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WJTN News Headlines for Feb. 2, 2018

 
Chautauqua County Executive George Borrello says unfunded mandates continue to be a concern for county officials from across the state...  
 
Borrello is back from the annual New York State Association of Counties conference in Albany.  He says one of the biggest issues are the costs that will be associated with Raise the Age, the increase in the age of criminal responsibility from 16 to 18.  Borrello says the biggest concern is about who will be paying the tab.
 
Another concern is the impasse between the State and the Seneca Nation of Indians.  Borrello says NYSAC passed a resolution, urging the state to move as quickly as possible to resolve the impasse.  This was Borrello's first conference as county executive and called it a great experience. He was one of 17 county executives attending the meeting that was held in Albany.
 
 
 
A new institution in Jamestown dedicated to the art and legacies of comedy has received the archive of modern stand-up comedian Shelley Berman...  
 
The National Comedy Center announced Thursday that they received the gift from Shelley Berman's wife, Sarah, on Tuesday.  The archive was collected and stored in Berman's office and contains photographs, scripts and rare footage and audio of his work in stand-up.  Comedy Center Director Journey Gunderson says it includes television and comedy-writing work spanning from the 1940s to the 2010s.  Artifacts also include two of Berman's albums and the trademark stool, which he used on-tour during his routines.  Gunderson says the National Comedy Center is honored to be the institution to house Shelley's archive. The center is to open it's doors during the 2018 Lucille Ball Comedy Festival in August. 
 
 
 
Another 200-plus troopers have joined the ranks of the New York State Police...  
 
A graduation ceremony was held Wednesday at the Empire State Plaza in Albany for 208 new members of the state police.  It was the 206th class to graduate from the Basic School of the New York State Police Academy in Albany.  Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul spoke at the graduation ceremony and state police Superintendent George Beach, II welcomed the graduates to the ranks.
 
 
 
The $23-million expansion project at UPMC Chautauqua WCA is being supported by a$ 26.4-million grant awarded by the state Department of Health in March of 2016... 
 
Operations Director Cecil Miller says the General Contractor is LeChase Construction from the Buffalo-area, which has been involved in several health care projects through the years.  Milller adds, though, that several of the sub-contractors are local.  
 
Miller says there was also a goal -- because state funding is involved -- to have 30% of the expansion projects contracts go to women and minority-owned businesses; he says they are "very close" to that goal right now.  He adds that the out-patient and emergency parking lot will remain closed for about another year, but adds their free valet service has been working out well.
 
 
 
Progress is being made as the TLC Health Network and Brooks Memorial Hospital in Dunkirk continue the process toward a merger of the two health systems...  
 
That from Michael Hughes, Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff for Kaleida Health.  Hughes says TLC has achieved a major milestone and is exiting bankruptcy.  He says that enabled the hospital based in Irving to sign a management agreement. Hughes says work continues on a new facility for Brooks Memorial at a location off Route 20 in the town of Pomfret.  He says they have selected a construction manager and are going through some of the preliminary construction planning.  Hughes says they anticipate the merger between TLC and Brooks within a few months.  
 
 
 
A Jamestown woman was arrested for allegedly driving while intoxicated almost three-times the legal limit on Wednesday...  
 
State Police say they responded to a complaint of an erratically-driving vehicle and pulled over 50 year-old Michelle Hilton on State Route 430 in Greenhurst.  Troopers say Hilton provided a breath sample of 0.21 and was additionally charged with possession of marijuana after Troopers found a pipe in her coat and a canister of marijuana inside her vehicle.  Hilton is scheduled to appear in the town of Ellery Court on a later date to answer the charges.