Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

In case you didn't know, this is why I have not been posting regularly and why I may not be back to normal for a while. ~~ Anne Frances B. Sweeney, 85, of Bradford, PA passed away on Thursday, June 6, 2013, in Bradford Regional Medical Center surrounded by her loving family. She was born on May 14, 1928, in Bradford, a daughter of George and Frances DiNuzzo Bove. She was a 1946 graduate of the Bradford Area High School and a 1950 graduate of the former Bradford Hospital School of Nursing. She also attended Shippensburg State College, Shippensburg. On July 25, 1959, in St. Bernard Catholic Church she married John J. Sweeney who preceded her in death on March 22, 1989. She was a member of St. Bernard Catholic Church, the National Association of Retired Federal Employees, where she was a former Vice President; the 50+ club; the Catholic Women’s Club, where she was a past President; a PTA member of the former 4th Ward School, where she was a past President; and a charter me...

Route 76 in the Town of Sherman was closed for about four hours this morning after a feed truck flipped over on the road. Sheriff’s deputies say the truck driven by 32-year-old Justin Raynor of Conewango Valley, New York, left the road at around 7:30 a.m., hit a ditch and went back onto the road, where it flipped onto its passenger side. It slid on the road until it went down a ravine. Raynor was taken by ambulance to UPMC Hamot for evaluation. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

One of three people who tried to escape from the Warren County Jail on New Year’s Day has pleaded guilty. Daniel Morehead, who turns 18 on Thursday, dug grout from around the concrete blocks of his cell using a coat hanger, and then replaced the grout with toothpaste. Authorities also found two pieces of metal with sharpened ends in his shoes. Morehead was originally jailed on charges of burglary, theft, receiving stolen property and criminal trespass. He pleaded guilty to those charges as well. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Michigan man is accused of having more than 60 grams of marijuana while he was in Allegany. Sheriff’s deputies and the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force charged 29-year-old Dhal Kachuol of Lansing with criminal possession of marijuana after he was found with 66.3 grams of pot on Route 417. He is scheduled to appear in Town of Allegany Court next Monday. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Sunday afternoon accident has claimed the life of a Potter County woman. Police say 77-year-old Alice-Faye Erickson and her husband were working on faulty brakes on the camper trailer they were hauling, when the brakes came undone and the trailer rolled over her. The accident happened at about 12:30 p.m. at Tompkins Campground at Cowanesque Lake. Erickson was pronounced dead at the scene. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Four people are accused of illegally selling cigarettes online, and Pennsylvania attorney general Kathleen Kane has filed a civil lawsuit against them. She says Phillip Jimerson, Heidi Jimerson, Wendy Boon and William Achord set up online businesses to avoid paying state cigarette taxes. They sold the cigarettes through the websites NativeBlends.net and Savontobacco.com, among others. Kane says customers were led to believe they would not owe state sales taxes because the companies were based in Panama. But, she says, payments were deposited in a Nebraska bank, and the cigarettes were ordered from a New York warehouse and shipped from U.S. facilities. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages and civil penalties. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A man hired to install flooring in a Smethport house is accused of stealing four bottles of prescription medication while he was there. 23-year-old Matthew Saunders of Bolivar, New York, allegedly stole the medication from the Sacket Hollow home of Ronald Southard. State police charged Saunders with theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and a drug law violation. He’s jailed on $10,000 bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Wisconsin truck driver is in Chautauqua County Jail after state troopers say they found him carrying an illegal handgun and other weapons. Troopers were conducting a commercial vehicle checkpoint Monday on I-86 when they found a .40-caliber pistol, three ammunition magazines containing 10 rounds each, a dagger, a billy club and metal knuckles in the tractor-trailer driven by 45-year-old Michael Coulter of Milwaukee. He didn’t have a permit for the pistol, and New York’s gun laws limit magazines to seven rounds. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

City of Bradford Police on Monday investigated report s of a dog bite on Clarence Street, a theft on Linwood Avenue and underage drinking on North Center Street. Officers were also called to a motor vehicle accident on Seaward Avenue and reports of harassment on State Street and disorderly conduct on Interstate Parkway. They also got a report about s suspicious person on Interstate Parkway. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Friends are invited to attend graveside services for Bennett B. Friendman, 89, who passed away March 17, 2013, at 1:00 PM, Sunday, June 9, 2013 at Willow Dale Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of the Hollenbeck-Cahill Funeral Homes, Inc. Online condolences can be expressed at www.hollenbeckcahill.com The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Two Delevan, New York, have been sentenced for beating another person so badly that he had to be taken to the Gates Vascular Institute to be treated. 19-year-old Jared Wrazen and 19-year-old Cody Bemish assaulted the 18-year-old victim on the morning of December 1 in the Town of Ashford. Wrazen was sentenced to six months in jail; Bemish was sentenced to three months. Both men must pay restitution. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A former teacher in the Cattaraugus-Little Valley School District will spend 90 days in jail on a rape charge. 40-year-old Timothy Retchless of Olean had sex with a minor at least four times between 2009 and 2010. He was also charged with disseminating indecent material to minors. Retchless resigned from his job with the school district in March of 2011. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

