Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Four people appeared in Cattaraugus County Court Monday on drug charges. George Keech of Olean has been sentenced to five years’ probation for selling crack cocaine on November 5, 2010, in Olean. Gary Miller of Salamanca pleaded guilty to selling Hydrocodone on October 21, 2010, in Salamanca. He’ll be sentenced June 4. Obidah Ramadhan and Kevin Kennedy, both of Olean, pleaded not guilty to possession and sale of a controlled substance. Ramadhan allegedly sold crack cocaine in the city on January 25 of this year. Kennedy allegedly sold Hydrocodone on January 7, 2011. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Seneca Gaming Corporation today unveiled a revised design for the Buffalo Creek Casino. The $130 million casino design has been scaled down from the $330 million plan originally planned several years ago. The Buffalo Creek Casino has been open since 2007, but construction stopped on the original casino and hotel complex plan in 2008 because of the economic downturn. The project is expected to create 600 construction-type jobs. When it’s finished, the casino will need to fill 500 positions. The project should be finished by the summer of 2013. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Conewango, New York, teenager is accused of threatening another person with a knife. Sheriff’s deputies say 17-year-old Ray Provorse made the threats during an incident in the Village of South Dayton. He was charged with menacing and sent to jail on $1,500 cash bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Bradford man is accused of picking up a woman in Olean, driving her to his home and raping her. 32-year-old Aaron Cobb allegedly bound the woman’s hands and ankles together before raping her in his Congress Street apartment earlier this month. Cobb is free on $10,000 bail and is due back in court on April 5. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

New York may have an on-time budget for the second year in a row. Governor Andrew Cuomo and Legislative leaders met Monday and ironed out what they believe were major obstacles to passing the spending plan. The deadline to pass an on-time budget is midnight Saturday. The proposed budget of $132.5 billion will increase spending by 1.9 percent. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The man who fired a rifle shot that hit a school bus with students in it back in November is scheduled to be in Cattaraugus County Court today. 58-year-old William Squires pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges of criminal mischief and reckless endangerment. The incident happened on Route 241 near Randolph. The shot Squires allegedly fired his gun from a tree stand and hit the bus just above the side doorway, and the driver’s head. Neither the driver nor any of the 35 students on board was hurt. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Fresh off of leading the Bonnies to their first NCAA berth in 12 seasons, the senior earned Honorable Mention from the Associated Press, joining Bona legends Bob Lanier (1968-70) and Tom Stith (1960-61) on the list of St. Bonaventure All-Americans. Nicholson stormed through the final month of the regular season to garner Atlantic 10 Player of the Year honors. He powered St. Bonaventure to its first A-10 Championship title - earning a nod for Most Outstanding Player along the way - after posting 26 points, 14 boards and eight blocks in a Championship-game win over Xavier that sent SBU to the NCAAs for the first time since 2000. Nicholson ended one of the all-time great careers in Bona basketball ranked second in program history in points (2,103), field goal percentage (57.5) and blocked shots (244), while sitting fourth in total rebounds (887) in 123 games and 75 straight starts to end his career. He ranks as the only player in the history of the Atlantic 10 Conference to earn four cons...

The man who shot and killed an Eldred teenager, then dumped his body in a Potter County creek, will spend the rest of his life in prison. 20-year-old Jonothan Prather of Coudersport was sentenced Monday in Potter County Court. He pleaded guilty to shooting 18-year-old Samuel Miller eight times in the head and chest in June of last year. One of his co-defendants, 16-year-old Kaylynn Benson, also of Coudersport, pleaded guilty earlier this month to third-degree murder. A second co-defendant, 26-year-old Avery Buckingham, is awaiting trial on a murder charge. Jury selection is scheduled for May. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford will offer new youth camps this year along with a summer enrichment series for high school students and bring back its X-Treme Science Camp. The new camps are “Adventure Camp,” “Criminal Justice and Forensic Science Camp” and “Pets ’n’ Vets.” All are being offered through the university’s Division of Continuing Education and Regional Development. Registration begins the week of April 1. Payment must be provided at the time of registration. Enrollment is limited. Adventure Camp for students who have completed ninth, 10th and 11th grades will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 11 through 13. The same camp will be offered for students who’ve completed sixth through eighth grades from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 25 through 27. The cost of the camp is $199 and includes use of equipment, transportation to and from Warren, a T-shirt, water and snacks. Mick McMillan, director of recreation, intramurals and aquatics at ...

