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WJTN News Headlines

Two arts organizations in Jamestown that have worked closely together the past several decades will soon be merged into one.  The Arts Council for Chautauqua County and the Reg Lenna Civic Center boards have announced they have both approved the merger... and, that it should be finalized by late Summer.  Arts Council Board member... and, Marketing Committee Chairwoman Vanessa Weinert says both panels began discussions... and, found they have a similar mission... and, "very similar" vision for the Jamestown area. With the foundation's support... Weinert says they commissioned the New York Council of Non-Profits to begin looking at whether a merger was feasible first.  She says it was found to be... and, they began planning what the new organization should look like.  Weinert says they already have merged the boards for the new Reg Lenna Center for the Arts... that will hopefully be able to get more programming in place... and, hire a new executive director for the combined organization.  Neither has had one for five years... and, she says the new board has already begun reviewing possible candidates for the new position.

 

4 Contestants remain in SE-93's Chautauqua Lake Voices competition.  Teal Weatherly, Nicole Tenpas, Bill Brunacini and Micheal Nugent remain following Monday's Madonna and Bon Jovi night.  For more information visit Chautauqua Lake Voices dot com.

 

Sales tax revenues for the city of Jamestown for the first half of this year are right about where they were one year ago at this time.  That's both good and bad news for the city because... last year Jamestown's third and fourth-quarters exceeded expectations... and, received much more revenue than was expected.  City Comptroller Joe Bellitto says the city just received it's payment for the second-quarter of this year... and, learned the figure is down slightly from last year. Still... Bellitto says the city is at 48-percent of revenues... which is half-a-percent over last year's half-year total.  He says that's not far off projections.  However... to make the year-end projection of 5-million-775-thousand dollars... Bellitto says they will have to have big third and fourth-quarters again this year.  He says the city will have to get "99-percent" what they took in last year to make year-end projections.  Bellitto reported the second-quarter figures at last night's City Council Work Session... and, earlier at the Finance Committee meeting.  Committee Chairman Tony Dolce called the news "mixed..." because lawmakers were hoping for a little stronger second quarter.

 

A Forestville woman died Sunday from injuries suffered when her car crashed into a tree in northwestern Cattaraugus County.  Sheriff's officers in Little Valley say 37 year-old Tara Evert of 10-747 Hanover Road was southbound on Countyline Road in the town of Perrysburg about 2 PM when her Hummer went off the side of the road.  Deputies say the vehicle went into a small ravine... then struck the tree.  Officers say Evert was taken to Lakeshore Hospital... where she later died.  Sheriff's officers say the accident remains under investigation.


 
Binghampton-area state Senator Thomas Libous... who orchestrated the Republicans return to power through tough campaigns... is stepping down as campaign chairman as he fights cancer.  He'll now serve as an adviser to new Senate Republican Campaign Chairwoman Cathy Young of Olean in next year's legislative elections.

 

Linking manufacturers with higher education is the idea behind a bill... co-sponsored by local Congressman Tom Reed... that he says will provide the needed workforce to stimulate the nation's manufacturing base.  The Corning Republican is sponsoring the Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act of 2013 with Massachusetts Democrat Joe Kennedy.  Reed says his goal with the bill is to help the United States produce and export more products abroad.  During his weekly conference call with Southern Tier media Monday... he said the bill will create a network of regional institutes across the country. Reed says a roundtable discussion he hosted earlier this year at Jamestown Community College's Manufacturing and Technology Institute directly influenced creation of the bill.  He serves as co-chairman of the House Manufacturing Committee... and, adds he spoke with Kennedy about the concept.  Reed says Kennedy... who is on the House Science Committee... has also been looking at the issue.  A companion measure has been introduced in the Senate.

 

Governor Andrew Cuomo's plan to give companies and their employees tax-free lives for 10 years if they come to New York is now projected to cut more than 300-million dollars from the state's tax revenue over three years.  Although Cuomo said his plan to boost the economy wouldn't cost New Yorkers, a new budget projection released Friday night reflects a loss of $323-million in anticipated revenue over three years.  That reflects the loss of revenue from tax-paying jobs the state budget office expected would have come to New York, but will instead be covered by the tax-free program.  The Cuomo administration insists there is no cost to New Yorkers and the bold jobs program will spur growth in communities.

 

A former Mid-Hudson Valley woman who... as a teenager... was at the center of a racial controversy has started making payments to a man who won a defamation judgment against her.  The New York Post reports Tawana Brawley has paid just over 3-thousand-700 dollars to Steven Pagones.  When Brawley was 15, she said she had been raped by a group of white men.  Brawley is black.  The allegations set off a racial firestorm but a grand jury ultimately decided they were false.  Pagones, a county prosecutor at the time, later won a claim against her and her advisers after he was named as one of the attackers.  She was initially ordered to pay 190-thousand dollars... but, now owes more than 400-thousand with interest.  Brawley, 40, now lives in Virginia and works as a nurse.