Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

A fallen tree outside a First Energy substation caused a brief power outage in Bradford and Lewis Run this afternoon. Penelec’s Linda Routzhan says the switching process to get the power back on caused some of the flickering lights. The outage started at about 1:45 and most people had their power restored by 2:30. She said about 600 customers had to wait a little longer, but all power has been restored. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

(News Release) Akron, Ohio – The holiday season is the most popular time for home decoration. FirstEnergy’s (NYSE: FE) utilities hope you will enjoy this festive season with family and friends while also remembering a few tips to ensure your holiday lighting displays remain safe throughout the season. Outdoor Lighting Safety  Check all lights for frayed wires or areas where insulation has pulled away from plugs or sockets. Discard and replace any damaged light strings.  Take extra care using a ladder to install lights – avoid contact with overhead wires and make sure the ladder is placed on solid, level ground that isn’t slippery.  Ensure that tacks or nails used to hold light strings do not pierce any insulation on wires or light sockets.  Use only extension cords that are approved for outdoor use. These cords must meet rigorous safety standards that indoor cords may not meet.  Outdoor lights, inflatables and other decorations should be plugged into outlets protected by gr...

First Energy has asked the federal government for permission to sell 11 hydroelectric power generation stations, including Seneca Pumped Storage at Kinzua Dam. According to a news release First Energy wants to sell stations in West Virginia and Virginia as well as Pennsylvania that could generate 527 megawatts of power all together. Seneca Pumped Storage counts for 451 megawatts of that total. One megawatt equals one million watts. First Energy’s total capacity is about 20,000 megawatts. No jobs will be lost in the sale to Harbor Hydro Holdings. The Seneca Nation is competing for the license application for the station, and the government’s OK for the sale is contingent upon settlement of that issue. The Nation has not commented yet. Image from Google Earth © The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

We have a call in to Penelec and will let you know about the power outage in Foster Township as soon as we know what's going on. We do know it's "weather-related" and crews are currently working to restore power. No estimate yet as to when it will be back. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

SPE Group of Port Huron, Michigan, still has its command center set up at the Bradford Mall as their crews, along with several other companies, help Penelec/First Engery crews restore power in McKean County following Thursday's storm. As of just before 3 p.m. only a handful of customers -- with the exception of Liberty Township -- are still waiting for their power to be restored. Liberty Township has 211 cusomters without power. Only 12 of those are in Port Allegany. Penelec hopes to have all power restored this evening. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

About 2,400 Penelec customers in McKean County are still without power after Thursday’s storm. 200 of those are in the Lewis Run area ; 800 are in the Smethport and Port Allegany areas. Penelec says most power should be restored between 11 p.m. and midnight Sunday, with the rest restored by Monday morning. In Potter County, 1,500 Penelec customers are still without power; Elk County, 1,400; Cameron County, 300; Jefferson, 1,600; and Forest, 900. Penelec expects most power in those areas to be restored by this evening. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The National Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado touched down in Coudersport Thursday. More than 2100 customers in Potter County are still without power, and Penelec hopes to have it restored Sunday evening. In McKean County, where more than 2,400 customers are still without power, the storm was a microburst, which is characterized by straight line winds. 200 of the customers without power are in the Lewis Run area. Penelec expects to have power restored by late Sunday night. No serious storm-related injuries have been reported in McKean County, but in Potter County 66-year-old Linda Button of Andover, New York, was killed by a falling tree at a campground in Genesee Township. About 3,500 customers in Elk, Cameron and Forest counties are still without power as well. Penelec expects to have most power there restored by this evening. In Chemung and Steuben counties in New York, three tornadoes touched down Thursday. The first hit near Southwest Corning at around 3:30. The second...

More than 10,000 Penelec customers in McKean, Potter and Elk counties alone are without power as of 9:30 a.m. In Cameron, Tioga, Warren, Forest and Jefferson counties more than 7,300 customers are without power. Most of the state -- except the Philadelphia area and a small portion of the east/central portion -- has power outages to some extent. Governor Andrew Cuomo has declared a state of emergency for Chemung County, allowing New York State to better coordinate and respond with local governments to the widespread damage caused by a line of severe thunderstorms that caused possible tornadoes, winds in excess of 60 miles per hours, and hail over one inch in diameter. A tornado was confirmed in Elmira. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Someone stole copper wire from a Penelec substation in Ridgway Township sometime within the last month. Police say the person cut a hole in the metal fence of the substation, and then removed 100 feet of copper wire. The total amount of stolen property and damage is about $3,000. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Akron, Ohio –FirstEnergy is urging customers to make a list and check it twice to ensure their outdoor and indoor holiday lights and decorations are installed safely. Outdoor Lighting  Double check the lights for any frayed wires or cracks and be sure there is a light in each socket; damaged strands should be discarded.  If you decide to add more lights, don’t use a ladder anywhere near overhead wires; be sure the ladder is securely placed on level ground.  Lights should be approved by Underwriters Laboratory; “UL” will be clearly displayed on the tag. And be sure the lights are approved for outdoor use.  Check to make sure tacks or nails were not hammered into the electrical cord during installation; most lights now have clips that can be used to attach to the house.  Be sure heavy-duty, outdoor extension cords are being used.  If possible, outdoor lights and any inflatable decorations should be plugged into circuits protected by ground fault circuit interrupters.  Use a timer,...

A tree knocked down a primary power line this afternoon, causing a power outage for about 827 First Energy customers in the West Washington Street area. First Energy External Affairs Manager Linda Rautzahn says crews are working to restore power, and they expect it to be restored this evening.

Several hundred Penelec customers were without power during outages this morning. The first happened at 4:45 a.m. and affected 771 customers in the Bolivar Drive area. Power was restored at 5:13 a.m. The second happened at 5:03 a.m. and affected 592 customers – including WESB and The HERO – in the East Main Street area. Power was restored at 8:08 a.m. Penelec spokeswoman Linda Routzahn said the second outage was due to a downed wire and was “likely related to the storm and winds.”

The Seneca Nation wants to take over the Seneca Pumped Storage Project at Kinzua Dam when the current operator’s license expires in 2015. Seneca President Robert Odawi Porter says the nation is beginning the application process for the license. First Energy currently holds the license to operate the hydroelectric plant in Warren County.