BUFFALO, N.Y.- James Martin of the St. Bonaventure University men's swimming and diving team qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 50-meter freestyle and the 100-meter freestyle this weekend at the Flickinger Aquatic Center in Buffalo, N.Y. The event was hosted by USA Swimming Speedo Champions Series. Martin qualified in the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 23.48, finishing just below the cut time of 23.49. In the 100-meter freestyle he touched in at 51.39, coming in .10 below the standard time of 51.49. Standard time can only be accomplished in Long Course Meters (50 meter pool) as opposed to Short Course Yards (25 yard pool), which is the Olympic distance. Olympic trials will take place in Omaha Nebraska June 25-July 2. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

ALBANY, NY – Senator Catharine Young (R,C,I – 57th District) is applauding the restoration of a long-awaited state sales tax exemption for all clothes and shoes less than $110. Sales tax varies by state with New York setting its state sales tax at four percent. Counties receive at least an additional three percent of sales tax. The state will now exempt its portion of the sales tax, which Senator Young said has been in place for far too long. “This tax hike on clothing was put in place by New York City politicians when they controlled all of state government and raised taxes and spending by $14 billion, hurting taxpayers and stifling economic growth. I voted against their outrageous tax-and-spend policies, including this sales tax increase. This exemption is a common sense approach to relieving our overburdened taxpayers ,” Senator Young said. The full exemption for purchases of shoes and clothes under $110 will go into effect April 1. It is an extension of the 2011 t...

A jury has found state Senator Jane Orie guilty of 14 of 24 counts in her retrial on corruption charges. The jury deliberated for five days, and announced their decision late this afternoon. Orie was found guilty of two counts each of theft of services and conflict of interest and one count of forgery. She was found not guilty of perjury, obstruction of justice and election code violations. The jury also found her not guilty on counts related to campaign work allegedly done for her sister, state Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin, who is not charged. The guilty verdicts jeopardize her seat in Harrisburg and her state pension. A sentencing date has not been set yet. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

As the US Supreme Court today starting hearing several arguments regarding the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act – better known as Obamacare – the state Senate Appropriations Committee acted on Senator Joe Scarnati’s bill that would remove the requirement to buy health insurance under the act. Scarnati says, "The federal government has no business interfering with health care in any state, including the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania." He says the federal government is taking a section of the Commerce Clause, "extending it well beyond the meaning of the Constitution and they are trampling our rights as a state." Senate Bill 10 passed by a margin of 16 to 10, and now moves to the floor of the Senate for its consideration. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

HARRISBURG — With a pie in one hand and a list of tax loopholes in the other, Pennsylvania citizens delivered a message to state lawmakers today — we can restore cuts that have hurt seniors, children and families without raising taxes. By closing loopholes and delaying tax cuts for corporations, lawmakers can enact a better budget. “Close the loopholes, grow the revenue pie, and make our tax system fair for all,” said Stephen Drachler, executive director of United Methodist Advocacy in Pennsylvania and co-chair of Better Choices for Pennsylvania. “That way we can meet the needs of all our citizens and improve their lives." Better Choices for Pennsylvania, a coalition of organizations working for a responsible state budget, organized the “grow the revenue pie” event Monday, along with the faith community, and advocates for women, school children, college students, and people with disabilities. Volunteer pie deliverers stopped by each lawmaker’s office to drop off a pie and a handou...

