Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

A member of the ROTC unit at St. Bonaventure University is dead and a US Army investigation is underway to find out why. The body of 19-year-old Daniel Miller of Gowanda was discovered at about 9:15 a.m. Thursday, about seven hours after he was reported missing. Miller was participating in the Leader Development and Assessment Course, an annual 29-day program at Fort Lewis, Washington, for cadets who will be seniors. He was attending Houghton University. Wednesday night, Miller was participating in an exercise in which cadets must find locations at night using a map and hand-held compass.

A Seneca Indian accused of lying about smuggling cigarettes in Washington State has pleaded not guilty in federal court in Seattle. 37-year-old Arthur "Sugar" Montour of Perrysburg, NY, says he didn't lie about circumstances surrounding the sales of untaxed and smuggled cigarettes to an Indian-owned smoke shop in Arlington, Washington. Montour is owner of Native Wholesale Supply, a wholesale tobacco company that imports products from Canada and distributes them throughout the United States. Native Wholesale Supply operates under the laws of the Sac and Fox Nation of Oklahoma, but is on Seneca Nation property. Montour pleaded not guilty to the same charges in a federal court in Buffalo last week. A trial is scheduled to start in September

A real bird and a fake one were taken from separate locations in Elk County this week. State police say someone took a Buff Orpington chicken from a pen on Theodore Agens' property on Ridgway-Johnsonburg Road. The chicken is valued at $5. Someone also took a plastic decorative owl belonging to 89-year-old Lee Ginther that was outside Fox Manor in Kersey. The owl is valued at $20.

Pennsylvania's US Representatives are asking the US Secretary of Education to examine Governor Ed Rendell's plan to not give the University of Pittsburgh, Penn State, Temple and Lincoln University federal stimulus money. A letter sent to Secretary Anne Duncan, signed by 14 of the 19 members of the Pennsylvania Congressional delegation, was in response to the decision by Rendell to exclude these four universities from American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, ARRA, stimulus funding. The letter states: “We strongly believe that by following the spirit and intent of the ARRA, the Department of Education will reject the application in current form, and compel the Commonwealth to use federal funds to maintain state support for every public institution of higher education in Pennsylvania, including the state-related universities.” “The Governor has denied almost $42 million to these four universities in their recent application to the Department of Education using the flimsy excuse...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Some people may be in and out of Bradford Regional Medical Center's Emergency Department more quickly than they're accustomed to. Monday, BRMC is starting ER Plus – a program that provides services for people with problems that can't wait until the doctor's office opens in the morning, and is designed to ease the backlog. Deborah Price, BRMC's Senior Vice President of Patient Care Services explained that they had been watching traffic and volume in the emergency department and noticed that they that got backlogged between 5 and 9 p.m. Many of those people, she said, would be people who didn't feel well after they got home from school or work, and it was too late to go to a doctor. "To respond to our community, we needed to do something during that period when we got so busy to try to step up our volume," Price said. ER Plus will be operating fro 5 to 9 p.m. daily. ED Nurse Manager Anne Hardy explained that they...

These kids (and some mommies) enjoy a sunny Friday afternoon at Callahan Park.

The U.S. Forest Service wants to have a lawsuit filed by oil and gas interests and the Warren County Commissioners dismissed. The suit, filed June 1 by Minard Run Oil Company, the Pennsylvania Oil and Gas Association, the Allegheny Forest Alliance and the commissioners challenges a settlement in a previous suit brought against the Forest Service by a group of environmental protection groups. In that suit, the Forest Service agreed to certain demands, including a requirement that the Forest Service mandate oil and gas producers to comply with National Environmental Protection Act analysis before any notice to proceed for drilling operations can be issued. The new forest service suit says the suit filed by the oil and gas interests only alleges "hypothetical" damages and that no damages have been actually incurred by the industry as a result of the settlement

A Westfield man is dead following a motorcycle accident early this morning in the Town of Portland. Sheriff's deputies say 31—year-old Mark Carlson was operating his bike at a high rate of speed when it went out of control, traveled off the road and hit a utility pole. Carlson was pronounced dead at the scene.

A bomb scare evacuated the Warren County Courthouse Friday morning. The threat was called in at just after 9 a.m. After the evacuation, K-9 units from the sheriff's department, state police, Erie International Airport and Erie City Police searched the property. The bomb-sniffing dogs also checked the parking lot and every car in it. At noon, authorities declared that the building was clear.

The Mt. Jewett Charter Coalition held its monthly Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday, July 8, 2009. One topic of discussion was a letter of resignation by founding Board member Doug Keller. Mr. Keller cited work and personal reasons in recent months that make it difficult for him to devote the attention needed to continue to serve on the Board. He stated that he is still in support of the project and the proposed September opening of a Charter public school in Mt. Jewett. Mr. Keller felt it was unfair to other Board members that he continue to hold a Board position and not be able to give it his full attention. The remaining Board members regretfully voted to accept Mr. Keller's resignation and expressed their heartfelt appreciation for his effort. It was noted that Mr. Keller was one of the catalysts that started the Coalition movement over 2 1/2 years ago. For several months after its inception, the Board held weekly meetings in the Keller home in Mt. Jewett before establish...

