NEWS

Ferguson defeated all competitors in his high school section except for his final round when he faced a competitor he had always won against in the past. Unfortunately, Aiden was tired and lost his game to Preston Taylor, who finished as the state scholastic champion in the 7-12 section.

Ferguson finished fourth overall. The Bradford Club sent a total of eight participants from the Bradford Knight Owls Chess program to the 2025 Pennsylvania State Chess Championships. The event was held at the Red Lion Inn Harrisburg-Hershey at 4751 Lindle Road in Harrisburg, PA from Friday-Sunday, March 28-30, 2025. Last year, Bradford won by only ½ point; however, this year Bradford dominated from the very beginning.

More than 900 players participated in the combined State Chess Championships on Friday through Sunday.

The 2025 Championship was sponsored by the Pennsylvania State Chess Federation and organized by Tom Martinak. Coach Bob Ferguson said, “I’m very proud of all our students! They have worked hard.” The students’ next competition is at Friendship Central School on April 26.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced it will close Interstate 80 eastbound near exit 97/DuBois-Brockway in Clearfield County at 10:00 PM on Sunday, April 6, and reopen it on Monday, April 7 at 1:00 AM.

This portion of I-80 is within the limits of an ongoing Interstate preservation project between mile markers 97 and 120. PennDOT closed the right (travel) lane on March 28 and shifted traffic onto the left (passing) lane and shoulder. The increased traffic along the shoulder has caused settlement damage that PennDOT must repair to ensure public safety.

While the bridge is closed, PennDOT will direct traffic off the interstate at exit 97. Drivers will follow Route 219 southbound for approximately 250 feet before turning left onto a crossover lane to merge back onto I-80. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control at the ramp and the crossover lane.

Seneca Highlands CTC is proud to announce Brayden Cosper as the student of the week for the week of March 31, 2025.  Brayden, a senior from Smethport, is in the engineering technology program. He has consistently displayed leadership during his three years in the areas of safety, quality of work, and attendance. Having extensive CAD (computer aided drafting) experience, Brayden easily scored advanced on the practical portion of the NOCTI exam. He scored advanced on the written portion of the NOCTI as well. He is a member of the NTHS at Seneca Highlands. At Smethport, he is a member of the Trap team and NHS. Brayden plans to attend Penn College in the fall, majoring in Manufacturing Engineering.

April 5, 2pm–Birch Still Hike: From muscle rubs to soda, birch oil was vital to historic Potter County. Join volunteers from the PA Lumber Museum at Lyman Run State Park as they hike to the foundation of a birch still and learn about its history along the way. The hike will be about 0.75 miles off-trail, over muddy, slightly hilly ground. Please wear appropriate footwear. All ages welcome, meet at the Schott Pavilion in the Daggett Day Use Area at Lyman Run State Park. Questions? Call Susan at Lyman Run State Park at 814-435-5010 ext. 2 or email lymanrunsp@pa.gov

Throughout the month of April, Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC) and Olean General Hospital (OGH), Kaleida Health facilities, are offering a variety of classes and support groups designed to provide health education, encouragement and community connection.

Whether you are managing a health condition, navigating a loss or caring for a loved one, programs offer valuable guidance and are open to the public.

If you are scheduled for total joint replacement surgery, join our Total Joint Care Class. This class provides an overview of your procedure, the recovery process, and the rehabilitation you will need. It is led by an experienced member of our outpatient rehabilitation team. This month, the class will be held on Wednesday, April 16, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the OGH Education Center on the first floor. To register, please call (716) 375-7481.

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford has launched a contest to name its costumed mascot, a 6-foot-plus plush black panther that usually appears Winnie-the-Pooh style (no bottoms).

The university is accepting nominations for names through May 4. A committee will select and announce six finalists on National Mascot Day, June 17. Then a public vote will decide the big cat’s cognomen, which will be announced as part of Alumni and Family Weekend festivities in September.

