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Michael J. Davis “celebration of life slated”

Family and friends are invited to attend a celebration of life for Michael Davis, 48, of Shinglehouse, from 1pm to 3pm on Sunday, August 31, 2025, at the Coudersport American Legion, 2 Buffalo Street, Coudersport.For further information, please visit www.virgillhowardfuneralhome.com

Michael’s wife entrusted his care to Kevin J. Dusenbury, funeral director/owner of the Virgil L. Howard Funeral Home, Shinglehouse.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced the following schedule of maintenance activities in McKean County the week of September 1. PennDOT performs year-round maintenance in its mission to provide a safe, efficient transportation system, and while crews will be off on Monday, September 1, in observance of Labor Day, the scope of work in Elk County for the remainder of the week is as follows:

Manual Patching

• Route 46 starting approximately 1.5 miles north of Route 646 and continuing northbound to Route 246 in Foster Township. Tuesday, September 2, through Friday, September 5. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours.

Most permanent pothole patching is completed in the spring/summer when temperatures stay consistently above freezing. If maintenance crews were not repairing potholes, the road surface would break up further and require more expensive corrective measures.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced that surface treatment operations, more commonly known as “oil and chip,” will result in delays on a pair of roads in Potter County next week. This maintenance treatment seals the road surface to keep water out, restores the surface friction, enhances traction, and extends the pavement life between resurfacings.

Weather permitting, PennDOT Potter County Maintenance crews plan to complete these operations on the following roads the week of September 1:

• All of Route 1005 (Phoenix Road) in Hector and Pike townships.
• All of Route 4017 (Sunny Side Road/Shay Town Road) in Sharon Township. 

The Coudersport Falcons host the Kane Wolves tonight at CARP at 7 PM.

The game will be broadcast live on www.network1sports.com/station/wfrm with myself and my son Luke bringing you the action!

Tune in around 6:50 PM tonight to hear the broadcast.

Go Falcons!

BRMC, OGH 3rd Annual Pulse of the Community Gala

Ellicottville, NY – Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC) and Olean General Hospital (OGH), Kaleida Health facilities, will host the 3^rd Annual Pulse of the Community Gala on Friday, September 19.

The event is presented by the Bradford Hospital Foundation (BHF) and Olean General Hospital Foundation (OGHF) to unite to improve cancer care services in the region. The black-tie event will run from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Holiday Valley Resort’s main lodge with a strolling agenda that includes a chance to win a diamond tennis bracelet worth $10,000. The diamond giveaway was donated by ADJ ASK Design Jewelers. 

Seven recent area graduates have been awarded scholarships via funds managed by the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation.

Felicia Callahan received the Louis W. Ensworth Charitable Foundation Trust Scholarship for Allegany-Limestone, while DyAndrah Hanson received the Louis W. Ensworth Charitable Foundation Trust Scholarship for Olean High School for $2,500 each.

The Potter County Farmers Market will be outdoors AT OUR NEW LOCATION on the Courthouse grounds, at the corner and across the street from the square, every Friday (weather permitting) from 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm. The next market will be this Friday, August 29th. Below is a list of who plans to be there and what they plan on bringing to the Market:

*  We’re back on our summer schedule of Friday markets, BUT AT OUR NEW LOCATION due to renovations on the square.  We’ll be across the street from the square, along the sidewalk to the right of the courthouse entrance, and around the corner on East Street to the driveway.

*  The outdoor market is held each Friday from May through October (weather permitting; on very rainy days, we will relocate into the Riley Gallery (if available)).  In November, the farmers market goes indoors for the winter market.

*  Market times have been established after many trial times over the years.  If you are not able to visit us and would like something particular from one of the vendors, please contact them directly.  They are willing to try to accommodate your request.

 *  If you are interested in joining the market this year or have any questions please contact …. Netra Baker, 814-598-0649 netrabaker2@gmail.com]

ALPACA CREATIONS will be a vender this week at the Coudersport Farmers Market.   Bringing a large variety and sizes of alpaca socks, new yarns, boot felts, added hand knit and woven alpaca apparel.   Court house square, from 12 to 4 Friday.  Credit accepted.  https://alpacas75.wixsite.com   Pa wilds, juried, and Pa preferred, PAOBA, Alpaca Creations, follow on Facebook

CARING CRAFTS will be attending this week’s Market! Weather Permitting! We will be bring a variety of Homemade Travel Pillows! Along with our Plastic Canvas Magnets/Ornaments! Our selection of both is very wide and unique! We have something for everyone! Don’t forget to like us Facebook! If your not able to stop by or would like to place an order please contact Jess at 814 203 2482! Caring Crafts excepts Cash payment! Hope to see everyone there! 

MOUNTAIN VIEW SHEEP FARM will be attending the farmers market August 29 weather permitting. With lovely delicate designed, scented and fragrance free handmade sheep milk soaps, lotion bars, conditioning shampoo bars and felted soaps, from our sheep.  Pa preferred and Juried. We accept cash, check and cards. Follow us on Facebook @mountainviewsheepfarm Or contact by email @ mountainviewsheepfarm@yahoo.com 

CHRISTIE MARSHALL. I will be at the Farmer’s Market on Friday the 29th. I will bring my grapevine wreaths. Stop by and take a look.

CARD CREEK BAKERY will be at the market August 29. We will have requested bread types, sweet treats, vegetable pizza with vegetables from our garden, jams and jellies. Our kitchen is Registered Pa. Department of Agriculture and Certified with Servesafe. Requests for any items are welcomed by me. Text or call 814-598-0649

QUIET ACRES will be set up at the market on Friday, Aug. 29th.  We will have our full line of FRESH Haldeman Mills products from my brother’s mill in Lancaster County – 2 lb bags of shortcake/cobbler mix (for all your fresh berries), soft pretzel and funnel cake mixes, buckwheat and buttermilk pancake mixes, Brinser’s corn meal and GLUTEN FREE buckwheat and Teff (Ivory and dark) flours.  Our handmade crafts include aprons, child and adult, with NFL, MLB as well as many other popular themes – sunflowers, nite sky, Penn State, roosters, etc. The upcycled items are bowls and trivets of many colors, sizes and shapes made from bed sheets.  Rope is also used to make bowls, mug rugs, etc with various accents, including sports teams etc.   Hope to see you there!  We accept cash payments. QuietAcresPortAllegany@gmail.com 

BLU IVY will be a vendor Friday.  I will be bringing tutus, tulle dresses, crochet market bags, chap stick holders, 5 pc kitchen towel sets and more. I accept cash and cards. 

BLUE MARBLE FARM will hopefully be at the market with local, organically grown beautiful produce.  We will have Heirloon Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Watermelon, Squash, Italian Sweet Peppers, Hot Peppers, Onions, Beets, Cucamelons, Tomatillos and more. Fresh Cut Flowers, Sustainable Wood Crafts made from wood harvested on our Farm.

 We accept cash, checks, FMNP checks and credit cards. For more information, contact Lisa at bluemarblefarm@outlook.com, 814-320-1308 or bluemarblefarm.weebly.com  

MAHLON DAVENPORT:  I plan to attend the Farmer Market this week, Aug 29, with my woodcrafts from local Pa harvested trees.  Cash and checks accepted, some times with a discount like, 20% off on second item.  We all will be glad to see you! 

MILL CREEK MARKET will be attending with a variety of Fresh Mushrooms and Lion’s Mane Grow Kits. Accepting cash, check, and Venmo. Find directions to our farm, links to shop, and more at: www.papreferred.com/Member/Index/1429  

Paul Costanzo does it once again and brings in the first coyote to Rolfe Beagle Club’s 10-day, Statewide, Coyote and Crow Hunt. “The ‘yotes actually woke me up near 3:30 this morning carryin’ on out by the dog kennel.

The coyotes moved once I got outside so I went down the road to a private field I have permission to hunt, and I was able to harvest this coyote near 5:00 a.m. The female coyote weighed in at 27.6#. The private land was in northern Elk County. Paul shoots a .223 AR with a thermal scope.

He uses a Fox Pro call but this coyote actually came in to a mouth call.Weigh-in is at 6:00 p.m. every day over the ten days of the Rolfe Beagle Club hunt, thru 9/6. Hunters are reminded that Rolfe Beagle Club’s Predator Hunt or Trap will take place over two weekends in February.

