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09/28/07 The Potter County Commissioners voted Thursday to accept the former Adelphia “school” building from Time-Warner Cable as a gift for the sum of $1.00. The building will be turned into a county office annex at a “considerable savings to taxpayers” according to the commissioners. The former Coudersport High School building was extensively renovated by Adelphia several years ago. When asked by WFRM what would happen to the L.L. Smith building in Roulette currently housing Potter County Human Services, the commissioners said there is already a potential client interested in occupying the structure. The Bath, NY VA Medical Center has announced that the new VA staffed Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Wellsville will open Monday, October 1. The new clinic provides more space, privacy and the opportunity to increase and expand services to vets living in the surrounding area. The new clinic is located at 3458 Riverside Drive, Route 19, in Wellsville and will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Vets can reach the clinic by calling toll free at 1-877-845-3247. An open house and flu shot clinic are planned for November. Pennsylvania’s fall archery deer season opens Saturday and continues to November 10. A statewide late archery season will run December 26-January 12. Game Commission Biologists say hunters should find good opportunities in most locations but the drought and some severe summer storms may have caused whitetails to move into other territory. A thunderstorm erupted suddenly at around 11:00 a.m. Friday in downtown Coudersport dumping copious amounts of hail and a half inch of rain in less than 15 minutes. The bucket full of hail reminded some of the white stuff that will soon be on the way for a longer visit. 09/27/07 The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for the entire WFRM listening area until 10:00 o’clock tonight. Gusty winds, heavy downpours and dangerous lightning are all a possibility. A severe thunderstorm warning was posted for McKean County Wednesday evening but even though funnel clouds were reported over James City and Port Allegany, there were no confirmed touchdowns. Funnel clouds were also reportedly seen in the Warren and Titusville areas with a possible touchdown near Titusville. A 29 year old Coudersport man has been jailed in lieu of $250,000 straight bail after being arraigned on charges of aggravated assault, DUI, Simple Assault, terroristic threats, stalking, reckless endangerment, disorderly conduct, accidents involving damage to attended vehicle or property, public drunkenness, criminal mischief, reckless driving, duty to give information and render aid and immediate notice of accident to police department. Police say the incident began at around 7:00 a.m. near the PennDot barn on Locust Street when Michael Gallina’s 1985 Buick Electra station wagon struck an unattended parked vehicle. Gallina the allegedly tried to flee and struck a metal light pole, then traveled south on Main Street where he rammed the rear portion of a moving car twice and followed the car to the Coudersport Borough Police Department where it rammed it again. The three victims then fled in the vehicle to the Sheetz store where Gallina allegedly rammed it for the fourth time. Police say he then backed up without pause onto Route 6 and fled eastbound on Chestnut Street the went up Allegany Avenue and near Borie street struck another moving vehicle occupied by a local woman and her two children, ages 2 and 7 then drove across the sidewalk and partially into a nearby yard. Gallina then went to his home at 409 Ross Street where he was taken into custody. Troopers said Gallina was found to be intoxicated and while in custody, Gallina damaged the interior of patrol car as well as a wall at the barracks. Police say Gallina used loud and offensive language in public on Ross Street, Charles Cole Hospital and the barracks. They claim Gallina spit at officers and threatened them and their families. Cpl. Jacob Rothermel, Jr. who is conducting the investigation told WFRM he purposely did not release the names of the victims to protect their safety. He said he believes the incident may have begun earlier that morning as a domestic violence situation and says that additional charges may be pending. A Port Allegany man is being charged with disorderly conduct and harassment for an incident allegedly taking place Wednesday morning in the office of District Judge Bill Todd in Smethport. State police claim 63 year old Wayne Barnett entered the lobby and started harassing 24 year old Cory Hurd of Coudersport. Police say the lobby was filled with people at the time and Barnett was escorted out of the building. 09/26/07 A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a Port Allegany woman accused of stealing thousands of dollars from a Roulette business. State police here claim 33 year old Joy Brown of Chestnut Street made several purchases on four separate credit cards issued to Fessenden Construction Company of Roulette knowing she was not authorized to do so. The purchases, totaling more than $42,300.00 took place between July 1, 2006 and this past May 21 while Brown was employed by Fessendens. The suspect is facing four felony counts of access device fraud and four misdemeanor counts of misapplication of entrusted property and property of government or Financial institutions A 15 year old Port Allegany resident is being processed through Potter County Juvenile probation for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Troopers say the pulled the youth over just before midnight Monday on the Ice Mine Road in Sweden Township after committing multiple traffic violations. During the course of the investigation, they learned the driver was only 15 years old and had taken Tina Main’s vehicle without her permission. Kane-based state police have charged 28 year old Dana Sladewski of Bradford with DUI after pulling her over on West Washington Street early Sunday morning during a roving STEADD DUI patrol. Police said she was observed committing several traffic violations and was determined to be DUI. Troopers have also charged 28 year old Andrew Radzavich of Bradford with public drunkenness. Authorities claim Radzavich kicked a large orange barrel in the parking lot of Players Bar and was subsequently found to be “highly intoxicated.”
09/25/07 An elderly Coudersport couple escaped injury Sunday night when their car hit a deer on Route 449 just south of Rag Hill Road in Genesee Township. Troopers said 85 year old Christina Baumann was headed south when the whitetail bounded onto the road in front of her 2007 Toyota Yaris. Both the driver and her husband, Harold Baumann, 80, were wearing seatbelts. A St. Marys man who was not wearing a seatbelt, was hurt Saturday night in a one-vehicle crash on the Hunts Run Road about two and a half miles north of the village of Cameron in Lumber Township, Cameron County. State police said Richard Poage was headed south when his 1999 Hyundai sedan went off the road and struck a tree. Poage was taken to Elk Regional Medical Center for treatment of his injuries. State police at Kane are probing a camp burglary taking place last week on the Upper Portage Road in Liberty Township, McKean County. Burglars forced open a window on the side of the camp owned by Kingsley Chandler of Niagara Falls and removed several bottles of alcohol. Another theft of gasoline in the Sylvan Heights area of Emporium is being investigated by state police there. Sometime between September 11 and 21, thieves stole a five gallon plastic can of gasoline from a utility shed owned by Leo Cummings. The can was later returned filled with water. Authorities say this is the third such incident in the neighborhood and anyone who has information is asked to call them at 486-3321. State police there are also investigationg the theft of a construction job box from along Huston Hill Road in Gibson Township over the past couple of months. The box, belonged to John Buckwalter of Newmanstown, PA and contained various pieces of camping equipment. State police here are investigating a criminal mischief at the Oswayo State Fish Hatchery on Hemlock Hollow Road in Oswayo Township between August 27 and 29. Vandals drove onto a field causing about $25 in damage and scattered a dozen Busch Beer cans around a campfire. 09/24/07 Several members of a Coudersport family were injured Sunday afternoon in a collision at the intersection of Champlin Hill Road and Route 155 in Annin Township, McKean County. State police provided sketchy details but did say that 62 year old James Tilley of Coudersport was headed north on Route 155 when he made a left turn in front of a southbound car driven by Nancy Thomas of Port Allegany. Police said both drivers and passengers in the Tilley vehicle, the driver’s wife, Jacqueline, daughter Jamie and an 18 month old child were taken to various hospitals. At least one person was flown by helicopter to Hamot Medical Center in Erie. Both vehicles were severely damaged. State police were assisted at the scene of the 1:30 p.m. collision by Port Allegany emergency services personnel and Port Allegany Borough police. Both drivers escaped injury in a collision taking place about a half hour earlier on Route 44 in Ceres Township. State police said that collision occurred when Michael Perkins of Oswayo turned left in front of a southbound van driven by Jacqueline Taylor of Shinglehouse. Multiple charges of traffic violations are pending against a York driver following a crash Saturday night on Bailey Run Road in Wharton Township. Troopers said Christopher Mulroy was headed east when his Dodge Dakota went off road bounced off a tree and continued eastward over an embankment before striking a second tree. Authorities say Mulroy left the scene on foot and went to a camp on the East Fork Road while his passenger, Scott Masten of New Oxford, PA went to a camp on Bailey Run Road and was taken to Charles Cole Hospital by private vehicle. No one was hurt in a three-vehicle rear-end collision Saturday afternoon in front of Myra’s restaurant at the intersection of Route 6 and 46 inKeating Township, McKean County. State police said the crash occured when Kathryn Doran failed to stop her Honda Civic and drove into the back of 17 year old Craig Kinney’s Pontiac Grand Am. The impact pushed Kinney’s car into the back of a Subaru operated by Jesse Cheatle. All three drivers are from Port Allegany. A hit and run involving moving vehicles Friday night at about 10:00 p.m. on the McCrea Brook Road in Eldred Township is also being investigated by state police at Kane. An unknown light colored van with New York plates tried to pass a Ford Explorer driven by Zakery Seal on Eldred as Seal slowed to make a right turn. The van struck the SUV in the driver’s side causing minor damage and a flat tire and the driver continued on without stopping. Neither Seal nor his passenger, Alishia Schwab of Duke Center were hurt. Hit and run charges are pending against Brian Rosetti of Bradford for a mishap taking place Friday morning at about 8:00 a.m. at the Larabee Y in Eldred Township. State police said Rosetti’s northbound Jeep Cherokee failed to stop at the stop sign on Route 446, crossed the intersection, and struck an embankment on the east side of Route 155. Troopers claim Rosetti failed to notify authorities of the crash. State police in Cameron County are probing a hit and run taking place sometime Thursday or Friday on the Gardeau Road in Shippen Township. An unknown vehicle traveled off the road and struck a mailbox owned by John Miller. The investigation is continuing into that theft of a car Saturday night or Sunday morning from the Dynamite Stop Bar in Duke Center. Thieves drove off in a 2002 Pontiac Sunfire owned by Tina Thompson of Duke Center. The vehicle was located Sunday afternoon in Duke Center. A couple of area residents were stopped for DUI over the weekend. Sabrina Webster of Emporium was pulled over late Saturday night and was subsequently determined to be under the influence of alcohol. When Kane based state police found Merle Hulbert of Portville stopped along Route 346, just west of Route 446 in Eldred Township Saturday night, they allegedly determined he was under the influence of alcohol. Public drunkenness charges are being filed against two young McKean County residents for an incident occurring last Thursday night on Field Street in Kane. Police claim 21 year old Jesse Hewitt of Cyclone and 22 year old Justin Benjamin of Smethport “appeared in a public place under the influence of alcohol to the degree that they annoyed persons in their vicinity. State police here are probing a burglary at the Cross Fork Inn between 11:00 p.m. last Thursday and 8:30 a.m. Friday. Thieves broke a window on the west side of the building, then reached in an unlocked the door to gain entry and removed a cigar box containing about $200 in currency and coins. State police at Kane recovered a purse which had been stolen from a car belonging to a Port Allegany woman last Thursday or Friday The purse was taken from Tara Stuckey’s car while it was parked near her home on North Brooklynside Road. Troopers at Emporium are investigating the theft of five gallons of gasoline from a utility shed owned by Stephen Songer in Sylvan Heights earlier this month. Thieves took the fuel and then filled the can with water returning it to the shed. Songer, unwittingly filled his John Deere mower with water causing an undetermined amount of damage to the engine. And, Emporium based state police are probing a criminal mischief taking place during the early morning hours last Wednesday. Vandals destroyed a window and screen by hurling a large rock through both at the Robert Smith residence. A second rock damaged aluminum siding on the house.
