It's Tuesday..... and it's Election Day 2018!
More than 75,000 active, registered voters in Chautauqua County are eligible to cast ballots in today's election. That from County Democratic Elections Commissioner Norm Green, who says polls open at 6 a.m. today and voting at all 51 polling districts runs until 9 p.m. tonight. Green tells use that both he, and Republican Commissioner, Brian Abram -- and their staffs, have been busy preparing for the vote. He says there are several contested races to watch across the county. One is the State Assembly race, pitting Republican incumbant Andy Goodell against Democratic challenger Judy Einach. The other county-wide race is for Sheriff, as long-time Democrat Joe Gerace is getting a strong challenge from Republican Jim Quattrone. Voters will also decide on a Congressional candidate between Republican incumbant Tom Reed and, Democratic challenger Tracy Mitrano. There is also a U-S Senate race between Democratic incumbant Kirsten Gillibrand, and underfinanced Republican challenger Chele Farley. Incumbant Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo is being challenged by Republican Marc Molinaro.
There is some good budget news heading into the final quarter of the year for the city of Jamestown...
City Council Finance Committee Chairman Tony Dolce says Jamestown had a possible record of just over $1.8-million in sales tax receipts for July through September. Dolce says City Comptroller Joe Bellitto reported the results and, adds that's just over eight-percent more than last year at this time.
Dolce says, for the first three-quarters of 2018, the city has received $4.86-million in sales tax revenues, which is about 81-percent of the year's total projection of $6-million. Bellitto says the city needs to raise just over $1.1-million in the fourth-quarter to make budget for 2018. If they bring in the amount raised last year... which was $1.52-million, it would bring the city to about $6.3-million. Bellitto is urging lawmakers to not budget any more than $6.2-million in 2019.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, New York, has added 36 names to its public list of priests with substantiated claims of sexual abuse of a child, bringing the total to 78...
Officials say they will not name an additional 66 dead priests who were the subject of a single abuse complaint. Bishop Richard Malone released the revised list Monday and again fended off calls from some community members and other priests to resign over his handling of clergy abuse. The diocese came under fire in March after releasing the names of 42 priests with substantiated allegations. Critics, including a former employee of the bishop, said the list should have been much longer. The diocese says the updated list includes priests from other religious orders.
A number of items that are needed in the Jamestown Police and Fire Departments have already been cut from Mayor Sam Teresi's 2019 budget proposal...
Both Police Chief and Public Safety Director Harry Snellings and Deputy Fire Chief Chet Harvey, went before city lawmakers to discuss their spending plans. Finance Committee Chairman Tony Dolce, who is chairing the budget review, says there's very little left that could be cut in both departments.
Dolce says they discussed the need to replace two fire engines, both of which are 25 to 30 years old. He adds that neither can really be repaired anymore, and, adds the city would likely have to bond for the one-million dollars they would have to pay for both vehicles. Dolce adds the city's ladder truck, which is 10 years old now, will likely have to be refurbished in the next year. The mayor's nearly $36-million budget proposal includes no tax levy increase. But, due to a slight increase in assessments, there would be a 13-cent per thousand full value tax rate decrease, if the budget is adopted as it.
Strong, gusty winds will be hitting the area by through late Wednesday afternoon....
A Wind Advisory is in effect through 4 p.m. Wednesday for Chautauqua and Southern Erie counties. Forecaster Aaron Reynolds with the National Weather Service says there will be two separate wind events occurring now into Wednesday. Besides the strong winds, temperatures will warm into the 60s today. A colder weather pattern returns Wednesday and, Reynolds says that sets the stage for some lake effect snow by this coming weekend. He says a "cooling trend" begins on Wednesday and, temperatures will be colder than normal on Saturday, when we could see some measurable lake effect snow. However, Reynolds says it's still too early to tell how much snowfall we'll see.
Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi says his choice of Battalion Fire Chief Sam Salemme to be the city's next Deputy fire chief was simple in some ways, and more difficult in others...
Teresi concluded a lengthy search for a new Deputy Chief after learning that Chet Harvey would be retiring later this month. In deciding on Salemme, he says he wanted to go with someone with a lot of department -- and managerial -- experience.
Teresi says the hard part was the fact he had a strong field of candidates from within the department to chose from. He says who ever he chose was going to have "big shoes to fill" with the retirement of Chet Harvey. Salemme has been a battlion chief since 2005 and, worked under Harvey when the retiring chief took the position more than eight-years ago. Teresi says Harvey will remain a trusted advisor. Salemme began his career with the Chautauqua County ambulance service in 1986, and later joined the Jamestown Fire Department in 1990. He will take over his new duties on November 30.
A garage was heavily damaged in a weekend fire in the town of Ellington...
Chautauqua County Fire officials say Ellington crews were called to the scene on Thornton Road about 6 AM Sunday, and found flames that began in a chimney and spread into the ceiling and rafters of the garage, which was attached to the home. Fire crews were able to save the residence. Investigators say the fire spread through a chimney pipe and was determined to be accidental. No injuries were reported.
The Media One Radio Group is proud and excited to announce that 106.9 Kiss FM is joining our broadcast family!
KISS will be moving from their downtown Jamestown location to our Orchard Road Broadcast Headquarters in the next few days. Our local radio cluster of six radio stations is proud to bring our communities the best in News-Talk-Sports-Oldies-Top 40-Hot AC-Soft Rock-Country-Classic Rock radio formats!
