Black Forest Express
Photo by Gerri Miller
Thursday’s high, 73; Overnight low, 36
FRI-SUNNY, WINDS INCREASING, HIGH 70
FRI NIGHT-CLOUDS INCREASING, HIHG 55
SAT-CHANCE OF SHOWERS & THUNDERSTORMS, HIGH 70
SAT NIGHT-LOW 57
SUN-RAIN CLEARS, HIGH 69
SUN NIGHT-LOW 53
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Obituaries: Timothy Vaughn Porter, Bradford and Mary Lou, Lewis, Coudersport
State House committee approves several bills to help local EMS organizations….Eldred teen driver hurt in one-vehicle crash….Tioga County man accused of “stiffing” veterinary clinic…
With Pennsylvania facing a crisis as the number of volunteer emergency responders plummets and communities lose protection, state Rep. Mark Gillen (R-Berks/Lancaster) and his colleagues on the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee on Tuesday approved a package of bills aimed at recruiting and retaining volunteer first responders.
There were approximately 300,000 volunteer firefighters in Pennsylvania in the 1970s. In recent years, that number has plummeted to below 30,000.
Gillen and his colleagues voted to approve a package of bills aimed at reversing the trend.
House Bill 1834 would reauthorize the $30 million annual fire and emergency medical services (EMS) grant program.
Other bills in the package are aimed at helping first responders with common issues posed by the positions. House Bill 432 would add post-traumatic stress injuries to the list of illnesses and injuries that qualify someone for worker’s compensation benefits. House Bill 1459 would direct the Pennsylvania Department of Health to establish a mental wellness and stress management program for Pennsylvania first responders.
Some of the bills focused more on supporting the volunteer companies and ensuring they are properly equipped. House Bill 1838 would increase the penalties on certain traffic violations and use the increased revenue to support the Emergency Medical Services Operating Fund, which helps with training and equipment costs. House Bill 1816 would increase loan limits for volunteer fire and EMS companies.
All of the bills now head to the state House for consideration.
An Eldred teen driver was hurt in a one-vehicle crash Thrusday afternoon in Otto Township. State police say 18 year old Brandyn Delong was agoing east on the Prentisvale Road when his Ford F250 Supercab veered off the pavement on a left turn, went into a ditch, hit a culvert and overturned several times before landing upside down. DeLong was taken by ambulance to Olean General Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.
State police at Mansfield have arrested 41 year old Matthew Campbell of Wellsboro for theft by bad check. Police claim Campbell wrote a check to the Wellsboro Small Animal Hospital on Augsut 5, 20109for $265 but the check bounced due to insufficient funds and has not been made good. A charge has been filed in District Court.
Obituaries
Timothy Vaughn PORTER, 60, of Bradford, PA, died Monday, September 23, 2019 in Indiana Regional Medical Center, Indiana, PA. Born July 10, 1959, in Wellsville, NY, he was the son of Harlow D. “Hal” and Sue Jackson Porter. On July 29, 2017, in Mapleton Depot, PA, he married the former Mary Kay Good who survives. He was employed as a welding inspector on pipeline construction.
Surviving besides wife, Mary, are: his mother, Sue Porter of Genesee; a son, Lucas Timothy Porter of VT; five step-children, Mathew McCormick, Tony McCormick, Thomas (Tasha) Everly, David Everly, and Keith Everly, all of Bradford; 13 step-grandchildren; four sisters, Lori (Joseph) Wunderlich of Genesee, Joni (John) Prouty, Jr. of Ulysses, Wendy Porter of Sheffield, and Bethany (Kerry) Harley of Bluffton, SC; an uncle, Wayne (Elizabeth) Porter of Andover, OH; four aunts, Carol Ann Kinney of Lubeck, ME, Jean Siriano of Ashville, OH, Gail (Joe) Ayers of Coudersport, and Mikki (Richard) Vargas of Long Island, NY; nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was predeceased by his father, Harlow D. “Hal” Porter; and a sister, Kelly S. Porter. Friends may call at Olney Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Ulysses, PA on Saturday, September 28, 2019 from 12:00 – 2:00 PM. Private services will be held by the family with Rev. Rick Vargas officiating. Memorials may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital at www.stjude.orgor any charity benefiting children. Online condolences may be expressed at www.olneyfuneralhome.com.
Mary Lou R. LEWIS, 85, of Coudersport, PA, died Saturday, September 21, 2019 in her home. Born August 1, 1934, in Ithaca, NY, she was the daughter of Clifford G. and A. Isabelle Perry Reynolds. On March 30, 1951, in Mills, she married Howard N. Lewis, who survives. Mary Lou was employed by North Penn Gas Co. in Westfield and First Citizens National Bank in Ulysses. Surviving besides her husband, Howard, are: three children, Debora A. (Richard) Cowburn of Coudersport, Vanessa M. (Bradley) Nortum, Sr. of Wilcox, and Kevin N. (Sarah) Lewis of Aurora, CO; three grandchildren, Chad (Rachel) Cowburn, Mathew (Crissy) Cowburn, and Daniel Lewis; five great-grandchildren, Evan, Mackenzie, Maddyson, Joshua, and Braeden; and nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by four siblings, Rex Reynolds, Clifford G. Reynolds, Jr., William Reynolds, and Beverly J. Hess. A private service will be held at Olney Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Ulysses, PA. Burial will be in Mills Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Patterson Cancer Center, c/o Cole Memorial Hospital, 1001 E. Second St., Coudersport, PA 16915 or Teacher’s Pet Rescue, 19 Blackberry Lane, Coudersport, PA 16915. Arrangements are entrusted to Olney Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Ulysses, PA. Online condolences may be expressed at www.olneyfuneralhome.com.
