City man arrested for having loaded pistol and drugs in his possession...
Jamestown police arrested a Buffalo man after finding marijuana and a loaded handgun during a traffic stop early Friday morning. City Police Captain Bob Samuelson says officers pulled over a vehicle in the Rite Aid parking lot on South Main Street about 4 a.m., and, identified the driver as 23 year-old Dayrone Ferguson. Samuelson says a search of the vehicle revealed the loaded pistol, which Ferguson did not have permit for. Ferguson was sent to the city jail pending arraignment on charges including failure to maintain lane, second-degree unlawful possession of marijuana and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
Whitaker says JPS will start with "hybrid" reopening, and hope to go more classroom later in school year...
The Jamestown Public School District has announced their tentative re-opening plans for the 2020-21 school year, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. That from Superintendent Kevin Whitaker... who says, with the help of a 50-person committee... they are looking at a "hybrid model." Whitaker says they will emphasize "more school days" for younger children, and those with special needs, and English As a Second Language students. He says the district currently does not anticipate the 'hybrid concept' continuing throughout the school year. However, this is how schools in Jamestown will tentatively re-open in September. He says they want to try to have the elementary and possibly middle school students attend in-person. Whitaker says they believe high schoolers can navigate on-line better than the younger students right now. He adds a detailed summary of the Jamestown Public Schools re-opening plan is now available at jps.org/reopening.
Two new confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in the county Friday....
There are two new cases of the coronavirus being reported in Chautauqua County the past day, and 13 cases are active. That from County Executive P.J. Wendel... who says the two new cases are a man in his 20s... and, a woman in her 50s. Wendel says two people are now hospitalized... while 157 are under local quarantine or isolation orders, and being monitored. In addition... he says 998 persons are under "domestic traveler quarantine" for having arrived in the county from a state listed on the New York travel advisory. Wendel says there are now 231 cases... while 209 have now recovered. The total number of negative test results now total 23,385 negative test results.
Surdyk reports most additional CARES Act, CDBG funding has been doled out...
Nearly 20 business and several renters in Jamestown have been given grants though $704,000 in added federal funding to help them stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic. However... City Development Director Crystal Surdyk says they are nearly out of money. Surdyk announced Thursday that the city had doled out nearly $470,000 in funding from the Community Development Block Grant program... with most going to help businesses. Surdyk says about $417,000 of that has gone to several small businesses, and more is being approved. She says the remaining $52,000 was distributed to a number of renters... but, she says that number is quickly growing. Since the funds are rapidly being distributed... she says you'll want to apply as soon as possible on the city's website at jamestownny.gov. She says there is a link under "Restart Jamestown" and the links to apply are there... and, it's a "quick application." Surdyk says their Economic Development Coordinator Stephanie Wright is screening the applications as they come in. The additional CDBG funding is being provided through the federal CARES Act approved back in the Spring by Congress.
Cuomo opposing raising taxes on the wealthy to help NYS budget woes...
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says he opposes raising taxes on the wealthy to help the state weather the coronavirus economic crisis, though its clear federal aid alone won't solve the state's fiscal woes. COVID-19 shutdowns have decimated consumer spending and tourism in New York and observers warn of a slow recovery. Cuomo's administration is projecting a $13-billion drop in tax revenues through next April. Democrats and liberal groups including VOCAL-NY say tax hikes on the wealthy for years will help balance New York's devastated economy. Cuomo argues any tax hikes in the high-taxed state could drive away wealthy New Yorkers in a pandemic and jeopardize sorely needed revenue.
Borrello pushes for Cuomo to repeal order suspending Prompt Payment Law...
It's time for the state to make good on it's contract payments to local non-profit organizations that have been suspended during New York's COVID-19 shut-down. That from State Senator George Borrello, who has written Governor Andrew Cuomo, urging him to repeal his executive order that stopped those payments due to the state's fiscal woes. Borrello says, the problem is, some of those payments are several months late, and those organizations are struggling. In fact... he says some payments date back to last year... and, yet there is still plenty of wasteful spending going on. Borrello says he appreciates the state's having a difficult time fiscally... but, adds the wasteful spending being shown in places like New York City's Metropolitan Transit Authority is frustrating. He adds there's also a new, 2,000 acre solar farm being proposed in Chautauqua County that will cost the state "millions of dollars." Borrello says a lot of those non... and, not-for-profits do the front-line work in dealing with issues such as mental health, homelessness, and others.
