A major manufacturer of heavy-duty truck engines is celebrating it's 40th anniversary in the Jamestown-area this weekend with activities -- including an open house. Cummins Engine of Columbus, Indiana first located in the former Art Metal building in 1974... and, has been there since. A formal commemoration is scheduled for Friday morning... but, a public open house is set for this Saturday afternoon. Plant Manager Mike Abate says the open house is a way to let the community known they appreciate their partnership over the past four decades.
Abate says the plant will be shut-down for the open house. But... he says they'll have guided tours of their huge complex... located off Baker Street Extension near Ashville. Abate says the tours will give the public a "sense" of how they build the engines from start to finish. There'll also be vehicle and engine displays... a 1952 Indy race car on display... and, a petting zoo. Abate says about 40-percent of the heavy-duty trucks in North American have an engine from the Jamestown Engine Plant.
Coaches of school sports teams will be legally required to report suspected child abuse to authorities under a law taking effect in New York state. The law adds school coaches to the list of professions including physicians, social workers and daycare providers who are required to contact authorities when they believe a child is being abused. The list also includes teachers. However... it hadn't been clear if the same rules applied to sports coaches paid by a school district.
Gas prices in the Jamestown-area have dropped about another penny this week to 3-dollars-85 cents a gallon. That from this week's Triple-A Fuel Gauge report. Triple-A says the average price for regular, unleaded gasoline, based on reports from 19 local service stations was 3-dollars-84.6 cents. One station was at 3--80 a gallon. However... the Fuel Gauge says that's still higher than last year'a average at this time... when it was just under 3--80 a gallon. Nationally... Triple-A reports that for the first time since March 12th... the average price for unleaded gas dropped below 3-dollars-50 cents a gallon.
The United States is beginning to see the benefit of domestic gas and oil production with the fact gasoline prices have come down in recent weeks. Local Congressman Tom Reed says that's even though oil prices have gone up. Reed says this validates his feeling that the U-S needs an "All of the Above" energy policy. Despite the violence and unrest across the Middle East... he says domestic gas prices have not been severely impacted -- when in the past -- they shot up. There is still a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing... or "fracking" in New York state. Reed says a couple of weekend newspaper stories pointed out that even though oil prices are up 41-cents a barrel this week... there's been a decrease in gas prices. The Corning Republican also reiterated his belief that having strong domestic energy production and supply makes us more secure. His comments come in the wake of a new report by the federal Energy Information Administration that says Marcellus Shale natural gas production hit an all-time high in July.
The ribbon was cut Wednesday on a "sweet" new, seasonal business has opened in downtown Jamestown near it's entertainment district. "The Sprinkle Cone" is a new ice cream parlor at 207 Pine Street in part of the former Jones Tasty Baking location. Owner-Operator Kate Harris has been open since Friday... just to get the feel of scooping cones... and, says she's both "happy and excited" to be open... especially with a number of downtown events coming up over the next two to three weeks. Harris had worked at Forte Restaurant until opening the ice cream shop... and, she's hoping this is just the first step in a full-fledged, year-round business down the road. The building at 207-to-209 Pine is now owned by local entrepreneur Peter Scheira (Shear-uh)... who's been given a boost by the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation with a "50-50" grant. Harris says The Sprinkle Cone is serving Addies Ice Cream... which is made locally in Findley Lake... and, she'll have 10 flavors available at any one time. She plans to be open from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays... and, 2 to 8 p.m. Sundays.
Governor Cuomo has ordered flags on state government buildings across New York to be flown at half-staff to honor the general from upstate who was killed in Afghanistan Tuesday. The U.S. military says 55-year-old Army Maj. Gen. Harold Greene of Falls Church, Virginia, died Tuesday when a gunman believed to be an Afghan soldier opened fire at a military academy near Kabul. Greene was born in Albany and graduated from high school in suburban Guilderland.
Jamestown and other urbans areas of New York state aren't the only places dealing with the Heroin epidemic. There's been a major drug bust in the Adirondack mountains where troopers found 500 bags of the narcotic drug in the vehicle. The Adirondack Daily Enterprise reports that three St. Lawrence County residents were arrested on drug charges after troopers pulled over a Hyundai Santa Fe on Route 86 in Ray Brook Tuesday evening. Police say the vehicle was stopped for an unsafe lane change and an obstructed license plate. The driver was 24-year-old Jordan Thomas of Potsdam. The passengers were 23-year-old Gerald Dissottle Junior of Norwood and 31-year-old Allen Oshier of Canton. Police say Dissottle had 500 bags of heroin in his pants. A vehicle search turned up some crack cocaine, marijuana and a digital scale. The three face various drug charges.
