McKean County Walks Away with Multiple Awards

More than 160 business and community leaders from across the Pennsylvania Wilds region gathered Wednesday evening at the Red Fern in St. Marys for an update on the PA Wilds Initiative and to honor 14 local organizations and individuals for outstanding work in sustainable tourism development.
The PA Wilds Initiative is a public-private effort that aims to grow the nature and heritage tourism industry across 12 ½ counties of rural PA as a way to create jobs, diversify local economies, inspire stewardship and improve quality of life. Dozens of federal, state and local partners from the public and private sectors are involved in the effort.

Taxes rises slightly in McKean County

The McKean County Economic Development Office opened about five years ago, but on Dec. 31, the Office will close. Funding for the Development Agency was removed from the 20-12 budget. Overall, McKean County’s proposed spending for next year will drop around $500,000. However, taxes will still inch up slightly. The county has avoided tax increases the last two years.

McKean County Drug Task Force

A New Jersey man was sentenced to three years in prison last month after confessing that over a period of three years he repeatedly transported cocaine from New Jersey to a McKean County connection. According to court documents from the U.S. District Court, Adrian Alfred of Jersey City, N.J., from around January 2007 and continuing through Aug. 5, 2010, conspired with others to transport and distribute cocaine from New Jersey to Centre County and beyond. The Centre Daily Times reports Alfred was arrested Aug. 5, 2010 with 400 grams of cocaine near the Milesburg interchange of Interstate 80. Alfred reportedly retained ties in McKean County after having worked in the finance department at Adelphia Communications in Coudersport.

Short term forecast-McKean County

SHORT TERM FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
538 AM EST WED NOV 30 2011

PAZ004-005-010-011-017-024-033-301400-
CAMBRIA-CAMERON-CLEARFIELD-ELK-MCKEAN-SOMERSET-WARREN-
INCLUDING THE CITY OF...JOHNSTOWN
538 AM EST WED NOV 30 2011

.NOW...
PATCHY DRIZZLE OR SCATTERED LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE
THROUGH THE MID MORNING HOURS.

McKean County jail escapee featured on America's Most Wanted

A 2007 jail break in McKean County will be featured on America’s Most Wanted Friday. The show highlights 50 fugitives in 50 states. In Pennsylvania, the show will focus on Joseph Chapman, a convicted child rapist, who escaped from the McKean County jail. State police he remains in northern Pennsylvania. The show will air on the Lifetime network, Friday at 9pm. Chapmans details can be found on our news blog at www.twintiersnewsblog.com

http://www.amw.com/fugitives/case.cfm?id=77464

Baden police officer, father, 3rd man die in McKean County truck crash

A part-time police officer in Beaver County, his father and a friend died early today when the officers pickup truck crashed into a wooded area along Route 66 in McKean County.

State police are investigating the deaths of Andrew Snarey, 25, of Aliquippa, his father, George Snarey, 60, of Carnegie and Jeffrey Kramer, 28, of McDonald.

McKean County Deputy Coroner Sam Cummings said all three men were killed on impact when Snarey lost control of his Ford F-350 around 1:30 a.m. about one-tenth of a mile north of the Elk County line.

State police said the truck struck some trees and flipped onto its roof.

Snarey was a part-time officer for the Baden, Conway and Harmony police departments.

State police said a third passenger, Todd Kosenina, 42, of Imperial was moderately injured and transported by helicopter to Hamot Medical Center in Erie.

Cummings said the results of a toxicology test will take about three weeks. All four men were wearing seatbelts, police said.

Cummings said the stretch of road where the crash occurred, called James City Hill, is very narrow and the area is heavily wooded.

"It's a bad hill. There's a big S-turn," Cummings said.

By Adam Brandolph, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW