Labels: camping, fun, pictorial, summer

Miller's Kenpo Karate Dojo in Bradford has posted a couple online Karate Lessons for free.

Mike Miller also has numerous other video clips online at his website as well.

Check out the lessons here.

Labels: bradford, karate, mckean county

WICU Reports:
A McKean County man charged in an Internet sex sting, is headed for trial. The suspect, 47-year old James Whitman of Bradford, today waived his right to a preliminary hearing before Erie District Court Judge Tom Robie. The judge also refused to lower Whitman's $300,000 bond. Agents from the State Attorney Generals office say Whitman came to Erie last month thinking he would have sex with a 13 year old girl he met on the Internet. But the "girl" was actually an undercover agent posing as a teenager.
from WICU12.com

Labels: bradford, sexual offender

HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Governor Edward G. Rendell today said Pennsylvania will help revitalize 153 senior community centersacross the state with $4 million in grants. "Senior community centers contribute in many different ways to the wellbeing of our older residents," Governor Rendell said. "Each time I visit asenior center, I'm reminded of the important role they serve in the livesof so many Pennsylvanians." Senior centers offer clients a broad range of services, includingnutritious meals, health screenings, consumer education, creative arts,exercise programs, and special events. Some centers also offer older adultday services, employment opportunities and transportation. Governor Rendell said the funds will finance necessary repairs,renovations and new equipment at the centers, helping to meet the needs of Pennsylvania's changing population of older adults. Department of Aging Secretary Nora Dowd Eisenhower said some centerswill receive grants to study how to attract, and better serve, new clients. "Many forward-thinking senior community centers are working to attractmembers of the 'Baby Boomer' generation, some of whom may mistakenly thinksenior centers have little to offer them," Eisenhower said. "By investingstrategically, and carefully planning ahead, we can ensure that seniorcenters will continue to be healthy and vibrant contributors to ourcommunities."

McKean County
* Port Allegany Senior Center, Port Allegany, $5,000 for electronic upgrade.
* Greater Bradford Senior Activity Center, Bradford, $46,000 for a kitchen addition and purchase of associated appliances.
Potter County
* Oswayo Valley Senior Center, Shinglehouse, $3,000 for gas furnace and air conditioning. Schuylkill County

The Rendell Administration is committed to creating a first-rate publiceducation system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuingeconomic investment to support our communities and businesses. To find outmore about Governor Rendell's initiatives and to sign up for his weeklynewsletter, visit his Web site at: http://www.governor.state.pa.us.

Labels: governor, mckean county, seniors

McKean County commissioners ran quickly through a list of fairly routine matters at their monthly meeting Tuesday afternoon.
They approved a contract with Hammer and Nail Contracting of Smethport to change some space in the CYS building to provide offices for the newly created Human Services Department.
Three bids were received for the work; Hammer & Nail was lowest at $37,822.50.
A contract with attorney Ronald Langella, who recently had a heart attack, was terminated; attorney Dan Wertz was appointed last week to take over the duties involved in that contract.

Read the Complete Story in the Kane Republican Online.

Labels: mckean county

Time is winding down for property owners in the Kane Area School District to file applications for possible tax relief.
With the approval of voters, Kane and other school districts in the state are planning to provide property tax reductions in exchange for identical revenue from an increase in the earned income tax (EIT) or a tax on personal property.
Read the Complete Story in the Kane Republican Online.

David Mensch of Port Allegany has been named as the new board president fort the Seneca Highlands Intermediate Unit 9 board of directors.

Mensch is a school director in Port Allegany, and has been an 1u9 director for two years. He served as a biology teacher at Port Allegany High School for 36 years.

Labels: education, IU9, port allegany

Deputy warden Tim Woodruff at the McKean County prison says that the overcrowding situation is getting a little better.

In december, there were 103 inmates. Now there an average of 80.

The numbers are still more than the prison should be holding, though.

Labels: jail, mckean, mckean county, prison

Police in McKean County say that drug problems are on the rise.

LSD, Marijuana, cocarine, oxycontin, morphine, and crack cocaine have all been purchased by undercover agents in the past year.

