It's what's in the news

Sentenced for theft

CLEARFIELD - Two women who admitted taking more than $400,000 from the DuBois, Falls Creek, Sandy Township Transit Authority were sentenced to state prison.

Lauri L. Ferraro, 37, Sebastian, Fla., was sentenced to three to 24 years and Elaine V. Kost, 48, DuBois, was sentenced to 18 months to 12 years. Ferraro owes restitution of $298,766, while Kost owes $135,762.

Ferraro and Kost took in excess of $400,000 in federal and state money allocated to DuFAST. The money was documented as bonuses, reimbursements and expenditures, logged in a false set of board minutes.

Military family

BROCKPORT -- Another member of the Loudon family in Brockport has been appointed to the U.S. Military Academy. Jonathan Loudon will begin his education at the academy in August.

He is the son of Randy and Sue Loudon and the brother of U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Chris Loudon, who died last October in Baghdad, Iraq.

Another brother, Nick, graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 2004. He's a 1st lieutenant, serving with the army in Samara, Iraq, with the 160-member Airborne Infantry Rifle Company. His company is at Patrol Base Olson.

County officer resigns

SMETHPORT -- McKean County Administrator Richard Casey is leaving the area to become town manager of Newport, N.C. His resignation s effective April 8.

Casey, a former Air Force officer, has held the position since the McKean County Commissioners created it in 2004. County solicitor and Human Resources Director Michele Alfieri will be interim administrator at no additional salary while a successor is recruited. Casey's salary is $88,000.

Charter school?

MT. JEWETT -- Leaders in the small borough of Mt. Jewett are hoping to create a charter school in the community in time for the 2008-09 school year. It's being promoted as a replacement for the Mt. Jewett Elementary School, which is being closed by the Kane Area School District at the end of the current school year.

For the 2007-08 school year, Mt. Jewett children in kindergarten through fifth grade will be bused to Kane to attend Chestnut Street Elementary School. Kindergarten and first-grade students from Mt. Jewett already attend the Kane school.

There are currently about 50 students at the Mt. Jewett school. A coalition of parents and community leaders have sought legal counsel to create the charter school and will hold a public meeting on the plan in the coming weeks. A representative from the Tidioute Charter School will be invited to attend.

Closing of the Mt. Jewett Elementary School is part of a proposed school consolidation plan. A new elementary school will be built as an addition at the Kane Middle School.

Steel thieves nabbed

ST. MARYS - Three St. Marys men were arrested in connection to the theft of more than $14,000 in stainless steel from an industry on State Street.

A police officer patrolling the rear of the business found Richard A. Poage, 32, Jesse Denio, 29, and James Carpin, 42, loading the steel. Poage and Denio were arraigned before District Judge Donald Wilhelm in St. Marys and placed in the Elk County Jail. Carpin was arraigned via video conference before District Judge Alvin Brown in Emporium. He was also placed in the Elk County Jail.

Internet sex sting

BRADFORD - A McKean County man has been caught in a sting operation by New York State Police. The investigation was based on the suspect's use of the Internet to solicit sexual contact from a 14-year-old girl.

Timothy D. Peterson, 45, of Bradford contacted the victim in an online chat room in December. After the two had an encounter in New York State, investigators posed as the girl and set up a rendezvous with Peterson, who was apprehended when he arrived.

He's charged with a seconddegree criminal sexual act, endangering the welfare of a child and unlawfully dealing with a child. Arraigned in Olean Town Court, Peterson was remanded to the Cattaraugus County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bail.

Fire destroys home

GENESEE -- A Genesee Township home was destroyed by a middle-of-the-night fire on Monday.

Volunteers from the Genesee Volunteer Fire Department were summoned to the residence of Pat Cooney on O'Donnell Road at about 4:00. The home was unoccupied at the time.

By the time firefighters arrived, flames were shooting from all sides of the structure. Volunteers from Ulysses, Willing, N.Y., and Whitesville, N.Y., assisted at the scene. A fire marshal from the Pa. State Police is investigating the cause. There were no injuries.