Lots of news today. Remember to check the archive section. Not all the news stays on the front page.

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Thanks,

Josh

The Coudersport Ambulance Association has moved to it’s new location. The volunteer Ambulance Association, which used to operate in the small building next to the Potter Leader Enterprise, has moved into their new $350,000 building across from the Consistory.
The CVAA plans to host an open house Saturday from 1-5.

The Potter County Suicide Prvention Task Force is planning a concert for teens Saturday afternoon. Eight bands will perform at the Coudersport Consistory for the “Teen Tinnitus” Concert. The Olean-based Navar will headling the show.

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life has set a date for the 2005 event. The annual event raises money for cancer research.

Residents walk the track at Carp Park in Coudersport. This year’s event will take place June 17-18.
Teams are already beginning to raise funds for the event.

Improvements to Route 44 in Potter County are underway. A $1.5 million dollars drainage and pacing project near Shinglehouse and other areas is beginning now. Motorists should expect delays until early August.

Zippo President and CEO Greg Booth is set to ring the Closing Bell at the New York Stock Exchange today. The lighter maker will be traveling with Governor Ed Rendell to speak to consultants about business prospects in Pennsylvania.

In a move to trim costs McKean County Commissioners have announced a plan to place one person in charge of Emergency Management. Currently, Jim Lewis leads the County 911 operations, and Steve Nelson oversees the Emergency Management Agency.

A new position will be created to handle both jobs, with a salary between 35 and 50 thousand dollars.

Commissioners say Nelson has applied for the position. Lewis has not expressed interest in the position, though commissioners say the may use him in another county function.

The McKean-Potter Red Cross and Meals on Wheels program were presented a grant yesterday.

State Representative Martin Causer and Joe Scarnati were on hand to present an 18 thousand dollar grant to renovate and improve the meals on wheels facility. New windows, siding, and insulation in the building should result in a 27 percent savings on utility costs. Over the course of ten years, the savings is worth 98 hundred dollars.

The money comes from the State Department of Economic and Community Development.

A Port Allegany Man will be sentenced May 12 for writing a counterfeit check. 37-year-old Joel Shroll pleaded guilty to writing a counterfeit cashiers check to First National Bank of Port Allegany in the amount of $3,500.

Several area schools will continue into the third round of competition in the WPSX TV Scholastic Scrimmage. The third round kicks off next Thursday with Kane vs. Otto Eldred.

The competition between Bradford and Port Allegany will be aired on April 28 and 30.

Time Warner and Comcast have agreed to purchase Adelphia Communications at a cost of 17.6 Billion dollars. The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal report the deal could be days away.
The deal would give the media giants 5.3 million cable subscribers, in cities across the country such as Los Angeles and Miami.

A Coudersport woman was accepted into the accelerated rehab program for charges of burglary, theft, and criminal trespass. 19-year-old Courtney Moore participated in burglaries at the Hotel Bradford.

More than one million dollars in funding has been secured for the Bradford Regional Airport. The funds, which come from two different grants, provide for the installation of airport beacons, and to purchase land to improve runway safety. Airport Manager Tom Frungillo credits Congressman John Peterson for securing the grants.

An Olean man was charged with rape Wednesday. Olean City Police report 38-year old Dion Sawyer was charged for an incident July 24th, when Sawyer allegedly raped an Olean woman while she was sleeping at a friend’s house.

A Smethport man missing since being involved in an accident early Sunday morning is still unaccounted for. 43-year old Todd Boardman, who was a passenger in an accident on Route 146 between 2:30 and 6 a.m. Sunday, left the scene and has not been located since. Boardman is described as 5’6”, 145 pounds, with shoulder length brown hair, last seen wearing a black jacket, jeans and high top sneakers. It is unknown if Boardman received injuries in the accident.
Police say anyone who has had contact with Boardman Saturday or Sunday, or since, should contact them.

Representative Kathy Rapp says funding for West Nile monitoring has been secured., $147.308 will be issued to monitor mosquito populations in Warren, McKean and Forest Counties. McKean County had no reported cases in 2004,
But Forest and Warren Counties did have positive tests for west nile.

A report came in Wednesday night of a plane down near Liberty and Eldred Townships. Searches yielded no results. McKean County Emergency Management Deputy director Bruce Manning says a report came in of a low flying plane in the Eldred are, near the Ethan Allan plant near 8 PM An ATV search did not find a downed plane in that area. Checks with other agencies and airports did not yield any missing or late flights.

Eldred Township Volunteer Fire Department responded to a grass fire Wednesday off Slack Hollow Road. The fire burned about half an acre. Officials aren’t sure what caused the fire. No damages or injuries were reported.

