NEWS

In a joint effort to address concerns and reports of increased deer pressure on agriculture crops across the state, a joint town hall meeting was held on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, at the Pennsylvania Farm Show to discuss crop damage caused by deer and other wildlife.

The meeting was led by an expert panel consisting of Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding, Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Steve Smith, Pennsylvania Farm Bureau President Chris Hoffman, and Hunters Sharing the Harvest Executive Director Randy Ferguson.

“Pennsylvania’s wildlife belongs to all citizens of this great Commonwealth,” said Game Commission Executive Director Steve Smith. “With habitat loss, crop depredation, and other wildlife challenges that are facing us, it is vital that we work together to find a solution that is agreeable to everyone and keep hunters on the front lines of managing healthy wildlife populations.”

This meeting was part of a continuing conversation between these stakeholders, some of which arose during last year’s legislative push to remove the broad prohibition on Sunday hunting to allow the Game Commission to regulate Sunday hunting completely. Farmers in many cases depend on hunters to manage deer on their properties and limit crop losses, in turn providing hunters with opportunities to hunt and fill tags. It’s a mutually beneficial solution.

“We are thankful for the partnership between the agriculture and hunting communities to find beneficial solutions that allow farmers to better control the deer population and give hunters access to the sport,” said Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding. “It’s also important for us to remember that hunters play a pivotal role in providing lean protein through Hunters Sharing the Harvest. It’s our hope that new solutions for helping to control the deer population on agriculture lands will result in an increase in contributions of venison to Hunters Sharing the Harvest.”

DESCRIPTION: * WHAT…Heavy lake effect snow expected. Total snow accumulations 8
to 16 inches in the most persistent lake snows. Winds could gust
as high as 35 mph, resulting in blowing and drifting snow.

* WHERE…Wyoming, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Southern Erie
Counties.

* WHEN…From 1 PM Monday to 4 AM EST Thursday.

* IMPACTS…Travel will be very difficult with very poor visibility
and deep snow cover on roads. The hazardous conditions will impact
the Monday evening and Tuesday morning commutes.

INSTRUCTIONS: Heavy snow will fall in relatively narrow bands. If traveling, be
prepared for rapidly changing road conditions and visibilities.

Submit snow reports through our website or social media.

Issued By: NWS Buffalo NY

BRADFORD, Pa. – The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford will hold monthly smART workshops, a free, hands-on arts series for children in PreK to 4th grade, starting Jan. 18.

As part of Pitt-Bradford Arts’ Kaleidoscope Series, smART workshops allow children to explore the magic of music, theater, literature, and visual arts together with their families.

Workshops are held Saturday mornings from 10 to 11 a.m. in Blaisdell Hall on the Pitt-Bradford campus. Each session is designed to inspire curiosity, encourage self-expression, and bring families closer through the joy of artistic discovery.

It’s time to go back to the drawing board, or painting easel if you prefer.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission has announced its 2026 Working Together for Wildlife Art Contest, with entries due by May 2, 2025.

The 2026 featured species is the barn owl. One or more barn owls can be featured in an original horizontal artwork measuring exactly 22 ½ by 15 inches, or a vertical artwork measuring exactly 15 by 22 ½ inches. Each artwork must be surrounded by a 3-inch-wide white border or mat, which is in addition to the listed artwork dimensions.

It’s snowing! Okay, perhaps it isn’t where you are, but it is where I am and on the day that I’m writing this. Isn’t it interesting how at the hint of snow some people go into survival mode. It’s as if Armageddon were about to fall upon us all. Really?

Okay, if you must know, I love the weather. All weather, not just the snow, but the heat, the cold. and rain also. I love walking in both the snow and the rain. It gives me a fresh and adventurous spirit. The snow reminds me of building forts in the drifts and having snowball fights. Of course, we didn’t have all the electronic things that we have today. I don’t think our parents worried about us. They knew that we were down by the creek playing where the snow drifted over the banks. In the summer those same banks we part of our forts. Made from tree branches and logs, we could hide away for hours on end without getting into serious trouble.

Kaydence Beaver – clarinet, Aidan Clark – euphonium, Raelin Meacham – clarinet, Alayna Palmer – trumpet, and  Leila Stuckey – clarinet were selected to participate in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) District 2 Band. 

The students will be traveling to St Marys Area HS January 23-25, 2025 where they will participate in auditions, rehearsals, and a public concert on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 PM. 

Dr. Hannah Morrison from West Chester University will be the guest conductor for the event.  Pictured (left to right) Leila Stuckey, Raelin Meacham, Aidan Clark, Kaydence Beaver and Alayna Palmer

Bestway Sandwiches Inc. Recalls Frozen Chicken And Cheese Taquito Products Due To Possible Foreign Matter Contamination

Bestway Sandwiches Inc., a Valencia, Calif. establishment, is recalling approximately 24,870 pounds of frozen chicken and cheese taquito products that may be contaminated with foreign material, specifically metal.

Johnsonburg, Pa.:  Jim Pennington, Jr., President of the Rolfe Beagle Club, announces that the Rolfe Beagle Club will once again offer its popular Coyote and Fox Hunt or Trap over two weekends in February.  The 9^th Annual event will take place from February 7-9 and then again on the following weekend of February 14-16.

