A known male suspect is facing charges after he allegedly pushed a Port
Allegany woman. The incident occurred Thursday afternoon at 150 East Cutler
Road in Liberty Township.

The unnamed male suspect allegedly pushed 59 year old Betty Mitchell to the
ground, and then grabbed her by the arm.

A Crash in Hamlin Township left one man injured Thursday night. Police say
31-year-old Tony Cox was driving along Route 6 when he failed to see Derrell
Kribbs vehicle stopped in the road. Cox attempted to swerve onto the berm,
but struck the rear of Kribbs' car, and pushed it into the other land, where
it came into contact with a Jeep Cherokee driven by Adi Rapport of North
Carolina. Police say Cox tried to flee the scene, but was apprehended.
Kribbs was taken to the hospital for treatment after the crash. The extent
of his injuries is unclear at this time.

A Port Allegany Soldier was among the 19 soldiers hit by lightning at Fort
Benning. None of the soldiers were seriously injured, , but 18 year old
Private Tyler Ayers was held overnight for observation at Martin Army
Community Hospital.

Jacquelyn Austin says her son is expected to make a full recovery. She says
Ayers was standing on the roots of a tree tat was struck by lightning.

A Bradford man will be sentenced at the end of September after pleading
guilty to a litany of charges stemming from a May 15 incident. 38-year-old
Cash Zawatski admitted that he cut through a wall with a chainsaw, and
poured gasoline throughout his house, threatening to burn it down with his
wife and children inside. Charges leveled against Zawatski include making
terroristic threats and endangering the welfare of children.

A Port Allegany mans pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and endangering
the welfare of a child after his infant son was roughly handled to the point
of blindness and deafness. Assistant DA Christa Schott says the child has
regained some eyesight and hearing, but says recovery is ongoing.

Maben entered his guilty plea, and will appear for sentencing September 29.

A Smethport man faces criminal harassment charges for an incident last night
in Keating Township. Police say 45-year-old Joel Johnson called police to
say 46-year-old David Kessler caused him to be alarmed for his safety.

Three area fire departments have received grants from the Department of
Homeland Security Thursday. The grants were distributed through the
assistance to firefighters grants program and gave over $70,500 to Mt Jewett
Volunteer Fire Department, a little under $200 thousand to North Warren
Volunteer Fire Department and Hilltop VFD is in line to receive over $209
thousand. North Warren and Hilltop both requested funds for vehicle
acquisition while Mt Jewett's funds were requested for Operations and
Safety.

State Representative Kathy Rapp has thrown her support behind a bill that
would repeal the unvouchered expense provision of the new legislative pay
raise. According to Rapp, as a legislator who voted against the pay raise
and one who will not accept unvouchered expenses, support is the sensible
course of action. Rapp joins Representatives Paul Clymer and Will Gabig in
co-sponsoring the bill. Rapp is one of the first Northwestern
representatives to support the repeal effort.

District Attorney John Pavlock has given his view on the dismissal of child
pornography charges against a Port Allegany man. In a written statement,
Pavlock stated that a motion of reconsideration has been filed. The
Commonwealth does not believe the case against Matthew Erway should have
been dismissed, because Erway delayed the matter as long as possible, then
demanded a trial. Pavlock also stated that while considering whether an
appeal should be filed, the Commonwealth will look at several factors,
including the time Erway will spend in jail in New York for violating
probation and the time he has already spent in McKean County Prison.

Three ATA buses in Emporium were burglarized over night Monday. According to
State Police, a person or group entered the three buses and stole money and
caused $1200 in damage to the three fare boxes.

The Ice Cream Store in Emporium was the victim of burglary Wednesday night.
Someone caused $400 in damage to the back door of the store and then stole
$133 from inside the store. Emporium-based State Troopers are investigating.

Two Warren teens were assaulted and robbed shortly after midnight Tuesday.
Jessie Wolfgang and Patrick Donovan, both 18 years old, stopped to assist a
small red car that appeared to be a disabled motorist in Glade Township near
Warren. Police are searching for three or four males between the ages of 18
and 30, who robbed Wolfgang and Donovan after they got out of their vehicle.

All the parties involved in a robbery in Warren County earlier this week
have been rounded up. Police say they have arrested 29 year old Kevin
Bailey, 19 year old Christopher Powell, 21 year old Mark Wagener, and a
known 17 year old Sheffield male.

The quartet was arrested after a robbery on Hemlock Road in Glade Township
Tuesday. All four were charged with robbery, aggravated assault, conspiracy,
and other charges.

