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Pending PennDOT approval in the foreseeable future, Oil Creek Township in Venango County will grind up Shamburg Road and it will once again become a dirt road. The price tag is $16,000 which will be reimbursed to the Township from the County as per notification by e mail in February. The Oil Creek Township Supervisors are switching their insurance carrier for workmans comp and general coverage to First National Insurance over Selective Insurance. The Policy was to have expired last night. First National increased coverages at the lowest responsible bid price. Karen Strawbridge, the Township’s delegate to the Venango County Tax Collection Committee (Consolidating the Collection of Local Earned Income Taxes) says over the months, the TCC has set committees, bylaws and a budget. The Township’s share in funding the budget would amount to about $194 a year based on formulas devised by the TCC. Strawbridge further feels since the vote the Township represents on the TCC is not heavily weighted, more good could be accomplished by giving the value of the vote to Titusville for a larger say in TCC affairs. The supervisors are also actively seeking funding guidance from the state for the construction of a second phase to the sewer system in five additional and flatter areas in the Township.

Mercer State Police are charging a Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area man with raping a 13-year-old girl. Troopers allege James Burk sexually assaulted the girl several times between August and December of last year. The alleged attacks took place at various locations in Mercer County. Burk. age 32, is jailed on 75-thousand dollars bond.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Monday, the 22nd. A little further away, southwest of New Castle,
A man from Enon Valley is accused of raping a young boy. State Police arrested Robert Tonge, Junior yesterday following a lengthy investigation.
Troopers allege that Tonge assaulted the boy at Tonge's home and other locations from 2004 to 2007.
According to the police report, the victim is ten years old.
Tonge is jailed on 75-thousand dollars bond and is scheduled to appear in court on March 17th.

Part of a major state route in Erie County was closed for 14 hours after a tractor-trailer overturned south of the borough late Sunday night. Joseph Rosenlieb, of Valley View, Ohio, was driving a tractor trailer northbound on Route 97 around 11 p.m. Sunday when he lost control of the semi near the intersection with Route 19 in Waterford Township. The rig overturned, slid and hit at least one utility pole, according to the state police. Rosenlieb was taken to Saint Vincent Health Center with a minor injury. State police say they have filed charges in the crash but are not releasing information about the charges. PennDOT closed Route 19/97 just south of Waterford around 11 p.m. Sunday so crews could remove downed utility lines around the rig. The road wasn't reopened until 1 p.m. Monday.

KQW listeners are hearing a lot about disappearing electric rate caps. One school district is acting already. The Brockway Area School District will soon partner with neighboring school districts in purchasing electricity at a lower cost. As part of the upcoming de-regulation of the electric industry, Brockway will join the Brookville, DuBois and Punxsutawney school districts in purchasing power through a brokerage agreement with Premier Power Solutions. It will allow each district to have significant savings in electricity costs by locking in prices during favorable market conditions.

Today's the last chance for Democrats and Republicans to file their nomination petitions to get on the May 18 primary ballot. Candidates for Pennsylvania governor and most other offices file in Harrisburg. Only candidates running for local party committee seats file their petitions at county election offices. Candidates for local and state party seats will be elected; all other candidates will get a chance to advance to the November election.

Fire officials are still working to determine the cause of a fire that broke out on the roof of Cooper Science Hall at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania on Sunday. The fire was reported about 6:30 p.m., and appears to have started in a heating, air-conditioning and ventilation unit on the roof, Edinboro Fire Capt. Bryan Sheeder said. The three-story building is in the middle of a $29 million renovation and expansion project. The school is on spring break this week. It took firefighters about 30 minutes to bring the fire under control. No injuries were reported.

A man from the Chataqua Lake New York town of Bemus Point is the larges mega jackpot winner ever at the Seneca Allegany Casino.Nang Thai won $1.15 million dollars on a Wheel of Fortune Special Edition slot machine. One can only dream.

