Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

No one was hurt in a Jackson Avenue house fire this afternoon. Firefighters were called to 341 Jackson Avenue at about 1:30 p.m. when someone driving on Route 219 saw smoke coming from the eaves of the house and called McKean County 911. Lt. Mike Scrivo says smoke was showing and there was fire in the attic of the three-story house when they arrived. Kevin and Tantum McNamara and their three children, Kianna, Sabrina and Kevin, got out of the house safely. Scrivo said the only problem caused by the frigid temperatures was that a cap froze on a fire hydrant, but water authority personnel were able to get it off. A state police fire marshal was expected to arrive on the scene at 5:30 to determine the cause. Scrivo said most of the damage was done to the attic, although the first and second floors did have water damage. 13 firefighters were on the scene for about two hours. Derrick City was on standby at the East Bradford station. Scrivo said they also had two EMS calls within the first 1...

Officials have not determined yet what caused the death of a 19-year-old St. Bonaventure University student on Sunday. Matthew Dungan, a sophomore business major from Tonawanda, New York, was found unresponsive in an off-campus apartment early Sunday morning. Other students called for help. Dungan was then taken to Olean General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. In a letter to alumni today, University President Sister Margaret Carney said New York State Police are continuing to investigate but do not suspect foul play. The university is hosting a special memorial service in Matthew’s honor this evening at 7 p.m. in the University Chapel.

Erie, PA- In just two months, significant progress has been made in providing greater access to advanced medical care to four regional hospitals thanks to a federal grant awarded to Hamot Medical Center in late summer. Then Representative Kathy Dahlkemper presented Hamot with the $99,000 Health and Human Services grant in mid-September, a grant for which Hamot applied with Charles Cole Memorial Hospital in Coudersport, Elk Regional Health Center in St. Marys, Kane Community Hospital in Kane and Bradford Regional Medical Center in Bradford. The grant was requested specifically to help facilitate transportation of critically ill patients. The cache of equipment was ordered and was delivered Friday, January 21st to each of the rural hospital, where it will be permanently located. The equipment includes an Alaris IV pump and tubing, CPAP and ventilators for EMS which feature bipap. Each of the hospitals received this cache of equipment so EMS units can borrow them from the regional ...

A fundraiser for Hunter's Hope at Byllye Lanes and the Free Family Film Fest were a couple activities keeping people busy -- and inside -- on Saturday. Buffalo Jills cheerleader Bri Pedine (center) takes time to pose with the organizers of the Hunter's Hope fundraiser, Katherine Moyer and Erika Bacha. Bri also talked with some of the bowlers, including Harry Solarek. It's only a party if you dance to "Y-M-C-A," right? Megan Hillard is all smiles after rolling a strike. These two young bowlers were thrilled with their door prizes. Below, Bradford City Firefighters Greg Lewis and Cathy Mealy greet a couple of young movie goers during the Free Family Film Fest Saturday morning. The movie was "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" and the pre-movie talk about about Freedom of Speech. This Saturday's movie is "Nanny McPhee Returns" and the guests will be Betty Jo Wilcox and Lee Sizemore from Strengthening Families.

HARRISBURG – State Representative Kathy Rapp (R-Warren/Forest/McKean) has been appointed to serve on four House committees for the 2011-12 legislative session. Rapp’s newest committee assignment is to the high profile and heavily active House Finance Committee, which is responsible for all state tax legislation, including personal income taxes, school property taxes and, most recently, proposals to tax the drilling of Marcellus Shale natural gas. “Having rejected six consecutive unsustainable Rendell state budgets and unapologetically voting against legislation to impose the largest job-killing, natural gas severance tax in American history, I am greatly looking forward to playing a role in moving the work of this committee in a fiscally conservative direction that puts Pennsylvania taxpayers first and excessive government spending last,” said Rapp. “Whether it’s broad-based or otherwise, a tax increase is a tax increase, and an economic recession is the worst time for state govern...

A Ridgway Borough police officer has been found guilty and fined $400 for two state game violations after he used an ATV to hunt deer. Shawn Geci was hunting on the ATV on December 3 in Johnsonburg. He has 30 days to appeal the conviction and fines. Thursday's convictions were his third and fourth violations of state game laws. He pleaded guilty and was fined $300 for illegally taking or possessing game in 2005 and fined $200 in 2003 for a game law firearms violation.

A Salamanca man already facing charges for having sex with minors is facing additional charges of tampering with witnesses. The US Attorney’s office says 45-year-old Kevin Donaldson tried to tamper with one of the girls who is a witness against him. Donaldson was originally charged with transporting minors accros state lines to have sex with them. He’s accused of sending three letters to the alleged victim, trying to persuade her not to testify against him, and telling her that he loves her. Donaldson has pleaded innocent to the original charges. http://1490newsblog.blogspot.com/2010/11/man-indicted-on-child-sex-charges.html

WASHINGTON, DC—In the spirit of bipartisanship, U.S. Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Pat Toomey (R-PA) announced today that they will sit together during the President’s State of the Union Address on Tuesday, January 25. Democrats and Republicans have typically sat in different sections of the House chamber during the speech. "The simple act of sitting together in a normally divided chamber will send an important signal that legislating shouldn't be about taking partisan sides," said Senator Casey. "Senator Toomey and I will sit together as public officials representing all the people of Pennsylvania. I look forward to working together and hope the bipartisan spirit will continue for all Members of Congress." “I am proud to sit with my fellow colleague from Pennsylvania, Senator Bob Casey,” Senator Toomey said. “There will be many opportunities for us to work together in the 112th Congress, and sitting next to each other is a small, but important step towards ...

