Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

A Bradford County man has been charged with assaulting a Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Officer. After the officer came upon several ATVs, UTVs and dirt bikes on a game lands road posted closed to motor vehicles he was able to stop one UTV and was interviewing the driver when 43-year-old Steven Neilson returned and drove in circles near the officer while threatening him, according to court papers. He left and then came back with his daughter in the passenger seat and accelerated toward the officer and hit him in the left arm. Neilson is free on bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday. A game commission spokesman said assaulting an officer with a motor vehicle is a serious offense that will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

In bringing greater attention to the issue of pet overpopulation, Rep. Tina Pickett (R-Bradford/Sullivan/Susquehanna) is reminding pet owners about World Spay Day on Tuesday, Feb. 25. “Spaying and neutering pets has proven to be an effective means to control the pet population,” said Pickett. “The costs of managing the pet overpopulation have risen for both local governments and animal welfare organizations. The more we can raise awareness of making sure our pets are spayed or neutered will help control this population in the longer term.” The House is expected to formally recognize the day with House Resolution 650, which was introduced in the chamber on Feb. 18. World Spay Day is an effort by veterinarians, animal care and control organizations, national and local animal welfare organizations, and private individuals to raise awareness and encourage pet owners to have their pets spayed or neutered and/or to support programs in the community to offer accessible services. ...

A Bradford County man was in jail Wednesday afternoon on charges he sped away from, then slammed into a Pennsylvania Game Commission vehicle, injuring two wildlife conservation officers and himself, the Game Commission reported. Timothy James Mott, 34, of Columbia Cross Roads, is charged with four felony counts of aggravated assault, a misdemeanor count of fleeing or attempting to elude police officers, three summary counts of possessing loaded firearms in a vehicle, a summary count of unlawful use of lights, and numerous traffic violations following a crash early in the morning on Nov. 2. Mott on Wednesday remained in Bradford County Prison, unable to post the $200,000 bail that had been set by a judge, court records indicate. At about 2:30 a.m. on Nov. 2, a state police aircraft alerted Pennsylvania Game Commission officers of an individual spotlighting from a vehicle along Sawyer Road in Springfield Township. Recreational spotlighting in Pennsylvania is unlawful between the hou...

HARRISBURG - Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane today announced the arrests of four Pennsylvania men on unrelated charges as part of an ongoing effort to target the online sharing, downloading and distribution of child pornography. Attorney General Kane identified the defendants as: • Lawrence Schichtel Jr., 53, 319 Fuller St., Sayre, Bradford County; • William Mattos, 45, 2076 North Williamson Road, Covington, Tioga County; • Jerry Rhinehart Jr., 29, 690 South Broad St., Apt.15, Jersey Shore, Lycoming County; and • Robert Pillot Jr., 38, 148 Mohawk Drive, Hughesville, Lycoming County. According to the criminal complaints for each of the defendants, agents conducting separate, unrelated online investigations found numerous files containing depictions of children engaged in extremely sexually graphic acts and poses, which they later determined were downloaded and shared from each of the defendant's respective computers. Schichtel Schichtel was arrested on October 16, and char...

WILLIAMSPORT -- The Department of Environmental Protection today issued an air quality plan approval to Moxie Liberty LLC of Vienna, Va., for construction of the first power plant in Pennsylvania to run on natural gas, including gas from the Marcellus Shale. The plant, which will generate up to 936 megawatts of electricity, will be built in Asylum Township, Bradford County, and create 500 construction jobs at its peak. “Today is a red-letter day for Pennsylvania,” DEP Secretary Mike Krancer said. “With this approval, Moxie now has all that it needs from DEP to move forward with the construction of this historic facility, which will use clean, pipeline-quality, locally produced natural gas as fuel.” The project consists of two power blocks, with each block including a combustion gas turbine and a steam turbine. Each combined cycle process will be able to generate up to 468 megawatts of electricity and will also include a heat recovery steam generator and supplemental duct burners. Wa...

