Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Someone made a prank phone call earlier this week saying a man was holding a child hostage in a restroom in the Allegany Wal-Mart The caller also told the store employee who answered the phone that the man was demanding money. Allegany and Olean police, and sheriff’s deputies and state troopers went to Wal-Mart, and cleared the store and the restrooms. When they didn’t find the subject, they determined this was a prank call. The incident remains under investigation.

Guinevere (sometimes known as Mark Brien) wins the Miss Relay contest. "She" and the second place contestant alone raised more than $1,000.

One of the most emotional parts of the American Cancer Society's annual Relay for Life is the Survivor Ceremony. Friday was no exception. Following his speech that didn't leave a dry eye in the tent, 16-year-old cancer survivor Tyler Johnson accepts a check from fellow survivor Dorie Meabon of Kids and Cancer. Kids and Cancer helps families defray the costs of cancer and other illnesses. Their benefit motorcyle (and all street vehicle) run is July 16. Here, some other survivors and their caregivers take a lap around the track. Brenda Dunn Brian and Val Abers and Jon and Dorie Meabon Melanie Luther-Shay, Tom Shay, Tony Danias, Christy Danias During the Fretz Mini Relay the Shays' daughter Kathleen was the top money-raiser with more than $500. Tyler's sister Samantha won an essay contest, writing about how her brother is her hero.

A 15-year-old girl has been charged as an adult in connection to the murder of an Eldred teenager earlier this month. Kaylynn Benson of Coudersport is charged with first-degree murder, third-degree murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, according to online court records. She, along with 19-year-old Jonothan Prather of Coudersport and 25-year-old Avery Buckingham of Austin are accused of killing 18-year-old Samuel Miller on June 5. They are accused of taking Miller to an area along Prouty Run Creek in Potter County, where Prather allegedly shot him eight times. Prather and Buckingham then allegedly dragged his body to the creek and threw him in while Benson held a spotlight, according to papers filed in District Judge Anette Easton's office. A fisherman found Miller’s body in the creek last Saturday afternoon. Prather and Buckingham are jailed without bail. Benson is being held in a juvenile facility. Memorial services for Miller will be held Tuesday afternoon at the B

Someone broke into a Chautauqua County house on Wednesday and assaulted the 89-year-old woman who owns the home. State police say at around 11 o’clock at night the suspect forced his way into the Town of Pomfret home and tried to steal a flat screen TV. The homeowner confronted the burglar, who then assaulted the woman and left with the TV. The woman was treated for non-life-threatening injuries at Brooks Memorial Hospital. Police are still looking for the burglar.

The maker of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil is buying Graham Packaging for nearly $1.7 billion after rival bidder Silgan Holdings failed to come with a better offer. Reynolds Group plans to pay for the acquisition with available cash and fully committed financing. The company says the acquisition provides strategic benefits and cost savings. The buyout, which was unanimously approved by Graham's board, is expected to close in the second half of the year. There’s no word yet on what effect, if any, this will have on the Bradford plant. For more information go here .

Flags at Half-Staff on Tuesday A Marine from Cuba, New York, has died in Afghanistan. The Department of Defense says, 25-year-old Sgt. Mark Bradley died Thursday while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. Bradley was stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Senator Catharine Young (R,I,C – Olean) issued the following statement: “I am deeply saddened to hear about the death of U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Mark A. Bradley of Cuba. He bravely served our country and laid down his life with honor to protect our freedoms. He is a true American hero. My thoughts and prayers are with the Bradley family and his friends who have suffered from this tremendous loss,” Young said. Governor Andrew Cuomo has directed that flags on state government buildings be flown at half-staff on Tuesday, June 21 in honor of Sgt. Bradley. "On behalf of the people of New York, I want to express my sympathy to the family, friends, and fellow Marines of Sergeant Bradley," Cuomo said

The Little Mermaid and Rapunzel were just a couple of the fictional characters who made an appearance at Thursday's American Cancer Society "Fight Back Parade," which has become the kick-off event for the annual Relay for Life. Also on hand were local police and fire departments, many of the teams, Kids and Canccer, and the Street Dreams Car Club. And ... the Miss Relay contestants. The relay gets underway at noon Friday at Pitt-Bradford. Plenty of fun and food will be available -- even if you don't have a team -- as the community fights back against cancer and remembers those who fought the good fight.