09/21/07 Coudersport-Based state police say charges are pending against both drivers following a collision yesterday afternoon involving an ATV and a passenger car on Route 49 at the Pushersiding Intersection in Ulysses Township. Troopers said the collision occurred as 66 year old Melvin Erway tried to cross Route 49 on his 2006 Cub Cadet 4 x 4 as 66 year old Richard Kline of Coudersport approached from the west. Kline’s Kia crossed the double yellow line and struck the left rear wheel on Erway’s ATV. The compact plowed into the ATV pushing it up onto the hood, ejecting Erway in the process. The ATV then flew through the air for about 26 feet before hitting a guard rail on the south berm where it came to rest. The car continued on for about 30 feet before stopping. Erway was flown by helicopter to Arnot Ogden Hospital in Elmira for treatment of moderate injuries. He’s being charged with operating an ATV on streets and highways while Kline is being charged with driving while operating privilege is suspended or revoked. A McKean County Prison inmate has been charged with harassment for an incident allegedly taking place Thursday morning. State police at Kane contend 29 year old David Walton of Attalla, Alabama threw a full milk carton at fellow inmate, Brian Lauver, 42, of Smethport. The milk carton broke open and sprayed Lauver with milk. Troopers here are investigating the theft of a purse from Sweden Valley Manor Thursday. Minelle Snay of Coudersport told authorities someone walked off with her black leather purse which held her social security card, credit card and two check books between 2:45 and 4:15 p.m. A burglary at a home on Route 59 in Lafayette Township, McKean County Tueday afternoon is being investigated by state police at Kane. Burglars took clothing, perfume and hair products from the Frederick Madison residence.
09/20/07 State police here are investigating a number of recent burglaries and thefts. Sometime over the past month or so thieves removed a red Wheel Horse 211 lawn tractor and a red plastic five gallon gas can with hand pump attachment from a utility shed at a camp located on Bear Track Lane west of the Gardeau Road in Keating Township owned by Wilson Jack of Vandergrift, PA. Sometime over the past six weeks, someone entered a house on the11 Mile Road in Oswayo Township through an unlocked window at the rear of the house and tried to remover copper water pipes from the basement. They were unsuccessful but caused about $50 in damage in the attempt. Sometime over the past couple of weeks, thieves removed lock cylinders on two vending machines at the Austin School baseball field and took the money exchange mechanisms from each along with an estimated $200 in currency while causing about $330 in damage Thieves stole two packs of cigarettes from the home of Judith Metcalf on Teed Hollow Road in Hector Township while she was at work between 2:30 p.m. Monday and 2:00 a.m. Tuesday. Earlier this month, thieves entered a home on the North Open Brook Road in Township near Port Allegany owned by Douglas Smith and stole several items. The investigation continues. Troopers locally have charged 28 year Eric Travis of Portville, NY with scattering rubbish for an incident allegedly taking place late Tuesday night on Railroad Avenue in Roulette. Authorities claim Travis drove a dump truck onto property owned by Eleane Monroe of Coudersport next to the Country Living Retreat Trailer Court and dumped off numerous items including regular household garbage. Police said Travis is currently resident with a former tenant of the victim.
09/19/07 A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for October 1 for a Roulette woman who is accused of stealing more than $18,000 fromthe Port Allegany VFW while employed there between June 2005 and March 2006. Valerie Meacham, 55, was arraigned earlier this week before District Judge Bill Todd on charges of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property. She was released on $10,000 unsecured bail pending further court action. A Lewis Run driver is facing DUI charges after a one-vehicle crash last night on the Big Shanty Road in Lafayette Township, McKean County. State police said 35 year old Amy Hewitt was headed south when her car went off the road for about 40 feet before it hit a cement culvert and overturned. Hewitt apparently escaped injury. No one was hurt in a rear-end collision taking place Tuesday afternoon on Route 446 in Eldred Township, McKean County. Troopers said the collision occurred when Katherine Harvey of Shinglehouse crested a hill on a curve and failed to see that Daniel Pascale of Cuba, NY had stopped for a school bus dropping off children. State police at Kane are also probing a credit card theft victimizing a Smethport woman. Someone reportedly took Nancy Struble’s credit card early last December and used it to make cash withdrawals totaling nearly $900. PennDot announces that the Driftwood Bridge along Route 555 was re-opened to traffic this morning after being closed yesterday so that emergency repairs could be made to the floor beam following a routine inspection. The steel girder bridge, however, is now posted to a 13 ton limit. Crews will make more repairs over the next few weeks in an effort to improve the posting condition. Officials say that when the work takes place, the bridge will be closed for short periods of time and travel updates will be provided to motorists. The bridge is scheduled to be replaced next year and during that project, the current bridge will remain in place so traffic can travel around the replacement project. 09/18/07 Roulette Township Supervisors announced early this afternoon that they have downgraded the current mandatory water restrictions for the township to a voluntary water restriction, as required under the Pennsylvania Drought Watch. The change means that township residents can go from a mandatory reduction to a voluntary 5% reduction in water usage. Officials say the down grade is due to the recent installation of a higher capacity pump being installed in the primary water well supplying the township which provides a substantial increase. There are still some limitations imposed by the Roulette Fire Department which will remain in place at least until the new water storage facility is in place and functional, probably in mid-October. For more information, contact the Township office at 544-7549. An elderly Connecticut man died Monday afternoon when his compact car collided with a tractor-trailer on route 59 about five miles west of Route 321 in Corydon Township, McKean County. Kane-based state police said 82 year old Eric Alliot Jr was headed east when his Jetta crossed the center line and struck the left front of an International truck with trailer driven by Benedict Guth of Leeper. Alliot was pronounced dead at the scene by McKean County Coroner Mike Cahill. Guth escaped injury. Moderate injuries were reported for a Roulette man whose tractor-trailer spilled a partial load of light bulbs Monday morning on Route 6 just east of the Route 449 intersection in Ulysses Township. State police said Jeffrey Fessenden was headed west when he reportedly swerved to miss a deer. The rig traveled off the road for about 400 feet in the soft dirt shoulder and grassy area. When Fessenden tried to bring it back onto the highway, the trailer began to rotated counter clockwise and rolled over onto its right side. The impact cause the canvas top to rip open and spill part of the load onto the highway. The rig continued another 142 feet before coming to rest. Fessenden was taken to Charles Cole hospital for treatment. Galeton volunteer emergency services were assisted by PennDot and Portville truck. Fessenden is being charged with a summary traffic offense in connection to the 6:45 a.m. crash. A burglary taking place sometime since July 6 on the Brookland Road in Sweden Township is being probed by state police here. Thieves cut a three foot by three foot screen on a locked screen door, then pried open a locked wooden door to gain entry to the camp owned by Manny Senna of Provincetown, Massachusetts. The burglars made off with more than $2000 worth of items including two Panasonic DVD/VCR combo players, a Doc Brown jewelry box containing several 18k goldrings and chains and gold and silver pendants; plus two black one foot by six inch Bose Stereo speakers, a Black and Decker cordless spotlight with battery charger, a Bushnell tripod refractive telescope and a purple Raleigh men’s mountain bike. Before calling police, Senna was able to recover a Panasonic CD stereo system, a Brookstone Sub 1 speaker, an Apex DVD/VCR combo player and a dozen assorted DVDs. Anyone with information is asked to call the local barracks at 274-8690. Emporium-state police are investigating a rash of vending machine thefts occurring over the weekend. Thieves took the coin mechanism out of an older unused pop machine at Fulton’s Store in Driftwood; about $25 in change and the coin mechanism from a Pepsi machine owned by Loren Foltz located in the parking lot of Sinnemahoning State Park; and the coin mechanism from a pop machine owned by Gibson Township located in the Sinnemahoning Recreation Park. Meanwhile, Elk County authorities report would-be thieves took off early Sunday morning when they were confronted by witness while trying to break into a self-serve air compressor and pop machine in Weedville.
09/17/07 A Canadian tractor-trailer operator and his passenger were severely injured in a crash taking place at about 2:30 Sunday morning on Route 219 about a half mile south of the Lafayette Township line in Hamlin Township, McKean County. State police said Jaspal Singh was headed north when his 2003 Freightliner traveled off the road for about 390 feet for unknown reasons before going down a 50 foot embankment. Both Singh and Bara Paramjit are from Brampton, Ontario and were apparently taken to Bradford Regional Medical Center. A section of Route 6 in Ulysses Township was blocked to traffic following a tractor-trailer “rollover” at about 6:00 o’clock this morning. No details are available yet from state police but the eastbound lane remained closed to traffic for several hours after the westbound lane was opened. Troopers at Kane have charged 36 year old James Hushon with simple assault and harassment for a domestic violence incident early Sunday morning in his home on the West Warren Road, Bradford. Authorities claim Hushon pushed his wife, Crystal, to the ground during an argument, injuring her wrist and then continued the assault by hitting her left eye with a wooden coaster holder. Charges are being filed in district court. A Roulette woman has been cited for possessing a small amount of marijuana. Potter County Probation personnel allegedly found 33 year old Jennifer Sisson in possession of a small quantity of pot last Thursday night in her home on North Street and reported the findings to state police. State police here and in Emporium are probing a couple of recent burglaries. Sometime over the past couple of weeks, thieves used an unknown object to pry open a door at a hunting camp on the Tom May Road in Ulysses Township owned by Carl Peters of Wrightsville, PA. The burglars rummaged through the camp but it’s not known at this time if anything was taken. Someone entered an abandoned house on the Musto Hollow Road last week owned by Kenneth Collins of Ulysses and rummaged through the contents before leaving. Apparently nothing was taken. And, Sandra Dunsmore told police that intruders entered her unlocked house on Meadow Road in Shippen Township Frdaiy between 4:45 and 11:30 p.m. but apparently left empty-handed. In a bi-partisan news release issued late Friday afternoon, Pennsylvania’s US Senators Arlen Specter and Bob Casey announced that the US Senate Appropriations Committee has approved federal funding for several defense-related projects in Pennsylvania as part of the Fiscal Year 2008 Defense Appropriations bill which awaits further action on the Senate floor and then must be approved by the House and signed by the President before becoming final. Funding includes $2 million for Morgan AM and T located in Coudersport and St. Marys. 