Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

A Ridgway man is facing charges for burning down an unoccupied house. State police say 43-year-old Robert Lilley was burning brush on property near the house in Daguscahonda at around 9 o’clock last night when the fire got out of control and caught the house on fire. Four fire departments battled the blaze. The building was a total loss. There was no insurance on it, and it was scheduled for demolition in a few weeks. No one was hurt. Lilley is charged with Dangerous Burning. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Two cats left in plastic animal carriers last year in the area of Windy City near Forestry Road 195 in Elk County, were recently found by a hiker. State police say the cats were dropped there between March and September of last year and were undisturbed through the winter. Both cats had long orange fur. One had a blue nylon collar. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact Ridgway-based state police. 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

Two people had to be freed from their vehicles and then be flown to an out-of-town hospital following a head-on crash in St. Marys this morning. City police say a car driven by Brenda Placer of Ridgway and a pickup truck driven by Anthony Gerg of St. Marys were on State Street near the Laurel Run Reservoir when they collided at around 6:20 a.m. Crystal Fire Department personnel freed them from their vehicles. They were first taken to Penn Highlands Elk, but then flown by Stat Medevac helicopter to another hospital. 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

Route 321 at Wilcox in Elk County is closed in both directions following a crash between an SUV and a tractor-trailer that happened at about 1:30 this afternoon. PennDOT is advising drivers to be prepared for lengthy travel delays and says that drivers who can use alternate routes should use them. We’ll have more information on the crash as soon as it’s available. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A man scheduled to go on trial next week for running a meth lab in a public housing unit is missing, and is now at the top of Warren County’s “Most Wanted” list. A warrant was issued for 28-year-old Matthew Esterbrook after he didn’t show up for a court appearance last week. Jury selection for his trial is scheduled to start Monday. Police say Esterbrook could be in Elk County. One of his co-defendants, George Heatherdale, is from Brookville. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A St. Marys man is accused of stealing a gun from the Lynch-Green Funeral Home. Police say 60-year-old Richard Prow took the antique rifle on Tuesday. Police spoke with him, recovered the rifle and took him into custody. Prow is in Elk County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

State police reported three accidents on icy roads – all involving vehicles that went out of control and slid off the road. In Potter County, neither 78-year-old Martin Sweigart of Galeton nor 21-year-old Kira Sutton of Austin was hurt. Sweigart was cited for not staying in his lane; Sutton for driving too fast for conditions. In Elk County, 31-year-old Holly Hutchins of Johnsonburg suffered minor injuries and was taken by ambulance to Penn Highlands Elk. No charges were filed. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Arson is the cause of a fire that destroyed the former Suzy’s Furniture building in St. Marys early Friday morning. State Police Fire Marshal Robert Southern determined the fire was deliberately set after finding multiple points of origin. St. Marys City Police are continuing the investigation. Crystal Fire Department was called at 2:45 Friday morning to the building on Route 255. Eventually, every fire department in Elk County was called to battle the blaze. Cameron County firefighters responded as well. Damage is estimated at more than half a million dollars. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

