NY Guard member from Allegany County moves on in Best Warrior
New York Army National Guard Spc. Christian Habecker, a Houghton resident, was a winner in the annual Best Warrior Competition held April 7-11 at the Camp Smith Training Site near Peekskill.
Habecker, a member of Bravo Troop of the 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry Regiment, based at the Jamestown Armory, took first place in the junior enlisted soldier category.
He will now represent New York at a regional competition for soldiers from New England, New York, and New Jersey, scheduled
from May 19-23 at the Edward Cross Training Complex in Pembroke, New Hampshire.
Staff Sgt. Alejandro Sanchez Mendez, a Brooklyn resident, won in the non-commissioned officers category.
Habecker, 21, enlisted in the New York Guard in 2023 and works as a powerline tree trimmer in civilian life.
During his time in service, he has been awarded the Army Achievement Medal three times and the New York National Guard Recruiting Medal. He also completed
the 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry “Spur Ride,” which tests a soldier’s command of cavalry scout skills.
The annual event brought together eight soldiers, including two from Sweden, who competed in rigorous events designed to test their readiness, resilience and core soldiering skills.
Throughout the event, participants tackled day and night land navigation, a simulated weapons qualification course, a multi-event firing range, and a taskbased round-robin cov-
BY KATHRYN ROSS
WELLSVLLE — Jim Helms, president and CEO of Jones Memorial Hospital, is looking to the future with an eye on more satellite clinics and expanding the emergency department.
JMH completed a multimillion-dollar renovation project in 2024, which included the installation of state-of-the-art medical imaging equipment, an increase in the number of operating rooms and
the creation of a medical village on the third floor to consolidate medical services. JMH is the second
largest employer in the county, second only to Allegany County government’s collective offices and departments. Since December, it has increased its number of employees from 535 to 560 — of that number, 455 are medical staff.
“Our vision is to be the leading hospital of choice in the region for patients, associates and medical safety,” Helms said during the Tuesdays with Grace luncheon at Grace United Church earlier in April.
“Our goal is to be the No. 1 face of healthcare in the region.”
JMH serves Allegany County as well as eastern Cattaraugus County and western Steuben County. It also serves the northern tier of Pennsylvania. It is the largest primary care hospital in the area, with clinics in Alfred, Andover, Bolivar and Belvidere and specialized clinics in Olean and Hornell.
JMH, in existence for more than 104 years, is
affiliated with St. James Hospital in Hornell and Noyesville Memorial Hospital in Dansville — with all three under the umbrella of University of Rochester Medicine.
“We’re not looking at just Wellsville,” Helms emphasized. “Now our emphasis is on outpatient care. We want to meet patient’s needs before they have to come to the hospital.”
He said the administration is continuing to look at smaller communities in which to open
clinics offering patient services closer to home.
“Between 85% and 90 % of our revenue comes from outpatient services,” he said.
JMH opened in Wellsville in 1921. In the 1950s, the hospital expanded around the initial building, the home of William and Gertrude Jones. (Which is why the front of the hospital is curved, Helms noted.)
After the flood of
Jim Helms
Photo provided
Spc. Christian Habecker receives an Army Achievement Award from Command Sgt. Major Edwin Garris in recognition of his win in the annual Best Warrior competition.
New foundation fund will support Cuba Food Pantry
CUBA — The Allegany County Area Foundation’s newest fund will support the food pantry operated by the Cuba Council of Churches.
The Council is made up of five Cuba-based churches — Christ Episcopal, Cuba United Methodist, First Baptist, North Park Wesleyan and Our Lady of Angels Roman Catholic — that work together to support the Cuba community. In addition to the Food Pantry, the Council has scholarship and holiday assistance programs. These congregations are also active individually in service and outreach.
The generous donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, has established this as a designated fund. The food pantry, which is housed at the First Baptist Church, will benefit from an annual distribution with no grant application required from the fund’s endowment earnings.
