Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

A tractor trailer had a three-hour delay this morning after – first – getting stuck on Red Rock Hill at around 6:30. When Derrick City firefighters got there they found that the truck was against the guard rails and blocking 1 ½ lanes of traffic. Because of the hazardous conditions, the road was shut down and PennDOT was called to bring sand to the scene. They were able to free the truck, but it got stuck several more times on the way to the top of the hill, and then got stuck again on Summit Road. Three hours later, it was on its way to its destination. You can see a picture of that on our Facebook page, facebook.com/1490wesb. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

With just less than one month to go in the United Way of the Bradford Area’s 2014 Be a Champion campaign, officials announced the drive has surpassed 95 percent of its $345,000 goal. While the campaign’s home stretch coincides with an already busy holiday season, 2014 co-chairpersons Lisa Minich and Jeannine Schoenecker are confident the Bradford area’s generous residents won’t forget their neighbors in need. Minich said, “The United Way has been connecting community resources with the needs of individuals since 1925. Together we can ensure that the services provided by our member agencies continue to be available for our friends, families and neighbors who need it most.” Executive Director Mandi Wilton Davis explained UWBA has already received applications from three new agencies and requests for increased funding from three existing agencies. “We set an ambitious goal for 2014, but, year over year, appeals always exceed funding,” Wilton Davis stated. “This year requests just t...

The hearing for a Bath, New York, man accused of taking nearly $30,000 for home improvement work he didn’t do in Bradford and Foster townships had been scheduled for a preliminary hearing today in McKean County Central Court, but that hearing has been moved to next month. 51-year-old Shannon Donahue, who had previously lived in Lewis Run, did appear in court today for a bail hearing and, after being in McKean County Jail all month, has been released on unsecured bail. In all three incidents he allegedly took advance payments from the victims and never ordered materials or did any work. Donahue is scheduled to be back in court on January 28. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The William E. and Ann L. Swan Business Center has been recognized by American School & University magazine in its 2014 Architectural Portfolio issue. The new home to St. Bonaventure University’s School of Business, which opened in August 2013, was one of just 24 building projects cited in the post-secondary education category. The magazine commended the Swan Center’s design for “reinforcing the open spaces and quads so essential to the campus fabric.” The magazine also praised the “magnificent views” from lecture rooms and student spaces, and the facility’s commitment to sustainability, citing an annual carbon output 54 percent lower than a typical building of equivalent size. The Swan Center was designed by Cannon Design. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The Friends of Hanley Library at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford will present its 22nd annual “Season’s Readings” on WESB’s LiveLine program next week. The show, which can be heard at 1490 AM, will be broadcast at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 16. Following up on his reading two years ago of the first half of Truman Capote’s short story, “A Christmas Memory,” Dr. Donald Ulin will read the conclusion of the story, in which the narrator, Buddy, is enrolled in military school. This poignant and evocative short story is based on Capote’s autobiographical recollection of his last Christmas spent with an elderly woman who was his distant cousin and best friend. The narrative, as told through the eyes of a 7-year-old boy, touches on friendship, family, loneliness and loss. The annual radio readings on WESB began with the late Dr. Robert C. Laing, Jr., professor emeritus at Pitt-Bradford. Since 2001, Dr. Donald Ulin, associate professor of English, has carried on this treasured B...

Sometimes the people who help the rest of us get out of sticky situations get stuck themselves. Bradford City Fire Department Captain Mike Cleveland says the city ambulance got a call from St. Francis Drive and needed some help getting out of the St. Francis Church driveway because it hadn’t been plowed, and it was difficult to tell where the road was. Well, “the ambulance made it out just fine,” Cleveland said, but as the fire truck followed the ambulance tracks out, they realized the ambulance hadn’t driven on the road. Because a fire truck is much heavier than an ambulance, it tipped and got stuck. A city DPW worker helped them out. You can see pictures of the stuck truck on our Facebook page, facebook.com/1490wesb WESB photos The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The Seneca Highlands IU9 will be offering a Child Development Associate Certification Program starting January 6, 2015 and running through June 9, 2015. This program is the most widely recognized certification program for early childhood educators and is a key stepping stone on the path of career advancement in the field of early childhood education. Over 300,000 early childhood education professionals from throughout the United States have earned this certification. Graduates of this program will have increased confidence as a teacher because they will be able to implement best practices for teaching young children. This program is also a great way to earn a credential to advance your career or add to the list of credentials you can show to potential employers or parents, demonstrating your commitment to the quality of education you provide. Members of the STARS Program may qualify for a $50 discount off the cost of the program. For more information about this progr...

