Where is Bradford's trash going? Earlier this month, City Council passed an ordinance that would send the city's garbage to a landfill in Chautauqua County with a cheap tipping fee.

In order for that change to take place, the Chautauqua County government needs to approve the imported junk.
City Clerk John Peterson reportedly worked out a deal with the McKean County Landfill operated by Rustick, that would drop the tipping fee down from 48.50 to 29 dollars a ton.
City Councilman Dan Costello says he wants it lower, Chautauqua is offering 21.50 a ton. City council will continue negotiating and discussing the options after the first of the year.

Who pays for the clean up for HAZMAT spills in McKean County?
Well, now, you do, if you cause it.

McKean County Commissioners met Tuesday, and passed an updated ordinance calling for Emergency Management to collect fees for HAZMAT incidents, redistributing the monies to the fire departments and first responders.

Water rates are increasing. The Bradford City Water Authority upped the water rate by a dollar a month. The increase is the first since 2001.

The rising cost of fuel has affected the budget to the point that a rate hike was necessary, according to Authority Executive Director Kim Benjamin.

Those flying fists and bared teeth in the Solid Waste Authority versus the County Commissioners showdown have all settled down. County Commissioners announced at Tuesday's SWA meeting that they would not try to retrieve the 1.3 million dollar the SWA paid out to local municipalities from the landfill sale.
Commissioners and the solid waste authority met Tuesday morning with their lawyers in an effort to resolve their differences regarding dissolving the authority.
The authority's lawyers were asked to prepare a document to bring the issues surrounding the dissolution to a conclusion. The document will be available to authority members on January 10th, and to the commissioners on January 16th.
They expect at least one more joint meeting before the issue can be concluded.

State Representative Martin Causer is inviting constituents to a holiday open house from 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday in his Bradford office at 78 Main Street.
He says he wants more people to take advantage of the services his office has available, and that giving people a direct link to Harrisburg has always been one of his top priorities.
Cookies and coffee will be served during the open house.

A Roulette man tells state police that at about 9 o'clock last Thursday night someone kicked in his front door, then fled the scene.
43-year-old James Archer says he could not get a description of the suspects.

County Administrator Dick Casey says though the McKean County Jail is rated as the worst in the state, most of the issues have been resolved.

Casey says the largest issue is overcrowding, and that issue continues, for as long as there is not enough funds to build a larger facility. Casey says an architect has looked at ths site to expand the jail but don't expect an expansion any time soon.

The Jail scored a 64 out of 100, and ranked worst in the State of PA.

Jamestown woman Yolanda Bindics has been missing since August of last year.
Her mother and sister continue to be frustrated that the case has not garnered more national attention. The family has set up a new website to help their search at findyolanda.com

A Warren County woman that allegedly fed her husband rat poison sandwiches is set to go to trial sometime in the new year. Cheryl Raybuck's case is postponed. She's been in custody since her arraignment. She has been arrested in February.

No one was injured in a crash Monday at the intersection of Boylston and Kennedy Streets. Police say 18-year-old Steve Strubel of Olean struck a car driven by 19-year-old David Gee of Bradford.
Police say Struble admitted running the red light.

A new study will start next month to determine whether shotguns and muzzle loaders used by hunters pose less of a risk to the public than rifles.

The 99 thousand dollar study should be finished by the middle of next year.

The state game commission has studied the issue and concluded that shotguns are not necessarily safer than rifles.

Lawmakers began looking at expanding bans on rifles after two non-hunters in Western Pennsylvania were shot and killed in 1996.

A New York City man was allowed to name is name to Jesus Christ.

Forty-two year old Jose Espinal says he's happy the judge approved the name change.

The Manhattan Civil Court judge who approved the name change says that it poses no problems or confusions.


Editor's Note: I'm certainly not confused by the name. I know who the real one is.

An Eldred family was injured in a crash last night.

48 year old James Howard, along with Christine Howard and two juveniles were traveling along Route 46 north of Emporium when James Howard lost control on the ice, and slid off the road.

Howard's Trailblazer rolled over twice.

All occupants were taken to Elk Regional for treatment.