Donations to this fund made to ACAF
will increase the fund’s endowment. Donations may be made directly to the food pantry for more immediate use at First Baptist Church, 17 South St. Cuba. For additional information about Cuba Council of Churches programs please contact one of the member congregations. Established in 1983, the Allegany County Area Foundation has an endowment of $14 million and manages 97 grant and scholarship funds. For information about setting up a grant or scholarship fund, contact ACAF at director@acafny.org or (585) 296-5616.
ALSO RECENTLY, Allegany Insurance Group of Cuba donated numerous boxes and bags of food items to the food pantry.
About 50 participated in March Can Madness — each department participated in a friendly rivalry to collect items, including points for each and extra points when a particular need was filled.
Photo provided
Allegany Insurance Group donated numerous items to the Cuba Council of Churches Food Pantry recently. Summer Carney (left), ACE team manager, and Amanda Slater, accountant assistant, delivered the many bags and boxes of nonperishable food items.
home improvement
Elevate outdoor entertaining with petunias and pansies
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To celebrate Wave’s 30th anniversary and National Wave Day on May 3, here are a few creative ways to level up your outdoor entertaining with Wave® Petunias and Pansies.
Wave® collection. This standout color features rose-pink petals, a crisp white center, and a cheerful touch of yellow, bringing a fresh and inviting look to spring and summer celebrations. As part of the early-flowering E3 Easy Wave® series, it delivers easy, spreading color that shows up fast, especially in warmer climates where planting can begin right after the frost-free date. Mix it with other Wave® varieties for playful pops of color, striking contrasts, or a custom palette that fits your party’s vibe.
Add elegance to moonlit soirees
Whether planted in-ground or arranged in baskets and containers, Wave® Petunias are a versatile choice for styling patios, decks, or outdoor dining spaces. They hold up beautifully in the warmth of the day and the cool of the evening, making them a reliable option for entertaining at any hour. With a wide range of colors, it’s easy to craft a look that complements your nighttime gatherings in effortless style.
Get creative with a potting party
An evening meal under the stars calls for a setting that feels both relaxed and refined.
Set the stage for daytime entertaining
Planning an outdoor brunch or afternoon tea party? Add soft, elegant color and lasting ambiance to your garden with E3 Easy Wave® Rose Morn - a beautiful new addition to the
New this year, Easy Wave® Rose adds a romantic touch to gardens with its soft, iridescent glow - it’s a color that’s both modern and timeless. For other ideal colors perfect for catching the moonlight,
Turn your next gathering into a hands-on experience by hosting a potting party. Invite guests to design their own unique planters using a mix of Wave® Petunias, Pansies and accent plants. All you need are containers
Hot Dog Day to be celebrated April 26 in Alfred
ALFRED — Alfred’s annual Hot Dog Day celebration will be celebrated on April 26. Hot Dog Day will culminate a week full of events on campus and in the community.
Coordinator of Student Activities Steven Edwards is excited to lead the Alfred State committee for Hot Dog Day.
“Hot Dog Week festivities allow our student body to come together with the community, not just to celebrate the end of the semester, but also to fundraise for worthy charities,” he said. “We have activities planned to start on Monday, culminating on Saturday with our fourth annual Spring Carnival. We are
looking forward to our students enjoying this tradition!”
Weiner Dog races start the day at 10:30 a.m. in the Brick Hall Lawn on the Alfred University campus while the Hot Dog Day Parade will roll down Main Street starting at noon. The Spring Carnival, which features rides, games, and a variety of food options, begins at 1 p.m. The Carnival will be held in Parking Lot 3, which is in between the Student Leadership Center and the Townhouses, runs until 5 p.m.
Afternoon activities also include a vendor fair on Main Street lot from Noon to 5 p.m. There will be live music at the Bandstand downtown and at the
Carnival. DJ M and the Alfred State Rock Band, winners of Alfred’s Got Talent, will be the featured performers.
