Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

A man is accused of hitting a woman in the head with a rock while a teenage boy was watching. Police say early Saturday morning in the Town of Portville, Rodney Hall of Hinsdale hit the woman with the rock while they were in a vehicle on Route 305. A 14-year-old boy was also in the vehicle. Hall is charged with assault, reckless endangerment, menacing and endangering the welfare of a child. He was sent to Cattaraugus County Jail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Minor injuries were reported after a three-vehicle crash Saturday afternoon near Tack’s Inn. Police say 51-year-old Alice Valenti of Austin was at the intersection of routes 219 and 59 when she didn’t yield the right-of-way to 46-year-old Diana Rankin of Mount Jewett and the cars collided. The impact caused Rankin’s car to cross lanes, where it was hit by a vehicle driven by Fred Angell of Bradford. Rankin suffered minor injuries and was taken by ambulance to Bradford Regional Medical Center for treatment. Valenti was cited for not stopping at a stop sign. ~~~ A Hinsdale woman was charged after a one-vehicle crash Saturday in Lafayette Township. Police say 32-year-old Jody Kenjocketty was traveling north on Route 219 when she lost control of her vehicle and drove off the road. The vehicle came to rest in a ditch. Kenjocketty and her three unnamed passengers suffered minor injuries and were taken to BRMC. Kenjocketty was cited for driving too fast for conditions. ~~~ A...

A woman is accused of stealing more than $1,300 from the Hinsdale American Legion. State Police say 46-year-old Wendy Cook of Cuba defrauded the legion out of $1,333 by using store credit at a business in the Town of Cuba. She was charged with grand larceny and is scheduled to appear in court on August 5. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force found crack cocaine, powder cocaine, marijuana and several painkiller pills while executing a search warrant at a Hinsdale home. 40-year-old Patti Brooks is now charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell. Brooks was sent to Cattaraugus County Jail on $5,000 bail and scheduled to appear in Town of Allegany Court. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A New York man who broke a Bradford man’s eye socket during an assault near the Bradford Area Public Library in August will spend 2 months to a year-and-a-half in McKean County Jail. 24-year-old Evan Fields of Friendship and Heather Powley of Hinsdale assaulted the man in the early morning hours of August 31. When police arrived on the scene, the victim was lying motionless on the ground with head injuries. The victim had to have reconstructive surgery on his eye. Fields was also ordered to pay more than $22,000 in restitution and do 200 hours of community service. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Charges against a former Bradford man accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl he met online have been bond to McKean County Court. 25-year-old Robert Magee, who now lives in Hinsdale, New York, met the girl on the social networking site MeetMe.com in November and arranged a meeting, according to papers filed in District Judge Dominic Cercone’s office. Magee picked the girl up and took her to his South Center Street home, where he had sex with her. He is charged with statutory sexual assault and indecent assault of a person younger than 16, and is free on unsecured bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Cattaraugus County man is facings weapons charges. State police arrested 30-year-old Dzuroff of Hinsdale after a week-long investigation. He is charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon – one felony and one misdemeanor – and criminal sale of a firearm. After being arraigned he was released on his own recognizance and scheduled to be back in court on June 24. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Part of a major road in the Town of Olean will be closed starting Tuesday so crews can do culvert repair work. Route 16 between Union Valley Road and Fairview Avenue will be closed to all traffic in both directions for about two weeks, according to the New York State Department of Transportation. Northbound motorists will be detoured onto Interstate 86 at Exit 26 in Olean. Southbound motorists will be detoured onto I-86 at Exit 27 in the Town of Hinsdale. Local traffic will still be able to access destinations to the north and south of the closed portion of Route 16. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A former Bradford man is facing charges for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl he met online. 25-year-old Robert Magee, who now lives in Hinsdale, New York, met the girl on the social networking site MeetMe.com in November and arranged a meeting, according to papers filed in District Judge Dominic Cercone’s office. Magee picked the girl up and took her to his South Center Street home, where he had sex with her. He is charged with statutory sexual assault and indecent assault of a person younger than 16. He’s free on unsecured bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Impersonating a state trooper has landed a Hinsdale man in jail. Police say 37-year-old Richard Williams Jr. contacted a woman’s employer in Jamestown, attempting to discredit her and get her fired. He allegedly stated on several occasions that he was with New York State Police. Williams is charged with criminal impersonation and aggravated harassment. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

