Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Charges have been withdrawn against the Lewis Run man who had been cited for telling a DEP employee he was driving too fast on Chapel Fork Road in Lafayette Township. State Police had said 49-year-old Daniel Brinsky would be getting a citation for disorderly conduct. The incident happened on the afternoon of October 28. The charge was withdrawn last week. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

No one was hurt in an accident late Saturday afternoon on Route 219 in Lafayette Township. Police say a car driven by 54-year-old Cynthia Abrams of Manassas, Virginia, was traveling south when it went into the heightened west berm and hit a metal PennDOT sign. Police say Abrams was fatigued at the time of the crash. She was cited for not staying in her lane. She was able to drive the car away from the accident. 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...

Lafayette Township firefighters were called to Bradford Regional Airport at about 4:45 this afternoon for an “aircraft emergency.” The McKean County 911 Center tells WESB an airplane was malfunctioning, but everything is OK. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

No one was hurt but a car had to be towed after a deer ran out in front of it Monday night. Police say at about 9:15 p.m. 48-year-old Samir Abdulfetah of Scarborough, Ontario, was on Route 219 in Lafayette Township when the deer ran onto the road, and was hit by the front of the car on the passenger’s side. Abdulfetah pulled the car to the side of the road, where he called police. He had four passengers, ranging in age from 18 to 47. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Crews will be repairing a railroad crossing on Bingham Road in Lafayette Township next week, and a detour will be in place while the work is going on. Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad workers will be reconstructing the highway railroad crossing surface northeast of the Village of Bingham Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The detour will take drivers to Route 59 and 646. All work is weather dependent. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A hearing has been scheduled for the second man facing charges for the burglary at TJ’s Corner Store in April. 33-year-old Timothy Bottorf of Bradford is charged with burglary, aggravated assault and conspiracy for breaking into the store in the early morning hours of April 14 with a crow bar, damaging the cash register and stealing cigarettes. When Bottorf came out of the store a neighbor tried to stop him but his accomplice, 49-year-old Jonathon Reck of Rew, drove his speeding car toward him, according to court papers. Bottorf’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 2. Reck waived his hearing earlier this month. The men are in McKean County Jail on $50,000 bail each. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A pickup truck crash on Route 59 in Corydon Township Thursday morning sent a Warren man to the hospital. Police say 23-year-old Joseph Madigan was about 400 feet west of Klondike Road when the truck went out of control and off the road, where it crossed a driveway, side-swiped a tree, hit numerous small trees, and then a large tree and rolled onto its roof. Madigan said he wasn’t hurt but after being checked by Lafayette Township EMS personnel was taken to Bradford Regional Medical Center because he wasn’t wearing a seat belt, and he may have had a head injury. Madigan was charged with driving on roadways not laned for traffic and cited for not wearing a seat belt. State police were assisted on the scene by Corydon Township Fire & Rescue, Lafayette Township Fire & Rescue, Bradford City Ambulance and Fox and Sons Excavating. Photo from Lafayette Township VFD The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Firefighters are battling multiple wildfires in Lafayette Township. Mount Jewett, Hilltop and Lewis Run have all been called to help Lafayette Township firefighters on Droney Road near Big Shanty Road. We’ll have more information as it becomes available. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The man accused of driving the getaway car after a burglary at TJ’s Corner Store last month, and trying to run over a person who was trying to stop his accomplice, waived his preliminary hearing this morning in McKean County Central Court. 49-year-old Jonathon Reck of Rew is accused of driving to the store on Route 59 in the early morning hours of April 14, dropping off a passenger – who has not been identified yet – and then waiting for the man at Tack’s Inn. When his accomplice came out of the store with two cartons of cigarettes and a crow bar he tried to use to break into the cash register, neighbor Dillon Pennel saw him and tried to stop him. Court papers say Reck then sped across the road toward Pennel and almost hit him. Reck is charged with felony counts of aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to commit criminal trespass, as well as several misdemeanors and summary offenses. He remains in McKean County Jail on $50,000 bail. The news leader of th...