A Cameron County accident called out state troopers last week. Police say 46 year old Jeffrey Burger of Austin drove off Route 156 in Shippen Township. He crashed into a trailer located off the roadway.

No injuries were reported.

A 17-year-old girl was injured in a crash on Route 6 near Roulette last week. The teen was driving when she swerved to miss an obstacle, lost control, and struck an embankment, rolling the vehicle on its side.

The teen and a two-year-old passenger received minor injuries.
43-year-old passenger Tina Lamont was not injured.

The State Police fire marshal is working with the Derrick City Fire Chief in an investigation into the cause of a Christmas Eve fire at the garage of 58-year-old David Downs.

Police say the fire started in the garage on Derrick Road. And it destroyed a Ford Ranger, an Subaru Legacy, and a sailboat.

Derrick City Fire Department, Bradford City Fire, Otto Township and Limestoe NY fire departments all assisted at the scene.

150 thousand dollars in damage has been estimated.
No injuries were reported.

There was a two-car accident in the village of Genesee yesterday. According to a report from Coudersport State Police, Thomas Truax failed to see a vehicle being driven by Melissa Walsh on State Route 449 when he attempted to turn onto the road. Truax, Walsh and her 3 passengers were taken to the Jones Hospital in Wellsville for evaluation. Both Vehicles were disabled and had to be town from the scene.

According to Kane state police there was a fire this weekend causing at least 45 thousand dollars in damages in Wetmore Township. A Garage on Burning Well Road reportedly started from an electrical malfunction starting in an attached shed. No one was reported injured in the blaze.

State police are looking for the driver of a vehicle who was involved in an accident on State Route 872, one mile south of Bark Shanty Road in Keating Township. The unidentified driver reportedly lost control of their Pontiac Grand Am and collided with an embankment before coming to rest on its roof in the north bound lane. It is unknown, at this time, if the person was injured in the incident. The car was described as being a 1996 Grand Am, blue in color, license plate number G-D-V 4-9-4-6. Anyone with information is asked to contact the State Police Barracks in Coudersport.

State Troopers are reporting the burglary of a garage in Roulette Thursday night. The unknown person allegedly entered the garage of Debra Sitter damaging the garage door and removed beer and soda. Anyone with further information is asked to contact the state police barracks in Coudersport.

State Police in Coudersport are releasing a report that they had found a bag of tools along Bark Shanty Road Wednesday. Anyone wishing to claim the tool bag is asked to contact the Pennsylvania State Police barracks.

Police are investigating an incident that 1:45 this afternoon when 2 Emporium residents were found with 7 boxes of untaxed cigarettes.
26-year-old Ronald Miller and 37-year-old Lester Speta were stopped for a traffic violation near Kennedy Springs on Route 219, when state troopers noticed the cigarettes.
The investigation is continuing.

A look at the just-released list of salaries for next year may lead people to believe that McKean County will be paying a lot more to District Attorney (DA) John Pavlock. The opposite is true.
Pavlock says the county will actually be saving money by making his position full-time instead of part-time.

The state pays 65 percent of a full-time DA's salary.

Police arrested two Lewis Run residents for harassment after an incident on High Street. Troopers say Jeffrey and Tracey Kandare were involved in a fight, pushing and kicking each other.

The Lewis Run residents were both charged with harassment.

State Police report they stopped to check out a suspicious vehicle along Sartwell Road in Eldred Township Wednesday.
Officers say they searched the car and found an unknown white powder substance thought to be drugs. They've not confirmed the identity of the suspect, nor the substance.

State Police were called out to the Kane High School Parking lot Thursday. Three juveniles were shoving and kicking each other. Police continue to investigate.

A Turtlepoint man appeared in court yesterday, and pleaded guilty to simple assault. 22 year old Paul Crum admitted to striking a woman and bouncing her head off a car.

A Man that was shot in the face in Port Allegany entered no contest pleas in McKean County Court Thursday on simple assault and disorderly conduct charges. Pubic Defender Ron Langella says 45-year-old David Kelley is being treated by a psychologist after suffering severe personal injuries.
Kelly allegedly punched his caretaker in the nose on May 34.