State Rep. Martin Causer (R-Cameron/McKean/Potter) will hold his satellite office hours on Thursday, Sept. 4, at the following locations:

• Emporium Borough Office – 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
• Port Allegany Borough Office – 11 a.m. to noon.

Services available include assisting constituents with state-related issues or concerns, assistance with driver license and vehicle registration applications, and help in filling out applications for various state programs, such as the senior citizen Property Tax/Rent Rebate and PACE prescription drug assistance programs.

People who cannot make the satellite sessions may contact Causer’s offices in Bradford at 78 Main St., first floor, telephone 814-362-4400; or Coudersport, 107 S. Main St., Room 1, telephone 814-274-9769; or Kane, 54 Fraley St., Suite 2, telephone 814-837-0880. Information is also available at www.RepCauser.com or on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/RepCauser.

Thank you to the Bradford City Fire Department for inviting me to check out some new equipment purchased with a $100,000 state grant I was able to help secure from the Department of Community and Economic Development.

Chief Brett Butler and Deputy Chief Jeff Kloss showed Mayor Tom Riel and me their new 2025 Ford F150 utility truck and some of the new hose equipment that will outfit all their fire trucks. That includes 4,200 feet of 1 ¾ inch attack hose, 11 nozzles and a hose flow test kit. I was glad to help with this grant to ensure the department is best prepared to fight fires and respond to other emergencies in the city. Thanks to all the firefighters who do so much to protect lives and property in the community!

The media has brought to our attention various rumors on social media about the ongoing investigation into a boy’s death in Bradford.  The reporter asked the District Attorney if she should could address some of those rumors. 

The District Attorney stresses that public tips on the ongoing investigation are greatly appreciated and she provided the following information on the rumors and other aspects of the criminal justice system.  She noted that the criminal investigation is ongoing by the City of Bradford Police, the District Attorney, the coroner, medical examiner and 2 County Detectives who continue to work on the case and have every day since it occurred.  Additional charges may be filed after the results of the autopsy and other lab results are obtained.  The media reports that there is a rumor that charges were withdrawn in a prior case against the defendant. 

Were charges withdrawn?  If so, why?  The DA has pulled the record and was able to confirm that no charges were withdrawn and all charges filed in the case went through a preliminary hearing and to a jury trial. The state’s computerized docket system determines how charges appear and the AOPC could answer questions about that. 

The DA notes that she has been advised that the state’s “limited access/clean slate” policy limits what is viewable by the public and shows all/only convictions.  Police officers and other legal personnel have access to the complete record.     

The DA: “Your questions about a prior criminal case is understandable and we can provide information that appears in public records about a particular case as we are bound by specific rules.  You have asked about a rumor that charges were “withdrawn” in a prior case. As we all know, Facebook is very helpful in many ways, including providing us tips that the officers are following up on. I thank the public for that help.  Unfortunately, it can also lead to false information.  As to the current case, I will provide updated information when it is available.  As to a prior case, I have looked at the public records and the public records confirm that no charges were withdraw.  Someone is charged with a crime when the evidence supports a finding of probable cause.  That is the only consideration.  In that case, the police filed a criminal complaint which is what caused the case to be listed for a preliminary hearing.  At the preliminary hearing, evidence is presented and, if the magisterial district judge finds a “prima facie” level of proof, he sends the charges on to the next level, which is the county level.  The magistrate does not determine if the person is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.  The level of proof required at the preliminary hearing – prima facia – is whether the claim being presented to a court has merit, when taken at face value. The magistrate is not permitted to determine credibility at that hearing.  The hearing is simply to see if there is enough to take a case forward.  It is kind of a one-sided hearing because it is the evidence that the police have that the judge looks at to determine if there is enough to move the case forward.

After the preliminary hearing, the charges come to the county level.  In this case, I looked at the complaint filed by the officer in this case and see it contains the same charges that the  suspect went to trial on.  In short, the records show that no charges were withdrawn and this is shown in the criminal complaint, formal Information filed by the DA’s Office, and verdict slip docketed September 14, 2022.  I was alerted to another rumor in the case as well, including that there was a riot at the McKean County Jail this weekend.  I have confirmed with the Warden that that, too, was simply a rumor. 

