Tuesday’s high, 45; Overnight low, 25
MOSTLY SUNNY TODAY, A HIGH OF 46.
A FEW CLOUDS MOVE IN TONIGHT LOW 28.
MOSTLY CLOUDY TOMORROW WITH SOME BREAKS OF SUNSHINE IN THE AFTERNOON, A HIGH OF 32
OVERNIGHT LOW 16.
FRIDAY, SUNNY, WITH A COOL HIGH OF 32.
State Police investigate crimes at two Potter County churches….Several motorists facing drug charges…Car owned by a Port Allegany woman, smeared with Vaseline while parked at Bradford Airport…Trash illegally dumped on private property in Annin Township….Causer blasts governor for short fall of vaccines to McKean and Potter County residents….
Potter County authorities are investigating a couple of incidents involving churches sometime between November 14 and 21st Someone entered the church through an unlocked door. Once inside, the vandals tampered with the thermostat and turned the heat up to 98 degrees. Due to the building being unattended for a long period of time, the heater and church organ were damaged to about $900. Also, a motion light, valued at $50 was stolen. Anyone with information is asked to call State Police Coudersport 814-274-8690.
Sweden township police are looking for the thief who stole a 70 inch Vizio TV from the Methodist Church located on North street in Ulysses borough. The TV, valued at $650 was taken sometime between Sunday February 22 and February 28. Anyone with information about the theft is asked to call Sweden township police at 814-274-0654 or call 911.
State Police at Lewis Run for some reason did not release the name of a 30 year old Shinglehouse man who is being charged with a minor traffic offense following a one vehicle crash on Route 219 in Lafayette township late last Thursday night. While exiting a right hand curve the vehicle crossed the northbound lane, traveled off the road and came to rest against some plowed snow. Upon further investigation. Police say they determined the unnamed suspect was driving the vehicle under the influence of a controlled substance.
Drug Possession charges are pending against 31 year old Jermaine Larkin of Buffalo whose 2021 Dodge Durango was stopped on Route 219 in Lafayette Township Sunday evening. Police claim they discovered Larkin to be in possession of a controlled substance and related paraphernalia.
Drug related charges are being filed against 31 year old Michael Magee of Smethport, whose vehicle was pulled over on Allan Street at Water Avenue in Keating Township McKean county last Friday night for a traffic violation Police claim Magee was found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia.
Drug Possession charges are pending against a 49 year Genoa, New York man whose name was not released after troopers at Lewis Run pulled over his 2008 Chevy Venture minivan Monday evening and he was allegedly found to be in possession of a controlled substance and related paraphernalia.
Speeding charges are being filed against a Derrick City man after a one-vehicle accident Monday afternoon. Seth Groff was going north when his Ford Ranger began to slide due to the slippery road crossed over to the southbound lane hitting an embankment and rolling over on its side.
A22 year old Turtlepoint resident, whose name was not released was arrested by troopers at Lewis Run after they stopped him while operating a Polaris RZ4 ATV Sunday night on Route 155 in Annin Township operating the machine. under the influence of alcohol.
A scattering of rubbish incident is being investigated by troopers at Lewis Run. Sometime last weekend. Someone dropped off a TV and a bag of trash along Rock Run Road in Annin Township belonging to a 50 owned by a 56 year old Turtlepoint woman.
State Police at Lewis Run are calling this harassment for no legitimate purpose, however, it sounds like a criminal mischief. Someone smeared, a substance believed to be Vaseline, on the door handles in windows of a 2003 Honda CRV belonging to an 18 year old Port Allegany woman while it was parked at the Bradford Regional Airport last weekend .
Receiving stolen property charges are pending against 36 year old James Kemic of Bradford. Troopers at Lewis Run claim when they stopped p a vehicle on Bolivar Drive at Wildwood Avenue in Foster Township last Saturday night, they found that the vehicle had been stolen .
Rep. Martin Causer (R-Turtlepoint) is calling on Gov. Tom Wolf and the Pennsylvania Department of Health to step up efforts to get more COVID-19 vaccine to rural communities across the Northern Tier.
