Black Forest Broadcasting

Trees and wires downed in thunderstorms Monday…..Two arrested for Tioga County murder….St. Marys man arrested for DUI in Cameron County….State Ag department encourages purchase of PA Preferred products….

A thunderstorm Monday afternoon in McKean County resulted in a number of trees and wires being downed. Several area volunteer fire departments were kept busy removing downed trees. Wind gusts were anticipated to be up to 50 miles per hour near Bradford and the Elk County line.

Tioga County

Mansfield state police have arrested two people in connection to a homicide taking place Friday afternoon near the Liberty Park and Ride located at the intersection of PA 414 and US 15 interchange. Leonard Pagan Acevedo, 33 of Bethlehem, PA has been charged with criminal homicide and 32 year old Denissa Alvarez-Matias of York, PA has been charged with conspiracy to commit criminal homicide. Troopers say it appears the murder was an isolated event and they believe there isn’t an existing threat to the community. Two vehicles were  involved—a black Ford Explorer driven by the victim, 31 year old  Jesus Iran Alicia-Santiago and a red sedan driven by the shooter Acevedo, The victim was able to drive his vehicle from the Park and Ride near the Liberty Exit on Route 15 to the Exxon Gas Station where he was located when police arrived.

Cameron County

A 31 year old St. Marys man was arrested for DUI early Saturday morning on Route 120 in Shippen Township. Emporium State police stopped the suspect whose name they withheld, when they observed his 2014 Chevrolet Silverado committing traffic violations.

Statewide

Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding joined the PA Vegetable Growers Association Monday at Harvest Valley Farms, near Gibsonia,  a fourth-generation vegetable farm and PA Preferred® on-farm market, to highlight investments strengthening fruit and vegetable production and to encourage Pennsylvanians to shop locally this harvest season.

According to the 2021 Pennsylvania agriculture economic impact update Pennsylvania fruit and vegetable production supports more than 7,200 family farms, 31,000 jobs, and contributes more than $6.1 billion to the state economy annually. Since 2019 the Pennsylvania Farm Bill has invested more than $76 million in Pennsylvania agriculture, including dollars to support PA Preferred and grow the commonwealth’s specialty crop industry.

Many on-farm markets like Harvest Valley Farms and farmers market vendors are members of the PA Preferred program or carry PA Preferred products. PA Preferred is the statewide branding program for agricultural products grown, produced, and processed in Pennsylvania. When purchasing items with the PA Preferred checkmark, consumers are supporting locally grown and processed Pennsylvania agricultural products and directly supporting Pennsylvania farmers.

For more information about PA Preferred, including where to find in-season produce, visit agriculture.pa.gov.