Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Police think they know who started eight fires in Tidioute last month. 24-year-old Nicholas Cochran of Sheffield is charged with eight felony counts of reckless burning or exploding, and one count each of risking a catastrophe and felony criminal mischief. He’s in Warren County Jail on $200,000 bond. Back on June 1, firefighters got a call about a vehicle fire and explosion behind Tidioute Towers at just before 2 a.m. They got several more calls over the next several hours, most involving vehicles, but one about smoking coming from the concession stand at the ball field. Damage is estimated at $80,000. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

(News Release) WARREN -- The Northwest Charitable Foundation donated $10,000 to the Education Consortium of the Upper Allegheny (ECUA) to help the Consortium meet its mission of providing affordable, accessible associate degree programming to northwestern Pennsylvanians. Duane Vicini, president of ECUA, and Amanda Hetrick, ECUA board member and Superintendent of the Forest Area School District, accepted the donation on behalf of the organization. In presenting the donation, Stephanie Freitag, manager of Northwest Savings Bank’s Warren Commons Office said, “I am extremely happy to make this award, which will help support the delivery of quality secondary education programming throughout northwestern Pennsylvania. Without the Education Consortium, our region would not have local access to the opportunities that are now available through the Consortium’s collaboration with Gannon University, school districts and other partners.” ECUA partnered with Gannon University to offer...

An SUV landed upside down in a creek during an accident that seriously injured a woman. Police say 54-year-old Shelley Kagel was on Route 127 near Tidioute Saturday afternoon when she lost control of the SUV. It went through a wooded area and then down two 15-foot drop-offs before rolling into the creek. Kagle was flown to UPMC Hamot in Erie for treatment. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Tidioute man who shot a woman to death back in December has been sentenced to a minimum of 33 years in state prison. 53-year-old Randy Lee Poole was sentenced this morning for shooting and killing 56-year-old Kathleen Sweeney twice in the head at close range. Poole told the judge he was under the influence of bath salts during the incident and doesn’t remember what happened. But the judge said Poole showed no mercy when he murdered Sweeney, so he would get the maximum sentence. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Tidioute woman is dead and a man is charged with criminal homicide after the woman was found shot in her home Thursday afternoon. Police say 56-year-old Kathleen Sweeney was shot to death during a burglary at her home on Davey Hill Road at just after 3 o’clock. 52-year-old Randy Lee Poole, also of Tidioute, was on the run for about 10 hours. Police found him in a car on Tidioute-Enterprise Road at 7:25 p.m. and, after a short chase, Poole crashed his car about two miles west of Tidioute and ran into the woods. Police found him near the crash site at around 1 a.m. Poole is at UPMC Hamot in Erie being treated for injuries he sustanined in the crash. He is also charged with burglary. Photo courtesy of Warren-based state police The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Tidioute – Governor Tom Corbett today began a three-day kayak tour through Western Pennsylvania to promote Pennsylvania’s vast natural resources and array of recreational opportunities. Gov. Corbett will be joined on the water by First Lady Susan Corbett and representatives of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). “Pennsylvania is a vast state with an abundance of scenic landscapes,” Corbett said. “There are many ways to see Pennsylvania and, for the second year in a row, I will get to experience the beauty of our commonwealth from our rivers.” Setting off this morning from Tidioute, Warren County, Corbett will be kayaking down the Allegheny and Conemaugh rivers; visiting Forest, Venango and Warren counties, Johnstown and Pittsburgh. Throughout the trip, the governor will be spending time on water as well as on land touring several Pennsylvania parks and historic sites. “Preserving our natural resources for gen...

Someone got a 7-point buck on Monday – but he got it after hunter took it and brought to his camp. State troopers say the freshly killed deer was stolen from a camp near Tidioute sometime between 1:30 and 3:30 Monday afternoon. The hunter from Painesville, Ohio, who police did not name, shot the deer legally earlier in the day. The original news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

An Ohio man who took police on a high-speed chase through Warren County last month has pleaded guilty to burglary, fleeing from police and other charges. Police say on March 12 49-year-old Timothy Kolat of Poland, Ohio, and 48-year-old Charlene Maple of Youngstown stole guns, TVs and other items from camps near Tidioute, then led police on a chase from Tidioute to Russell at speeds of more than 100 miles an hour. They were arrested after Kolat crashed the truck, ending the chase. Police say most of the stolen items were recovered from a nearby residence where the couple had allegedly stashed them. Kolat was ordered to pay full restitution. Maple pleaded not guilty to criminal conspiracy to commit burglary, theft, and criminal trespass.

A Tidioute man is accused of raping a Warren County woman earlier this month. 33-year-old Robert Lee Crane Jr. is charged with rape and indecent assault. He’s in jail on $75,000 bond. State police say Crane rape the woman at a home in Tidioute on November 6.