The contest came about after a mascot gathering for all five Pitt campuses in support of Pitt Day of Giving. Every other campus’s athletic ambassador had a name, except for Pitt-Bradford’s panther, which was just The Panther. That felt a bit like telling the vet your cat’s name is “Kitty.”

If you’ve got a name in mind, submit it at upb.pitt.edu/name-the-panther. While it’s never had a name, Pitt-Bradford’s mascot has always been a panther.

In an unprecedented show of unity and shared mission, two Bradford churches are swapping buildings this spring — not out of necessity, but out of calling.

Open Arms Community Church and First Baptist Church of Bradford will exchange church buildings in a move that both congregations believe is divinely inspired and strategically aligned with their respective visions for ministry. The change, first announced in May of 2024, becomes official on Palm Sunday, April 13, when both churches will hold their first services in their new locations.

Open Arms will begin worshiping at 71 Congress Street, the historic downtown church that has been home to First Baptist for generations. First Baptist will relocate to 1289 East Main Street, where Open Arms has held services since its early years of rapid growth.

“This isn’t just about buildings,” said Pastor Zoe Hatcher of Open Arms. “Being among the people in the downtown area of Bradford is the most exciting part of this move. We love our city and believe that God has a plan for it. As a ministry, we want to place ourselves in the middle of God’s will, which for us is to reach those to whom He has sent us.”

A senior at Port Allegany High School, Raelin Meacham, earned first chair 1^st Clarinet and highest clarinet score overall at the PMEA Region II Band Festival to win a spot in the PMEA All-State Concert Band.  Raelin will travel to the Kalahari Resort in Pocono Manor, PA April 9-12, 2025.  The ensemble will be under the direction of Jason Noble, conductor of the Columbia University Wind Ensemble.  A public concert will take place at the convention center on Saturday, April 12 at 2:00 PM.  Tickets can be purchased through pmea.org.  Raelin was also selected to attend the PMEA All-State Concert Band in 2024.  

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) reminds anglers that the statewide Opening Day of Trout Season is this Saturday, April 5!  Anglers may begin fishing at 8 a.m.

Throughout the 2025 season, the PFBC will stock approximately 3.2 million adult trout in 691 streams and 130 lakes open to public angling.  These figures, which are consistent with the number of trout stocked over the past decade, include approximately 2.4 million Rainbow Trout; 693,000 Brown Trout; and 125,000 Brook Trout.  As with past practice, the average size of the trout produced for stocking is 11 inches in length with an average weight of .58 pounds.

Unleash your productivity and take control of your data! Do you manage large sets of numbers, names, dates, or other pieces of information?

If so, then you need to know how to create worksheets to manage, store, organize, and even analyze this information. Excel, Microsoft’s powerful spreadsheet software, is the most widely used program for these tasks, and most workplaces want new employees to have a basic understanding of Microsoft Excel.

The Port Allegany High School will present The Addams Family School Edition on Friday, April 4 and Saturday April 5 at Port Allegany High School Auditorium.   Show time is 7 p.m.  The book is by  Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice.  Music and lyrics are  by Andrew Lipa.  Premium Reserved Adults ($10) Students and Seniors ($8); Reserved Adults ($8) and Student/Seniors ($6).

Local organizations have received grants from four donor-designated funds at the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation, a total of $13,955.

The donors who established these four funds – Luella Potter Endowment Fund, Kay and Oliver Williams/Rushford Endowment Fund, Jim and Gail Olson Mercy Flight Fund, The Rev. Leo J. Gallina Endowment Fund for St. Bernard of Clairvaux Church – designated organizations that matter to them to receive annual support from their funds.

The Kay and Oliver Williams/Rushford Endowment Fund makes possible annual grants to eight organizations that support the identity and long history of the Rushford community.

Grants made in March include:

Award-winning musician coming April 7

Potter County Creative Council (PC3) presents a live performance by award-winning musician Hubby Jenkins at 7 pm on Monday, April 7, in the lodge at Denton Hill State Park. Local musicians Anne Acker and Mike Aucott will open Monday’s show with a casual set at 6 pm.

