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WJTN News Headlines

State Police in Warren, Pennsylvania are confirming that they have found the body of a missing Russell teenager they believe was murdered.  Troopers tell the Warren Times-Observer that the suspect... 25 year-old James McDaniel -- also of Russell -- has confessed to killing 18 year-old Marcus Mattson.  Warren County District Attorney Rob Greene tells the paper that the confession -- quote -- "gave us the location of the body and the condition of the body."  Greene says McDaniel is in police custody and will be arraigned later today.  He says the discovery of the body and arrest are "a combined effort between the Pennsylvania State Police, Warren County Drug Task Force, and Warren County Probation."  The body was found in a remote area of Youngsville, Pennsylvania... not far from where Mattson's burned out car was found late last Sunday night.  The case is believed to be drug-related... and, a second suspect is being brought to Warren County.

 

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is calling for an investigation of NRG Energy's handling of its Dunkirk power plant.  In a letter to the state Public Service Commission Wednesday... Cuomo describes what he calls grave concerns about the New Jersey company's behavior in the wholesale market and impact on the state.  NRG announced plans to mothball the coal-fired plant in 2012... but, kept it operating through 2015 after receiving more than 110-million dollars from National Grid ratepayers.  Cuomo says NRG was supposed to convert the plant to natural gas... and, he wants to know why that didn't happen and how that's affected consumers.  NRG spokesman David Gaier says NRG stands by everything it's done and is surprised by the letter.  He says the company will respond more fully in the days ahead.

 

Governor Cuomo is in Dunkirk today, making what officials call a "transformational" economic development announcement.  According to a letter from Empire State Development to the county's Chamber of Commerce... the governor is at Dunkirk HIgh School to make the announcement.  The event was scheduled to begin at 10:30 AM.  No other information was made available... but, the governor has included a line-item in his 2016-17 budget for a 200-million dollar project to locate a "commercialization center" in the Dunkirk-area.

 

A strong fourth-quarter last has put the city of Jamestown "over the top" in getting enough sales tax to cover the city's projected budget for that revenue source.  Comptroller Joe Bellitto told city lawmakers at this week's work session that they received just over 1.49-million dollars for the final three months of 2015... which was a nearly a 2-percent increase over 2014. Overall... Bellitto says the city received nearly 5.96-million dollars.  He says the city had budgeted 5.87-million for 2015... so they got nearly 101.5-percent of their projected budget.  While the figures were good news... Bellitto did caution the city may have trouble meeting the 2016 budget... mainly because of lower gasoline prices. Bellitto says lower gas prices are certainly good news for local residents.  However... he says the state, county and local governments get less in sales tax money from that.  Local gas prices are now between 2-dollars-4 cents and 2-05 a gallon.

 

The branch manager of the Eastside YMCA in Jamestown has been fired... and, the head of the Jamestown Y says they are moving in another direction to serve the diverse population in that part of the city.  Jamestown "Y" Executive Director Mark Eckendorf today confirmed that Max Martin... who has headed up the Eastside Y since 2011... was let go yesterday.  However... Eckendorf says everyone there still thinks highly of Martin. Eckendorf says there is concern about the "sustainability" of the Eastside Y... which is located on East Second Street... given the fact it's facing a "significant" funding cut in the coming year. A significant amount of Eastside Y funding has come from local foundations.  Eckendorf says they are looking at eliminating the branch manager's position... and, hiring a youth specialist or program director.  He says that person would be able to speak both English and Spanish. Eckendorf says details of the new position still have to be worked out.  A public meeting on the next steps will be held at 6 PM this evening at the Eastside Y at 727 East Second Street.

 

Governor Andrew Cuomo is urging federal regulators to reject KeyCorp's 4.1-billion dollars deal to buy First Niagara Financial Group and create the 13th largest commercial bank in the United States.  The New York Democrat says the proposed acquisition of Buffalo-based First Niagara by Cleveland-based KeyCorp would reduce retail banking competition in upstate New York, limit consumer access, and eliminate jobs.  Cuomo is asking the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Justice Department's Antitrust Division to block it.  First Niagara has nearly 400 locations in New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts.