The Editor is taking today off in observance of Independence Day. Normal programming

will resume Monday July 6, 2020.

Wednesday’s high, 84; Overnight low, 55

A FEW LIGHT CLOUDS AROUND TODAY HIGH OF 88

MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES TONIGHT LOW 61

POSSIBILITY OF AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS TOMORROW A HIGH OF 91

CLEAR TOMORROW NIGHT LOWS 63.

AND FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY SUNNY SKIES WITH A FEW CLOUDS A HIGH IN THE UPPER 80S

Enchanted Mountain Music Festival is on line and free…..Region sees slight increases in virus….Warren man accused of assaulting McKean County corrections officer….PSP Mansfield probe vandalisms…. https://soundcloud.com/user-159792485/black-forest-broadcassting-podcast-july-2-2020

Image by Gordie Dunlap.

Among essential workers recognized in the Endless Mountain Music Festival’s “Fanfare for the Common Man” tribute are those working at UPMC Wellsboro. Shown are operating room nurses at the hospital.

All sorts of events have had to be canceled or changed this year due to the Coronavirus. There  have been graduation and birthday parades, streamed weddings and funerals, in- car church services , drive through  fire department chicken barbecues and, this summer’s Endless Mountain Music Festival has been canceled but he popular series  is available online. Featured are video concerts recorded and submitted by guest musicians who were to perform this summer in Pennsylvania and New York during the live 17 concerts in 17 days event. All of the online concerts are free and available to everyone.

A special tribute to essential workers includes 13 members of the EMMF Festival Symphony Orchestra’s brass and percussion sections performing American composer Aaron Copland’s three-minute “Fanfare for the Common Man.” For this inspiring piece, videos and audios recorded individually by each of the fanfare musicians performing their parts are brought together and then Intertwined with photographs of essential workers.

“We were going to hold a big celebration for our 15th anniversary this summer but in light of the coronavirus crisis felt it necessary to put the health and safety of our musicians, staff, volunteers and audience first,” said Board President Ardell Thomas in April when the decision was made to move the entire 2020 festival to July 16 through Aug. 1, 2021.

Maestro Stephen Gunzenhauser and EMMF Executive Director Cynthia Long worked with the involved musicians and composers and successfully rescheduled all of the concerts planned for this year to next year. Gunzenhauser founded the Wellsboro-based festival in 2005 and has served as its artistic director and conductor since the first festival was held in the summer of 2006. Internationally recognized, he recently retired after completing his 40th year as conductor and music director of the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra in Lancaster, Pa.

All 2020 pre-purchased season passes will be honored in 2021. To learn more, visit www.endlessmountain.net or call the Endless Mountain Music Festival Box Office at 570-787-7800.

To access the 2020 Virtual Endless Mountain Music Festival and view each of the concerts and tribute to essential workers individually use this link https://vimeo.com/showcase/emmf2020. It is available on the Endless Mountain Music Festival’s website at www.endlessmountain.net, the EMMF Facebook page at Endless Mountain Music Festival, at Instagram@endlessmountainmusicfestival, or Twitter@EMMusicfestival

The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., July 1, that there are 636 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 87,242. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19. . The number of cases continues to inch up here in the Black Forest Broadcasting Service area. Tioga County has now has 23; McKean, 18  Potter 16, Elk 15. and Cameron County, 3. Across  the border in  neighboring New York State Cattaraugus  County has 123 cases and Allegany  61. There are 6,687 total deaths attributed to COVID-19, an increase of 38 new deaths. County-specific information and a statewide map are available on the department’s website.

Mask wearing is required in all businesses in all phases of reopening. Consistent mask wearing is critical to preventing the spread of COVID-19 according to officials.

There are 633 patients who have a positive serology test and either COVID-19 symptoms or a high-risk exposure, which are considered probable cases and not confirmed cases. There are 689,562 patients who have tested negative to date. Pennsylvania has a 78% recovery rate.