District Attorney John Pavlock, County Detective Jerry Okerlund, and the rest of the Drug Task Force says drug problems are becoming major issues in the county.

"I'd hate to throw around the word epidemic, but we're getting there," Pavlock told the Bradford Era.

Crack Cocaine is the biggest problem, according to Okerlund. He says it's being shipped in from Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo.

"It's an expensive habit," Okerlund told the Bradford Era. Crack Cocaine habits usually cost 100-400 dollars a day.


Okerlund says if you suspect drug dealing is happening in your neighborhood, you should contact their office, at 814-887-3232.

William "Yogi" Osmer has stepped down from his post on the Kane Borough Council.

Osmer says the direction Council is headed is not one he "chooses to follow".



Editor's Note: I'm just surprised that there's more than one "Yogi" in this area! (Yogi Hatcher is my dad!)

Labels: kane

45 union employees will be "getting the axe" at the end of the month at Pittsburgh Corning in Port Allegany.

Human Resources Director Don Tanner told local media outlets that all of the employees that are getting laid off know, based on a posted seniority list.

Labels: jobs, port allegany

Port Allegany man, Mark Wilcox was sentenced to jail time earlier this month.

Court reports indicate he was pulled over for DUI four times between July and September of 2006.

Wilcox was sentenced to six to 12 months in jail.

Labels: court, dui, port allegany

A Bradford woman was sentenced to 18 months of probation for misappropriation of funds on January 11.

Frances Paul pleaded guilty to charges that she used money from Judge Barbara Boser's office before it was deposited. Her attorney said in the courtroom, "What she did was give herself a series of short term loans."

Paul told the judge, "I'm sorry for what I did. I should never have done it."

Paul lost her job after serving their for 17 years.

She was also ordered to pay 1000 dollars in fines, and perform 200 hours community service.

Labels: bradford, court, theft

Four men waived their preliminary hearings recently before District Judge Bill Todd.

Daniel Stevens, Jr, 25, of Bradford
Timothy Bickel, 19, of Bradford,
Steven Hall, 19, of Bradford
Daryl Grimes, 20, of Smethport

were all charged in connection with Burglaries at the Robert Straight Residence in Turtlepoint in October, and at Dave's Gun Shop on Loop Road in Eldred.

Stevens, Bickel, and Hall are all free on Bail.

Grimes is still incarcerated.

Labels: bradford, court, eldred, guns, turtlepoint

21 year old Dylan Schweitzer of Kennedy Street in Bradford was arraigned on charges that he had sexual contact with a 15 year old girl.

Schweitzer is charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, unlawful conduct with a minor, statutory rape, corruption of minors, and indecent assault. He's also facing charges for providing alcohol to the minor as well.

He was put in McKean County Jail in lieu of 75 hundred dollars bail, with a preliminary hearing set for Feb 21.

Labels: bradford, court, sexual offender

WFRM.net reports:
State police at Kane late yesterday released details about two weather-related crashes taking place last Friday in McKean County. Troopers said 18 year old Matthew Souchik of Lewis Run received moderate injuries around noon time when his Toyota Corolla sedan slid across snow-covered Route 770 in Lafayette Township, struck an embankment and rolled onto its roof. He was taken to Bradford Regional Medical Center for treatment. Earlier in the day, Frederick Bliss of Olean and his passenger Brian Schillinger escaped injury when Bliss’s Toyota Tacoma pickup slid across both lanes of Route 346 in Corydon Township , spun 180 degrees counterclockwise and slid off the south side of the road, coming to rest on the passenger side in a ditch.
from WFRM.net

Labels: traffic, wfrm

WESB.com reports:
The mayor of Port Allegany Joe DeMott is running for McKean County commissioner. DeMott, a pharmacist, currently runs a pharmacy in Galeton. DeMott has been mayor of Port Allegany twice, the last time since 2003. He has served in local government in Port Allegany for 30 years.
from WESB.com

