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VOL.21, NO. 29 SERVING CLARION, CLEARFIELD, ELK, FOREST AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES JULY 26, 2015 Classified ............................... D1 Crossword ............................ C5 Entertainment .................... C6 Finance .................................. D1 Food ....................................... C1 Health/Fitness ..................... C4 Lottery ................................... A2 Opinion ................................. A6 Outdoors .............................. B5 Public Notices ..................... D2 Scoreboard .......................... B4 Socials .................................... C3 Sports ..................................... B1 • Gerald Ford, 65 • Paul Kosko, 91 • John McManigle, 89 • Ronald Morrison, 53 • Timothy Pyne, 62 • Josephine Salvetto, 88 INDEX 28 pages Obituaries Page A2 Gov. Tom Wolf acknowl- edged Friday that nonprofit social services providers may have to borrow mon- ey during the state budget stalemate, but he said they should share his broader goal of doing the right thing for Pennsylvania. A8 Budget trouble DuBois 11s reach section title game n Page B 1 H: 82 L: 62 Page A3 Sunday Savings Year to date savings: $5,255 $179 00 By Katie Weidenboerner [email protected] ST. MARYS — Seven individuals waived their rights to a preliminary hearing Friday on charges stemming from a drug sting at the Clarion Post Of- fice last month which allegedly connected them to a package of 500 grams of bath salts, worth an es- timated $100,000 street value. Bail hearings held Friday morning also saw two of the defendants re- leased to the streets on unsecured bail. Arrested in connection with the June incident were: Richard Allen Servidea, 51, Wilcox; Ryan Jo- seph Thomas, 26, Kane; Kerry Ann Kremple, 40, Johnsonburg; Kara Jean Ingram, 23, Strattanville; Abram Michael Crosby, 30, Clarion; Donielle Nicole Beichner, 24, Clarion; and Jason McCandless, 40, Dagus Mines. Following Friday morning’s hearings St. Marys Police Officer Anthony Pistner said this sting net- ted some major targets the department has been keeping an eye on. According to the affidavit of probable cause, po- lice received a slip of paper which led them to the six defendants when Jason McCandless, 40, Dagus Mines, was allegedly driving recklessly on Powers Avenue in Johnsonburg when he hit a curb, exited his vehicle and assaulted a bystander June 9. When a search warrant was executed, McCand- less was found with 1.5 pounds, which is nearly 700 grams, of suspected bath salts as well as two track- ing numbers. While one of the packages had already See Drug, A4 Seven in court on drug charges BEICHNER INGRAM KREMPLE Individuals waive their rights to preliminary hearings SERVIDEA THOMAS CROSBY No photo available for McCandless BENEZETTE — The Keystone Elk Country Alliance (KECA), in partnership with the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC), will conduct the second annual Elk Conservation Raffle for a bull elk hunting opportunity in the upcoming 2015 hunting season. Last year’s winner of KECA’s Elk Tag Raffle was Paul Brown from Blandon. Brown harvested a 400 3/8” bull in September while guided by Elk County Outfit- ters, owned by Jack Manack. Manack donated the six day meals and lodging and guide service last year. Elk County Outfitters will donate another six-day guided hunt in 2015. Brown’s hunt was featured on TomBob Outdoors, “Friends in Wild Places,” on national TV. Cessna’s Taxi- dermy mounted Paul’s trophy bull. Cliff Cessna, owner of Cessna’s Taxidermy in DuBois, donated the entire taxidermy package last year. This year’s package also includes a shoulder mount. “The Keystone Elk Country Alliance’s inaugural Elk License Raffle was enormously successful and provid- ed much needed funding to support Pennsylvania’s elk herd,” stated Rawley Cogan, President and CEO. “Every See Elk, A5 Keystone Elk Country Alliance raffles bull elk hunt By Katie Weidenboerner [email protected] If you brew it, they will come. With over a decade under its belt, the Pennsylvania Wilds mar- keting initiative has proven that visitors are looking for what’s unique to the area, while creat- ing authentic and immersive ex- periences. Regional wineries, dis- tilleries, breweries and tasting events satisfy that urge for many who come to the Wilds to explore. In a study commissioned by the Pennsylvania Winery Association, it was found that more than 1.2 mil- lion tourists visited Pennsylvania wineries in 2011. Since that sur- vey was conducted, the number of wineries has nearly doubled in the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors Visi- tors Bureau coverage area, which spans Cameron, Clearield, Clarion, Elk, Forest and Jefferson counties. “The winery and distilleries are one of our most popular in- formation requests from visit- ing travelers,” PAGO’s Executive Director John Straitiff said. “In recent years the growth in the industry across the ive counties that the PA Great Outdoors Visi- tors Bureau has been incredible.” Blackbird Distillery Blackbird Distillery in Brookville is one of many entre- preneurial success stories that dot the landscape of the 12-coun- ty region of western Pennsylva- nia known as the “Pennsylvania Wilds,” the region, where tourists are encouraged to get out in the rural wilderness and explore. Open almost one year, the de- mand has been so strong for their handcrafted hooch that the hus- band and wife team went from being open Wednesday through Sunday to being open seven days a week. The business also had to hire more staff to keep up with the stream of customers and is ex- panding to add a third still to keep up with demand. “Get a liquor license, make some shine, and they come in droves,” the distillery’s co-owner Jennifer Black said in a rehearsed south- ern twang. “Business is 500,000 times what we ever expected.” The Blacks opened the business after David Black Jr., a welder by trade, built a still and began mak- ing moonshine. When the couple took a road trip through the south- ern states, a pit stop at a distill- ery planted the seed for Blackbird Distillery. After extensive home- work and with the help of peers in the industry, the duo were granted the second distilling license in the state from the Pennsylvania Li- quor Control Board. “We’re the only distillery in the entire country who does it the See Wineries, A10 Number of wineries doubles in ‘Wilds’ Paul Brown of Blandon stands next to the trophy bull elk he harvested last September near Benezette. He won his elk tag and the accompanying prize package with a $25 raffle ticket. (Photo submitted) Open since 2010, nearly in tandem with the Elk Country Visitors Center, Elk Mountain Winery in Weedville has seen 15 percent growth each year since it has been in business. In August of this year, the business will be celebrating its five-year anniversary. (Photo by Katie Weidenboerner) Ambulance crash A Utah ambulance crashed after a psychiatric patient grabbed the steering wheel, injuring two medical work- ers and the man getting treatment. A9 $1.75
