The Potter County Youth Leadership Graduation was held recently in Ulysses at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum.    Dr. Michele Moore, Executive Director of the Potter County Education Council, gave an overview of the program and introduced the graduating students.  The Class Speaker was Skyler Burrows, Austin Area High School, Class of 2026.  Keynote Speaker for the event was Barry Hayman, retired Potter County Commissioner and retired Coudersport Area School District teacher.  The presentation of certificates and awards was done by Dr. Moore and the ceremony ended with closing remarks by Jett Finch, Austin Area School District, Class of 2026.  Graduates included Skyler Burrows, Jett Finch, Alexis Lentz, Elizabeth Moate and Sabrina Perlmutter from Austin Area School District; Joanna Chen, Autumn Haggard and Hayley James from Coudersport Area School District; Sophia Komenda, Mia Shaffer and Lachlan Tabacheck from Oswayo Valley School District and Madison Fillhart, Tyler Fillhart and Lily Madison from Port Allegany School District.  Pictured (left to right) PAHS students Lily Madison, Tyler Fillhart and Madison Fillhart with their graduation certificates.  Tyler was also awarded a plaque naming him the PCYL 2025 Quiet Leader Award.  Pictured with the PAHS students is Alexis Reed, PCEC, Port Allegany Career Mentor and McKean County Coordinator.   

Port Allegany High School’s Ella Moses, has signed her commitment to the University of Pittsburgh-Bradford Women’s Basketball team.  Moses will be pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Psychology.  As a member of the Lady Gator basketball team for four years, Ella joined the 1,000 point club during her senior year, was named an NTL All-Star for three years and NTL MVP for two consecutive years, was named a Big 30 All-Star for three years and was named the Big 30 Player of the Year in 2025.  She was also selected as a District IX All-Star. Pictured with Ella are her parents, Jennifer and Chad Moses and (back) left to right, Athletic Director Aaron Clark and coaches Becca Schwab and Jamie Evens.  

This Friday, April 25, at 7:30 p.m., a tribute concert to Jackson Browne, focusing on his unparalleled legacy as a singer, songwriter and American rock musician, is being held at the Coolidge Theatre at the Deane Center for the Performing Arts at 104 Main Street in Wellsboro.

Browne’s iconic hits like “Somebody’s Baby,” “Tender is the Night,” “Running On Empty,” “Doctor, My Eyes,” “Rock Me On The Water,”  and countless others have excited audiences for decades.

Running On Jackson captures Browne’s sound and the look and feel of his concerts.

We are pleased to announce Brandon Crosby as the Student of the Week at Seneca Highlands CTC for the week of April 7, 2025.  Brandon is a senior from Coudersport and a third year student in the Heavy Equipment Maintenance program. Brandon scored advanced on his NOCTI. He holds a 97 for the marking period. Brandon finished in the top 20 in states for track. His future plans include going to college to be an equipment operator after graduation. Brandon has a positive attitude and continues to grow in the shop. He is always willing to help and lend a hand to those around him.

The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for…
Southwestern Wyoming County in western New York…
Northern Cattaraugus County in western New York…
Southeastern Erie County in western New York…
Northwestern Allegany County in western New York…

* Until 630 PM EDT.

* At 523 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Ashford
Hollow, or 14 miles north of Salamanca, moving northeast at 40 mph.

HAZARD…60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE…Radar indicated.

IMPACT…Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage
to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include…
Fillmore, Cattaraugus, Ashford, Bliss, Ashford Hollow, New Albion,
Yorkshire, Sandusky, Chaffee, and Eagle.

INSTRUCTIONS: Remain alert for a possible tornado! Tornadoes can develop quickly
from severe thunderstorms. If you spot a tornado go at once into the
basement or small central room in a sturdy structure.

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a
building.

April 21, 2025:  (MCKEAN COUNTY, Pennsylvania):  District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer reports that the man convicted of sex crimes against a young child has been sentenced by a McKean County Judge.  Steven BAKER was convicted at a jury trial on November 22nd with Rape of a Child, Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse with a child less than 13, Sexual Assault, Indecent Assault, Statutory Sexual Assault, and Incest of a Minor.  

BAKER was sentenced by the Judge to 15 years to 30 years in state prison, 3 years of consecutive supervision, and other terms.  He is not eligible for early parole.  DA Vettenburg-Shaffer:  “The Pennsylvania legislators draft the sentencing codes and enhancements that apply in any given case.  For the crime of Rape of a Child, the legislators have provided for an enhancement of 10 years. The District Attorney’s Office sought the enhanced sentence allowed and the Judge imposed that sentence.  The additional 5 years reflects the sentence for the other counts which do not allow an enhancement.”  BAKER is required to register as a sex offender for his lifetime. If you suspect Child Abuse, please call 911 and Childline at 800-932-0313.