Labels: mayor, port allegany, wesb

WESB.com reports:
A Jamestown man was sentenced Thursday in McKean County court to time served after an incident in Walmart in Bradford in 2005. 41 year old Jeffery Bloom was given credit for serving 435 days of the sentence and five years probation. Bloom was charged with indecent exposure, open lewdness and corruption of minors after an incident with a child in the supercenter. He has a case pending in New York State too.
from WESB.com

Labels: bradford, sexual offender, wal-mart, wesb

WESB.com reports:
A former Foster Township Police officer is facing a charge of filing a false report in county court. 32 year old Todd McClain had charges bound over to court Thursday afternoon during a hearing before District Judge Michael Kennedy. Court records indicate that McClain reported several guns were stolen from his truck last summer. McKean County Detective Gerald Okerlund later determined that McClain sold the guns to McKean County E-Sales in Smethport.

from wesb.com

Labels: foster township, police, wesb

WESB.com reports:
No-one was injured in a one-vehicle accident Thursday morning at 7:30am on Minard Run Road in Bradford. Bradford Township Police say a vehicle driven by 28 year old Rebecca Nelson of Smethport went out of control while passing an eastbound car and ended up in a ditch. The vehicle was towed from the scene.
from wesb.com

Labels: bradford, crash, wesb

WESB.com reports:
A Bradford man has been arraigned on child pornography charges. 37-year-old Christopher Ausherman of 131 High Street has been charged for allegedly possessing 400 pornographic pictures of children on his computer. He also allegedly had 10 pornographic pictures of children and multiple CDs containing pornographic photos of children at his home. Ausherman has also been charged with 2 drug offenses. While doing a search of his home, authorities allegedly found drugs, paraphernalia and a recipe to make methamphetamine. District Judge Dominic Cercone remanded him to McKean County Jail in lieu of 10 thousand dollars bail.
from WESB.com

Labels: bradford, child porn, wesb

WFRM.net reports:
State police at Kane say charges are pending against a Bradford driver following a one-vehicle crash Wednesday morning on Route 770 about two miles east of Route 59 in Lafayette Township. Melissa Holt was headed east when her Honda Pilot went off the road and struck an embankment, two stone walls and a tree before coming to rest. She escaped injury.

A couple of hit and run crashes taking place yesterday are under state police investigation. At around 5:30 a.m. an unknown small dark colored west bound car went off of Route 6 near Hazel Hurst and struck three mailboxes. The car became stuck in the yard at the Richard Raught residence and the driver left the scene on foot after trying to get it out of the yard. He returned some time later in an SUV which pulled the car out of the yard. And, an unknown vehicle struck the wooden guard rail on a bridge, knocking it off its supports.
from WFRM.net

WFRM.net reports:
A Port Allegany man has been bound over to McKean County Court on various charges in connection to an incident allegedly taking place just before 3:00 a.m. on December 15. Glenn Gallup, 50 is charged with burglary, criminal trespass, carrying an unlicensed fire arm, terroristic threats, simple assault, reckless endangerment and harassment. State police allege Gallup entered the home of Norma Ostrander on the Upper Portage Road, Port Allegany carrying a .22 caliber gun and that he pointed the loaded weapon at Ostrander and Steven Hardawy. A child was in the house at the time, fortunately no one was hurt. Gallup was remanded to the County jail in lieu of $100,000 bail awaiting further court action.

Four other McKean County residents waived their theft and burglary cases into county court. Daniel Stevens, 25; Timothy Bickel, 19 and Steven Hall, 19 all of Bradford and 20 year old Daryl Grimes of Smethport are accused of stealing three rifles from the home of Robert Strait on Annin Creek Road near Port Allegany between last October 23 and 30th . The guns are valued at $750. The quartet is also accused of breaking a window on October 29 in an unsuccessful effort to enter Dave’s Gun Shop on the Loop road in Eldred. Hall, Stevens and Bickel are free after posting bail while Grimes remains in the McKean County Jail in lieu of $5,000 bail.
from WFRM.net

Labels: court, wfrm

Zippo has launched a new website to celebrate 75 years of it's product.

You can watch vintage Zippo Commercials, and get a ton of information.