PA Precision Cast Parts owner Andrew Miller (center) gives Governor Tom Corbett (right), and Rep. Tina Pickett (R-Bradford), a tour of the manufacturing facility, in Lebanon. The Governor was there to sign legislation that protecting small businesses from unnecessary red tape and costly mandates. PA Precision Cast Parts, Inc. is a recognized industry leader, employing over 175 Pennsylvanians and converting raw materials into quality cast components since 1983. To read the full text of the legislation, visit the General Assembly’s website at www.legis.state.pa.us . Corbett originally signed the bill on June 29. Photo provided by Commonwealth Media Services The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Harrisburg – Governor Tom Corbett has signed execution warrants for three men, each of whom were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. Terry Ray Chamberlain, Andre Staton and David Richard Ramtahal are scheduled to be executed in October. They are incarcerated at the State Correctional Institution at Greene. Terry Ray Chamberlain, 60, was found guilty of breaking into the home of his estranged wife, Sherri Chamberlain, and her boyfriend, Greg Inman, on Aug. 22, 1991, where he shot each of them multiple times, including an execution-style shot to the head. A neighbor testified that on the morning of the murders, Mrs. Chamberlain telephoned her home, saying she and Inman had been shot, asking her to call an ambulance and identifying the gunman as Chamberlain. The neighbor’s husband arrived at the home and found the pair dead. A Bradford County jury convicted Chamberlain of two counts of first-degree murder and returned two death sentences on May 13, 1994. Chamberlain i...

Scranton, PA – Today, United States Marshal Martin J. Pane announced the successful conclusion of Operation Safety Net III – an initiative designed to verify the addresses of more than 1,300 convicted sex offenders residing in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. This operation is the direct result of The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, signed into law July 27, 2006. The Act commemorated the July 27, 1981 abduction and murder of 6-year old Adam Walsh. It designated the United States Marshals Service (USMS) as the lead federal law enforcement agency charged with assisting jurisdictions in locating and apprehending sex offenders who fail to register, and pursuing convicted sex offenders who cross state lines to avoid their registration requirements. Beginning in February 2012, Deputy U. S. Marshals teamed with the Pennsylvania State Police Megan’s Law Section as well as state and local police officers to verify Megan’s Law addresses of 1,309 convicted sex offenders li...

Governor Tom Corbett has signed execution warrants for three men, each of whom were convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. Darien Houser, John J. Koehler Jr. and Willie Clayton are incarcerated at the State Correctional Institution at Greene. Darien Houser, 49, is scheduled to be executed on July 24. In March 2004, Philadelphia Warrant Officer Sgt. Joseph LeClaire was attempting to serve a warrant on Houser for failing to appear at his trial on rape charges. Houser opened fire, killing LeClaire and wounding two other officers. Houser was arrested a short time later. In March 2006, Houser was sentenced to death. John Koehler Jr., 51, is scheduled to be executed on July 25. In April 1995, Koehler's girlfriend, Regina Clark, and her 9-year-old son, Austin Hopper, were killed in Bradford County by William Curley at the urging and insistence of Koehler. Koehler told Curley he worked for the mob and persuaded Curley to enter the profession, killing the pair as part of h...

WILLIAMSPORT -- The Department of Environmental Protection has fined RW Products LLC of Wheeling, W. Va., $21,029 for the illegal disposal of a reported 800 gallons of waste drilling mud on State Game Lands 219 in Warren Township, Bradford County, in December 2011. “A driver for RW Products admitted that he intentionally dumped a load of oil-based waste drilling mud onto the ground,” North-central Waste Management Program Manager Patrick Brennan said. “This violated the Pennsylvania Solid Waste Management Act and the department’s penalty reflects this blatant disregard for the environment.” The drilling mud was transported about 2.3 miles from Talisman Energy USA’s Strope gas well pad to Reagan Hill Road, where it was illegally dumped. Talisman conducted the cleanup of the mud and contaminated soil, which was properly disposed at the Hyland Landfill in Angelica, New York. The fine has been paid to the state’s Solid Waste Abatement Fund. The driver was arrested by the Pennsylvania State...

