A Cattaraugus County man was killed early Sunday morning after being struck by a vehicle while he was walking on Route 16 in the town of Yorkshire. State Police in Olean say 28 year-old Edward Speaker of Machias was walking in the traffic lane of the road when he was hit about 1:45 AM yesterday. Troopers say Speaker was apparently intoxicated at the time. The driver of the car... and, a passenger weren't hurt. Troopers say the unidentified operator had not been drinking... and, no charges were filed.
A Jamestown man is jailed without bail for allegedly selling cocaine to an undercover police officer in the village of Lakewood recently. Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force members say 26 year-old Shane Newberry of Indiana Avenue was arrested late last week by Lakewood-Busti Police on a warrant in the town of Busti. Newberry is accused of selling cocaine in the Lakewood-area for some time. Task Force members say he was arraigned in Busti Town Court on Felony charges of criminal sale... and, possession of a controlled substance. Newberry was sent to the county lock-up. Police say additional arrests are expected... and, if you have any information on illegal drug activity... to contact the Task Force at 800-344-8702... or your local police.
"The times are a' changing..." and, members of the Jamestown High School Class of 2013 were urged to be ready for those changes during last weekend's graduation ceremonies at Chautauqua Institution. Keynote Speaker Ray Fashano is credited with making many of the recent technological upgrades in the district. Fashano pointed out that current times seem to mirror the book "The Tale of Two Cities..." with what seem to be the best of times... and, the worst of times. He said with all the technology changes during the student's lives to this point... life-long learning is the key. Fashano also pointed out that success isn't necessarily indicted by having a four-year degree. He said Friday night that while he went into teaching, and education... his brother, Guy, took a very different path. Fashano says his brother moved to California... and, became very successful in the construction trades. He says the skills needed now... and, in the future... suggest the need for something more than high school -- but, not always a Bachelor's Degree. With the skills they've learned in the Jamestown school system... Fashano says they now have the potential to be the leaders of the new generation. Outgoing School Superintendent Deke Kathman urged the students to pursue their passion... because that's where their success will be. During his remarks... JHS Principal Mike McElrath paid tribute to Kathman... thanking him for his "thoughtful, and caring approach" to education.
It won't be a new car dealership going in the former Red Coach Inn location in Lakewood... however... a lot of cars and trucks will be sold there over the next two weeks. That from Mayor David Wordelman... who says Shults had been approved some time back for a new car location on Mall Boulevard between Five-Star Bank and Arby's. However... the new car sales market is still struggling. Still... Wordelman says there is a window of opportunity during the calendar year that they can temporarily use the property. The Shults Auto Group will be using the property for a "Big Tent" sale. Wordelman says the tent sale had previously been held in the Chautauqua Mall parking lot. He says Shults had contractors on the property... first clearing the old Red Coach parking lot... and, then re-paving the property. The village currently has a six-month moratorium on developing used car lots. However... Wordelman says Shults can develop that property because it was approved as a new car lot.
The New York state Legislature completed its 2013 session by approving four Las Vegas-type casinos for upstate, tax-free zones to attract employers, and cameras to catch speeders in New York City. New York City would be allowed to set up 20 to 40 ``speed cameras'' in school zones to catch and deter speeders. Friday night's final passage of the casino deal means four casinos could be located in the regions around Albany, Binghamton and the Catskills-Hudson Valley area. Two casinos could be located in one region, and that would likely be in the Catskills. The Legislature also approved Governor Andrew Cuomo's plan to give new employers and their employees 10 years of tax-free living if they locate on or near college campuses. The bills will become law when Cuomo signs them.
Efforts continue in Albany to save the NRG Power plant in Dunkirk. The latest development is a request by area State Senator Cathy Young that the State Public Service Commission hold a hearing on the future of the plant in the Dunkirk area. Young says such hearing would be a major help. The P-S-C is reviewing a proposal to convert the coal fired plant to natural gas. National Grid has filed a response to the proposal, saying they would prefer to see upgrades made to the transmission system rather than the repowering project. Young is urging area residents and business to continue to show Albany their support for the project.
Federal officials say New York farms produced more milk and realized higher prices in May than a year earlier. The U-S Department of Agriculture says the state's dairy herds produced about 1.2 million pounds of milk during May, up 2.1 percent from last year. Farmers were paid 20-dollars-60 cents per hundredweight. That was 10-cents more than in April... and $3.30 more than in May 2012.
