Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Master Gardner Bob Harris passed along more information about Goat's Rue, the noxious weed that's been found in Smethport. One of the pieces of information is that Goat's Rue is two words, not one as we reported yesterday. Listen to Bob here .

Police agencies in Cattaraugus County seized more than 1,000 marijuana plants from a home in the Town of Cold Spring Friday. They arrested 31-year-old Xiao Xia Tang for running a marijuana growing operation. Police say the plants have an estimated street value of $2 million.

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director The American Cancer Society Relay for Life exceeded its goal by nearly $9,000 – and there’s still money to be counted. The goal was $76,000. As of noon on Saturday, they had counted $84,962. “You are guys are awesome,” Fran Stewart of the cancer society told the team members after making the announcement. “Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for all your hard work. I know how hard you guys work. I know how hard this committee works. I know how hard the team captains work.” “It was a very successful year.” Stewart said. “There was everything that was going on that was right – so much energy. I can’t talk about you guys enough. I’m telling regional. I’m telling divisional. You guys rock!” Thirty-two teams participated in this year’s relay. The online donation goal was $3,500. They brought in $6,231. “Blew that out of the water,” Stewart said. She also mentioned the mini relay at Fretz Middle School earlier this

An Olean man has been charged with raping a 2 ½-year-old girl. 53-year-old Scott Harris is accused of having sex with the toddler at least once earlier this month at his home. He was arrested Tuesday. Police didn’t release any further details.

"Bertha Day" poses for a photo before the Miss Relay contest begins during Relay for Life. "Bertha" went on to win the contest by collecting more than $700. "Trixie" serves up some kielbasa before the contest. Before the contest,"Minnie Pearl" tries to persuade the cancer society's Lora Cope to donate. Below, other contestants strut their stuff. All together, the Miss Relay contestants collected more than $2,300 in donations -- in an hour!

5-year-old cancer survivor Aiden Davis gets a ride to the Relay for Life Survivor Ceremony from a member of the Kids and Cancer Motorcycle Club. Aiden gets a "birthday" gift from Marcia Avey. The American cancer Society is the Official Sponsor of Birthdays. Cancer survivors and survivor ceremony co-chairs Marica Avey and Amy Silvis share a mother/daughter moment during the ceremony. These cancer survivors, some with their caregivers, take a victory lap. Cancer survivor Jane Luciano takes the survivor lap with her granddaughter.

A Fredonia man is facing charges for driving while intoxicated, and texting while driving. In an e-mail to WESB and The HERO, Sheriff’s deputies say 19-year-old Brandyn Lambe was driving on Route 60 in the Town of Pomfret at about 2:30 this morning and, while he was texting, his vehicle went off the road, into a ditch, back onto the road and flipped over several times. Lambe was able to free himself from his vehicle before police & EMS personnel arrived. He was treated at the scene for “very minor” injuries. He’ll appear in court at a later date.

A Shinglehouse man was seriously injured in an accident at just after 10 o’clock Friday night on Route 244 in Genesee Township. In a fax sent to WESB and The HERO, State police say an SUV driven by 35-year-old Julie Ann Tilley of Shinglehouse went into the opposite lane of travel and then onto the shoulder of the road, where it hit a guide rail. The SUV then crossed the road again, hit an embankment and rolled over. A passenger, 24-year-old Benjamin Gutshall of Shinglehouse suffered serious injuries and was flown by helicopter to Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre. Another passenger, 23-year-old Jeremy Dailey of Smethport sustained moderate injuries and was taken by ambulance to Jones Memorial Hospital in Wellsville. Tilley suffered minor injuries. During their investigation, police determined that Tilley was driving under the influence. She was taken into custody without incident and charges are pending.

