Coudersport Rotary Club was pleased to have Kelby Streich, an 8th grader at Coudersport High School as a speaker at our September 18th meeting. Coudersport Rotary Club sponsored him to attend the Potter County Conservation Camp. He described the wide variety of activities they did, and how much he learned and appreciated the experience. His favorite activity was elk management. One other activity, of many, during the weeklong camp, was the Game Warden trapped a bear, pulled a tooth, gave it a health exam and released it.
Kelby was given the Wayne Winick Spirit Award for honoring the practice of conservation and sharing that passion with his peers.
Kelby is also a member of the Black Forest Trap Team. Although this was his first year, his squad placed 1st in the State and 2nd in the National Competition. He thanked our club for
supporting the Team.
Thank you, Kelby, for speaking before the Coudersport Rotary Club!
According to Pennsylvania College of Technology esports coach Joshua Young, “(This) week will kick off the start of our fourth year in the NACE Starleague Varsity + league for our Rocket League, Overwatch 2, Valorant and CS:GO teams. The regular season will span six weeks and conclude on Nov. 10, with the playoff starting Nov. 13-17 (round of 6), Nov. 27-Dec. 1 (round of 4) and the divisional championship the week of Dec. 4-8.
“League of Legends will start on Oct. 10 and consist of matches every Tuesday and Thursday through Oct. 31.
“We are very excited about the start of this season as we have all our team managers returning from last year to support our squads.
“They are:
Rocket League—junior Alex Nazarchuk, of Lebanon;
Overwatch 2—sophomore Frankie Gagliardi, of Pottstown;
Valorant—senior Drew Thomas, of State College;
CS:GO—sophomore Joe Hartland, of Pennsdale;
League of Legends Varsity—sophomore Zachary Rhodes, of Shippensburg;
iRacing—senior Austin DeLong, of Pittsburgh (which began a few weeks ago).
“We had major interest in League of Legends this year that we could start a development/junior varsity team. This team will be managed by one of our esports veterans, senior Jasaiah Capps, of Williamsport. He will work with the players to get them ready for the next level and will be the scrimmage partner for the varsity team. Our varsity team has four returning players from last year and has added transfer student Madison Cuckovic, of Mechanicsburg, to the roster. I am really looking forward to the future of this team with the talent we have on varsity and having the ability to develop new players into our system. This should allow us to create a strong team for the next couple of seasons.
WESTFIELD, PA – An early Sunday morning house fire is believed to have claimed the lives of a couple on September 24, 2023, in Chatham Township.
The two story home was already engulfed in flames when the Toga County 911 Center received a call from a neighbor about the fire and possible entrapment at the home on Mosher Road shortly after 3:00 AM.
Fire crews from Chatham Township Volunteer Fire Company, Middlebury Township Volunteer Fire Department, and Clymer Township Volunteer Hose Company and a Fire Coordinator were the fire units to respond to the house the fire.
Chatham fire personnel were first to arrive at the home around 3:17 AM and confirmed that the structure was fully involved. Tri-County Rural Electric was requested to turn power off on Mosher Road. Later UGI was contacted to respond and a request was made for the Fire Marshal to respond.
By 3:24 AM a second alarm was called for and fire units from Wellsboro Fire Department, Crary Hose Company from Westfield, Tioga Fire Department, as well as A RIT Team from Elkland and the Rehab unit from Blossburg Fire Department were requested for mutual aid.
Firefighters had to do an exterior attack on the blaze, as the 123-year-old house was fully involved in flames.
Westfield firefighters set up a water supply so tankers could be refilled as fire crews worked hard to bring the fire under control.
The fire was reported under control around 3:50 AM.
It was said that two Fire Marshals arrived at the house fire around 5:30 AM.
An excavator was brought in from Owlett’s Logging and Firewood to assist fire crews at the scene.
By 9:07 AM the fire was reported out, however, firefighters were still taking care of putting out hot spots
The coroner arrived at the scene of the fire as it was confirmed that two individuals had perished in the devastating fire. (It was indicated to FNN that the couple who owned the home were the ones that passed away). The home which was a total loss was owned by Leland and Laura Rouse.
Firefighters were on scene for over 6 hours. All remaining fire units were cleared from the fire location shortly after 10:00 AM.
A cause of the fire has not been provided and with the extreme damage done, the cause may not be able to be determined.