09/14/07 Starting tonight, September 14, 2007 WFRM will be streaming all of the Falcon football and basketball games we broadcast. Just go to the link above this news report and follow the prompts. A couple of Potter County residents have been admitted to the ARD program on DUI related charges. Steven VanEtten, 22, of Ulysses was arrested last Christmas Eve following a one-vehicle roll-over on the Whites Corners Road. Responding troopers determined VanEtten had been drinking alcohol prior to the crash and discovered an empty beer can and a partially consumed can in the car. VanEtten’s two passengers were under the age of 21 and had also consumed alcohol. They were subsequently charged with underage drinking. Terry Flewellyn, 49, of Harrison Valley was arrested last December 28 when he was pulled over on Route 49 in Ulysses for expired inspection and registration stickers. VanEtten was admitted to the program for nine months, and Flewellyn for six. VanEtten also pleaded guilty to a variety of summary traffic offenses and furnishing alcohol to minors for which he received a sentence of nine months probation and was ordered to pay a $1000 fine. Both defendants were ordered to pay all fines, costs and fees, to perform 25 hours of community service, undergo drug and alcohol evaluation and follow through with recommended treatment; and attend the DUI Victim Impact Panel Presentation. In McKean County Court action, 48 year old Kevin Fuller of Port Allegany was sentenced 60 days to 18 months in jail for indecent assault. Fuller was arrested after inappropriately touching a nine year old boy. As a convicted sex offender, Fuller must register his address with state police for 10 years after being released from jail, under Megan’s Law. Emporium-based state police say they have two suspects in a case of stolen wire and charges are pending. The pair was observed by a citizen cutting loose- hanging wire from railroad poles along Route 120 in the village of Cameron last Saturday afternoon. The witness was able to give police a description of the suspects and their vehicle. Some 70 feet of wire was stolen. It’s not known at this time if the theft is related to a similar one taking place this past week in McKean County. Troopers there are also probing the theft of some gasoline between a two hour period last Friday night on the Pioneer Road in Sylvan Heights in Shippen Township. Thieves removed a can containing about three gallons of gasoline from a utility shed owned by Mark McLean. 09/13/07 State police here have charged 38 year old James Kaziska with harassment for an incident allegedly taking place Monday night in the village of Roulette. Troopers say Kaziska struck 22 year old Travis Kelly of Port Allegany in the head when Kelly approached Kaziska’s children while walking on Main Street and reportedly made remarks toward them. Kelly, meanwhile, is being cited for public drunkenness.A couple of criminal mischief incidents are under investigation by Coudersport based state police. Samuel Glassmire of Coudersport reports vandals have damaged his fence, blocks, roof and window at his home on the Southwoods road in Homer Township over the past 11 months or so. And vandals intentionally drove a motor vehicle onto the lawn at Abel’s Hunting Lodge on the East Fork Road in Wharton Township sometime last Friday or Saturday damaging the grass. The camp is owned by Glen Abel of Georgetown, Kentucky. Troopers say they have a scattering rubbish suspect and charges are pending in connection to the dumping of some garbage on land located on the Dry Run Road in Hebron Township over the summer months. A large bag of trash and an old tire were found lying over an embankment on land owned by Ram Forest Products. Kane-based police are probing the theft of some 580 feet of copper wire belonging to B & P Railroad from a location south of the Hutchins Road in Hamlin Township between 3:00 p.m. Monday and 1:00 p.m. Tuesday. The wire is valued at $700 and anyone with information is asked to contact the Kane barracks at 778-5555. In regional news, a crash, which occurred on September 1st on Route 15 near Trout Run, in Lycoming County, which injured seven persons, has resulted in charges being pressed against both drivers who were involved. Police say that Brian Booth of Wellsboro and Jason Davy of Covington were racing each other when Booth’s vehicle clipped Davy’s while trying to pass it near Powy’s Curve. The two will be charged with racing and Booth will also be charged with reckless driving. 09/12/07 A Port Allegany man was hurt in a one-vehicle mishap Tuesday afternoon on Route 155 north of the Birch Run Road in Liberty Township. Troopers said 70 year old Clair Keyser was headed south when his Chevy S-10 crossed to the other side of the highway, and struck a ditch, coming to rest in the ditch. He had to be extricated from the wreckage by Star Hose volunteers and was taken to Olean General Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. Police say Keyser was wearing a seatbelt. Coudersport-based state police have charged 66 year old Raymond Card of Railroad Avenue Roulette with harassment for an incident allegedly taking place in his home Monday night. Authorities claim Card grabbed his wife Cheryl during an argument and ripped her clothes. Mrs. Card, meanwhile was cited recently for disorderly conduct for an incident allegedly taking place on the night of August 31. Troopers claim she told someone that she had shot and killed her husband. The other person called state police who responded with sirens and lights activated, “inconveniencing other motorists on Route 6 at the time.” The statement turned out, obviously, to be false. Mrs. Card also was recently cited for shouting obscenities outside her home in the trailer park.
Emporium-based state police have charged 23 year old Sean Thompson of that town with burglary for an incident allegedly taking place Monday morning at the home of Lucinda Eckenroad on North Vine Street. Thompson was remanded to the Potter County jail in lieu of $5,000 bail after being arraigned before District Judge Alvin Brown on charges of harassment, criminal trespass, harassment and criminal mischief.
Members of the
Potter County Planning Commission last 09/11/07 Pennsylvania Crimestoppers is offering a cash reward of up to $2000 for information leading to the whereabouts of 24 year old Joseph Chapman who walked away from the McKean County Prison on July 30. Chapman was a trustee inmate which allowed him to go outside the building to perform various tasks unsupervised. He went outside at around 8:00 a.m. and failed to report for lunch. His jail clothing was found near a stream and his has not been seen since. Chapman, is described as being 5’9” tall, weighs 180 pounds, has blond hair and blue eyes and a tattoo of a mushroom on his right ankle and may have a small thin beard. He had been transferred from the Cameron County jail where he was serving time for violating parole after being convicted of statutory sexual assault in 2002. Chapman was arrested this past spring on charges of eluding a police officer, reckless endangerment, DUI and other summary offenses and waived a preliminary hearing on those charges in mid-May. Cameron County authorities have subsequently charged Chapman with sexual crimes allegedly taking place this past spring in Emporium. Anyone who knows of his whereabouts is asked to call toll free 1-800-4PA Tips. All callers remain anonymous and could be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,000. Douglas Yohe, 46 of Bradford has been arrested on charges of harassment and indecent assault for an incident allegedly taking place this past July 29 at the Willows Restaurant in Corydon Township, McKean County. State police claim Yohe in appropriately touched a 22 year old woman. The state police fire marshal is still investigating the cause of a fire early last Friday morning which destroyed two small, unoccupied houses and damaged a mobile home occupied by 92 year old Orpha Lundgren near the Antlers Inn at Gaines. Some 75 firefighters from Galeton, Wellsboro, Westfield and Clymer Township responded with 13 pieces of equipment. Apparently there were no injuries and the buildings were injured. The Antlers was destroyed by fire on May 9, 2006 and re-opened this past May 9. Opponents of a plan to build upwards of 80 massive wind turbines on ridge tops in northern Potter County will take their case to the county’s Planning Commission tonight. Members of “Save God’s Country (SGC),” comprised mostly of residents living in the targeted area, are asking the planning group to pass a measure that would control the location and size of the turbines.A spokesman said the citizens’ lobby will press the Planning Commission for action during tonight’s monthly meeting, to be held at 6 p.m. in the Mapleview Complex.Several weeks ago, at the request of Planning Commission Chair Wanda Shirk, SGC members submitted suggestions for an amendment to the county’s Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance. Their action comes in response to a proposal by international energy giant AES Corporation to generate electricity through the construction of 79 multi-million-dollar turbines on leased properties in Ulysses and Hector townships. SGC summarizes its objections as follows:
--potential damage to groundwater and area headwater streams from property disruption (construction of new roads, underground transmission lines, footing/anchoring of each turbine); --damaging health effects, --noise pollution; --negative impact on wildlife; --declining property values; --shadow flicker; --negative impact on tourism; --visual intrusion on the landscape; --absence of any direct energy benefits for Potter County. There's a split in public opinion. Supporters see the massive turbines as symbols of energy independence, as well as a source of tax revenue and modest employment. They are joined by a handful of landowners in Ulysses and Hector townships who stand to benefit economically. On the other side are those who see the wind plant as an aesthetic and environmental nightmare being plotted by a company taking advantage of state and federal tax breaks and other government incentives. A National Fuel Gas Corp. subsidiary is studying sites in McKean and Cameron counties for possible location of wind turbines. Initial assessments are taking place in the county's northwest corner, off Rt. 46 in Shippen Township, between Emporium and Smethport. Meanwhile, at least two companies have approached property owners in Potter County's Hebron Township and in the Dutch Hill area, between Coudersport and Austin. Wind energy companies, including AES, have also contacted rural landowners in Tioga County to discuss leasing acreage for construction of turbines. 09/10/07 A Ulysses woman was seriously injured Sunday afternoon in a collision just west of Cemetery Curve on Route 6 in Eulalia Township. State police said 65 year old Fay Wood was headed east when her 2004 Chevy pickup was struck in the driver’s side by a flatbed trailer hauled by a rig driven by Larry Arnold of Erie which swerved into the eastbound lane while coming out of the curve. Wood had to be extricated from the wreckage and was taken to Charles Cole Hospital and was later flown by helicopter to Hamot Medical Center in Erie. Arnold escaped injury as did Wood’s dog who was riding with her in the truck. Route 6 was closed for more than four hours and traffic was detoured via Dingman Run Road and the East Branch of Fishing Creek. Coudersport and Roulette emergency services responded to the scene. Police say charges are pending but noted that heavy rain was falling and the roadway was wet at the time of the 2:30 p.m. crash. Charges are also pending against a Canadian driver following a crash Thursday evening at the intersection of Route 49 and 44 in Eulalia Township. Troopers said 41 year old Yan Sun of Ontario failed to stop her Toyota Corolla at the intersection while headed south on Route 44 and drove through the intersection into the yard and residence of James Jones causing minor damage. Sun escaped injury. A Williamsville, NY motorcyclist received minor injuries in a mishap Friday morning on Route 44 about five miles north of the Black Forest Inn in Stewardson Township. Troopers said Michael Wrobel was headed south when his ’81 Suzuki slid out of control on loose gravel. He was taken to Lock Haven Hospital by a passing motorist. Troopers here are investigating the reported theft of a vehicle which was found wrecked on the Lyman Run Road Friday morning. The 2000 Subaru Forester was later reported stolen by the owner, Benjamin Moore of Galeton. A 16 year old McKean County boy is being charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. State police at Kane say the youth took a relative’s vehicle without permission Friday afternoon and was found a short time later in possession of the car. Charges are being filed through Juvenile Probation. The theft of three bicycles from a residence on the West Branch Road in West Branch Township is being probed by troopers here. The three bikes belonged to a 16 year old boy who had put them next to the road in an attempt to sell them. They were last seen Thursday around noontime. One is s a Gray Huffy, another a blue Roadmaster and the third is a Huffy mountain bike. All three are youth sized. Thieves took a 2’ x 2’ window off of a vacant 1989 Fleetwood mobile home parked along Art Line Road in Eldred Township sometime last week. The trailer is owned by Edward Isaacs of Eldred. Matthew Hohman, 22 of Lewis Run was charged Friday night by Kane-based state police with harassment. State police claim Hohman showved 36 year old Pamela McCalla to the ground during an argument.