At 8 p.m., Alfred State will host a movie night featuring the film “Flight Risk” in the Small Event Space in the Student Leadership Center.
The week leading up to Hot Dog Day will
be full of activities at Alfred State. Monday, Bases N’ Buns will take place at Pioneer Stadium (6 p.m.), a Cornhole Tournament will be held on Tuesday in the Pioneer Center parking lot (6 p.m.), Wednesday features a Student vs. Staff softball game at the softball field (6 p.m.), Glow N’ Dark Volleyball with bonfire and smores will take place
in the MacKenzie Quad on Thursday (7 p.m.), UJIMA will present their annual Fashion Show on Friday in the Student Leadership Park Space (8 p.m.). In the community, there will be a Dogwood Derby on Thursday starting at 7 p.m. at the Union University Church Center while on Friday Comedian Ryan Kelly “Youth Pastor Ryan” w/Sunny Laprade will perform at 5:30 p.m. in the Nevins Theater prior to the 5K Glow Run at 8 p.m. Registration starts at 7 p.m. at the Village Bandstand.
Proceeds from Hot Dog Day 2025 will be given to Alfred Box of Books Library, Alfred Montessori School, The ARC Allegany-Steuben, Alfred Station Fire Company Association, A.E. Crandall Hook & Ladder, Allegany County Mental Health Association and the Allegany-Cattaraugus-Chautauqua Fund for Women.
Hot Dog Day was established in 1972 and has been a way for area students to give back to the local community. For more information, please visit the Hot Dog Day Facebook page.
other revenue lines.”
the current nine beds to 14 due to the increased number of visits.
1972, when the operating wing fell into the Genesee River, making national headlines, there was basic repair and expansion. In the 1990s the building was again rehabilitated and expanded. The most recent expansion and renovation has taken place since the COVID pandemic and was completed a year ago.
There is still more to do, Helms said, pointing out that the emergency room, which was constructed in 1993, has to be enlarged. He explained that the ER was constructed to handle 9,000 patients per year, but in 2023 the ER saw 14,000 patient visits. Helms wants to expand
The expansion, he said, will impact the rehabilitation services, which could be moved off campus.
He hopes to fund the expansion with grants, but said, “Even if we don’t get the grants we will find a way.”
Asked what the county and the community can do to help the hospital meet its goals, Helms responded initially with one word: “Housing.”
“The professionals we’re trying to recruit aren’t looking to take an old home and remodel it,” he said. “The challenge we have for
professionals coming into a rural area like this is the need for middle to upper-end executive housing.”
Regarding the proposed changes in the federal government’s policies on Medicaid, Medicare and other healthcare programs, Helms was asked about the potential loss of federal funding.
“That is something we are always concerned about, but our elected officials know how important healthcare is in rural areas and they are trying to support our needs,” he said. “Still, we’re trying to prepare for a $1 million to $2 million loss of funding by growing our
Last August, JMH received a four-star rating from the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services, the federal agency which provides health coverage through a partnership between the offices of Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers working with the health care community to improve quality, equity and outcomes in the health care system. Only 22% of facilities listed with CMS have a rating of four or above. JMH had been a threestar rated hospital since 2021.
“And I want to tell you that we are on track to do it again this year,” Helms said.
Photo provided by Alfred State College
Big Blue exits one of the rides from the Spring Carnival. The Spring Carnival is one of many events scheduled for Hot Dog Day.
Wolverines’ Sibble, MacDonell repeat atop Big 30
Once again, it was a Bolivar-Richburg sweep.
The Wolverines claimed the top two individual prizes in the annual Big 30 Wrestling All-Star awards: Tavyn MacDonell went back-to-back as Male Wrestler of the Year and Teegan Sibble repeated as Female Wrestler of the Year. For the history-making Sibble, it was her fourth consecutive Big 30 prize.