Check it out here:

http://www.zippo.com/75years

Labels: zippo

Six years and $4 million - and Old City Hall is nearly finished.

One tenant - Dr. John Addis - has already moved in and another - Northwestern Mutual Financial Network - will be moving in at the end of the month.

And the sparkling interior makes one forget the building has actually stood in that spot for a century. Officials with the Office of Economic and Community Development have promised the public a look inside on Feb. 20, when a public tour will be offered from 2 to 4 p.m., before the building is closed for its private tenants.

Read the Complete Story Online in the Bradford Era.

Labels: bradford era, City Hall

Bill Kemp has a passion for Passion plays.

"The Passion story is not only the central story of my faith, but it's also a very long narrative," says Kemp, a writer and Methodist minister. In the Christian tradition, the Passion tells the story of Christ's last supper, his arrest and trial, and his crucifixion. It's a story Kemp has returned to again and again in his own writing.

Read the Complete Story in the Bradford Era Online.

Labels: bradford era, Jesus, Passion

The airline servicing Bradford Regional Airport has been bought by a Tennessee company. However, company officials said the local traveling public won't notice any changes.

On Wednesday, Colgan's Director of Development Dennis Burnett confirmed to The Era that Pinnacle Airlines Corp., has purchased Colgan Air Inc., in a deal officially announced Jan. 18.

Read the Complete Story in the Bradford Era Online.

Labels: airport, bradford era

Local ophthalmologist Dr. Andrew M. Keverline died early Tuesday morning after a snowmobile accident in Warren County - four years after a plane crash took his father's life.

Keverline, 32, was operating a snowmobile at 11:15 p.m. Monday on Peterson Hill Road, about three-quarters of a mile south of Route 957 in Freehold Township when, according to Corry-based state police, the snowmobile was not able to negotiate a curve and hit a snowbank.

Read the complete story in the Bradford Era Online.

Labels: crash, eyedoctor, fatal, Keverline, snowmobile

More than $262,501 in funding derived from Allegheny National Forest timber revenue will be allocated to eight organizations across McKean County.

On Tuesday, the county commissioners unanimously approved divvying up the funds as part of the Title III funding the county received each year as part of the federal Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 - which is up for reauthorization in Congress this year.
Read the complete story in the Bradford Era online.

Labels: allegany national forest, bradford era, mckean, revenues, timber

Teen pregnancy statistics are significantly lower than their peak in the early 1990’s, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to ease up , according to Twin Tiers Pregnancy Care Center Director Joy Lavelle.

Lavelle, who also is a Nationally Certified Abstinence Education Provider, says, “Many teens are committing to abstinence, which is great, but teen pregnancy is still the number one reason that teen girls are admitted to the hospital, and the number one reason that teenage girls drop out of high school.”

She says pregnancy is actually one of the least scary things facing kids today. “STD’s are rampant. There are two new strains of HIV that turn into full blown AIDS in a year. There are over 100 strains of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), some of which are resistant to drugs.”

She says the recent commercials encouraging girls to get vaccinated so that they will be “One Less” statistic are not telling the whole story, since the HPV vaccine only protects against a few strains of the virus.

“The commercials don’t even say that HPV is a sexually transmitted disease!” says Lavelle,.”What these kids need is good information.”

Part of that information she says, is the fact that “HPV is spread from skin to skin contact, and a condom won’t stop that.”

The American Social Health Association says that up to 15% of sexually active teenage women are infected with the human papilloma virus, many of them the type that is linked to cervical cancer.

Lavelle says many people seem to laugh off Abstinence Based Education, assuming that most kids are going to “do it anyway.” She says that she tells kids, “You can say no to drugs, and alcohol and smoking. I know you can exercise self control in this area of your life too.”

“Teens deserve to know that they have another choice,” says Lavelle. She says the first source of information should be the parents, but she’s seen that parents are often out of touch with their kids. “They grew up in a different day, and they don’t understand how dangerous it is for their kids sexually in this day and age.”