09/07/07
A
couple of motorcyclists received minor injuries in separate
crashes across the region earlier this week. Timothy Lea, 48 of
Grand Ledge, Michigan is being charged with failing to operate a
vehicle at a safe speed following a collision with another
motorcycle Thursday morning at the intersection of Route 46 and
446 in Keating Township, McKean County. Troopers said Lea failed
to stop at the stop sign and rode his Yamaha into a Honda
operated by Michael Howard of Grandview, Michigan, Lea was taken
to Bradford Regional Medical Center for treatment of facial
abrasions while Howard declined medical attention. Christopher
Lee, 39 of Westfield was treated at Soldiers and Sailors
Hospital in Wellsboro for minor injuries he suffered Wednesday
afternoon when his Yamaha Maxim failed to negotiate a left
curve, went onto the shoulder and laid down. He’ll be cited for
failing to stay within roadways laned for traffic An elderly Ulysses resident has been jailed in lieu of $10,000 bail after being arraigned Monday before on-call District Judge Barbara Easton for criminal trespass. State police claim 77 year old Carl Labar illegally entered a garage next to the home of Anna Lewis on the Fox Hill Road. A warrant was obtained for his arrest late last week and he was taken into custody on Monday. Troopers have charged 62 year old Cheryl Card of Roulette with disorderly conduct allegedly taking place last Friday evening in the village. Authorities claim Card told a third party that she had shot and killed her husband, Ray Card. The other person called police who responded with lights and sirens activated causing a public inconvenience for motorists on the highway. She was recently cited for shouting obscenities in a public area near her home on Railroad Avenue. A camp burglary taking place over the past month at a camp on the Neefe Road in Sweden Township is under investigation by state police here. Burglarlars took some $800 worth of items including a Marlin bolt action rifle with Bausch and Lomb scope, a bottle of Tanqueray gin, a bottle of Seagrams VO, two yellow flashlights, an ATV key and window screen from the camp owned by Randall Wenk of Abbottstown, PA. Entry was gained through a basement window. McKean County authorities are probing the theft of a lawn mower and trailer from a location along Route 446 in Smethport over the past week or so. Police believe the thieves loaded the 1970’s model cream-colored Cub Cadet mower onto the cream colored trailer and drove off with it. The equipment belonged to the Joseph Visalle estate. 09/06/07 An IU9 teacher has been charged by Coudersport based state police with endangering the welfare of a child, simple assault, and harassment for incidents allegedly taking place in her classroom located at the Northern Potter Children’s School between September 2005 and May 2006. Authorities allege that 38 year old Heather Spriggle caused bodily injury to a 14 year old boy and that the incidents were witnessed by teacher’s aides. The charges were apparently filed on July 25, 2007 but state police did not issue a news release until prodded yesterday by Donald Gilliland, Editor of THE POTTER LEADER ENTERPRISE. Authorities told Gilliland that it was due to “an oversight” that the public information was not released to area media including WFRM. Today’s news release did not indicate if Spriggle had posted bail or not. Scott Graham, the new superintendent at Northern Potter told WFRM that Spriggle had not been reassigned by the IU9 to the Northern Potter School this fall. A former Coudersport resident, now an inmate in a state prison has been charged by state police locally with statutory sexual assault for an incident allegedly taking place during the early morning hours of this past June 27 in an apartment on Ross Street in Coudersport. Authorities allege that on the night before being transferred to the prison in Camp Hill to serve time for burglary and theft, 24 year old Colt Stinger had sex with a 15 year old girl. He was returned to Potter County on a warrant to be processed on the latest charges. Troopers at Kane have charged 30 year old Heidi Horton of that town with eight counts each of burglary and theft. Police claim Horton committed several daylight burglaries in and around Kane over the past several months. Following arraignment she was committed to the McKean County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail. Charges are pending against a Wellsboro driver for a rear end collision taking place just before 11:00 a.m. Wednesday on Route 6 in Sweden Valley. Authorities say 29year old Rebecca Reese did not notice that Lawrence Tasillo of Coudersport had stopped on the highway for a tractor cutting grass and allowed her Suzuki Forenza to run into the back of Tasillo’s truck. Both drivers declined treatment. Charges are also pending against an Emporium driver following a work zone three vehicle pile-up Wednesday at around 11:30 a.m. State police said 51 Year old John Sandrovich of Emporium failed to stop at a red light in a construction zone on the bridge in the village of Truman and drove his Buick sedan into the back of a Ford Taurus driven by 86 year old Ernest Good of Smicksburg, PA . The impact forced the Taurus into the back of a Chevy truck driven by 76 year old Gilbert Jones of Homer City.
9/5/07 A Florida resident has been jailed here in Potter County after being returned on warrants for various crimes. Jed Appleton, 20, of St. Eustis, Florida is accused of stealing $1000 in cash from the home of Todd and Brenda Langan while staying with them on June 20, 2007. He is also accused of statutory rape for having sexual intercourse with a 15 year old Potter County girl during the same period of time and of stealing a van. State police say Appleton was dropped off at the Gold Store on the night of June 22 after drinking in nearby New York State and started walking to the home of friends where he was staying and in his intoxicated condition, became confused and walked west on Route 49 instead of North on Route 449. During his walk, he came upon a van owned by Wending Creek Farms and discovered that the keys had been left inside. He drove the van back to his friends’ house were it was recovered by troopers the next day. Appleton was remanded to the Potter County jail in lieu of $50,000 bail after being arraigned before District Judge Delores Bristol on the sexual assault and theft of cash charges and in lieu of $35,000 bail after being arraigned before District Judge Barbara Easton on the theft of the van. Travis Schultz, 27 of Genesee was released on $3,000 percentage cash bail following arraignment before District Judge Barbara Easton on a simple assault charge. State police claim during the early morning hours Monday, Schultz choked Elizabeth Webster so hard she couldn’t breathe before leaving their Bingham Township home. Judge Easton ordered Schultz to have no contact with the victim pending further court action. A 16 year old Harrisburg boy was hurt Monday afternoon in an ATV crash on the Cushing Hollow Road in Ulysses Township. Police said the youth was operating a 1998 Yamaha Warrior which became airborne while cresting a hill at Nauman Road. The machine landed on a grassy berm, slid about 50 feet into an embankment, traveled another 60 feet before ejecting the operator and continued on another 40 feet before crossing to the other side of the road where it continued for another 50 feet before coming to rest over an embankment. The boy was flown by helicopter to Arnot Ogden Hospital in Elmira. A Marion Center driver escaped injury in a one-vehicle crash early Saturday morning on the Nelson Run Road in Sylvania Township. Troopers said Joshua Stonebraker was driving a Ford F-150which failed to negotiate a sharp right turn, slid off an embankment and overturned. Michael Langworthy, 38 of Coudersport has been charged with criminal mischief for an incident allegedly taking place Monday afternoon at his home on the Troupe Road in Eulalia Township. Authorities claim he used a hammer to smash the windshield and passenger side of a van owned by Sherri Rodriguez of Roulette. State police are also looking for those responsible for a couple of other criminal mischief incidents. An unknown driver caused about $800 in damage to a corn crop in Genesee Township owned by Ronald Silsby Sunday night or Monday by driving about 200 feet through the field and then turning around and driving back through. Vandals cut seven cables on a satellite dish located on Vader Hill Road owned by ZitoMedia Saturday between 4:45 and 5:00 p.m. causing $30 in damage. 9/5/07 A couple of Telford, PA men were hurt in an ATV crash Friday afternoon on the Harrison Rooks Road in Harrison Township. Troopers said Kenneth Clark’s four wheeler went out of control on a slight left hand curve when he served to avoid another ATV which was turning left. Clark’s Suzuki Kingquad slid onto the berm and down an embankment ejecting Clark and his passenger, Mark McReynolds as it overturned. McReynolds was flown by helicopter to Geisinger Medical Center for treatment of unknown injuries. Clark apparently did not require treatment for minor injuries. Details are not yet available regarding an ATV crash taking place Monday afternoon on Cushing Hollow Road in Ulysses Township. Mercy Flight was called to transport a victim. And, And, details are also lacking about as well about a motorcycle crash Saturday on Route 6 about a mile west of the Sylvania Inn. 9-1-1 dispatch reported at least one person was injured. Moderate injuries were reported for a Gifford resident who whose bicycle was struck by a wheel which fell off a large truck Saturday afternoon on Route 646 in Keating Township, McKean County. Troopers said Kevin Hardy of Bradford was headed south when the left rear dual wheels came off his commercial truck. One of them hit Todd Snyder’s Roadmaster Mt. Fury bicycle and sheared off a utility pole before coming to rest. The other wheel hit a parked Chevrolet Trailblazer owned by Heather DeGolier of Gifford. Snyder was transported to Bradford Regional Medical Center. Police say they are fining Universal Well Services, owner of the 2006 International Paystar 5600 driven by Hardy. The theft of a 1979 yellow two-door Ford Mustang from property located along Route 59 near Marshburg between 3:00 and 11:00 p.m. Sunday is being probed by troopers at Kane. The car, which was not in immediate running condition, was likely towed from the Michael Zalepa property and had an old style Pennsyvlania license plate and studded tires on the front wheels. Authorities said Zalepa had the car marked “for sale” and a prospective buyer with the first name of “Justin” from the Warren area might be involved in the theft. Troopers are also investigating the theft of a 20 inch Sea Star Huffy bicycle from an apartment along the North Brooklynside Road in Port Allegany between August 20 and 22. The bike, which is blue with a white seat and white handlebars belonged to Tabbatha Skillman. A Kane woman is wanted on a warrant for hindering apprehension or prosecution. State police say when they went to the home of Georgia Johnson last Saturday to serve a warrant on David Walters, she denied he was in the home but he was spotted by another trooper leaving the rear of the house and was taken into custody. A 15 year old Mansfield boy is facing drug charges through Potter County Juvenile court after being apprehended Thursday evening at the West Pike Motel on Route 6 in Pike Township. Authorities were called to the motel by the owners who detained the youth after he allegedly admitted to stealing a small package of potato chips. When police searched him, they reportedly found a small smoking pipe containing suspected marijuana residue on his person. 8/30/07 A Galeton woman is being treated at Robert
Packer Hospital in Sayre for serious injuries she received
Wednesday night in a DUI-related crash on the Meeker Hollow Road
in Pike Township. Katherine Fischner, 42, was a passenger in a
Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by 37year old Kimberly Malaczewski,
also of Galeton which overturned when the driver reportedly
swerved to avoid a deer about four miles north of Route 6. The
impact sent Fischner who was not wearing a seatbelt into the
back seat of the SUV. She was flown by medical helicopter to
Sayre. Malaczewki was wearing a seatbelt and suffered minor
injuries but is being charged with DUI.
