Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

The McKean County Courthouse in Smethport was evacuated for a short time this morning because of a fire in a transformer on the main floor of the building. Employees were already outside the smoke-filled building when firefighters arrived, according to Les Jordan Jr., publisher of “Discover Smethport.” Firefighters used smoke ejectors to clear the smoke. Employees were allowed back inside after about half an hour. Photo from Discover Smethport. See more photos at Facebook.com/DiscoverSmethport . The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Lloyd M. Burkhouse Sr. 83, of 28 Corwin Lane, Bradford, passed away Tuesday, July 29, 2014, surrounded by his loving family. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by the Hollenbeck-Cahill Funeral Homes Inc. Online condolences may be made at www.hollenbeckcahill.com The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

You can take the "acting" off Teri Cannon's title as Bradford City Council voted to make her city administrator during a special meeting late this afternoon. Cannon was named acting city administrator earlier this month. After council voted Cannon into the position Mayor Tom Riel noted that she is a fourth generation city employee, with her family having served Bradford for more than 80 years. She has been employed by the city for 23 years. Her father, Ed Sutherland, worked for the city for 31 years, most recently as director of the public works department until his retirement. Riel also read a letter from John Peterson, who retired as city clerk after 14 years in that position, and 28 with the city fire department. (The city no longer has a clerk position, as it has been replaced with the administrator.) Peterson wished the city’s first administrator the best and says he’s confident she will be able to lead the city for many years to come. Peterson also took the opp...

The fire that destroyed a historic Salamanca building this afternoon is being considered suspicious. City fire Chief Nicholas Bocharski says they have received information that may lead them to someone who may have started the fire in the former Erie Rail Depot. He also said people have been in and out of the building within the last 24 hours. Mayor Carmen Vecchiarella say the building was on the city’s demolition list and it probably would have been torn down within the next two or three months. Investigators are still on the scene. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The second Kane man accused of breaking into a campground on the Allegheny National Forest earlier this month has been arraigned. 22-year-old Robert Knapp allegedly broke a window to get into a building at the Kiasutha Campground on July 3. Police found some of the stolen items at a fire pit he and his co-defendant 18-year-old Taylor Dyne used that night. Knapp is free on $5,000 unsecured bail, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 7. Dyne is free on $20,000 unsecured bail, and his preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A man who robbed six banks – including a Northwest Savings Bank in Falconer – will spend the next 11 years in prison. 59-year-old Robert Stevenson of Rochester also robbed banks in the Rochester suburb or Irondequoit, Kenmore, Syracuse, Utica and New Hartford. Stevenson was also order to pay more than $16,000 in restitution. The FBI worked with local police departments in the investigation. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A woman is accused of stealing more than $1,300 from the Hinsdale American Legion. State Police say 46-year-old Wendy Cook of Cuba defrauded the legion out of $1,333 by using store credit at a business in the Town of Cuba. She was charged with grand larceny and is scheduled to appear in court on August 5. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Ralph F. Mongillo, Sr., 78, of 70 Cornen St., Bradford, passed away Monday, July 28, 2014 at his residence. Born October 8, 1935 in Bradford, he was a son of the late Frank and Margaret (Pantuso) Mongillo. On March 17, 1962 at St. Bernard Church he married Judith A. (McManigle) Mongillo who survives. He was a 1954 graduate of Bradford High School. On January 14, 1955 he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force where he served in active duty until he was honorably discharged on November 13, 1958. He remained in the reserves until January 13, 1969. After his discharge in 1958 he attended St. Vincent's College. Ralph worked for 20 years for Public Loan Company and 20 years at Bradford Regional Medical Center retiring as the Business Office Manager in 1998. He was a member of St. Bernard Church, the American Legion Post #212, the Italian American Progressive Club, and a past member of Pine Acres Golf Club. He enjoyed woodworking and playing golf, but his greatest love was spending time ...

Ask anyone in this area what three stores they would like to see move into the Bradford Mall and most of them would probably list Wegmans as one of them. Well, sorry to say that won’t be happening – at least in the next couple of years. Wegmans has announced where its next several stores will be built and none are even close to this area. They are in Virginia, Maryland and Massachusetts. One new Wegmans will be in Pennsylvania, but in Delaware County. It’ll be near Route 1, though, so you can stop on your way to the DelMarVa beaches. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A man accused of threatening a woman at knifepoint is in McKean County Jail. Court records say 27-year-old Jared Smith of Kane locked a woman in her home, held her face down on the floor and told her he would have his gang kill her. Smith is charged with simple assault, terroristic threats and unlawful restraint. His bail is set at $50,000. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A baseball bat-wielding robber threatened a clerk at a Potter County store, and then made off with an undetermined amount of money. Police say the robbery happened at about 9:45 Sunday night at the Acorn Market on North Genesee Street in Genesee Township. The robber forced the clerk to open the safe, and also smashed a refreshment cooler. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact Coudersport-based state police. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A St. Marys man is dead after his motorcycle crashed last night on Shelvey Summit Road in Fox Township. Police say 38-year-old David Terwilliger lost control of the motorcycle, hit an embankment, flew into the air and rolled multiple times after it landed. Terwilliger, who was not wearing a helmet, was thrown from the bike. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Police say Terwilliger was driving at an unsafe speed. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

