McKean County

Director of Security

McKean County is seeking qualified and highly motivated applicants for a full-time Director of Security located in Smethport, Pennsylvania.

The Director of Security will coordinate and implement initiatives regarding security and safety for all departments of the Court.  The candidate will provide technical and security related assistance/advice to other non-judicial offices in the courthouse upon request of the County Commissioners.  This position is responsible for the safety and security of all staff and public visitors in the courthouse.

Responsibilities:

• Perform a daily security sweep of the courthouse building and grounds prior to and at the close of business.
• Maintain order within the courthouse; settle disturbances as required.
• Develop and institute procedures and plans relating to security and safety.
• Assign hearing and/or meeting areas within the courthouse according to the daily schedule.
• Maintain a visible security presence within the building.
• Direct traffic (attorneys, litigants, witnesses, etc.) for hearings and meetings.
• Provide leadership to the Courthouse Security Committee on related meeting agendas, programs and policies.
• Provide effective supervision, coaching, mentoring and appraising of job performance to assigned subordinates.
• Accurately maintain required reports, files, records and certifications related to the position or courthouse security.
• Provide input into department annual budget.
• Create, issue, and monitor key fob access for all employees of the courthouse.
• Appear for events or assure other security staff appears for functions and proceedings held at the courthouse/court facilities on non-county/court hours.
• Appear at courthouse/court facilities to address emergency situations/events.
• Assign duties/hours to other Security Officers, full and part-time, as required for court/courthouse and court facility operations and functions.
• Assist with such other duties as may be assigned for the successful operation of the courthouse.

Special Requirements:

• Capable of meeting physical demands related to the use of restraint and self-defense and ability to handle potentially violent confrontations.
• Firearms and Taser Qualifications (May obtain training/certification after hire at discretion and under terms set by the court).
• Communication skills necessary to diffuse dangerous and/or threatening situations.
• Ability to complete annual firearms certification.
• Ability to use tact, yet decisiveness.

Qualified candidates should apply by sending a McKean County job application and resume to Patricia Brown, Court Administrator, 500 West Main Street, Smethport, PA 16749, or via email to pabrown@mckeancountypa.gov.  McKean County is an equal opportunity employer, M/F/D/V.
 

Daniel F. “Danny” GLASSMIRE, VI, 42, of Coudersport, PA, passed away Monday, February 24, 2025.  Friends may call at Park United Methodist Church, Coudersport on Saturday, March 8, 2025 from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM, with Funeral Services following at 12:00 PM.  Rev. Gregory Rapp, Pastor, will officiate. 

Burial will be in Homer Cemetery.  Memorials may be made to Coudersport Public Library, 502 Park Ave., Coudersport, PA 16915, Park United Methodist Church, 15 E. Third St., Coudersport, PA 16915, or the Potter County Farm and Forestry Family Scholarship Fund, the Patrick Ryan Creative Writing Scholarship Fund, both in care of Community Foundation for the Twin Tiers, 104 W. Lockhart St., Sayre, PA 18840 or online at  https://www.twintierscf.org/about/donate.  

Arrangements are under the direction of Olney-Foust Funeral Homes & Crematory, Ulysses, PA.  

Online condolences may be expressed at www.olneyfoust.com.

Shinglehouse Borough Water Department will be shutting off the Borough water approximately between 3:00 PM and 7:00 PM on Monday March 10,2025 for repairs to a main line. Please plan accordingly for water usage beforehand.

Loss of water system Pressure:

If the distribution system experiences a loss of positive pressure a PN (Public Notice) must be issued. The PWS cannot lift the PN/Boil Advisory until 2 sufficient clean bacteriological samples have been collected And analyzed. Verification after water main repairs where the main was depressurized or partially dewatered, one set of samples is collected that is representative to the affected area to ensure that the water is safe to consume. Once the samples are found to be satisfactory, the PWS may lift the PN/Boil Advisory. The Shinglehouse Borough will publish notification when you no longer need to boil your water for consumption after the repairs. You DO NOT need to boil your water before the repairs.

As stated above we need to have 2 sufficient clean bacteriological samples that have been collected And analyzed. Before we can announce and lift the boil advisory. Please plan to boil your water until Wednesday February 14, 2024.

What should I do? After the water line repair

DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST.  Bring all water to a rolling boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using; or use bottled water.  You should use boiled or bottled water for drinking, making ice, washing dishes, brushing teeth, and food preparation until further notice.

Inadequately treated water may contain disease-causing organisms.  These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches.

These symptoms, however, are not caused only by organisms in drinking water, but also by other factors.  If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice.

Guardians of infants and young children and people at increased risk, such as pregnant women, some of the elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems, should seek advice from their health care advisors about drinking this water.  General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1 (800) 426‑4791.

On Monday, March 3, 2025, Coudersport Rotary Club held their annual 4-Way Test competition at A&W West End Grill. Rotarian Pat Northeimer began by introducing the 4-Way-Test speakers, judges and timekeepers.