State police are also probing multiple thefts from a mailbox located at the intersection of Baker Creek and Baker Hollow Roads in Hebron Township over the past several months. John Allen, 64, told authorities someone has removed various items from his mailbox several times since late November of last year. A camp burglary in Sharon Township is also under state police investigation. Burglars pushed open the front door to gain entry to the camp on Route 44 South owned by Gerald Ritchie of Bethel, PA but it’s not been determined if any items were stolen from the camp. Troopers at Kane are probing a criminal mischief Tuesday night at Tack’s Inn located at the intersection of Routes 219 and 59 in Lafayette Township. While 43 year old Patricia Caldwell was inside the bar, vandals let the air out of all of the tires on her vehicle. The state game commission says three more Wildlife Management Units have exhausted their supply of doe licenses. The latest on the list include WMU 3A which includes portions of Potter, McKean, Tioga and Bradford Counties located north of Route 6. The original allocation was 29,000 for the WMU. WMU 2F, covering part of McKean County and 2G covering the area south of Route 6 in several counties sold out quickly. Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati is concerned with the precedent Governor Ed Rendell is setting with suspending instant background checks for gun purchases.According to Scarnati, the Governor is moving forward with computer upgrades to the Pennsylvania Instant Check System during the Labor Day weekend. In a news release, Scarnati said “the the poor timing of the upgrades is unconscionable to gun owners, sportsmen, and retailers in the Commonwealth.“Clearly, the Rendell Administration has decided to suspend the Constitution for a few days,” Scarnati said. “This is just another example of how the Administration does not understand the rights of gun owners and sportsmen. This is unwarranted and, quite frankly, unnecessary.” 08/29/07 The Rigas family has taken legal action to force a civil trial in Philadelphia. According to a news release from family attorneys, a petition was filed yesterday in the Commerce Court Division of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas “to strike the attempted discontinuance by Deloitte& Touche LLP of the claims that Deloitte asserted against members of the Rigas family.” The former Adelphia auditing firm filed suit against Adelphia Founder and former CEO John Rigas and his sons, Timothy, Michael and James but last week, “on the eve of the trial” withdrew all of its claims, thus preventing the Rigases from having their say in court. Their petition is based on Pennsylvania law which prohibits plaintiffs from dropping claims against a defendant after extensive litigation while reserving the right to re-litigate the same claims in another court. In the news release, James Rigas is quoted as saying “The Rigas family will continue to pursue our right to a full trial on Deloitte’s claims so that a public record can be made of what really happened at Adelphia. Contrary to Deloitte’s persistent public statements, Deloitte auditors possessed all the information they needed to perform thorough and accurate audits. At no time did any of the Rigases withhold information from Deloitte or instruct any Adelphia employee to do so. At no time did any of the Rigases participate in a fraud directed at Deloitte or anyone else. The evidence shows this clearly. Deloitte’s reluctance to go to trial reflects a fear that a Philadelphia jury, as well as the financial and accounting worlds will see this evidence and hold Deloitte accountable for its actions. This case has brought to light far more evidence about the real facts and occurrences that was available at the time of the criminal trial. After spending millions of dollars to defend against Deloitte’s baseless claims, we are entitled to have a full trial where the case will be determined on the merits.” The case was scheduled to go to trial on September 10. John Rigas and son Timothy have begun serving time in federal prison after begin convicted of fraud and other offenses leading to the cable company’s ultimate bankruptcy. They continue to maintain their innocence and are appealing their convictions while asking for a new trial because the prosecution’s star witness, Jim Brown, according to the Rigases, committed perjury while testifying against them and about his role in the company’s “off the books” financial dealings. Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward of up to $2,000 leading to an arrest in a case of homicide by vehicle occurring last October in Tioga County. State Police at Mansfield continue their search for the driver of the vehicle that was towing or hauling a trailer that became disconnected and killed the driver of another car on the morning of Friday October, 27, 2006 just before noon on Route 287 in Tioga Township. The trailer appears to have been homemade and was not properly registered. It had no Vehicle Identification Number and police belief it was being hauled by a dark colored truck in fair to good condition. The trailer came unhooked crossed the center line and struck a teal blue Dodge Neon driven by 34 year old Rhonda Fromm of Lawrenceville. She was killed instantly which her husband, Michael, who as a passenger was taken to Soldiers and Sailors Hospital for treatment of his injuries. Further investigation reveals the equipment trailer may have been parked at the RMV Storage facility on Route 287 a few days before the collision and that it was stole from Stage’s Used Equipment on Route 15 earlier that month. Anyone with information about the trailer or the driver of the truck is asked to call Crime Stoppers toll free 1-800-4-PA Tips. All calls will remain confidential.
08/28/07 Kane-based state police have charged a tractor-trailer driver with DUI and other offenses and his passenger with disorderly conduct for an incident Monday afternoon near the Tacks Inn intersection in Lafayette Township. Authorities say 35 year old Scott Hockenberry of Thompsontown, PA and 23 year old Sarah Barber of Massena, NY had been drinking while driving the rig from Buffalo to New Jersey. They began arguing in enroute and near Lewis Run, Hockenberry stopped the semi and threw Barber out of the cab followed by her clothes. He continued on for a short distance, and almost hit a parked vehicle when he turned around apparently to go back for Barber. Hockenberry was committed to the McKean County Jail in lieu of $2500 bail after being arraigned before District Judge William Todd and charges of DUI, disorderly conduct, reckless driving, and careless driving. Charges are pending against an Emporium driver following a minor collision in that town Monday morning. Troopers say 19 year old Justin Austin was driving a Chevy Malibu which struck a Chevy truck driven by Amy Crowell while making a left hand turn from the eastbound lane. He was taken to Elk Regional Medical Center for treatment of injuries. Crowell apparently escaped injury. Troopers here have charged 21 year old Kyle Heter of Port Allegany with violating state drug laws. Authorities claim that when they pulled his vehicle over on Route 155 near Keating Summit, they found him to be in possession of a suspected marijuana pipe. The investigation is continuing. The state labor department reports that Potter County’s jobless rate increased from 6.6% in June to 7.2% in July the rate compared to 6.2% a year ago. Unemployment rates for neighboring counties during the period were 5.6% in Cameron County; 5.2% in Tioga; 4.6 in McKean and 4.0% in Elk County. Pennsylvania’s jobless rate during the period was 4.3% while the national rate was 4.6%. PennDOT Secretary Allen D. Biehler, P.E., announced this week that both the sufficiency and condition ratings for all 25,000 state-maintained bridges are now available on PennDOT’s Web site, www.dot.state.pa.us. The release of the list of 25,000 bridges follows closely the Aug 14 release of condition rating and sufficiency rating information for the 54 steel deck truss bridges that are similar in design to the collapsed Minnesota bridge. PennDOT also made a listing of closed and posted bridges available, along with maps of the locations of structurally deficient bridges, on the www.RideonPa.org Web site in May. Additionally, PennDOT posted the complete list of roughly 6,000 structurally deficient bridges on Aug. 3. along with the list of 25,000 bridges, the posting also contains a frequently asked questions section, along with the sufficiency rating and three condition rating numbers for each bridge.
08/27/07 A Portville, NY man died Sunday evening when his motorcycle collided with a car on Route 872 South of the East Fork Road in Wharton Township. State police said 52 year old Steven Warner was headed north when his 2003 Harley Davidson crossed the center line and struck a southbound Dodge sedan driven by James Rider of Coudersport. Warner was pronounced dead at the scene by Deputy Potter County Coroner Ken Wingo. Rider and his passenger Carol McCreary were taken to Charles Cole Hospital for treatment of their injuries. Six people were hurt in a three-vehicle collision Friday afternoon at the Tacks Inn Intersection in Lafayette Township, McKean County. Troopers said the collision occurred when Steven Alcock of Crosby who was traveling east on Route 59, stopped and then drove his pick up truck through the intersection striking the drivers’ side of a 1995 Cadillac Limousine driven by Fred Bradford of West Decatur, PA which was headed north of Route 219. After impact, the limo struck a sign pole with the passenger side, then hit a pick up truck legally parked at in the Tacks Inn Parking lot. Bradford and one of his passengers, Donald Reader, Jr. of Houtzdale, PA were taken to Bradford Regional Medical Center while Alcock and three other limo passengers, Jeffery Krause of Clearfield, Kevin Bush and Robert Karuse both of Osceola Mills, PA were taken to Kane community hospital. Alcock is being charged with stop and yield sign violations. A Johnsonburg man escaped injury early Sunday morning when he fell asleep at the wheel of his Chevy Corsica while headed east on the Wilcox-Clermont Road a mile west of Clermont. State police said 39 year old Harry Dilley’s car veered off the road and struck a tree before coming to rest. A Coudersport woman has been committed to the McKean County jail in lieu of $50,000 bail on numerous charges after she allegedly tried to cash a forged travelers check Friday afternoon at the Bradford Wal-Mart. Lisa Fong Woo, 43, of Ross Street is charged with forgery, possession of instruments of crime, theft by deception, bad checks, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for September 5 before District Judge Rich Luther. Foster Township police claim they were called by store personnel when Woo tried to purchase goods with a fraudulent $500 American Express Traveler’s check. Officials at American Express confirmed the check was a fake. Woo allegedly became combative when police tried to arrest her; and is accused of swearing at officers and referring to their nationalities. WFRM has not been able to confirm a connection, but Bradford City Police over the weekend issued an advisory to area residents regarding a counterfeit scam involving American Express travelers checks. The victims are contacted by mail advising them to cash the check and keep 10%, then send the balance to an e-mail address via Western Union. Police say the checks look to be real by are computer-generated fakes and anyone who gets one should contact the nearest police agency or American Express. A couple of recent thefts and burglaries are being probed by state police locally. Sometime last Wednesday or Thursday, thieves cut a rubber fuel line off a gas tank owned by the Game Commission located on the Castle Hollow Road in Hebron Township and used to siphon about 50 gallons of unleaded gasoline from the tank. Damage was said to be about $100 while the fuel is valued at $180. Burglars entered the home of Robert Rice on N. Mills Road in Shinglehouse last Monday through Wednesday and stole a green duffle bag, a 9’ bamboo fishing rod; Coleman camp stove and a tackle box filled with fishing lures. And, between 4:30 and 4:45 p.m. Saturday, someone took a donation jar from the lobby area of the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum in Ulysses Township to a restroom and removed $50 to a $100 leaving the jar behind. The donations were being collected to help rebuild a Model T.
08/24/07 A Portville, NY man died Sunday evening when his motorcycle collided with a car on Route 872 South of the East Fork Road in Wharton Township. State police said 52 year old Steven Warner was headed north when his 2003 Harley Davidson crossed the center line and struck a southbound Dodge sedan driven by James Rider of Coudersport. Warner was pronounced dead at the scene by Deputy Potter County Coroner Ken Wingo. Rider and his passenger Carol McCreary were taken to Charles Cole Hospital for treatment of their injuries. A Smethport woman is facing charges in district court after her alleged aggressive dog was shot and killed by a state police trooper yesterday. Authorities say they went to the home of 20 year old Kassandra Hunt after receiving numerous complaints from neighbors that her male pitbull type dog was acting aggressively and was running loose throughout the neighborhood. Hunt was not home and police contacted her at work as well as the SPCA but before she or the SPCA representative could arrive on scene the dog reportedly turned on the police officer who killed the animal. Hunt is being charged with one count of failing to confine dogs and one of harboring a dangerous dog. State police at Mansfield have charged 21 year old Stephen Diehl of Willow Street, PA with disorderly conduct for the incident which took place last Sunday afternoon near the Welcome Center in Tioga Township. Authorities claim Diehl, ran naked across all lanes of Route 15 and climbed a rock cliff, before falling some 250 feet to the ground. Diehl is recovering at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville where his condition has been upgraded from critical to fair. A couple of criminal mischief incidents are being probed by troopers here. Vandals dumped two piles of broken glass in Philip Urban’s driveway on Lehigh Drive in Eulalia Township Wednesday night between 6:00 and 8:30 p.m. causing the right front tire on Urban’s truck to go flat .And criminals caused $250 in damage to a screen and window at a camp located on the Dogtown Road in Genesee Township earlier this week. The camp is owned by Timothy Darrenkamp of Mountville, PA. The BRADFORD ERA is reporting today that Deloitte and Touche, Adelphia’s former accounting firm, has withdrawn all its charges filed against the Rigas family relating to the accounting scandal which resulted in the cable giant’s bankruptcy and the conviction of John and Timothy Rigas. The action, coming just a couple of weeks before the matter was to go to trial, effectively prevents the Rigases from defending themselves. Family members are quoted as saying that they have asked the court to require a trial anyway so that they will have their day in court. A couple of area residents will be sentenced next month after pleading guilty in Potter County Court to various charges. George Sams, 38, of Austin pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct for an incident taking place this past March 2. According to Potter County DA Dawn Fink, Sams who had been drinking, beat on his neighbor’s door repeatedly. The victim’s brother came to the house and told Sams to leave his sister alone. When she and her brother left the house to go to the brother’s house for the night, Sams tailgated them, swerved back forth on the road and made obscene gestures toward them. The victim’s brother copied down the defendant’s license plate number and notified police. He’ll be sentenced on September 5. Derick Taft, 22, of Oswayo will be sentenced on September 19 after pleading guilty to DUI. He was arrested on January 19 by State Police who came upon his car stopped in the middle of an intersection at a red light in Coudersport. Taft backed up and almost hit the patrol car. When police questioned him, they determined he was driving under the influence and chemical testing revealed an alcohol level twice the legal limit.
