NEWS

St. Marys, PA — With the 2026 midterm elections officially underway, the Elk County Democratic Committee is beginning the year with a renewed focus on organizing, outreach, and long-term planning. The Committee will hold its first meeting of the year on Wednesday, January 28, at 7:00 p.m. at its permanent headquarters, located at 210 Brusselles Street in downtown St. Marys.

Starting in January, the Committee will launch coordinated efforts centered on candidate recruitment, petition signature planning, grassroots fundraising, and the development of a clear, month-by-month strategy aimed at making 2026 a decisive year for Democrats. These efforts will focus not only on Elk County, but also on strengthening Democratic victories across Pennsylvania and the nation.

Committee leaders emphasized that meaningful political change often begins in rural communities—areas that have borne the brunt of harmful national policies in recent years. Rather than waiting for change to come from Washington, the Elk County Democratic Committee is committed to doing what Democrats have always done when democracy is at stake: organizing, mobilizing, and building power from the ground up.

The Committee’s goals for 2026 include reclaiming Democratic majorities in both chambers of Congress, as well as re-electing Pennsylvania’s Democratic governor and strengthening Democratic representation in the General Assembly. Locally, that means defending and expanding the Democratic majority in the Pennsylvania House and working to flip the Pennsylvania Senate, paving the way for the first fully Democratic legislature in more than a generation.

“This is a pivotal moment,” Committee leaders said. “The work ahead is ambitious, but achievable—if people engage and get involved.”

The meeting is open to all interested Democrats and community members. A remote Zoom option is available for all regular meetings. Those wishing to attend virtually are asked to request Zoom credentials at least 24 hours prior to the meeting to ensure availability. Requests will be accommodated up to approximately two hours before the meeting when possible. Zoom requests should be sent via email to elkcountydemocrats@gmail.com.

The Bingham Township Supervisors are seeking applications for a part-time Secretary/Treasurer.  Experience in bookkeeping with QuickBooks, Computer skills, and Secretarial skills are needed.  Duties would include:

Payroll, Quarterly Taxes, Annual W-2’s, Reconciliations, Paying & Recording Invoices, Making Deposits, Balancing Bank Statements, State Reports, DCED Reports, Grant Applications, Attending monthly meetings, Taking & Recording Minutes, providing Financial Records, Assessment Building Permits, Driveway Permits, Road Bonds & Permits, Open Record Requests, and Budgets.

Position will begin June 1^st, 2026

For more information, please call 814-848-9863

Resumes may be mailed to: Bingham Township

843 Bingham Center Road,

Genesee, PA 16923

In case you missed it, there is a large storm headed our way.

Here at Solomon’s, we are receiving regular updates on the storm. Arctic temps, strong winds, and significant snowfall are coming to sidewalks and roadways near you. All joking aside, these conditions can be dangerous and should be taken seriously.

Forecasts indicate that areas of New York will be hardest hit. PennDOT and NY Alert continue to update us on road closures, delays and cancellations, speed restrictions, and overall conditions. We will share this information with you as long as power and internet remain available.

Residents are being urged to prepare for the possibility of extended power outages in these frigid conditions. Please consider the following:

*Fill vehicles, snowblowers, and other gas-powered equipment ahead of time, and keep extra fuel on hand if possible.

*Gather medications and keep an updated list readily available.

*Take photos of your home before the storm, in case insurance documentation is needed.

*Drip your faucets to help prevent pipes from freezing and bursting.

*Keep some cash on hand.

*Each person should have at least 2 flashlights with fresh batteries.

*Check on your neighbors and look out for one another.

This is not a complete list. If you have young children, elderly family members, or pets, be sure you have the supplies they may need. Above all, please avoid travel unless it is absolutely necessary.

There will be a Meeting at the Firehall on Thursday, January 29th, at 6pm to discuss the L.L. Smith school building. (Human Services). We would like everyone in Roulette Township to come to the meeting with ideas and questions.

I am proud to recognize Jay Thompson as Student of the Week for his great work and representation of the Homeland Security Class at Seneca Highlands CTC. As a first-year student, he has shown strong effort and a positive attitude toward learning.