The three adult suspects were put in jail on 100 thousand bail.

More news on Kane Magnetics International. Just a few weeks after announcing
a large number of layoffs locally, the company has announced a merger with
Energy Conversion Systems, which is based in Dunn, North Carolina. The new
name for Kane Magnetics will be Energy Conversion Systems, LLC. The company
plans to cut 97 of their 139 jobs in Kane in September and October.

At yesterday's Allegany National Forest Vacation Bureau meeting it was
announced that there is still vendor space available for the Kinzua Bridge
Festival on September sixteenth and seventeenth. It was also brought up
about the need for connectors to services off the trail systems within the
Allegany National Forest.

A Galeton man pleaded guilty in court this week to a car theft. 36 year old
Terry Cromer admitted to borrowing a friends car to drive to the drugstore
across town, and then taking the car to Mansfield instead. Cromer , along
with Kevin Kiselyk got the car stuck in a snow bank, and did not bring the
car back to the owner.

Cromer also pleaded guilty to a June 4th charge of disorderly conduct and
public drunkenness.

Stopped by the fair again for the Station.

Here's Chris Taylor from Hero Radio, and Buffo the World's Strongest Clown. (and apparently tallest...) His website is http://www.buffo.com

That's me in the middle on this ride...... WHEEEEE.

Elvis the pig sniffs the camera.

Elvis's neighbor likes to "ham" it up.....

Thursday was Senior day... Senior citizens got in free.

Anybody want to waste some money trying to win a prize?

The McKean County Fair is going on this week.

Some pics I snapped while I was over for a live broadcast for WESB and WBRR yesterday.





Wow... a dead coyote... look at the teeth on this thing.




The younger soldiers are from Bradford, and their in the National Guard. The older guy is a member of the Bucktail Regiment, that re-enact the Civil War unit.



And this is the mob of people waitin to get into the grandstands for the demolition derby.


I will be underneath the grandstands today broadcasting live on Hero Radio, WBRR, stop by and say HI!

A Port Allegany man will not face child porn charges, because he was not
granted a speedy trial, according to McKean County Judge John Yoder. A State
Police parole officer says he found several CD's full of child pornography
in the Annin Township home of Matthew Erway in November of 2003

Erway filed motions to have his case dismissed because it was not brought to
trial in a timely fashion. The request was initially questioned, because the
delays were at the request of Erway and his lawyer.

But the DA's office has not successfully brought the case to trial in the
past 120 days, so Erway will walk without the charges. He is currently in
Attica NY serving time in prison for parole violations in NY State.

Photo Taken From http://www.brown-recluse.com (caution, graphic photos of bites and wounds at that website... not for the weak of stomach)

A four year old from Smethport may have been bitten by a very venomous Brown Recluse spider. Christy Olson says her son had a wound on his foot that began to spread rapidly.
The young boy will need a skin graft, because the tissue at the site of the bite turned black and died.

Doctors at Charles Cole Memorial Hospital have given her conflicting reports, but Olson believes little Isaac was bitten by the spider.

Area doctors say they have treated people locally for Brown Recluse bites.

The brown hairy spider is about the size of a quarter, with a yellow violin shaped marking on its back.. While the spider is rare in Pennsylvania, the creatures have been known to be transported and start new native populations.



Editor's Note: My Wife almost stepped on one of these in our bathroom when we lived in Roulette. I think the spider was sick, because it did not scatter or run when I came near it. This picture doesn't have a clear "fiddle back" marking like the one we saw, and then promptly smashed with a book.

The DEP was called out along with emergency crews after a crash in Potter
County. A late model Osh Kosh tractor from the Four Winds Farm in Ulysses
slipped gears and lost its breaks on Genesee Mils Road. The tractor then
struck a stop sign, hit a ditch, and rolled over, blocking the roadway. The
tractor was pulling a load of liquid manure, which was dumped onto the
highway.

Farm owner Richard Van Etten was not injured in the incident.

The Four Winds Farm recently received a grant to build a generator to turn
manure into fuel for an electric generator.

Editors Note: YUCK

State Troopers in Ridgway are checking out and attempted robbery Wednesday
Night in the Elk County village of Byrnedale. Police say a 15 year old male
was manning the cash register at Fridays Gas Station when 27 year old Donald
Pentland, and two unknown accomplices came into the store, grabbed the kid
by the neck, and tried to force him to open the cash register. When the teen
would not cooperate, they fled and drove away in a dark colored Pontiac
Sunfire with a bra, and made off.

