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WJTN News Headlines for Jan. 18, 2018

A bi-partisan panel co-chaired by local Congressman Tom Reed has released it's recommendations for using up to one-trillion dollars to build a 21st century infrastructure network in the United States...  
 
Reed says the "problem solver's" caucus has reached consensus on a set of policies to serve as the basis for a plan to address what he calls a "dire need" to rebuild and responsibly invest in the nation's infrastructure.  The Corning Republican says that includes both "traditional" and "non-traditional" infrastructure.
 
Reed says the problem solvers created the "infrastructure working group," co-chaired by fellow new york republican John Katko, and Connecticut Democrat Elizabeth Esty, who met with over 100 outside stakeholder organizations, the administration, and leaders in congress, to develop bipartisan concepts to move an infrastructure plan forward.  He says the nation needs to come up with a "dedicated, modernized user fee-based system" to pay for infrastructure needs.  Reed's co-chair on the problem solver's panel, new jersey democrat Josh Gottheimer, echoed those sentiments.  Gotthemer says "we can't keep kicking this problem down the road."
 
 
 
Business tax savings in new york state from the federal tax overhaul could be offset by new state businesses taxes proposed by Governor Andrew Cuomo in his 2018-19 budget...  
 
That from State Assemblyman Andy Goodell... who says it's part of the governor's plan to raise an additional one-billion dollars to help offset a projected $4.4-billion shortfall in the new spending plan.  goodell says he opposes the the moves, which would raise about $300-million for the state.
 
Also in response to federal tax reform, goodell says the governor is proposing two ways to reduce higher-wage earners tax liability.  He says one way is through charitable contributions by establishing funds to support non-profit entities. He says the second method is to limit higher income earners liability is to install a payroll tax, which would be submitted through the employer.  He says state taxes paid that way are deductable under the federal tax reforms.  Goodell says lawmakers in albany are still waiting to get more information on the governor's proposal.  He says, with all the sifting lawmakers will have to do, it may make it difficult to meet the budget's April 1 deadline.
 
 
 
Governor Cuomo was heckled during his state budget address to lawmakers by a New York City-area legislator unhappy with Cuomo's education spending plan...  
 
Democratic Assemblyman Charles Baron, of Brooklyn, stood up during the Democratic governor's speech in Albany Tuesday to call for higher taxes on millionaires to support public schools. Cuomo told him to listen to the speech before criticizing it.  Baron also interrupted the governor during his State of the State Address two years ago.  Cuomo is vowing to fight back against Washington Republicans with a state budget proposal that lays out spending on schools and mass transit while also confronting greater uncertainty in federal funding. 
 
 
 
The county aiport near Jamestown is the only one of 19 that did not receive an essential air service waiver for their U.S. Department of Transporation subsidy, but most of the others also did not reach the required passenger numbers...  
 
Those airports include the regional locations in Bradford and Franklin, Pennsylvania.  According to The Altoona Mirror in Altoona, Pennsylvania, the DOT noted that the Jamestown location is "76 miles away from the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport and 61 miles from the Erie International Airport.  That access, the government concluded, makes it unlikely that Jamestown's passenger numbers, identified at 4,408 in the 2016 fiscal year, will increase enough to put the airport into compliance with program requirements."     
 
 
A Dunkirk man has been arrested for robbery and assault following a three-month long investigation in the north county city...  
 
Dunkirk Police Chief David Ortolano says officers located the 37-year-old suspect at his residence on Lincoln Avenue around 4 a.m. yesterday.  Ortolano says he was found hiding in an unexpected place---a washing machine.  Fernando Martinez, junior is accused of forcibly taking an undisclosed amount of cash from an individual and causing physical injury to the victim on November 8 of last year.  Ortolano credits the work of his department in not giving up on the case because the "bad guys" will sometimes do what they have to to avoid arrest.  Martinez is facing second-degree robbery and third-degree assault charges.  He's being held in the city lock up until his arraignment in Dunkirk City court.
 
 
 
A Jamestown woman was arrested following a traffic stop after she was allegedly found a controlled substance and hypodermic instruments on the city's eastside yesterday morning...
 
At 9:00, city police say they conducted a traffic stop at the intersection of Lindwood Ave and Martin Road on vehicle operated by 27 year-old Brittany Hitchcock. further investigation revealed hitchcock was in possession of a quantity of heroin and several hypodermic needles. She was taken to city jail without incident. Officers say the Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force assisted with the investigation.