Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Zippo Encore today announces a partnership with country music star Jerrod Niemann. Through the collaboration, Zippo Encore will join Niemann’s summer tour, for all appearances from May through September. At each concert stop, Zippo Encore’s pop-up retail shop will feature exclusive custom lighters, including two which were designed by Niemann himself as part of the Zippo Encore Artist Custom Series Program. These special lighters will only be sold at the Zippo booth at each of Niemann’s concerts. Niemann will also visit the Zippo booth for autograph signings at six concert stops, which will be determined during the tour. In addition to purchasing exclusive Custom Series lighters, visitors to the Zippo Encore booth can also participate in an onsite lighter design contest by creating a hand-drawn design. One lucky winner at each tour stop will receive a Zippo Lighter. At the end of the tour, a grand-prize winner--as chosen by concertgoers who visit the booth--will win a Zippo Encore ...

Firefighters are battling multiple wildfires in Lafayette Township. Mount Jewett, Hilltop and Lewis Run have all been called to help Lafayette Township firefighters on Droney Road near Big Shanty Road. We’ll have more information as it becomes available. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A 48-year-old man has pleaded guilty to raping a 16-year-old girl three years ago. Edward Prince of Olean had sex with the girl in June of 2011, in Olean, and then, in August, he violated court orders by attempting to contact her again. Prince is charged with rape and criminal contempt and is scheduled for sentencing on July 7 in Cattaraugus County Court. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

For some people in Potter County the best part of tonight’s Pirates game will come before the first pitch. Students from Oswayo Valley Elementary School will be singing the National Anthem before the game. As for the game, you can hear that on 1490 WESB at 6:40 p.m., starting with the pre-game show. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

If your Verizon landline is down, you’re not alone. The outage is affecting most of the immediate Bradford area. We don’t know what caused the outage, or when service will be restored, but we do know Verizon is working on it. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Bob Esch, the Bradford Area School District and Lisa Minich were among the people honored this morning during the annual Bradford Family YMCA Community Awards breakfast. Minich was named Volunteer of the Year. Hannah Schutz was recognized as Youth Volunteer of the Year. Esch and the school district received community service awards. Also, five high school students received Ray C. Uhler Outstanding Youth Awards. They are Allyson Marasco from Bradford, Brittany Kowatch from Kane, Margaret Decker from Otto-Eldred, Logan Hutton from Port Allegany and Emily Housler from Smethport. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Northwest Savings Bank (NASDAQ: NWBI) ranks highest in customer satisfaction in the Mid-Atlantic Region, according to the J.D. Power 2014 U.S. Retail Banking Satisfaction Study. The study, conducted quarterly from April 2013 to January 2014, analyzes the overall satisfaction customers have with their retail banking experience based on account activities, account information, facility, fees, problem resolution and product offering. Northwest received the highest satisfaction score in the Mid-Atlantic Region, which includes Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. Northwest Savings Bank was also ranked highest from 2010-2012. “Receiving our fourth award in five years from J.D. Power for being highest ranked in our six-state region is an incredible honor,” said Steven G. Fisher, executive vice president, Banking Services of Northwest Savings Bank. “Today, customers have higher expectations of service providers. It is our goal to ...

HARRISBURG – Rep. Martin Causer (R-Turtlepoint) has introduced legislation to ensure greater transparency in land acquisitions made by the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC). “As a sportsman, I certainly appreciate the value of our game lands, but I also recognize the financial impact a high volume of public lands can have on the tax base of a county or community,” Causer said. “In our area, the Game Commission is acquiring thousands of acres of land, taking it off the tax rolls, and that can place a heavy burden on local governments and taxpayers.” House Bill 2229 would require public notice of at least 90 days for all proposed land acquisitions, including written notice to county and local officials where the land is located, and to members of the General Assembly whose districts encompass the proposed acquisition area. The notice must include the amount of land to be acquired, the location of the land, the purchase price and proposed source of funding for the purchase, a...

City of Bradford Police over the weekend investigated three thefts on Main Street and one on Bushnell Street. They also got calls about drug possession on Chambers Street, disorderly conduct on Walker Avenue and Leigh Street, and harassment and a disturbance, both on Mechanic Street. Officers stopped people for DUI on Mechanic, Kennedy and High streets and on South Kendall Avenue, and investigated motor vehicle accidents on High Street and South Avenue. They also got a call about suspicious activity on Chautauqua Place. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