Most of the patients hospitalized are ages 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred in patients 65 or older.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are 17,805 resident cases of COVID-19, and 3,291 cases among employees, for a total of 21,096 at 699 distinct facilities in 52 counties. Out of the total deaths, 4,583 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities. None here in the Black Forest Broadcasting service area

Approximately 6,636 of our total cases are in health care workers.

State Police at Lewis Run have arrested 25 year old Matthew Confer  for a fight taking place at the McKean County Jail yesterday. Police claim while Confer  was being placed into the restraint chair for behavior in the jail he became aggressive and  resisted  a correctional officer’s commands and currently was dry stunned. Confer then kicked the correctional officer multiple times in the crotch. He is now charged with aggravated assault, assault by prisoner, simple assault and harassment in District Court.

A 25 year old Smethport  man has been arrested for physical harassment for an incident allegedly taking place Tuesday night on Bailey Avenue in Norwich  Township.  Troopers claim the suspect attacked a 27 year old Smethport  woman during an argument.

State  police at Mansfield have investigated a number of criminal mischief incidents occurring in Tioga  County over the past few days  sometime Sunday or Monday, vandals broke the right window on a Bobcat, an  E 45 excavator which was parked on unattended as the intersection of Canoe Camp Creek and  West Gate Road.   Damage is estimated to be  $200.

Vandals kicked in the door of a home at 1686 Route 549 in Rutland Township Tioga  County  sometime over the past few months causing $100 in damage.  Culprits  damage the hasp on a shed located long Scenic View Drive in Farmington Township sometime this past Sunday causing $10 in damage. The  shed is owned by a 34 year old Tioga Pennsylvania man.

Minor injuries were reported for a Westfield woman following a  one vehicle crash occurring Monday night just before midnight in Clymer Township. Deborah Warner was going north negotiating a sharp left curve when her Mazda CX 9 went out of control went  off the Road into a grassy area of a nearby residence. She was taken to Soldiers and Sailors Hospital for treatment of minor injuries by Clymer Township  fire and ambulance.

PARTLY SUNNY TODAY WITH THE CHANCE TO SOME AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS A HIGH OF 80

PARTLY CLOUDY TONIGHT LOW 57.

MOSTLY SUNNY TOMORROW WARMER A HIGH OF 85.

CLEAR SKIES TOMORROW NIGHT LOW 60.

FRIDAY PARTLY CLOUDY WITH SOME SHOWERS POSSIBLE A HIGH OF 86.

Region’s unemployment  rate improves….DOH launches new dashboard for tracking virus…General Assembly approves police reform laws….Wellsboro man jailed after being charged with crimes related to Galeton woman’s death last week…Genesee resident accused of violating Megan’s law…area police investigate several assaults….

The unemployment rate in  the Black Forest Broadcasting service area has improved somewhat after the Coronavirus  shut down. Potter County’s unemployment rate went down from 15.2% in April. To 12.3% in May.  McKean County saw a decrease from 18.6% to 15.1%. Cameron saw a decrease from 24.7 to 20.3%. Tioga County went down from 15.4 to 12.1%. And Elk also decreased  going from 24.8 to 19.5%. Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate also decreased from 15.1 to 13.1%. And the US unemployment rate went from 14.7 to 13.3%. Centre County has the best rate in Pennsylvania showing a decrease from 10.4% to 8.3%. And Cameron County’s unemployment rate is the worst of 67 counties.

The state Senate unanimously passed and sent to the Governor’s desk two police reform bills.  The bills were passed unanimously in the House last week, and Gov. Wolf has said he will sign both measures into law. One bill requires police departments to disclose the employment histories of their officers, including all complaints and disciplinary actions. The data will be kept by the Municipal Police Officers Education and Training Commission.  All police departments will be required to run background checks on all applicants using this database.

The second bill requires officer training in interactions with people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds, as well as techniques in de-escalation and harm-reduction. It also requires any officer involved in an incident involving lethal force to be evaluated for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder within 30 days of the incident.  That officer cannot return to duty unless cleared by a licensed physician.

