Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Votes have been counted in 31 of McKean County's 42 precincts -- not including the City of Bradford and Kane. We'll have the results for you as soon as the votes are in. ( I'm going to go out on a limb, though, and say that with 74% of the vote in, Joe DeMott has retained his seat as McKean County Commissioner .) In Cattaraugus County, only 3 of 63 precints have reported so far.

An Allegany man is in jail after police found $3,000 worth of crack cocaine in his home. The Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at the home of 29-year-old Robert Parks, and found about 19 grams of crack, a small amount of marijuana, cash and an illegal police scanner. Parks is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and more charges are expected. His bail is set at $25,000.

The St. Bonaventure baseball team, in coordination with the Southern Tier Child Advocacy Center (STCAC), will assist the Southern Cattaraugus County Toys for Tots Program by collecting new toys for the upcoming holiday season at the men's basketball home game against Arkansas State on Thursday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. Baseball players will be on hand to accept new toys for the Toys for Tots program, and boxes will be set up around the Reilly Center for fans to donate throughout the game. Reggie Dallaire, Southern Cattaraugus County Toys for Tots coordinator, said all new toys would be accepted. All toys collected by the baseball program at the RC on Dec. 1 – as well as all those donated throughout the Toys for Tots campaign in the area – will stay in the Southern Cattaraugus County region. According to Dallaire, 2,064 toys were distributed to children in Allegany, Hinsdale, Olean and Portville last holiday season, a record for the program. "It's been growing every year and that...

Two more blighted properties in the city are coming down. Bradford City Council on Tuesday approved a payment of $7,380 to 6V Excavation for the demolition of 28 High Street, and a payment of $5,377 to 6V for demolition of 277 Congress Street. Also Tuesday, Main Street resident Paul Pingie addressed the issue of traffic flow on Kennedy Street. He said the direction of travel – toward Main Street – interferes with traffic flow in other areas downtown. He said he thinks traffic would flow better if it went away from Main Street – or if the street was two-way again. “It’s one of those situations where we can’t win,” said Mayor Tom Riel, explaining that during the streetscape project the street became narrower and now can’t accommodate both two-way traffic and parking. Riel said the Kennedy Street merchants would rather have parking than two-way traffic. Police Chief Chris Lucco added that the reason traffic is flowing toward Main Street is that tractor-trailer drivers who make deliveries ...

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in cooperation with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will conduct the first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS), according to U.S. Representative Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson, R-Howard. The EAS test will occur on Wednesday, November 9th at 2 p.m., and will be broadcast on all radio and television stations. "This test will ensure the nation is prepared to deliver critical information during a national emergency that can help save lives and keep Americans safe," said Rep. Thompson. "In addition to state and local authorities, EAS is one of a number of systems that can provide information during an emergency. This gives our national emergency response teams the opportunity to assess the readiness and coordination of the current system.” The EAS is a national public warning system that ...

A new forecast predicts the 814 area code won't run out of numbers until early 2016. The forecast released today by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission says the numbers will run out one year later than forecast just six months ago, and could delay any decision the PUC makes about splitting the area code or laying another area code on top of it. The PUC voted in 2010 to split the 814 area code geographically to prevent it from running out of available numbers. After public outcry, the PUC later voted to delay the split and consider alternatives. The commission is currently reviewing more than 40 petitions for reconsideration. The PUC says there’s no timeline for a decision.

A Franklinville man has pleaded guilty to rape for having sex with a 12-year-old girl. 18-year-old Leo Stromecki had sex with the girl in Farmersville on May 21. He will be sentenced in Cattaraugus County Court on January 23.

The Kinzua East KOA Campground has been awarded the 2011 KOA President’s Award by Kampgrounds of America, the world’s largest system of family-friendly campgrounds. The award was presented today at KOA’s annual International Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. The KOA President’s Award is presented annually to campgrounds that receive high scores in customer service from their campers, and also receive top scores in KOA’s annual Quality Review. KOA surveys hundreds of thousands of campers each year regarding their KOA camping experience. “Our campers play a key role in helping us select the very best KOA campgrounds to receive these awards,” said Kampgrounds of America Inc. President Pat Hittmeier. “This year, as we celebrate KOA’s 50th birthday, these awards take on a special meaning. To be one of the very best in a longstanding, iconic company like KOA really is a unique honor that this special KOA campground can share with its campers.” Kampgrounds of America was founded in 1962 on the...

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) today released the following statement on the death of Joe Frazier: “Smokin’ Joe was an American boxing legend and Philadelphia icon -- our real life Rocky. He had a heart as big as his left hook. Joe Frazier made his mark on Pennsylvania not only as a sports legend but, more importantly, as a dedicated and generous community leader. He came from humble beginnings in South Carolina and through hard work and determination became one of the world’s most well-known boxers. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time.”

Ralph “Bucky” Phillips will be in disciplinary housing until January of 2016 for a series of infractions at the Clinton County Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York. The most recent infraction was on October 17 when he possessed escape paraphernalia and tampered with state property. Specifically he made a dummy out of a sweatshirt and put it in his bed to make it look as if he was there. Phillips has also lost phone and commissary privileges and won’t be able to receive packages for a year. “Our security staff discovered irrefutable evidence that Phillips possessed illegal contraband in his cell, as well as tampering with prison property, and he will be held accountable for his violations,” said Commissioner Brian Fischer in a news release. “When any offender under our custody breaks the rules of the Department, they face the disciplinary consequences of their actions. In this case, Phillips, following a thorough internal investigation and hearing, was assessed sanctions that th...

Police have released more information about a stabbing Friday afternoon near Olean High School. 16-year-old Destiny Bellis is accused of stabbing another girl in the face with a leatherman knife during an argument at Oak Hill Park. Bellaus is charged with felony assault and is being held in Cattaraugus County Jail on $50,000 bail. Police say the victim, who they did not identify, may have a scar on her face for life. They believe the victim was trying to stick up for someone who was being bullied at school.

For a veteran, every day is Veterans Day. But when Nov. 11 comes around at the Eldred World War II Museum in Eldred, Pa., it’s a day for everyone to commemorate. The museum, located at 201 Main St., in Eldred, about 80 miles south of Buffalo, N.Y., is offering free admission for Veterans Day for anyone who wants to tour the museum and remember the war between the Allied and Axis powers. Director Steve Appleby said that World War II veterans will be on hand to discuss their experiences in the war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. The Eldred WWII Museum is rich in memorabilia from Eldred World War II. The museum, which opened on Memorial Day 1996, is dedicated to the memory of the U.S. fighting forces and the 40 million people on the home front who provided the troops with the war materials they needed. The fact that this museum is located in Eldred is not a coincidence – Eldred was the site of a British and American munitions plat that produced eight million bombs, mortar shells and fuses....

Bradford City Police have arrested a man who they say admitted to his part in a robbery at the East Main Street Kwik Fill Friday night. Chief Chris Lucco says 18-year-old Kyle Eck approached police this morning and told them about his involvement in the planning and execution of the robbery. He also confirmed details police knew to be true, Lucco said in a news release. Eck admitted that his involvement was to drive his co-conspirators -- 18-year-old Alex Hayes and a male juvenile – to and from the scene. Eck is charged with robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, tampering with evidence and theft. Eck also led officers to the location of the clothing that was worn by his co-defendants during the crime and this clothing was, in fact, identified by officers as what was seen in the video surveillance obtained from the store. An arrest warrant for Alex Hayes was issued today by District Judge Dominic Cercone for robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, theft and simple assault. Anyone with i...

Dr. Conrad Murray has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson. Murray faces up to four years in prison and the loss of his medical license when he's sentenced on November 29, according to CNN. His bail has been revoked and he is being taken to jail. Murray was Jackson's personal physician as the pop star prepared for his comeback concerts. Murray gave Jackson the surgical anesthetic propofol to help him sleep nearly every night for the last two months of his life, according to testimony. Deliberations by the jury of seven men and five women began Friday after a 23-day trial and lasted for about 10 hours.

