Ground to be broken in April for new Love's Travel Center in Ripley...
Ground is expected to be broken in April for a new, $12-million travel center project on Shortman Road in the town of Ripley. Deputy Chautauqua Conty Executive for Economic Development, Mark Geise, says the Industrial Development Agency Tuesday unanimously approved A 20-year payment-in-lieu of tax agreement for the Love's Travel Center project. Geise says the center will be located on 16-acres of land... just off Interstate 90... and, include a convenience store, fueling stations, a restaurant and other amenities. He says part of their PILOT program will be a "host agreement with the town of Ripley. Geise says that will provide Ripley with the resources it needs to make upgrades to it's water and sewer infrastructure. He adds officials with Love's say it will take about 6 to 8 months to complete the project. He says it's expected to employ about 40 people once it's open... and, will provide about 100 construction jobs the next several months. Geise calls it a "great project..." and adds that "this area has been crying out for a project like this, as it replaces the dilapidated Colonial Hotel at the Gateway to our beautiful county and state."
COVID-19 infection rates continue to fall in Chautauqua County...
The Chautauqua County Health Department is reporting 14 new cases of the COVID-19 virus Tuesday... and, the infection rate has fallen to 1.3-percent. The Health Department says there have now been 7,454 confirmed cases so far... and, 2 of the new cases are in Jamestown... and two others in Fredonia. Ten other communities reported just one each. Officials say 124 cases are active... and, 10 of those are hospitalized. There were no new deaths. There have now been 7,164 recovered cases.
County DOH announces adoption of CDC quarantine recommendations...
Chautauqua County health officials say they are adopting the quarantine recommendations for people who are fully-vaccinated against the COVID-19 Virus. Public Health Director Christine Schuyler says the U-S Centers for Disease Control now say people are considered fully-vaccinated two weeks after receiving their second dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. Schuyler adds that a person who is considered fully-vaccinated may be exempt from quarantine for up to 90 days. Going forward... she says most fully vaccinated persons who are showing no symptoms of COVID-19 are exempt from quarantine due to close contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID... and, travel quarantine requirements. The quarantine exemption includes fully vaccinated individuals who travel within the U-S because travelers are required to quarantine out of caution that they may unknowingly be a close contact to someone with COVID-19.
Cattaraugus County woman pleads guilty to Child Porn charge...
A Cattaraugus County woman has pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography over a three year period beginning in early 2017. U-S Attorney James Kennedy, Jr. Tuesday announced that 46 year-old Melanie Thompson, of Cattaraugus, entered the plea to distribution of child pornography before U-S District Court Judge John Sinatra, Junior. Prosecutors say between January of 2017 and March of 2020... Thompson took sexually explicit photographs of a minor as part of a plan to impersonate the victim. Then while impersonating the victim, she engaged in sexual connversations with two minor boys and and one adult. During those conversations... the defendant solicited a sexually explicit picture from a second victim... she was able to get two sexually explicit images in return from a third victim. She also engaged in sexual conversations with an adult male over social media, sent him sexually explicit photographs she had taken of the first victim. She faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.
City to begin reviewing draft Police Reform proposal...
A draft police reform plan will be sent out to Jamestown City Council members and stakeholder groups sometime later this week. That from Public Safety Committee member, Democrat Tamu Graham-Reinhardt, who has been one of the people heading up the effort. Graham-Reinhardt told fellow councilmembers during Monday night's meeting that once that happens, there will be a final two-week public comment period. Graham-Reinhardt says... once that time period ends... the committee will make whatever changes need to be made, and lawmakers will begin a final review. Public Safety Committee Chairman Brent Sheldon says the full council will vote on the plan at it's next voting session on Mar. 29. The plan needs to be submitted to New York State by April 1st. Governor Andrew Cuomo put the mandate in place several months ago in the wake of the George Floyd death while in police custody last year.
County Clerk warns residents of DMV Scams...
Chautauqua County Clerk Larry Barmore is again warning residents of several Department of Motor Vehicle scams that are taking place as the pandemic continues. Barmore says a big reason is because more and more transactions are being done online, and scammers are taking advantage of the situation. He says one site called "DMV.org" is offering an insurance discount course that is also being misrepresented as a learners permit course. Barmore says they charge $60, and, after completing the course the student gets the certificate shown. However... he says it's not recognized by the state as a learner’s permit test, or an insurance discount test. Barmore says... unless the website you're dealing with is dmv.ny.gov... it's likely a scam.
