests and field chaps. Th...

The Community Nurses are offering flu shot clinics at all area senior centers in Cameron, Elk and McKean counties. Anyone 18 and older is eligible to get their flu shot at these clinics. The general public is welcome to attend. Seniors should bring their Medicare cards and all insurance cards. Others can pay a fee for their shots. No appointment is needed. The Community Nurses say anyone can get the flu, and it can be serious. They recommended you protect yourself and those around you by getting a flu immunization at any of these upcoming flu clinics.: Oct. 7 10-11:30 a.m. Kane Senior Center Oct. 7 12:45-1:45 p.m. Mount Jewett Senior Center Oct. 8 10:30-11:30 a.m. Jones Township Senior Center Oct. 8 1-2:30 p.m. Johnsonburg Senior Center Oct. 9 9:30-11 a.m. Eldred Senior Center Oct. 9 1-2:30 p.m. Bradford Senior Center Oct. 10 10:30-11:30 a.m. Retired Citizens Association of Ridgway Oct. 10 1-2:30 p.m. Bennett’s Valley Senior Center Oct. 14 10-11:30 a.m. St. Marys Senior Center Oc...

HARRISBURG - A Senate proposal to increase post-secondary educational opportunities to underserved counties in the Commonwealth through the creation of a Rural Community College Initiative will receive an in-depth review by the Senate Education Committee, senators Mike Folmer and Joe Scarnati announced today. The committee hearing will focus on understanding the need for rural regional community colleges and how to best support and implement these institutions. The measure to be examined is Senate Bill 1000, which was introduced by Scarnati earlier this year. SB 1000 would help to create a public community college initiative in rural Pennsylvania. “Education is a vital component of providing for Pennsylvania’s future,” Scarnati stated. “We want to help provide cost effective educational opportunities to students so that they have the necessary skills to meet the demand for new jobs.” Scarnati explained that Senate Bill 1000 is a bi-partisan measure which is based largel...

David B. Schwab, 84, of 2 South Ave., passed away Tuesday, September 24, 2013 at The Pavilion at BRMC. Born March 4, 1929 in Bradford, he was the son of the late Delmar Schwab and Charlotte (Nancarro) Barrett. Mr. Schwab was a 1947 graduate of Weston High School, in Weston, WV and attended Grove City College. He was a member of The First Presbyterian Church since 1942 and one of its oldest and most faithful members. A gifted pianist, he played for services for the Christian Science Church and often played at worship at the First Presbyterian Church. There will be no public visitation. Friends are invited to attend a memorial service at 12:15 PM, Sunday, September 29, 2013 in the chapel of The First Presbyterian Church, with Rev. Robert Klouw, Co-Pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Willow Dale Cemetery. Memorials, if desired, may be made to The Friendship Table or to the charity of the donor’s choice. Arrangements are under the direction of the Hollenbeck-Cahil...

The federal program that mandates the US Forest Service to pay timber harvest receipts to the states to be used for roads and schools where national forests are located has been renewed by Congress. The forest service pays 25 percent as partial compensation for the tax-exempt status of federal lands. As a result of a significant decrease in timber harvesting on national forest lands during the 1990s, Congress created the Secure Rural Schools program to help compensate for the loss in revenue. The House on Wednesday and the Senate on Thursday voted to extend the program for one year. The bill now awaits the president's signature. “The Secure Rural Schools program has been and remains a critical resource for our local communities in the Allegheny National Forest region,” said Congressman Glenn “GT” Thompson. “This extension offers the certainty of knowing this funding will be available, and will help our local communities pay for schools, roads, and many other essential services.”...

A 40-year-old Port Allegany man charged with statutory sexual assault will be going to trial. Jeffrey Pinchock is accused of smoking marijuana with a 15-year-old girl and then sexually assaulting her in August of 2012. He is scheduled for backup trial on October 30 in McKean County Court. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

UPDATE 10:45 a.m. :The man police believe shot and critically injured a state trooper Thursday afternoon shot himself early this morning as a Special Emergency Response Team unit surrounded his Brockway home. Kenneth Lees Sr. has been identified as the dead man. His son, Kenneth Lees Jr. is in police custody. State trooper Brad Wilson of the DuBois barracks remains in critical but stable condition at UPMC Altoona. The state police news conference originally scheduled for 10:30 a.m. has been moved to 11 a.m. ~~~ UPDATE 9 AM: The standoff ended at about 7:30 this morning. Police have not identified the shooter yet, and they have not commented on his condition. They are expected to hold a news conference at 10:30 a.m. The state trooper who was shot Thursday afternoon remains in critical but stable condition at UPMC Altoona. ~~~ UPDATE 9:30 PM: A state police Special Emergency Response Team unit is still surrounding a Brockway house where a state trooper was shot this afterno...

A man pleaded guilty today to all charges related to his assault of an 11-year-old girl. 28-year-old Kevin Collins of Duke Center got angry with the girl back in April and then choked her, slapped her and slammed her to the floor, knocking her unconscious. She was critically injured and had to be treated at Children’s Hospital in Buffalo. McKean County District Attorney Ray Learn tells WESB, “I would not offer Collins a plea agreement given the nature of the charges.” Collins remains jailed on $50,000 bail and will be sentenced at a later date. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Police have made contact with the Warren man who had been considered missing and endangered since Saturday, but he wouldn’t tell them where he is. 24-year-old John Michael Sheehy now also as a felony warrant for theft against him. He was charged with 2 felony theft counts, along with prohibited possession of a firearm back in June. Anyone with information on Sheehy’s whereabouts is asked to contact Warren-based state police. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

No one was hurt in a one-vehicle crash early this morning on Whittimore Road near Emporium in Cameron County, about a mile south of Barton Street. Police say 45-year-old Timothy Aikens was going around a curve at about 2:10 a.m. when his pickup truck went into the opposite lane of travel, then hit a guiderail. The pickup was severely damaged and had to be towed from the scene. Police say Aikens will be cited for driving at an unsafe speed. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Another Sasquatch Sighting in McKean County? Bradford resident John Stoneman chats with Anne Holliday about pictures he took near Kinzua Bridge State Park which may, or may not, be a Bigfoot -- or two. Now the question is: Did the Bigfoot Calling Contest during the Kinzua Bridge Fall Festival the day before the pictures were taken really work? Stoneman is still not sure if he believes in the creature, but Bigfoot believers have called him about the photos, and he's heard from The Animal Planet, which produces the TV show “Finding Bigfoot,” and has already been in the area to talk to McKean, Warren and Elk county residents about Sasquatch sightings. You can hear what Stoneman has to say about the pictures here . To find a link to the pictures go to facebook.com/1490wesb . Image from Google Earth © The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The former Bradford paramedic accused of stealing drugs from the fire department’s ambulance service and altering paperwork to cover it up is scheduled to be in McKean County Court this afternoon. Brandon Landuyt will appear for a formal arraignment at 1 p.m. He was charged in July and fired from the fire department in August. Landuyt is free on $75,000 bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A man on the Cattaraugus County 10 Most Wanted List was picked up during traffic stop Tuesday afternoon in Olean. 34-year-old Justin Spencer of Olean had several warrants against him, including one for failure to appear in court to answer charges and another for family court. Spencer is jailed without bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

American Refining Group will be conducting its annual Fire Extinguisher Training for employees starting at 7:30 this morning. The training involves extinguishing live fires at the fire training grounds off Bolivar Drive at Foster Brook. Smoke from fires may be noticeable throughout the day. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

City of Bradford Police on Wednesday investigated thefts on Cole, Jerome and Oakwood avenues and on East Main Street, as well as a motor vehicle accident on Elm Street. Officers also looked into harassment complaints on Main, East Main and High Streets and Kiwanis Court, disturbances on West Corydon and High streets and on Chautauqua Place and animal complaints on Melvin Avenue and Clarence Street. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

