Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Bradford Landmark Society photo Calling all armchair historians! The 2020 edition of Baily’s Beads, the award-winning literary magazine created by University of Pittsburgh Bradford students, is seeking submissions for a writing contest. Editor Taylor Tarahteeff, an interdisciplinary arts major from Bradford, selected the theme of “Past, Present, and Future” for the 2020 issue and hopes to represent the rich local history of McKean County. “Bradford is a city built on a complex and fantastic heritage! Everyone you meet has a story to tell about the glitz and glamor of this bustling oil town,” Tarahteeff said. “We wanted to recognize the writers in our community and represent the pride and legacy of the area.” The guidelines for the contest are as follows: Create a piece of prose, poetry or artwork in any genre, focusing on McKean county history. Suggestions for topics include oil history, natural disasters, family occupations, Bradford during prohibition, architecture, railroa...

The Eleventh Annual Art in the Wilds is returning to Kane, PA this summer and fine artists and fine craftsmen are invited to submit an application to the show!  This outdoor, juried fine arts event will be held on Saturday, June 24 and Sunday, June 25 from 10 AM to 5 PM each day in beautifully wooded Evergreen Park right in the center of town!  Kane is a small town in northwestern PA that is surrounded by the Allegheny National Forest.  It is part of the Wilds Cooperative of Pennsylvania and PA Route 6 Artisan Trails and is a beautiful drive from any direction. The 2016 show was a great success, attracting over 6,000 visitors who purchased more than 1,300 separate original art pieces. We expect to attract over 6,500 visitors this year and plan to keep our number of artists below 40.  Funding is received from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Kane Community Development Foundation, along with corporate and individual sponsorships such as t...

HARRISBURG, PA -- Despite the recent precipitation events, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is maintaining a drought watch for 27 counties across Pennsylvania because parts of the state have below-average groundwater and in some areas surface water levels. “We are still recovering from a very dry fall and below-normal precipitation this winter,” Acting DEP Secretary John Quigley said. “These factors have contributed to low groundwater and surface water levels mostly in the northeast and central portions of the state.” The 27 counties under the drought watch are Berks, Bradford, Cambria, Carbon, Clinton, Columbia, Indiana, Lackawanna, Lawrence, Luzerne, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Monroe, Montour, Northumberland, Pike, Potter, Schuylkill, Snyder, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Wayne, Westmoreland, and Wyoming. The lack of groundwater recharge can cause well-fed water supplies, both private and public, to go dry. All Pennsylvanians are advised to heed this drought ...

The Smethport man charged in connection to a crash that killed an 8-year-old Shinglehouse boy in February of 2013 has pleaded no contest. 22-year-old Tieler Raymo pleaded to a charged of involuntary manslaughter, which was added as part of a plea agreement that dropped eight other charges, including homicide by vehicle. District Attorney Ray Learn explained that the reason the no contest plea was offered is that experts have differing opinions on the circumstances of the crash. Raymo is scheduled for sentencing on July 9. He remains free on unsecured bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Former McKean County Sheriff Brad Mason had been scheduled to appear in McKean County Court on Friday for a Last Day to Plea conference, but that has been moved to next month. Mason is accused of having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl who was renting a house from him in Bradford Township. The relationship was consensual. Mason resigned as sheriff in July of last year. The charges were filed in January. His next court appearance is now scheduled for June 18. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Bradford woman was sent to McKean County Jail following a domestic incident on Sunday. Court papers say Brenda Bottorf told them 21-year-old Brooke Bottorf hit her in the head and kicked her in the chest, causing injuries. When police tried to speak with Brooke, she walked out of the house. When other officers got there they found her inside a closet in an upstairs bedroom. Bottorf is charged with simple assault and harassment. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

UPDATE: Stephanie Berg and Robert Gould have been apprehended. Troopers are still looking for Shad Gutshall. Anyone with information on his whereabouts should call them at 778-5555 . Arrest warrants have been issued for three people accused of robbing a Port Allegany man at gunpoint Sunday night. Police say 24-year-old Jacob Borowsky was walking in Crosby when 23-year-old Stephanie Berg of Eldred pulled her Jeep Cherokee into a driveway. She and her passenger, 25-year-old Richard Gould III of Eldred, told Borowsky to get inside and, because he knew them, he did. But then 31-year-old Shad Gutshall of Warren put Borowsky in a choke hold, put a gun to his head and demanded all of his money. After he gave them about $100, they let him go. Anyone who knows where to find Gutshall, Berg or Gould is asked to contact Kane-based state police at 814-778-5555. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Special Olympics athletes from throughout McKean County will travel to Kane Area High School on Wednesday, May 6, to compete in the annual Special Olympics/Zippo Track & Field Meet. Over 230 special athletes, ranging from 5 to 71 years of age, are registered to participate at the 40th annual event. Starting time is 10:00 a.m. In case of rain, the meet will be postponed to May 7. Event director is Ashley Komidar, teacher at Kane Elementary School. Up to six athletes can qualify to represent McKean County at the Pennsylvania Special Olympics State Games at Penn State, June 4-6. McKean Special Olympics coordinator Pat Ryan noted, “The track meet is our biggest competition of the year and our athletes have been working hard in training for this event.” Volunteers are needed to help with the meet. They should call 368-9310 or register at the concession stand on Wednesday morning. McKean County Special Olympics is a year-round program of sports training and competition for ment...