“McKean and Potter counties are receiving significantly less vaccine than other neighboring rural counties,” Causer wrote in a letter to Wolf Tuesday. “Looking closer at McKean County, the only hospital in the City of Bradford has not received any first-dose vaccine since Feb. 4, and at the time, they only received 100 doses!”
Causer notes 16.2% of the statewide population has been fully vaccinated, while McKean County is at only 11.5% and Potter County at just 8.1%. Conversely, Cameron County has a vaccination rate of 35.3% while Elk County (just outside of the 67th Legislative District) is at 31.3%.
In each of the three counties Causer represents, senior citizens – each of whom would be eligible to be vaccinated under the state’s plan – make up at least 20% of the population. According to 2019 estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, McKean County’s population of persons age 65 and older is 20.1%. In Potter County, it’s 24.5% and in Cameron County, it’s 28.1%.
He also pointed to residents of New York being able to travel into Pennsylvania and secure some of the region’s extremely limited vaccine supply, while Pennsylvanians are not permitted to secure vaccine in New York.
“Governor, we need you to get involved and fix this inequity,” Causer concluded. “People in McKean and Potter counties deserve access to vaccine just like every other resident of the Commonwealth.”
Causer expressed frustration by a lack of response from the Department of Health to prior inquiries, prompting him to reach out directly to the governor on behalf of the citizens who have been contacting his district offices to share the difficulties they have faced in trying to obtain a vaccine for themselves or their loved ones who are eligible.
“It’s unacceptable but sadly not unexpected that our rural areas are again being ignored by this administration,” Causer said. “I hope to get some answers from the governor very soon and, more importantly, get more vaccine available to our citizens who want it.”
A copy of the full letter is available at the link on Causer’s website www.repcauser.com
The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., March 2, there were 2,564 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 935,834.
There are 1,715 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19. Of that number, 366 patients are in the intensive care unit with COVID-19. Most of the patients hospitalized are ages 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred in patients 65 or older.
The trend in the 14-day moving average number of hospitalized patients per day is about 4,100 lower than it was at the peak on December 25, 2020. However, the current 14-day average is now also below what it was at the height of the spring peak on May 3, 2020.
Statewide percent positivity for the week of February 19 – February 25 stood at 6.3%. lower than the previous week….
The most accurate daily data is available on the website, with archived data also available.
As of 11:59 p.m. Monday, March 1, there were 74 new deaths identified by the Pennsylvania death registry, reported for a total of 24,100 deaths attributed to COVID-19. County-specific information and a statewide map are available on the COVID-19 Data Dashboard.
COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution
Pennsylvania hospitals began receiving shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine the week of Dec. 14, Moderna COVID-19 vaccine the week of Dec. 21, and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccine the week of Mar. 1. Please note that this includes vaccine administration through CVS as part of the Federal Pharmacy Partnership. Vaccination numbers for Pennsylvania do not include Philadelphia, which is its own jurisdiction, or federal facilities, which are working directly with the federal government.
This week, a total of 3,699,180 doses will have been allocated through March 6:
336,870 first doses will have been allocated this week.
189,410 second doses will have been allocated this week.
To date, of the 3,699,180 doses allocated through March 6, 2,483,631 doses total have been administered through March 1:
First doses, 79 percent (1,720,898 administered of 2,172,935 allocated)
Second doses, 50 percent (762,733 administered of 1,526,245 allocated)
Mask-wearing is required in all Pennsylvania businesses. whenever leaving home, and while outdoors if social distancing isn’t possible, even if fully vaccinated. Health professionals continue to say consistent mask-wearing is critical to preventing the spread of COVID-19.
There are 111,474 individuals who have a positive viral antigen test and are considered probable cases and 636 individuals who have a positive serology test and either COVID-19 symptoms or a high-risk exposure. There are 3,898,167 individuals who have tested negative to date.
In licensed nursing and personal care homes, there are 67,031 resident cases of COVID-19, and 13,144 cases among employees, for a total of 80,175 at 1,566 distinct facilities in all 67 counties. Out of total deaths reported to PA-NEDSS, 12,470 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities. Approximately 24,886 of our total cases are among health care workers.