Area News Briefs

No plastic recycling

ST. MARYS - A declining market for recycled plastic has prompted St. Marys City Council to suspend curbside collection of plastic. The city still picks up aluminum and glass and will decide soon whether to continue collecting newspapers.

City Manager Dave Greene said one hauler told him the plastics recycling market has slipped to the point that a $10 per ton disposal fee is now in effect.

Glass plant expansion?

PORT ALLEGANY - A major employer in downtown Port Allegany hopes to expand operations.

Borough Manager Dick Kallenborn has asked Borough Council to move forward with a plan to extend a flood control dike that would allow St. Gobain Glass to complete its expansion.

To do so would require acquiring some land from the former Indian Echo Golf Course, which has been closed since 2004.

New school in Kane

KANE - Construction of a new elementary school in Kane will likely begin next year. It is planned as an addition on the east side of the existing Kane Middle School on Hemlock Avenue.

Eventually, Kane Area School Board plans to close the Chestnut Street Elementary School. The board has already closed the Mt. Jewett Elementary School.

A preliminary cost estimate for the new elementary school is $17 million.

'Cyber school' issue

ST. MARYS - St. Marys Area School Board has passed a resolution supporting greater accountability for "cyber schools" through a proposed state law.

Currently school districts are required to pay to support students attending cyber charter schools. The state reimburses districts for less than 30 percent. St. Marys has spent $283,289 in subsidies for cyber charter schools over the past five years.

A bill before the state legislature would require the Pa. Dept. of Education to foot a higher proportion of the cost and would require cyber charter schools to meet certain standards.

Stormwater management

RIDGWAY - The Elk County Commissioners have retained the services of an engineering firm, L. Robert Kimball & Associates Inc., to develop a stormwater management plan.

A Pa. Dept. of Environmental Protection grant will cover 75 percent of the cost for the plan's cost. Its first phase is expected to be completed in January.

Video conferencing

SMETHPORT - McKean County is partnering with Smethport Borough to place and maintain fiber optic cables on the borough's utility poles.

The technology will support a new interconnection between the courthouse, the McKean County Prison and the building that houses Children and Youth Services and the Emergency Dispatch Center. The project will make it easier for the court, district attorney and public defender to communicate with prison officials through video conferencing.

Mine drainage repair

JOHNSONBURG - Grass is now flourishing at a former strip mine that once fouled the environment in Elk County with acidic discharge.

Domtar, owner of the paper mill in Johnsonburg, has teamed with the Pa. Dept. of Environmental Protection and consultants Sweet Soil Inc. to manage the property.

Sludge from the mill's wastewater treatment plant is applied to the site to support vegetation. DEP's Mark Benson said several mined areas were contributing acid mine drainage to Johnson Run, which was dead at that point. Gradually, the pollution sources have been cleaned up.

Airport project backed

BRADFORD - The McKean County Board of Commissioners will co-sign for a $500,000 loan being used by the Bradford Regional Airport Authority to help pay for a new $2.35 million multi-tenant center.

Other funding for the project comes from a $1 million Economic Development Administration grant and a $500,000 grant from the Pa. Bureau of Aviation.

Charter school progress

MT. JEWETT - Mt. Jewett Charter School Coalition is formally applying for recognition of the new school by the Kane Area School Board. If all goes as planned, the new school would open in time for the 2008-09 school year.

Kane Area School District would be required to provide transportation to district students attending a charter school. A coalition spokesman said students may also be coming from Smethport, Bradford and Johnsonburg school districts. He said the school would be "a home of academic excellence."

Kane Area School Board closed the Mt. Jewett Elementary School in June as part of a consolidation. Mt. Jewett students in kindergarten through 12th grade now attend schools in Kane. The coalition has asked the school board to allow the use of the abandoned school in Mt. Jewett for the charter school.

Cops using cameras

ST. MARYS - St. Marys City Police are using mobile video and audio recording equipment. The equipment records evidence for possible use in prosecution of traffic violations and related offenses and in evaluation of officer performance.

It also assists law enforcement and investigators in the review of probable cause, arrest procedures, officer and suspect interaction and evidence.

PennDOT manager

SMETHPORT - Greg Sayers has been selected as PennDOT maintenance manager for Elk and McKean counties.

A 13-year PennDOT employee, Sayers has most recently served as an assistant maintenance manager for Clearfield County. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Sayers holds a mechanical engineering technology degree from Penn State.

Welcome Center project

RIDGWAY - As part of the effort to improve the appearance of Main Street, improvements are being made to the Ridgway Welcome Center.

A parking lot is under construction. Flower beds and landscaping are being installed by the Ridgway Garden Club. Eventually, the building's exterior will be renovated to give the center an appealing look for tourists.

Hospital merger

DuBOIS- Brookville Hospital and DuBois Regional Medical Center have entered into a management agreement, under which DRMC is now managing daily functions at Brookville.

DRMC has been supporting Brookville Hospital with geropsychiatric services, chemotherapy and medical oncology and cardiac services. DRMC employs about 1,550 people and has 214 beds. Brookville Hospital has 34 beds and approximately 300 employees.

Recycling tires

KERSEY - The Veolia Greentree landfill in Elk County has begun a tire recycling service.

Don Henrichs, landfill manager, reports that the company has purchased a tire shredder. Shredded tires are being used as an alternative to stone and aggregate in drainage applications on the site. The project has been approved by the Pa. Dept. of Environmental Protection.

Back from Iraq

ST. MARYS - Five Elk County soldiers were recently welcomed home after a 16- month deployment to northern Iraq with the U.S. Army's 298th Transportation Company, based in Franklon.

The returning service members include St. Marys residents Sgt. Kristy Auman, Sfc. Michael Groll and Pfc. Brian Miller, along with Sgt. James Shuttleworth of Dagus Mines and Sfc. James Wolff of Ridgway.

The company was responsible for transporting fuel, water, supplies and vehicles. On some occasions, a "sweep team" accompanying the unit was able to locate and disarm roadside bombs along the company's transportation route.