Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

The Jamestown man who kidnapped and raped a 12-year-old girl has been sentenced to 25 years in state prison. 23-year-old Eric Chant pleaded guilty to rape for the incident that happened in August of 2011. After kidnapping the girl from her home, Chant took her to a secluded area in the Town of Portland. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

McKean County Sheriff candidate Steve Caskey will speak during a meeting of the Tea Party at 7 p.m. at the Bradford Senior Center. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

An eight-year-old boy is dead following a crash on East Valley Road in Keating Township at just before 3:30 Friday afternoon. State police say an SUV driven by 20-year-old Tieler Raymo of Smethport was cresting a small hill between Kent Hollow Road and Pierce Brook Road when it went out of control, traveled across the road and hit another vehicle head-on. The little boy from Shinglehouse, who police did not name, was a passenger in the second vehicle, which was driven by 29-year-old Steven Mehl of Shinglehouse. The child was pronounced dead at Bradford Regional Medical Center. Mehl was first taken to BRMC, but was later taken to UPMC Hamot in Erie for treatment of major injuries. Raymo was taken by ambulance to Olean General Hospital for treatment of moderate injuries. The McKean County DA’s office was on the scene of the crash, and the police investigation is continuing. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

City of Bradford Police on Thursday looked into possible drug activity on Elm Street, and a possible DUI on Mechanic Street. They investigated a motor vehicle accident on Interstate Parkway and got reports of traffic and parking problems on West Corydon and Kennedy streets. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Penn State Board of Trustees member John Surma advised board leadership informally in December that, due to several new and continuing business commitments, he would be completing his Penn State board service at the conclusion of his existing term in June. He has reconfirmed that intention in connection with the most recent call for nominations/applications for business and industry Trustees, which is currently under way. "We appreciate very much the leadership John Surma provided during his tenure on the Board," noted Penn State President Rodney Erickson on the university's website. "His expertise and talents were particularly helpful as the inaugural chair of the Board's Subcommittee on Finance and exhibited throughout other key leadership positions. We are fortunate to have someone of John's caliber who was willing to take the time and commitment required to serve his alma mater as a trustee and in many other ways." "Our community owes a signi...

Two Jamaican nationals are in jail after police found them with more than 400 pounds of marijuana. The New York State Police Community Narcotics Enforcement Team and members of Troop A arrested the men in Orleans County, as part of an investigation into marijuana trafficking in the Greater Rochester area. 37-year-old Calvin Bennett of the Bronx and 29-year-old Roderick Johnson of Rochester are each charged with criminal possession of marijuana. They are jailed on $200,000 cash bail each. Police say they the men had a container that held a few pieces of office furniture and nine cardboard boxes. Each box contained a wrapped bale of marijuana that weighed about 50 pounds, for a total of about 450 pounds. NY State Police photo The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Pennsylvania is closing a loophole that lets people get gun permits online from Florida, sometimes when they can’t get them in PA. Attorney General Kathleen Kane made the announcement today, saying about 4,000 Pennsylvanians have gotten Florida permits since 2001, which let them buy weapons at stores or guns shows in Pennsylvania. Both states deny permits to convicted felons, but Pennsylvania has an additional clause that lets police reject known suspects or people with long arrest records. Pennsylvanians with Florida permits will have four months to get a valid PA permit. You can find more information here . The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Kane man is dead after his car collided with a tractor-trailer this morning in Elk County. State police say 25-year-old Drew Wile was on Pennsylvania Avenue in Highland Township at 6:30 a.m. when his car didn’t stop at the intersection with Route 66 and hit the driver’s side of the tractor-tractor. Wile was pronounced dead at the scene. The truck driver was not hurt. Route 66 in the area of the accident was closed for about three hours. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Elizabeth Ruth Irons, 91, of Rew, passed away Thursday, February 7, 2013 at Lakeview Senior Care & Living Center, Smethport. Born on August 25, 1921 in Bradford, she was a daughter of the late Clifford Paul and Nellie (Griffin) Armstrong. On July 12, 1943 in the 1st United Methodist Church she married Gordon J. Irons, who died October 28, 2010. She was a 1939 graduate of Bradford High School and furthered her education and graduated from the Olean Business Institute. She was employed as a Post Mistress in Rew retiring in 1986 and had previously worked at Dresser Manufacturing from 1941-1965. Mrs. Irons was a member of the Rew United Methodist Church, the Duke Center Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star and the Ladies Auxiliary of the Rew Volunteer Fire Department. Surviving is a daughter, Diana L. Irons, of Martha's Vinyard, Mass., a son, Gordon D. Irons, of Smethport, three grandchildren, Jeremiah Armstrong Brown, Naomi Elizabeth Brown, Reuben Fitzgerald Brown, th...

