Solomon's words for the wise: 9/15/19

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Dr. Ryan Kio, Chiropractor has joined Dr. Bruce Fink at the Multi-care Clinic in Coudersport

Dr. Kio is a 2011 graduate of Port Allegany high school. In 2015 he completed a bachelor’s degree at Penn State University and in August, 2019 he earned his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from New York Chiropractic College. In addition to Chiropractic, Dr. Kio has an interest in nutrition and sports medicine. He is also a certified medical examiner for DOT and CDL drivers. He joins Dr. Fink and Ross Simcoe, M.D. in a very novel and advanced multidisciplinary clinic offering regenerative medicine, chiropractic, neurology, nutrition and functional medicine. The Multi-care Clinic is known for its thorough and broad approach to many ailments. For an appointment, call 814-274-8486.

Leeper Man Dead; Others Injured In Rt. 6 Crash Near Mt. Jewett, PA

Results of 40th Annual Autumn Classic

WESB

Thanks so much for joining WESB for the 40th Annual Autumn Classic broadcast live on 1490AM and the new B107.5 from Parkway Field in Bradford! What a night. We saw great memorable performances from 13 bands with anywhere from 15 to 70 kids on the field!!!
Here is the full awards and critique results from the night:
CLASS A:
High Music: Seneca
High Visual: Seneca
High General Effect: Seneca
7th Place: Otto/Eldred
6th Place: Sheffield
5th Place: Union City
4th Place: Port Allegany
3rd Place: Coudersport
2nd Place: Corry
1st Place: Seneca
CLASS AA:
High Music: Cochranton
High Visual: Cochranton
High General Effect: Cochranton
1st Place: Cochranton
OPEN CLASS:
High Music: Iroquois
High Visual: Iroquois
High General Effect: Iroquois
2nd Place: McDowell
1st Place: Iroquois
They also gave away exhibition awards to both Cameron County and Mercyhurst University and thanked them both for their performances.

It was a fun exciting night and of course a huge thank you to the music boosters, the Autumn Classic Committee, our broadcast sponsors, and our hosting Bradford Marching Owls for their exhibition presentation of "Prism". What a show from all the band members tonight!!

Hinsdale Dispatched To Rollover Crash on Fay Hollow

At 8:02 PM on Saturday, Hinsdale & Olean 10 were dispatched to Fay Hollow, about one mile from Route 16 for a one vehicle rollover crash.

Middlebury, Tioga Dispatched To Natural Gas Leak

At 7:42 PM on Saturday, Middlebury & Tioga dispatched to a natural gas leak at 21 Gee Road.

Dirt bike and 4-wheeler trespassing on property in West Branch Township

Pennsylvania Reports First Human Case of West Nile Virus in 2019 Pennsylvanians Reminded to Take Steps to Avoid Infection

Pennsylvania’s first probable human case of West Nile Virus (WNV) infection in 2019 has been detected in a Philadelphia resident. Samples are being sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for confirmatory testing. The Departments of Health and Environmental Protection strongly recommend that all residents minimize their exposure to mosquitoes.

“While we encourage Pennsylvanians to enjoy the outdoors, we also want them to take proper precautions from mosquitoes while outside,” Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said. “With the first human case of West Nile Virus detected, we want people to protect themselves. Several simple steps can help protect yourself and loved ones from mosquito-related diseases.”

Although mosquitoes can bite at any time of the day or night, the mosquitoes that transmit WNV are most active at dawn and dusk. When outdoors, people can avoid mosquito bites by properly and consistently using DEET-containing insect repellants and covering exposed skin with lightweight clothing. To keep mosquitoes from entering a home, make sure window and door screens are in place and are in good condition.

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) conducts regular surveillance and control to manage mosquito populations around the state. So far, DEP has detected WNV-infected mosquitoes in 32 counties.

“Today’s announcement should be a reminder to all Pennsylvanians to use a personal insect repellent or stay indoors during dawn and dusk to help prevent exposure to the mosquitoes that can carry West Nile Virus,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “DEP monitors mosquito populations across Pennsylvania for the presence of disease.”

The mosquitoes that transmit WNV breed in areas with standing and stagnant water. These areas can include urban catch basins, clogged gutters, discarded tires, poorly maintained swimming pools, flower pots and other types of plastic containers.