A message from the SPCA: We are currently at the legal limit for the quantity of dogs & cats that we are allowed to keep at the shelter. There is an over abundance of animals, with more coming in daily, and no place for them to go. We don’t ever want to euthanize an animal, but when it becomes an over-crowding issue…we don’t have a choice. Due to two recent animal hoarding situations, we have over 20 dogs that will be coming into the shelter. These are animals that we are now aware of, & need to make room for. That doesn’t include the ones that will be brought in as strays, or turned over by their owners in the coming days. Animals are coming in faster than we can get homes for them! Again, we can only keep a certain number of animals at the shelter to stay within the laws of operating our shelter. Unless we can get some of these animals adopted, or fostered, we will have to make some tough choices. Please consider adopting or fostering a shelter animal today! Please spay/

A radar-controlled speed display sign is in operation along Route 6 (Main Street) in Mount Jewett Borough, McKean County. The sign faces westbound traffic along Route 6 in the town of Mount Jewett, just east of the intersection with Route 3011 (Bridge Street). This area is posted with a 25-mile-per-hour speed limit. The speed display signs will remain on location for approximately four weeks and will register the speeds of vehicles traveling along that section of roadway. The speed display sign uses radar to determine the speeds of oncoming traffic. Those vehicle speeds are then posted on the lighted section of the sign. Above the speed display is a speed limit sign showing the 25-mile-per-hour posted speed limit for that section of Route 6. PennDOT reminds motorists they can log on to 511pa.com or call 511 from any phone to check traffic conditions before heading out. Follow PennDOT on Twitter at www.twitter.com/511PAStateCOLL .

The United Way of the Bradford Area held its second annual Grocery Grab Wednesday evening at Tops Friendly Market, which donated $425 worth of grocery and gas cards to the three contestants. The women had 3 minutes to race through the store and fill their carts with the most expensive items. In all they got more than $3,000 worth of groceries in those 3 minutes. (All the groceries went back on the shelves. The women can go back to Tops later and shop for what they really want -- not just expensive dog food and "Shake Weights.") ... and their off! Brenda and Mary Lou try to maneuver their full carts without hitting customers. Kelly Case lets the shoppers know how much time they have left. Heading for the checkout ... and checking out ... Megan Minich announces the winner ... ... Deb!

A Silver Creek man accused of stealing a baby python from a pet shop is in jail. Sheriff’s deputies arrested 22-year-old Aaron Tundo for stealing the snake in Irving on June 2. Tundo also had an active bench warrant for failing to appear in court on an unrelated theft charge. In February of last year he and his mother were arrested for allegedly stealing items from a Dollar General Store.

By Sandra Rhodes Visitor & Member Services The Allegheny National Forest Region really rocks! Two overlooks in the Allegheny National Forest offer fantastic views of the Allegheny Reservoir and are also a part of a great trail system right in the midst of Trail Central. What makes the Allegheny National Forest rock even more is that it’s free and open to travelers from all over, welcoming them to northcentral Pennsylvania. Rimrock Overlook, located off Route 59, is a magnificent rock outcrop that offers a breathtaking view 200 feet above the Kinzua Creek arm of the Allegheny Reservoir. But Rimrock offers much more than views. A short trail system takes you down a rock staircase through a narrow crevasse and past spectacular cliffs boulders and deep fractures that emit cold air. This area is also a hotspot for viewing the mountain laurel, the state flower of Pennsylvania, in full bloom the end of June. Once you get back on the road, you have the opportunity to travel one of the best

A Brocton, New York, woman is accused of trying to run over her husband with her car. State police say 53-year-old Irina Cornelius tried to hit her 65-year-old husband Michael as he was walking along Route 20 in the Town of Pomfret. She allegedly tried to hit him twice while driving at a low speed, then tried again while going faster. The third time she crashed her car into a tree. Michael Cornelius suffered injuries to his head, hands and arms, and was taken to Brooks Memorial Hospital for treatmnt. His wife was charged with assault, menacing and reckless endangering and sent to jail in lieu of $5,000 cash bail.