A Winter Weather Advisory will go into effect early Thursday morning, and will be in effect until early in the evening. The National Weather Service in State College says McKean and Warren counties could see 3 to 6 inches of snow by 7 p.m. on Thursday, with most of it coming during the daylight hours. Wind gusts could be as high at 30 mph between 4 a.m. and 7 p.m. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GRLI) Act of 2014, a bill which Rep. Tom Reed was an original cosponsor of, passed the House of Representatives today. The bill authorizes clean-up endeavors and efforts to combat invasive species in the Great Lakes watershed including projects in Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Seneca and Tompkins counties. “The health of our lakes and waterways is critical to our economy and quality of life,” Reed observed. “The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative cares for our environmental cleanup efforts in the Great Lakes region. The collaborative approach of the program helps coordinate resources so projects can be carried out in the most effective manner.” The GLRI focuses on cleaning waterways, preventing and controlling invasive species, and reducing harmful algal bloom in the Great Lakes watershed. GLRI supports 16 projects in the 23rd Congressional District, which lies in the Lake Erie and Lake Ontario watersheds. The news leader of the Twin Ti...

The Allegheny National Forest’s Bradford Ranger District has received a proposal to install, operate and maintain a natural gas pipeline on national forest system land. Minard Run Oil Company has requested a 30-year special use permit for a 19,369-foot pipeline to be buried along Forest Roads 173 and 176 and under a portion of Linn Brook in McKean County. The total size of the project is less than five acres. Additional information about this project can be found at: http://go.usa.gov/6mcA. The Bradford Ranger District is seeking comments about this project. Comments may be submitted in several different ways: Mail: Macario J. Herrera, District Ranger; USDA Forest Service; Bradford Ranger District; 29 Forest Service Drive, Bradford, PA 16701 Fax: 814.362.2761 E-mail: comments-eastern-allegheny-bradford@fs.fed.us. Please reference the Minard Run Oil Co. Special Use Stickney Pipeline on the subject line and include your name and physical mailing address with your correspondence. ...

One man is accused of chasing his younger brother with a machete on Jackson Avenue early this morning. City police say Weston Rick of Bradford, who turns 19 next week, dropped the machete as soon as soon as they got there. Police learned the argument was over a stolen phone. According to papers filed in District Judge Dominic Cercone’s office, Rick was seen chasing his brother near the intersection of Jackson Avenue and Mill Street, while swinging the machete and threatening to cut off his arms and feed them to him. Rick was charged with attempted aggravated assault and terroistic threats, and sent to McKean County Jail in lieu of $20,000 bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A man who stole two flat screen TVs and then took them to a pawn shop will spend the next five years on probation. 21-year-old Thomas Jones III of Irving was sentenced in Cattaraugus County Court for breaking into a home on the afternoon of April 4, stealing the TVs and taking them to a pawn shop in Derby. That’s where police saw surveillance video of him and identified him as the burglary suspect. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A man has admitted to distributing indecent material to minors in two counties earlier this year. 24-year-old Shawn Washington was in Cattaraugus County Court Monday, when he admitted to the August incident. He’ll be sentenced March 9. Today, he admitted in Allegany County Court that he violated probation on several occasions when he handed out the materials in September in Belmont. He was sentenced to 2 ½ to 7 years in state prison. He was on probation for a string of burglaries in Allegany County in 2012. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A man convicted for having sex with a teenager three years ago has pleaded guilty to another child sex abuse charge. 24-year-old Ryan Tarr Olean had sexual contact with a person younger than 13 on July 16 in the city. In 2011, he had sexual contact with a 16-year-old and was ordered to register with the New York’s Sex Offender Registry. He’ll be sentenced for the latest charge on February 17. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A woman is accused of putting a nine-year-old boy in a choke hold. Police say 30-year-old Jamie Jackson of Mount Jewett also pushed the boy’s head into a door, causing a goose egg on his head and scratches on his neck. The alleged incident happened in October at Jackson’s former home in Derrick City. Jackson is charged with assault and is free on $10,000 unsecured bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The driver of a tanker truck was hurt when his rig crashed just before 8 o’clock this morning on Route 6 in Warren County. Police haven’t released the man’s name, but say he was taken to Corry Memorial Hospital. The state Department of Environmental Protection and the Fish and Boat Commission were called to the scene because some fuel spilled. Route 6 was closed in both directions between Mead Run Road and Abraham Hollow after the crash. We’ll have more information as it becomes available. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Route 6 in Warren County is closed in both directions from Mead Run Road to Abraham Hollow Road in Brokenstraw Township due to a crash involving a tanker. PennDOT says the road is expected to reopen by 11 a.m. We don’t have any further information yet. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Lynne Comilla Hinton of Wendell, NC, passed away peacefully at home on December 6, 2014. Lynne fought a courageous battle with cancer. She was born February 24, 1960 in Bradford, PA. She is the daughter of Margaret "Peggy" Comilla of Raleigh, NC and the late Carmen Anthony Comilla. She was a 1978 graduate of Bradford Central Christian High School and attended Wendell Christian Church. She served as fiscal administrator for the Wake County Public School System and was a devoted employee for over 23 years. Lynne is survived by her devoted husband and best friend Bruce Hinton; her loving daughter Allison Williams Pearce (Steven) of Knightdale, NC; her loving son Ronald "Rusty" A. Williams III (Ashley) of Knightdale, NC; sisters Lisa Comilla Farina (Richard) of Fuquay-Varina, NC, Jennifer Comilla Salada (Gregory) of Jacksonville, FL, and a special sister Sheri Womack (Quinton) of Wake Forest, NC; brothers Carmen A. "Chip" Comilla Jr. and Michael Sturm Com...

