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Rep. Clint Owlett (R-Tioga/Bradford) today announced that fire and ambulance companies in Tioga County will collectively receive nearly $325,000 in state grants thanks to the state’s Fire Company and Emergency Medical Services Grant Program.

“Our fire and EMS personnel risk their lives daily to ensure the safety of our communities, and that mission has become more difficult for several reasons,” Owlett said. “As we work to adopt policies to encourage recruitment and retention of our first responders, these grants are a big help with the financial challenges our companies face.”

The grants are awarded through an ongoing program created by the Legislature and administered by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and Office of the State Fire Commissioner (OSFC). All companies that apply and meet requirements outlined by OSFC receive funding.

Projects eligible for funding include construction or renovation of a fire or ambulance company facility, purchase or repair of equipment, training, or reduction of existing debt. In order to receive funding, recipients must file a grant agreement with OSFC.

The grants were awarded as follows:

Student of the Week for the week of February 3, 2025 is Bryin Roberts from Heavy Equipment. Bryin is a second-year student from Otto-Eldred, and excels in the Heavy Equipment Maintenance program with a 95% grade. He is highly attentive, always willing to take on any task, and demonstrates a strong work ethic including almost a perfect attendance record. Bryin has already secured a job with Plants and Goodwin for the summer and after graduation, showcasing his dedication to the field.

Bradford, (Pennsylvania) – The Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau, VisitANF.com is pleased to announce the 2025 Spring Marketing Project and Event Marketing Program. This program, which will fund eligible projects and events through June 30, 2025.

The Bureau’s semi-annual grant program will assist qualified McKean County tourism organizations and businesses to strengthen their tourism products, increase the marketing, promotion and advertising of tourism related business and enhance the quality of events.  

“The landscape of destination marketing has changed in recent years, and it is important we be intimately involved with our tourism partners for McKean County to flourish and to create unforgettable experiences,” said Rustin Lippincott, Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau executive director. “This grant program is an excellent opportunity to support our tourism partners and enhance our product through additional marketing, attraction development and expanding the quality and reach of our events.”  

Celebrate Valentine’s Day and Presidents Day at Cupid’s Winter Weekend in Wellsboro 

Cupid’s Winter Weekend in Wellsboro will feature free ice skating, horse-drawn covered wagon rides, a concert, a play, and Valentine’s Day and Presidents Day specials at restaurants, breweries and businesses.

Turkana Food Inc. Recalls Aleppo Tahini Sesame Paste 1lb (16oz) Because of Possible Health Risk

Turkana Food Inc. Kenilworth, NJ is recalling 858 cases OF Aleppo Tahini Sesame Paste because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis.

The Recalled Aleppo Tahini Sesame Paste was distributed in the states of FL, KY, VA, NY, NJ, TN, MA, TX, Il, IN, MI, RI, PA, NC, MD, VA, OH, AL, MO, CA.

Della Moore, cofounder and director of the African American Center for Cultural Development in Olean, N.Y., will present a program this month at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford about Sarah Johnson, a formerly enslaved women who became a regional icon after the Civil War.

The presentation, which is sponsored by the Friends of Hanley Library, will be held at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18, in the Mukaiyama University Room in the Frame-Westerberg Commons. The event, part of Black History Month, is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

During the presentation, Moore will tell the story of Johnson and the struggles she faced, the regional and local Underground Railroad members who guided her to safety, and the icon she became after the Civil War.

Moore is active in the Olean community and holds degrees from Alfred State College, St. Bonaventure University and Temple University. She has taught at Jamestown Community College and at Julius Nyerere University of Kankan in Guinea.

In 2021, she was honored as the New York State Senate Woman of Distinction for her efforts to preserve the history of African Americans and more than four decades of community leadership and volunteerism.

ServSafe is a certification program developed by the Restaurant Association Education Foundation. The course meets certification requirements for individuals who are responsible for the safe handling of food in restaurants, schools, elder care facilities, lodges, bed and breakfasts, community centers, and other food concessions (organizations or businesses that sell or prepare food regularly). 

This course, taught by Rick Kralj, Penn State Educator, is scheduled for Thursdays, February 27 and March 6, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Education Council’s Coudersport office. The cost is $165/person. The registration deadline is Thursday, February 20^th. To register, go to http://extension.psu.edu/food-safety/serv-safe.

Johnsonburg, Pa.:  Brady Nussbaum and Reece Ehrensberger harvested predators for Rolfe Beagle Club’s Statewide, 3-Weekend, Coyote and Fox Hunt or Trap.

On Friday at 10:30 p.m., Reece connected on a female coyote that weighed in at 27.4#.  Reece shoots a .22-.250 rifle with a thermal scope.  He was hunting private lands in Elk County.  He was using a Fox Pro electronic call.

On Saturday at 1:30 a.m., it was Brady’s turn to harvest a 7.8# female red fox on private lands in Elk County.  Brady shoots a .243 rifle with a thermal scope.  He also uses a Fox Pro electronic call.  “I was just getting ready to set up,” said Brady, “when here comes this red fox across the field and I got her.”