The Jamestown Savings Bank Arena, Chautauqua Striders and the Lucy Desi Center for Comedy are proud to join in partnership to present the Inaugural Lucy Town Half Marathon and 5k. Runners of all abilities will come to the Jamestown area on October 12-13 (Columbus Day Weekend) for a weekend of events including a 5k run, a sports expo, and a “Night of Comedy”. The festivities will culminate with a 13.1 mile half marathon run on October 13th. The goal of the weekend is to promote a healthy lifestyle and the area of Jamestown. Race registration is available at LucyRace.com. The early registration cost to enter the half marathon is $55 for half marathon participants, and $20 for 5k participants. Univera Healthcare members will receive a $5 discount to register for the half marathon participants, and a $2 discount for 5k participants. The USATF certified course, which begins and ends in Jamestown, runs through the neighboring towns of Lakewood and Celoron. The course travels near the ch...

The National Weather Service in State College has cancelled the Winter Storm Warning for McKean, Potter and Warren counties. There is still a winter weather advisory until 7 o’clock Saturday morning. The National Weather Service in Buffalo has also downgraded the warning to an advisory in Cattaraugus, Chautauqua and Allegany counties. That's in effect until 5 o'clock Saturday morning. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

An urn containing the ashes of a Pomfret woman’s husband has been returned, after being stolen back in April. The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Department says the swimming dolphin urn was in a bag on the woman’s front porch Thursday morning when she went outside to walk her dogs. The urn was intact, with only a small chip on the bottom and a few scratches on the side. An ID specialist has been called in to check for DNA and fingerprints. The sheriff’s office says they used a media blitz asking for the public assistance, hoping it would put pressure on the burglar to return the urn. They believe the person didn’t know it was an urn, and thought it was a piece of art. They say they believe the person returned it because he was either afraid to display it as art, or “his conscience got to him.” At any rate, they say they are “happy that the victim has recovered her husband’s ashes.” The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

An Allegany man is charged with criminal possession of a weapon following an incident earlier this month in the Town of Allegany. 23-year-old Zachary Bedard is also charged with obstruction of governmental administration and resisting arrest. Sheriff’s deputies did not provide further information on the incident. Bedard was arraigned, and then sent to Cattaraugus County Jail on $2,500 bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The Kane Chamber of Commerce will hold their Annual Banquet on Thursday February 21st at the Kane Fire Department to announce Citizen and Business of the Year. The Chamber of Commerce received many nominations from the Kane Community; it was not easy to narrow down those nominations to the three nominees for Citizen of the Year: Jim Greville II, Larry & Connie Smith and Marilyn Blackmore. The nominated Businesses of the Year include Zook Motors, Kane Volunteer Fire Department and Kane Hardwoods. The banquet will honor all of these nominees with a presentation before announcing Citizen and Business of the Year. Tickets to the Annual Banquet are $15.00, which includes a three course meal. Social hour will begin at 5pm, dinner will be served at 6pm and presentations will follow. Tickets are on sale now at the Kane Area Development Center at 54 Fraley Street. Please contact the Kane Chamber of Commerce at 837-6565 for more information.