WILLIAMSPORT -- The Department of Environmental Protection has fined Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc. of Bellefonte, Centre County, $16,500 for air quality violations documented in October 2011 at its quarry in Burlington Township, Bradford County. “Twice last October, following numerous complaints from area residents, our inspectors found dust coming from operations at the site and from dirt that had been dragged onto Route 6 by quarry traffic,” DEP North-central Regional Director Nels Taber said. DEP inspectors also discovered that a water spray system was not being used while the crusher was in operation, which further contributed to the amount of dust leaving the site. The department sent a notice of violation to the company that required Hawbaker to make the necessary changes to keep dust from escaping the property. In response, the company resumed operation of the water spray system as required by its permit; paved areas of heavy truck traffic; and constructed a truck wash station to remov...

HARRISBURG – After finding three black bear cubs stranded along a road near Troy, Bradford County earlier this week, Pennsylvania Game Commission officials today successfully completed a four-day race of locating and placing the two female cubs and one male cub in adoptive dens in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The clock started ticking on March 13, when Sullivan County Wildlife Conservation Officer (WCO) Rick Finnegan responded to the Armenia Mountain area near Troy, to investigate reports from passing motorists that three bear cubs were at the base of a fence near a township road. “The cubs all weighed less than 6.5 pounds and were unable to walk,” WCO Finnegan said. “The immediate and surrounding area was surveyed for several hours and no adult female bear was observed, and there was no evidence of a vehicle collision. This unusual set of circumstances seemed to indicate someone may have unlawfully handled the cubs and dropped them off at this location.” ...

Wanted for Multiple Sex Crimes against Several Minors Scranton, PA – U.S. Marshal Martin J. Pane announced today that the United States Marshals Service (USMS) arrested Raymond Brennan – a 37-year old Bradford County man - in Burlington, North Carolina. Brennan was being sought on multiple charges by the Pennsylvania State Police-Towanda barracks and the Athens Township Police Department (Bradford County). In July of 2011, the Athens Township Police Department and Pennsylvania State Police received information that two minors were sexually assaulted. The assaults allegedly began in 2009 and continued for two years, in both Athens and Litchfield Townships. These allegations were fully investigated. On August 17, 2011, Magisterial District Judge Michael Shaw of Sayre issued an arrest warrant for Brennan, based upon the Athens Township Police investigation. Brennan was charged with: 20 counts of Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse 20 counts of Statutory Sexual Assault 20 counts of Aggr...

Bradford County Man Killed Two Sheriff's Deputies Harrisburg – Governor Tom Corbett has signed an execution warrant for Dustin Ford Briggs, who was sentenced to death for killing two Bradford County sheriff’s deputies in March 2004. Briggs was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to death for shooting Deputies Christopher Burgert and Michael VanKuren. Burgert and VanKuren were attempting to serve a warrant on Briggs for nonpayment of fines, costs and restitution. Briggs shot the two deputies when they confronted him outside his home, according to court records. After fleeing into a wooded area, Briggs was the subject of a massive manhunt until he was captured by State Police. Briggs, now 34, is held at the State Correctional Institution at Greene. His execution by lethal injection is scheduled for March 8. This warrant, signed Jan. 9, is Corbett’s 11th execution warrant. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Gov. Tom Corbett has signed into law legislation authorizing increased state oversight of natural gas pipelines in Pennsylvania. State Representative Matt Baker says the new law will allow Pennsylvania for the first time to regulate and conduct oversight of pipelines. "This is very important given the fact that the Marcellus Shale industry has taken off. This will also allow the Public Utility Commission to draw down more federal funding to hire additional pipeline safety inspectors. So the more pipeline safety inspectors we have out in the field, the better we think it'll be for all consumers in Pennsylvania," Baker said. Baker said he’s pleased that the governor and General Assembly recognized the need for quick action on the legislation. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

