March 2026

On March 29th Wellsboro Fire and Ambulance were dispatched to Tioga St. for a two vehicle crash blocking the roadway and unknown injuries

On March 28th Coudersport Fire Department was dispatched to N. Main St. and North St. for a possible structure fire that may be a controlled burn. Update all units recalled

Leslie W. “Les” SMITH, 78, of Port Allegany, PA, died Thursday, March 26, 2026 in his home.  Born February 10, 1948, in Anselma, he was the son of Benjamin and Dorothy Laird Smith.  

On May 1, 2010, in Port Allegany, he married Cheryl R. Bepler, who survives.  A Vietnam War Veteran, he served honorably with the U.S. Army from 1965 – 1969.  He was employed as a maintenance mechanic by GKN in Emporium.  Les was a member of AA for 53 years, Bucktail American Legion Post #138 in Smethport, and Allegheny Mountain Engine and Implement Association in Port Allegany.  Les was a lifelong motorcycle enthusiast.  

Surviving besides his wife, Cheryl, are: two daughters, Rebecca (Mike) Naylor of Turtlepoint and Sarah (Amanda) Smith of Reading; four grandchildren; a brother, Milton (Patricia) Smith of Parkesburg; and a nephew, Milton (Erica) Smith, II.  

He was predeceased by his parents.  A gathering to celebrate Les’s life will be held on a later date.  Memorials may be made to Allegheny Mountain Engine and Implement Association, P.O. Box 86, Port Allegany, PA 16743.  

Arrangements are under the Olney-Foust Funeral Homes & Crematory, Switzer Chapel, 77 Willow Street, Port Allegany, PA.  Online condolences may be expressed at www.olneyfoust.com.

Angela M. OLSON, 54, of Duke Center, PA, died Friday, March 27, 2026 in her home.  A complete obituary will be announced by Olney-Foust Funeral Homes & Crematory, Switzer Chapel, 77 Willow Street, Port Allegany, PA.  Online condolences may be expressed at www.olneyfoust.com.

On March 28th Ulysses, Westfield and Harrison Valley Fire Departments were dispatched to Harrison Run Rd. for a wildfire

BRADFORD, Pa. – University of Pittsburgh at Bradford theater students are thinking about artificial intelligence this semester. Those thoughts inspired them to create an original theater piece, “Scheherazade 2.0, or the 1,000,001 AI Nights,” to be performed next weekend.

                Performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. April 2 and 3 and at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. April 4 in the Studio Theater located in Blaisdell Hall on campus. Admission is $6 for the public.

                Creating a play from scratch has become a bi-annual tradition for the spring semester student production.

                “As with our previous world premieres of newly devised pieces, students begin with asking themselves, ‘What are we really interested in? What are we concerned about? What’s on our minds?’” said Dr. Kevin Ewert, professor of theater. “From there, they pose a question, find something in the world to anchor that question to, and then come up with a structure to tell that story.

                “The students were all interested in artificial intelligence, but they also wanted to have something positive to say rather than just doom and gloom. So, the classic tale of Sheherazade and the 1001 Arabian Nights came into the mix and became our frame, and we asked: Could telling stories save your life if they were just AI slop?  The answers here are funny, incisive, and sometimes surprising.”

                The students who created and are performing the piece are Randy Mong, a senior English major from Russell; Sean Luce, a senior writing and English education 7-12 major from Bradford; Sadie Elliot, a senior writing and sociology major from Pittsburgh; Malakai Hines, a freshman interdisciplinary arts major from New Brunswick, N.J.; Adriana Herrera, a senior interdisciplinary arts major from Leasburg, N.C.; Zech Waterman, a junior English major from Bradford; and Adedayo Awofiranye, a freshman nursing major from Pittsburgh.

                Tickets are available at www.pitt.edu/theArts and one hour prior to the show at the Bromeley Family Theater Box Office. There is a $3 service charge per transaction for online purchases.

