North County woman identified as person killed in crash involving car and tanker truck...
An 85 year-old Brocton woman has been identified as the person killed in Thursday afternoon's crash involved a tanker truck and a car in the town of Sheridan. Sheriff's officers were called to the scene at the intersection of Center and South Roberts Roads about 2 p.m., found that the tanker truck, driven by 52 year-old Manuel Esquilin-Gonzalez of Dunkirk, was northbound on Center Road... while the car operated by Henrietta Graziano was eastbound on South Roberts. Deputies say Graziano failed to yield the right of way at a stop sign at the intersection and pulled out in front of the truck. The truck struck the sedan and the truck overturned in the roadway. Officers say Graziano was flown to UPMC Hamot Medical Center in Erie, Pa. where she later died. Esqulin-Gonzales was taken to Brooks Hospital for treatment of lesser injuries. The truck was transporting liquid propane which leaked on to the road. The county's HazMat Team was called in an clean up the spill. Center Road and South Roberts Rd. were closed down for a period of time while the scene was cleared. No charges will be filed.
Reed defers to Trump, Senate, regarding replacement for late Justice Ginsburg...
Local Congressman Tom Reed is side-stepping comment on President Trump's desire to nominate a new U-S Supreme Court Justice, and have that person confirmed before the election. The president is reportedly closing in on his pick to fill the vacancy, left by last weekend's death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It would be Trump's third selection of a judge for the high court... and, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is promising a swift confirmation. Reed would only say that qualifications matter, and that "should drive the decision." In addition... Reed says he hopes that the need to fill a U-S Supreme Court seat doesn't imped the effort to approve a fourth, COVID-19 stimulus bill... along with a continuing resolution through mid-December. President Trump is expected to announce later today that he is nominating Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. If the federal judge from Indiana is confirmed, it will allow Trump to put a historic conservative stamp on the high court just weeks before the election.
Wendel says keeping 2020 budget balanced in wake of COVID-19 was key to keeping tax rate low in 2021 budget proposal...
A lot of the work to keep Chautauqua County's 2020 budget balanced during the COVID-19 Shut-down is being carried over to the 2021 budget proposal by Interim Executive P-J Wendel. Speaking after Wednesday night's budget presentation... Wendel said the combination of putting off some projects, or spending... and, having more than 150 volunteer worker furloughs, were a big help. He says those amendments helped keep them in a "better place now." At this point... Wendel says his 2021 budget proposal increases the tax levy by $2.2-million, or about 3-percent. However... he says the tax rate will fall by 5-cents to $8.41 per $1,000 assessed value. Wendel says his COVID Finance Team decided against having a "flat rate" in 2021 because that would add about $1.5 to $1.6-million to the levy increase. If the budget remains as is... the county legislature would have to vote to override the state's 2-percent property tax cap in muncipal budgets to enact the spending plan.
Humane Society is holding Walk 4 Paws in late October...
The Chautauqua County Humane Society has announced a safe and socially-distanced Walk For Paws pet costume parade will take place at the Chautauqua Mall. That from Humane Socierty Community Relations Director Brian Papalia... who says it will now be held on October 31 when the mall hosts a Halloween event... and, they were already doing the pet costume program that day. Brian says the parade will run 12 Noon to 2 p.m., and, they also encourage walkers to stop by the Humane Society's storefront to meet some of the animals available for adoption. He says they will also be accepting on-site donations to support the animals and families who use the Pet Pantry. For more information, go on-line to CHQhumane.org. All pets attending must be leashed or crated and up to date on all vaccinations.
NYS inspectors find violations at 77 nuring homes during COVID-19 Pandemic...
State health inspectors found safety shortcomings at 77 New York nursing homes during the coronavirus pandemic, including basic infection-control violations like failing to have staff wear masks or wash their hands. The Department of Health says the state has fined 23 nursing homes a total of $328,000 for violations since March 1st. Inspectors found problems in about 1 in 10 homes in the state. One patient advocate said infection controls in U.S. nursing homes have long been lacking. Nearly 6,700 people died in New York nursing homes during the pandemic. But that number doesn't include patients who died after being transferred to hospitals.
Lennon's killer says he was deserving of death penalty during parole hearing...
The man who killed John Lennon in 1980 says he was seeking glory and deserved the death penalty for a "despicable" act. Mark David Chapman made the comments last month to a parole board before it denied him parole for an 11th time. The now 65-year-old inmate expressed remorse for gunning down the former Beatle. Chapman called his actions "creepy" and "despicable." He said he thinks all the time about the pain he inflicted on Lennon's wife, Yoko Ono. The board said it found his statement that "infamy brings you glory" disturbing. Chapman will be up for parole again in August 2022.