Hunters are reminded that if they choose to participate during the second or third weekend of this three-weekend hunt or trap, they must have their registration postmarked by Thursday, 2/13 or Thursday, 2/20.

Weigh-in is at 4:00 p.m. every day.  Categories include coyote, fox, largest female coyote, and largest female fox.  Additional information at the Facebook Page, Rolfe Beagle Club.

Potter County Artisan Co-op Plans Events and Classes in February

• The Ladies’ Tea has returned.  Join us Sunday, February 16 at 2:00 pm for a fun afternoon with tea tastings, scones, finger sandwiches, and sweets. We will also be planting mini plants to take home.  Bring your daughter, your mom, your sister, your aunt, niece or friend.  Aged 12 and up.  Registration required.

• Oil and Acrylic Painter Gary Perkins will be hosting a ‘Painting Night’ on the first and third Thursday of the month starting at 6:30pm.  Bring your in-process paintings and supplies to enjoy an evening of creativity with other painters from the area.   Price is $10,00.

• An Adult Watercolor Class, taught by painter, Laurie Angood, will be held on Friday, February 21, from 6:00-8:00pm.  Price of the class is $35.00 and includes supplies and materials. 

• A Wet Felting Workshop with Elaine Baney will be held on March 1 from 10-2pm.  The price of the class is $40.00.  All supplies included to Create a Vessel. 

• Cathy Snyder will be offering a Mushroomer Basket Workshop on March 8 from 9am to 1:30pm.  The price of the class is $50.00 or $55.00 depending on the choice of strap.  Students are encouraged to bring water and a snack. 

To register for these classes or events, please call the Potter County Artisan Co-op on 814-274-8165.  The co-op is located at 227 N. Main Street. Hours are open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Saturday.

Events and classes are supported in part by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Elk County Council on the Arts, state agencies funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.   

Hebron Center Christian School will be operating on a 2 hour delay Feb. 13

Emporium, PA — Roses are red, violets are blue… your perfect book match is waiting for you! This Valentine’s season, skip the clichés and let the Barbara Moscato Brown Memorial Library play Cupid with our “Blind Date with a Book” event, running from January 31 to February 28, 2025.

How does it work? Easy as falling head over heels:

Be Still

Be still; what does that mean? Is it the same for everyone? Can you be still in a crowded room? What about a busy airport or in the middle of a concert? What does it look like? How do you even know that you’re in a place of stillness? Is it an outward condition or an inner one?

I suppose that every person you ask will define stillness differently. Some may see it as the absence of sound, while others would find sitting in total silence to be insane. Yet it was God who said, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). What does God mean by being still? Do you know?

Truthfully, I’m not asking the questions for you, but for myself. I want to learn to do this because, like many others, I live a hurried and busy life. Taking time to breathe is a luxury. Personally, I don’t want to be driven. I want to live in a rhythm of life as God intended, not the one society imposed upon me. Success, getting ahead, winning, and other such adjectives dot our lives at the expense of our peace and joy. Where did this idea of life come from?

Because I want to practice being still, I’ve set an alarm in my calendar to remind myself to take some time to be still. This will mean silencing the world around me and practicing being aware of my breathing and heart rate. Along with this, there will be a simple exercise of releasing the tension in my body. For myself, I have realized that I carry tension in my muscles. When I practice this, I feel my body relax into the chair, and my breathing becomes more relaxed and rhythmic.

In the end, I do want to hear God. Not my own thoughts or the noise of the world around me. I want to hear His whisper, that gentle voice just as Elijah did when he was in the cave (I King 19:11-13). It will start as I learn to be still. Think about it.

HARRISBURG – Thirty-three fire and emergency medical services (EMS) companies in Bradford County were collectively awarded nearly $432,000 in funding support through the 2024-25 Pennsylvania Fire Company and Emergency Medical Services Grant Program, Reps. Tina Pickett (R-Bradford/Wyoming) and Clint Owlett (R-Tioga/Bradford) announced today.

“It is encouraging to see so many fire and EMS companies in Bradford County taking advantage of this state program, which helps to ease their financial pressures,” said Pickett. “The vital life-saving services they provide to our communities are truly appreciated.”

Cupid’s Winter Weekend in Wellsboro will feature free ice skating, horse-drawn covered wagon rides, a concert, a play, and Valentine’s Day and Presidents Day specials at restaurants, breweries and businesses.

Hamilton-Gibson Presents “Miss Holmes Returns” Feb. 14 & 15 

Knowledge is power when it comes to your heart health. Getting to know your numbers is one of the most important steps in assessing your risk for heart disease. By monitoring these numbers, you can take proactive steps toward better heart health. Check out the essential numbers you should track, why they matter, and how to maintain them in an appropriate range.

The SkillsUSA Pennsylvania District 6 Competitive Events were held on Thursday, January 30th and Friday, January 31, 2025. 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.