The Annual Warren County Winterfest starts Friday at Chapman State Park and runs through Sunday. One of the highlights of the event is the Polar Bear Plunge, when hundreds of people take a dip in the icy cold waters of the West Branch of the Tionesta Creek. This year's plunge is being held at 1 p.m. Saturday and includes a special guest -- Lt. Governor Jim Cawley. Cawley made a promise during his campaign to do the plunge if he got elected, and he's making good on it. Governor Tom Corbett is expected to attend Winterfest next year, but will not be doing the plunge. "Grizzly" Gary Wert, who is the master of ceremonies for the plunge (and has done it himself several times), tells us to get to the park well before 1 p.m. if you're plunging, or watching. Shuttle buses are available to take people from the parking areas to the event areas for free. Other events include sled dog races, cardboard box derby, geocaching, ice skating, snow sculpting and sleigh rides. For mo...

Harrisburg – Pennsylvania’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 8.5 percent in December, down one-tenth of a percentage point from November. Pennsylvania’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell for the fifth consecutive month, according to figures released Thursday by the state Department of Labor and Industry. Pennsylvania’s seasonally adjusted civilian labor force – the number of people working or looking for work – was down 5,000 in December to 6,358,000. Resident employment rose by 4,000, the fourth consecutive month of growth. The number of unemployed residents fell by 10,000 to 538,000. Pennsylvania’s labor force was down 35,000 from its December 2009 level. Pennsylvania’s seasonally adjusted total nonfarm jobs fell, for the first time in four months, by 1,100 in December to 5,619,800. Declines were seen in seven of the 11 supersectors, four of which were down at least 1,000 jobs from November (Construction, Manufacturing, Information, and Other Services). Professional...

Nushawn Williams was in court again today asking to have his guilty plea on rape charges vacated. He finished serving his sentence on those charges last spring, but the state attorney general’s office has filed a lawsuit that’s keeping him in jail, saying he is still a threat to society. That case isn’t expected to go to court until later this year. As for today’s motion, the judge has not made a decision yet. Williams was convicted for knowingly infecting more than 13 Chautauqua County residents with HIV in the late 1990s.

An inmate at FCI-McKean will spend an extra month in prison for having contraband in prison. 51-year-old Hakim Malik Ali pleaded guilty to the charge, and the sentence will be tacked onto the 97-month sentence he’s currently serving. Ali had a cell phone in the prison last October.

You can read the story at CNN.com .

Many residents and business owners have expressed interest in a sustainable, long term, relevant block watch network for the City of Bradford. In order to have strength in numbers, Project Pride is attempting to organize a Neighborhood Watch for the City of Bradford. A meeting will be held at 6 p.m. January 27 at the Bradford Area Public Library for anyone interested in learning, sharing and finding out how to help. During the meeting, a representative from the City of Bradford Police Department will facilitate a discussion about Neighborhood Watches; share safety/observation tips that can be used right away; and answer residents’ questions. The organizers are looking for input as to what people want to see in a neighborhood watch program, and are looking for people interested in participating by being a Block Captain or member of the Neighborhood Watch. All residents in Project Pride, as well as other city residents and/or business owners, interested in participating are encouraging t...

Bradford City police got complaints about animals on North Center Street and Belleview Avenue and parking on Main Street, according to the complaint report and request sheet faxed to WESB and The HERO by the police department. They also checked out several buildings where alarms were activated, issued a number of subpoenas and looked into a report of a suspicious vehicle on South Kendall Avenue.

Ridgway state police are investigating another burglary – this time at a house. They say someone walked in the front door of Bruce Bowers’ house on Montmorenci Road and took about $800 from a desk drawer in the den. Police are also investigating about 40 camp burglaries in Elk and Cameron counties.

You can also read the story at CNN.com .

Rep. Martin Causer (R-Turtlepoint) today was appointed to the state House Appropriations Committee, giving the fifth-term lawmaker greater standing in the development of the annual state budget. “My number one priority this year is for the state House to adopt an on-time, fiscally responsible state budget, and I believe my appointment to the Appropriations Committee will help us reach that goal,” Causer said. “Many of the people I represent have told me enough is enough when it comes to government spending, and I could not agree more. I will make sure their voices are heard loud and clear in this year’s budget negotiations.” As a member of the committee, Causer will participate in a series of in-depth hearings with officials from every major state agency and department to determine their budgetary needs. He also will play a role in monitoring ongoing expenditures to ensure departments are operating within the confines of the enacted state budget. Additionally, the Appropriations Commit...

Bradford City Police are investigating a reported burglary on East Main, a theft on High Street, and theft from a vehicle on Bon Air Avenue, according to the complaint report and request sheet faxed to WESB and The HERO by the police department. Officers also got reports of a traffic problem on Cole Avenue, an erratic driver on Route 219, harassment on Main Street and a disturbance on Florence Street.