Clinton Webb Weekley, of Emporium, PA, a decorated veteran, devoted husband, loving father, and adored Papa, passed away unexpectedly on March 31, 2024, at Penn Highlands DuBois. He was 81.
Born on September 20, 1942, in Lynchburg, VA, to the late Clinton and Elizabeth Weekley (Wilkins), Clinton’s life was marked by courage, dedication, and service. At the tender age of 17, he enlisted with the United States Army, embarking on a remarkable journey defining his existence. He served with distinction as a tank commander during the Vietnam War and then as a drill sergeant, proudly preparing hundreds of new recruits for service and then promoting to train sergeants. He retired from service, having reached the rank of Sergeant Major, leaving a legacy of honor and sacrifice.
In 1988, Clinton relocated his family to Emporium, Pennsylvania, where he built a Main Street business and actively engaged in community and volunteer work. He was known for his entrepreneurial spirit, passion for his family, love of boating, cars, and antiques, and his encyclopedic knowledge of the Civil War. His generosity knew no bounds, and he was always willing to help those in need and support his favorite local organizations in their missions.
On September 17, 2007, Clinton married Judy Knapp, his beloved wife and steadfast companion, who survives. Their union was a source of profound love, strength, and companionship.
Bring the family to our Spring Antique Show on Saturday, April 20, and Sunday, April 21 to shop a variety of antiques and collectibles, including furniture, clothing, toys, books, and more. Historic trade demonstrations will be happening throughout the day.
Saturday only, visitors can see the museum’s steam-powered sawmill in action!
$8.00/Adult, $5.00/Youth (ages 4 to 11)
The Pennsylvania Lumber Museum is located at 5660 US Route 6, Ulysses TWP, PA 16948
Don’t forget to stop by and get all your fishing supplies. Stocked with everything you need including live bait. New appliances have arrived? Let us know what you need. Save money and make the drive to Galeton!
On April 6, at 6:20 am Bradford City Fire was dispatched to 122 High St. for a possible house fire. A Smoke alarm is going off and the building is being evacuated.
Pennsylvania State Police Unveils “PSP Tips” as Public’s New Crime-Fighting Tool
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) today unveiled PSP Tips, a new way for the public to share information related to active investigations, cold-cases, the apprehension of wanted persons, or locating missing persons.
“Assistance from the public is often vital to solving crimes or locating missing or wanted individuals,” said Lieutenant Colonel George Bivens, Deputy Commissioner of Operations. “The social media platforms, the toll-free number, and the online tip form are all easy ways to send us information that may solve a case or get a dangerous individual off the streets.”
PSP Tips includes information on nearly 100 cold case homicides, missing persons, and other unsolved crimes. New cases will be added frequently.
Featured cases include the 1973 homicide of an 8-year-old girl in Greene County, the unsolved killing in 1977 of a high school junior in Blair County, the 1981 disappearance of a Lackawanna County teenager, and the search for the children of Susan Reinert, a Montgomery County teacher found murdered near Harrisburg in 1979.
Your tip could provide investigators with a long-awaited breakthrough that will finally bring closure and justice for the victim’s families.
All information submitted to PSP Tips can be provided anonymously, if desired.
All cases in which PSP requests public assistance can be viewed at the following social media sites:
Theresa Ann Button, 71, of Galeton, PA, passed away on Thursday, March 28, 2024 at Broad Acres Nursing Home, Wellsboro, PA.
Born May 24, 1952 in Heidelburg, Germany, she was a daughter of the late Frank and Nora (Jordan) Rachiele. Theresa was a Graduate of Galeton High School. She was married to Gerald Button, who preceded her in death. She was employed at Smith Gloves in Galeton for many years and then owned and operated the Lakeside Inn in Galeton.
At 7:59 PM on Friday, Jay Township and Kersey Fire Depts. are responding to a fully involved camper fire with confirmed entrapment at 288 River Road in Weedville, PA. Unknown number of victims.
8:20 PM UPDATE—Neighbors confirm there is NO ENTRAPMENT. Vehicle was broken down and no one was in it. FIRE IS CONTAINED.
Carolyn Ferranto, 81, of Delaware Ave. in James City, PA passed away Wednesday (April 3) in the Lutheran Home at Kane. Born March 18, 1943 in Kane, she is the daughter of the late Howard and Ellen (Anderson) Hannold. On June 14, 1961 she married Leo Ferranto, who preceded her in death on Sept. 26, 2023.
Carolyn enjoyed being a wife and homemaker. Her greatest love was caring for her children and grandchildren. She was a wonderful cook and baker and an avid New York Yankees fan.
Jon W. Eilers, 63, formerly of Bradford, a resident of Atlanta, GA, passed away Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital in Atlanta, GA.
Born July 13, 1960, in Bradford, he was the son of the late Joyce Marie (Garrigan) Eilers and Norman Edward and Donna M. (Roslinski) Eilers who survive.