A resolution sponsored by Rep. Martin Causer (R-Turtlepoint) calling for a comprehensive assessment of the state’s lottery fund and the senior citizen programs it supports has been unanimously approved by the state House. “The Pennsylvania Lottery pays for some very important programs to help senior citizens with housing, transportation and health care,” Causer said. “My goal with this study is to make sure we have sustainable revenue in place to continue supporting these services.” Causer noted there has been no comprehensive study of the lottery fund since expanded gaming was legalized in Pennsylvania in 2004. In fact, no such study has been done since 1994. “We need to know how expanded gaming is affecting the purchase of lottery tickets today and how that is impacting the fund,” Causer said. “We also need to know what to expect in the future as far as lottery fund proceeds and demand for the programs the fund supports.” House Resolution 106 directs the nonpartisan Legislative Budge

Charges against a 44-year-old man accused of hiding a runaway girl for two weeks have been bound to court. Dell White is accused of picking the girl up from CYS-ordered custody in Port Allegany and hiding her in various locations in Bradford. Bradford resident Slim Lewis told police White asked him to give him and the girl a ride within the city. Lewis helped police by agreeing to give White a ride. Police then stopped the car and arrested White, according to papers filed in District Judge Dominic Cercone's office White is jailed in lieu of $20,000 bail.

Three people have pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana. 26-year-old Joshua Rung and 19-year-old Jessica Bucheister were caught smoking a marijuana cigar at the corner of Main and Chestnut streets in the early morning hours of January 1. 20-year-old Kyle Dewyer was found with a marijuana pipe at 2:25 a.m. March 10 on Williams Street. According to papers filed in District Judge Dominic Cercone’s office, when police found the pipe Dewyer said, “I’m screwed,” then admitted to smoking marijuana daily and beating adult probation’s urine screenings by using over the counter cleansers. All three people have been ordered to pay fines and court costs.

Vending machine vandals are on the loose in Cameron and Elk counties. Earlier this week someone went to Cameron County Little League Complex and attempted to get into three vending machines owned by Pepsi Beverage Company of St. Marys. They were only able to get into one machine, and stole about $300. Police believe the same people tried to get into a machine at Grom’s Car Wash. Damage to all four machines is $468. Early this morning someone broke the lock of a Coca-Cola machine at the Tannery House in Wilcox and got away with an undetermined amount of change. Anyone with information on these incidents is asked to contact state police.

The man accused of trying to lure an 11-year-old into a portable toilet at the Sugar Grove Elementary School is back in Warren County. 40-year-old David Lopus of Ashville, New York, was picked up at a homeless shelter in Cleveland, Ohio, last Thursday. Today, state police and Conewango Township police brought him back from Ohio. He was arraigned and sent to jail in lieu of $200,000 cash bail. Besides the elementary school incident, which happened in June of 2010, Lopus is also accused of approaching another young girl on May 24 at the Sunset Trailer Park in Conewango Township.

An Olean man accused of having sex with a child younger than 11 pleaded not guilty this morning in Cattaraugus County Court. 37-year-old Alex Belec also allegedly recorded people dressing or undressing between 2006 and 2007, according to District Attorney Lori Rieman. He’s charged with sexual abuse, course of sexual conduct against a child, and unlawful surveillance, which are all felonies. The matter has been adjourned for motions.

A Bradford man is facing charges following a traffic stop in Salamanca over the weekend. Sheriff’s deputies say they stopped 23-year-old Andrew Ludwig and learned that his driving privileges in New York and Pennsylvania had been suspended. When he was arrested they also found that he was in possession of suboxone pills. Ludgwig is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and criminal possession of a controlled substance. He was released on his own recognizance and is scheduled to appear in Salamanca City Court on June 29.

A Bradford man is dead following a motorcycle accident Tuesday on West Washington Street in Corydon Township. State Police say 41 year-old Robert Cox lost control of his bike on a curve, went off the road and hit an embankment. Cox was pronounced dead at the scene. Police say he was not wearing a helmet.