SOLICITOR EXAMINING SHERIFF'S GRANT

Bradford County solicitor Jonathan Foster reported Thursday that he
is looking into the federal grant received by the sheriff's office to
combat the local methamphetamine problem in the area.

Foster said that he would probably be able to provide a legal opinion
about the grant in about a week. The solicitor said he has already
contacted the sheriff's office on the matter, but has not yet
received a reply from the sheriff.

Bradford County Sheriff Steve Evans applied for the $246,000 grant in
August 2006 to assist his office in certain anti-methamphetamine
efforts. The grant was eventually received through Congressman Don
Sherwood's office.

However, the matter recently became a campaign issue when former Troy
police Chief Greg Hostettler -- who is running as a Republican
candidate in the May primary against Evans -- claimed that the
sheriff had "misrepresented" certain facts when he applied for the
grant. Hostettler has contended that Evans indicated in the grant
application that the money would be used by his office for law
enforcement in regards to methamphetamine. Hostettler has insisted
that -- according to certain cases in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court
- -- a sheriff and deputies cannot be considered law enforcement
officials. Hostettler has also pointed out that the Bradford County
Sheriff's office has -- since 2004 -- been prohibited by the district
attorney and Pennsylvania Attorney General's office from filing criminal cases.

Evans responded to Hostettler's contentions by saying they were
"false," explaining that his office had assisted the Pennsylvania
Attorney General's office until around September 2006. The sheriff
also insisted that his office still has the authority to make
drug-related arrests, explaining that he and has deputies have been
working with the Federal Drug Enforcement Administration for the past
six months.

Foster explained on Wednesday that he will be speaking to the
sheriff, the commissioners, and a number of other people about the
grant. Before he makes a decision, the attorney explained, he also
wants to look at the grant application. One of the issues he's going
to take into account, Foster said, will be the definition of the
sheriff's powers as they've been interpreted by the court.