Jon was a 1978 graduate of Bradford Area High School and later attended The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford.
In the early 80’s, Jon worked in the Bradford oil fields for National Transit. He began his professional career as an Investment Broker for Inacom International in Denver, CO. After moving to Washington, D.C., he leveraged his passion and knowledge of Engineering to launch a career as a Solutions Engineer for Honeywell Federal Systems and eventually PDA Engineering selling high-end CAD software to the Federal Government and their major contractors. More specialized government work took him to Atlanta, GA, where he eventually transitioned away from the corporate arena to becoming his own Contractor.
Thomas H. Ford, Jr., 81, of Irene Lane, New Tazewell, TN (formally of Kersey, PA), died peacefully at his daughter’s residence in Tennessee on April 1, 2024, after a brief illness.
Tom was born November 28, 1942, in Ridgway, PA, son of the late Thomas Ford, Sr. and Flora (Van Camp) Ford. Tom proudly served in the U.S. Navy. Before retirement, he worked many years at Pure Carbon/Morgan Advanced Materials & Technologies in St. Marys, PA.
Tom prided himself on being a family man. He was a loyal husband and best friend to his late wife, Shirley, whom he married on June 25, 1965. He was a superhero father to his daughter, Sheri, whom he was sure to call every single day if they could not be together. He loved his grandsons, Joseph and Ben, dearly and had great love and appreciation for his son-in-law, Gary.
Eileen M. Dewey, 93, of Wellsboro, PA passed away at her home on April 4, 2024. She was born on April 14, 1930, the daughter of the late R. Arnold and Velma M. (Rose) Smith. She married Marion M. Dewey on July 10, 1949, and celebrated 67 years of marriage until his passing on May 16, 2017.
Eileen‘s life was devoted to family, agriculture, education, and community service. She retired from the U.S.D.A. (United States Department of Agriculture) Farm Service Agency (A.S.C.S) with 43 years of service. She was a graduate of Charleston High School, Class of 1948 and a graduate of Jean Summers Business College, Elmira, NY.
Eileen was a lifetime member of the Whitneyville United Methodist Church. She enjoyed singing in the choir and served on many church and parish committees. Eileen also served on the Wellsboro Area School Board for 16 years, the Charleston Township Municipal Authority for 25 years, Whitneyville Community Development Board, Pennsylvania Ag Awareness Foundation, Ag in the Classroom Workshop, Penn State University Ag Council, Pennsylvania Rural Development Committee, Pennsylvania Farm City Committee, Keystone Soil and Water Conservation Society, American Red Cross Volunteer, Tioga County Tourist Bureau Tour Guide, Council of Republican Women, and the Scarlet Sages of the Red Hat Society. She also enjoyed traveling, camping, needlework, reading, and jigsaw puzzles.
RIDGWAY – A local cybersecurity expert discussed how businesses can protect themselves from cyber-attacks on Wednesday through the North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission’s Partnership for Regional Economic Performance (PREP) program.
Nate Rogers of Omnis Technologies, located in Lewis Run, presented facts and figures on the occurrence of such attacks which are designed to trick companies and employees into giving them access to their files, locking them, and then requesting money as a ransom to get their information back.
Ransomware is the practice of using malicious software to gain access to a company’s information. Rogers said these types of attacks occur every 14 seconds and the average ransom is $4.5 million. The average downtime companies experience is 22 days. He also said that there are no guarantees companies will get their data back upon paying the ransom.
Francis A. Castano “former longtime Coudersport, PA dentist”
CENTENNIAL, WYOMING—Francis Anthony Castano of Centennial, Wyoming, formerly of Coudersport, PA, died at the age of 85 on Sunday, March 24, 2024 at Hospice of Laramie in Laramie, Wyoming.
Francis was born March 30, 1938, in Coudersport, PA to Dominic Castano and Angeline (Gorfida) Castano. After graduating from Coudersport High School, Francis went on to study at the University of Pennsylvania, earning a DDS at University of Pennsylvania Dental School and an MBA from The Wharton School. As an undergraduate, Francis was a member of the ATO fraternity and Penn Glee Club. After graduating from Dental School, he served a Pediatric Dental Residency at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). With the completion of his residency, Francis entered the US Army as a Captain in the role of Pediatric Consultant to the Army in Europe, based in Nuremburg, Germany. Upon his return stateside, he joined the U Penn faculty as a full-time professor of Pediatric Dentistry.
In 1975, Francis returned to his hometown of Coudersport to establish a private practice in Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics. During this time, he also served as a HeadStart program reviewer and volunteered as a children’s dentist with the Indian Health Service. Even beyond his commitment to providing good dental care, Francis was dedicated to ensuring all patients felt welcome, understood and respected in his own practice and volunteer clinics, regardless of financial need or condition.
Francis valued conducting himself as a gentleman, making a positive impact on his community and serving others. He was particularly proud to be a co-founder of the Potter Players community theater group. He also sang in Barbershop Quartet, played clarinet in Community Bands and was a member of the Rotary Club. He was also a 4th Degree member of the Knights of Columbus.