Lavelle says, “Sex has become a sport to teenagers. Teen sexuality has nothing to do with intimacy and respect and most of the time, they’re not taught that it is about those things.”

Lavelle speaks in school assemblies all over the region, and says she’s “heard it all.” But she says she’s shocked to see how poorly some of these teens are educated when it comes to sexuality.

Lavelle says she spoke with a physical education teacher after an assembly, who asked where she can get more of the STD information for her class, because she’d never heard a lot of the facts that Lavelle presented.

“This is a health teacher. She should have access to this information, so that these kids can be informed,” says Lavelle.

Lavelle says she’s talking to kids on their level. She’s been there. “I know what it’s like to be sexually active as a teenager, and then to have to suffer consequences from that for the rest of my life. These kids need to know about the consequences. Our culture is just teaching them the mechanics of sex, not healthy sexuality.”

She says it’s not just the physical consequences that aren’t made clear. “They don’t learn anything about bonding, and emotional involvement. They don’t understand that they have value beyond sex. We want them to understand that this generation is priceless and valuable. After I speak at these assemblies, kids come up to me and say that they’ve never had anyone tell them they are important and valuable to their generation. They don’t know the kind of difference they can make in the world.”

“We need for this generation to understand that seeing sex as something sacred and holy, to be set apart for a lifelong commitment is a good thing. Statistically, people who are in committed married relationships are wealthier, healthier, happier,” says Lavelle.

Lavelle will be speaking at Open Arms Community Church Saturday Night at 7:30PM as Open Arms presents “Simply Sex for Teens”. The event is open for anyone, teens and parents are encouraged to attend.

Open Arms is also conducting a Ipod giveway that evening.

For more information, log on to openarmsbradford.org

A former northwestern Pennsylvania car dealer is prohibited from owning a car dealership as part of his sentence for misappropriating more than 190-thousand dollars from his dealership.

Philip Bauschard, who worked at the now-defunct Bauschard Dodge in Bradford, was also placed on probation for two years and fined 15-thousand dollars yesterday in McKean County Court. He pleaded guilty last month to misappropriation of funds and theft by failure to make required disposition of funds in December.

Bauschard apologized, saying he had a series of unexpected financial obligations. He has also made restitution.

Bauschard took the money in 2004 and 2005.

Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers has approved a $300 reward for a tip that led to the capture of Kane fugitive Donald Andrew Anderson in November. The reward was approved by the Reward Committee for Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers, according to Gretchen Paul, coordinator for Crime Stoppers in Harrisburg.
Read the Complete Story in the Kane Republican Online.

The attorney for two New York women convicted of perjury in relation to the Timothy Williams murder case is asking for the cases to be dismissed, citing a "breakdown in the court system" for the lengthy wait for transcripts related to the case.

Sam Stretton, the West Chester attorney representing Marian Kay Nersinger and Michelle Lynn Nelson, filed a motion Tuesday in McKean County Court to dismiss the cases against both women.

Read the Complete Story in the Bradford Era.

The daughter of a former Eldred woman is getting her start in business from the bottom up.

Zipporah Lynn Marley, daughter of Kristina Murawski and Stephen Marley, is featured on a box of Pampers in Easy Ups size 4 that is currently distributed nationwide.

This is Zipporah's first entry into the "business" and started out as simple as a friend of Murawski noticing how cute the girl is. The friend, who works for a talent agency, saw something in Zipporah.

Read the Complete Story in the Bradford Era Online.

U.S. Rep. John Peterson, R-Pa., is blasting a Democratic energy tax plan that seeks to recoup billions in lost royalties from offshore drilling. The money would then be used to promote a renewable fuels effort.
Read the Complete Story in the Bradford Era.

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford has released it's new website: upb.pitt.edu

The new site reflects the University's "Beyond" campaign.
“The new Web site showcases our primary attributes as an institution of higher learning,” said Dr. Livingston Alexander, university president. “We’re academically driven and provide a safe and friendly environment for students to learn and prepare for productive careers.”