An Emporium man is in jail for attempting to steal from a vehicle and other charges. State police charged 25-year-old Michael Chmelar with criminal mischief, possession of drug paraphernalia, vandalism and driving under the influence, as well as attempted theft. The alleged incident happened Friday in the GKN parking lot on Cameron Road in Cameron County. He was sent to Potter County Jail on $10,000 bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A 44-year-old convicted sex offender from Port Allegany waived his preliminary hearing this morning on charges that he sexually abused a 5-year-old boy in January. Charles Kontz was left alone with the child on the afternoon of January 31 when the sexual assault happened. The boy’s grandmother told police she has seen significant changes in the little boy since the incident, including his fear of men and wetting the bed, according to papers filed in District Judge Bill Todd’s office. According to court papers Kontz was alone with the child for 10 to 15 minutes. Kontz is charged with indecent assault, endangering the welfare of a child, corruption of minors and unlawful contact with a minor. He was convicted in 2003 for indecent assault of a child. Kontz remains in McKean County Jail on $50,000 The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Investigators are still trying to determine what caused Sunday’s fire at the International Wax plant in Farmers Valley. The fire at the plant – still commonly referred to as Petrowax – was reported at 11:50 Sunday morning. Initial reports indicate that the fire burned wax in a filter room, but state police fire marshals have not confirmed that yet. International Group spokeswoman Heather Meikle says one worker suffered minor injuries and is not hospitalized. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A domestic incident led to charges against a Bradford man Sunday. 33-year-old Joseph Spencer is accused of attempting to choke his girlfriend while she was on a bed in their home. According to papers filed in District Judge Dominic Cercone’s office one of the victim’s children told police “Joe was on top of my mom and grabbed her neck.” Spencer was charged with simple assault, domestic violence related. Spencer is free on unsecured bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

UPDATE: 11 P.M.: As far as we know, state police fire marshals are still investigating the fire at Petrowax. We have no further information on the person who was reportedly injured, or the extent of those injuries . Discover Smethport provided these pictures and information of the fire that started at just before 11 a.m. today. For more you can go to https://www.facebook.com/discoversmethport

A Columbia, PA, man is dead following a UTV accident early this morning in Potter County. State police say 53-year-old Aldus Baum was operating the Polaris UTV on private property along Bailey Hill Road when the vehicle rolled on top of him, causing the fatal injuries. A passing motorist discovered the crash scene. Baum was later pronounced dead by Deputy Coroner Ken Wingo. Police say Baum was not wearing a helmet. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

You knew it was coming; you just didn’t know exactly when. The New York Department of Transportation announced today that the closing of Interstate 86 between exits 21 and 23 will start May 12. Both eastbound and westbound traffic will be directed to follow a detour using Route 417. Temporary traffic signals have been installed at the intersection of Route 417 and Business Route 219 at Exit 23, and also at the intersection of Route 417 (Wildwood Avenue) and Route 219 (Central Avenue) in the City of Salamanca. Motorists should expect delays. The $2.1 million projects started in March and includes rehabilitation of the road surface, minor bridge rehabilitation and the rebuilding of the eastbound on and off ramps at Exit 20 near the Seneca Allegany Casino. Construction is expected to be finished in October. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Sheffield High School student who, yesterday, started telling people they should wear blue clothes today so they – "don’t get hurt" has been questioned by police, who are continuing to investigate. Warren County District Attorney Rob Greene says the rumor progressed throughout the day on Thursday and “got bigger and more graphic, as rumors do.” Greene added that he can say with confidence there is no credible threat to any of the students or staff. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The United Way of the Bradford Area hosted the annual Red Feather Volunteer recognition luncheon on Thursday, honoring Lisa Minich. The event, which took place at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, is held to honor outstanding individuals and/or businesses who have made an impact on the United Way of the Bradford Area, and the local community as a whole, through their day-to-day selfless attitudes and commitment to exemplifying the organization’s mission of enhancing the quality of life in the greater Bradford Area. Minich was presented her award by close friend, Jeannine Schoenecker, and her son, Dan Minich. “Over the last three years, Lisa has been the driving force behind the success of the leadership division, during which time giving in this category went from a little more than $40,000 in 2011 to more than $57,000 in 2013,” said Schoenecker. Dan Minich referenced his grandfather - Lisa’s father - as being her philanthropic inspiration. “My mom would tell me stories ...

Work to replace two bridges on Route 770 in Bradford Township is continuing, with temporary traffic signals scheduled for installation next Wednesday, May 7. The bridges span Minard Run about a half-mile apart near the village of Aiken. They carry an average of more than 3,000 vehicles daily. Originally built in 1927, the bridges will be replaced one side at a time. Beginning Wednesday, May 7, temporary traffic signals will be in place, enforcing an alternating traffic pattern at each bridge. Traffic will be controlled in this manner until the completion of the new structures sometime this fall. Under the traffic signal control, work to build the new bridges will continue one side at a time. Overall work includes replacement of the bridges, roadway and approach paving, guide rail updates, pavement markings, and miscellaneous items. The contractor for this $2.5 million job is L. C. Whitford of Wellsville, New York. All work is weather and schedule dependent. Drivers are rem...

Two men were picked up on Route 219 in the Town of Carrollton Wednesday after being found with nearly 500 cartons of untaxed cigarettes. Sheriff’s deputies say 21-year-old Muad Almontaser and 19-year-old Gehad Almontaser, both of Brooklyn, New York, were transporting 490 cartons of untaxed cigarettes from Virginia to New York. The tax value on the cigarettes is more than $21,000. The men were each charged with criminal taxation fraud and were sent to Cattaraugus County Jail on $10,000 bail each. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947