Francis is survived by his wife of 62 years, Carolyn Grant Castano, their children: Suzanne and Matt (Kelly), and grandchildren: Anthony (Gabi), Emma, Samantha, and Molly. He is also survived by his siblings, Teresa (Tom) Kisiel, David Castano and Linda Castano of Coudersport, PA.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11am on Saturday, May 25, 2024 St. Eulalia Church, 6 Maple Street, Coudersport, PA, with the Very Reverend Leo J. Gallina, as celebrant. Francis will be buried at Honey Creek Burial Ground, Monastery of the Holy Spirit, Conyers, GA.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Hospice of Laramie, 1754 Centennial Drive, Laramie, WY 82070 or online at https://hospiceoflaramie.org
Local arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Kevin J. Dusenbury, funeral director/owner of the Virgil L. Howard Funeral Home, Shinglehouse.
To express condolences, light a candle, or share a fond memory of Francis, please visit www.virgillhowardfuneralhome.com or the Virgil L. Howard Funeral Home Facebook page.
Montoursville, PA – Motorists in north central Pennsylvania are advised the following roads in the area (listed by county) are closed or have a lane restriction due to flooding, downed trees or utilities. Updates will be sent periodically.
Lycoming
Route 2012 (Second Avenue) between East Second Avenue and Sylvan Dell Park Road in South Williamsport Borough and Armstrong Township, for flooding.
Union
(OPEN) Route 1008 (River Road) between Tabernacle Road and New Columbia Road in White Deer Township, for flooding.
Route 1005 (Hospital Drive) between Route 15 and St. Anthony Street in Kelly Township, for flooding.
Brown, Struzzi, Smith Pen Letter to PIAA to Level the Playing Field in High School Sports Broadcasting
HARRISBURG – Following years of inaction by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) to fix a broken broadcasting policy, Reps. Marla Brown (R-Lawrence), Jim Struzzi (R-Indiana) and Brian Smith (R-Jefferson/Indiana) have sent a formal letter to PIAA demanding change.
The PIAA recently entered into an agreement with the National Federation of State High School (NFHS) Association, the body that writes the rules of competition for most high school sports and activities in the United States. NFHS can provide a streaming service, and often, schools will choose to exercise that capability in high-profile situations. What this does is eliminate the ability for local media outlets covering the away teams to do what they do best and requires anyone who wishes to stream the game to pay a subscription fee to access it.
Brown, Struzzi and Smith issued this statement after sending the letter, signed by 45 lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, to the PIAA:
A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit New Jersey and was felt in parts of Pennsylvania.
My team and PA Emergency Management Agency are actively monitoring the situation and in contact with counties on any damage. We will keep Pennsylvanians updated.
Montoursville, PA – Motorists are advised that a two-year roadway project continues along Interstate 180 eastbound and westbound in Montoursville Borough, and Loyalsock, Fairfield, and Muncy townships in Lycoming County.
On Monday, April 8, 2024, the contractor will be installing an overhead sign on the Cemetery Road overpass in Fairfield Township. Motorists can expect the westbound right lane to be closed during the installation of the structure mounted sign on the bridge that carries Cemetery Road over Interstate 180.
Work will be performed between the hours of 7:00 AM and 2:00 PM, weather permitting. Motorists should be alert, slow down, expect delays in travel and drive with caution.
Students throughout the region traveled to Hershey and other different vocational sites near Hershey to compete in a variety of competitions.
The SkillsUSA Pennsylvania State Competitive Events were held on April 3-5, 2024, in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Skills USA is a partnership of students, teachers, and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA helps each student excel by providing educational programs, events, and competitions that support career and technical education in the nation’s classrooms.
The following students competed at the state level for Seneca Highlands Career and Technical Center by qualifying first at the district level:
Garry Strait from Otto-Eldred High School in Information Technology Service.
Lane Crawford and Levi Howard from Port Allegany High School in Cyber Security.
Nicole Hockey (Cameron County), Maximos McGarvey (Port Allegany), Clara Jane Kuscienz (Otto-Eldred), Owen Erhard (Port Allegany), Richard Wojcik (Otto-Eldred), and Brody Mclnroy (Galeton H.S.) in Quiz Bowl.
Anastasia Penick from Port Allegany High School in Restaurant Sevice
Blake Cool from Cameron County High School in Job Interview.
We are very proud of all our students who took extra time to prepare and compete!! The national competition this year will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 24-28, 2024. To find out more about the National SkillsUSA competitions, go to https://www.nlsc.skillsusa.org.
Description: Environmental Health & Safety violation issued on 3/29/2024 to SENECA RESOURCES CO LLC in Middlebury Township, Tioga county. 78a66(b)1 – REPORTING AND REMEDIATING SPILLS AND RELEASES – Reporting releases – Operator or other responsible party failed to report spills and releases of regulated substances to the Department.