JAMESTOWN, N.Y. – The Robert H. Jackson Center will host Karen Korematsu, Executive Director of the Korematsu Institute for Civil Rights and Education, for “A Conversation with Karen Korematsu” on October 17, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. This event is free and open to the general public. Ms. Korematsu is the daughter of Fred Korematsu, one of four men who defied Executive Order 9066, which established the American concentration camps, and ordered that Japanese Americans be forcibly removed from their homes and incarcerated during World War II. His 1944 landmark case before the United States Supreme Court challenged the constitutionality of the mass incarceration, but the Court upheld his conviction for violating the exclusion order in a 6-3 ruling. Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson disagreed strongly with the court, and although in the minority at the time, his dissenting opinion continues to be read today in law schools as a major definition of the rights of the individual versus the powe...

OLEAN, NY — Clarice Ambroselli, a senior from Archbishop Walsh Academy has been selected as a member of the 2013 NAfME All-National Honor Choir sponsored by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). Miss Ambroselli will join more than 670 of the most musically talented and skilled high school students in the United States to perform at a gala concert on October 30, 2013 in Nashville, Tennessee. Miss Ambroselli is 1of 49 first sopranos in the United States, and 1 of 2 first sopranos from New York State. To earn this honor, she was selected to attend the NYSSMA (New York State School Music Association) Area All State Choir, made up of vocalists from 6 counties of NY, the NYSSMA All- State Conference Choir made up of vocalists from the whole state, and the NAFME All Eastern Choir made up of vocalists from the 13 states of the Eastern Sea Board of the US. Exceptional students, such as Miss Ambroselli, will prepare remarkably challenging music that they will perform under the...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The 362,000-member National Taxpayers Union (NTU), a nonpartisan citizen group, has announced that U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) has won the 2012 Taxpayers’ Friend Award. The Taxpayers’ Friend Award is given to members of Congress that achieve an “A” grade in NTU’s annual ratings. The rating, which is based on every roll call vote affecting fiscal policy, assigns a score to each member of Congress that indicates his or her support for reducing or controlling federal spending, taxes, debt, and regulation. “I made a promise to the taxpayers of Pennsylvania that I would fight for them by tackling Washington overspending while championing lower taxes and less government red tape. To help boost our economy and job growth, I will continue my efforts to lessen the tax burden families and employers shoulder,” said Sen. Toomey. “I thank the NTU for recognizing and supporting my efforts on behalf of Pennsylvania taxpayers.” “As our nation continues to confro...

An Emporium woman was hurt in a two-vehicle crash Tuesday afternoon on Sizerville Road in Shippen Township. Police say a car driven by 61-year-old Cheryl Housel was traveling south when she didn’t see a vehicle operated by 18-year-old Joseph Caldwell of Emporium stopped in front her and hit it. Housel was flown by medical helicopter to Altoona Hospital for treatment of moderate injuries. She was cited for careless driving. Caldwell wasn’t hurt. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Salamanca man is accused of punching his girlfriend in the face during a fight at about 2 a.m. Monday on Route 353. Sheriff’s deputies say 20-year-old Joshua Koleta also punched his girlfriend several times in the arms, injuring her, and took her cell phone so she couldn’t call 911. He was charged with assault, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief, and was sent to jail on $1,000 bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford will continue its 50th Anniversary celebration during Alumni and Family Weekend Oct. 4-6. The weekend will feature a networking luncheon, a block party, and the annual Pitt-Bradford Alumni Association awards brunch and Athletic Hall of Fame induction. During all three days of the celebration, an exhibit in the KOA art gallery will celebrate the campus’s history as the site of Bradford’s original airport. The exhibit will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day and offers historical photos and memorabilia as well as a video featuring interviews with local historians, pilots and members of the Pitt-Bradford staff who grew up near the original Harri Emery airport. The exhibit is free and open to the public. Friday’s activities begin with an Executive Speaker Series and Networking Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. in the Mukaiyama University Room featuring Carolyn Boser Newhouse ’86, deputy secretary for innovation and investment for the state of Pennsy...