Simple steps to eliminate standing water around the home include:
• Remove tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots, discarded tires or any object that could collect standing water. Drill holes in the bottom of recycling containers left outdoors.
• Have roof gutters cleaned every year, particularly if the leaves from nearby trees have a tendency to clog the drains.
• Turn over plastic wading pools and wheelbarrows when not in use.
• Do not let water stagnate in birdbaths.
• Aerate ornamental pools, or stock them with fish.
• Clean and chlorinate swimming pools and remove standing water from pool covers.
• Use landscaping to eliminate standing water that collects on your property.
• Treat standing water that cannot be eliminated with Bti products which are sold at outdoor supply, home improvement and other stores. Bti is a natural product that kills mosquito larvae, but is safe for people, pets, aquatic life and plants.

DEP will continue to survey affected communities to monitor mosquito activity and WNV. DEP biologists have initiated a survey of the mosquito population to determine the risk for further human illness. If necessary, adult mosquito populations will be reduced. These efforts will continue through October.

For a fact sheet on WNV, including symptoms, please click on the Department of Health’s West Nile Virus Fact Sheet.

For more information, including current WNV test results for mosquitoes, birds and horses, visit www.dep.pa.gov/westnile, or call 1-877-PA HEALTH.

For more information on West Nile Virus, visit www.health.pa.gov or www.dep.pa.gov or follow Department of Health and Department of Environmental Protection on Facebook and Twitter (@PAHealthDept, @PennsylvaniaDEP).

News from State Representative Matt Gabler

On Thursday, I was invited to join a group of state officials to meet privately with United States Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who was visiting the state Capitol.

Facebook

Website

Bio

Barbara Moscato Brown Memorial Library Welcomes Local Author to Discuss His New Novel Set in Sinnemahoning Area

The Barbara Moscato Brown Memorial Library is pleased to welcome area author P.J. Piccirillo on Monday evening, October 14, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. for a book signing and Q&A session about his latest title, “The Indigo Scarf”, a work of historical fiction set in the Sinnemahoning area.

Piccirillo notes that the book has been heavily researched over the years, and encourages anyone planning to attend the event to read the book ahead of time so he can better address any questions readers may have regarding accuracy and methodology.

The book is currently available to loan at the library and will also be available for sale at the front desk leading up to the event.

For questions regarding the event, please contact the library at 814-486-8011 or find us on Facebook!

New novel addresses the historical legacy of slavery — “A wonderful tale with glimpses of classics like Gone With The Wind, Roots, and ... Amistad.” — Ken Bangs, author of Guardians In Blue

ABOUT THE BOOK: In 1882, Anna Maria Sharpe is departing from Washington’s Baltimore and Potomac Railroad station for the north-central Pennsylvania backwoods she’d fled in her teens doubtful of her identity. She encounters Benjamin James, a drifting, alcoholic longshoreman who’d been implicated in the murder of his brother during Anna Maria’s childhood. Benjamin decides to join her. Along the way, he relates the tale of the ancestors of their sordid hideaway settlement: his father, the infamous ex-slave Jedediah James; George Sharpe, a former indentured grist-miller whom Anna Maria believes was her grandfather; and Sarah Starret and Rosanna Wheler, the white women they had escaped with to the wild Sinnemahone country. Through the story, Anna Maria discovers an intimate connection to the man Benjamin had been accused of murdering, and to the murderer.

Benjamin’s account of the life of Jedediah James reveals a fatal obsession with ownership driving this freed slave toward his reckoning. Clandestine Quakers and a sympathetic prothonotary try to help James as hostilities build to a head between him and the august revolutionary war veteran Samson Starret and Thomas Tillman, a man fixated on a woman an ex-slave threatens to steal from him on the eve of his possessing her. The scenes of The Indigo Scarf take the reader from a forbidden slave marriage on a plantation in Virginia’s tidewater region to the tragic end of a whiskey and timber-pirating operation on the Susquehanna’s un-peopled and feral West Branch during the frontier decades after Pennsylvania’s last Indian purchase.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: PJ Piccirillo is an award-winning author and literary artist-in-residence for the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.
A two-time winner of the Appalachian Writers Association Harriette Arnow Award for the Short Story, PJ’s fiction and articles have appeared in journals, magazines, newspapers, and syndicates. Much of PJ’s work is set in northcentral Pennsylvania.
As a commonwealth speaker for the Pennsylvania Humanities Council (PHC), PJ presented Missing Pages: the Neglected Literature of the Alleghenies throughout Pennsylvania, making a case for a literary canon of northern Appalachian literature. The program was a springboard for the annual Writers Conference of Northern Appalachia (WCoNA), which happened September 6-8, 2019, in Wheeling, West Virginia. PJ has also conducted programs for the PHC at rural libraries, promoting the value of literary art for cultural and personal insights.
He teaches creative writing and conducts seminars on craft at public venues. An instructor of English and Humanities at Butler County Community College, PJ holds an M.F.A. in creative writing from the University of Southern Maine and a B.A. in English from Saint Francis University.

