There are 57 new cases of the COVID-19 Virus being reported in Chautauqua County... with 27 of those in Mayville. Most -- if not all -- are related to the outbreak at the County Jail. The Health Department says this brings the total number since the pandemic began to 1,761... and, 189 of those are currently active. The city of Jamestown had the next highest number with 9 new cases. The Health Department says 14 people are currently hospitalized... while 1,552 cases have now recovered. The infection rate over the past seven-days has been 4-percent.
New York plans to prioritize nursing home residents and staff members when it begins distributing the first doses of coronavirus vaccine, hopefully this month. Governor Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday that the state expects to receive 170,000 doses of Pfizer's vaccine by December 15th. That's if the pharmaceutical company gets the federal government's OK to make it available to the public on an emergency basis. After nursing home staff and patients... doses could then go to New York's next priority, which is health care workers.
There are now three new COVID-19 relief bills being proposed in Washington ranging from just over half-a-trillion to $1.3-Trillion would provide relief to individuals, and small businesses. That from local Congressman Tom Reed... who is part of a bi-partisan group of House and Senate members who proposed a $908-billion package Tuesday. During a Tuesday morning press conference... Reed -- who co-chairs the Problem Solver's Caucus -- says there's also a significant amount included to help local, state and tribal governments.
Reed says the biggest difference between the bills that state, local and tribal government relief. A smaller proposal by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell does not include that money... and totals up to $700-billion. The White House reportedly supports that measure. However... Reed says his office has also been in contact with them... and, would also support the bi-partisan measure. The third proposal by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is for $1.3-trillion and, also includes the state and local aid. The bi-partisan plan would cover the next four-months... and, includes what Reed calls "common sense" measures. He made his comments during his weekly conference call with regional media.
The measure regarding local government aid is something that would be a major benefit to communities in Congressman Tom Reed's district. The city of Jamestown is the largest of those cities... with a population of about 30-thousand. Reed says this proposal would truly help "smaller governments." Reed says that part of the plan would cover a loss of revenue... comparing pre-COVID 2019 revenues compared to the rest of this year. He says there would be "dedicated money" going to those local governments. Reed made his comments during his weekly conference call with regional media.
A city man has pled guilty to federal charges for receiving naked pictures of two young girls on social media four years ago. U-S Attorney James Kennedy, Junior announced Wednesday that 30 year-old Shane Guay (Gway) pleaded guilty in U-S District Court in Buffalo to receipt of child pornography. Prosecutors say Guay was accused of soliciting the minor victims through Instagram to produce images of child porn in November of 2016. That month... he received an image of a 12 year-old victim... and, a couple of days later... received two images of a 13 year-old victim. Police say they found 587 images, and five videos of child porn on electronic devices seized from Guay. Kennedy says the charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison... and, a quarter of a million dollar fine.
The City of Dunkirk's proposed 2021 budget has been passed, but with a number of changes. During Tuesday's Common Council meeting... lawmakers unanimously passed a 'walk-in' resolution that made 12 changes to Mayor Willie Rosas' spending plan, which totals nearly $24.5-million. When reached after the meeting... Rosas said he plans to veto four of those changes. First-Ward Councilman Don Williams says that the council intends to override the Mayor's vetoes. Among the changes the Mayor says he will veto are a $25,000 reduction in the City Attorney's salary, the elimination of part-time seasonal workers in the Department of Development, and the hiring of an attorney by the council. The Common Council has until December 15th to override the veto.
An Ohio man was injured in an accident when he lost control of the tractor trailer he was driving on Interstate-86 yesterday morning. The Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office says 36 year-old Sandeep Singh was traveling on I-86 in the Town of Ellery when the big rig struck a guide rail and overturned in the median. Deputies says Singh suffered minor injuries, but declined medical treatment. County Hazmat crews responded to the scene to clean up a diesel fuel spill. Officers say Singh was charged with speeding. Bemus Point firefighters and State Police assisted at the scene. The westbound lanes of I-86 between Exit 10 to Exit 9 were closed for a time after the accident.
A Jamestown man was arrested for allegedly stealing items from a warehouse on Allen Street Tuesday evening. City police were called to the unidentified business for a reported burglary... and, located the suspect inside the warehouse. Officers identified him as 25 year-old Braedon Jim... and, he was allegedly found in possession of the property he took from the building. Jim was transported to the city jail pending arraignment for Fourth-degree grand larceny and Third-degree burglary.