BRADFORD, Pa. — Peter J. Pantuso, the longtime president and chief executive officer of the American Bus Association and an international thought leader in transportation and tourism policy, has been selected as the 2026 commencement speaker for the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. He will provide insights and experiences from his own professional and personal journey, while also offering advice to current graduates on how to make the most of their opportunities.

“Pitt-Bradford helped set me on the path to success, and I am incredibly honored to be able to return to campus and celebrate the accomplishments of this class of incredibly talented graduates who will become our next generation of community and business leaders,” Pantuso said.

Late-March and early-April in-person and telephonic hearings will gather input from customers and other concerned parties

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today reminded consumers about an upcoming series of in-person and telephonic hearings to gather public input about the $99.368 million (8.05%) natural gas distribution rate increase request filed by UGI Utilities, Inc. – Gas Division (UGI). 

UGI provides natural gas distribution services to approximately 690,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in 46 counties across Pennsylvania.

PUC Administrative Law Judges F. Joseph Brady and Alphonso Arnold III will preside over the hearings.

In-Person Public Input Hearings

In-person public input hearings will be held at the following locations and times:

Settlement includes $325,000 civil penalty, safety enhancements, and funding for methane detectors

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today approved a settlement with Peoples Natural Gas Company LLC (Peoples) related to a July 26, 2021, natural gas explosion in Tyrone Borough, Blair County, that resulted in one fatality, multiple injuries, and significant property damage.

The settlement, approved by a vote of 5-0, resolves an investigation and formal complaint filed by the PUC’s independent Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement (I&E), which averred that gaps in the company’s emergency response and related procedures contributed to unsafe conditions.

FSIS Issues Public Health Alert for Beef and Pork Products Produced Without the Benefit of Inspection | Food Safety and Inspection Servicehttps://www.fsis.usda.gov/recalls-alerts/fsis-issues-public-health-alert-beef-and-pork-products-produced-without-benefit

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for various raw beef and pork products that were produced without the benefit of federal inspection and may bear a false mark of inspection. Food produced without inspection may contain undeclared allergens, harmful bacteria, or other contaminants that put consumer health and safety at risk. FSIS is continuing to investigate and may add additional products to this alert as more information is obtained.

The Chautauqua County Health Department has issued a boil water order for all Village of Fredonia water customers, including those that live outside of the village in the Town of Pomfret effective Friday March 27th. A disruption at the water treatment plant led to water with elevated levels of turbidity entering the distribution system; this water could contain harmful microbes. The water entering the water treatment plant from the Fredonia Reservoir has high levels of turbidity which cannot be adequately treated at the water treatment plant.  Boiling the water kills bacteria and other microbes that may be present. All Fredonia water customers must boil water used for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing teeth and making coffee until further notice. Water must be brought to a rolling boil for one minute then cooled prior to use. For more information, residents should call the Village of Fredonia at 716-679-2307 and Chautauqua County Health Department permitted facilities can call the Health Department directly at 716-753-4481. 

With only 5 days left until the start of the drawings for the 12 Days of Cash, and 152 spots left to sell, without extending sales again which I refuse to do, our only option is to put the remaining spots in the Backpack’s name. As in many other drawings held by other organizations, they mention that unsold chances would belong to the organization which I honestly didn’t think I would need to do but guess what….here we are.

So with that being said, anyone who would like their money back and have your chances refunded please let me know. You can send a PM or feel free to give me a call at (814) 544-5802. I will gladly send your money back the same way you sent it. Any requests that come in after this post will be added to the list with no problem and Backpack’s name removed from those spots, but any that are unsold when the drawings start will belong to the Backpack program. If requests come in after the drawings start those too will be added and Backpack’s name removed from those spots.

This post leads right back to previous posts…apparently we are not supposed to do big raffles. Others are raffling off cars, trucks, 4 wheelers, etc. and closing them out within hours or at the least a couple of weeks. If we tried to do even a 4 wheeler we would probably have to sell tickets for a year before we were even close to having enough to pay for whatever it was we were raffling let alone make money.