Students from a Warren County Spanish Immersion Camp spent Thursday learning about Latin American vocabulary and cuisine at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. The camp is run by the Warren Forest Higher Education Council and included various activities to immerse students in Latin American culture by exploring various Spanish-speaking nations through music, dance, art and foods, including a visit with a chef from Wegmans grocery store in Jamestown, N.Y., who prepared Latin American cuisine for the students and showed them how to make it, as well. At Pitt-Bradford, Dr. Carys Evans-Corrales, professor of Spanish, designed a workshop based on her college course in food vocabulary. The sixth- and seventh-grade students took a trip to an imaginary restaurant, where three Pitt-Bradford Spanish students waited on them. Students ordered in Spanish from the menu, interacted with their Spanish-speaking wait staff and learned a bit about each

The annual Bradford Relay for Life got underway at noon today and runs until noon Saturday at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Andrew Truman tries to entice someone to roll the dice for a prize at his family’s team’s table. Famous cities was the theme of this year’s relay, and Andrew’s family chose Las Vegas. A relayer dressed for New Orleans Mardi Gras looks at the luminaria lined up along the walk. The luminaria, which are purchased in memory or in honor of someone to raise money for the American Cancer Society, will be lit in a ceremony at 9 o'clock this evening. A relayer texts and walks in front of the Hanley Library. Photos courtesy of Pitt-Bradford

The 13th annual Penn’s Woods Jeep Jamboree is going on this weekend, with headquarters at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Hundreds of Jeep enthusiasts came to town to drive trails in the area, get their Jeeps stuck in tight spots, and have fun pulling them out. More information is available here: http://jeepjamboreeusa.com/trips/itinerary/bradford.pdf Jeeps line up before heading out on the trail. Nicholus Miedzwicki, 4, poses by his parents’ Jeep as the drivers await the morning trail meeting. Robert Johns of Stafford, N.Y., gets some ideas for his own Jeeps. Checking out each other’s rides is part of the Jamboree fun. Photos courtesy of Pitt-Bradford

Three students from Bradford Regional Medical Center’s School of Radiography have been awarded annual Bradford Hospital Auxiliary scholarships. Second-year students Lauren McKee of Titusville and Shruti Thakkar of Norwich, Conn., were selected to share the Auxiliary’s Clinical Excellence Award. Each student received a $375 scholarship. In announcing these awards, Dr. Holly Spittler, a member of the School of Radiography’s Advisory Board and the Auxiliary’s Scholarship Committee, said, “This year the award will be shared by two individuals whose clinical skills are truly outstanding. According to the committee, these two students operate at the same high level of competence in the clinical setting and to recognize one and not the other would be unfair.” She added, “The fact two students have been chosen for this award is truly a reflection of the strength of the entire class.” Both students will graduate from the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford with a bachelor’s degree in radiologi

The Environmental Protection Agency is planning a series of public meetings to collect information on fracking. Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, uses injections of water and chemicals to break up underground shale formations so oil and gas can be more easily recovered. The practice has drawn criticism because of concerns it could affect supplies of drinking water. The meetings will be held in Cannonsburg, Fort Worth, Texas, Denver, and Binghamton, N.Y. http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/5AB7FAB1665A0D698525774600606AFE

St. Bonaventure men’s basketball senior-to-be Ogo Adegboye (London, England/Lamar CC) will spend the next three days playing for Great Britain’s U-23 team in hopes of making the cut for England’s Men’s National squad. Adegboye, along with 16 other players, will take part in a four-team tournament in Lille, France, beginning on Friday, June 18. They will take on France, Belgium and Luxembourg over a three-day span. Each member of the 17-man roster is competing for a spot on England’s National team, which will play together in August in the Eurobasket qualifier. A native of London, Adegboye averaged 6.6 points, 2.4 assists and 1.7 rebounds over 31 games in his first season in the Brown and White in 2009-10. Adegboye ranked seventh in the Atlantic 10 with a positive 2.0 assist/turnover ratio, while finishing second on the club with 30 three-pointers. A true point guard, Adegboye committed just 10 turnovers over the last 11 games, while passing out 35 assists. Adegboye started a 12-game st

Someone broke into a Weedville church between 5 o’clock Thursday afternoon and 8:50 this morning and did about $2,000 worth of damage. In a fax sent to WESB and The HERO, State police say the burglar got into the Wesleyan Church through a door on the north side of building, rummaged through several offices, damaged several doors and door jambs and a safe. Nothing was reported missing. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Ridgway-based state police at 776-6136.