“Our club pays out for each harvest and the heaviest coyote for each weekend receives an extra bonus.  We have been impressed with the number of families hunting or trapping together for this event, so we want to continue to make certain that all harvests receive something,” said Jim.

Registration for both weekends must be received or postmarked no later than Thursday, 2/6, if you hunt or trap over both weekends.  Registration must be received or postmarked no later than Thursday, February 13 if you are going to participate in the second weekend only.  All registrations must be received at the Rolfe Beagle Club, 1016 Long Level Road, Johnsonburg, PA 15845.  Registration must include a phone number or an email.  Questions may be addressed to wlhab9@gmail.com.

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

The Potter County Planning Commission meeting Dates and Time For 2025:

Meetings are held at the Gunzburger building 1 N. Main street Coudersport Pa. 16915

In person with a virtual attendance option available. Virtual attendance information can be found on the Planning Commission’s website.

Meetings Begin at 4:00pm. On the following dates.

January 14 *Re-organizational meeting

February 11

March 11

April 8

May 13

June 10

July 8

August 12

September 9

October 14

November 18

December 9

          BRADFORD, PA / OLEAN, NY – Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC) and Olean General Hospital (OGH), Kaleida Health facilities, are proud to announce the January 2025 Star Award winners. This month’s recipients were Heidi Elliott, LPN, BRMC, and Christine Phillips, OGH.

Heidi Elliott, an LPN at Smethport Family Practice, BRMC, has been honored as the first BRMC Star Award winner of 2025. She joined the organization in 2019.

“Heidi is an excellent nurse! She greets every patient with a smile and has a great rapport with them. Heidi continually goes above and beyond for the team wherever there is a need. She recently stepped up while short staffed handling the needs for two providers such as: rooming patients, administering injections, obtaining urine drug screens, and assisting providers with procedures. She handled that day with grace and never complained,” said her nomination. “We are extremely grateful for the hard work she puts in every day.”

Christine Phillips, environmental services, a team member at OGH since 2023, was awarded the first OGH Star Award of 2025.

“Christine consistently keeps the ICU in an outstanding state of cleanliness—the cleanest I have ever seen! She warmly engages with patients and their families, fostering a positive and comforting environment. I observed her orienting a new team member with exceptional patience and thoroughness, which inspired me to nominate her for this recognition,” detailed her nomination. “Christine not only exemplifies excellence in her own work, but also demonstrates a commitment to excellence in her colleagues. Her dedication is truly commendable!”

The Star Award is presented monthly to an employee who demonstrates outstanding performance and inspires the same in others. Staff are nominated for exceptional customer satisfaction, continuous performance improvement, teamwork, communication, ownership/accountability, and excellence through co-worker or patient nominations.

The following were also nominated for Star Awards at BRMC: Jennifer Snyder, EVS aide, and Jennifer Klussmann, CNA. OGH nominees were: Dawn Dubois, RN; Abby Green, coder; Derek Hittle, ED tech; Ashlyn Howard, BSN, RN; and Julia Whitney, RDMS(AB), RT(S). Star award recipients receive a chamber of commerce gift certificate, additional paid time off, certificate of recognition, and the star award parking spot.

Preparing food in large quantities is different than food preparation in the home. Cooking for Crowds: A Volunteer’s Guide to Safe Food Handling program helps nonprofit organizations and their volunteers understand the risks involved with preparing large volumes of food and the important food safety practices that must be implemented to ensure a safe event.

Even if your organization has been doing this for years, things change, and it is important that volunteers are up-to-date and knowledgeable about rules and regulations governing food safety. Don’t risk your customer’s health or your organization’s reputation.

This program is for volunteers preparing food for events such as church fundraisers, fire company barbecues, booster club food sales, and the many other types of events where food is served to the public.

Volunteers will learn the causes of foodborne illness as well as safe food handling practices related to: Preventing Cross Contamination; Controlling Time and Temperature; Good Personal Hygiene; Cleaning and Sanitizing; and Planning a Successful Food Event.

This course, taught by Rick Kralj, Penn State Educator, is scheduled for Thursday, February 27, 2025, from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the Education Council’s Coudersport office. The cost is $50/person or $75/organization (an unlimited number of participants can attend). The registration deadline is Tuesday, February 25^th. To register, call (877) 489-1398 or visit  https://extension.psu.edu/cooking-for-crowds.

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, call (877) 489-1398 or go to http://extension.psu.edu/food-safety/serv-safe.

From the rocky soil of Mound City, South Dakota to the rolling hills of Salamanca, New York, Ann Liederbach placed a high value on education.

Born in 1904 in Mound City, South Dakota, Anna Grenz Liederbach exemplified resilience and creativity throughout her life. Her early years on farmland in South Dakota, and later in Beulah, North Dakota, instilled a strong work ethic and an appreciation for beauty in everyday life.

An accomplished student, she graduated from Dickinson State Normal School in 1927 and began her teaching career in Dickinson, North Dakota before moving to New York State.

In July of 1933, she married Chester Liederbach, and together they raised two children, Hanford and Marilee.

Dedicated to education, Ann furthered her own studies at the State University of New York at Geneseo, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in education. She later went on to teach kindergarten in Salamanca, where she was highly regarded for her ability to create a warm, nurturing and imaginative environment for her students.