Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

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...

Judge John Cleland will meet later this month with Jerry Sandusky’s lawyer and prosecutors about the former Penn State assistant football coach’s latest appeal. The April 22 meeting in Bellefonte will address the schedule for the proceedings. Sandusky’s lawyer filed a Post-Conviction Relief Act appeal last week, but it’s under seal and Cleland is keeping it that way for now. Last year, the state Supreme Court declined to review Sandusky’s 2012 conviction on child sex abuse charges. Sandusky is serving a sentence of 30 to 60 years in state prison. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The Potter County Natural Gas Resource Center has arranged for an award-winning geoscientist as guest speaker for its next meeting. Dr. Terry Engelder’s presentation, “Utica Shale: Digging Deeper,” is especially timely, with large Utica Shale drilling projects on the drawing board in at least three sections of Potter County and in other parts of Pennsylvania. Marcellus Shale has been in the headlines for the past several years, but industry leaders say the Utica layer that’s beneath it -- more than two miles underground -- could be where the more intense local gas production takes place. Dr. Engelder will speak at 7 pm Tuesday, Feb. 17, at the Gunzburger Building on Main Street in Coudersport. “There are many things we do not know about the Utica Shale, but there are signs that it’s going to be a very productive source of natural gas in our region, so the more we know, the better prepared we can be,” said Natural Gas Resource Center Director Bob Veilleux. Engelder is a geosci...

A member of the state Supreme Court is caught up in the email pornography scandal in the attorney general’s office. Pennsylvania chief justice Ronald Castille issued a news release today saying Justice Seamus McCaffrey was the sender or recipient of 234 emails with sexually explicit material or pornography in them. Castille says McCaffrey sent most of the emails to a now-retired agent with the AG’s office, who then forwarded them to other. The circulation of porn in the attorney general’s office happened from late 2008 until early 2012, and has led to the resignation of several people, including now-former DEP Secretary Chris Abruzzo. The emails surfaced during a review of how the Jerry Sandusky case at Penn State was handled by the attorney general's office. Castille says the attorney general’s office told him the 234 emails involving McCaffrey contained 1,502 sexually explicit images and 60 sexually explicit video files, some of which were duplicates. He estimated the number...

(news release from Penn State) UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- GE announced that it will invest up to $10 million in Penn State to establish a new innovation center focused on driving cutting-edge advancements in the natural gas industry. The Center for Collaborative Research on Intelligent Natural Gas Supply Systems at Penn State (CCRINGSS) will engage Penn State researchers and students from many disciplines in collaborative work with various industry stakeholders. The center will seek to advance efficiency and environmental sustainability both through technological innovations and improved supply chain management. “Natural gas is extremely important as a domestic energy source for the United States and continues to serve as a crucial element in revitalizing Pennsylvania’s economy,” said U.S. Congressman Glenn Thompson. “I fully support the work that Penn State and GE will be doing through CCRINGSS to support new research innovations and create real-world applications that will build upon e...

Two Buffalo-area men are accused of trafficking $20,000 worth of cocaine near Penn State. Attorney General Kathleen Kane says 20-year-old Evan Poling and 28-year-old Eduardo “Eddie” Rivera, both of Amherst, New York, were arrested Saturday when they showed up at a predetermined location, where agents seized seven ounces of cocaine with a street value of $20,000. Authorities say the amount of cocaine is significant for State College, where one gram of cocaine typically sells for $100. Poling and Rivera are in Centre County Jail in lieu of $150,000 cash bail each. The investigation into cocaine distribution in the region is continuing and additional charges are expected. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Police defused a potentially explosive situation in St. Marys this afternoon. City police say a man bought a box of used items unaware that it contained older blasting caps and detonation cord. When he discovered the items he drove to the police station, left the items in his truck and went inside to ask how to dispose of them. Police established a safety area around the truck and evacuated two nearby homes while waiting for explosive technicians from Penn State as well as state police to arrive. When they got there, they safely removed the items from the truck, moved them to a safe location and destroyed them. Crystal Fire Department and St. Marys Ambulance assisted. No criminal charges will be filed. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Penn State Extension Water Resource Educator, Jim Clark, led a workshop on aquatic invasives for 69 McKean County Students on Wednesday, April 16, 2014, at Wildcat Park near Kane, PA. The high school students came to the park to release trout into local streams. These trout were raised in their classroom aquariums. Clark’s talk explained to the students that normally humans should never release anything into the water bodies of Pennsylvania. Millions of dollars are spent each year trying to control or eradicate invasive species in the United States. Many of these invasives were introduced by gardeners, for example the giant hogweed and purple loosestrife plants. Many exotic plants and fish that were released from unwanted aquariums or escaped into the wild are now invasives in ponds and lakes. The state of Florida has problems now with an over population of python snakes in the wild, that are believed to have been started from aquarium pythons, that became too big and were releas...