A number of other fire departments were on standby at other stations. Mansfield Hose Company covered Middlebury, Lawrenceville covered for Tioga and Galeton was requested to standby for Wellsboro. Woodhull was also on standby but unsure which department they covered for.
FNN staff extends our condolences to the Rouse family.
Danny A. Ball, 65, of Sinnamahoning, PA passed away at his home on Sunday evening following a lengthy illness (September 24, 2023).
He was born January 27, 1958 in Saint Marys a son of the late James and Enid Whiting Ball. On October 9, 1982 in the Sinnamahoning United Methodist Church he married Judy Snyder, who survives.
Danny graduated from Cameron County High School in the class of 1975. He later graduated from Penn State University with an engineering degree. He worked many years as an engineer at GKN in Emporium. He served for over 50 years in the Sinnamahoning Fire Department where he served multiple offices, including fire chief.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission has announced that 30 to 40 deer found dead in the vicinity of State Game Lands 214 in North Shenango and Sadsbury townships, Crawford County, the week of Sept. 8, succumbed to hemorrhagic disease.
Hemorrhagic disease (HD) affects wild cervids and is caused by viruses — either epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus or bluetongue virus — that are spread by biting midges.
Clearfield, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced the following schedule of maintenance activities in McKean County the week of September 22. PennDOT performs year-round maintenance in its mission to provide a safe, efficient transportation system, and the scope of work in McKean County for the coming week is as follows:
Bridge Maintenance & Cleaning
Route 346 in Bradford Township. Monday, September 25, through Friday, September 29. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours.
Pennsylvania has some of the oldest bridges in the country, with an age of more than 50 years on average. Preventive maintenance is vital in extending the life of the structures. As such, PennDOT maintenance crews perform some bridge deck patching and structural repairs.
Manual Patching
Route 6 in Hamlin and Wetmore township and Kane Borough. Monday, September 25, through Friday, September 29. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control.
Route 46 in Foster, Keating and Otto townships. Monday, September 25, through Friday, September 29. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control.
Route 546 in Otto Township. Wednesday, September 25, through Friday, September 29. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control.
Most permanent pothole patching is completed in the spring/summer when temperatures stay consistently above freezing. If maintenance crews were not repairing potholes, the road surface would break up further and require more expensive corrective measures.
Pipe Replacing & Cleaning
Route 770 in Bradford and Lafayette townships. Thursday, September 28, and Friday, September 29. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control.
Pipe replacement and cleaning are essential in maintaining water flow around state roadways. Controlling water flow is one of the most important aspects of maintaining pavements. Uncontrolled water flow will damage both the pavement surface and the area under the pavement, which causes deterioration across the length of the pipe.
Shoulder Maintenance
Route 2004 (Christian Hollow Road) in Norwich Township. Monday, September 25, through Wednesday, September 27. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control.
Shoulder cutting removes excess material and debris from unpaved shoulder areas. Shoulder grading involves the shaping and stabilizing of those same areas. Both operations improve drainage, allow water to leave the roadway, and eliminate shoulder drop-offs. These are crucial highway maintenance operations because when drainage systems do not function properly, water collects on the road, weakens pavement, accelerates the formation of potholes, and creates the potential for icing conditions in the winter months.
Side Dozing
Route 6 in Liberty Township. Monday, September 25, through Thursday, September 28. Flaggers in the roadway will provide traffic control during daylight hours.
Side dozing removes excess material from beneath guide rail areas, which improves drainage and allows water to sheet flow off the roadway. Side dozing is a crucial highway maintenance operation because when drainage systems do not function properly, water collects on the road, weakens pavement, accelerates the formation of potholes, and creates the potential for icing conditions in the winter months.
PennDOT urges motorists to exercise caution in these and all work zones to ensure their safety and the safety of county maintenance staff.
This schedule is subject to change due to weather conditions, emergencies, or other unforeseen interruptions.
Customers can report road concerns by calling 1-800-FIX-ROAD. If calling after hours, please leave a name and phone number.
Brendan A. Kealey, age 28, formerly of Wellsboro, PA, died on Wednesday, September 20, 2023. He was born on May 5, 1995 in Sharon Hill, PA, a son of Sheryl (Henkin) Kealey and the late Francis C. Kealey.
He ran a small business as an IT consultant and enjoyed writing music, watching sports, spending time with his family, he loved his dog, Pearl, and was always taking things apart and reassembling them.
On September 25 at 9:18 am. St. Marys Fire was dispatched to Jet Metals at 412 Grotzinger Rd. for a structure fire. The fire is close to being extinguished
Frances “Fritz” Nearing, 81, of Ridgway, died on Saturday, September, 23, 2023, at his residence following a brief illness.
He was born on August 2, 1942, in Ridgway, a son of the late Ira Lee and Grace O’Kneski Nearing.
On November 12, 1960, he married Margaret D. Wonderly who survives.
Fritz was a lifelong resident of Ridgway and graduate of Ridgway Area High School. He worked as a machinist at Keystone Powdered Metals, retiring after 43 years of service. Fritz liked to hunt, wood working, and spending time with family.
In addition to his wife of nearly 63 years, he is survived by 3 sons; Gregory Nearing of Duncansville, Jeffrey Nearing and his wife Sandy of Ridgway, and Paul Nearing and his wife Stephanie of Arizona, 3 grandchildren; Jessica, Gabi, and Caleb, and 4 great grandchildren; Carson, Paxton, Stephen, and Hayden. He is also survived by 2 sisters, Shirley Sennett and Joanne Rossey, and a brother, Neil Nearing and his wife Barb.
Funeral Services for Frances “Fritz” Nearing will be held privately and at the convenience of the family.
Memorial contributions made to the donor’s choice.
Krise Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 130 Center Street, Ridgway, PA 15853 is handling the arrangements and online condolences may be offered to the family at www.krisefuneralhome.com
Sally A. Nichols, 86, of Limestone Street, Bradford, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Friday, September 22, 2023, surrounded by her family, at her residence.
Born February 10, 1937, in Bradford, she was the eldest daughter of the late Lawrence and Marjorie (Mills) Nichols. She was a 1955 graduate of Bradford High School.
Most important to Sally was her family and her faith. She was employed by W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company as a Secretary in Human Relations, retiring in 2003. She thoroughly enjoyed landscaping and gardening in her yard.
Kenneth C. Hultberg, 66, of 72 Rodgar Lane, Bradford, passed away unexpectedly, Monday, July 31, 2023, at his residence.
Born March 31, 1957, in Bradford, he was a son of the late Carl A. and Harriette L. (Hanson) Hultberg.
He was a 1975 graduate of Bradford High School. He attended Butler Community College where he played basketball. He majored in Oil Production at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford and took classes at Penn State.
On June 14, 1980, in St. Bernard Church, he married Ann (Hajdu) Hultberg who survives.
Ken at the age of 12 worked for the Hanson Oil Company until 1993, a company owned by his grandfather. Over the years Ken tended wells for Carl Brown, and worked part-time for Cline Oil, McKean Excavating, and Kinzua Vending. Ken retired from ARG as an operator. He worked for Daryll Tree Service, taught the oil production class at Bradford Area High School for 13 years and taught the CETA program in the summers to adults interested in oil production. His class won the Alexander Graham Bell Vocation Award for high schools in the United States.
In retirement he and Ann spent winters in Naples, Fl. His heroes were Larry Bird, Cal Ripken Jr., and John Wayne, “all class acts”. Ken was a member for over 50 years of the YMCA. He was an avid Penn State and Buffalo Bills fan.
Galeton Fall Festival – Over 60 vendors are signed up to be at the Galeton Chamber of Commerce 18th Annual Fall Festival on Saturday, September 30th. The festival will have a wide variety of craft vendors as well as many food vendors for your enjoyment. In addition, Cow Pie Bingo has been added to this year’s event. The festival will be held at the John J. Collins Memorial Park in Centertown Galeton from 10 AM – 4 PM – rain or shine. Music this year will be provided by Torch Singer Chris Eckert, a retired arson investigator. Come to Galeton and enjoy the festival and all it has to offer.
Please be advised that Allegany County DPW will have daily road closures of County Road #36 as follows: 1) between Dow Road and Hopkins Road intersections on September 25, and 2) between Washburn Road and Hopkins Road intersections on September 27, for the purpose of replacing culvert pipes.
The road will only be closed during working hours (7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) and will be opened back up for use at night and on weekends. There will not be an on-site detour and motorists are urged to seek alternate routes.