The public’s concerns about reported child abuse cases are shared by law enforcement and myself.  Just as a summary for the readers about child abuse investigations, I can say that, commonly, police and CYS do concurrent investigations.  The law provides CYS and the District Attorney/Police a mechanism to share information in serious child abuse investigations and that occurred in that case.  To facilitate that communication, when I became the District Attorney, I asked our IT department to create a conference call bridge line for the DA’s Office for this purpose. Typically, we hold these conferences within 24 hours of a report of serious child abuse or anytime someone involved in the investigation requests one.  In these conferences, anyone involved in the investigation who can provide information is included including medical staff who treated a child, police officer, and cys investigator.

After the formal charging document is filed, a defendant can either plead guilty or not guilty.  I can confirm because it is public record that Tyler Prescott pled not guilty and the prior case went to a jury trial which saw several witnesses including medical experts, a police officer and others.  I cannot disclose any barriers in the evidence or evidentiary problems, but I can tell you that the allegations were such that they were pursued by the officer (and the DA’s Office) and charged in such a way so the jury could make a determination of what actually occurred. The charges filed in that case included those that require an offender to be the one to cause the injury and other charges that require that an offender violate a duty of care to a child and the jury listens to the testimony and determines if the evidence supports a finding of guilty or not guilty. The jury’s determination of what occurred in that case resulted in Tyler Prescott being convicted by the jury of Endangering the Welfare of a Child – Felony and Recklessly Endangering Another Person – Misdemeanor.”

Was Prescott given any kind of a break at sentencing in 2021?    The defendant went to trial in that case so the judge determined the proper sentence.  This was not a plea agreement.  The judge is required to sentence someone within the range of sentence that the Pennsylvania legislators set.  In looking at the sentence, the legislators set the range of the minimum sentence on the felony Endangering Welfare at between 18 months and 24 months.  In Pennsylvania, anytime a judge imposes jail time, he has to impose a minimum within the range that the legislators permit and a maximum that has to be at least double the minimum.  For this charge, the judge sentenced Prescott to 20 months to 40 months of state incarceration.  For the misdemeanor charge, the judge sentenced him to 2 years concurrent probation which was within the range set by the legislators. The records confirm he served his maximum sentence.

I frequently hear from people that they think sentences are too low but the judge has to sentence every offender within the range that the legislators permit.  I am often frustrated by that as well and have spoken about this to some of our legislators.  I would ask that our state legislators consider these concerns and create stiffer penalties for serious crimes. 

Last year, however, the state changed the sentencing guidelines and now the sentences are actually less for most crimes than they were before so the change went in the opposite direction than what most people would have wanted.  This is frustrating. In fact, our appeals’ court has stated that a judge is not permitted to include any conditions of parole when he sentences a person to state prison and that only the parole board can.  I am currently appealing that opinion in another case but that is the current case law. 

Were there post release conditions on the 2021 sentence that indicated he should have no contact with the family of the first victim? If a defendant is paroled prior to their maximum, they have a parole officer and would have conditions they have to follow.  However, if someone is not paroled and, instead stays incarcerated until they have served their maximum, 40 months in this case, then they are not on parole when they get released and would not have any parole conditions. 

This is a frustrating fact.  Many times, we want people to stay incarcerated until they have served their entire sentence.  The result, however, is that they go from incarceration and the strict terms that go along with incarceration straight to the community without restrictions or supervision.  A few years ago, our legislators did impose a policy of mandatory consecutive probation after someone is released because they served their entire maximum sentence without being paroled to prevent this but that only applies to longer sentences.  As far as conditions that a judge can place on an offender, our appellate court has stated that a judge is not permitted to include any conditions of parole when he sentences a person to state prison and that only the parole board can impose any such conditions or restrictions.  I am currently appealing that opinion in another case but that is the current case law. 

Five recent Franklinville/Ten Broeck Academy students were awarded scholarships through funds stewarded by the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation.

Norra Ainsworth received the Ernst Family Scholarship for $2,000.

The Ernst Family Scholarship, established by members of the Ernst family in honor of Gerry and Dianne Ernst’s 50th wedding anniversary, is for graduating seniors of Franklinville Central School in good academic standing planning to pursue a degree at any post-secondary college or career/technical school. Preference is for a student pursuing study or a career in a math or science field who is active in community service and extracurricular activities. Gerry and Dianne Ernst were long-time teachers in the Franklinville School District.