Jay has maintained high grades and does very well during hands-on activities. He pays attention, works hard, and sets a good example for his peers. Jay is an outstanding representative, the first, of the Northern Potter High School in the Homeland Security classroom.

Congratulations on earning this award. Keep working hard and doing your best—we are proud of you.

Due to the predicted severity of the winter storm forecast for Sunday, January 25, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced vehicle restrictions in North Central Pennsylvania in addition to those announced yesterday across the Commonwealth. The purpose of the restrictions is to help ensure roadways remain passable during the most challenging conditions of the winter storm, and PennDOT will remove them when conditions improve.

Starting at 1:00 AM on Sunday, January 25, the following restrictions will be implemented:

• Route 350 between Bald Eagle and Philipsburg in Centre County will be closed to commercial motor vehicle (CMV) traffic.
• The commercial vehicle chain-up site located along Route 153 northbound before Boone Mountain in Clearfield County will be activated.
• The CMV detour around Route 6 between Port Allegany and Smethport in McKean County will be implemented. The detour uses Route 155, Route 446, and Route 46 and adds approximately five minutes of travel time.
• The commercial vehicle chain-up site located along Route 322 westbound before the Milroy exit and Seven Mountains will be activated.

Signage is installed a mile ahead of each designated chain up area and will flash while activated. CMV drivers are required to pull off at these areas and equip their on-board chains to the tires on their drive axels before climbing Boone Mountain or Seven Mountains. Those without chains on board are required to choose an alternate route. A companion chain removal area is located at the summit of each mountain.

The Route 6 detour will be communicated via the variable message boards posted along the detour route and through the DriveWyze app, a mobile tool for professional drivers that offers free safety alerts.

WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service State College PA
1020 AM EST Fri Jan 23 2026

…MAJOR WINTER STORM THIS WEEKEND…
…WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM SATURDAY TO 1 PM EST
MONDAY…

* WHAT…Heavy snow expected. Total snow accumulations between 10 and 18 inches.

* WHERE…A portion of central Pennsylvania.

* WHEN…From 10 PM Saturday to 1 PM EST Monday.

* IMPACTS…Travel will be very difficult to impossible. Widespread and prolonged travel disruptions are expected.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…Snow will overspread the area late Saturday night, becoming heavy at times through Sunday with accumulation rates of one to two inches per hour at times. Frigid temperatures and wind chills are expected before, during, and after the winter
storm. Some blowing and drifting snow is possible.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

Persons should consider delaying all travel. Motorists should use extreme caution if travel is absolutely necessary.

God’s Country Church in Austin is cancelling worship service for January 25th at 9:30 Am due to the impending snow storm and frigid cold weather that is anticipated arriving Sunday morning.Please stay safe and warm and remember to check up on your neighbors.

    Thank you. Pastor Todd Lamer  

The Port Allegany United Methodist Church is canceling services for Sunday, January 25th at 11:00 AM due to the incoming winter storm. Stay safe and Stay warm!

HEADLINE: Cold Weather Advisory issued January 23 at 12:51AM EST until January 24 at 10:00AM EST by NWS Buffalo NY

DESCRIPTION: * WHAT…Bitterly cold wind chills as low as 20 to 25 below zero expected.

* WHERE…Southern Erie and Wyoming counties and the western Southern Tier.

* WHEN…From 10 AM this morning to 10 AM EST Saturday.

* IMPACTS…Bitterly cold wind chills as low as 25 below zero will cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes. Frostbite and hypothermia will occur if unprotected skin is exposed to these temperatures.

INSTRUCTIONS: This is a potentially hazardous situation to be outdoors. If you must be outside, be sure to cover all exposed skin. Frostbite can occur in 30 minutes or less with apparent temperatures of 15 below
zero or colder.

Use caution while traveling outside. Wear appropriate clothing, a hat, and gloves.

Make frequent checks on older family, friends, and neighbors. Ensure portable heaters are used correctly. Do not use generators or grills inside.