A Bradford man is accused of raping a woman late Sunday night in Westline. 25-year-old Matthew Orris is described in court papers as the on-again off-again boyfriend of the victim. She says she contacted him at about 10 o’clock Sunday asked for a ride home from her friend’s camp. She says they had to take back roads because the main road was closed because of the fatal accident investigation. She says during the drive Orris was irritated with her because she hadn’t texted him since Wednesday. At one point he stopped the pickup truck, she got out and started to walk away, but he pulled her back to the truck and raped her. Orris told police the sex was consensual. Police say a medical exam and evidence from the truck are consistent with the victim’s statement. Orris is charged with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with forcible compulsion and indecent assault. He’s in McKean County Jail on $50,000 bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Cuba, New York, woman is dead following a motorcycle crash on Westline Road Sunday afternoon, and her husband is in jail on a DUI charge. Police say the motorcycle operated by 50-year-old Raymond Maedl Jr. went out of control while rounding a curve and hit a guide rail. 50-year-old Jeanie Maedl was thrown from the bike, and into the guide rail. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Raymond Maedl was arraigned early this morning on charges of DUI, disregarding a traffic lane and careless driving. His bail is $50,000. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Police are investigating a burglary at TJ’s Corner Store in Lafayette Township early this morning. They say a white man between the ages of 35 and 45 dropped off a white man between the ages of 25 and 35, and the second man forced his way into the store and attempted to steal money and cigarettes. He was leaving with the store with two cartons of cigarettes when a citizen temporarily apprehended him in front of Tack’s Inn. The driver of the gold Chevy Lumina the dropped than man off then drove toward the citizen at a high rate of speed, nearly hitting him. The two the left, traveling east on Route 59. All the items the men were trying to steal were recovered, but two doors and a cash register were damaged. The estimate for the damage is $2,000. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact Kane-based state police. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Bradford man’s pickup truck was disabled after being hit by a box truck this morning on Route 59 just north of Patton Drive in Lafayette Township. State police say the box truck driven by 60-year-old Arthur Willard Jr. of Wellsville crossed the double yellow line and hit the pickup driven by 34-year-old Jason Steis. Willard left the scene but returned later and reported hitting an unknown object. No one was hurt but the pickup had to be towed from the scene. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

An 18-year-old suffered minor injuries in a one-car crash on an icy Route 59 this morning. Police say Draven Nudd of Warren was on 59 near its intersection with Lumber Lane in Lafayette Township when his car went out of control on the ice- and snow-covered road, spun off the south berm and hit a tree. The car had to be towed from the scene. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

It appears George Hocker has defeated current Foster Township Supervisor Chairman John Sullivan by a count of 431 to 308 in today’s election. Bradford Township Supervisor Gayle Bauer, however, held off her challenger Richard Yovichin by a count of 410 to 248. It appears Michael Angelo squeaked by Timothy Newhouse in the race for Lafayette Township supervisor by a vote of 58 to 56. In Liberty Township, Fred Ernst defeated Charles Safford by a vote of 106 to 84. Election results are not official until the Board of Elections certifies them on Friday. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

WARREN – This coming November, Rep. Kathy Rapp (R-Warren/Forest/McKean) will host a ceremony honoring the men and women of the United States military who served in the U.S armed forces from 1990 (the time of the Persian Gulf War which ushered in the era of modern warfare) through the present (including the ongoing War Against Terror in Iraq and Afghanistan). To ensure as many veterans as possible receive recognition, Rapp is asking all local military veterans who served in any of these conflicts, their friends or their family members from the 65th Legislative District to contact her Warren office. “Beginning with World War II, over the past several years we have done an excellent job recognizing the heroic sacrifices of our veterans who served in each of the 20th century’s major military conflicts,” said Rapp, who serves on the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee. “My objective in hosting this event is to complete this ever-expanding circle of hono...

A Frewsburg man is in McKean County jail after a marijuana growing operation was discovered on the Allegheny National Forest. Law enforcement officials say they had been watching a field with about 50 marijuana plants in it for some time. They say 57-year-old William Kamholtz harvested the crop and they stopped his truck and arrested him after finding a duffel bag with suspected marijuana in it. Kamholtz is facing charges of manufacture and intent to deliver marijuana and possession of a controlled substance. His bail is set at $75,000, and he is scheduled to appeaer in McKean County Central Court next Thursday. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Two Bradford residents are accused of stealing flowers from gravesites at McKean Memorial Park in Lafayette Township. 57-year-old Kathleen Keyes and 31-year-old Jason Keyes are each charged with theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and criminal conspiracy, all misdemeanors. State police say between May 25 and June 3 the pair stole several types of flower arrangements from 12 victims from McKean and Elk counties. The value of the stolen items is more than $500. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Work will begin Tuesday, May 1 on a Route 219 bridge in Lafayette Township, McKean County. Since Route 219 is wide in this area, no lane restrictions will be necessary. Barriers will be in place on the bridge but two-way traffic will be maintained as crews work to replace the expansion dams of the bridge. The bridge spans Kinzua Creek at Tally Ho, about two miles south of the Route 59 intersection. The expansion dam work should be complete in early August. Work on the Tally Ho Bridge is part of a contract to preserve three bridges in Elk and McKean counties. Along with the Tally Ho Bridge, the contract includes: • A bridge on Route 969 over Toby Creek near Portland Mills in Elk County • A bridge on Route 969 over the railroad near Portland Mills in Elk County Deck replacements are underway on both Elk County bridges. The bridges are about 500 feet apart and traffic is controlled by signals at each end. Work on all three bridges is weather and schedule dependent. The L.C. Whit...