Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Joe DeMott and Al Pingie have kept their seats as McKean County Commissioners, staving off a challenge by former commissioner John Egbert. DeMott picked up nearly 38 percent of the vote while Pingie gathered nearly 37 percent. On the Democratic side, incumbent Judy Church garnered 45 percent of the vote while former commissioner Cliff Lane got 32 percent.

State Representative Marty Causer held a Coffee & Conversation event this morning at Pitt-Bradford, and discussed a variety of topics including Marcellus Shale, education funding and department of public welfare funding. You can listen here . Causer is also holding a town hall meeting at 6 o’clock tonight at the Smethport Fire Hall.

The six candidates for McKean County commissioner participated in a forum Monday night at the Bradford Senior Center, hosted by the McKean County Chapter of Tea Party. You can hear it here One of the issues discussed was the Bradford Regional Airport and the federal Essential Air Service Program, which some lawmakers in Washington are trying to cut out of the budget. Current commissioner, and Bradford Airport Authority Chairman Joe DeMott, said, “Without the EAS program we would not have commercial air service (and) commercial air service is vital to our economic future.” “People who come here to buy lumber, to buy the products that our local manufactures make – those people fly in here,” he said. “When you’re bringing somebody in with a new industry, they’re flying in to Bradford. It’s very important that we have that service. It’s a long way to Buffalo, particularly in the winter.” Without the $1.3 million subsidy, the airport would lose commercial air service, he added. “People look...