Friday proclaimed as "Manufacturing Day" in Chautauqua Co. at Monofrax...
Several current and "future" manufacturers were on hand near Jamestown to celebrate a day set aside for them in Chautauqua County Friday. A number of local leaders... and, about 30 students from Randolph... were on hand for a "Manufacturing Day" proclamation at Monofrax in Falconer. County Executive Vince Horrigan had been in Dunkirk earlier for a P-Tech Program with Athenex... which plans to open a major, manufacturing plant in the north county. In addition to the added jobs... Horrigan noted that several thousand people will be retiring over the next few years, which means the students will be the ones taking over these jobs. Governor Cuomo's local representative, Lori Cornell, was also on hand. Cornell says the great news of the Athenex plant start-up is another indication that New York state is bettering it's business climate. Cornell adds that Cuomo has also supports the program that sponsored Friday's program... "Dream It -- Do It" of Western New York. Cuomo supported the $500,000 Consolidated Funding Application grant for the program... helping it get off the ground. Some students later also got to tour Artone Manufacturing in Jamestown.
"Dream It -- Do It" director pleased with Manufacturing Day activities...
Setting aside a day to celebrate manufacturing is part of the effort to showcase job opportunities... and, show that the industrial sector of the U-S has come a long way. That from "Dream It -- Do It" western New York Director Justin Hanft... who was pleased with the turn-out for the program in Jamestown. Hanft says having state and county officials on hand underscores how much local manufacturing is valued. He says he was pleased with the participation. Officials say 17-percent of local jobs are in the manufacturing sector.... and, those make up 31-percent of local payroll. In addition... those businesses bring in about $4.5-billion a year. Hanft says programs like these are important in breaking the stigma that manufacturing jobs are "dark, dirty and dangerous." He says they're trying to educate to both the teachers and students. Hundreds of local school students have gone through the "Dream It -- Do It" program... which offers programming to expose them to possible careers in manufacturing. In addition to the stop at Monofrax in Falconer... many students today also visited Artone Manufacturing in Jamestown.
Former So. Tier Congressman, Amo Houghton, among former GOP lawmakers renouncing Trump for 2005 comments about women...
Former Southern Tier Congressman Amo Houghton has signed onto a joint statement with 29 other retired Republican lawmakers urging voters to reject their party's presidential nominee, Donald Trump. The Buffalo News reported Friday that Houghton -- who was a moderate Republican -- signed the letter issued by a group of moderate to conservative Republicans criticizing Trump in fairly harsh terms. It says that, by nominating Trump, the GOP has "asked the people of the United States to entrust their future to a man who insults women, mocks the handicapped, urges that dissent be met with violence, seeks to impose religious tests for entry into the United States, and applies a de facto ethnicity test to judges." Asked why he signed the letter, Houghton told the News, "I want my name to be out there" in opposition to the GOP nominee. However... the former lawmakers did not endorse anyone for president.
City woman arrested following alleged Domestic incident...
A Jamestown woman has been arrested for allegedly hitting a man's car... and, throwing several items at him when an argument between the two escalated. City police were called to the scene on Hedges Street shortly after 9 a.m. Thursday for a reported domestic incident. When officers arrived... they say the victim told them that 33 year-old Stephanie Lockett had hit his vehicle with a baseball bat... and, a metal rod. He also said that he was injured when Lockett allegedly threw several items at him. Lockett was found at her home... and, she was arrested without incident. She was arraigned on charges including third-degree assault, and criminal mischief.
National Fuel Gas prices projected to be going down this Winter...
It appears that home heating bills will remain at near record low-levels in Western New York this Winter season... unless it's a colder than expected Winter. Those are the feelings of officials from National Fuel Gas. Spokeswoman Karen Merkel says that on average, residential heating customers should expect their five-month winter bill to total just under $500-dollars. That forecast -- of course -- depends on the weather. Merkel says the cost will remain at $497-dollars provided the weather is more typical for the time of year. Among the factors behind the relatively low heating costs... says Merkel... is the abundance of natural gas and the lowest prices in nearly two decades. She says there is "cost-effective" and abundant natural gas being produced in several nearby states. The only bump in the road could be the return of a colder than normal, similar to two years ago.
BPU garbage and recycling collection will take place Monday...
While it's Columbus Day next Monday... garbage and recycling collection will take place as usual in the city of Jamestown. That from Board of Public Utilities Spokesperson Becky Robbins... who says the Solid Waste Division will be picking up trash and recycleables Monday. Robbins says Columbus Day is not a holiday for BPU employees.
