State lawmakers are wrapping work in Albany on passing budget bills and, reaction has been mixed over the new spending plan for New York.....
The $175-billion spending plan includes nearly $1-billion in additional school aid and, makes the 2 percent property tax cap permanent. It also includes criminal justice reforms, including the elimination of cash bail. Governor Andrew Cuomo says the budget really grapples with the tough issues that have been facing the state for a long time.
Not everything in the budget pleases local officials, including Chautauqua County Executive George Borrello. He's concerned about how Aid and Incentives for Municipalities will be funded. Borrello says the budget does not include that but, aid will now come from sales tax allocations. Borrello says it "robs from Peter to pay Paul." Borrello also has concerns about the impact the criminal justice reforms will have on local law enforcement officials and district attorneys across the state. Besides eliminating cash bail, the budget includes measures that would restore speedy trials and transform the discovery process in criminal trials.
New York State released details of its $175.5-billion dollar spending plan Monday morning and, Jamestown School District Superintendent Bret Apthorpe says Western New York schools got the "short end of the stick" again this year, including Jamestown....
Based on the proposed budget for the 2019-2020 school year, Dr. Apthorpe says Jamestown is looking to receive $51.5-million dollars in state aid. With that... he says student attendance is a main priority. He says they have 17-hundred children that aren't attending school on a regular basis. With that, some teachers will be reassigned to the new "Success Academy" slated to open at the former Rogers Elementary School in the coming school year. With 4,800 students enrolled, that's nearly 35-percent of students not regularly attending. Apthorpe says the Success Academy will work to improve student wellness, in addition to supplementing course curriculums for grades 5-12. The Jamestown School Board will vote on the proposed $89.6-million budget on Tuesday, April 16th.
A Chautauqua County Jail inmate has now been charged with criminal mischief after allegedly damaging a commissary kiosk, resulting in about $1,000 in damages....
Sheriff's officers say their investigation into the March 15th incident has resulted in the arrest of 18 year-old Jordan Klein. Klein was arraigned on one count of third-degree criminal mischief, and returned to the county jail on $20,000 cash bail.
Two people were hurt -- but not seriously -- when the car they were riding in struck another vehicle head-on on Route 426 in the town of French Creek last Friday night....
Sheriff's officers were called to the scene shortly after 5 PM and, found that 29 year-old Jennifer Barton of Erie, Pennsylvania was making a left turn off 426 but, went into the path of the oncoming vehicle. Barton and her passenger were taken to UPMC Hamot in Erie for treatment of minor injuries. Deputies say the driver of the other car was not hurt. Barton was charged with Failure to Yield Right of Way and, will appear in French Creek Town Court at a later date.
An accidental fire on Jamestown's southside Sunday night destroyed a car, and extensively damaged the garage it was in.....
City Fire Battalion Chief Don Mowery says crews were called to the scene at 100 Willard Street about 7:45 PM and, found fire and smoke coming from the structure. However, Mowery says firefighters had the blaze out in about 5 to 10 minutes. He says one firefighter and one civilian suffered minor injuries and were treated at the scene. In addition to the car and garage, Mowery says the nearby house sustained some heat damage to the siding. He says the cause was accidental and, crews were at the scene until just after 10 PM. An off-duty shift was called in to assist.
Five-term Congressman Tom Reed says he is running for re-election in 2020....
There was no formal announcement but, the Corning Republican says he was answering a question about his re-election during an interview about a week ago. Reed says he still enjoys the job and, adds the job is not finished in Washington, D-C.
Reed says he will continue to get his "message out there..." and let the people decide in next year's election. The former Corning Mayor has represented the Southern Tier Region since 2010, when he won a special election to replace Democrat Eric Massa. The Southern Tier District changed several years ago with re-apportionment, and Chautauqua County was put back into the Southern Tier region. As of now, Reed already has one possible opponent, the one he defeated last year. Democrat Tracy Mitrano announced late last year that she intends to seek the party's endorsement to run again in 2020.
