Elderly motorcyclist killed in Elk County…..DUI charges pending after a one-vehicle crash in Ridgway Township…..Bee causes mishap in Jay Township…..More catalytic converters stolen in Tioga County….House bill would allow 17 year olds to become Junior Volunteer Firefighters….
Monday’s high,64; Overnight low, 40
TUE-MOSTLY CLOUDY, HIGH 69
TUE NIGHT-MOSTLY CLOUDY, LOW 48
WED-MOSTLY SUNNY, HIGH 71
WED NIGHT-PARTLY CLOUDY, LOW 53
THU-OVERCAST, HIGH 69
Elk County
An elderly Indiana, PA motorcyclist was killed Saturday afternoon in Elk County when his Kawasaki KLX450R went off the Losey Road in Benezette Township and hit a tree head-on. Douglas Stethem, 65, was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities said he was using a helmet.
Minor injuries were reported for a Brockport man after a one-vehicle crash early last Thursday morning in Ridgway Township, Elk County. Richard Starr was driving a Chevrolet Silverado south on Route 949 which crossed the road and rolled over after hitting a guardrail. Starr declined treatment for his injuries and told police he had swerved to avoid a deer but police suspect he was driving under the influence of alcohol but did consent to a blood draw. Charges are pending the results.
DUI charges have been filed against 26 year old Dalton Sheasley of Ridgway by state police there. Troopers claim when they arrived at 939 Baughman Hill Road in Spring Creek Township early Sunday morning they found Sheasley trying to get out of his 2012 Can-AM side by side which had gone into a ditch.
Troopers did not release the name of a driver who was injured in a one-vehicle accident Saturday morning in Jay Township Elk County. The unidentified driver, who is allergic to bees, lost control of his Kia Optima when he was distracted by a bee who had flown into the car.
Tioga County
The theft of more catalytic converters sis being probed by troopers at the Mansfield barracks. One valued at$800 was taken out of a 1999 Ford owned by a 72 year old Covington man between November 1, 2021 and May 10, 2022. Thieves stole one from a 2009 Ford owned by a 59 year old Millerton resident last Thursday while it was parked 
on Jennings Road in Jackson Township. That unit is valued at $1600. Catalytic converters were ripped out of two Ford buses at Best Transit in Mansfield earlier this month. Thieves stole a catalytic converter from a 1998 Jeep owned by a 69 year old Covington man last Thursday or Friday while the vehicle was parked on Ensminger Road in Sullivan Township. Anyone with information about the thefts is encouraged to call state police at 570.662.2151.
An ID theft victimizing a 38 year old Mansfield woman is being investigated by state police at Mansfield. Someone used the victim’s identity to sign up for unemployment benefits.
Mansfield based state police investigated a criminal mischief taking place between 3:00 pm and 5:00pm on May 11 in Charleston Township. Vandals broke a rear passenger window on a 2016 Honda Pilot owned by a 36 year old Blossburg woman while it was parked on Shum Way Road.
McKean County
Both Kane residents involved in a domestic violence incident Saturday afternoon in Wetmore Township have been arrested for physical harassment. State police filed the charges after responding to a home on Route 6 where a 62 year old man and a 34 year old man assaulted each other.
An Andover MA man was arrested for DUI after troopers stopped him on East Main Street in Bradford early Saturday morning. Troopers claim 55 year old James Dion was driving his 2020 Nissan Pathfinder under the influence of alcohol.
Statewide
Facing a massive shortage of volunteer firefighters, the House Labor and Industry Committee has unanimously approved a bill by Rep. Torren Ecker (R-Adams/Cumberland) to prepare junior firefighters for becoming full firefighters.To fix this issue, Ecker introduced House Bill 2268 to allow a 17-year-old junior firefighter to complete the Interior Firefighting Module with Live Burns training program in the Fire Training 
System. Currently, only people age 18 and over are allowed to enroll in the training program.In order to take the additional training at 17, junior firefighters would need to have the permission of their parents and fire chief. This would mean that when a junior firefighter turns 18 years old, he or she would immediately be able to serve their communities as a full-fledged firefighter.
House Bill 2268 now goes to the full House for consideration.