New York state is now coming to the aid of the financially-distressed Chautauqua County village of Forestville. State Senator Cathy Young says she's secured 50-thousand dollars in emergency funds for the village for a new roof... and, other capital improvements that are needed immediately. Young says the grant will provide some relief to village taxpayers who cannot afford the massive property tax increase resulting from the convergence of debt repayments and necessary, emergency building repairs. The Olean Republican says -- "families already are struggling to pay their bills and Forestville has many seniors living on fixed incomes. The situation is not the residents’ fault, and they need help." The county recently helped alleviate the pain of a potential 445-percent tax increase with a 150-thousand dollar loan to the village.
A Rochester woman has been arrested for allegedly getting into a fight with another woman... and, a man during a domestic dispute on Jamestown's eastside early Tuesday morning. City police say they were called to the scene at 636 East Sixth Street about 4:30 AM... and, found that 26 year-old Justina Douglas got into the fight... and, did so in front of a small child. After being arrested... officers say Douglas damaged a city Police Department patrol car. Douglas was arraigned on charges of Felony third-degree criminal mischief... and, endangering the welfare of a child... and, sent to the county jail without bail.
A Republican from the 23rd Congressional District is accused of submitting petitions for two Green Party members to run in this Fall's mid-term elections. The Ithaca Journal is reporting that the Republican... Aaron Keister ... submitted the documents -- with enough valid signatures -- to put Darin Robbins and Amber Cole on the ballot. Democrats and Green Party members are accusing incumbant Republican Tom Reed's campaign of having a hand in the political "shenanigans." They say Keister's action would take votes away from Democrat candidate Martha Robertson. Reed denies knowing about it... or having anything to do with it. However... the Ithaca Journal reports neither Robbins nor Cole will be on the ballot for either a June Primary... or the general election in November. They say Keister allegedly filed Robbins' petition late... and, Cole's address on the petition was invalid. Neither even knew the petitions were being circulated. Reed says nothing in politics surprises him anymore. The Ithaca paper reports the New York Republican Federal Campaign Committee received a 2-thousand dollar donation from Reed's Campaign on March 5th. Two week's later... it says Keitster received just over 768-dollars in pay from the Campaign Committee.
Local Congressman Tom Reed is pushing to have those responsible for keeping "secret lists" to cover lack of timely care in V-A Centers and hospital's held accountable. In the meatime... Reed says he's contacting local V-A Hospitals and Centers to make sure they are adhering to the two-week turn-around for veteran's to get care. He says the V-A Center in Bath had been following the criteria. The Corning Republican says he's "very disturbed" by the story out of Phoenix, Arizona where as many as 40 veteran's died because their cases weren't dealt with in a timely fashion. He says it's apparently not a question of lack of funding... or staffing... but, the director's compensation. Reed says one list would show the actual amount of time from when the veteran came into the center... to the time they were treated... and, another would show that they got the treatment within the 14-day requirement -- even if they hadn't.
New York's attorney general says 39 police agencies across the state are equipping officers with heroin antidotes to help save overdose victims. A-G Eric Schneiderman says initial awards in the Community Overdose Prevention Program, funded by seizures in crime investigations, will reimburse departments in 30 counties buying more than one-thousand naloxone kits. The Guilderland Police Department outside Albany is the first getting full reimbursement: $2,100 after buying kits for 35 officers. Nearly 100 departments have applied. Schneiderman calls the drug ``stunningly effective'' in stopping an overdose in what has become ``a heroin epidemic.'' The kits have two syringes and two inhalers of naloxone -- also marketed under the brand name "Narcan" -- and instructions.
A Buffalo-area man has been arrested for allegedly stealing inspection stickers from an auto repair shop in Sherman late last week. Chautauqua County Sheriff's officers say they received a call from the owner of Ohlsson's Auto Repair on Armenian Road... saying a book of state inspection stickers had been stolen from his business. At the conclusion of the investigation... deputies determined that 24 year-old Joshua Berner of North Tonawanda had taken the sticker's while he was there getting his girlfriend's car inspected. Officers say all of the inspection stickers were recovered. Berner was issued an appearance ticket for petty larceny in Sherman Town Court.