All the fire departments in Elk County were called to the former Suzy’s Furniture Store on Route 255 early this morning for a blaze that heavily damaged the building. All four lanes of Route 255 were shut down at about 2:45 a.m. while firefighters battled the blaze. The road reopened at around 8:30 a.m. Investigators are still on the scene trying to determine what caused the fire. No injuries were reported. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A 26-year-old McKean County man is accused of sexually abusing children in Potter and Elk counties. 26-year-old Christopher Mitchell of Port Allegany is charged with sexual abuse of children, unlawful contact with a minor, corruption of minors and indecent assault. The alleged incidents happened between August of 2011 and August of 2013. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A contractor who lied to the government about plugging abandoned oil wells in Elk County has been sentenced to six months in prison. 45-year-old Ronald Wright of Pleasantville must also pay more than $236,000 restitution to his former employee, S&T Services and Supply to cover costs of re-plugging 95 wells. ARG Resources had contracted with S&T to plug the abandoned wells so they would be in compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act before doing work in the Allegheny National Forest. During his sentencing in federal court in Erie he apologized for filed false certificates that environmental regulators used to approve an injection well in Elk County. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A man is dead following a one-car crash Sunday morning in Elk County. A passenger 44-year-old Daniel McGinnis of Pittsburgh, was pronounced dead at the scene. Police say 22-year-old Michael McGinnis, also of Pittsburgh was driving on Portland Mills Road, just west of Route 949 – when his car went out of control, left the road, went over an embankment, then flew through the air before hitting several trees and coming to rest on its roof. Michael McGinnis was taken to Penn Highlands Elk for a blood test to see if he was driving under the influence. Another passenger, 44-year-old Sean Collins of Cranberry Township was taken to Penn Highlands Elk for treatment of major injuries. A third passenger, 23-year-old Benjamin Nagy of Pittsburgh wasn’t hurt. McGinnis was cited for driving too fast for conditions. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

On the busiest shopping day of the year several Wal-Marts – including one in Elk County – have had to close because of bomb threats. A criminal investigation is underway at the Fox Township store. Bomb-sniffing dogs were called to the scene. Wal-Marts near Philadelphia, as well as in Florida, Virginia, Texas, and the company’s hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas, were also closed because of bomb threats. All the stores were evacuated and employees were sent home. Customers were reportedly told to leave their carts and get out. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

There’s been another incident of a person trying to lure a child into a vehicle near Kersey. At around 7 o’clock this morning a man in a purple/pink four door sedan with tinted windows stopped an 11-year-old girl on Fairview Road and asked if she wanted a ride to school. Police say a school bus then came along and the man drove the car on Route 948 toward St. Marys. The first incident happened on the morning of October 31 on Chicken Hill Road when a man in a Chevy Silverado approached two 13-year-old girls and asked if they needed a ride. Anyone with information on either incident is asked to contact Ridgway-based state police. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

An overheated electrical unit is believed to be the cause of a fire that damaged a Ridgway apartment Thursday afternoon. State police say the fire started in the ceiling of an upstairs apartment on Walnut Street occupied by 31-year-old Marjorie Moore. The building is owned by Steven Lenze of St. Marys. 65-year-old John Stumpf is listed as the other occupant of the building. Damage is estimated at $50,000. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

State police have released the names of the two men involved in last week’s fatal crash on Million Dollar Highway in St. Marys. 29-year-old Michael Hanley of Baltimore, Maryland, the driver of the box truck, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the tractor trailer, who crossed over into Hanley’s lane and hit his truck head-on, was 42-year-old Shawn Bloom of DuBois. He is still being treated at UPMC Mercy in Pittsburgh. Police say they still aren’t sure what caused the crash. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

UPDATE: A problem with a truck’s electrical system caused it to catch fire on the loading dock of Mersen USA in St. Marys at just after noon on Monday. State police fire marshal Greg Agosti says the tractor-trailer was parked at the loading dock when the fire broke out in the engine compartment of the truck tractor and extended into the trailer. The fire continued through the trailer and caused moderate damage to the outside of the building, and slight damage to the inside. Altogether, damage is estimated at $350,000. No one was hurt. ~~~ A tractor-trailer truck caught fire at just after noon today near a loading dock at Mersen USA in St. Marys, and a state police fire marshal is trying to determine why. The fire destroyed the truck and damaged the loading dock. The truck was carrying artificial graphite. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

State police are still investigating an incident Friday morning, when a man in a Chevy Silverado approached two 13-year-old Kersey girls and tried to lure them into the truck. The girls say they were approached at a bus top on Chicken Hill Road at around 7 a.m. and asked if they needed a ride. The silver crew cab pickup has tinted windows and a cap. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Ridgway-based state police. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947