Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Hiel “Butch” Bartlett, a local police officer with more than 19 years of experience in law enforcement, has thrown his hat in the ring for McKean County sheriff. Bartlett is seeking the Republican nod in the upcoming May Primary Election.. “With your support, I look forward to having the opportunity to make the McKean County Sheriff's Department into a public serving agency which will strive to ensure the safety and protection of the residents of our great county,” he said. Bartlett has spent the last 15 years as a police officer with the City of Bradford Police Department. While employed at the City of Bradford Police Department he held the position of Detective and now serves as a School Resource Officer in the Bradford Area School District. “In my time working as a School Resource Officer I have had many opportunities to work with our students and see firsthand how amazing these students truly are,” he said. “In my first year as School Resource Officer I started a Criminal ...

As expected, the last 24 hours pushed the water system closer to normal operational levels. Overnight, the authority had several new reports of minor line breaks that are considered normal for this time of year. If you are you are a residential water customer and still do not have water, you probably have a frozen pipe in your home or frozen service line from the main line to your home. You will need to call a private plumber or contractor to resolve frozen pipes of any sort. Additionally we are still under the emergency declaration with anticipation of that declaration being lifted at a special council meeting scheduled for noon on Monday. All residents and commercial customers are reminded to continue to follow the strict water conservation request The emergency operations center is being moved to the central fire station at 25 Chestnut Street with operating hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Central Fire Station is also the sole location for drinking water distribution. To contact the...

The Red Cross has set up a shelter at the Sawyer Evangelical Church at the intersection of South Kendall Avenue and Looker Mountain Trail. Water is also available at the church if you bring your own containers. The First Wesleyan Church of Bradford has a well, so if anyone need water, they are welcome to go to the church and get as much as they need. Everyone is welcome. The Church of the Ascension on Chautauqua Place is hosting a free soup lunch on Thursday. The lunch is being made in Warren and will be serve in Bradford from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. They are offering soup, bread, fruit and drinks, but no restroom facilities. Everyone is welcome. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

(HARRISBURG) – Senator Joe Scarnati (R-25) has issued the following statement regarding Monday’s water main break in the City of Bradford in McKean County: “The water main break on Monday in the City of Bradford has necessitated that local officials declare a State of Emergency. The next week will certainly be challenging for the community, as work is underway to restore the water supply to the City and surrounding areas that have been affected. “I have spoken with Mayor Riel and will continue to work with the Governor’s Office, Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) and state and local officials to ensure that the community has assistance with this emergency situation HARRISBURG – Rep. Martin Causer (R-Turtlepoint) issued the following statement regarding the ongoing emergency water situation in the Bradford area: “This obviously is a difficult and potentially dangerous situation for all involved. With an estimated 18,000 customers without water service, it i...

The City of Bradford Water Authority is anticipating the present condition to extend for several days, the following advisory is being issued to assist the community: -Obviously a major concern of this issue is the health and sanitation of the citizens, with that being said the disposal of waste in your toilets can be done by melting snow and putting it into your toilet tank and flushing in this manner. -If your heating system is dependant on water pressure from the Bradford Water Authority you should be prepared to be without heat for the duration of this emergency. Take necessary safety precautions. -The Red Cross will have some shelter space available to those in need at the Sawyer Evangelical Church, located at the intersection of South Kendall Ave and Looker Mountain Trail. -If persons are in need of water, the City of Bradford had secured bottled water that will be available to area residents upon request. If you have an immediate need of drinking water tonight and do...