As a resident artist for the PA Council on the arts, PJ has worked with thousands of students in programs spanning many genres of composition, and has partnered with visual and film artists in cross-discipline projects.
PJ returned to writing fiction after ten years in corporate marketing communications, writing advertising, promotional, news, and technical copy. He has always lived in northcentral Pennsylvania where he enjoys all outdoor pursuits. PJ is an EMT and captain for his community’s fire department, a NASCAR firefighter, and Cubmaster for scout pack 39.

REVIEWS: “A fascinating, rich story.” -- Lee Byrd, Publisher, Cinco Puntos Press

"Epic in scope, The Indigo Scarf offers a cautionary tale that spans decades as characters confront the brutal legacy of slavery. Historically anchored, and set geographically in a wilderness both harsh and spirit-breaking, Piccirillo confronts—among many—themes of redemption and bitterness, loyalty and freedom. Told in a clear-edged prose, I found myself carried deeper and deeper into the events and lives of these characters. And without ever being instructed on how to interpret or feel, I nonetheless finished the novel thinking about the myriad lessons for our troubled times." —Jack Driscoll, author of The Goat Fish and The Lover's Knot

House Moves Forward to Energize PA

The House is back in session this week with an eye toward building upon the successes we continue to see in growing jobs and opportunities in our state’s energy sector. The “Energize PA” package has the backing of labor leaders and provides a pathway for Pennsylvania companies to grow responsibly while providing family-sustaining careers here in the Commonwealth.

Live web streams of House session and the majority of committee meetings are available at PAHouseGOP.com. Important information and events may also be viewed by visiting Facebook.com/PAHouseGOP.

The Weekly Schedule

Identified by bill number, the sponsors and summaries for votes scheduled in committee or on the House floor are posted below. More information regarding these votes can be found at PAHouseGOP.com by clicking on the “House Business” tab.

Pittsburgh man uninjured in one vehicle accident

Teen girls involved in altercation are both charged with Harassment

Coudersport man uninjured in accident trying to avoid a deer in the roadway

PSP Coudersport investigating an unknown vehicle trespassing on a Ulysses woman's property

Mansfield, Blossburg Dispatched to Crash on Rt. 15N

At 5:16 PM on Saturday, Mansfield & Blossburg Fire & Ambulance have been dispatched to Rt. 15 Northbound for a one vehicle crash.
RECALLED

Ridgway Dispatched To Fire Alarm at 101 North Mill Avenue

Elk County Alerts

6 mins

9/21/2019 17:04. Elk Co. 4. 101 N Mill Ave. Activated general fire alarm.
5:27 PM--Ridgway units returning to station.

2 Vehicle Crash With Multiple Injuries on Route 6 Near Lantz Corners

At 3:40 PM on Saturday, Hamlin Township Fire, Mt. Jewett Fire & ambulance, Kane ambulance with Medic 1 dispatched to the Lantz Corners area at 9376 Rt. 6 for a 2 vehicle crash with multiple patients and possible entrapment.

Air medical is requested.

Kane Fire Dept. to Foote Rest Campground for Landing Zone.

4:03 PM--Smethport dispatched to close Rt. 6 & reroute traffic on Rt. 59. Heavy entrapment reported in crash in Mt. Jewett.

4:20 PM--3 patients have been extricated.

RT. 6 REOPENED AT 6:20 PM

Air Medical Requested For Crash on First Fork Road

At 3:15 PM on Saturday, Fire & Ambulance dispatched to First Fork Road for a motorcycle crash. A male in his 50's is reported to have been ejected with serious injuries.
Air medical is requested to the area of Stevenson Dam.