Issued By: NWS Buffalo NY

The Bingham Township Supervisors are seeking applications for a part-time Secretary/Treasurer.  Experience in bookkeeping with QuickBooks, Computer skills, and Secretarial skills are needed.  Duties would include:

Payroll, Quarterly Taxes, Annual W-2’s, Reconciliations, Paying & Recording Invoices, Making Deposits, Balancing Bank Statements, State Reports, DCED Reports, Grant Applications, Attending monthly meetings, Taking & Recording Minutes, providing Financial Records, Assessment Building Permits, Driveway Permits, Road Bonds & Permits, Open Record Requests, and Budgets.

Position will begin June 1^st, 2026

For more information, please call 814-848-9863

Resumes may be mailed to: Bingham Township

843 Bingham Center Road,

Genesee, PA 16923

On Thursday, January 15, 2026, Mark Charles Hackett entered a guilty plea to felony Delivery of Methamphetamine and a no contest plea to Criminal Solicitation – Murder of the First Degree on two consolidated Centre County cases.

The 64-year-old received a state prison sentence of 8 to 16 years and will serve approximately five additional years for violating parole from a prior state conviction.

Following a Centre County Drug Task Force investigation, Hackett was charged with drug delivery for selling several ounces of methamphetamine to a confidential informant. He was jailed at the Centre County Correctional Facility.

While in jail, Hackett approached another inmate who was scheduled to be released and requested that he kill a cooperating witness from Hackett’s drug delivery case. The inmate instead alerted the Centre County District Attorney’s Office to Hackett’s plan.

Subsequent investigation by the State Police, coordinated by ADA Hunter Fedora,
confirmed that Hackett offered two inmates money and methamphetamine in exchange
for killing the informant using an injection of Carfentanil.

“By coming forward when Mark Hackett asked the inmate to kill another person, the inmate may well have saved a life,” Assistant District Attorney Matt Metzger said.

“Hackett’s attempt to kill an informant speaks to a dangerous methamphetamine-fueled thought process which, in conjunction with his drug dealing, put the broader community at risk. Thanks to the courage of cooperating witnesses and the diligent efforts of the Pennsylvania State Police, the community is now a safer place.”

Olympus Expands Voluntary Recall for ViziShot 2 FLEX (19G) EBUS -TBNA Needles

CENTER VALLEY, Pa., (January 16, 2026) — Olympus Corporation has announced the expansion of a previous global medical device removal action for ViziShot 2 FLEX (19G) EBUS -TBNA needles (“ViziShot 2 FLEX”) after receiving and investigating complaints of device components ejecting or detaching during procedures. The complaints included adverse event reports of patient injury and one death. This expanded action includes all lots of the ViziShot 2 FLEX needles and supersedes the August 2025 notice in which only certain lots of the device were being recalled.

Potential consequences of a detached component of the ViziShot 2 FLEX include the risk of unintended device components within the tracheobronchial tree that may require bronchoscopic extraction or surgical removal.

The Bingham Township Supervisors are seeking applications for a part-time Secretary/Treasurer.  Experience in bookkeeping with QuickBooks, Computer skills, and Secretarial skills are needed.  Duties would include:

Payroll, Quarterly Taxes, Annual W-2’s, Reconciliations, Paying & Recording Invoices, Making Deposits, Balancing Bank Statements, State Reports, DCED Reports, Grant Applications, Attending monthly meetings, Taking & Recording Minutes, providing Financial Records, Assessment Building Permits, Driveway Permits, Road Bonds & Permits, Open Record Requests, and Budgets.

Position will begin June 1^st, 2026

For more information, please call 814-848-9863

Resumes may be mailed to: Bingham Township

843 Bingham Center Road,

Genesee, PA 16923

URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service State College PA
206 AM EST Thu Jan 22 2026
…WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM EST THIS MORNING…
…WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY EVENING THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON…

* WHAT…For the Winter Weather Advisory, snow. Additional snow accumulations up to one inch. Winds gusting 30 to 40 mph with isolated gusts over 45 possible. For the Winter Storm Watch, heavy snow with significant accumulations possible.