For the latest list of closings and cancellations due to the State of Emergency/Water Crisis in Bradford, go to http://www.wesb.com/news/closings/ . The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Bradford businessman Steve Stidd started the day in McKean County Jail charged with criminal homicide. He’ll end the day a free man. Stidd was charged after shooting his son-in-law Mel Bizzarro on January 16 in the parking lot behind Togi’s Family Restaurant on East Main Street. The homicide charge – along with charges of involuntary manslaughter and voluntary manslaughter that were added this morning – were dismissed following a hearing in front of District Judge Dominic Cercone. Stidd’s attorney Greg Henry made a motion after district attorney Ray Learn presented the state’s case, saying that Learn did not prove Stidd did not act in self-defense. In fact, Henry argued, two of the state’s witnesses made Stidd’s case for self-defense. In an emotionally wrenching 9-1-1 call played by Learn, Stidd’s wife Barbara can be heard telling the 9-11 operator, “(Bizzarro) attacked my husband” and her husband shot him. Kevin Rhebergen, a truck driver who was delivering food to Togi’s that m...

The Bradford City Water Authority is now advising residents to boil water, or use bottled water, because of the water main break near Campus Drive. You should use boiled or bottled water for drinking, making ice, washing dishes, brushing teeth and food preparation until further notice. Inadequately treated water may contain disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches. The water authority will let us know when we no longer need to boil our water. Also, classes at Pitt-Bradford are cancelled for tonight because of the break. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

UPDATE: Bradford Township Fire Chief Dan Burkhouse says people who still have water should limit their use of it, just in case. A break in a 24-inch water main has forced access roads to Pitt-Bradford to be closed, and may affect much of the Tuna Valley. Water Authority Director Kim Benjamin tells WESB they are currently assessing the situation, but "a boil water advisory may be forthcoming." Benjamin will keep us updated on the situation, and we'll pass that on to you. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

No one was hurt but a house is destroyed after a fire that started when a resident was thawing frozen pipes. City Fire Captain J.D. Tehle tells WESB the owner was using a heat gun to thaw the pipes at 11 Pearl Street, and thought everything was fine but there was a spark in the blown-in insulation, and the fire quickly spread throughout the house. He explained that blow-in insulation is like “finely ground paper. It gets a spark and just takes off.” He added that while they were looking in the crawl space, smoke was coming from the eaves. “It just travels that fast," Tehle said. The fire eventually spread to an apartment at 9 Pearl Street, which ended up with minimal damage. Anita Hubbart and her three children were able to get out of 11 Pearl Street safely. The Red Cross is helping them and the resident of 9 Pearl Street. Taylor Roofing owns the buildings, which are insured. Tehle said there were no problems with the cold – it was 5 degrees when they were called out at ...

Four people, including an Olean man, have been arrested by the Pennsylvania attorney general’s office for trafficking a quarter of a million dollars’ worth of marijuana. The AG’s office says 33-year-old Andrew Kubiak of Olean, 31-year-old John Nelson and Meadville, 39-year-old Jessica Clark of Erie and 29-year-old Nicole Nelson of Santa Rosa California, conspired to buy bulk quantities of marijuana and take it to Meadville. According to the grand jury’s presentment, Nicole Nelson bought a car in Erie that she and Clark drove to Santa Rosa, where it was packed with 85 pounds of marijuana. Kubiak met the women in Sacramento. He and Clark were going to deliver the marijuana to Nelson’s brother, John, but they were picked up by police in Kansas. John Nelson is in Crawford County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail. Kubiak and Clark were released on $25,000 unsecured bond. A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Nicole Nelson. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Two people had to be freed from their vehicles and then be flown to an out-of-town hospital following a head-on crash in St. Marys this morning. City police say a car driven by Brenda Placer of Ridgway and a pickup truck driven by Anthony Gerg of St. Marys were on State Street near the Laurel Run Reservoir when they collided at around 6:20 a.m. Crystal Fire Department personnel freed them from their vehicles. They were first taken to Penn Highlands Elk, but then flown by Stat Medevac helicopter to another hospital. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

To bring facts and clarity to the public debate about immunization in light of the recent measles outbreak, the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health today unveiled a computer simulation that explores the impact of measles outbreaks in cities across the U.S. Users can see how an outbreak would play out if their city had high or low vaccination rates. The simulation – which is easily accessible from mobile devices – is an adaptation of the popular Framework for Reconstructing Epidemiological Dynamics (FRED), a free resource created at Pitt. By visiting fred.publichealth.pitt.edu/measles measles, people can select cities they’re interested in and watch short animations that play out an outbreak with either high or low vaccination coverage. “FRED users can see on a map of any major metropolitan area in the U.S. how one case of measles can turn into a major outbreak or be quickly quashed, all depending on the vaccination rates of a community,” said Donald S. Burke,...