Residents who rely on a private well, spring, or cistern for their drinking water can learn about the basics of testing and protecting their private water supply during a two-hour Safe Drinking Water Clinic, sponsored by Penn State Extension, and offered at the 911 Center in Smethport, PA. The clinic will be held on Tuesday, April 8, 2014, from 1 to 3PM only. The clinic will provide information on proper location, construction, testing, maintenance, and protection and will feature Penn State Extension Water Specialist, Bryan Swistock. Several residents have had their water tested through this program and are registered already, but walk-ins will be accepted for the workshop, as well. A small cover charge will be payable at the door. For further information you can contact Jim Clark at Jac20@psu.edu or by calling 814-887-5613. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

(News Release) Local Penn State Extension Water Resources Educator, Jim Clark, was elected Central Region Director for the Pennsylvania Lake Management Society, commonly known as “PALMS” at the annual conference in State College Thursday. Clark will serve in his position for two years. PALMS is a non-profit organization dedicated to the management, restoration and protection of Pennsylvania’s lakes and surrounding watersheds. PALMS is comprised of lake and watershed associations, concerned citizens and watershed management professionals from the private and public sector with the common interest of protecting Pennsylvania lakes for future generations. Clark has served as an Extension Educator based in McKean County since July of 1989. He has offered regional pond workshops, coordinates an on line pond management home study course each year, and serves as co-chair of the Penn State Water Resources Team. Thousands of people each year enjoy being on and around Pennsylvania lakes a...

Penn State’s board of trustees has picked a new president. 62-year-old Eric Barron will replace Rodney Erickson, who announced his plans to retire. Barron’s contract starts May 12 and runs through June 30, 2019. His salary will be $800,000 a year. Baron comes from Florida State, where he spent four years. But he had previously been at Penn State from 1986 to 2006 and headed the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences for four years. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson, R-Howard, today announced that Pennsylvania State University Football Coach James Franklin will be his guest for the President’s State of the Union Address Tuesday night. “With the beginning of a new year, we are filled with a sense of optimism and possibility. The State of the Union offers us the chance to reflect upon the previous year and provides us with a preview of the challenges and opportunities that we face together,” stated Thompson. “Given these sentiments, it’s an honor to have Coach Franklin as my guest for this occasion.” “I am grateful and very appreciative of Rep. Glenn Thompson's invitation to attend the President’s State of the Union Address,” said Franklin, who was named Penn State’s 16th head football coach on Jan. 11. “I look forward to hearing the President’s vision for 2014 and beyond and what we, as citizens of the greatest union in the world, can do to help move our nation forward.” “As a...

It was an unusual sight at Penn State DuBois on Wednesday as more than two dozen male students walked together around campus wearing red high heels. The walk also took them off campus, and down Liberty Boulevard, as women showing their support to the cause walked alongside the guys to cheer them on. The men were participating in 'Walk a Mile in Her Shoes', a men's march meant to raise awareness of the battle against rape, sexual assault, and gender violence. The event was organized by Passages of Clarion, Clearfield and Jefferson Counties, in conjunction with the Penn State DuBois Office of Student Life. The idea behind the march is to get men more involved in issues surrounding sex crimes. "Most of the time people think of sexual violence as a women's issue, but men are really the ones who can make a difference," said April Fleck, a prevention educator with Passages. "We want men to become aware of what they can do to step in and stop these th...

U.S. Representative Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson, R-Howard, today announced that Charles Cole Memorial Hospital in Coudersport, Potter County, is one of 20 hospitals in Pennsylvania that will receive funding under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Small Rural Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP). The funds will support information technology upgrades used for documenting the diagnosis and treatment of patients. “Healthcare delivery to our rural communities can be challenging,” stated Rep. Thompson. “These types of grants level the playing field with our urban counterparts, and will assist Cole Memorial in upgrading their current technologies to meet the changing industry standards and better serve the people of Coudersport and the surrounding communities.” Cole Memorial will receive approximately $7,500 that will be used to support the transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10, the new diagnosis and procedure code sets used by hospitals to group and identify patient encounters. ...

