Black Forest Broadcasting

….Troopers warn residents to avoid giving out personal information…..Lewis Run woman charged for property dispute….Alleged drunken ATV operator arrested….Jail inmate charged with assault……State agencies urge responsible celebration of Independence Day….

McKean County

Troopers at Lewis Run are advising area residents to avoid giving out personal information  and money to criminals purporting to be company representatives notifying victims of contest winnings. A 71 year old Kane man was contacted by a crook Sunday afternoon claiming to be from Publishers Clearing House. The caller asked the victim to pay a nominal fee via Vanilla Visa Gift Cards and a certified check to claim the prize. Police did not indicate how much money was involved, if the victim fell for the scam, or just notified them of the attempt. The investigation is continuing.

A Lewis Run woman has been cited for disorderly conduct. State police report 51 year old Barbara Slike was arrested following a property dispute with her neighbor Sharon Black,60, early Monday morning at 11 Lewis Drive.

State police at Lewis Run arrested 26 year old Harley Shelley of Eldred for drug possession after responding to a possible overdose at 48 main Street in that town on the night of June 18. They found Shelley had smoked a large quantity of THC and became very impaired.

A 33 year old Eldred man was arrested for DUI early Sunday morning in Annin Township. State police claim they saw an ATV  leaving the parking lot at Busty’s on Route 255 and travel north. A traffic stop was initiated and the driver was allegedly found to be under the influence of alcohol.

Drug possession charges are pending against a 33 year old Emporium woman who was pulled over on South Main Street in Port Allegany early Sunday morning for a malfunctioning taillight. Troopers claim during their investigation they found drugs and drug paraphernalia in the suspect’s 1999 Volkswagen Jetta. Her name is being withheld.

A 52 year old Kane man was arrested for public drunkenness after patrol officers observed him staggering and stumbling on Wetmore Avenue late last Friday night. When police made contact, they allegedly determined the suspect, whose name is also being withheld, was highly intoxicated.

Troopers have charged a 45 year old Duke Center man, whose name has not been released, with physical harassment in Liberty Township last Saturday night.  A 40 year old Port Allegany woman is listed as the victim. No details were released but the assault may have occurred in a 2010 GMC.

An investigation is being held regarding a criminal mischief taking place on Main Street in Eldred just before noon on June 15. A 40 year old Eldred woman, whose name was not revealed is accused of vandalizing a 2013 Chevrolet Equinox owned by a 70 year old Portville woman.

Troopers at Lewis Run arrested a 49 year  inmate for assaulting another man in the McKean County  last Thursday morning.  Police did not indicate if the 35 year old victim from Girard, PA was a worker or another inmate.

Two women have been arrested for physical harassment in connection to a dust-up at the McKean County Jail on June 14. The charges were filed against a 25 year old Coudersport woman and a 24 year old Erie woman after police were called to the Bradford Regional Medical Center to investigate a fight taking place earlier in the day at the lock-up.

Another ID theft is being investigated by state police at Lewis Run. Someone used the identity of a 22 year old Lewis Run man to file illegally for unemployment benefits on June 14.

Statewide

​ The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission held a media event Thursday  urging safe and responsible celebration this coming holiday weekend, and always.

According to PennDOT data, in 2021 there were 136 alcohol-related crashes from Friday, July 2 through Monday, July 5, resulting in six fatalities. Also, during the holiday period last year, there were 48 drug-related crashes, resulting in four fatalities.

Data from the Fish and Boat Commission shows that there were 49 boating-under-the-influence arrests in 2021, a decrease from 60 in 2020.

Pennsylvania is a boating destination state, and boaters drive to and from their boating location. When an impaired boat operator gets behind the wheel to drive home, a BUI becomes a DUI.

Over this holiday period, the Pennsylvania State Police and local law enforcement will conduct checkpoints and roving patrols. This effort is funded through PennDOT’s statewide annual distribution of more than $4.7 million from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for impaired driving enforcement.

DCNR manages 121 state parks and 2.2 million acres of state forest lands that permit recreational activities including boating and ATV riding. Pennsylvania ranks top 5 in the U.S. for ATV crashes, with many of those incidents involving alcohol, which is not permitted on public lands. DCNR encourages all visitors to practice safe behavior, follow recreation guidelines, and to comply with all posted safety signage.

If you have plans for travel this holiday weekend, “Know Before You Go” by checking the 511PA “Holiday Travel Restrictions” page.   While PennDOT will remove lane restrictions and suspend construction projects wherever possible, the “Holiday Travel Restrictions” page allows the public to view interstate restrictions that will be in place during the holiday travel period.

The public can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles in Pennsylvania by visiting www.511PA.comOpens In A New Window. The service, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.