MOUNT JEWETT – Paving work will get underway Monday on Hutchins Drive in the Hutchins area of McKean County. The work zone stretches for about one mile in Sergeant Township, south of the McKean County Landfill. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday crews will perform full-depth reclamation work, with the addition of a cement stabilization agent. Flaggers will be in the road to direct an alternating traffic pattern. Motorists need to remain alert for flaggers, sudden stops, and short travel delays. When work is complete, this section of the road will re-open to two-way traffic. Once the road treatment cures, a three-inch asphalt overlay will be placed. That paving is scheduled for the week of Oct. 7, weather permitting. Completion of the overlay work is expected by Oct. 12. All work is weather and schedule dependent. Allan A. Myers, a company of American Infrastructure, is the contractor for this $500,000 roadway improvement, which is being funded by Shell Exploration & Production C...

The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) has announced that the inspection of the former Route 219 (South Cascade-Miller Road) Bridge over Cattaraugus Creek in the town of Concord, Erie County, and the town of Ashford, Cattaraugus County, is scheduled to begin on September 30, 2013. Due to the limited access at the bridge site and size of the inspection equipment, it will be necessary to temporarily close the bridge for a period of time to facilitate a portion of the inspection. The bridge is scheduled to be closed on Monday, September 30 thru Friday, October 4, 2013 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. The remainder of the bridge inspection will be done while the bridge is open, with traffic restricted to a single lane controlled by flaggers. Motorists are advised to follow the posted detour routes. Motorists are reminded that fines are doubled for speeding in a work zone. In accordance with the Work Zone Safety Act of 2005, convictions of two or more speeding violations i...

Volunteer Opportunity at Loleta Recreation Area Be a part of National Public Lands Day on Saturday, September 28, 2013! The Allegheny National Forest is looking for volunteers to assist in the construction of stone retaining walls along Sugarcamp Run at the Loleta Recreation Area. The retaining walls will reduce stream erosion and preserve the wooden foot bridge stone abutments at the day use area. According to Curt Bowley, Recreation Forester, “Volunteers are crucial in the completion of work projects that may not otherwise be accomplished. We are looking forward to another successful National Public Lands Day project.” The Loleta Recreation Area is located 6 miles south of Marienville on Route 3002. Volunteers should meet at 9:00 a.m. near the bath house and bring lunch, water, gloves, and sturdy waterproof work boots. Work is expected to last until 3:00 p.m. Tools will be provided. The event will occur rain or shine. For more information please contact Curt Bowley at 814-9...

City of Bradford Police on Tuesday investigated a theft on Roberts Street, criminal mischief on Pleasant Street and harassment by communication on Jackson Avenue. They also got calls about disturbances on Summer Street and Lorana Avenue, and suspicious activity on Congress Street. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Bienvenido de nuevo, la comida Mexicana. Bradford City Council on Tuesday authorized a lease agreement that will bring Mexican food back to Main Street. Mauricio Feria-Espana plans to rent 109 Main Street for one year and bring in a new Mexican restaurant. OECD Executive Director Sara Andrews said Feria-Espana owns a Mexican restaurant in Olean, New York, that, she says, is “bright, cheery clean.” She says the food was good and service was excellent when she went to the Olean restaurant recently. “We’ve done our due diligence … and we’re looking forward to having them come into our community and bring back a Mexican restaurant,” Andrews said. Also Tuesday, council accepted a quote of $7,972 from IA Construction for the paving of the access road to the Callahan Park ice rink and the side lot next to the rink. The money will come from the General Obligation Bond Fund. Council also authorized the execution of a grant contract for $50,000 in Keystone Communities Program grant mon...