HARRISBURG - Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson) and Lieutenant Governor Jim Cawley will once again host a three-day, 100-mile charity bike ride from Gettysburg to Annville to raise money for three children’s hospitals in Pennsylvania. Scarnati explained that this is the fifth annual charity bike ride for children’s hospitals. Money raised during the ride will go to the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital. “Over the past four years, through the generous contributions of many people, organizations and businesses we have raised more than half a million dollars for the children’s hospitals,” Scarnati said. “These hospitals provide outstanding health care to numerous children from Pennsylvania and across the country as well,” Scarnati continued. “My family has experienced first-hand the exceptional and compassionate care provided by the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and ...

Senior Judge John Leete of Potter County will preside over the suit against the NCAA filed by the family of the late Joe Paterno. The lawsuit filed by the family, several Penn State trustees, former players and others argues that the NCAA bypassed its own rules in taking action against the university. The penalties include a four-year postseason ban and a $60 million fine. The penalties were in response to the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse case. Sandusky is serving a 30- to 60-year state prison sentence after being convicted last summer of 45 counts of child sexual abuse. He denies the allegations and is pursuing appeals. Leete was assigned after Centre County’s president judge requested that an out-of-county judge hear the case. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Harrisburg – June 26, 2013 – Senate Democrats today called for a more rapid pace of reform of the governing structure at Penn State and said that the General Assembly has a role to play in ensuring that appropriate changes are made quickly. At a Capitol news conference, Sens. John Yudichak (D-Luzerne), Andy Dinniman (D-Chester) and Rob Teplitz (D-Dauphin) called on legislative Republicans and the university to work with them to make significant changes. The lawmakers said that they are calling for hearings to be held over the summer leading to speedy consideration of comprehensive reform legislation in the fall. The Democrats focused on three specific areas as it related to Penn State: Right-to-Know, ethics and board composition. Yudichak, who has been a longtime advocate of board reforms but a critic of the pace and depth of the modifications made thus far by the Penn State board, said that it is important for taxpayers to understan...

The lawyer handling Jerry Sandusky’s appeal for his conviction on 45 counts of child sex abuse has outlined the reasons he thinks the former Penn State assistant football coach deserves a new trial. In a document filed late this morning in Centre County, Norris Gelman says Judge John Cleland should have given Sandusky’s lawyers more time to prepare for trial and should have issued instructions to the jurors about the years that passed before the victims told anyone about the abuse. Gelman also says Cleland should not have admitted hearsay evidence about a shower attack witnessed by a Penn State janitor, and a prosecutor should not have referenced Sandusky’s interview with NBC's Bob Costas shortly after his arrest, in which it took him nearly 20 seconds to answer a direct question about whether he is sexually attracted to young boys. Sandusky is currently serving a 30- to 60-year state prison sentence. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

HARRISBURG, March 4, 2013 - - State Sen. John Yudichak (D-Luzerne/Carbon/Monroe) released the following statement regarding his dialogue with Pennsylvania Secretary of Education and Penn State Board of Trustees member Ronald Tomalis about the University’s response to the Sandusky scandal at today’s Senate Appropriations Committee budget hearing. “We’ve heard from the governor and many others that the Freeh report is incomplete at best, and at worst, fundamentally flawed. The Freeh report has cost the university in excess of $80 million to date and by some estimates that total will exceed $150 million – an extraordinary amount of money for an incomplete report that lacked subpoena power and had no access to key witnesses.” “It has been reported that the NCAA did not identify a single rule that Penn State violated, and instead, accepted the Freeh report as the conclusive document on the Sandusky scandal. The NCAA’s ill-conceived acceptance and use of the report’s vague conclusio...

More than 100 special athletes from McKean, Potter, Elk and Cameron counties gathered at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Sport and Fitness Center pool Friday for the annual Special Olympics Swimming Invitational. The invitational is the culmination of the swimming season for most of the athletes, who have been in training for several months for this event. Seven swimmers, whose names will be announced, will advance to the Pennsylvania Special Olympics Summer Games at Penn State, June 6-8. Gold medal winners were: 15yd Walk: Matt Latshaw, John Sandlin, Joe Cook, Jr., Ian Guras, Mercedes Buckins, Kia Jefferds 10yd Assisted : Alex Rakieski, Tristan Carney, Noah Gausman, Ian Guras, Christofer Swedenhelm, Lauren Loveland, Kia Jefferds 15yd Unassisted: Matt Latshaw, Keith Myers, Lesadi Crust 15yd Float: Tyler Dubeck, John Sandlin, Ian Guras, Brody Briggs, Luke Squires, Jenna Gerhart, Paricia Nelson 25yd Float: Matt Latshaw, Tristan Carney, Tyler Dubeck, Jenna Gerhart ...