GARDEAU, Pa --- Thousands of fish and other aquatic organisms no longer live in the treasured waters of the Portage Run Creek in McKean County.

More than 48,000 gallons of sodium hydroxide spilled into the stream when 31 train boxcars and cars derailed near the juncture of McKean, Ca meron and Potter counties on Friday, June 30.

That chemical flowed downstream to Emporium, and by last Saturday morning (July 1) it ended up in Sinnemahoning-- literally suffocating thousands of fish and other amphibians.

However, some of those lucky water animals survived. Some cray fish, whom fed on the fish, and at least one stone fly, spotted near Emporium, stayed alive in the contaminated stream.

Portage Run, a branch of Sinnemahoning Creek, once dubbed as a Class A stream, provided fishers with a pristine spot to catch small mouth bass and trout. The distinguished tourist attraction, that drew people from all over the country to this area, has been put on hold.

The Driftwood Branch of the Sinnemahoning in Cameron County, another popular fishing spot, suffered in the wake of the recent incident.

Cameron County Watershed Specialist Zoschg says that the stream might be recolonized in about five years, but he said for the species to adapt to the enviroment, it'll likely take longer.

Recent studies by the Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health of Little Rock, Ark. revealed the Ph level of around 13 and 14 when the chemical circulated throughout the stream.
"While most of the stream is close to its normal pH levels, there are still spots where small pools of concentrated sodium hydroxide may exist at levels that could cause injury," DEP Emergency Response Manager Dan Holler said.

The state Department of Environment of Protection used benthic macroinvertebrates, insects visible to the naked eye, to test the water quality.

Officials reported five cars contained the chemical, also known as lye, but only three of them leaked. A tanker carried chlorine but wasn't breached.

Bruce Manning, of the McKean County Emergency Management Agency, said the chemical seeped from one tanker, traveled under the railroad tracks, entered a pipe and flowed into Portage Run, a branch of Sinnemahoning Creek.

"It (the affects of he derailment) does have a huge impact on Cameron County and the Emporium Borough because it is in the center where everything is located," Emporium Manager Robert Aversa said.

We've launched the new website! This website will remain active for the sake of archives.

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i need to get with our contributors and get them set up on the new blogs soon. Interested in contributing? email us. editor@rouletterebel.com

State Troopers report that 33 year old Vicki Kelly was scammed. She was
contacted by a man claiming to represent First Citizen's Bank in
Philadelphia. He told her she would received a 10 thousand dollar grant if
she verified her bank account information.

The scammer took 399 dollars out of her account.

Police are looking for anyone with information.

Crystal Kinchen called police to report damage to her electric fence. 50
feet of fence was down around her horse pasture. No permanent damages were
sustained, and no horses were injured.

State Police are investigating a call received from 59 year old William
Munter.

Munter told police he discovered an empty beer bottle and beer can next to
his mailbox.

Editor's Note: Seriously, Mr. Munter, did you need to call the police for
this? I can think of other things my tax dollars should be paying for. I can
understand if someone dumped a whole bag of garbage at your house. But a
beer bottle and can? Sorry. It doesn't warrant calling our the State Police.
Any seconds? Leave a comment.

The Seneca's aren't happy about NY's plan to charge taxes on tobacco and
gasoline sold to non-Indians, but they are happy about a delay from the
governor's administration.

NY Governor George Pataki says it's prepared to start charging taxes March
1st, but it wants to wait until the state legislature sorts out its laws on
collection of taxes.

Officials say it will cost the state 1.5 million dollars a day to enforce
the collection if the Senecas show the same unrest they did the last time
the state tried to collect taxes.

The seventh annual Chainsaw Carving Rendezvous is set to get started
Saturday.

The event will be held at the Ridgway firemen's carnival lot.

Things kick off with ice and wood carving Saturday and Sunday.

Workshops and classes will be held all through the week.
Ad more carving contests and exhibitions will be featured next weekend.

A Niagara Falls NY woman pleaded guilty to welfare fraud charges in McKean
County Court.
Rosella Simmons Medlin admitted to defrauding the welfare system of 32
hundred dollars in food stamps and more than 400 dollars in cash. She
collected the benefits between the year 2000 and 2002 without reporting her
husband's income, or her move to Niagara Falls.
She collected an additional 13 hundred dollars cash and three thousand
dollars in food stamp between March of 2003 and July of 2004 by presenting
forged documents to the Department of Public Assistance. Sentencing is set
for March 16.

Port Allegany Resident James Spiegel died as a result of injuries sustained
in a fire Thursday. Friends of the deceased say that he fell on a kerosene
heater.
His funeral is set for today.
State Police have not yet released any details in the man's death.

A woman was injured in a school bus crash yesterday on East Main Street.
City Police report that Bus number 25, drive by 51 year old Jack Spring
failed to stop and hit a car driven by 55 year old Martha Hurd of Bradford.
Hurd was stopped for children crossing the road.
She sustained moderate injuries in the crash.
Spring will be cited for following too closely.

A Student at Pitt Bradford was arrested Thursday on a fugitive from Justice
warrant. She's accused of soliciting murder in Chicago Illinois. County
Sheriff Brad Mason brought 24-year-old Raquel Jacques before the McKean
County Judge Thursday. Jacques waived her extradition, so she will be held
in the McKean County Jail until officials come from Chicago to take her into
custody. If Chicago authorities don't show up, she could be let out after 30
days.
Jacques was a nursing major at Pitt Bradford.

The Bradford Historic Architectural Review Board has reversed its decision
to back the demolition of that house on Chautauqua Place.
HARB Unanimously decided to withdraw their approval for demolition.
Main Street Manager Diane Dewalt says a historic preservationist ruled the
house with it's arch style wood form vernacular was built in 1900, and
should be considered a contributing historical building.
The issue will go before City Council for a final ruling.

Christina Bowser of Roulette tells state police that someone transferred
about 3 thousand dollars from her checking account into an online Paypal
account.

Police are not releasing information about the suspect until their
investigation is finished.

A man who helped an inmate in an attempted escape from McKean County Jail
pleaded guilty Thursday in McKean County Court.
In July, James Bunce lifted an inmate at McKean County Jail over the
exercise wall.
Bunce is scheduled for sentencing on March 16.

A Bradford man was hurt in a one-vehicle accident at about 9 o'clock
Wednesday night on Minard Run Road.
Bradford Township Police say a pickup truck driven by 29-year-old Jason
Tessena went out of control. After the accident, Tessena was taken to
Bradford Regional Medical Center.
Police say charges are pending.

Legislation that would help area veterans has moved to the State House
floor.
Representative Kathy Rapp sponsored the legislation, and says if it's
enacted it would provide an increase in financial aid to Veterans Affairs
Directors for necessary annual meeting expenses.
Rapp says attendance at meetings is essential so the directors can meet the
needs of veterans and their families.

A Jamestown man will spend 3 and half years in prison for letting a
4-year-old boy eat a mixture of cocaine and heroin from his pocket on Sept.
18.
Chautauqua County District Attorney David Foley says 25-year-old Raymond
Medina, pleaded guilty in December to criminal possession of a controlled
substance and reckless endangerment.
Medina was walking with his girlfriend's son, when the boy grabbed what he
thought was candy out of Medina's pants pocket and ate it. When the boy lost
consciousness, Medina rushed him back to his home, according to police. The
boy was revived in WCA Hospital's emergency room, then transferred to Women
and Children's Hospital in Buffalo.

The Allegheny Highlands Council of the Boy Scouts are getting ready for
their annual sporting clays tournament at the Bradford Gun Club on March 4.
Bradford's Mike Schuler says the past years have been a great time. The all
day event will feature engraved Zippo mementos for prices.
The even costs 40 dollars, which includes 50 sporting clays, and lunch.

Pitt Bradford is going to Guatemala.
and the assistant professor of anthropology, Isabelle Champlin is looking
for students, faculty, staff, and alumni who wan to make the trip with her.
The trip will visit the South American County March 5-11.
The group will spend several days touring and studying Mayan historical
sites.
The trip costs 900 dollars plus airfare.

The Pennsylvania Tuition Account Program is about to give away a pot of
Gold.
State Treasurer Robert P. Casey Jr says the sixth annual Tuition Account
Program pot of Gold scholarship Contest is starting
The TAP 529 program allows parents and grandparents to save for higher
education.
The contest will contribute a 10 thousand dollar grand prize, and five one
thousand dollar prices.
The contest does not require any purchase.
It's sponsored by the treasury department.

A man was pulled over for a traffic violation in Potter county, and charged
for possession of marijuana.
State Troopers say Steven Daggett of Manheim, PA was pulled over on Route
872 just south of Bark Shanty Road when they determined him to be in
possession of a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Charges will be filed at a later date.

State police are investigating an incident in Potter County.
Police say Dan Mock of Galeton has been charged with disorderly conduct,
after his goat traveled on to the property of David Burrous.
Police say Burrous has complained about the animals in the past. Charges
have been filed in district court.

The Port Allegany Evangelical United Methodist Church and the United
Methodist church are set to merge.
When that happens, a building will be freed up for the S. W. Smith Library.
Pastor Randy Headly says there is a verbal agreement between the church
trustees and the library board to sell the building for about 18 thousand to
the library for their new building.
The library has outgrown its Church Street location.

The Congressional Rural Caucus held the first in a series of member forums
on Capitol Hill Wednesday afternoon, focusing on the challenges that rural
telecommunications carriers face in providing affordable, modern services to
rural customers.

Congressman John Peterson says access to broadband internet services is
vital for business competition. He says he wants to improve access to
affordable broadband in rural areas.

Those low gas prices are something to be thankful for. The average price in
Western Pa is at 2.36 a gallon, according to a report from the American
Automobile Association.
Crude oil prices have been falling recently, and at the same time, the
wholesale price for gosling has been falling, add to that a recent Bradford
gas war, as local stations try to outdo each other at the pump, and local
residents are reaping the benefit of a slightly fatter wallet.

THe price in Bradford is at about 2.14 a gallon.

A group of four middle school students from Floyd C. Fretz have been honored
in the Math Counts competition. At Gannon University.
Kenneth Arble, Danielle Lewis, Spencer Mallette, and Alex Borland took first
place at the Gannon competition. The team will advance to Harrisburg on
March 18.
Math counts is a national math contest for middle schoolers.

Lawsuits on both sides have been filed in the case of former Bradford
Regional medical Center Oncologist Edward Miskiel.
According to a report in this morning's Bradford Era, the BRMC suit claims
Miskiel was terminated for surfing porn on hospital computers, intentionally
recording the wrong billing codes, and not filing adequate billing records.
Miskiel filed suit in Berks County Court, claiming BRMC has no legal grounds
for the termination.
Many local residents have signed petitions and pledged their support to
Miskiel.

You heard hear first about charges filed against Stephanie Cramer of
Bradford, Now you heard here first that more charges are coming..
The woman was initially accused of stealing 22 thousand dollars from the
Orchard Parks Apartments.

Bradford City Police Officer Steve Caskey says business owner John Kohler
was notified by the bank that Cramer had been cashing a large number of
checks.
Several weeks Later Cramer was charged with stealing an additional 236
thousand dollars by using a rubber signature stamp.
Caskey says the incident is still under investigation, but there will be
more charges filed.
According to documents at District Judge Dominic Cercone's office, Cramer's
listed address is in Florida.
Caskey says as long as she makes all of her Pennsylvania Court appearances,
that shouldn't be a problem.
Cramer posted 10 thousand dollars bail.

President George W. Bush's budget plans could threaten the Timber Revenues
that local municipalities depend on.

The Secure Rural School Program would ramp down funding for the next few
years, with the possibility of total elimination by the year 2013.