A Potter County man will serve 12-25 years in prison for the death of a toddler. 24-year-old Clinton Watson was sentenced in Potter County Court Wednesday for the January 2004 death of 2 year old Serena Powell. Powell died after sustaining massive trauma to her abdomen and head.

Watson pleaded no contest, admitting he caused the death, but saying he did not mean to kill her when he inflicted the injuries.

Watson injured the girl when she told him she had a dirty diaper.

The girl’s mother, Arlene Haines faces child endangerment charges, because she continued to allow her children to live with Watson, even though she knew he was a danger.

A Shinglehouse man has been charged with indecent assault, corruption of minors and harassment. Police say 24-year-old James Leroy Umbaugh III is accused of inappropriately touching a 14-year-old juvenile from Johnsonburg on two separate occasions.

Police were called to the Galeton Drug Pharmacy ater a known white male attempted to pass off an altered prescription. The suspect was refused service, and the prescription was siezed. State Police are investigating, and charges are pending.

A Shinglehouse man has been charged wit providing alcohol to minors. 21 year old Kyle Lloyd Babckockreportedly consumed beer and vodka with 19 year old Josh Mesler, 20 year old Christopher Norton, and 19 year old Christopher Smith, all from Shinglehouse. Babcock was 20 years old at the time of the February incident.

A Galeton woman that jumped out of a moving vehicle will face public drunkenness charges. 34 year old Kimberly Malaczewsju was visibly intoxicated Saturday when police saw her jump from a moving vehicle in Abbott Township.

State Police report that a Harrison Valley Man has been charged with harrassment. 49 year old Wade Tubbs faces charges of disorderly conduct and Hassment after he allegedly struck 25 year old Thomas Robinson of Ulysses in the face with a closed fist. The incident occured int he parking lot of the Pine Creek Inn along State Route 6 on Sunday.

A three-vehicle accident in Olean Thursday resulted in injuries for two people. An accident at the intersection of West State and North 11th streets involved vehicles driven by 38-year old Karen Whelpley of Olean, 39-year old Julie Williams of Portville and 32-year old Thomas Edgreen of Port Allegany. Whelpley was taken to Olean General Hospital for treatment of abdominal injuries while a passenger in the Williams vehicle, 7-year old Brittany Williams was taken to OGH for a head injury. No charges were filed for the accident.

PennDOT has announced roadwork is being done in Potter County, including paving and drainage improvements. The $1.5 million project started along some state roads this week. Roads to be included in the project include areas of Route 44, Route 1001 and 4031 near Sweden Valley and Routes 1011 and 1003 near Ulysses. Specific roadwork schedules will be released weekly.

McKean County Jail Warden Dennis Luther issued a report to the County Prison Board Friday. Luther says 76 men and 12 women have overcrowded the small jail. Five women and 10 men are left without beds. Luther also says 40 percent of the inmates are taking tranquilizers; even more have mental health needs. A committee was formed to deal with the mental health issues at the jail.

Two Potter County men received major injuries in a Sunday crash in Bingham Township. 20-year-old Peter Zehr veered off the roadway, and struck a utility pole. Zehr and his passenger, 22-year-old Rodney Connolly were injured in the crash.

Applicants may have to wait until summer to hear back on their bid for a job at Microtech Knives. The company has already received 800 applications for its 200 vacancies, from as far away as Syracuse and Cleveland.

Project Manager JJ. Stives says they won’t hire anyone until the company is ready to put the applicants to work, which could be as late as summer.

A Smethport man is missing after an accident Sunday morning. 42-year old Todd Boardman was a passenger in a vehicle that was involved in an accident in the Clermont area in Sergeant Township between 2:30 and 6 Sunday morning. Boardman left the scene of the accident traveling in an unknown direction and has been missing since. Anyone with information is asked to contact Kane-based State Police.

A massive marijuana bust went down in the Wilcox area yesterday in Elk County. The North Central Drug Task Force reports that 33 y ear old Naushad Punjani was arrested after a search yielded three pounds of processed pot, several plants, growing lights and other paraphernalia, as well as a small amount of heroin.
Total street value of the drugs is listed as around $11,000.

State Police responded to a report of harassment in Homer Township in Potter County Sunday. 40-year-old Lori Kocjancic called police after a 17 year old juvenile girl through a heated microwave dinner at her.

Kocjancic received minor injuries.

State Police are looking for burglars in Roulette Township. Between March 30 and April 1, unknown burglars broke into a garage belonging to 67-year-old Paul Forry and stole 85 wooden 2x4’s, and fled the scene undetected. Troopers ask that anyone with information contact them.