Cameron County Fire Wire

Cameron 16
Austin 44
Clinton 29
MVA-reported motorcycle
Area of 8279 First Fork Road
1 mile north of the elk viewing center on 872
Air medical has been requested to the Stevenson Dam Landing Zone.

PULLED PORK STILL AVAILABLE AT BURTVILLE BRIDGE

CLOSING AT 6 PM--Redmonds report there is still pulled pork left and some baked goodies.

Rushford Dispatched For Crash on Rt. 243

At 1:28 PM on Saturday, Rushford Fire & EMS dispatched to Rt. 243 near Fairview Road for a one vehicle crash with unknown injury.

PUC Takes Major Steps to Address Energy Affordability for Low-Income Households; Revises Policy on Customer Assistance Programs and Initiates Rulemaking for Universal Service Programs

HARRISBURG –September 19, 2019-- In a pair of related actions today, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) advanced two major proposals focused on achieving energy affordability for the Commonwealth’s most vulnerable households.

The Commissioners voted 3-2 to adopt a joint motion by Vice Chairman David W. Sweet and Commissioner Andrew G. Place which makes a series of sweeping updates to the PUC’s Policy Statement on Customer Assistance Programs (CAPs) – especially as it relates to lowering maximum “energy burden” thresholds for low-income individuals and families, which is the percentage of household income spent on energy usage, including heat and light.

Additionally, the Commission approved a joint motion by Chairman Gladys Brown Dutrieuille and Commissioner Place by a 3-2 vote, beginning the rulemaking process to develop new CAP regulations and update existing regulations for low-income utility-operated Universal Service and Energy Conservation Programs (USECPs) – with an emphasis on fulfilling the Commission’s mandate to “continue the protections, policies and services that now assist customers who are low-income to afford utility service.”

In their joint motion on the PUC’s CAP Policy Statement, Vice Chairman Sweet and Commissioner Place emphasized that revisions to these essential assistance programs are the result of a two-year holistic review of CAP and a thorough examination of energy burdens – underscoring the extremely high costs facing the poorest households in the state, even with existing assistance programs.

“The (PUC’s 2019) Energy Affordability Report noted that CAP customers – despite receiving discounted payments and/or debt forgiveness – had significantly higher energy burdens on average in comparison to non-CAP customers. While non-CAP customers had an average combined energy burden of 4%, the average combined energy burden for a CAP customer was 12% to 14%. The study also illuminated that CAP households with an income at or below 50% of the FPIG (Federal Poverty Income Guidelines), regardless of heating or non-heating status and energy type, often had energy burdens well above the limits established in the CAP Policy Statement – for some utilities, as high as 20%. To put this into perspective, under existing policies, a customer with an annual household income of $10,000 can spend anywhere from $1,200 to $2,000 a year on electric and gas service combined.”

The policy statement amendments adopted today include a 6% maximum energy burden for the most vulnerable customers, noting that a household with an annual income of $10,000 could potentially save an average of $1,000 annually on electric and gas service.

“This action will have a particularly meaningful impact for the approximately 95,000 households with income from 0-50% of poverty enrolled in Pennsylvania utility CAPs, and all future households that would be income-eligible and in need of energy assistance,” said Vice Chairman Sweet and Commissioner Place.

The policy statement also addresses a series of other associated issues, including:

A multi-tiered approach to energy burdens based on a household’s level on the poverty income guidelines (0-50%, 50-100% and 100-150%), providing higher CAP credits to lower-income households,

New timelines and procedures to streamline recertification, which is the most common reason consumers are removed from CAP,

A standardized definition for “household income,” and,

Enhanced consumer education and outreach plans, to help increase awareness and participation in CAP.

“Energy services, whether electric or gas, are essential for health, safety, a livable home, child development and maintaining vibrant communities throughout Pennsylvania. Energy affordability is an unsustainable burden for many thousands of Pennsylvanians and today’s action meaningfully contributes to addressing this impediment while balancing the costs of this fundamental support,” noted Commissioner Place.

Vice Chairman Sweet and Commissioner Place offered statements in support of the motion while Commissioners John F. Coleman Jr. and Norman J. Kennard offered dissenting statements.

