Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Elk County has been approved for a federal Small Business Administration loan to help people rebuild after the May 21 flooding wreaked havoc on the area. State Rep. Matt Gabler says Congressman Glenn “GT” Thompson gave him the word about the disaster declaration. County officials are still waiting for word form FEMA about more assistance. Jason Bange of the American Red Cross has been spending time in Ridgway helping people put their lives back together. On today's LiveLine he talked about one business that lent a helping hand – and more – to Ridgway residents. Listen here . (12 seconds) You can listen to the entire show by going to WESB.com/listen and clicking on the Local Programs tab. If you’d like to help the Red Cross – there’s a delicious way you can do it. By Tuesday, contact the chapter house on Congress and order a strawberry shortcake for 5 bucks. All proceeds go to help pay for services the Red Cross provides.

In light of this year’s National Fire Prevention Week, which runs until Saturdray, the American Red Cross has been helping families in the Western Pennsylvania Region learn how to prevent home fires. Last year, the Red Cross assisted 892 families afflicted by various disasters in the Western Pennsylvania Region. On a national level, the Red Cross responds to approximately 63,000 home fires every year by providing food, shelter, and emotional support to affected families. National Fire Prevention Week was officially started in 1925 by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), an international nonprofit organization that advocates for fire prevention and public safety. National Fire Prevention Week aims to raise awareness of the dangers of fires and the many ways to prevent them. As the winter months approach and more space heaters and fireplaces are being used, the risk of home fires increases, reinforcing the need for widespread knowledge of fire prevention. “We respond...

The American Red Cross is assisting in an evacuation center for 150 evacuees from the Borough of Kane, and he evacuation area has been expanded to two miles due to a new leak on truck, according to the Red Cross. It had been half a mile around the area of the intersection of Greeves and Fraley streets (US Route 6) after a tanker carrying 8,000 gallons of butane rolled over at 4:30 this morning. EMS is still saying the area is half a mile, however. There were two evacuation sites open that have been consolidated to the Kane High School. The evacuation is now expected to be in effect until this afternoon. Lunch will be served for the evacuees. At this time, 10 Red Cross workers are assisting with the effort. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947