As part of their ongoing downtown improvement efforts, the Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce and the Main Street Program are working on the next phase of rehabilitating Veteran’s Square, with plans to purchase and install eight steel eight-foot park benches. The benches are being made my Swanson’s Fabrication of Bradford, a local company specializing in structural steel and aluminum, including custom design and engineering. “It was important to us to use a local manufacturer for this project,” said Anita Dolan, Main Street Manager, “and Swanson’s Fabrication has an excellent reputation for working with their customers to achieve high quality, professional results.” Each bench will have a bronze plaque signifying who donated the bench. Wright Monumental Works, also of Bradford, will be creating the plaques. “This is a hometown effort with the Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce and Main Street program working together with local companies to achieve a positive visual impact in...

During jury selection for his trial on charges that he ran from police, a Mount Jewett man allegedly talked to a couple of potential jurors, and is now facing more charges. Court papers say 55-year-old Joseph Notoro was in the Warren County Courthouse when he approached tow potential jurors who were waiting in line to use the restroom. He told them to tell the lawyers and judge they didn’t know him, and then gave them details about his case. One of those people told the district attorney about the encounter with Notoro, and the DA contacted police. Notoro is charged with two misdemeanor counts of jury tampering and is jailed on $3,000 bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The state Department of Health has confirmed it will reopen the State Health Center in Potter County, Rep. Martin Causer (R-Turtlepoint) announced today. “This is great news for public health in Pennsylvania and in our region,” Causer said. “These health centers play a vital role in offering preventive care to adults and children alike.” According to department officials, the reopening date and other logistics have not yet been finalized. Health centers in 16 counties were closed in 2013 as a budget-cutting measure. However, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled late last year the Commonwealth could not close any of the 60 state health centers. “I am very pleased our local center and others serving rural Pennsylvania will soon reopen and resume providing much-needed services to our citizens,” Causer said. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Charges against former McKean Former McKean County Sheriff Brad Mason, who is accused of having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl who was a tenant at a rental home he owns in Bradford Township, have been bound to court following a preliminary hearing this morning. Mason appeared before visiting District Judge Glenn Carlson of Warren for an arraignment, followed by the hearing. A state police news release says the “consensual sexual relationship” went on from December 6 of 2012 to May 12 of last year. He retired as sheriff in July. Mason, who is 52 years old, is also accused of providing alcohol to the girl. State police say the accusations came to light during investigation of an unrelated civil matter. Carlson heard the case because of Mason’s relationships with the McKean County district judges. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Two Wilcox women are dead following a two-vehicle crash Thursday afternoon at the intersection of routes 219 and 321 in Elk County. State police say an SUV driven by 81-year-old Vera Johnson was traveling south on 219 when it didn’t stop for a stop sign and traveled into the path of a tractor-trailer driven by 37-year-old Steven Kilduff of Brookville. Johnson and her passenger, 92-year-old Rose Swanson, were both pronounced dead at the scene. Kilduff was not hurt. Route 321 between Kane and Wilcox was closed for about four hours. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Earlier this month our Monday LiveLine series on infant and toddler development centered on the detrimental effect "screen time" can have on babies. This includes TV, tablets, phones, etc. Thursday, NPR ran a story on the same topic. You can read the NPR piece here . You can listen to local speech and language pathologists Betsy Costello and Alliyson Maduri talk about it by going to WESB.com/listen and scrolling to "LiveLine 02-02-15 Babies and TV" in Local Programs. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947