In a separate, but closely related action today, the Commission directed the PUC’s staff to prepare a rulemaking which addresses all of the amendments to the CAP Policy Statement that were approved today – giving the Commission definitive tools to enforce any necessary changes to the utilities’ CAPs, energy burden levels, CAP credit limits and customer education requirements.

Additionally, the rulemaking may address the Commission’s ongoing review of rules related to Low-Income Usage Reduction Programs (LIURPs), along with any other changes to ensure efficient and effective utility programs for low-income households.

That proposed rulemaking for universal service programs will be developed by the PUC’s Bureau of Consumer Services and Law Bureau, for consideration by the Commissioners during the first quarter of 2020.

Commissioner Coleman issued a dissenting statement.

Andover Dispatched To Tall Pines ATV Accident

At 11:23 AM on Saturday, Andover EMS has requested air medical to Tall Pines ATV park for a 10 year old male with injuries.

Bradford Dispatched To Fire On Rockland Avenue

At 10:27 AM on Saturday, Bradford Fire Dept. dispatched to 106 Rockland Avenue for a fire in a pile of lumber next to a house. Caller reports juveniles set lumber on fire.

Helen M. CRANCE, 93, of Scio, NY

Helen M. CRANCE

Helen M. CRANCE, 93, of Scio, NY, died Friday, September 20, 2019 in her home.

Born August 17, 1926, in Coudersport, PA, she was the daughter of Clarence and Gertrude Herrington MaCauley.

A graduate of Scio Central School, she was employed as a nurse’s aide by Highland Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Wellsville.

Surviving are: three daughters, Sheila (Tom) Smith of Wellsville, Cindy Crance of Belmont, and Roxanne Clark of Scio; six grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by a brother; two sisters; and a granddaughter, Sonya Hurd.

Services will be private.

Memorials may be made to the Scio Volunteer Fire Co., 4359 CR 10, Scio, NY 14880 or Shriners Hospitals for Children at www.shrinershospitalsforchildren.org.

Arrangements are entrusted to Mulholland-Crowell Funeral Home, Wellsville, NY. Online condolences may be expressed at www.wellsvillefuneralhome.com.

Coudersport Ambulance to Hellers Road

At 9:16 on Saturday, Coudersport Ambulance has been dispatched to Hellers Road for a medical emergency.

Shinglehouse Ambulance to Bailey Avenue

At 8:46 AM on Saturday, Shinglehouse Ambulance dispatched to Bailey Avenue for a man ill.

Immediate Need For Part-Time Bartender at Coudersport American Legion Post 192

Accepting Applications For Part-Time Correctional Officer at McKean County Prison

AVFD 4th Annual Gun Bash Tickets Are Now Available

Coudersport Area School District Seeking Applicants For Elementary Teacher Position

IU9 Special Education Positions Available

McKean County Birth to 3 Service Coordinator- Full-time position. Requires Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood, Special Education, or Social Services and experience with children and/or families of children with special needs.

Part-time Classroom Aides- Positions available in Oswayo Valley, St. Marys, and Eldred. Requires: High School diploma.

Full-time Speech Pathologist- School-age opening in Austin and Coudersport School Districts. Requires PA license and CCC's. Consideration will be given to graduates in their CFY year.

Full-time Personal Care Aides- This position provides academic, behavioral, and self-care support to students in the Life Skills program at Coudersport High School; Intensive Outpatient program in St. Marys; Life Skills/Emotional Support at Cameron County High School. Requires: Teaching certificate or Bachelor's degree in Counseling, Social Work or related field.

Part-time Job Coach- Assist students in learning on-the-job skills at job sites in Potter, McKean and/or Cameron Counties. Hours available during and beyond typical school day. Requires: Bachelor's Degree or Associates Degree with related experience.

Part-time Physical Therapist or Physical Therapy Assistant- Openings in schools and Early Intervention settings throughout Potter, McKean, Elk, and Cameron Counties. Requires: Valid PT or PTA License.

Substitute Classroom Teachers and Aides- These are day-to-day positions supporting students and classrooms in Potter, Cameron, McKean, and/or Elk Counties.

Send application to:
Shelly Carson, Director of Special Education IU9
119 S Mechanic Street, Smethport, PA 16749
814-887-5512, scarson@iu9.org