* WHERE…Blair, Somerset, Southern Centre, and Southern Clinton Counties.

* WHEN…For the Winter Weather Advisory, until 10 AM EST this morning. For the Winter Storm Watch, from Saturday evening through Monday afternoon.

* IMPACTS…For the Winter Weather Advisory, slippery roads possible for the Thursday morning commute. For the Winter Storm Watch, roads and especially bridges and overpasses will likely become
slick and hazardous. Travel could be difficult late Saturday night through Monday morning.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…A few stronger snow showers are possible this morning with rapid reductions in visibility and a quick accumulation on roadways.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

Monitor the latest forecasts for updates on this situation.

Slow down and use caution while traveling. The latest road conditions for the state you are calling from can be obtained by calling 5 1 1 or visiting 511PA.com.

*Winter Storm Watch issued January 22 at 1:58AM EST until January 26 at 7:00PM EST by NWS Buffalo NY

* WHAT…Lake effect snow and blowing snow. Additional snow
accumulations 4 to 8 inches in the most persistent lake snows.
Winds gusting as high as 40 mph will produce blowing and drifting
snow.

Widespread heavy snow possible late Saturday night through Monday
evening. Significant accumulations possible.

* WHERE…Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Counties. The greatest
accumulations will focus across western Chautauqua and far
northwest Cattaraugus counties.

It may be cold and snowy butplans for the 2026 Potter County Community Garden are springing into action. Applications for garden plots were released to the public on Thursday, January 15th, and will be accepted until all spaces have been claimed. The Community Garden has a total of thirty-three garden beds with four being raised for handicapped or disability access. Located at 7 Water Street in Coudersport, the Community Garden will open its gates again on April 25th for individuals and groups to utilize a free garden plot regardless of income.

Mark your calendars for upcoming February Discover Lab activities!

Discover Lab:
Contact: Courtney Rieger
P: 814-781-3437
courtney@communityedcenter.com

Dates/Location/Times:
February 9, 2026- Barbara Moscato Brown Memorial Library, 3:30pm-5:00pm (Grades 3-5)
February 10, 2026- Johnsonburg Community Center, 4:00pm-5:30pm (Grades 3-5)
February 16, 2026- Bennett’s Valley Community Center, 6:00pm-7:00pm (Grades K-8)
February 17, 2026- Boys and Girls Club of St. Marys, 4:00pm-5:00pm (Grades 3-5)
Description: Build & Explore with Cubelets! Join us for hands-on group activities creating robots together!
No Registration Required!
Questions? Contact Courtney Rieger at courtney@communityedcenter.com or call (814) 781-3437

Bradford, PA/Olean, NY – Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC) and Olean General Hospital (OGH), Kaleida Health facilities, are excited to announce Sharon Walsh, RN, a nurse on the medical-surgical unit at OGH, as the 2025 fourth-quarter Nightingale Award recipient. Walsh has been a nurse at OGH since 1998.

“With more than 20 years of dedicated service as an overnight nurse, Sharon exemplifies the compassion, resilience and quiet strength that define the spirit of nursing. Working through the night requires a unique blend of clinical expertise, emotional steadiness and unwavering commitment. Throughout her career, Sharon has demonstrated all of these qualities and more. She is the calm in a moment of crisis, the reassuring voice for anxious families and the steady, skilled professional who ensures every patient feels safe and cared for during their worst times. She is dependable, knowledgeable and remarkably patient-centered. She is the person others look to for guidance, mentorship and support, especially new nurses who benefit from her depth of experience,” said her nomination.

On January 20, 2026, at 1:35 P.M., Troopers out of SP Amity responded to a collision involving an Amish buggy on County Route 29 in the town of Willing. Investigation determined that the horse-drawn buggy was traveling on County Route 29 and turned into the path of a fully loaded 2009 International logging truck. The operator of the buggy, was transported to Jones Memorial Hospital and succumbed to his injuries. The horse had no injuries.

NYSP Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Collision Reconstruction Unit and the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit assisted in this investigation.