8/23/07 State Police have ordered a four-day freeze on gun sales to allow them to update the computer system used for processing background checks .Gun dealers are required to do a background check on anyone who wants to buy a gun, but they won't be able to do it between September 2 and 6, because that's when State Police plan to take the system offline .State lawmakers are asking State Police to postpone the sales freeze, so hunters aren't inconvenienced. Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati who represents the WFRM listening area is one of those lawmakers who says there ought to be another way to upgrade the system. But a spokesman for Governor Rendell says early September is the best time to fix the computer system used to process background checks.Gerry Shimkanin, 35 of Ulysses, was given a sentence of 30 days to six months and ordered to pay an $800 fine; perform 25 hours of community service, make restitution, attend safe driving school, undergo drug and alcohol evaluation and follow through with treatment recommendations after being convicted of DUI and summary traffic offenses. Shimkanin was arrested this past January 31 when his vehicle crossed both lanes of Route 49 in Mills and struck a tree. His blood alcohol level was slightly above the legal limit at .10% State police here have charged 20 year old Travis Marsh of North Hollow Road and 30 year old Wendy Nicka of W. Branch Dingman Run Road with possession of cocaine, marijuana and accompanying paraphernalia following a traffic stop taking place on the night of July 18 in Coudersport. Marsh was also charged with DUI. Troopers at Kane have charged 29year old Glenn Bish of Lewis Run with violating state drug laws. He was pulled over early this morning on Route 219 near Kennedy Springs in Lafayette Township for speeding. Police claim they also found Bish in possession of a small amount of a controlled substance as well as related drug paraphernalia.
8/22/07 State Police have ordered a four-day freeze on gun sales to allow them to update the computer system used for processing background checks .Gun dealers are required to do a background check on anyone who wants to buy a gun, but they won't be able to do it between September 2 and 6, because that's when State Police plan to take the system offline .State lawmakers are asking State Police to postpone the sales freeze, so hunters aren't inconvenienced. Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati who represents the WFRM listening area is one of those lawmakers who says there ought to be another way to upgrade the system. But a spokesman for Governor Rendell says early September is the best time to fix the computer system used to process background checks. The Potter County Commissioners have launched a prescription discount card that can be used by all county residents, regardless of age, income or existing health coverage, and are accepted by most of the county’s pharmacies. A national network of more than 57,000 participating pharmacies also honor the National Association of Counties discount card. Paricipating pharmacies give a 20% discount on prescriptions, even for pet medications. There is no enrollment process or membership fee and the cards are available at the Court House, Senior Centers, area pharmacies, hospitals, etc. For more information, call the commissioners office at 274-8290. Four young area boys are being charged with burglary for an incident Monday night at Kosa’s Kountry Market in Ulysses. State police say two 15 year olds from Ulysses, a 16 year old from Ulysses and a 14 year old from Wellsville stole an unknown quantity of cigarettes from the store after it had closed for the day. Two of the suspects stood guard outside while their two companions went inside and grabbed the cigarettes. A criminal mischief taking place over the past several months on Robyn Lane in Sweden Valley is being investigated by state police here. Vandals slashed the tires; keyed the pain and poured sugar into the engine of a 1997 Ford Expedition owned by Scott Bundy. Michael Waid, 28, of Duke Center has asked state police not to further investigate an assault which sent him for medical treatment early this morning. Authorities say Waid was grabbed by the shirt, punched and kicked in the abdomen behind the Duke Center Superette. He was found by his wife and taken to Bradford Regional Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries. In recent Potter County Court action, 28 year old Jason Critchfield of Coudersport was ordered to spend one to 19 months in jail; perform 25 hours of community service, undergo drug and alcohol evaluation and follow recommended treatment, pay all costs and fees after being convicted of attempting to acquire a controlled substance by misrepresentation. Potter County DA Dawn Fink explained that Critchfield was arrested this past January 25 when a pharmacist at Buchanan Brothers Pharmacy tipped off borough police that Critchfield tried to obtain a prescription for Vicodin which was not written for him. He admitted to police the prescription was not for him but said he needed it for the pain in his leg. And, 21 year old Charles Marsh was ordered to spend six to 18 months in jail, perform 25 hours of community service, pay all costs and fees for DUI and summary traffic violations. He was arrested in September 2006 after state police were called to an underage drinking party in Roulette and admitted to officers that he had been drinking. Troopers were recalled to the location later that evening and observed Marsh driving a vehicle without the lights on and failing to use a turn signal. He was subsequently arrested for DUI. 8/21/07 Coudersport-based state police say that an analysis of ATV crashes investigated by their department shows an increasing trend of both private property ATV crashes and on-road crashes. While specific numbers are not currently available, troopers say none of the crashes they have investigated were caused by mechanical problems or weather conditions. Most of the crashes have resulted from careless or reckless operation while the operator was intoxicated or was exceeding his or her experience level. State police advise all ATV riders to participate in an ATV safety class. Class schedules are available at all ATV dealerships. Operators are reminded that all riders less than 16 years of age are required by law to complete the safety class prior to riding on any property owned by someone else. Also, it’s illegal to operate ATV’s on roadways unless the township has passed ordinances allowing ATVs. But even if the township has passed the ordinance, the roads must be properly signed, the operator must have a regular driver’s license and wear a helmet and the ATV must be registered and insured and the operator must follow all traffic laws. ATV’s are not allowed on any state road and troopers say they will issue citations for any violations of ATV laws. A Jacksonsville, Florida man received moderate injuries when his motor home wrecked Monday morning on Tauscher Hill Road in Allegany Township. State police said the brakes on Francis Griswold’s 1972 Winnebago failed while headed north causing it to travel about 110 feet through a dirt pull off area, go down a ten foot embankment and strike a felled tree in a grassy field where it came to rest. Griswold was taken to Charles Cole Hospital by Coudersport Volunteer Ambulance. Troopers at Kane say an unidentified teenage driver and his or her passenger escaped injury in a crash Monday afternoon on Route 46 in Keating Township, McKean County. The youth’s 1989 Honda Accord traveled across the road and struck an embankment while traveling south. A couple of recent burglaries are being investigated by state police here. Sometime last week thieves made off with an undisclosed sum of money from the home of Edwin Reigh and Joan Williams on Hester Avenue in the village of Roulette. Burglars rummaged through some CDs and DVD’s at the home of Derek Wright and Emily Martin on the Hickox Road in Genesee between 10:30 Saturday night and 3:30 Sunday afternoon but apparently took nothing. Entry was made through a rear window. And a burglary at the home of Renee Hepburn on Rotue 120 in the Cameron County village of Truman is being probed by state police at Emporium. Thieves removed several items from the home between 11:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. this past Saturday. In regional news, State Police at Mansfield are continuing their investigation into an incident near the Welcome Center on Route 15 in Tioga Township Sunday afternoon. When troopers were summoned to the area on a report of a nude male, they found 21 year old Steven Diehl of Willowstreet, in the buff, climbing a rock cut along the berm. Diehl apparently lost his footing and fell down the face of the cut, totally unprotected. He was flown from the scene to Geisinger Medical Center for treatment of undisclosed injuries. He’s facing charges of disorderly conduct.
8/20/07 Wet roads are blamed for a motorcycle crash which sent a Little Valley, NY woman to the hospital. Kane-based state police said Tina Morris was headed west on Route 59 in Lafayette Township Sunday afternoon when her Suzuki Marauder laid down on its side. Morris was taken to Bradford Regional Medical Center by Bradford Ambulance for treatment of serious injuries. State police here over the weekend released details about a motorcycle crash taking place last Wednesday evening on Route 49 about a half mile west of the Northern Potter High Scholl in Bingham Township. Authorities say 28 year old Sean Downey lost control of his brother’s ’91 Harley Davidson in loose gravel on a left hand turn. Downey was ejected when the machine hit an embankment. He was taken to Charles Cole Hospital by his mother and faces a variety of summary traffic violations. A Smethport woman was hurt in a one-vehicle crash Saturday afternoon at the intersection of the East Valley Road and Champlain Hill Road in Keating Township, McKean County. Troopers said Wilma Goldstein’s 2003 Honda Civic experienced a mechanical malfunction and traveled through the intersection, striking an embankment with the undercarriage. Goldstein was taken to Charles Cole Hospital by Smethport Ambulance for treatment of her injuries. Two young male passengers escaped injury. A McKean County jail inmate, approved for work release, was stopped for DUI when returning from his job late Saturday night. David Wickersham, 20, was pulled over by state police at the intersection of Route 59 and Hubble Drive in Lafayette Township at around 11:30 p.m. A Burglary at a Sylvania Township home over the past couple of weeks is being investigated by State Police here. Thieves entered David Dynda’s home on Windy Boulevard without force and removed about $480 in coins including two Morgan silver dollars (1883 and 1900) valued at $40, a peace dollar valued at $20, and an 1880 $5.00 gold coin valued at $200. The burglars also took two blank checks and forged Dynda’s signature cashing them at the Mountain Laurel Federal Credit Union in St. Marys for a total of $340.
08/17/07 State police locally say they do not know exactly when 44 year old William Brown of Galeton died in a one-vehicle crash on Route 872 in Homer Township yesterday. Troopers say Brown’s wrecked car was discovered by a bicyclist just after 6:00 p.m. and he had left his mother’s house in Costello at about 4:00 a.m. that day headed to an unknown destination. His mother called police at around 3:00 p.m. saying she had not heard from him. Police searched his home in Galeton and were checking the East Fork Road when the wreck was discovered Brown’s northbound Subaru went off of Route 872 near the Heath Road, traveled about 180 feet before slamming into a tree. Investigators say the entire front portion of the car, including the occupants’ compartment sustained severe damage. Brown who was wearing a seatbelt was pronounced dead at the scene by Deputy Potter County Coroner Shane Wilson. Authorities say they do not yet know if drugs and/or alcohol played a role in the crash and the investigation is continuing. Troopers say testing has confirmed that a Philipsburg driver whose truck crashed near Cross Fork late last month was drunk at the time. Keith Knepp, 52, was able to crawl out of his burning truck after it hit a tree off of Route 144 just after midnight July 26 Knepp was taken to an area near the Cross Fork Fire Department where he was picked up by a medical helicopter and taken to a regional facility for treatment of a broken leg and other injuries. A charge of careless driving is being filed against 23 year old Keri Powell of Coudersport following a collision Tuesday morning at the intersection of the Peet Brook Road and Route 49 in Allegany Township. Troopers say Powell’s eastbound Nissan Xterra failed to negotiate a turn and struck the front corner of a GMC pick up truck driven by her neighbor, Terry Perkins which was stopped on the Peet Brook Road. Neither driver was hurt. State police are seeking help from the public to solve a couple of recent incidents. Sometime last Friday night or Saturday morning someone used an unknown firearm to shoot a heifer in the left rear hock on the LP Summit View Farm on the Dingman Run Road in Hebron Township. The animal is expected to recover but it’s the third cow owned by the farm that has been shot over the past few weeks. And, an unidentified commercial vehicle pulling a modular home had trouble making a right curve on Route 449 in Genesee Wednesday afternoon and part of the load struck two mailboxes located on the same post, owned by Mark Buchholz and Doris Reed. Anyone with information about either incident is asked to call the local barracks at 274-8690. Kane-based state police have been busy investigating several recent criminal mischief incidents. Sometime late Saturday night, vandals scratched the paint on the trunk, doors, and fenders, broke the back spoiler and kicked a dent in one of the doors on a Dodge owned by James Blauser of Bradford while it was parked on the Big Shanty Road in Lafayette Township. Damage is said to be about $2500. Vandals scratched the driver’s side of a 2000 Ford Taurus owned by Misty Burton of Olean, Thursday night while she attended the McKean County Fair in East Smethport. Damage to her car was estimated to be $1500. A rock was used to smash a window on a 1991 Chevy dump truck owned by Keating Township while it was parked nearby. Damage was said to be about $100. And, during the same period of time, culprits caused $50 in damage to a storm door at the Alvin Loveless residence located on the west side of the North Brooklynside Road ner Port Allegany.
08/16/07 The hunt for a former McKean County jail inmate who walked away late last month while on a work detail has intensified since state police in Cameron County have filed additional felony charges against him. Joseph Chapman, 24, is now accused of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, and aggravated indecent assault for crimes allegedly taking place between last November and this past April in that county. Chapman served a five year sentence in state prison after pleading guilty to statutory sexual assault in 2002. He was on probation in April when he was arrested for DUI, eluding police and reckless endangerment and was subsequently transferred to the McKean County lockup on the probation violation. He was allowed to work outside the jail as a trusty and failed to report for lunch on July 30 after going outside some four hours earlier. Police now say he should be considered dangerous and they reportedly are concentrating their search in the area of Austin and Keating Summit in Potter and McKean Counties. He’s described as being 5’9”, has blond hair, blue eyes and weighs about 180 pounds. Anyone who knows of his whereabouts is asked to contact the nearest police department or 9-1-1. Three people have been injured in two separate motorcycle crashes in Cameron County this week. Jonathan Baker, 19, of St. Marys was flown by helicopter from the scene of a crash Tuesday night on Route 120. Troopers said Baker was headed west when his 1980 Honda struck a deer. A Bradford motorcyclist and his passenger both received moderate injuries in a crash Wednesday night on Route 46 about three miles south of North Creek Road in Shippen Township. State police said Charles Bay allowed his 2004 Harley Davidson to go off the road and strike an embankment. Both Bay and Joanne Hull were ejected upon impact. Neither was wearing a helmet and authorities say charges are pending. Law enforcement officers across Pennsylvania have begun a crackdown on impaired driving using specially trained police officers who can spot the symptoms of drug-induced impairment. Thirty drug recognition experts, or DREs, will be used until Sept. 3 with DUI taskforces to stop impaired driving. As part of the enforcement effort, each of the 50 DUI taskforces funded by PennDOT has been asked to conduct a sobriety checkpoint on Friday, Aug. 24. Drug recognition experts are able to characterize and stop impaired motorists in seven major drug categories. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, approximately 31 million American drivers admitted to driving under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs in the past year.
08/15/07 A Roulette man has been sentenced to a jail term of 72 hours to six months for DUI. Raphael Eckert, 42, was also ordered to pay a fine of $1,075 all costs and fees, perform 25 hors of community service undergo drug and alcohol evaluation and follow through with recommended treatment and attend the Victim Impact Panel. According to District Attorney Dawn Fink, Eckert was arrested on May 28, 2006 after he forced a state police car off of Reed Run Road. The troopers turned around and followed Eckert’s swerving vehicle for a distance before pulling him over. Eckert admitted to the officers that he had been drinking several beers and shots. His blood alcohol content was found to be .23% almost three times the legal limit. Another area resident has been ordered to complete his DUI sentence after violating terms of the ARD program. Drew Watson, 28, of Coudersport was originally arrested in February 2006 by Coudersport Borough Police when he failed to stop at a four-way stop, and continued on toward another stop sign without signaling. His blood alcohol content was found to be more than twice the legal limit. Watson was admitted to the ARD program last August but subsequently was found to have consumed alcoholic beverages. He was ordered to spend 72 hours to six months in jail, pay a $100 fine, all costs and fees, perform 25 hours of community service, undergo drug and alcohol evaluation and follow through with recommended treatment. No information is available yet from state police locally regarding a one-vehicle crash yesterday on Route 49. Coudersport volunteer emergency services responded to the scene. Elsewhere, all was reported quiet on the traffic and accident scene in Cameron and McKean Counties according to our checks earlier with state police at Emporium and Kane. However, four Tioga residents where hurt Monday night in a collision occurring on Route 15 in Lawrence Township, Tioga County. State police at Mansfield 76 year old Thelma Butler who was headed south and made a left turn into the path of a northbound car driven by 28 year Aaron Webster. Both drivers and their passengers, 76 year old Paul Butler and 27 year old Tonya Webster were all taken to Arnot Ogden Hospital in Elmira. The Butlers are said to be in fair condition. Mrs. Webster is listed as being in good condition. Mr. Webster was treated and released and a young child in their car who was in a child safety seat escaped injury. Police say charges are pending against Mrs. Webster. The state Game Commission says Wildlife Management Unit 2F has exhausted it’s entire allocation of 28,000 anterless deer licenses as of Tuesday. The unit includes part of McKean County. WMU 2G which includes the area south of Route 6 in Potter, Cameron, McKean and Elk among others, ran out on Monday. As of Wednesday morning, some 11,000 licenses remained in WMU 3A, the area north of Route 6 in Potter, Cameron, Elk and McKean Counties. The Game Commission says hunters who did not get a regular license should inquire about DMAP coupons available in their desired county. Visit the Game Commission’s website www.pgc.state.pa.us . Just click on “DMAP” in the center of the homepage, then choose “Qualified Landowners” and then select the county of interest from the map provided or choose “Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Properties to reach DCNR’s website and their listing of state forests enrolled in DMAP/.
08/14/07 This website is hosted by Northcentral Internet and many of its servers were struck by lightning, including the one on which this is located, on the afternoon of August 3. Northcentral staff worked round the clock to put websites back up within a few days, but it was not possible to update until now. We appreciate your understanding and have put the news you missed in the archives. We also want to thank Northcentral for working so diligently to restore service. A 21 year old Bradford resident has been jailed in lieu of $85,000 bail after being arraigned on charges of statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor, and corruption of minors. State police at Kane allege Howard Sturtevant had sexual relations with a 15 year old girl this past February. Authorities say due to the sensitive nature of the investigation, no further information will be released.
Several simple assault incidents have been investigated by area state police recently. State police here say 41 year old Douglas Mingo of Baytown, Texas and 43 year old Edward Spurlock of Joaquin, Texas are both charged after fighting with each other late last Friday night in the parking lot of the Northwoods Tavern on Route 6 in Eulalia Township. Authorities are also investigating an altercation taking place early that morning at the Germania Hotel during which 32 year old Thomas Bayler of Galeton was punched in the face by an unknown assailant. Adam Weston, 25, of Emporium has been committed to the Potter County jail on a probation violation after allegedly injuring Kenita Mlechick during an argument earlier this month on Wheaton Hollow Road in Shippen Township, Cameron County. Troopers at Kane are probing a burglary taking place Sunday night on the Prentisvale Road in Otto township. Police say thieves forced their way into a mobile home owned by Joseph Yehl, punched holes in the walls and dumped the contents of drawers onto the floor before taking off with a 27” RCA tv set. Witnesses said they thieves fled the scene in a dark colored car. William Sherwood, 19, of Port Allegany has been charged with criminal mischief for an incident allegedly taking place last Wednesday afternoon in a driveway off of Route 155 in Liberty Township. Troopers claim Sherwood caused about $300 in damage when he punched the windshield on a 2001 Dodge Neon owned by Christopher Seeley of Gaines. State police here are looking for the vandals that slashed the rear tires on a pick up truck owned by James Bice of North Street Ulysses this past Friday night or Saturday morning while it was parked at his residence. The Austin Volunteer Fire Department has been awarded almost $184,000 in funding in the latest round of grants from the Department of Homeland Security according to U.S. Senator Arlen Specter. Program funds can be used for operations, safety programs and vehicle acquisition.
8/13/07 A Bradford man, who worked in Coudersport, died in a one-vehicle crash early Saturday morning on Route 59, in Lafayette Township, near his home. State police said 46 year old Marvin Goodnoe lost control of his west bound Toyota sedan at about 2:45 a.m. when he overcorrected after the car dropped onto the berm. The compact veered across the road and went onto opposite berm and Goodnoe overcorrected again, sending the car into a yaw. The vehicle traveled off the road and hit a ditch, rolling over several times before coming to rest in a field. Goodnoe who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected and found about 15 feet from the wreckage. Goodnoe, had received the Bronze Star and numerous other medals for his heroism during the Iraq War and was working as the Veterans Representative at the Potter County CareerLink at the time of this death.
Minor injuries were reported for a Kane man whose motorcycle ran into two vehicles parked on Main Street in Mt. Jewett Friday night. Troopers said 50year old David Haight lost control of his Honda Goldwing when he reached down to put up the kickstand while traveling west. State police here are looking for a gray or silver Chevrolet sedan in connection to a reckless endangerment incident allegedly taking place Friday night at around 9:00 p.m. at the intersection of the Hickox-Ulysses and Collins Hill Roads in Bingham Township. Witnesses told police that when the car stopped at that location they could hear voices coming from the trunk. The trunk opened and the female driver, got out and closed the trunk shut. An unknown vehicle went by and then the driver got back into the Chevy. The trunk opened again and a male got out and ran for about 30 yards down the Hickox-Ulysses Road. The driver then drove to that location and forced the victim back into the trunk. A female victim never got out of the car. The two witnesses told police that the driver and victims were all in their late teens or early 20’s. The driver had brown hair, stood about 5’3” and was slender in build. The male victim was said to be about 5’9”, had brown hair and was medium built. The car, which has been seen in that area previously had dark colored waved shaped decals on the side from the front door to the rear and had a rear spoiler. Anyone who has information about the car, or who was the driver who passed the suspect car, is asked to call the local barracks at 274-8690, A 15 year old Potter County boy has been taken to the Tioga County Juvenile Detention Center after being charged with Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse and other related crimes. State police here claim the boy committed the crimes against a 6 year old girl on two occasions over the past few weeks at a home on the North Brookland Road, Genesee. Cynthia Fernstrom, 32, of Roulette has been charged with possessing a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia after she allegedly threw the weed out of the window of a car being pursued by troopers for speeding Friday night on the First Fork Road in Homer Township. Authorities said Fernstrom was a passenger in the car and tossed a plastic bag out of the car which was retrieved by officers. They did not indicate if she will be additionally charged with littering. Kane-based state police have charged 35 year old Rodney Mosher of Eldred with making false reports to law enforcement. Troopers claim Mosher told them that several DVD’s, and playstation games were taken from his home during a recent burglary. Investigators found that Mosher had pawned the items in Olean and that he had borrowed them originally from Kerry York, also of Eldred.
08/10/07 Coudersport-based state police have charged 25 year old James Poklar of Galeton with harassment for an incident allegedly taking place last Friday night at a residence on Cherry Tree Lane in Homer Township. Authorities claim that during an argument, Poklar hit 47 year old Theresa Poklar in the leg with a suitcase. Troopers at Kane have charged 39 year old Lisa Berkhouse of Lewis Run with unsworn falsification to authorities. Police claim Berkhouse made a false statement to them when they investigated a domestic violence incident this past June. State police say the same thief or thieves may have been responsible for a couple of incidents taking place overnight this past Wednesday near Smethport. Thieves pried open a scale house owned by Kasson Gravel Company and stole a Kodak Easy Share Digital Camera Model 2740 after rummaging through the contents of the building. And, during that same time, thieves entered a mobile home belonging to Carol Morgan by prying open a door on the west side but apparently nothing was taken.
Thirsty thieves removed two six packs of beer from a camp on Jenks Run in Shippen Township, Cameron County earlier this week. The camp is owned by James Hornung of Emporium.
