Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Connor James English, 21, of Warren, PA died Wednesday, March 5, 2014 as a result of injuries sustained in a snowboarding accident at Holiday Valley in Ellicottville, NY. Born on July 26, 1992, in Warren, he was the son of Gregory Allen and Beth Ann Williams English. Connor was a 2010 graduate of Warren Area High School where he was involved in baseball, football and wrestling. He was a student at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford where he was majoring in Environmental Studies and was a member of the Ski Club and Pool League. Connor was a member of First United Methodist Church in Warren and the Pennsylvania Kinzua Pathways Club. He was loving, helpful, a good friend to many and lived life to the fullest. When he was younger, Connor enjoyed playing the saxophone and viola. He also enjoyed paintball, ping pong, camping, kayaking and fishing. Surviving in addition to his parents are his brother, Jordan Gregory English of Warren, PA, his sister, Mariel Elisabeth English of Warre...

OLEAN, NY -- Upper Allegheny Health System (UAHS) has announced the appointment of Gail A. Bagazzoli, BSN, RN, to serve as Vice President of Quality for UAHS and member hospitals Bradford Regional Medical Center and Olean General Hospital. Her responsibilities will include oversight of all aspects of quality management, patient safety, performance improvement, risk management and infection control at both hospitals. Mrs. Bagazzoli has served in numerous capacities at Olean General Hospital for nearly 33 years including Infection Prevention and Control Manager, Emergency Department Nurse Manager, Employee Health and Occupation Wellness Center Manager, Manager of Education and Training, and Manager of Nursing Education. Presently, Mrs. Bagazzoli serves as a board member of the Greater Buffalo Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology and currently holds the role of President with the Kathi Ward Foundation Board of Directors. Bagazzoli earned her B...

The City Code Enforcement Office shut down an East Main Street business after a faulty wood stove caught on fire this morning. City Fire Department Captain Matt Rettger tells WESB In and Out Tire was burning “trash and debris” in the wood stove. He added that some of it was construction debris including particle board, paneling and furniture. He says the business will be closed until code enforcement deems it safe to reopen. The fire was reported at 11:20 a.m. Rettger says firefighters were on the scene for about an hour “making sure the building wasn’t on fire.” The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Northwest Savings Bank will sponsor a 5K run and walk to raise money for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and LIVESTRONG at the YMCA. The race is scheduled for Saturday, March 29, 2014 in downtown Warren. Check in will take place at the Northwest Community Room on Second Avenue from 8 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. The race starts at 10 a.m. in front of Northwest’s downtown Warren Office at Liberty Street and Second Avenue. Participants can register online or by mail. The cost of the race is $15.00 if registered by March 27, and $20.00 if registered after March 27. To register online, visit https://runsignup.com/Race/PA/WARREN/NORTHWESTSAVINGSBANK5K. To register by mail, pick up a copy of the race registration form at all Northwest Savings Bank locations in Warren, the Warren YMCA, Jefferson Davis DeFrees Family Center and the Warren County Chamber of Business and Industry. Mail the completed form with a check payable to “Northwest Savings Bank” to: Northwest Savings Bank...

Helen Cole, secretary of the Elderberries Club of the Smethport Senior Center, looks on as Mandi Wilton Davis, Executive Director of the United Way of the Bradford Area, explains the application to request funding through the Smethport Campaign for United Way. Applications are due April 1 and can be received at www.uwbanews.org or by request at admin@uwbanews.org. For more information, please contact the United Way office at 814-368-6181.