Lane Restriction on Bartlow Drive in Penn Township, Lycoming County

Montoursville, PA – Motorists are advised of lane restriction next week on Bartlow Drive (T-557) in Penn Township, Lycoming County, for tree and shrub clearing.

On Thursday, April 24, 2025, Sikora Brothers Paving, Inc., a contractor for Penn Township, will be performing tree trimming and clearing shrubs along Bartlow Drive between Grant Bartlo Road and Barto Hollow Road. Motorists can expect a lane restriction with flagging, as necessary. Work will be performed during daylight hours.

In the event of inclement weather, work will be performed on Monday, April 28.

Sikora Brothers Paving, Inc., is the prime contractor for this $830,836 bridge replacement project, for Penn Township. Work on the project includes removal of the existing bridge over Gregs Run, replacement with a precast concrete box culvert, paving, guide rail upgrade, and tree trimming. Work on this project began in the spring 2025 and is anticipated to be completed in the fall 2025, weather pending.

Volunteers from Pennsylvania and southern New York worked together on Saturday, 4/19, to transplant small mountain ash trees into cribs on lands near Clermont in McKean County.  Cribs are small fences about four feet high, six to eight feet wide, and about twelve feet long.    The transplant work was planned by the Ruffed Grouse Society, Allegheny and Upland Bird Hunt Chapters, in north central Pennsylvania.  The volunteer work site is on lands open to public hunting.  The mountain ash were transplanted into the cribs from nearby mountain ash trees grown inside deer exclosure fences.

The volunteers split up into crews of two to four people so all ten cribs that needed mountain ash would get planted during the morning.  John Dzemyan, Co-Habitat Leader, then led the volunteers on a tour of nearby habitat work for wildlife that was already completed.

Recognized by both the Pennsylvania State House and Senate, April 20-26, 2025 has been declared “Conservation District Week.”

We all know the importance of clean water and healthy soil to keep our families fed. Did you know that your local county conservation district is working in your community to ensure there is enough clean water and healthy soil for future generations?

Conservation Districts were created in PA in 1945 in response to the dust bowl of the 1930’s to improve soil and water conservation.  County governing bodies became authorized to declare their county a conservation district by a simple majority vote after receiving a petition from the public. Within those counties, a district board of directors was given responsibility for assisting farmers in implementing voluntary erosion control plans.

The first meeting of the McKean County Conservation was held on August 19, 1959 with Russell Comes as Chairman, Paul Ostrander as Vice-Chairman and Helen Engstrom as Secretary-Treasurer.

With the final week of the regular season looming, crunch time has arrived and United East Conference playoffs are on the line for Pennsylvania College of Technology athletes in six spring sports.

The women’s tennis team opens the postseason with a play-in match on Tuesday at Penn State Abington, the men’s tennis team goes into first-round action on Saturday, and the men’s golf team seeks its third consecutive championship on Friday and Saturday.

Meanwhile, the men’s baseball, women’s softball and men’s lacrosse teams continue to battle for postseason positions, with 10 of 14 baseball and 10 of 15 softball teams qualifying for playoffs that begin April 29 and 30, respectively, along with four of the conference’s five men’s lacrosse teams, which start play on April 30.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for pork carnitas products that may be contaminated with foreign material, specifically pieces of metal. FSIS did not request a recall because this product is no longer available for sale in commerce.

CLEARED:Crash on NY 415 both directions Exit 43 - Southern Tier Expressway; Ramp (Erwin) All lanes closed All Sunset Ave traffic to use Meads St, all Robert Dann traffic to use south Hamilton.

Visit 511NY.org for more information

DESCRIPTION: * WHAT…Visibility as low as one quarter mile at times in dense
fog. The dense fog will mainly be along the immediate Lake Erie
shoreline, including Interstate 90 from Ripley to Buffalo and
downtown Buffalo.

* WHERE…Erie, and Chautauqua Counties.

* WHEN…Until 8 PM EDT this evening.

* IMPACTS…Hazardous driving conditions due to low visibility.

INSTRUCTIONS: If driving, slow down, use your headlights, and leave plenty of
distance ahead of you.

Issued By: NWS Buffalo NY