WILLIAMSPORT -- The Department of Environmental Protection has fined PVR Marcellus Gas Gathering LLC of Williamsport, Lycoming County, $150,000 for discharge violations that occurred during construction of the Coal Mountain pipeline in four Lycoming County townships during fall 2011. “The number and ongoing nature of these violations, which impacted High Quality and Exceptional Value streams, have resulted in a significant penalty,” DEP Director of District Oil and Gas Operations John Ryder said. “The department’s Oil and Gas Program takes enforcement actions like this when industry violations are not appropriately corrected.” The department began its investigation following a complaint in September 2011 and immediately discovered violations at the Second Fork of Larry’s Creek, where bentonite had been discharged to the creek from a stream boring operation, and PVR failed to report the spill to DEP in a timely manner. Follow-up inspections of the pipeline project by DEP documented ...

The Pennsylvania Independent Oil & Gas Association has hired a new director of Natural Gas Market Development. In a news release the industry group says Joyce Turkaly will work to expand the use of Pennsylvania-produced natural gas, and will focus on natural gas vehicles and related infrastructure. She also plans to concentrate on using natural gas to replace coal and oil in electric generation and manufacturing. Read more here . The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Senator Chuck Schumer wants is urging JetBlue to start direct flights from Buffalo Niagara International Airport to Los Angeles. Schumer says a direct flight would help local businesses, hotels and the tourism industry. He said, besides LAX, flights could go to the Long Beach Municipal or Hollywood-Burbank airports. Currently, there are no direct flights from Buffalo to anywhere in California. Read more here . The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Two people were hurt in a one-vehicle crash Saturday morning on River Road in Elk County. Police say a van driven by 25-year-old Lisa Smith of Reynoldsville crossed the center line and hit a pine tree. Smith and a passenger, 27-year-old John Ferguson of Reynoldsville, were taken to a local hospital for treatment of their injuries. Smith is facing several charges, including driving on a suspended license. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A domestic dispute and a police chase led to charges against a Randolph man. Sheriff’s deputies say 18-year-old Devin Frisicaro damaged property during the domestic, and then left the area in an unregistered pickup truck. When deputies found him, they tried to stop him and he led them through a hay field. He was eventually taken into custody and charged with a number of offenses, including unlawful fleeing a police officer. He’s jailed in lieu of $10,000 bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Bradford man and a Lewis Run man both suffered broken ribs when their motorcycles crashed Saturday afternoon in Little Valley. Sheriff’s deputies say the motorcycle driven by 61-year-old Garry Pugrant crashed on a curve and then 50-year-old Arthur McMurtrie’s bike crashed while he was trying to avoid the first crash. They were both taken to Bradford Regional Medical Center. Their passengers, 47-year-old Amy Pugrant of Bradford and 49-year-old Susan McMurtrie of Lewis Run were also taken to BRMC for treatment of minor injuries. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The second annual Miles for Smiles 5K Run and 2 Mile Walk in Bradford raised $4,800 this year – that’s $1,900 more than last year. The organization presented McKean County Special Olympics and the American Cancer Society checks of $2,400 each. 143 walkers and 49 runners participated in Sunday’s event – that’s 52 more than last year. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly is announcing he is battling squamous-cell cancer of the upper jaw. Treatment, prognosis and recovery look encouraging. Kelly's statement: “This past couple of weeks has been difficult for me and because of the nature of social media I thought it would be best to share with everyone what has been going on with my health. I was recently diagnosed with Squamous-cell carcinoma (cancer) of the upper jaw bone. I have undergone tests which have shown that the cancer is isolated to my upper jaw and has not spread to other parts of my body. Surgery is scheduled for June 7th and doctors have told me that the prognosis for my recovery is very good. With the excellent medical care that I will be receiving and the loving care of my wife Jill and my daughters Erin and Camryn and the support of my entire family and friends, I am extremely confident in my road to recovery. I plan to tackle this challenge head on, as we Kelly’s always do, with tough...