Rural areas like McKean County depend on timber revenues from trees taken
out of federal lands as a vital source of income each year.

Us Congressman John Peterson's office says he won't support any plan to
reduce the timber revenues.

Convicted killer James McMahon wants a new trial. His hearing came to a
screeching halt Tuesday, as McKean County District Attorney John Pavlock
was rushed to the hospital.

Pavlock approached the bench and asked for a recess in the afternoon
session.

Shortly afterward, an ambulance arrived at the rear of the courthouse,
witnesses report seeing Pavlock loaded into the ambulance.

Upon arriving at the McKean county Prison board meeting Friday, Pavlock was
overheard saying that he had the flu.

It's not clear whether it was the flu, or another health problem that struck
Pavlock.

Even Bradford City Councilman Tom Riel offered support for Bradford City
Police officer Linda Close and Steve Caskey on their promotions last night

Riel did question the current standards and procedures for promotions,
though.

Bradford Mayor Michelle Corignani says there haven't been any issues with
those testing standards for 20 years.

Riel compared the promotion procedures yesterday to a game of hopscotch.

Jim Panyard has dropped out of the governor's race, leaving Lynn Swann
unopposed in the Republican primary.
Panyard says he was not able to raise enough money or attract enough news
coverage.
Panyard, says the Republican State Committee's endorsement of the former
Pittsburgh Steelers star on Saturday proves the state Republican Party is
not interested in principle, but in power and celebrity.

Shinglehouse is planning a big party this summer to celebrate the borough's
bicentennial.

The events will be held June 29 and 30 and July 1. A parade is scheduled for
July 1, and area businesses and organizations are asked to build floats for
it.

Bicentennial buttons are being made, and a Keystone Cop will be in town to
make sure everyone is wearing a button. A bicentennial book is being
prepared as well.

A former funeral home director, who admitted to sexually abusing a
13-year-old girl, will be sentenced on May 19.
46-year-old Richard D. Truesdell pleaded guilty to third-degree sexual abuse
and endangering the welfare of a child. A former employee of Guenther
Funeral Home in Portville.
Truesdell is expected to be sentenced to three years' probation and be
required to register as a Level 1 sex offender, according to a plea
agreement.

A Jamestown woman is in jail for allegedly biting her 8-year-old daughter.

27-year-old Laura Butts tells police she was disciplining her daughter for
making a mess.

The child was treated at WCA Hospital, then released.

Butts was charged with assault and is awaiting arraignment.

Samuel Johnson Jr. is the new human resources director for the Bradford Area
School District.
He was approved during Monday night's school board meeting, and will receive
an annual salary of 77 thousand dollars, 25 hundred dollars more than
current director, Lee Ann Doynow, who is retiring.
Bradford Resident Dorothy Frontino questioned the discrepancy.

School superintendent Sandra Romanski says that Johnson will be making less
than his qualifications warrant.

State police are investigating a burglary in Lafayette Township.

Darrell Myers of Erie tells troopers that sometime between 6 p.m. on
February 3 and 10 o'clock this morning, something broke the window on the
front door of the house he's renovating and entered the house.

After some legal wrangling the Sweden Township Police force was granted
permission to file complaints and applications for search warrants without
going through the District Attorney's Office.

Former District Attorney Jeff Leber had blocked the department from issuing
misdemeanor and felony complaints.

Potter County District Attorney Dawn Fink asked President Judge John Leete
to rescind the order.
She says enough time has passed from the initial complaint of poor judgment
on behalf of one of the officers that the restriction is no longer
appropriate.

A crash on Route 80 left two Kane residents injured. State Police out of
Mercer report that a van driven by Wade Pennington of Kane and tractor
trailer driven by Keith Lane of Cochrantown collided because of snowy road
conditions.

Pennington and his passenger, Rose Pennington were both injured and were
taken to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh. They were listed in
serious and critical conditions Sunday Night.

Another passenger in the van, Brandon Reese, of Arkansas was taken to a
hospital in Youngstown Ohio, he's in critical condition as well.