The BACC Board of Directors has named Ron Orris as the new Executive Director of the Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce. Orris, a Bradford native, will begin his appointment at the Chamber on July 19th. “I am honored to be given this position, and I am excited to get started,” Orris said. “Bradford is a big part of my life, and I am looking forward to taking on the challenges in helping Bradford grow. It will be nice to be back on Main Street!” Most recently, Orris was the Store Manager for the Bradford Wal‐Mart from 2002 to 2010, and held various management positions with the St. Marys, Clearfield, and Olean, New York Wal-Marts from 1997-2002. His other professional experience includes a thirty-year tenure with James R. Evans Company, where he began his career as a sales clerk and eventually moved into the role of co-owner and primary buyer for the store. Orris currently serves as the Controller for the City of Bradford, Chairman of the Board for the Bradford City Water Authority, and

HARRISBURG -- Goatsrue, a noxious weed that was recently discovered in Smethport, McKean County, may be fatal to sheep and cattle, but poses no human health threat, Agriculture Secretary Russell C. Redding said today. Redding said the main infestation is localized to a two-mile radius of Smethport Borough, Keating Township and adjoining municipalities, and is related to the dredging of Hamlin Lake and the distribution of the fill material to local properties. Small isolated populations of the weed have been found elsewhere in McKean County and in Cameron, Elk and Potter counties. A legume, goatsrue is about 4-5 feet tall at maturity with 8-inch pinnate leaves with smaller leaflets and 20-50 purple to white flowers. Flowering begins in June and each flower produces a one- to two-inch pod with mustard colored seeds. "The Department of Agriculture has surveyed and identified the infestation and is actively working this summer on eradication," said Redding. "However, we enco

An Olean woman is charged with endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person while working at a Rehabilitation Center home in Hinsdale. After starting their investigation, the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Bureau charged 29-year-old Kari Waltos. The investigation started after the sheriff’s office received a complaint about possible abuse of clients living at the home. The sheriff’s office say the abuse happened on April 17. The sheriff’s office is not releasing any information on the victim at this time, according to an e-mail sent to WESB and The HERO. Waltos is scheduled to appear in Hinsdale Town Court on June 23.

Some changes are in store next week on the Route 219 Bradford Bypass project. The contractor will be doing sub-base operations, and will be pulling into the closed “dead lane” from the northbound “live lane.” Traffic may be slow moving while the work is going on. Work will continue on Bolivar Drive with flaggers present from 6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Drivers should expect alternating traffic pattern and travel-time delays. ~~~~ PennDOT issues the following travel update for the Route 219/Bradford Bypass project in McKean County. This update is for the week of June 21. All work is weather and schedule dependent. Glenn O. Hawbaker, Inc. of State College is the contractor on this $28 million job. · Work on the Route 219 southbound ON-ramp at Elm Street continues. Traffic is using the existing shoulder. Contractor crew will be working close to the roadway, placing concrete for a new barrier wall. Expect delays during work hours. · Northbound traffic is sharing a lane with southbound traffic,

Two children were hurt in an accident at 1:40 Thursday afternoon on Route 255, south of Fridays Keystone in Byrnedale. In a fax sent to WESB and The HERO, State Police say 33-year-old Jason Ingrazm of Penfield was driving his SUV south on Route 255 when he looked away from the road. When he did, the vehicle went out of control, left the road, hit an embankment and guidewires to a pole, then rolled once. Ingrazm suffered moderate injuries while his two juvenile passengers suffered minor injuries. Police are continuing their investigation.

A Warren man is dead after walking in front of a car at 3:20 this afternoon on Jackson Run Road. In a fax sent to WESB and The HERO, State Police say 75-year-old Richard Smith was crossing the road and apparently did not see a car driven by 32-year-old John Thom of Bear Lake. Thom told police he could not stop in time and hit Smith, who went onto the hood and smashed the left side of the windshield. Smith was pronounced dead at the scene. Police say no charges are pending.