An Irving, New York, man is hospitalized in critical condition after being hit by a car this morning in the Town of Hanover. Police say 47-year-old Richard Miller was jogging on Buffalo Road when he crossed the road in front of a vehicle driven by Cynthia Barber of Irving. Miller was first taken to Lake Shore Hospital, but was later flown by Mercy Flight to ECMC. No charges have been filed. Police are continuing their investigation. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford will offer short enrichment courses for high school students this summer to introduce them to the worlds of criminology, web design, medicine, television production, social work and what to expect in college. Each of the courses lasts for two or three mornings or afternoons. With the exception of Crime Solving 101, each session costs $59. The crime-solving course is $89. Class sizes are limited, and registration is limited to students who have completed grades 9 through 12. “These courses were initiated partly as a response to cuts in state funding for high school enrichment programs, such as the Seneca Highlands Summer Academy and the Pennsylvania Governor’s Schools,” said Dr. Lauren Yaich, associate dean of academic affairs. “Some of the topics we’ll be doing are not necessarily covered in a typical high school curriculum, so it offers a chance for students to explore new areas of study.” Ray Geary, executiv...

Attorneys for Facebook and its founder Mark Zuckerberg have filed a motion to dismiss the case brought by Wellsville native Paul Ceglia. Ceglia claims he and Zuckerberg entered into a contract in 2003 that entitles him to half ownership in the multi-billion-dollar social networking site. motion calls Ceglia’s case a "fraudulent shakedown," and says his s "motive was clear from day one: to extort a settlement from Facebook." The The motion also says experts found the authentic contract between Ceglia and Zuckerberg on Ceglia's own computer. In that contract, Zuckerberg agreed to do work for Ceglia on a project called StreetFax. Lawyers say the contract "says nothing about Facebook." Facebook also says its experts found overwhelming evidence that Ceglia manufactured his alleged version of the contract that he said proved his case. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

BUFFALO, NY — An immunotherapy regimen incorporating poxviruses and targeting a particular tumor antigen, NY-ESO-1, has shown promise in treating two types of cancers. Kunle Odunsi, MD, PhD, Chair of the Department of Gynecologic Oncology and Director of the Center for Immunotherapy at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI), Elke Jäger, MD, Head of the Department of Oncology and Hematology at Krankenhaus Nordwest, Frankfurt, and colleagues today published results from two studies testing this approach in PNAS, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. Basing their work on a phase I trial that showed that poxviruses can be safely and effectively incorporated into immune-based cancer therapies, Dr. Odunsi, Dr. Jäger and their co-authors conducted two parallel phase II clinical studies using modified versions of the smallpox and fowlpox viruses, engineered to express NY-ESO-1, in patients with ovarian cancer and melanoma. In the two studies, which ...

A judge has ruled that a preliminary injunction ordering the US Forest Service to resume processing drilling notice for the Allegheny National Forest did not give drillers the right to use surface or groundwater for fracking. Under Pennsylvania law, the federal government does not have the right to block the mineral owner's access to the minerals, but a 1980 federal court decision and U.S. District Judge Sean McLaughlin's 2009 decision give the agency some limited control on how the gas companies drill inside the forest. The Pennsylvania oil and gas industry had asked McLaughlin to find the agency in contempt because it is banning the use of the water and also taking more than 60 days to process the notices. In denying the motion, McLaughlin said neither the 1980 ruling nor his 2009 decision addressed water rights in the forest. On the second point, McLaughlin said the industry didn`t provide clear and convincing evidence the agency is deliberately dragging its feet. He added t...

A Brocton man who tried to kidnap a 13-year-old girl last May as she was riding her bike to school will spend the next 15 years in prison. 22-year-old Corey Kimmy was sentenced this morning in Chautauqua County Court. Kimmy grabbed the girl at 7:25 a.m. on May 19 in Fredonia, but she was able to get free and run to a nearby home, where the residents called police. Kimmy was found guilty of attempted kidnapping following a four-day trial in January. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947