The county's bus system is asking the city of Jamestown to allow them to move their hub temporarily to the eastside of Pine Street until late this Summer...
The City Council's Public Works and Public Safety Committees both briefly discussed the matter during last night's meetings and, further discussed discussed the later work session. Public Works Committee Chairman Tom Nelson says CARTS would be using one side of a one-block area.
Public Safety Committee Chairwoman Maria Jones noted the hub area would be next to the South County Office Building. Mayor Sam Teresi says there would be signage put in place for the time period CARTS will use those spaces. Teresi says the parking spaces would be used by CARTS from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Fridays. He adds that public parking would be available evenings and, weekends until the hub moves back to West Second Street on September 1.
A hand-full of Jamestown residents were on-hand to voice their feelings about the city's 2018 Action Plan for it's Community Development Block Grant and HOME Program allocation....
The city is receiving just over $1.1-milion in CDBG funding and, just over $326,000 in HOME funding. City Development Director Vince DeJoy says they have some new initiatives this year, including some projects involving the UCAN men's shelter on West First Street. He says there will be structural and exterior improvements. In addition to the UCAN structural project, DeJoy says the CDBG funding will also be used to do some owner-occupied code issues in the North Main Street corridor. He says that includes some of the "numbered streets" just off North Main.
There's "good progress" being reported today on construction of the North Chautauqua Lake Sewer District's Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvements project...
County Executive George Borrello says the $3.9-million project is being undertaken in response to the state Department of Environmental Conservation's permit requirements and the Total Daily Maximum Load for phosphorus that has been established for Chautauqua Lake. District Director Scott Cummings says the project "is designed to achieve 90-percent removal of phosphorus from the North end of Chautauqua Lake and the Village of Mayville's wastewater effluent." The planning and design of the project was handled by O'Brien & Gere Engineers and the construction is by EE Austin, a local contractor. Borrello says the project is now expected to be completed by this Fall and, will be key in upgrading our current system to improve the health and water quality of Chautauqua Lake."
Local drug agents seized about 64-grams of cocaine during a raid early last weekend in the city of Dunkirk...
Members of the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force last Friday executed a search warrant at 103 Maple Avenue and, arrested 45 year-old Ivan Soto, Senior, without incident. Task Force agents say they also seized scales and packaging materials used to sell cocaine. Soto is charged with two counts each of third-and-fourth-degree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance. He was taken to the Dunkirk City Jail pending arraignment. If you have any information on suspicious or narcotics related activity in your community, you can reach the task force at 1-800-344-8702.
Lives will be saved through improved pesticide training...
That from farmworkers to the U-S Environmental Protection Agency with a lawsuit filed this week. Every year, thousands of farmworkers are poisoned by pesticides. The 2015 Agricultural Worker Protection Standard requires that pesticide training materials be updated and improved. The new materials expand the content for pesticide safety training, set qualifications for trainers and require more frequent training. Hannah Chang, with the environmental law firm Earthjustice, says the updated training materials have been ready for a year.
Last December, the EPA said it is reconsidering aspects of the 2015 rule and delayed publication to prevent extra work and costs to developers of the training materials and EPA reviewers. The attorneys general of New York, California and Maryland have also filed lawsuits challenging the delay. Chang points out that the farmworkers themselves aren't the only ones at risk of pesticide poisoning, so are their families. The EPA's own analysis says the improved worker protection standard would save more than $64-million a year in avoided health care costs.
A new, on-line fund-raising effort will be used a week from this Thursday to help raise money for more than 60 local not-for-profit, and non-profit organizations in the Jamestown-area...
The day-long "Give Big CHQ" event begins at Midnight on Thursday, June 14 and, the fund-raiser is being completely done online. Chautauqua Region Community Foundation Executive Director Tory Irgang says these kinds of fund-raisers have proven to be very successful in many different areas. If you're interested in taking part and, want to learn more, she says to the website GiveBigCHQ.org. Once you get there, you can see each organization's webpage. Tory Irgang made her comments for this past weekend's "Community Spotlight' program on the five Media One Group stations.
State auditors are reviewing safety plans for schools across New York state in an effort to ensure local districts are as prepared as possible for a school shooting...
Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli announced the review on Monday. The Democrat says auditors from his office will check to make sure schools are complying with a 2000 state law requiring them to create plans for violence prevention, student evacuations and emergency communication. The auditors are expected to begin their field work this month as the school year winds down.