Police later located Pentland at a residence in Clearfield, and he was taken
into custody.

Sheriff's Deputies in Cattaraugus County NY responded to a plane crash of
Route 219 in the town of Great Valley. A Piper Cherokee 140 was found in a
bean field near the airport runway, with moderate damage to it's propeller,
landing gear, and undercarriage. 65-year-old pilot William Samston suffered
a minor head laceration.

Samston told police he was trying to take off when the left wheel of the
plane locked up, sending him off the runway and through the field.

AN Emporium man called police to report an incident of theft. Theodore
Nichols told police someone stole his 50-dollar crank handle from his camper
trailer while it was parked on Maple Street in Roulette sometime in the past
few days.

State Police in Potter County have arrested a Genesee man after a car chase
through Ulysses this past Saturday. Police say Michael Cardy chased an
unidentified Ford Mustang through town, running over a filter assembly in
the parking lot of the Hot Dog House. Cardy is charged with careless
driving, driving a vehicle without inspection, and criminal mischief.

Troopers are still seeking information about the Mustang.

An incident of gravel theft is under investigation by Kane-based State
Police. Troopers say a known suspect arrived at the trail head of the Kinzua
Valley Trail in Lafayette Township, and stole a large amount of gravel.
Police say they do have a suspect, but they are withholding the name until
charges are filed.

A ball of rice thrown at a vehicle is under investigation by State Police.
According to Kane based state troopers, someone threw the ball of rice at a
vehicle owned by 38-year old James Graham of Port Allegany, breaking the
passenger side mirror. The incident occurred on Skinner Creek Road in
Liberty township and caused $40 in damage to the vehicle.

Editors Note: Still not sure about this one... wouldn't it fall apart upon
impact? Hmm.......

Medicare will see a big change at the first of the year. Beginning January
1st, all Americans with Medicare will be able to get prescription drug
coverage. According to Dr. Mark McClellan, administrator for Medicare and
Medicaid services, this is one of the most important new benefits in 40
years.

. The coverage is voluntary so for those who are not interested, their
benefits won't change.

For more information, call 1800-MEDICARE or visit http://www.medicare.gov

NY state governor George Pataki has signed the bill giving Cattaraugus
County governments more share of the casino revenue. The bill allows the
city of Salamanca, Cattaraugus County and the Salamanca School district to
receive 25% of the net revenue from the Seneca Allegany Casino. Under state
law, the governments were eligible for 15%, while other areas with casinos
were already receiving 25%.

Rabies is an increasing problem in Cattaraugus County. The Health Department
is reminding pet owners to keep vaccinations up to date.

Any bats that bite someone should be carefully captured and brought into the
health department.

37 individuals in the county have been treated with post exposure rabies
treatments so far this summer.

Some things will run differently at the Kane Elementary school this year.
Student arrival and dismissal procedures have been altered.
All students attending the school will enter and leave the building through
the canopied front entrance facing the parking lot.
All other entrances will be locked for the safety of the students.
Parents are not permitted to use the school bus circle to drop off their
children.
Classes at the school are scheduled to resume Aug. 24.

The Annual North American Iroquois Veterans Association 2005 Powwow is
ready to go for this weekend at the Cattaraugus County Fairgrounds.
The powwow has moved from its previous location at Vets Park in Salamanca.
The pow wow is meant to honor veterans, and allow people to come together to
share in the native American culture and heritage by joining together.

One of the most dangerous traffic areas in the area is getting better.
PennDot officials say the safety level of traffic on Boot Jack hill is
making progress.

PennDot officials met earlier in August to take a look at truck traffic on
the hill.

Trucks are supposed to use a bypass on Route 120, but they often take Boot
Jack Hill into Ridgway.

The Ridgway borough council says they have asked PennDot to do anything
possible to alleviate the problem.

A Lumber company was robbed over the weekend in Potter County. Milcreek
Enterprises in Ulysses called State Police to report the theft of three
chain saws.

Someone broke into a storage cabinet and removed the saws, valued at a total
of 350 dollars.

Police are investigating.

Two Walks for Life are scheduled locally, one in NY State and one in
Smethport in September. The first will be September 11th on the Allegheny
River Valley Trail in NY State and the other will be September 18th at
Hamlin Lake Park in Smethport. This year's theme is making a world of
difference. The walks for life support the Twin Tiers Pregnancy Care Center.
Each walk begins at 1 p.m.

Took the Kids to Marilla Resevoir, just outside of Bradford last week. Thoug't you'd like to see some pictures.

Pictures of the McKean County Fair coming tomorrow!