Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

The preliminary hearing for Stephen Stidd that had been scheduled for tomorrow has been moved to March 11 in District Judge Dominic Cercone’s office. Stidd is accused of shooting and killing his son-in-law, Mel Bizzarro, behind Togi’s Family Restaurant on East Main Street earlier this month. Stidd had been free on bail, but that was changed today when Judge John Pavlock brought to Cercone’s attention that he couldn’t set bail on a criminal homicide charge. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The man charged with shooting and killing his son-in-law literally had a bullet with the man's name on it. According to papers filed in District Judge Dominic Cercone’s office, while investigating the crime scene where 62-year-old Stephen Stidd allegedly shot 42-year-old Mel Bizzarro, state police found “the letters ‘MEL’ carved into the lead portion of the remaining live round” in the handgun. City police got a call at about 9:30 a.m. from Barbara Stidd saying that her son-in-law had been shot behind Togi’s Restaurant at 412 East Main Street. When they arrived and Lt. Steve Caskey asked what happened, Stidd said, “I told him I had a gun.” Stidd then pulled a handgun out of his right front pocket and handed it to Caskey. A witness, Kevin Rhebergen, was unloading his truck and told police he heard a verbal fight and then heard a gunshot. Rhebergen subsequently saw Bizzarro lying on the ground and Stidd standing near him. State Police Trooper Nicholas Jordan, who is investigating...