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The fire that destroyed the historic Wendell August Forge near Grove City Saturday is being ruled accidental. Grove City Fire Chief Jeff Badger says the fire seems to have started around 2pm Saturday in a ventilation fan in use while a worker sprayed lacquer on bronze pieces that had been fabricated at the forge. Firefighters from four counties responded to the blaze, but they were unable to stop the fire before at least half of the building collapsed. Customers who were present in the gift shop, and workers who were on duty all left the facility safely. No injuries were reported. Badger says the total destruction of the facility makes it nearly impossible to search for any other possible cause of the fire. The company's steel molds, or dies, used to shape and imprint the designs on the fabricated metals, all were recovered. Company officials have say Wendell August Forge will be rebuilt. Founded in Jefferson County in 1923, it moved to its current location in 1934.

The outdoor exhibits at Drake Well will be open to visitors on Sunday, March 14, from noon until 4 p.m. in celebration of the charter of land given to William Penn that would become Pennsylvania. According to the Titusville News Herald, the museum store, new orientation trailer and outdoor restrooms will also be open. This year's celebration will focus on gathering visitor and community input on the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission's proposed PA History Bill of Rights. Participants will learn about the six provisions of rights and be asked to choose the three most important to them. According to Site Administrator Barbara Zolli, who will explain them in more detail on Sunday, the provisions focus on providing education for students of all ages, contributing to economic development from heritage tourism, maintaining access to historical records and documents, preserving cultural resources, assuring adequate public and private support to maintain standards of stewardship and public access, and helping communities retain their unique historic character.
Zolli wants to use Charter Day to gather suggestions for enhancing recreational use of Drake Well's year round scenery. The goal of the staff is to learn how important Sunday operations are to visitors and to figure out what it will take to keep the site open both weekend days this summer

The folks at the Venango County Regional Planning Commission have a pretty good idea of the houses and buildings in Franklin and Oil City having historical significance for reason or another.But little is known of the structures out in the hinterland.So last night, Judy Downs, Director of the Planning Commission, Marilyn Black, Oil Region Alliance Vice President for Historical Preservation and Dr. Ben Ford of Indiana University of Pennsylvania put on a road show for the Oil Creek Township Board of Supervisors at their regular meeting.

Acuality

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Dr. Ford says he and his students accomplished the survey in two phases.In October, they visited the area and made a list of historic structure, then analyzed their information back at IUP.In December, they spent three days GIS data, survey data, and their notes and filled out forms supplied by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission on each structure listed in their survey.The resulting data base will be supplied to the Planning Commission, the Historical Commission and to the Oil Creek Township Supervisors.Dr. Ford says the students examined three separate periods of architecture…pre oil boom days, the period during the oil boom and the period after.He notes the students found many examples of Italianate architecture such as the home of Congressman John E. Peterson, and Greek Revival such as the Pleasantville Methodist Church.Dr. Ford says the structures listed in the survey could in the future be nominated for listing in the register of historic place or even become part of a historic district.He suggests an oral history would be a useful item in learning about the structures.Marilyn Black told the supervisors, the survey highlights pride in property ownership and pride in community.

WKQW Radio News Podcast 030810
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A Potter County man was shot and killed by State Police after a five hour standoff in Harrison Valley Sunday afternoon. State Police say 30 year-old Joshua Wheeler fired numerous shots at State Troopers during the standoff and was fatally shot by a member of the State Police Special Emergency Response Team at around 3:30 p.m. Troopers had responded to Wheeler�s residence at around 9:45 a.m. Sunday morning after reports of a man with a gun at Wheeler�s address. After police later established a perimeter around the residence, Wheeler threatened the troopers.

Gregory Wilson, Warren, PA was arrested following a month long investigation by the Warren County Drug Task Force. Wilson is charged with 2 counts of Possession With the Intent to Deliver Marijuana, 5 counts of Criminal Use of a Communications Facility and one count of Possession of Marijuana. The Drug Task Force was assisted in the arrest by the Warren City Police Department, Warren County Sheriff’s deputies and US Forest Service Law Enforcement officers.