New York’s so-called HIV predator will remain locked up, despite having completed a 12-year sentence for knowingly infecting more than a dozen Chautauqua County residents with HIV in the late 1990s. A judge has ordered that Nushawn Williams be kept in a secure treatment facility under the state’s civil confinement law, which says people can held after completing their sentence if the state believes they are still a threat to society. Last June, a Chautauqua County jury decided Williams had a mental abnormality and should remain in custody. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A probation officer from Sheffield is accused of sexual misconduct for having inappropriate contact with a woman he was supervising. 37-year-old Jeffrey Collins is accused of sending lewd text messages to the woman as well as groping her. The alleged incidents happened between February 10 and Sunday in Warren County. Collins is charged with indecent assault, official oppression and harassment. He has been suspended without pay and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on April 2. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Have you ever wonder why there are so few females in such fields as science, technology, engineering and mathematics? What does that stem from? The American Association of University Women-Bradford Branch is hosting meeting that will tackle that issue. The public is invited to attend a presentation at 10 a.m. Saturday in Room 218 in the Frame-Westerberg Commons at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. The program will include two speakers from Pitt-Bradford – Dr. Mary Mulcahy, associate professor of biology and division chairwoman for the biological and health sciences, and Dr. Denise Piechnik, assistant professor of biology. Saturday’s discussion will center on the low number of women in those (STEM) fields with suggestions on how to encourage more girls to take an interest in the sciences. Part of AAUW’s mission is to promote equality for women. “We feel this is an important topic that should be discussed,” said co-presidents Sharie Radzavich and Sandy Rhodes. “We want to t...

A University of Pittsburgh at Bradford student died last night in a snowboarding accident at Holiday Valley. Connor English was a junior environmental studies major from Warren. Staff members in the Office of Counseling and Health Services are available for members of the Pitt-Bradford community in Room 226 of the Frame-Westerberg Commons. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

HARRISBURG – The Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) has awarded a $1.54 million grant to Liberty Township, McKean County, for much-needed infrastructure improvements that will help promote job growth in the area, Sen. Joe Scarnati (R-Brockway) and Rep. Martin Causer (R-Turtlepoint) announced today. Specifically, the grant will help fund the extension of sewer and water services from Port Allegany Borough to portions of Liberty Township, including the Portage Industrial Park and surrounding residential and commercial properties. It also will support replacement of existing infrastructure in Port Allegany to increase capacity at the borough’s treatment plant. “This grant not only helps fulfill a current need in the community but also makes an important investment in our future,” Causer said. “We cannot grow and expand job opportunities for our citizens without the necessary infrastructure. I commend the local officials and business leaders who saw this need a...

Avi, the Newbery Award-winning author of more than 70 books for children and young adults, will visit the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford March 19. The presentation, “A Conversation with Avi,” will take place at 6:30 p.m. in the Harriett B. Wick Chapel. Doors will open at 6 p.m., and the Pitt-Bradford Hospitality Management Program will provide refreshments. The visit, sponsored by the Pitt-Bradford education program and the Education Club, is free and open to the public. To reserve a seat, contact Dr. Wayne Brinda, assistant professor of education, at wjb27@pitt.edu. Most recognized for his Newbery-winning Crispin series, Avi will talk about how he gets his ideas and thoughts on using adolescent literature and will read excerpts from his most recent story, “Sophia’s War,” and other books. A book signing will follow the presentation, and books will be available for purchase. Avi says that engaging his readers is one of the key reasons he ke...

The Supreme Court says it won't hear an appeal from a former Luzerne County judge convicted in the "kids for cash" scandal, meaning his conviction and sentence will stand. Mark Ciavarella Jr. is serving a 28-year prison sentence after his 2011 conviction on federal corruption charges. Prosecutors say Ciavarella and a second judge took millions of dollars from the owner and builder of two for-profit juvenile detention centers where he was sending thousands of young offenders. A jury convicted Ciavarella of racketeering and conspiracy. His former colleague Michael Conahan pleaded guilty to a racketeering charge. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford will name its new residence hall in honor of Lester Rice, chairman emeritus and former CEO of KOA Speer Electronics Inc. and the Mukaiyama-Rice Foundation, and his wife, Barbara. The University of Pittsburgh Board of Trustees approved the naming of Lester and Barbara Rice House at its meeting today in Pittsburgh. Rice House will become home to 109 students this fall. Pitt-Bradford broke ground for the $9.3 million residence hall, which is located near Hanley Library, in October. “Les Rice, and his wife, Barbara, are tireless advocates for our campus and, by example, helped to establish a legacy of giving not only to our campus, but to this community in general,” said Dr. Livingston Alexander, president of Pitt-Bradford. “We’re honored and thrilled to have their names grace our newest residence hall.” The Rices, along with KOA Speer Electronics and the Mukaiyama-Rice Foundation, have provided s...

Fire damaged a house at 4 Osborne Place this morning, but no one was hurt. City Fire Department Captain Matt Rettger tells WESB they got the call at 8:18 a.m. He says the first fire hydrant they went to was frozen, but they were able to operate with water from their tank and it didn’t hinder the battling of the blaze at all. “It didn’t change the outcome,” he said, adding that damage is estimated at $20,000. They don’t know the cause of the blaze yet, but are going back to the scene this afternoon and may have a determination later today. The house is owned by Neil Reynolds. The occupant, Vincent Reynolds, was home at the time but was able to get out safely. Sixteen Bradford firefighters were on the scene until 10:40 a.m. Six Bradford Township firefighters were also on the scene. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Smethport woman is in jail for allegedly forcing her way into a man’s house, spraying him with pepper spray and stealing several items. Police say 60-year-old Frances Herzog knocked on the victim’s door in Emerald Isle at about 11 o’clock Wednesday night and then sprayed him with an unknown type of pepper spray before going into the home and taking multiple items. She then left the scene on foot. Herzog is charged with burglary, robbery, theft and harassment. She’s in McKean County Jail on $20,000 bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

One more person picked up in the New Year’s Eve sweep by the McKean County Drug Task Force has waived his preliminary hearing. 34-year-old Franklin Howard of Bradford is charged with delivery and possession of a controlled substance in connection to an incident on November 5. He’s free on bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A 19-month-old baby is hospitalized in critical condition and a woman is in jail on assault charges. Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s say they were contacted by staff at Bradford Regional Medical Center after Limestone Ambulance brought the child in with “a very serious unexplained head trauma.” The child was transferred to Women and Children’s Hospital in Buffalo, where the medical staff determined the trauma was “most likely caused by recklessly shaking the child.” 22-year-old Jessica Courteau of Bradford was charged with assault, reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child and was sent to jail in lieu of $100,000 bail. The baby is Corteau's boyfriend's child. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

One of the Buffalo men convicted of dealing drugs in McKean County a couple of years ago was at it again in Bradford – until city police caught up with him early Tuesday morning. 52-year-old Donald Gadley, who had absconded from parole in May, was found in the Hotel Holley with suspected drugs and paraphernalia after police were called for a domestic disturbance. Gadley also gave police the name of his brother when they asked for identification, even after they told him he’d be charged when they confirmed who he was. Gadley is charged with flight to avoid apprehension, giving false identification to law enforcement, possession and use of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana. He’s jailed on $40,000 bail. The white powdery substance police found in bags have been sent to a crime lab for positive identification. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A woman who had already been warned to stay away from another person is now charged with stalking after trying to get into the victim’s apartment Tuesday morning, and then in the afternoon causing some commotion at the county jail. Sheriff’s deputies were called to the Silver Creek home, where 30-year-old Stephanie Hart was allegedly trying to get in. Deputies say over the course of a month several reports have been filed stemming from Hart making unwanted contact with the victim. She was charged with stalking, criminal trespass and harassment and sent to Chautauqua County Jail, where she smashed a television in her cell during an outburst yesterday afternoon. She’s now charged with criminal mischief as well. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Several people waived hearings on drug charges today in district court. Matthew Howard is accused of selling cocaine to a confidential informant of the McKean County Drug Task Force on two occasions in Bradford. Kelly Hess is accused of selling marijuana to an informant on two occasions on South Center Street. Justin Jones is accused of selling Suboxone to a confidential informant from his Hedgehog Lane home. Charges against Kevin Armstrong were bound to court following a hearing in front of District Judge Dominic Cercone. Armstrong is also accused of selling cocaine to a confidential informant on two occasions. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947