Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Bradford City Council has voted to raise the salaries of the mayor city council members and city controller for 2016. Mayor Tom Riel did not attend the special meeting and, obviously, did not vote on the measure. Councilman Rhett Kennedy was also absent from the meeting. The mayor’s salary would go from $5,000 to $10,000, while the council salaries would go from $3,500 to $5,000 a year. The mayor and council members are on call 24 hours a day. Final reading of the measure is set for the regular council meeting on Tuesday. Riel tells WESB he will not be attending that meeting either because of another engagement. The last time salaries were raised was in 1995. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

BRADFORD, Pa. – Lilly Ledbetter, who inspired the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, will speak at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford later this month about equal pay for women, equal rights in the workplace and leadership. Ledbetter’s talk, which is free and open to the public, will be held at 7:30 p.m. March 19 in Bromeley Family Theater in Blaisdell Hall. The event is part of Pitt-Bradford’s Women’s History Month programming. After Ledbetter discovered that she was making thousands less per year than men in the same management position at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, she battled for 10 years to close the gap between women’s and men’s wages, sparring with the U.S. Supreme Court and lobbying Capitol Hill. Although she won a jury verdict of more than $3 million after having filed a gender pay discrimination suit in federal court, the Supreme Court later overturned the lower court’s ruling, arguing that Ledbetter had filed her suit too la...

CareerLink in Bradford is closed for the day. Tonight's Lady Investors of Bradford meeting at the YWCA is cancelled. St. Francis Church has cancelled its 9 a.m. Mass tomorrow (Wednesday). For the latest list of Closings & Cancellations go to http://www.wesb.com/news/closings/ or like our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/1490wesb . The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Bradford man has pleaded guilty to a drug charge in Cattaraugus County. Prosecutors say 42-year-old William Cabisca attempted to possess a controlled substance on June 11 in the Town of Cold Spring. He is scheduled for sentencing on May 11. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Bradford man who lunged at another man’s throat with a knife has been sentenced in Cattaraugus County Court to time served and five years’ probation. 37-year-old Dana Jimerson attacked the man on Thanksgiving Day in Great Valley. He was convicted of attempted assault. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A man accused of driving drunk in a motorcycle crash that killed his wife has pleaded not guilty in Cattaraugus County Court. 51-year-old Michael Baker of Machias, who was critically injured in the crash, is charged with vehicle manslaughter, driving while intoxicated and related offenses in connection to the accident that killed 43-year-old Dianne Baker on August 11, 2013. Police say Michael Baker failed to negotiate a curve on McKinstry Road in Machias and lost control of the motorcycle. Both of the Bakers were thrown from the bike. Dianne was pronounced dead at the scene. Mr. Baker was taken by Mercy Flight to ECMC in Buffalo. His case has been adjourned for motions. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The Disaster Declaration for the City of Bradford has officially been lifted, but we are still under a Boil Water Advisory until further notice. Kim Benjamin says it's OK for people to go back to "normal" water use. He adds that, "it's always smart to conserve water, that just makes sense. It's good common sense." The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The Bradford Water Authority’s system is continuing to recover from last Monday’s break and subsequent leakage which drained the entire system. At present, all storage tanks have been stabilized with no alarms. Storage levels are at about 75 to 80 percent of capacity and rising. The system has not yet fully recovered. BWA crew members worked throughout the weekend to continue to resolve problems related to the recent water crisis. Frozen main lines have been reported in the areas of Petrolia, Oxford and Lincolndale. Residents who are still without water due to frozen service lines or lines in their homes need to contact a local plumber. BWA customers are asked to continue to conserve water as much as possible. The “Boil Water Advisory” continues to be in effect. Testing on BWA samples will begin Monday with hopes of lifting the advisory later in the week. A press conference will be held at 11 a.m. Monday in City Council chambers, 3rd floor City Hall, followed by a noon special m...