ALLEGANY COUNTY OFFICE FOR THE AGING SR. NUTRITION PROGRAM
ALFRED Union University Church Center Mon, Tues, Thurs Amie Acton – 585-808-5201
BELMONT Belmont American Legion Tues, Thurs Carol Barrett – 716-307-2837
BOLIVAR Bolivar Fire Hall Mon, Wed Carol Barrett – 716-307-2837
“For living in such a small town it actually means a lot because it shows how much hard work I’ve done just to be the most valuable
FILLMORE Fillmore Fire Hall Mon, Thurs Magie Smith – 585-737-5609
FRIENDSHIP Friendship Comm. Center Closed until further notice.
female wrestler,” Sibble said of winning another award as a senior. “It means so much to me and I hope all the other females can look up and try to do the exact same thing I do.”
In other major Big 30 awards, Port Allegany was again named Team of the Year and Randolph’s Todd Conley won the Coach of the Year.
Tavyn MacDonell
be the only one. I know it didn’t work out that way, but it added some fuel to the fire.”
MacDonell went 54-2 this year and 241-31 for his career. He won both the Section 5 Class B3 and sectional state qualifier tournaments.
CANASERAGA Canaseraga Fire Hall Tues, Thurs Barb Welch – 607-661-3008 CUBA AA Arnold Community Center Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs Janice Ruprecht – 585-808-6405
There’s more than one state champion in the Sibble family and more than one in B-R’s wrestling history now.
WELLSVILLE Grace United Church Mon, Wed, Thurs, Fri Kathie Stedina – 585-296-3798
WHITESVILLE Whitesville Fire Hall Mon, Tues, Wed Barb Billings – 585-808-6604
THURSDAY 5/1
Tuna Noodle Casserole, Mixed Vegetables, Harvard Beets, WG Roll, Cinnamon Applesauce
Teegan Sibble made the most of a historic opportunity, competing in the first-ever NYSPHSAA girls wrestling tournament. She won the 114-pound bracket and clinched a state title with a pin after just 1:11 in the state championship match, a feat that gave her some particular bragging rights.
“I tell my brother that I’m better because my match was quicker than his,” Sibble said of her brother Trent, a fellow Big 30 award winner who won states in 2023. “Can’t give him any credit. Still gotta one-up him a little bit.”
Arriving to varsity wrestling as an eighth grader, Teegan Sibble now leaves high school wrestling with a career record of 175-34 (336 this year). Many of those wins, especially early on, came against the boys. Now, girls wrestling is an officially state-sanctioned sport.
“Just from starting
health & Wellness
out at such a young age when I was four years old, there was not really any girls that wrestled,” Sibble said. “But just in the past year it’s grown so much and I just think it’s incredible how much one year it can make, just from going from not even a New York state championship to having a whole 16-man bracket.”
Sibble said the support of her small town — evidenced by the number of people who made the drive from Bolivar to Albany — has helped keep her going. And she’s not stopping now. Recently, Sibble competed in the NHSCA Nationals in Virginia Beach, placing seventh. She’s exploring several options to continue her wrestling career in college, where she hopes to study for a career in athletic training or physical therapy.
“Just the love for the sport. I’ve been doing it my whole life,” Sibble said of continuing to wrestle. “My whole life I’ve basically been around wrestling. I didn’t really prioritize friendships, I prioritized my love for the sport growing up, so (I’ve been) just traveling my
whole life. Of course I want to make it to the Olympics someday and obviously win an NCAA title. So my love for that keeps me driving for wrestling.”
— MacDonell’s high school career also ended in Albany. He made it all the way to the state championship match, but fell to Sackets Harbor’s Kayleb Martin in a 13-2 major decision. It was the second state final appearance of MacDonell’s career, placing second in 2023 and fourth in 2024.
While he would have loved to cap his B-R career with a state title, MacDonell is now able to appreciate his accomplishment.
“Not many people around can be a twotime state finalist. A lot of people for sure wish they were in my spot,” he said.
Being teammates with Sibble provided some inspiration — motivation, even — to MacDonell.