The Department of Environmental Protection has issued a cease and desist order to U.S. Energy for persistent and repeated violations of environmental laws and regulations. The order prohibits the company from conducting all earth disturbance, drilling and hydro-fracturing operations throughout Pennsylvania. Some of the U.S. Energy well sites that were cited are on the Allegheny National Forest and property owned by Bradford Water Authority. The violations include failure to implement measures to prevent accelerated erosion, unpermitted discharges, failure to restore well sites, encroachments into streams and wetlands without obtaining required permits, and failure to plug abandoned wells. This order stops U.S. Energy from building new sites and gives the company 30 days to fix those sites that already have been built. More HERE .

balanced budget proposal unveiled Friday by House Republicans is just what the people of Pennsylvania need during these challenging economic times, Rep. Martin Causer (R-Turtlepoint) said today. "Governor Ed Rendell has been saying we can't do a no-tax budget. House Democrats have been threatening Armageddon if we balance the budget by cutting spending," Causer said. "All along, House Republicans have been saying we can craft a budget that funds essential government services without increasing taxes. "The budget unveiled today proves it can be done." The $27.27 billion plan increases funding for school districts statewide by. It provides essential funding for public safety needs and ensures vulnerable residents receive the support they need. It also funds state parks, hospitals and universities. "This budget recognizes the economic realities we face. It forces government to live within its means, just like Pennsylvania families must," Causer said...

Emergency crews have been called to the scene of an accident where a tractor-trailer and a car collided at the intersection of West Water Street and Route 6 in Smethport. Someone is reportedly trapped inside a vehicle. We'll have more information as it becomes available.

When talking about the property tax/rent rebate program Governor Rendell said some people would be getting " significant property tax relief ." Now, when he's talking about raising the personal income tax he says it " will cost the average Pennsylvania family less than $5 a week ." -- Ya know, like it's chump change. Here's where I'm confused: A household that makes $35,000 a year gets a rebate of $250. A household that makes $35,000 a year would pay an additional PIT of $260 a year. I'll admit I'm not very good at math, but isn't that a net loss of $10 a year?

You should all have power now ~~~~ About 1,000 Penelec customers in the downtown Bradford area are being affected by a power outage at this hour, but the power should be restored soon. Penelec spokeswoman Linda Routzahn says an equipment problem at a power substation caused the outage. Crews are on the scene and expect to have power restored by early afternoon.

The 9-year-old daughter of a man who died in a crash in Tioga County Monday night has also died. Morgan Kurtz of Sabinsville was a passenger in a truck driven by her mother Laura Kio that went off the road and hit a parked flatbed truck. Morgan was taken to Geisinger Medical Center, where she died Wednesday. Her father William Kurtz died at the scene from severe head trauma.

A federal mediator is meeting for the first time today with representatives of about 500 striking Penelec workers. The workers went on strike May 21 saying they're being forced to work too much overtime to respond to service problems and other issues. The company has offered the workers raises or different scheduling rules, but not both. The sides last met July 1, but a mediator couldn't make it because of a scheduling conflict.

Route 46 in Keating Township was closed for about two hours yesterday after a truck crashed into two utility poles. Police say the driver of a Freightliner, whose name they didn't release, fell asleep at the wheel, causing the truck to veer off the road and hit a mailbox, the utility poles and a tree. Penelec and Verizon responded to the scene to repair utility services. The road was closed because the utility wires were on the ground.

A birthday party in Lewis Run turned ugly. Police say Paul Conner Jr. of Lewis Run was having a party for 20-year-old Brandon Conner of Gifford and 18-year-old Anthony Kremer of Bradford when a fight broke out and several of the partygoers allegedly assaulted each other. Brandon Conner also allegedly caused $135 worth of damage to a car owned by 20-year-old Nazareth Kremer of Bradford. Nazareth Kremer, a juvenile and both Conners were charged with harassment. Brandon Conner was also charged with criminal mischief.

The power struggle in the New York State Senate seems to be over. Since June 8, the senate has been unable to pass bills or even officially meet because a Republican-led coup tied the Republican and Democrat conferences at 31 votes apiece. Thursday, Pedro Espada, a dissident Democrat who had sided with the Republicans, rejoined his party and returned control of the senate to Democrats. Statement from Senator Cathy Young: My priority remains -- to finally reform the Senate and change Albany so that our State has a bright future. New York has been on a collision course with disaster, and my vote for reform on June 8th was about saving the State, especially Upstate. There are damaging bills that I’m still fighting to block including a farm worker bill that would put our farms out of business for good, and legislation that could let the government dictate how many miles you can drive your personal vehicle. Those are just two examples of many New York City-driven bills tha...