City of Bradford Police over the weekend investigated thefts on Boylston, Edward and East Main Street and disturbances on Chestnut, Congress, Williams, East Main, Davis, Mechanic Forman and Kennedy streets, as wells as Constitution and South avenues. Officers also received complaints about animals from Summer and Main streets and Prendergast Avenue, and public drunks on Forman and Main streets. They were called to domestic disturbances on Kiwanis Court and East Washington Street, and reports of criminal mischief on Jackson Avenue and harassment on Williams Street. They also dealt with a girl on State Street who broke the city’s curfew law, and looked into suspicious activity on Hill and High streets and on Laurel Drive. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A 75-year-old Ripley, New York, man is accused of inappropriately touching three females at a Bingo function last week. Sheriff’s deputies did not give the ages of the victims but say Dale Reynolds grabbed the private areas of two young females, and another female on Thursday. A warrant was issued for his arrest. Reynolds was taken into custody on Monday and charged with three counts of sexual abuse. He is in Chautauqua County Jail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The hearing for a man charged in a fatal Memorial Day weekend crash near Port Allegany has been moved again. 31-year-old Jerver Fernandez of Luzerne County had been scheduled to be in court on Monday, but the hearing has been moved to August 20. The hearing was originally scheduled for June 19. Fernandez is charged with homicide by vehicle and homicide by vehicle while DUI in connection to the May 24 crash on Route 6 that killed 27-year-old Robert Bowes. Fernandez is free on $25,000 unsecured bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

After allegedly pushing a sheriff’s deputy and damaging his patrol car, a woman is in Chautauqua County Jail. Sheriff’s deputies were called to a fight in a vehicle traveling on routes 5 and 20 Sunday night and, after they got there, they separated the man and woman who were fighting. While they were talking to the man, the woman, 24-year-old Melissa Kuhn of Buffalo, pushed a deputy. After being told she was under arrest and handcuffed, she attempted to kick a deputy in the face, and then bit the seat and door panel of a patrol car. While deputies were attempting to stop her from further damaging the car, she kicked two other deputies. She’s charged with harassment, resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration and criminal mischief. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The Hotel Holley has been cited for playing music too loudly on May 30 and June 14. State police say the establishment also failed to post “no smoking” signs. The charges will be brought before an administrative law judge. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A man accused of severely beating his girlfriend for not making dinner for him will now get three square meals a day in the Tioga County Jail. 51-year-old Edward Ruditys III of Westfield, PA, is charged with aggravated assault and related offenses for beating the 50-year-old woman so badly that she had to be taken to the critical care unit at Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre. Police say among the injuries Ruditys inflicted on the woman were broken ribs and other internal injuries. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A jury has found a man guilty of manslaughter for beating and strangling an elderly Fredonia woman to death four years ago. Jason Wells, also of Fredonia, had been charged with second-degree murder as well as manslaughter. The case defense attorney Lyle Hajdu presented was intended to bring into question Wells’ mental state when he killed 81-year-old Ruth Fisk in her apartment. District Attorney David Foley says Hajdu’s strategy obviously worked because the jury had a hard time making its decision. Hajdu has two weeks to enter motions before the judge sets a sentencing date. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Dollar Tree is buying rival discount store Family Dollar in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about $8.5 billion. NBC says the deal comes amid pressure on Family Dollar by the activist investor Carl C. Icahn, who urged the company last month to explore a sale of itself. But Family Dollar said in a statement that it had been exploring strategic options since the winter. Under the terms of Monday’s deal, Dollar Tree will pay $74.50 for each share of Family Dollar. The bid is made up of $59.60 a share in cash and Dollar Tree stock worth about $14.90. Including debt, the deal values the target company at about $9.2 billion. The bid represents a premium of nearly 23 percent to Family Dollar’s closing price on Friday. There’s no word yet on whether Dollar Tree will convert the Bradford Family Dollar in Union Square into a Dollar Tree. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947