Hundreds of people attended today's Kids' Fest at the Bradford YMCA. The event is sponsored by the Y and the McKean County Collaborative Board and is designed to give parents of young children a look at all the programs and activities in the county that are available to them. Developmental screenings are also a big part of the event. WESB's Frank Williams was broadcasting live from Kids' Fest. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

UPDATE: 3:30 PM -- Route 59 has re-opened. UPDATE: PennDOT says the road will be closed at least until "early evening." They have posted detours using US Route 6 and Route 321. A tanker carrying diesel fuel crashed on Route 59 just east of Wolf Run Marina this morning. The driver was able to get out safely, with only minor injuries, but the tank is leaking. State police say they expect to keep one lane of the road open. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Agencies in McKean, Elk, Warren and Potter counties are among those sharing more than $300,000 in grant money that will go toward educating young people about environmental issues. Conservations districts in McKean, Elk and Potter counties will all receive $3,000, as will the Austin Area and Warren County school districts. The Department of Environmental Protection says the money will be used for a variety of initiatives, including summer camps, farm field days and exploratory learning activities. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Shinglehouse man escaped injury when his car flipped over on Kings Run Road in Ceres Township Thursday afternoon. Kane-based state police say 19-year-old Austin Dickerson was just east of Barbertown Road at 5:15 p.m. when his car left the road and flipped onto his roof. Dickerson was wearing his seatbelt, and was cited for not staying in his lane. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Speaker of the State House Mike Turzai this afternoon participated in a roundtable discussion on DEP's proposed regulations for conventional oil and gas drillers. It was held in the Wick Chapel at Pitt-Bradford. In the evening, he was the keynote speaker for the McKean County GOP spring dinner. The roundtable discussion focused in large part on new drilling regulations being proposed by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and how those regulations could devastate the industry. The lawmakers heard from representatives of Pennsylvania Independent Petroleum Producers (PIPP), Pennsylvania Independent Oil and Gas Association (PIOGA), Penn Grade Crude Coalition (PGCC) and American Refining Group (ARG). “I invited the speaker to come here because it was important that he hear from the conventional oil and gas producers who are on the front lines fighting to keep their businesses afloat – and their workers employed – in the face of overregulation by DEP,” Causer said. “This...

Hiel “Butch” Bartlett, a local police officer with more than 19 years of experience in law enforcement, has thrown his hat in the ring for McKean County sheriff. Bartlett is seeking the Republican nod in the upcoming May Primary Election.. “With your support, I look forward to having the opportunity to make the McKean County Sheriff's Department into a public serving agency which will strive to ensure the safety and protection of the residents of our great county,” he said. Bartlett has spent the last 15 years as a police officer with the City of Bradford Police Department. While employed at the City of Bradford Police Department he held the position of Detective and now serves as a School Resource Officer in the Bradford Area School District. “In my time working as a School Resource Officer I have had many opportunities to work with our students and see firsthand how amazing these students truly are,” he said. “In my first year as School Resource Officer I started a Criminal ...

Charges against former McKean Former McKean County Sheriff Brad Mason, who is accused of having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl who was a tenant at a rental home he owns in Bradford Township, have been bound to court following a preliminary hearing this morning. Mason appeared before visiting District Judge Glenn Carlson of Warren for an arraignment, followed by the hearing. A state police news release says the “consensual sexual relationship” went on from December 6 of 2012 to May 12 of last year. He retired as sheriff in July. Mason, who is 52 years old, is also accused of providing alcohol to the girl. State police say the accusations came to light during investigation of an unrelated civil matter. Carlson heard the case because of Mason’s relationships with the McKean County district judges. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Two Wilcox women are dead following a two-vehicle crash Thursday afternoon at the intersection of routes 219 and 321 in Elk County. State police say an SUV driven by 81-year-old Vera Johnson was traveling south on 219 when it didn’t stop for a stop sign and traveled into the path of a tractor-trailer driven by 37-year-old Steven Kilduff of Brookville. Johnson and her passenger, 92-year-old Rose Swanson, were both pronounced dead at the scene. Kilduff was not hurt. Route 321 between Kane and Wilcox was closed for about four hours. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Earlier this month our Monday LiveLine series on infant and toddler development centered on the detrimental effect "screen time" can have on babies. This includes TV, tablets, phones, etc. Thursday, NPR ran a story on the same topic. You can read the NPR piece here . You can listen to local speech and language pathologists Betsy Costello and Alliyson Maduri talk about it by going to WESB.com/listen and scrolling to "LiveLine 02-02-15 Babies and TV" in Local Programs. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Three of four people involved in a fight that started at the Port Allegany Sheetz in September have entered pleas in McKean County Court. 25-year-old Kyle Bonneau of Roulette, who was stabbed in the fight, pleaded no contest to simple assault and disorderly conduct. 27-year-old Christopher Taylor of Port Allegany pleaded guilty to DUI. 18-year-old Triston Duell of Coudersport pleaded guilty to harassment. Duell was fined $100 and ordered to have no contact with Bonneau. Taylor and Bonneau are both scheduled for sentencing in March. A hearing for the fourth man, 36-year-old Antwan Cunningham of Coudersport, who is accused of stabbing Bonneau, has been moved to February 19. The fight started at about 4:30 a.m. on September 21 in the Sheetz parking lot, and later continued at the intersection of Arnold Avenue and North Main Street. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

CASA of McKean County Executive Director Kristen Tim and Board President Bob Esch show that the organization has reached 80 percent of its $150,000 goal so far. The funds have come from private and corporate donations, as well as a grant from the United Way of the Bradford Area. The money will be used for the next three years to operate the program, which provides much-needed stability and support for neglected and abused children in McKean County. To make a tax-deductible contribution to the campaign, contact Tim at 887-4020 or casa@mckeancountypa.org or visit CASA’s website at www.mckeancountypa.org/casa.aspx. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The Arlington Hotel’s hotel liquor license has been revoked. State police say the business at 15 Fraley Street in Kane is not a bona fide hotel because there aren’t enough rooms for guests, and they are inadequately equipped. The date of the violations was from September 1 through 20. An administrative law judge ordered the revocation on Thursday. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947