So, we will get through this one and just keep our future drawings to l@ttery tick@ts and smaller items because they seem to go best, and try not to do a gazillion of them lol.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (March 25) – The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) reminds anglers that Mentored Youth Trout Day will happen on Saturday, March 28, 2026, from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.  This is a statewide event open to youth anglers ages 15 and under and their licensed adult mentors on hundreds of waters in all 67 counties.

“This is a special day where our youngest anglers have a chance to have fun and learn fishing skills they can carry with them for a lifetime,” said John Mahn, Jr., PFBC Board President and District 2 Commissioner. 

The purpose of Mentored Youth Trout Day, created in 2013, is to provide an opportunity for young anglers to have fun while learning fishing skills a week before the large crowds arrive for the busy Statewide Opening Day of Trout Season on April 4, 2026. 

Pennsylvania’s statewide Mentored Youth Trout Day happens this Saturday, March 28^th, and young anglers will have plenty of chances to reel in a trophy trout.  The Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) was busy with more trout stocking, as seen here on Upper Little Swatara Creek in Schuylkill County.  On Mentored Youth Trout Day, anglers ages 15 under can catch and keep up to two trout.  To participate, the kids will need to have either a free Mentored Youth Fishing Permit or a Voluntary Youth Fishing License, which costs $2.97 and benefits youth fishing programs.  Kids also need to be accompanied by a licensed adult angler.  Adults can fish while helping the youth anglers, but they are not allowed to keep any trout.  The PFBC reminds everyone to check the tout stocking schedule online to make sure the water you plan to visit will be stocked before this weekend.  The regular statewide Opening Day of Trout Season, for everyone, is Saturday, April 4^th.

If you plan to fish from a boat, please wear a life jacket.  Pennsylvania’s annual cold weather life jacket requirement remains in effect from November 1^st through April 30^th.  Anyone aboard a bot less than 16 feet, including all canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards, is required to wear a life jacket during this time.  Children ages 12 and under should always wear a life jacket while boating.

Link to Trout Stocking Schedule:  https://fbweb.pa.gov/TroutStocking

The Potter County Education Council serving Potter and McKean Counties has three openings for part-time Career and Vocational Mentor-Aides to serve within the following school districts: Galeton Area School District, Oswayo Valley School District and Smethport Area School District.

These part-time positions are available beginning the 2026-2027 school year (approximately 25 hours per week).   It is anticipated that this will be a recurring position each school year (approximately 40 weeks each year). A job description may be reviewed at the Education Council Office at 5 Water Street in Coudersport, PA (814-274-4877) or by visiting our website www.pottercountyedcouncil.org.

• Minimum high school diploma. Associate or bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Appropriate work experience with older children (Grades 3-12).
• Knowledge or work experience in business or industry.
• Experience with Microsoft Office applications desired.
• Must have a valid Pennsylvania Driver’s License and safe driving history.

Interested applicants should send the following to the Potter County Education Council at 5 Water Street, PO Box 5, Coudersport, PA 16915 or via email to Dr. Michele Moore  mmoore@pcedcouncil.org:

• Resumé with cover letter
• Three current (less than one-year old) letters of professional reference
• Appropriate clearances including PA Act 151 Child Abuse Clearance, PA Act 34 Criminal Record Check, a current PA FBI Clearance (Education Versions)
• A negative TB test result

The cover letter should be addressed to Dr. Michele Moore, Executive Director. You may be asked to complete an employment application upon review of your initial application materials. E.O.E.

This week, STORE WIDE 60% off!!

Bonus deal: All cards $1.50 on Thursday!!

Our hours will be:

Monday: 11-4

Tuesday: 11-6

Wednesday: 1-6 

Thursday: 11-6 

Friday: 11-6

Saturday: 10-4