Four students from Heilbronn University in Heilbronn, Germany, will spend the fall semester studying at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford as part of a new agreement between the two schools. The arrangement came about after Rick Nelson, associate professor of business at Pitt-Bradford, met Dr. Mathias Moersch, a professor at Heilbronn, while the two were grading exams for the CFA Institute, which awards the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. Moersch had recently begun coordinating Heilbronn’s foreign studies program and asked Nelson whether Pitt-Bradford would be interested in an exchange. An agreement was reached, and Pitt-Bradford will welcome its first four Heilbronn students in August: Uwe Behringer, Alessandro Gravina, Anja Schramm and Alexander Sirunjan. The three men and one woman will take primarily business courses, but also plan to travel within the United States, Nelson said. One student plans to play on the Pitt-Bradford Panth

HARRISBURG -- Governor Edward G. Rendell today praised two votes by members of the Independent Regulatory Review Commission that he said will protect Pennsylvania’s streams and drinking water supplies against total dissolved solids pollution from Marcellus Shade drilling wells and other sources from stormwater runoff. The new total dissolved solids, or TDS, rules the commission approved today will ensure that rivers and streams in Pennsylvania do not exceed the safe drinking water standard of 500 milligrams per liter, the Governor said. The rules also will protect businesses by grandfathering all existing discharges and allowing businesses to use a stream’s ability to absorb those discharges while not exceeding drinking water standards. “Today’s IRRC vote is a great step forward in our efforts to protect one of the state’s greatest natural and economic assets—our waterways,” said Governor Rendell. “Millions of Pennsylvanians rely on the state’s rivers and streams for drinking water; co

Harrisburg – The addition of 19,500 jobs in May marked the third consecutive month that Pennsylvania employers added workers boosting the nonfarm jobs1 count, Governor Edward G. Rendell said today. Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate2 at – 9.1 percent in May – has been at or below the national rate for 86 of the past 89 months. “All told, over the past three months we have added 76,200 jobs – the most of any state besides Texas,” Governor Rendell said. “Our estimates are that a maximum of 20,000 of these workers were hired for temporary jobs with the Census. This means that we’ve added more than 56,000 jobs in the past three months in addition to these temporary Census jobs. “There is more good news that 900 new manufacturing jobs were added in May. This is the fourth time in the past five months that we’ve seen an upward bump in manufacturing jobs. “I strongly believe that our positive job numbers are due in large measure to the strategic ways in which we put the federal Recovery Act t

PennDOT District 2 announced today that the new Janders Run Bridge is complete. The bridge is located on Route 44 in Ceres Township, McKean County near the McKean/Potter counties line. The project was financed with federal funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and finished on schedule. Work included removal of the existing, single-span bridge and placement of a new pre-cast concrete box culvert. L.C. Whitford Company of Wellsville, New York, was the contractor on this $728,000 job. Some miscellaneous work remains but traffic will not be affected. This project was part of PennDOT’s more than $66 million investment of federal economic recovery funds for 17 transportation projects across the nine counties of District 2. To learn more about how the federal economic stimulus will benefit Pennsylvania, visit www.recovery.pa.gov

These are three of the "Miss Relay" contestants you'll see Friday during Relay for Life. Miss Relay starts at 8 p.m. at Pitt-Bradford and it's a must-see event!

Amy Silvis is the Survivor Ceremony Chairman (the ceremony starts at 7 p.m. Friday at Pitt-Bradford). Mary Boser is Relay Chair and Brian Abers is Co-Chair. Amber Bacha is behind the wheel of the Zippo car, while the McKean Ccounty Roadrunners Zem Zem Shriners do their thing. Bradford City Police Officer Heil Bartlett waves from the DARE car. These are a few members of the Fretz Middle School team that raised nearly $8,000 during their mini relay earlier this month. Way to go, Fretz!

These are just a few of the floats that appeared in the 2nd Annual American Cancer Society Fight Back Parade in Bradford. Relay for Life starts at noon Friday at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.

