NEWS

The holidays are often described as “the most wonderful time of the year,” but for many people, they can also be the most stressful. Between shopping, family gatherings, financial strain, travel, and end-of-year work deadlines, it’s no wonder so many of us feel overwhelmed.

The good news is that while we can’t always control what’s happening around us, we can learn to manage our responses and protect our well-being. Here are some practical strategies to help you navigate the holiday season with more peace and joy.

Set Realistic Expectations

The pressure to create a “perfect” holiday can leave us feeling exhausted and disappointed. Social media and advertising only add to the illusion that everyone else’s celebrations are flawless. In reality, the most meaningful moments often come from imperfection, the burnt cookies that still taste great, the quick phone call that brightens a loved one’s day, or the simple act of being present.

Once again the Potter County Fair is conducting a fair button contest. The fair has been doing fair buttons since 1982, and we are always very impressed with the artwork provided for our contest. This year marks the 90^th Anniversary of the fair so we are changing the contest up a little. It will be open to everyone (regardless of age) that lives in Potter County or that part of McKean County in the Oswayo Valley School District.

The theme for this year’s button is 90 Years of Traditions. The winning design will be made into a button with either a pin or magnet backing. The winning design will also be included in our fair book and flyer. Please see the entry form for more rules.

Available Position: Welding Instructor
Location: Seneca Highlands Career and Technical Center, Port  Allegany PA
Status: Full-Time, 10-Month Position
Start Date: 2025–2026 School Year

Please click here to apply: Welding Instructor

Glen L. MOTT, 66, of Wellsville, NY, died unexpectedly on Wednesday, December 3, 2025 in Wellsville Manor Care Center.  Born June 28, 1959, in Wellsville, he was the son of Neil B. and Dorothy J. Hardy Mott.  

A 1978 graduate of Wellsville High School, he served honorably with the U.S. Air Force from 1979 – 1980.  He was first employed with a geophysical crew and worked at various jobs until he found his calling as a butcher with Save-A-Lot and Pump Station Processing.  Glen enjoyed Little League baseball, high school wrestling, hunting, fishing, pets, four wheeling, helping others, and telling stories. He especially loved to read, with Ann McCaffrey as one of his favorite authors.  After retiring due to ill health, he kept the family up on all the important news.  

Surviving are: four brothers, Kevin Mott of Hamlin, Mark (Shelly) Mott of of Elmira, Mike (Laurie)Mott of Springwater, and Neil (Margaret) Mott of Wellsville; a sister, Cheryl (Patrick) Carlin of Wellsville; and several beloved nieces and nephews.  He was predeceased by his parents; and a nephew, Izic Mott. 

 A gathering to celebrate Glen’s life will be held on a later date and will be announced by Olney-Foust & Embser Funeral Homes & Cremation, 34 West State St., Wellsville, NY.  Memorials may be made to the Activities Department of Wellsville Manor Care Center.  Online condolences may be expressed at www.wellsvillefuneralhome.com.

CERES TOWNSHIP: The December 2, 2025 meeting  of the Ceres Township Supervisors was called to order at 6:00 p.m. with 3 Supervisors, 4 residents, and secretary in attendance. The minutes of the November 11, 2025 meeting were read and approved. The

 Blight Program  was discussed with information from Laura Lord at McKean County Planning Commission. The Blight program must be applied for by the property owner. It will give up to $10,000 to take down a vacant home or building. The county submits applications twice yearly. If the Township would like to do anything different, a blight ordinance would need to be put in place stating regulations to the property owner with vacant buildings. It was decided that this information would be put in the minutes and anyone who would like to apply can contact the Township or the County Planning Commission for information or to apply for the grant. 

Building Permit  was approved for  40 x 40 storage building, Sewage Permit was received from SEO for same parcel.

Penn State Extension will offer practical, science-based strategies to prevent and address soil compaction during an upcoming “Understanding and Managing Soil Compaction” workshop. 

Aimed at field and forage crop producers, crop consultants, and custom operators, this workshop is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, December 12th at the Home Comfort Restaurant, 1131 State Route 49, Westfield PA.

The event will provide practical insights into the causes of compaction and offer solutions for improving soil structure and health. Whether participants are managing longstanding compaction issues or proactively looking to protect their soil, this session will equip them with the knowledge to make informed decisions for a more resilient and productive land, organizers noted.

 The session will cover topics such as strategies for minimizing and remediating compaction risks; benefits of growing cover crops; tillage impacts on compaction; and advances in new tire and track technology. The event also will feature a farmer panel discussion.

 The registration fee is $15, which includes lunch and handouts. Space is limited, so preregistration is required by calling 877-345-0691 or online at https://extension.psu.edu/understanding-and-managing-soil-compaction.  Registration deadline is Monday, December 8th.

Real estate taxes in Potter County will remain at their current rate in 2026. In addition, Commissioners Nancy Grupp, Robert Rossman and Paul Heimel have decided not to collect the $5.00 per-capita tax that many other counties levy. Actions were finalized at the commissioners’ business meeting on Nov. 26. A copy of the county’s draft 2026 operating budget is available for public review at the commissioners administrative office in the Gunzburger Building.