Nancy Lou Lucco, 77, of Custer City, passed away on Thursday, December 4, 2014 at the Bradford Regional Medical Center. She was born on February 28, 1937 in Gifford, a daughter of the late Joseph and Amy Collar Howard. On February 8, 1964 in the St. Bernard Catholic Church she married Francis P. Lucco who preceded her in death on February 2, 2010. Mrs. Lucco enjoyed going shopping, socializing and talking with people and collecting antiques. She loved animals of all kinds and spending time with her family and friends. Nancy was someone that you could always count on anytime that you needed something. She was the owner of the New Keystone Bar in Bradford since she and her husband purchased it in 2000. She is survived by two sons, Frank (Becky) Lucco of Bradford, Joe Lucco of Pittsburgh; three daughters, Marian (Joe) Dombrowski of Pittsburgh, Nancy (Michael) Ayers of Mt. Airy, NC, Tina Lucco of Bradford; one sister, Margaret Gardner of Cincinnati, OH; five grandchil...

City police are continuing to investigate the armed robbery of a Bradford man early Saturday morning on Summer Street. They say the robber demanded cash, at gunpoint, and then ran away toward North Center Street. They believe the victim was targeted, and it was not a random incident. The suspect is between 25 and 35 years old, about six feet tall and weighs about 220 pounds. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact City of Bradford Police. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Grand Opening Celebration will be held at Cole Memorial’s Shinglehouse Community Health Center from 3 to 6 p.m. on December 16. A special ceremony will start at 3 p.m. followed by tours, staff introductions, free screenings and refreshments. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

St. Bernard School placed third overall in the Western New York Scholastic Chess Championships on Saturday in the K-8 section. The event was directed by Tom Warner at the Pioneer High School in Yorkshire. The St. Bernard students were in grades 3-5, and younger than most of their competitors. Coach Buchheit said, “I’m proud of the kids. They performed very well against the older students.” Cadence Panol led the team with only one loss. Other teammates included Alex and Andy Mangold, who each won three games, Jessie Kerr, Tim Mulcahy, and Gregory Tyler. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

By Sandy Rhodes A perfect storm of events -- including an arid financial stream and rising costs -- have forced the One Book Bradford committee to postpone its eighth season. OBB is a community-wide reading initiative in which a book is selected by the committee and recommended to the community to read. The season consists of ancillary events which have culminated with a visit by the author. However, this year, the committee found itself with limited finances and a publishing industry which controls author visits and charge more. "We decided to postpone this season when we realized that we would not be able to bring the quality of programming the community enjoyed in the past and had rightfully come to expect," a committee spokesperson said. "We tried to choose a book but the obstacles Generally, the selection is announced the beginning of November and the author visit is held in May. The regrouping process will include Lacey Love, the executive director for ...