Verdict to be Announced at 4 p.m. CNN reports that jurors have reached a verdict in the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, who is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson. From CNN: Murray was Jackson's personal physician as the pop star prepared for his comeback concerts. Murray gave Jackson the surgical anesthetic propofol to help him sleep nearly every night for the last two months of his life, according to testimony. Jackson's death on June 25, 2009, was caused by "acute propofol intoxication" in combination with two sedatives, the Los Angeles County coroner ruled. Jury deliberations began Friday morning in the downtown Los Angeles County courthouse. The seven men and five women on the jury heard 49 witnesses over 23 days, including investigators and medical experts for each side, Jackson's former employees, and Murray's girlfriends and patients. The prosecution argued that Murray was responsible for Jackson's death because his re...

It sounds like something out of the movies "Armageddon" or "Deep Impact," but a 1,300-foot wide asteroid will pass within 202,000 miles of Earth on Tuesday. There's no need to call Bruce Willis, though. NASA says the asteroid, named 2005 YU55, poses no threat of a collision with Earth. You won’t even be able to see the asteroid – which is about the size of an aircraft carrier – without a huge telescope. The next time an object this large will be this close to Earth will be in 2028 when asteroid 2001 WN5 flies by. http://www.nasa.gov/

Two Olean residents are in jail after a drug bust in Salamanca. 22-year-old Larry Peterson and 33-year-old Adele Flores were arrested after the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force executed a search warrant in Salamanca. They did not give the address. Police found about an ounce of suspected cocaine and 50 packets of suspected heroin, as well as drug paraphernalia and marijuana. Peterson and Flores were taken to Cattaraugus County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail each.

Someone robbed the Holiday Inn Express in Findley Lake at gunpoint early this morning. Sheriff’s deputies say at just before 5:30 a man went to the front desk of the hotel, threatened the clerk with a semi-automatic pistol and demanded money. The man drove away with an undisclosed amount of money. The suspect is described as a white male, age 20 to 30, 5 feet 8 inches to 6 feet tall, weighing about 180 to 190 pounds, with grayish-blue eyes and light freckles over the bridge of his nose.

News Conference at 1 p.m. Today HARRISBURG - Attorney General Linda Kelly and Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan announced that criminal charges have been filed against three Centre County men as the result of an extensive and wide-reaching grand jury investigation into reports of the sexual abuse of children. The defendants include: Gerald Arthur "Jerry" Sandusky, age 67, of 130 Grandview Road, State College, former Defensive Coordinator for the Penn State University football team and founder of The Second Mile, a charitable organization that operates programs for young people. Timothy Mark Curley, age 57, of 201 Meadowlark Lane, Boalsburg, the Director of Athletics for Penn State University. Gary Charles Schultz, age 62, of 636 Rosslyn Road, Boalsburg, Senior Vice President for Finance and Business at Penn State University, a position that includes oversight of the Penn State University Police Department. "This is a case about a sexual predator who us...

By SANDRA RHODES A St. Marys man known for his cookbooks using beer brewed up a book in a whole different genre – fiction. John Schlimm released his book “Twang” as an e-book. “Twang,” which delves into the world of country music, is not that different from the cookbooks he’s written to date, Schlimm said. “I think the very core of who I am is that I am a storyteller,” he said. “Even a cookbook tells a story. It tells a story of a great party.” Schlimm said it was just a natural progression that would lead him to eventually tell the story of country music since he knows the industry intimately have being a publicist in Nashville for two years. “It’s an incredible, magical place. Rarely do people think how incredible Nasville is, especially behind the scenes.” And, Schlimm said, it’s never been written before. “Twang” tells the story of a sister duo, who aren’t what they seem, as well as a husband and wife duo, who also are not what they seem. There’s a reporter who presents him...