“I mean, she’s always just looking to work hard, she’s getting practice in,” he said. “And even just for myself, I mean, she was a state champion and I kind of didn’t wanna let her
“Kind of just how (many) supporters I had there,” MacDonell said of his state tournament memories. “Just for a little town of Bolivar, I mean, there were 50plus people there just to watch me (on) that day and kind of just knowing how hard I worked all year, all 14 years in my career, just to be there.”
The Wolverines were small in numbers, but not in results. B-R had eight varsity wrestlers this year, three of them Big 30 All-Stars (Sibble, MacDonell and 124-pound junior Gary McDowell Jr.).
“I mean, it’s always quality over quantity,” MacDonell said. “The amount of people in the room doesn’t dictate how hard they can work and if anyone’s willing to work hard, they’re gonna get better.” MacDonell credits B-R’s coaching staff, led by Andrew Taylor, for instilling “mental toughness.”
“They’re always preparing us every single day for any challenge we could face in life, not just wrestling,” he said. “They’re old school and they always have been. I mean, it just makes you tougher.”
Why gluten-free baking is having a moment
(BPT) — Consumers are increasingly choosing easy, convenient foods to support their active, busy lifestyles. This trend includes ready-to-bake treats such as brownies and cookies, but with alternative ingredients like those found in Ghirardelli’s new Gluten Free Double Chocolate Brownie Mix. That’s right, gluten free isn’t just for people with food allergies anymore, it’s the choice of ingredient-savvy consumers as well as those with gluten sensitivities. In fact, current research shows the U.S. market for gluten-free foods is among the largest in the world. That’s why gluten-free baking is having a moment.
Gluten free as a lifestyle choice
Nearly a third of consumers currently follow a gluten-free diet or have done so in the past. Grocery stores are paying attention, dedicating shelf space and expanding product
selections to please the palates of this growing demographic. It’s easier than ever to bring home ready-to-eat and easyto-make gluten-free goodies.
A gluten-free lifestyle encourages experimentation in the kitchen and introduces new flavors and textures. Gluten-free bakers are discovering that mixing and matching alternative flours, such as rice flour, creates blends that rival the original texture of wheat flour. Use almond flour in your banana bread for an extra-nutty kick. Or swap in oat flour to make pancakes that are thick and sweet. Explore different ingredients that suit your taste. Today’s gluten-free baked goods are innovative and indulgent.
Restaurants and retailers jumping on the gluten-free bandwagon
Cookie connoisseurs and brownie-baking enthusiasts are benefitting from the evolution
of gluten-free baking at bakeries and restaurants, as well as in their own kitchens. In fact, the term “gluten free” has grown 39% on menus over the past four years, making it more accessible than ever. Gluten-free treats are now readily available for people who want to have their desserts and eat them, too.
American consumers are increasingly aware of gluten intolerance and the benefits of clean
eating. This heightened awareness is driving growth of allergen-free items on grocery shelves. From bread and pasta to baking mixes, whole aisles of gluten-free products are now available. Where sweet meets gluten free
Meanwhile, Americans also consume 2.8 billion pounds of chocolate each year, according to Jobera. And now you don’t have to choose between choco-
late goodness and living your best life, regardless of your dietary preferences.
So, why not feed your chocolate craving with Ghirardelli’s Gluten Free Double Chocolate Brownie Mix, which combines premium semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate chips, plus a unique blend of cocoa powders and a hint of vanilla to create the signature Ghirardelli flavor profile. Instead of wheat flour, the
gluten-free recipe uses brown rice flour. It’s the same delicious taste as the original Double Chocolate Brownie Mix, but now available to more consumers than ever before. An 18-ounce brownie pouch mixed with butter, water, oil and an egg yields an 8X8-inch pan of rich, fudgy, gluten-free brownie bliss. When it comes to gluten-free baking, the possibilities are deliciously limitless!
Teegan Sibble