WILLIAMSPORT -- The Department of Environmental Protection has fined Appalachia Midstream Services LLC of Horseheads, N.Y., Chesapeake Energy’s pipeline division, $19,510 for numerous erosion- and sediment-control violations originally found last winter at its compressor station in Albany Township, Bradford County. “Appalachia Midstream did not correct the violations documented in February by the Bradford County Conservation District until August, which is far longer than needed,” DEP North-central Regional Director Nels Taber said. “We continue to work to ensure that the companies DEP regulates take their compliance obligations seriously.” Inspections by the conservation district and DEP’s Oil and Gas staff in February and May found that Appalachia Midstream had failed to implement and maintain effective best-management practices to control erosion and sediment runoff during excavation for construction of a compressor station. Best-management practices are measures used to minimize so...

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Legislative Reapportionment Commission today approved its plan to redraw state House and Senate district boundaries according to population shifts identified in the 2010 U.S. Census, Rep. Martin Causer (R-Turtlepoint) said. Under the plan, Causer’s 67th Legislative District would see the following changes: All of Cameron County would become part of the 75th Legislative District served by Rep. Matt Gabler. In Potter County, the Borough of Galeton along with Pike and West Branch townships would become part of 68th Legislative District served by Rep. Matt Baker. In Warren County, Sheffield Township would become part of the 67th District. The township was represented by Rep. Kathy Rapp. All of McKean County would become part of the 67th District. The following communities are being added: the townships of Hamilton, Hamlin, Lafayette and Wetmore, and the boroughs of Kane and Mt. Jewett. “It is my honor and privilege to represent our area in the state House and ...

A man who worked at a Marcellus Shale gas well in Bradford County has been charged for dumping 800 gallons of hazardous materials from the drilling site. State police say 27-year-old Josh Foster of Temple, Georgia, admitted to dumping the black, sludge-like chemicals on state game lands while working for Talisman Energy at one of its drill sites near the dump location. An internal investigation by Talisman led police to Foster, who is jailed on $100,000 bail. The original news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved a natural gas pipeline in Pennsylvania’s Endless Mountain region, despite concerns expressed by the EPA. The 39-mile MARC 1 pipeline, which would go through Pennsylvania and into New York, is proposed by a subsidiary of Inergy LP of Kansas City, Missouri. The commission says the project would have only "limited impact" on landowners and communities and would not adversely affect any endangered species' habitat. The majority of the impact would be felt in Sullivan County, but FERC says the impact will be “insignificant.” Last summer, the Environmental Protection Agency said existing pipelines would be sufficient and the new line could pollute 111 sensitive streams and bodies of water. Besides Sullivan County, the Endless Mountain region includes Bradford, Susquehanna, Northern Wayne and Wyoming counties.

By Joe Kosack Wildlife Conservation Education Specialist Pennsylvania Game Commission PYMATUNING – What in Sam Hill are sandhill cranes doing in Pennsylvania? They don’t have much history here; their status was more of a just-passing-through or accidental visitor than anything else. Heck, they don’t even have relatives in Pennsylvania. But their growing presence here ensures that those folks who refer to most wading birds as “cranes” will start to be right some of the time! “Sandhill cranes, until relatively recently, weren’t part of the state’s breeding bird community,” explained Dan Brauning, Pennsylvania Game Commission Wildlife Diversity Division chief. “In fact, it’s sort of amazing they’re anywhere in North America today given the bird’s troubled past.” A majority of the sandhill crane’s global population historically has nested throughout Canada. East of the Mississippi River, they predominantly inhabited the Great Lakes in substantial numbers through the 1800s. But they encount...