A husband and wife from Westfield have pleaded guilty to misusing a Social Security number to illegally collect disability benefits from two federal programs. 65-year-old Harold Spearback and 56-year-old Allene Spearback are both charged with theft of government property. The US Attorneys office says Harold Spearbak illegally used his wife’s Social Security number to collect disability benefits from the Social Security Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs while he was working as a truck driver. They say Spearback collected nearly $120,000 that he was not legally entitled to receive. Agents from Veterans Affairs, Secret Service and the Social Security Administration investigated. http://www.justice.gov/usao/nyw/press/index.html

St. Bonaventure University presented John L. Foote, ’60, and James G. Gould, ’80, with William P. “Stax” McCarthy Alumnus of the Year honors during the annual Alumni Reunion Weekend, held June 11-13 on the University’s campus. The award is named in memory of former annual fund and alumni director William “Stax” McCarthy, ’72, and is presented to a St. Bonaventure graduate who offers continued service to the University and captures the spirit of St. Francis, St. Bonaventure and St. Clare. Foote graduated in 1960 with a bachelor’s degree in English and earned an MBA from Columbia University in 1963. He was instrumental in bringing a record number of his classmates to attend their 50th Reunion this year, as he had done previously for his class’s 40th anniversary reunion in 2000. In the early 1990s, Foote founded the Baltimore Alumni Chapter and served as its president for many years. He volunteers with the University’s Career Center and organized a welcome back dinner for Ted Marchibroda,

Four kayakers from Salamanca had to be rescued from the Genesee River in Letchworth State Park Wednesday after they got lost. State Park Police say they got disoriented late Tuesday night and used a cell phone to call authorities. Police, along with a state police aviation unit and the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office responded. 24-year-old Shermane Rivers, 20-year-old Gregory Wasser, 23-year-old Ashley Wies, and 25-year-old Amber Fellows were found by the aviation team at about 1 a.m. Wednesday near the Silver Lake Outlet.

Three children ages 10 through 16 have been arrested for setting fire to a ticket booth at the Cattaraugus County Fairgrounds. In an e-mail sent to WESB and The HERO, Sheriff’s deputies say the ticket booth just off the Pat Magee Trail was intentionally set on fire at about 6 p.m. on April 30. Investigators learned that a 10-year-old, 14-year-old and 16-year-old broke into the booth, removed a doll from inside the booth, dumped gasoline on the doll and used that to set fire to the ticket booth. All three children were arrested Tuesday and charged with burglary, arson and criminal mischief. Two of them were issued appearance tickets for family court; the third was arraigned and released on his own recognizance. He’ll appear later in Town of Little Valley Court.

DEP Secretary John Hanger has warned state senators of serious consequences for the natural gas industry if companies are caught sacrificing safety for profits. Hanger spoke during a senate committee hearing today and said the industry must improve its performance and stop gas migration, water pollution and well blowouts. Hanger declined to reveal the results so far of the investigation into the blowout of a well in Clearfield County earlier this month, but said an investigator hired by the state to look into the incident is expected to have his report finished in three weeks. Speaking with WESB and The HERO this afternoon, US Senator Bob Casey said he’s glad Hanger is taking the situation seriously. “That’s good news that Secretary Hanger knows how important it is to get answers here because people are really worried about that.”

State senators on both sides of the aisle say they’re making real progress in budget negotiations. Democratic Whip Mike O’Pake says he hopes the talks don’t stall. “Hopefully we will make significant steps next week so that we’re ready by June 30th to send a package to the governor which he can sign, and that way we will fulfill our responsibilities to the taxpayers of Pennsylvania,” he said. SPeaking on the Senate floor Wednesday, Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi said he thinks they are on a path that will lead to passage and adoption of a budget by June 30. The Senate will be back in session on Monday.