WESB.com reportsThe Ludlow man already sentenced to state prison for helping fugitive Ralph "Bucky" Phillips hide from authorities is now guilty of a federal weapon charge. Thirty-one-year-old Todd Nelson pleaded guilty in federal court in Erie yesterday to one court of receiving, possessing and concealing 35 stolen guns. Authorities believe Phillips took the weapons last year from a gun shop in Ellington, New York. Phillips escaped from a Buffalo-area jail in April. Phillips is serving life in prison after pleading guilty to shooting three New York state troopers in two separate incidents, killing one, while he was on the lam. Nelson had previously pleaded guilty to hindering the apprehension of Phillips, who stayed at Nelson's home for 11 days while he was on the run in August. Nelson faces up to two years in federal prison for yesterday's weapons plea.
from WESB.com

WFRM.net reports:
Kane-based state police are investigating a criminal trespass apparently taking place at two locations near Port Allegany earlier this week. Timm Baxter told troopers he saw someone entering or exiting his garage on the North Brooklynside Road Monday evening. An unknown male fled through an open window at a garage owned by Baxter’s neighbor, Alvin Loveless when a vehicle entered the driveway. Anyone with information about the incidents or who has experienced a similar incident is asked to call the Kane barracks at 778-5555.
from wfrm.net

An undercover vice cop in Pittsburgh was shot last week. Police are questioning witnesses about the incident that left Bradford Native and 20 year Pittsburgh Police Veteran Jeffrey Smith injured with a gunshot wound.

Smith was working the prostitution beat when a woman ran from his car. Police chased her down, and she fired at Smith.

He is listed in good condition in the hospital.

I knew it was coming. It's warm. and it's getting WARMER...

According to an article in this weeks Bradford Era, National Fuel is trying to raise it's rates.

Since people aren't using as much gas, it apparently gives them the right to charge more.

If natural gas were any other business, it wouldn't work this way. "Let's see, sales are down, so I'm going to CHARGE YOU MORE."

I say it's time to buy a woodstove.

State Senator Joe Scarnati was sworn in this week as the Senate President Pro Tem.

He says the state faces "serious challenges" over the next few months.

He succeeds Sen. Robert Jubilirer in the post.

Court Records at Dom Cercone's Office in Bradford indicate a Mount Jewett man was arraigned this week on charged of attempted Murder. 31 year old Bradley Mix of Keesler Avenue in Mt Jewett was arrested after a 911 call.

Police say Mix threatened to kill his family and himself.

Bradley Mix was injured in the incident while he resisted arrest.

No other injuries were reported.

Smethport Borough Council clarified a few things at their Meeting last week.

Property taxes will go up after a December 20 vote on a 1.2 mill increase. After the county's new assesment came out, though, taxes jump from .8 mills to 1.09 mills, an increae of .29 mills.

.8 mills will bring in 33 thousand dollars to the borough.

WESB.com reports:News: 01/05/07 - Grant Money for Crime Victims State Senator Joe Scarnati has announced more than 700 thousand dollars in grant money to help crime victims in his district. Scarnati says the bulk of the funds come from penalties paid by offenders; not tax dollars. Here's the breakdown of how much each county is set to receive: Cameron County $78,750 Clearfield County $148,300 Elk County $78,750 Jefferson County $87,908 McKean County $82,872 Potter County $78,750 Warren County $79,956
from WESB.com

WESB.com reports:
News: 01/05/07 - Spill-Affected Stream to be Stocked
State Representative Martin Causer says the Fish and Boat Commission will be stocking the stream that was affected by last summer's train derailment. He says he hopes people will be able to fish there this spring. On June 30, 16 cars of a Norfolk Southern train derailed, spilling more than 40 thousand gallons of sodium hydroxide into the Sinnemahoning-Portage Creek. The DEP has ordered Norfolk Southern to clean up the area.
from WESB.com

WESB.com reports:
News: 01/05/07 - Phone Service Interrupted on S. Kendall
Parts of South Kendall Avenue in Bradford were without phone service earlier today, and some others may not have their service back until later in the weekend. A downed cable is reportedly the cause of the problem. A representative for Verizon couldn't release any further information.
from WESB.com