An Olean man who stole guns, electronics and other items between July and August of 2012 has been sentenced to 3 ½ to 7 years in state prison. 28-year-old Henry Spencer was convicted of two counts of burglary for incidents in Portville, Hinsdale and Ischua. When police executed a search warrant where they believed Spencer and his co-defendant were holed up, they found six firearms, 50 marijuana plants, packaged marijuana, a car, drug paraphernalia, electronics, ammunition and several other items. Spencer has also been ordered to pay restitution. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Hinsdale man has pleaded not guilty to a number of charges related to having sex with a child. Prosecutors say 18-year-old Benjamin VanHorn had sex with a child younger than 17, who he knew was related to him, between March of last year and March of this year. He’s charged with two counts each of incest and sexual misconduct well as endangering the welfare of a child. The matter has been adjourned for motions. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

An assault near the Bradford Area Public Library has landed a couple of Hinsdale residents in McKean County Jail. City police responded to a report of a fight outside the library early Saturday morning, and found a person with head injuries lying motionless on the ground. The person, who they didn’t identify, was taken to UPMC Hamot for reconstructive surgery on a broken eye socket. When police arrived on the scene they also saw Evan Fields, Heather Powley and another person behind the library. Fields and Powley are each charged with aggravated assault and reckless endangerment. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A woman pulled her mother from a burning mobile home in Hinsdale this morning. Firefighters say the blaze started at around 8:30 a.m. Barbara Orrego dragged her mother, Katherine Foote, from a bedroom that was on fire toward the front door. From there, a neighbor pulled Foote up to the road. Oxygen from tanks inside the home caused small explosions. The mobile home was destroyed. The Cattaraugus County Fire Investigation Team has been called to determine the cause of the blaze. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

State troopers believe they found the person responsible for stealing from numerous vehicles in the Olean, Portville and Hinsdale areas. 25-year-old Christopher Burton of Olean is charged with burglary and petit larceny, and troopers said additional charges are expected. Burton is in Cattaraugus County Jail in lieu of bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Hinsdale man is facing charges for stealing stainless steel. 26-year-old Aaron Stearns allegedly stole the items from Gile Hollow Road in the Town of Hinsdale. He is charged with petit larceny and trespass. Stearns is scheduled to appear in Town of Hinsdale Court. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A pickup truck hit a bicyclist in the Town of Hinsdale on Sunday, and the truck driver is facing charges. The bicyclist, who police did not identify, was taken by Mercy Flight to ECMC in Buffalo, where he is in stable condition. The truck driver, 24-year-old Charles Hopkins of Hinsdale, is charged with driving while ability impaired by alcohol. He is scheduled to appear in Town of Hinsdale Court on May 8.

An Olean man has been sentenced for attempting to injure a police officer and burglary. 27-year-old Joshua Tyler broke into a building in the Town of Hinsdale on November 23, 2011. Then on February 9, 2012, in Olean, he attempted to injure the police officer while resisting arrest. He’s been sentenced to one to three years in state prison. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Two men are charged with stealing and selling stolen auto parts in several Cattaraugus County towns. State troopers say between November 30 and Wednesday they received reports from automotive businesses in Allegany, Hinsdale, Olean and Portville about the stolen parts that included numerous brake rotors. They also got a report of stolen aluminum gutters from another business. The total value of the stolen property is more than $4,000. While investigating at a scrap yard they were able to identify a couple of suspects. Troopers say 27-year-old Joseph Vavrecan of Hinsdale admitted to conspiring with 22-year-old Michael Crawford to steal the items. Vavrecan is charged with two counts of grand larceny and four counts of petit larceny. Crawford is charged with one count each of grand larceny and petit larceny with additional charges pending. Both were released on their own recognizance.

A Hinsdale man who assaulted another person and used someone’s credit card without permission will spend the next year in jail. 26-year-old Mackenzie Smith applied pressure to the throat or neck of another person on May 29 in Hinsdale. On May 24 he stole property in the Town of Carrollton, and on June 9, in Olean, he used the other person’s credit card. He was sentenced to a year in jail for each crime, but will serve them all at the same time instead of consecutively. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947