Senate Democrats added that they will hold meetings with community leaders and residents about ending systematic racism, called the “Racial Equity Solutions Tour.”

The Department of Health today launched an online early warning monitoring dashboard that provides information statewide and county COVID-19 prevalence to track increases in disease in the community on a weekly basis.

The dashboard shows data points being used to assess the spread of the virus in the state and in each county, including:

Difference in confirmed cases (last 7 days vs. previous 7 days);

Incidence rate (last 7 days and previous 7 days) per 100,000 residents;

PCR positivity rate (last 7 days and previous 7 days);

Difference in the average daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the last 7 days and the previous 7 days;

Difference in the average daily number of COVID-19 patients on ventilators in the last 7 days and previous 7 days; and

Percent of hospital emergency department visits in the last 7 days and previous 7 days due to COVID-like-illness (CLI).

The dashboard will be updated on a weekly basis to assist in providing information regarding the prevalence and severity of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health today confirmed as of 12:00 a.m., June 30, that there are 618 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 86,606. All 67 counties in Pennsylvania have cases of COVID-19.  Tioga  County has 25 cases McKean has gone up to 17; Potter has 15;  Elk has gone up to 15 and Cameron County has three cases now .In neighboring New York State Cattaraugus  County has 123 and Allegheny County has 59.

There are 6,649 total deaths in Pennsylvania  attributed to COVID-19, an increase of 35 new deaths. County-specific information and a statewide map are available on the department’s website.

Mask wearing is required in all businesses in all phases of reopening. Consistent mask wearing is critical to preventing the spread of COVID-19.

There are 633 patients who have a positive serology test and either COVID-19 symptoms or a high-risk exposure, which are considered probable cases and not confirmed cases. There are 677,581 patients who have tested negative to date. Pennsylvania has a 78% recovery rate.

Most of the patients hospitalized are ages 65 or older, and most of the deaths have occurred in patients 65 or older.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are 17,735 resident cases of COVID-19, and 3,261 cases among employees, for a total of 20,996 at 692 distinct facilities in 52 counties. Out of the  total deaths, 4,539 have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities

Approximately 6,569 of the total cases are in health care workers.

A 34 year old Wellsboro  man has been committed to the Potter County jail on a probation violatin after being arrested  earlier this week on charges of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence in connection to the death of a Galton woman, 29 year old Kathleen Marie Stirnamen  last week in Ulysses Borough. Patrick Tomb  is awaiting a preliminary hearing after being arrested by Sweden Township police.

Coudersport  State Police have arrested 61 year old Timothy Matteson  of Genesee for violating Megan’s Law. Police  say that Matteson  went to the state police barracks last Friday to complete a Megan’s Law update.  Upon investigation troopers determined that Matteson did not comply with Megan’s Law requirements and was taken into custody. Charges were filed in District Court.  Matteson  was committed to the Potter County Jail in lieu of $20,000 secured bond.

30 year old Jordan Nolan of Shinglehousse  has been arrested for physical harassment for an assault allegedly taking place Monday night on Shay Town Road in Sharon Township. Authorities claimed that Nolan attacked a 26 year old Shinglehouse  woman during an argument.

Joshua Elmadollar, 40,  of Ulysses has been arrested for physical harassment for an incident allegedly taking place Sunday night on Academy Street in Ulysses Borough. Police did not indicate the victim’s name  but did say that the investigation is continuing.  Troopers at Coudersport have arrested for Ronald Linden of Coudersport  for physical harassment for an assault allegedly taking place Monday morning at around 12:30 am on the Ice Mine Road in Sweden Township.  Linden is accused of attacking a 29 year old Olean  woman during an argument which became physical.

State Police at Emporium have arrested a 28 year old Emporium woman for physical harassment for an assault allegedly taking place Sunday morning on South Maple Street in that town. Troopers  claime that the woman assaulted a 20 year Emporium   man during an argument.  The name of the suspect was not released.