An Emporium driver is facing a charge of failing to stay on roadways laned for traffic for a crash taking place Thursday morning in Shippen Township, Cameron County. Michael Palmerchuck, 59, was headed east when h is Ford F-15o traveled off the pavement onto a grassy shoulder, struck a utility pole, traveled down a 10 foot embankment and hit a fence before coming to rest against a barn on the Tom Nellis property. Palmerchuck received minor injuries in the crash.
In recent Potter County Court action, 20year old Ranae Gola was ordered to spend 12 months on probation, consecutively to all other terms of probation, pay fines, costs and fees and to perform 25 hours of community service for a fight at the Potter County jail this past April 1. Gola broke Christopher Dexter’s nose when the two inmates got into a fisticuff. Timothy Geiser, 22, of Gaines will be sentenced on September 5 after pleading guilty recently to forgery. Geiser admitted altering his wife’s prescription for Percocet, increasing it from 30 to 40 tablets last December. Personnel at the Galeton Drug Store realized the prescription had been altered and refused to fill it. And, 45 year old Michael Eckman of Coduersport has been admitted to the ARD program for 23-1/2 months for forgery. Eckman admitted depositing five fraudulent money orders into his account at the Coudersport office of the First National Bank of Port Allegany, totaling $3,550 in July, 2006. Eckman was also ordered to pay costs and fees and to make restitution to the bank. 08/09/07 As the heat and humidity continue to plague the East Coast, PJM Interconnection, the electric grid operator in the region is asking customers to conserve electricity, particularly between the hours of 3:00 and 7:00 p.m. when demand is expected to be the highest. Electric companies are offering these tips for cutting down on electricity usage. Set air conditioning thermostats higher than usual, if health permits. Postpone the use of major appliances, such as electric dryers, ranges, washing machines and dehumidifiers until cooler evening hours. Close curtains and blinds to keep out the sun and retail cooler air inside your house and turn off electric appliances and equipment that you do not need or are not using. While there may be some slight relief over the next couple of days, the long range forecast is calling for above normal temperatures. So, these following these tips is encouraged through the heat wave. State Senator Joe Scarnati of the 25th District, which includes all of the Pennyslvania Counties in the WFRM listening area, has proposed legislation to prohibit illegal aliens living in Pennsylvania from receiving public benefits, such as Medicaid, welfare, and in-state college tuition. According to recent studies, there are more than 100,000 illegal aliens living in the Commonwealth. Senate Bill 9, which has 24 co-sponsors, will require anyone receiving public benefits in the Commonwealth to provide identification proving they are legal residents. In addition, individuals would be required to sign an affidavit stating they are a United States citizen, or an alien lawfully residing in this country. According to Scarnati, any applicant signing the affidavit stating that they are a legal alien would have their status verified by the Federal Systematic Alien Verification of Entitlement Programs operated by the United States Department of Homeland Security. The Senator says illegal immigrants are a big problem for Pennsylvania’s taxpayers. In other news from Harrisburg, Sen. Scarnati and Rep. Martin Causer have announced that the Cameron County Conservation District has been awarded a $25,000 grant to stop erosion affecting four properties along the Sinnemahoning Portage Creek. The money will be used to purchase and install log vane deflectors which act like breakwaters found at beaches, directing damaging currents away from protected shorelines and thereby minimizing the effects water has on the soil.. 08/08/07 Northcentral Internet hosts this website and Friday afternoon, the provider’s tower was hit by lightning. The surge ran throughout the system, taking down some servers and leaving others alone. The server on which this page is located is one that was affected by the surge but we are glad to say that repairs were made quickly and everything seems to be back to normal. We appreciate your understanding. The lightning strike came just minutes before an intense thunderstorm dropped marble-sized hail on Fishing Creek. Last night’s thunderstorms, as predicted, resulted in heavy rainfall across the region. The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings initially for McKean and Warren Counties and later, Potter, Cameron and Elk. Rainfall amounts ranged from 1.63 at the radio station up to 4.7 inches in Borie to the south of Coudersport. No flood damage was apparent although some dirt roads and driveways experienced washouts. A couple of Smethport teens escaped injury in a weather-related crash Tuesday night. State police at Kane said a PT Cruiser driven by 19 year old Lesley Willis hydroplaned and slid off of the West Eldred Road into a parked 1989 GMC Sierra 2500. Both the driver and his passenger, Meghan Scott, also 19, were wearing seatbelts at the time. A Galeton woman was hurt Monday night in a one-vehicle crash on the Button Hollow Road in West Branch Township. State police said 53 year old Shirley McCauley lost control of her Jeep Liberty coming out of an S-turn. The Jeep zig zagged across the highway, struck an embankment and traffic sign; became airborne, rotated clockwise back onto the road, and bounced about 5 feet before coming to rest. McCauley was first taken to Tioga County and then transferred to Geisinger Medical Center for treatment of unknown injuries. It’s been ten days since 23 year old Joseph Chapman walked away from the McKean County Jail. Chapman was working outside the building as a trusty was last seen at 8:30 a.m. His jail clothes were found at a nearby creek after he failed to report for lunch. Chapman had been transferred from Cameron County to Smethport on a parole violation . He had been sentenced to five years in prison in 2002 for statutory sexual assault and this past April was arrested in Cameron County for fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, reckless endangerment, DUI and various summary offenses. He waived his case on those charges in Mid-May and was awaiting trial when he took off. He’s described as being 5’9”, weighs 180 pounds and has blond hair and blue eyes and anyone who knows of his whereabouts is asked to call 9-1-1 or the Kane barracks at 778-5555. 08/07/07 The National Weather Service says tonight’s showers and thunderstorms may bring along heavy rainfall in some locations. That’s good news for most communities in the WFRM listening area, especially since the Department of Environmental protection issued a drought watch yesterday for 58 of the state’s 67 counties. Included in the list are Potter, Cameron, McKean, Elk, and Tioga. Under the watch, residents are asked to voluntarily decrease water usage by 5%. Roulette Township and Galeton Borough had previously imposed a mandatory reduction in water consumption. DEP says many counties have as much as a four inch rainfall deficit, despite a wet spring. A former Austin man died Friday when his tractor trailer rig was hit by a Norfolk Southern train at a Wyoming County, New York crossing. Authorities said 32 year old Alvin Van Horn of Diamond, Ohio was unable to get out of the rig after it became stuck on the tracks. The semi burst into flames upon impact. A Natrona, PA motorcyclist was flown by helicopter to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville for treatment of injuries he suffered in a crash Sunday night on Route 44 in Abbott Township. State police say 57 year old Robert Clevenger was operating his Honda 650 while intoxicated. He was thrown off the motorcycle when it struck a tree after traveling off of the road when it failed to negotiate a curve. Clevenger had been charged with DUI the night before when he was pulled over on Route 872, a half mile south of the Ladona intersection in Coudersport. Authorities claim chemical testing showed he had an alcohol level of .30%, almost four times the legal limit when he was observed swerving in his lane of the highway and crossing the double yellow line. 08/06/07 The National Weather Service says a weak cold front will press into Pennsylvania today from the Great Lakes accompanied by scattered thunderstorms. A few of the storms could produce locally damaging wind gusts or large hail. Hot and humid air will overspread central Pennsylvania Tuesday and Wednesday. Heat Index values could exceed 100 degrees during the afternoon hours both days in the Susquehanna Valley.
An Emporium man is being charged with DUI and receiving stolen property after wrecking an ATV Saturday night on in Keating Township, Potter County. State police said 58 year old Ernie Walters lost control of a Honda Fourtrax while headed south on the Gardeau Road. The machine traveled about 50 feet through a grassy area next to the road and struck a ditch causing Walters to be ejected. The four wheeler continued on a short distance before coming to rest partially in the ditch and partially on the road. Walters was taken to Charles Cole Hospital for treatment of moderate injuries and police say chemical testing revealed he had been operating the atv under the influence of alcohol and claim further investigation revealed the machine had been stolen. A Mt. Jewett man was seriously injured Saturday afternoon when he was thrown off his motorcycle after it failed to negotiate a left hand curve on Route 46 just south of the Coleville Road in Keating Township McKean County when it hit a drainage ditch. Police said 63 year old Gene Salvucci was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. State police here are continuing their investigation into a theft, fraud and forgery victimizing an Allegany Township man. Authorities say 81 year old Frank Langan Sr. noticed last week that $702 had been withdrawn from his checking account and later discovered that someone had purchased a Compaq Presario Notebook PC from Overstock.Com using his debit card. The computer was returned to Overstock and the victim’s account was reimbursed by the company. A Cyclone man and a juvenile accomplice are being charged into connection to an attempted burglary at a residence on Pithole Road in Cyclone Friday afternoon. State police say the pair were observed by a neighbor cutting a screen on a rear door at the home of Mark Amsler and were detained by the neighbor until troopers arrived. Ronald McLaughlin, 23, was committed to the McKean County jail in lieu of $2000 bail after being arraigned on attempted burglary, criminal conspiracy, criminal trespass, corruption of minors and criminal mischief. The youth is being charged with attempted burglary, criminal mischief, criminal trespass and criminal mischief through juvenile probation. Kane-based state police are probing a camp burglary taking place sometime last month on Dexter Hollow in Liberty Township. Thieves pried open a lock to gain entry to a tool shed owned by Dennis Donmoyer of Harrisburg and Alfred Donmoyer of Annville and made off with an air compressor and various hand tools valued at a total of $210.00. Troopers at Emporium are investigating three different thefts of cash and/or currency over the past few days in Shippen Townshp.. Thieves entered the home of Edna Kamats on Plank Hollow Road last week and removed about $300 in assorted U.S. coins. Sometime between 7:30 p.m. Friday and 9:00 a.m. Saturday, thieves took $45 from a 2003 Oldsmobile Alero belonging to Celine Singer while it was parked at her home on Clear Creek Road and during the early morning hours Saturday, thieves took about $100 in currency from the home of Thomas and Rose Wilk on Route 120.
08/03/07 The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Potter, Tioga, McKean, Cameron, Elk, and Clinton Counties in Pennsylvania and Allegany County in New York state until 10:00 tonight. A severe thunderstorm warning was posted for central Potter County until 3:00 p.m. The Minneapolis bridge collapse has added fuel to the controversy here in Pennsylvania regarding the Transportation Bill signed by Governor Rendell last month as part of the budget negotiations. State President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, who represents counties in the WFRM listening area, yesterday issued a news release stating that the bill includes a long list of road and bridge improvements planned for the region including replacement of the bridge over Oswayo Creek on Route 44 in Potter County; replacement of the Annin Creek Bridge on Route 155 in McKean County; replacement of a bridge on Route 15 in Lawrenceville, Tioga County and replacement of the Mead Run Bridge on Route 219 in Elk County. The bill, approved by the state legislature includes imposing a toll on Interstate 80.Scarnati blasted Congressmen John Peterson and Phil English for their plans to introduce legislation imposing a federal excise tax equal to the new tolls, for states which toll Interstates. The senator said, “Unfortunately the Congressman did not have enough clout in the U.S. House to secure Pennsylvania’s fair share of funding under the 2005 transportation bill so the state had to do something.” Meanwhile, in the wake of the disaster may states have ordered emergency bridge inspections but Gov. Ed Rendell says there are no such plans for Pennsylvania and yesterday he cautiously assured Pennsylvanians that the state’s bridges are safe even though some 5900 are deemed structurally deficient, the same rating as the one which collapsed Wednesday. The Governor says that while the recently passed funding is not enough, it’s a start toward re |