The Bradford man who went on a crime spree earlier this year waived preliminary hearings on more than two dozen charges today. 32-year-old Warren Riley is accused of assaulting two people and robbing one of them; threatening another person with a razor knife; burglarizing a Main Street store; and stealing and damaging several vehicles between February and May. On May 2 when officers were getting ready to take him from the Bradford police station to district court, Riley smashed and broke a large glass window with his head, according to papers filed in District Judge Dom Cercone’s office. Riley is in McKean County Jail.

The woman accused of biting a man’s ear off and spitting it on the kitchen floor waived her preliminary hearing today. 27-year-old Erin Moore is accused of biting off 37-year-old Roger Kline’s ear during a domestic dispute on May 31 in Kline’s Kiwanis Court apartment. Kline had to be sent to Hamot Medical Center in Erie for treatment. Also today, Kline waived his hearing on simple assault and harassment charges. He’s accused of hitting Moore in the nose and causing it to bleed during the same incident. Kline is free on unsecured bail. Moore is in McKean County Jail on $10,000 bail.

A robbery charge against an Erie man was bound to court following a hearing today in front of District Judge Dom Cercone. 23-year-old Donald Cowans is accused of stealing a bottle of pills from Bert Finland outside the Riddell House at about 11:15 p.m. on May 22. Bradford City Police found Cownas on East Main Street and took him back to the Riddell House, where Finland identified him. Cowans is jailed on $20,000 bail.

The Eldred woman accused of poking a state trooper in the head waived her preliminary hearing. 35-year-old Crysal Updegrove was taken to Bradford Regional Medical Center after state police were called to a domestic incident at her home and they determined she needed medical attention. In the emergency room she was “becoming agitated due to drug withdrawal and the slow response of medical staff,” according to papers filed in District Judge Dom Cercone’s office. At one point, Udpegrove became argumentative, pointed at Trooper David Andrasko and said, “You piece of s**t; you f*****g a*****e. You’re not doing anything for me.” She then poked Andrasko above the left eye, causing bleeding. Andrasko needed to seek medical attention as a precaution because of “knowledge of the defendant’s past medical history.” Updegrove is free after posting $10,000 bail.

New York State Police are waiting for DNA test results on a cigarette butt to come back to see if they can connect Steven Rebert to murders in Genesee and Orleans counties. Rebert, who had lived in Emporium, is already charged with the April murders of Wayne and Vicky Shugar of Brockway. Pennsylvania police contacted New York police when, during their investigation, they found that Rebert had done Google searches on the unsolved murders of Bill Fickel and Kevin Smith. When reviewing their files, New York police saw that a cigarette butt had been found at one of the crime scenes and they were able to get a DNA sample from it. They say it could take a couple of months to get the test results back. Rebert is scheduled to be in district court Monday for the Shugar murders.

St. Marys police have arrested 67-year-old Edward Kralik Jr. of St. Marys for criminal homicide, aggravated assault and possessing implements of a crime in connection with the death of 50-year-old Clayton Lecker. In a fax sent to WESB and The HERO, police say Lecker died of a single stab wound to the abdomen on Saturday on Robin Road during an altercation with Kralick. Kralik was flown to Hamot Medical Center in Erie for the injuries he received in the fight. Today, St. Marys Police served an arrest warrant on Kralik in Erie and returned him to Elk County, where he was arraigned by District Judge George “Tony” King and sent to Elk County Jail pending further court action. City police were assisted by the state police forensic unit as well as criminal investigators from Troop C, the Erie City Police Department, Elk County District Attorney’s Office, Elk County Coroner, St. Marys Ambulance Service, Elk County Emergency Management Agency and the Crystal Fire Deparatment.

A bicyclist was flown to Hamot Medical Center after being hit by a car this morning on Minard Run Road. Bradford Township Police Chief Dave Doyle tells WESB and The HERO that a car operated by 84-year-old Edna Thomas of Smethport was traveling west when the passenger side mirror hit bicyclist Amy Vleminckx of Peach Street. Vleminckx was knocked to the ground and was unconscious for a period of time after suffering head injuries. She was treated at the scene by first responders from the Bradford Township Volunteer Fire Department and paramedics from the Bradford City Fire Department. She was later flown to Erie by LifeStar helicopter. Initial reports said Vleminckx was a teenager but Doyle said that’s not the case, although he did not know her age.