Jenkins will first appear for a matinee at Northern Potter School as part of PC3’s ongoing mission to expose students to professional musicians and artisans.

As part of its commitment to Potter County agriculture, PC3 has arranged for food vendors Fiammata Pizza and Frosty Hollow Bed and Breakfast to be set up, offering menu items with locally produced ingredients such as gourmet mushrooms, micro-greens, cheeses and meats.

A talented singer and multi-instrumentalist, Jenkins revels in sharing his love and knowledge of old-time American music. He has followed the thread of African American history through its traditional music forms and now shares it during dynamic solo performances and engaging workshops.

Whether accompanied by banjo or steel-string guitar, each selection is introduced with narrative that wends its way through country blues, ragtime, Americana and traditional jazz. Jenkins has performed around the world, earning himself both Grammy and Americana award nominations. He is no stranger to Potter County, having appeared at Austin Dam Show in 2011.

McKean County is seeking qualified and highly motivated applicants to perform the duties of Court Monitor for The Court of Common Pleas. The purpose of this position is to create verbatim transcripts of Court proceedings, ensuring a complete, accurate, and secure legal record.

The essential functions of the position include but are not limited to the following:

1.  Record court proceedings using a court monitoring system and recording equipment.

2.  Transcribe recordings in a timely fashion.

3.  Maintain recording equipment, including saving court proceedings from hard drive to CDs/ thumb drives and log notes.

4.  Index, file and maintain court recordings, tape cassette recordings, and exhibits.

5.  Maintain the printer, supplies of CDs, microphone batteries, tapes, and paper.

6.  Answer the telephone and direct calls as appropriate.

7.  Perform other duties as required for the successful operation of the department.

The qualifications of the position include the following:

Education:  Associates Degree or comparable office experience.

Experience:  1-2 years experience in court related field preferred but not required.

Other:  Sharp listening skills, knowledge of legal terminology, grammar, vocabulary and punctuation.  Ability to multi-task and excellent organization skills.

HOW TO APPLY:

Qualified candidates should apply by submitting a resume and McKean County job application to Patricia Brown, Court Administrator, at PABrown@mckeancountypa.gov.

Applications are available in the Human Resources Department at the Courthouse or at www.mckeancountypa.gov.

If you are contacted for an interview and need accommodations for the interview due to a disability, please advise the interviewer of the accommodations you require well in advance of the scheduled date. 

McKEAN COUNTY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY & AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER.

The Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS) has scheduled its singing ground surveys for woodcock for Tuesday, April 15.

Members of the RGS Allegheny and Upland Bird Hunt (UBH) Chapters, and other volunteers, will be conducting the surveys. Other members of the public are invited to attend and learn about the woodcock ‘sky dance’, one of nature’s truly unique courtship displays.

Please register with John Dzemyan at jdzemyan@gmail.com if you plan to attend so information is available for everybody.

Employees from GrafTech USA, LLC, a global leader in graphite electrode production, proudly presented a $5,000 donation to the St. Marys Area United Way in support of their 2024 campaign. GrafTech, known for its exceptional 133-year history, continues to be an industry leader by delivering highly engineered services, customer-first solutions, and essential products. The St. Marys facility is located at 800 Theresia Street.

Olean General Hospital (OGH), a Kaleida Health facility, announces that it has received certification from DNV as a Primary Stroke Center, affirming the hospital’s readiness to handle a full range of stroke-related medical problems.

“This certification let’s our community know we have the resources and commitment to provide the best possible stroke care,” says Frances Marie Perez, BSN, RN, nurse stroke coordinator. “It’s a combination of the right equipment, personnel and training to quickly assess and treat strokes. This includes the ability to efficiently transfer patients in the rare instances they require treatment beyond our capabilities Achieving certification validates all the effort we have put into this program and to ensuring the health and safety of our patients.”