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WJTN News Headlines for Feb. 7, 2018

A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect until 4 a.m. Thursday morning... 
 
That from the National Weather Service office in Buffalo's Dan Kelly who says the Southern Tier may see between four and eight inches of snow throughout the day. Kelly says that snowfall today will be wet and heavy in comparison to lake effect snow. 
 
Kelly says the bulk of snowfall will be late-morning on with an inch per hour expected. Additionally, travel conditions will be difficult during the morning and evening commutes. Kelly urged drivers to take caution and allow for extra time to reach your destination as snow-slick roads could cause slippery spots and reduced visibility of a quarter-mile or less.
 
 
 
A resident's group that's opposed to re-opening of the former Jones-Carroll Landfill in the town of Carroll is hosting a joint legislative hearing with the state Department of Environmental Conservation and Sealand Waste tonight in Frewsburg...  
 
Town Supervisor Jack Jones, Junior says the Carroll concerned Citizens will hold the meeting at 6 p.m. in the Frewsburg High School auditorium, to outline it's opposition to the latest proposal by Sealand Waste to obtain permits to operate the Jones-Carroll landfill.  The Carroll Town Board approved a local law in 2007 that bans any new landfills from being located in the town. 
 
 
 
The House of Representatives has released a spending plan includes priority legislation co-sponsored by local Congressman Tom Reed...  
 
Reed says the bill, will fund the federal government through March 23, temporarily preventing another shutdown.  The legislation includes the extension of four health care programs which Reed says are critical to his district.  They include two programs for Medicare Dependent and Low Volume hospitals.
 
Reed says another one of the programs is the Special Diabetes Program.  The Corning Republican, who co-chairs the Diabetes Caucus with Democrat Diane Dugette, has been working to ensure that program was also prioritized.  Reed says the program will continue for two more years to help all Americans, including the Native American population.  He adds the plan would fully fund the nation's military through the end of this year.  He made his comments during his weekly telephone conference call with Southern Tier Media.
 
 
 
The state is getting closer to a goal of providing broadband internet to every corner of New York by the end of this year...  
 
That from Governor Andrew Cuomo, who was in northern New York late last week to announce the start of the third and final round of the program bringing access to high-speed internet.  The Democrat announced in Plattsburgh that nearly $210-million dollars in state funding will provide more than 120,000 homes, business and institutions with broadband, closing the final gap.  The program was launched in 2015.
 
 
 
An arbitration panel will begin meeting in Jamestown next week to begin work on ending a two-year impasse between the city and it's policement's union...  
 
Mayor Sam Teresi says the three-member panel will begin meeting next Monday morning, February 12 at 10 a.m. to begin work on imposing a contract on the city and the Kendall Club-Police Benevolent Association.  Teresi told City Council Monday night that the union's most recent contract with the city expired at the end of 2015 and, it filed paperwork for arbitration last year.
 
Teresi says each side has named it's representative for the panel.  He says the city will be represented by City Clerk Todd Thomas, who is also an attorney by trade.  The Kendall Club will be represented by Albany Attorney John Crotty.  The third and neutral member of the panel is a long-time, state arbitrator Howard Foster of Buffalo.  If the first day doesn't produce a final resolution, Teresi says there will be a second day of arbitration talks on Tuesday, February 13.  In New York state, only public safety contracts for police and fire unions can go to arbitration.
 
 
 
The Post-Journal reports the motion was made by Public Defender Ned Barone last week in the re-trail of 20 year-old Justin Haffa, who is accused of attacking and trying to kill Sheriff's Deputy Sara Cunningham on September 11 of 2016...  
 
At issue is a reported conversation between Cunningham and District Attorney Patrick Swanson about a follow-up visit she had with her doctor after the incident, which occured on Route 60 in the town of Pomfret.  That conversation took place between the first and second trials.  Barone made several motions regarding potential Brady violations, which were denied by Judge David Foley.  The newspaper reports Foley expressed concern with how the prosecution represented itself. Jurors return today as summations begin. 
 
 
 
A lobbyist testifying at the bribery trial of a former aide to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says he helped arrange a consulting job for the aide's wife with a client who needed help from the state...  
 
Todd Howe testified Tuesday in Manhattan federal court against ex-aide Joseph Percoco, his longtime friend.  Howe started the day talking about how he helped arrange the job for Percoco's wife.  Percoco has pleaded not guilty to charges he accepted $300,000 in bribes to help three businessmen get favors from the state.  Prosecutors say Percoco and Howe used the word "ziti" as code to refer to bribe payments.  Howe pleaded guilty to crimes including bribery and corruption and is testifying as the government's chief witness.  Percoco's lawyer says Howe is lying to get leniency instead of decades in prison.
 
 
 
There are more New Yorkers than ever are signed up for health coverage under the state's health insurance marketplace...  
 
State health officials say 4.3-million New Yorkers are now enrolled through the marketplace following the end of open enrollment on Wednesday.  That's an increase of 700-thousand from 2017.  Of the total 4.3 million, nearly 3-million are signed up for Medicaid.  Another 740,000 are enrolled in the state's Essential Plan for low income individuals.  More than 253,000 people are covered by a qualified health plan, and more than half of those received some financial assistance. 
 
 
 
New York's Marist College has revoked an honorary degree it awarded to former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly in 2001...  
 
Marist's trustees cited accusations of sexual misconduct and sexual harassment in a statement about O'Reilly posted Sunday on the college website.  O'Reilly was fired from Fox in April.  The New York Times reported in October that he had reached a $32-million settlement with a former Fox analyst over sexual harassment allegations.  O'Reilly has denied the allegations of sexual misconduct.