OLEAN, NY- Olean General Hospital and Bradford Regional Medical Center re-elected six current board members to new three-year terms of office at the organizations’ annual meeting on January 30, 2013. The six board members will also serve three-year terms as board members of Upper Allegheny Health System (UAHS), parent company of the two hospitals. The re-appointed board members include: Daniel McCune, president and CEO of Allegheny Bradford Corporation ; Muhammed Javed, MD, Physician, Bradford Regional Medical Center & Olean General Hospital; Jill Owens, MD, Physician, Bradford Regional Medical Center; Lynda Quick, Assistant Superintendent, Cattaraugus-Allegany BOCES; David Prince, President and CEO, Databranch and Jeannine T. Schoenecker, President and Chief Operating Officer, American Refining Group. Mr. McCune remains Chairman of the Board for both hospitals and UAHS, while Dr. Javed remains Board Secretary for all three organizations. Board members may serve a maximum o...

St. Bonaventure is back in the national basketball spotlight again. The university has advanced to the Sweet 16 in the Naismith Awards Student Section of the Year contest, finishing fifth in the three weeks of fan voting that ended at midnight Wednesday, Feb. 6. St. Bonaventure’s Wolf Pack cracked the top 25 on Jan. 28, and vaulted all the way to the top five in less than 10 days. “People might be wondering how a school our size did this, but we’ve always known how passionate our students, alumni and fans are,” said Tom Missel, director of marketing and media relations. “Now, since the vote totals reset to zero for the next round, we need all of them to keep up the good work.” New voting to cut from 16 schools to eight begins at 12:01 a.m. Friday, Feb. 8, and continues through midnight, Feb. 22. Almost 160 Division I colleges participated in the first round of voting. The schools who reach the final eight will then be evaluated by the Naismith Board over a two-week per...

A Winter Storm Warning has been issued for most of the region. In McKean, Warren and Potter counties, the warning is from 7 o’clock Friday morning until 7 o’clock Saturday morning. The National Weather Service in State College says 4 to 6 inches of snow is probable. The warning is in effect for Cattaraugus and Chautauqua Counties from 4 o’clock Friday morning until 5 o’clock Saturday morning. The National Weather Service in Buffalo says the storm will drop snow, sleet and freezing rain, with up to 8 inches of snow and sleet probable. A Winter Storm Advisory remains in effect for Elk and Cameron counties. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

What causes stress for high school students? Tests, grades and SATs? Try gowns, hair and bling. In other words, the prom. The Bradford Area Public Library will host a Prom Expo from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday for area high school students. The afternoon will include a runway fashion show featuring students from area schools such as Bradford Area High School, Smethport, Allegany-Limestone (N.Y.) and Salamanca (N.Y.). "We hope this provides a fun afternoon for everyone as well as bring more awareness to what they library has to offer," said Stephanie Smeal Parsons, community outreach and programs coordinator for the library. Several vendors will be on hand to assist in various needs. They are Melissa's Bridal Boutique & Tuxedos, Shawn Murray Photography, Premier Jewelry, Lia Sophia Jewelry, The Beach House Tanning Salon, Bradford Therapeutic Massage, Sunset Bay Tanning Salon, Lil Beauty Shop, Shear Designs, Artistry Make Up and Sassy Shoes. There will also be a photo booth...

A 29-year-old Cattaraugus County man is dead following a farm accident. Police found the body of August Lindell trapped in his tractor in the middle of a field in Great Valley. Investigators believe Lindell was cleaning a clog with his feet when the machinery pulled him in. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The Wellsville man arrested Friday for robbing the Community Bank in Alfred is now charged for robbing the same bank in January, and for calling in a bomb threat to the Alfred-Almond School District. 51-year-old Scott Wade is charged with robbery, grand larceny, fleeing from police, falsely reporting an incident and numerous vehicle and traffic violations. Wade was arrested Friday after witnesses to the robbery chased him and pointed police in his direction as he tried to get away. He did take police on a brief high speed chase that ended when he crashed his SUV. Wade is in Allegany County Jail on $100,000 bail. Police believe he may also be connected to bank robberies in the Binghamton area. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947