The first student speaker, Alyah DiPlato, spoke about celebrity culture. The second student speaker, Joanna Chen, spoke about mental health.

Both speakers were so outstanding that the judges’ scores gave them a tie, which according to the guidelines had to be broken by choice of content.

Joanna Chen was declared the winner with Alyah DiPlato awarded 2nd place .

After the contest, both students gave the club some of their background and activities. Rotarian Paul Herzig noted that both students have volunteered to be involved with Town Council as Junior Council People.

Joanna Chen will move on to the regional competition this weekend.

Thank you to both students for a wonderful presentation before Coudersport Rotary Club.

The excitement is building for next Saturday, March 15^th and the 4^th Annual Coudersport Scholarship Fundraiser at the Coudersport American Legion! Attached is a photo of just some of the many baskets and auction items that will be available that night. They include a flat screen tv, a Blackstone grill, fire ring, Bonnies tickets, wellness center pass, scores of baskets and bake goods. Something for everyone. Come early just to enter the raffles for baskets and prizes or make a night of it with drinks and a buffet dinner from Eddies on Main listening to the music of Dana Daisley. The doors open at 4:00 PM and if you need childcare, the National Honor Society will be available to provide a fun evening for your children at the high school for a donation.

Tickets for the full event including the delicious buffet food offerings from Eddies on Main are being sold at $30 per person and $50 for a couple. Tickets can be purchased at the school district front offices and the business office.

Donations of raffle, auction and baked items are very much appreciated and currently are being accepted by contacting the school’s business office at 274-0509. Come join the fun on March 15^th and help our local students!

Three Gator Wrestlers from Port Allegany are pictured as they headed to Hershey for the PIAA State Wrestling Championships.  All three wrestlers won their first round matches on Thursday.    Bliss won 9-2; Neely won 8-0 and Juuso won with a score of 4-2.  Quarterfinals start Friday morning at 8 a.m.  

The first planning meeting for the 2025 Port Allegany Alumni was held this week at The Little Red Diner.  Alumni Officers (pictured left to right) Makayla Alcorn, Vice-President; Edna Taylor, Treasurer; Ann DeHaven-Smith, Secretary and Phil Smith, President have announced this year’s event will be held September 27 at the Port Allegany VMI (Veterans Memorial Home).  Invited to the annual dinner are all who have either attended or graduated from PAHS.  Please share the date with family, friends and classmates.  Further details about the event will be announced as they become available.  

Theodore Coffie A.K.A. “Teddy Tickles” age 54 was arrested yesterday March 5th by the Criminal investigation unit and Street Crimes unit at the intersection of Putnam St. and N. 5th St.. for an outstanding Federal drug warrant . During a search of Coffie, Investigators located a handgun and approximately 20 Grams of Crack Cocaine. Coffie was transported by Federal agents on the outstanding warrant and charges for the Gun and Drugs are pending. A search warrant was later conducted at 126 N. 5th. where Coffie was staying and no other drugs were located.

March 9–Pennsylvania’s Birthday: Celebrate King Charles ll granting William Penn the charter to establish the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with FREE ADMISSION to the museum! Join our partner Potter County Creative Council (PC3) who will lead visitors in a tree cookie printing art project in our program room. Watch apple fritter making demonstrations in the museum’s Mess Hall from 11:30am until supplies are gone.

University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Joan Gable has selected Dr. Tony Gaskew, professor of criminal justice at the university’s Bradford campus, as a 2025 recipient of the Chancellor’s Distinguished Public Service Award.

Gaskew, who is also associate dean of academic affairs at Pitt-Bradford, has taught criminal justice at the Bradford campus since 2006.

The distinguished public service awards emphasize the use of faculty expertise to address social problems through public service.

Gabel recognized Gaskew for his work with incarcerated people at the Federal Correctional Institution McKean and State Correctional Institution Forest. That work includes founding Pitt-Bradford’s Prison Education Program and successfully reaching more than a thousand students since the program’s inception; teaching postsecondary courses inside the federal and state prisons; and, in 2019, creating a first-of-its kind Life Support program, a prison education program for people incarcerated for life while still juveniles.

Recently multiple students in Mr. Bryant’s class at the SHCTC earned industry recognized certifications. Seniors Levi Howard (PASD) and Lane Crawford (PASD) earned their Ethical Hacker Certification in cybersecurity. 

Cordell Baker (Grade 10, SASD), Dylan Clancy (Grade 12, AASD),  Ean Gertzen (Grade 11, NPSD), Nathan Haight (grade 10, PASD), Nicole Hockey (Grade 12, CCSD), Mathew Morris (Grade 10, SASD), Jimmy Sneed (Grade 10, SASD), Garry Strait (Grade 12, OESD), and Richard Wojcik (Grade 10, OESD) each earned their Vivacity Student Repair Academy certificates in Chromebook Repair. Jimmy Also earned his Acer Corporation Repair Techspert certificate for the C741LT Chromebook model. 

The SHCTC provides opportunities for students to gain valuable certifications in many trade areas. Interested students should speak to their school counsellor. 

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