It calls for spending of just over $14 million, an increase of $265,000 from the current spending plan — subject to revision before final adoption later this month. Real estate taxes will remain at 24 mills. A mill is one-tenth of one percent, levied against a property’s assessed value. Because state law prohibits county governments from collecting an earned income tax, similar to the levies of townships, boroughs and school districts, property owners bear the heaviest tax burden.

When: Tuesday 12/9/25, Two Sessions 9:30-10:45 or 1:00-2:45

Where: Seneca Highlands CTC (219 Edison Bates Dr, Port Allegany)

Please join Mr. Bryant and his Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications students for a global AI learning event at the Seneca Highlands Career and Technical Center.

The workshop is open to all ability levels, and computers will be provided for use during the workshop. 

Please register at www.bit.ly/shctcai2025

Vetoquinol USA, Inc., Fort Worth, TX, is recalling six lots of FOLLTROPIN® (porcine pituitary-derived follicle stimulating hormone for injection) Kits, due to the presence of particulate matter in the sterile diluent vial.

Particulates were observed during routine examination of retained samples of the sterile diluent vials for the following lots:

Risk Statement: The administration of an injectable product that contains particulate matter may result in injection site reaction or hypersensitivity reaction in response to the foreign material. Some possible clinical signs of an adverse event include pain and/or swelling/wounds at the injection site, as well as decreased activity level, fever, and/or labored breathing. If you observe any of these or any other concerning signs in an animal that may have been administered this product, please contact a veterinarian as soon as possible. To date, no adverse event reports have been received for the listed batches.

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Robert A. Bly, 59, of Derrick City, passed away Wednesday, December 3, 2025 at his residence. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by the Hollenbeck-Cahill Funeral Homes Inc.

Online condolences may be expressed at www.hollenbeckcahill.com

EAST HANOVER, N.J., Nov. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mondelēz Global LLC announced today a voluntary recall of 70 cases of RITZ Peanut Butter Cracker Sandwiches and sold in the following U.S. states: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Alabama.

This recall is limited to 1 SKU and 2 Code Dates previously recalled in July. This action is not an expansion of that prior recall and is being conducted out of an abundance of caution.

Clearfield, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) advises drivers in the State College area that traffic will be reduced to one lane on a section of Route 26 North (Beaver Avenue) in State College Borough on Tuesday, December 9. This short-term closure will enable workers for Penn State University to utilize a crane in the roadway to remove a rooftop generator from a downtown building.

This traffic pattern will close the left lane of Route 26 northbound between South Fraser and Kelly Aly and is planned for 7:00 AM until Noon on Tuesday, December 9. Drivers are asked to use caution in the area and to be alert for workers or equipment in the roadway.

Montoursville, PA – Motorists are advised that a flood damage repair project continues on Route 220 in Davidson Township, Sullivan County.

Between Monday, December 8, 2025 and Thursday, December 11, 2025, Main Street (Route 2002) will be closed between Route 220 and Michelle Road while the contractor, Mitchell Knorr Contracting, Inc. replaces damaged pipes. A detour using Route 220 and Michelle Road will be in place through the afternoon of December 11, weather permitting.

PA Wilds Conservation Shops at Leonard Harrison and Kinzua Bridge state parks will operate long-term, selling products that are at least 90 percent sourced from small businesses in rural areas of the PA Wilds — online shopping is also available at shop.pawilds.com.

Under Governor Shapiro’s leadership, Pennsylvania’s outdoor industry has grown by 10 percent — adding $2 billion to the state’s economy, nearly 4,000 new jobs, and supporting more than 168,000 jobs overall.

Harrisburg, PA – Today, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced a 35-year lease for the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship to operate gift shops at two popular state parks — Kinzua Bridge and Leonard Harrison — in northcentral Pennsylvania. This long-term agreement is part of the Governor Josh Shapiro’s efforts to connect outdoor tourism with community growth and support for small businesses.

Harrisburg – The PUC will hold its regular public meeting on Thursday, December 4, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. in Hearing Room 1 on the second floor of the Commonwealth Keystone Building in Harrisburg.  

Livestream of the Public MeetingThe PUC will be streaming video of its regularly scheduled public meetings live on its website.

Public Meeting AgendaHere is the link for the Public Meeting Agenda on December 4, 2025.

Archived AudioA link to the archived audio will be accessible at the Public Meeting Video page and will be posted shortly after the conclusion of the public meeting.

For more information about the PUC visit our website at puc.pa.gov.

More than 26% of Pennsylvania’s 9.1 million licensed drivers are 65 and older.

The Commonwealth offers driving resources to assist older Pennsylvanians continue to get where they need to go safely.

York, PA – Today, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Pennsylvania Department of Aging (PDA), Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), the Pennsylvanian Insurance Department (PID), and the American Automobile Association (AAA) shared safe driving advice and resources available for older Pennsylvanians with residents at the White Rose Senior Center in York.

“Mobility is essential to quality of life at any age, especially as friends and families gather to celebrate the holiday season,” said Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Executive Deputy Secretary Larry Shifflet. “While many older drivers have a lifetime of valuable driving experience to draw from, PennDOT continually seeks to balance the safety of our roadways with the need for independence and autonomy.”