Mick Marshall, President CARE for Children Board of Directors, announced that Mandi Wilton Davis, current Assistant Director of the United Way of the Bradford Area (UWBA), has been named Development and Marketing Coordinator for CARE. “CARE has experienced phenomenal growth in the services it provides over the last several years and we are pleased that someone with Mandi’s experience, knowledge of the community, and commitment to our mission has come on board to help us continue to progress, raise the visibility of the agency and help us ensure financial stability,” said Marshall “Mandi will be a great addition to the CARE staff. Having worked on the United Way Board and the CARE Board, I know how closely the two organizations work together to make a difference in the lives of children in our community; and we recognize her active role and enthusiasm in those efforts,” added Marshall. CARE for Children is a non-profit organization in McKean County, PA that provides professional servic

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Arlen Specter (D-Pa.) introduced The Gynecological Cancer Education and Awareness Act of 2010, also known as Johanna's Law. This legislation would fund a national awareness and education campaign to inform physicians and individuals of the risk factors and symptoms of these often-deadly diseases. Senators Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) are cosponsors. “Every year over 80,000 women in the United States are newly diagnosed with some form of gynecologic cancer,” Sen. Specter said. “We must do everything in our power to promote education and early detection of these cancers so that we can increase women’s survival rates and quality of life.” When gynecological cancer is detected in its earliest stage, patients’ 5-year survival rates are greater than 90 percent and many go on to live normal, healthy lives. Unfortunately, thousands of women in the U.S. each year aren't diagnosed until their cancers have progressed to

Senator Lisa M. Boscola and PUC Chairman James H. Cawley announced today that they will work together on behalf of Pennsylvania electric customers by advocating before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to reform the retail pricing of electricity for consumers, businesses and the economy of Pennsylvania. The Senator and Chairman Cawley will seek to bring electric price relief to all classes of consumers by focusing on the wholesale cost of electricity. Wholesale costs are regulated by FERC, and the Senator and the Chairman believe that FERC can be more responsive to consumer needs by improving market design, resolving power transmission cost issues, providing retail customers with better tools to respond to higher electricity prices and making sure that smart meter grid technology is used effectively to help consumers reduce their electricity costs. “FERC plays a critical role in determining consumer electric costs, yet few understand its role in determining what we all

A Roulette man is accused of hitting a child in the head with a six-pack of beer Sunday night. In a fax sent to WESB and The HERO, State police say 59-year-old Richard Diorio hit the victim on the forehead, above the right eye, with a full six-pack of Rolling Rock bottled beer. The victim’s injuries included swelling. Diorio is charged with harassment.

Three Republican New York state senators crossed party lines Monday and voted for a budget extension, averting a government shut down. Democratic Senator Ruben Diaz didn’t vote for the bill because he said it included too many cuts. Without the Republican votes, the plan would have been one vote short of the 32 needed for passage. The Republicans who voted for the bill are Hugh Farley, Charles Fuschillo, and Roy McDonald. “Today, with our colleagues from across the aisle, we met our obligation and passed the emergency appropriation to protect and preserve essential services for all New Yorkers,” Senate leader John Sampson said in a news release. New York’s budget is more than 11 weeks late.

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director The Bradford Area School District is considering a whistleblower policy that would protect employees who report suspected improper actions by other employees. “The Whistleblower Law provides protection of employees against being discharged or discriminated against by reason of their filing good faith reports with an employer of suspected fraud, financial improprieties, irregularities, or conflicts of interest or cooperating in the investigation of such reports,” the policy states. The Director of Human Resources, currently Sam Johnson, would be the compliance officer. A complaint against the Director of Human Resources would go to the superintendent. The school board is expected to vote on the measure during its next meeting on August 9. Also Monday, the board approved on second consideration the budget for the 2010-11 school year, which, for the ninth straight year, includes no tax increase. In a meeting that lasted less than an hour, the board