A Sixth Grader from Fretz Middle School will be headed to Australia this summer. Hanna Pais has been accepted as a People Student Ambassador.
The program is meant to promote international understanding and build leadership skills.
An account has been set up at Northwest Savings Bank for sponsors.
Hannah is the daughter of James and Cindy Pais.

Will outgoing OECD director Ray McMahon take a new job? McKean County is creating two new departments this year, one of them focuses on Economic Development.
McMahon retired from his position working for the City of Bradford, effective January 2nd. Published reports indicate he's being considered as the leading candidate for a similar position working for McKean County.

McKean County's Salary list has been released. President Judge John Cleland and Judge John Yoder each pull in more than 135 thousand a year.
McKean County Commissioners John Egbert and Cliff Lane each make partial salaries of 12 thousand. Bruce Burdick takes in a full salary at more than 46 thousand.
County Administrator Dick Casey will make more than 82 thousand this year, and Sheriff Brad Mason will pull in just over 45 thousand.
The biggest change is John Pavlock, who will go from a part time to full time DA. He'll go from 65 thousand to 134 thousand.

The Route 219 bids were opened, and a Pittsburgh Company came out on top with the low bid.
PennDot Community Relations coordinator Marla Fannin says Mascaro Construction of Pittsburgh had the lowest bid for the Route 219 rehabilitation project. At nearly fifty-five and a half million dollars.
About 12 firms sent bids in for the project.

Attorney Sam Stretton is already on the move. His client, convicted cop killer Timothy Williams was denied a new trial last week. Stretton has already filed for an appeal to the State Superior Court.
Williams was convicted of shooting Kane Borough Police Officer Steve Jerman on Feb. 20, 1999.
Stretton has a growing list of witnesses who say they have heard Becky Lucrezi Olseon say she was the shooter that night.
Judge Charles Alexander says he has no doubt Liucrezi did make the statements, but doesn't believe that gives Williams the right to a new trial.

Two Roulette residents sustained minor injuries during an accident last Wednesday afternoon on Route 6, about one tenth of a mile east of the McKean County Line.
State police say a71-year-old Daniel Kerr Jr. swerved to miss a car he thought was going to run into his vehicle, but turned into a vehicle driven by 31-year-old Jennifer Sission.
Both vehicles had to be towed from the scene.

Coudersport state police are reporting that someone scattered rubbish on Forks Road sometime last night or this morning.
A person who leases property there, says someone dropped three or four bags of garbage then fled the scene.

20 year old, Bradford resident Nicole Adkins appeared in McKean County Court Thursday before Judge John Yoder on charges of corruption of minors. Adkins pleaded guilty to the charges which stem from an incident early this year when she drove two juveniles to Buffalo, New York and smoked marijuana in their presence. She'll be sentencing on January 12, 2006.

21-year-old Smethport resident, Brett Kinney pleaded guilty after he stole 2 packs of cigarettes and 6 cassette tapes. Kinney also broke into a Kane residence and refused to leave. He is scheduled for sentencing on January 26, 2006.

Dennis Boatman, pleaded in McKean County Court yesterday before Judge John Yoder on theft charges. Boatman took a purse and also wrote11 checks knowing they would not be honored by the bank. He is scheduled for sentencing on January 12, 2006

Jamie Himes Dana will get to keep her dog. The Defense appropriation bill was kicked back to clarify wording in one portion, but the language that would allow for the adoption of a military dog by its handler was approved, and the chances of that being removed from this point on are slim, according to legislative officials in Washington.

Dana is in Colorado after a lengthy recovery from injuries sustained in Iraq.

A Roulette residence sustained heavy damage in a fire on Christmas Eve. The fire was reported around 8pm Saturday evening by neighbors on Fishing Creek Road. Firefighters were forced to pump water from the Atkins Road bridge, nearly a mile away. The residents, Jennifer Mull and children, were not home at the time. The house is owned by Steven Visco of Roulette.

[This house was built and occupied by my grandparents for nearly 40 years, and I lived there for over 11 years, so it held a lot of memories.]