A north county teenager has been arrested for allegedly pulling a box knife, and injuring a 26 year-old man during an altercation in the village of Silver Creek late last Saturday night...  

 

Sheriff's officers say they were called to the scene on Rix Street about 11 p.m. and found the 19 year-old male was in a vehicle when he was confronted by the older man.  He's then accused of pulling the knife and cutting the 26 year-old, who was treated at Lake Shore Hospital in Irving.  Deputies say the 19 year-old was arrested following a brief investigation for second-degree assault.  He was arraigned in Silver Creek Village Court.. and, sent to the Chautauqua County Jail on $100,000 cash bail, $200,000 property bond.

 

 

There is good news for residents who are part of the city of Dunkirk's water system...  

 

Early last weekend, the Chautauqua County Department of Health and Human Services lifted the boil water advisory for system users.  Environmental Services Director Mark Stow says the affected area included the city and water districts in the towns of Dunkirk and Sheridan.  Water samples collected on March 29 and March 30 from the affected area show that the water is safe to drink and can now be used for all purposes.  

 

 

U-S Senator Charles Schumer says he wishes new Veteran's Administration Secretary Ronny Jackson the best, but says there is concern over President Trump's decision to replace past secretary David Shulkin...  

 

Schumer, who is Senate Minority Leader, says he thought that Shulkin did a "good job."  The Obama Administration hold-over, though, had become controversial over the past year with what critics say were "wasteful and unethical actions" during a 10-day trip on V-A business.  Schumer says Shulkin was fairly popular with veteran's groups.  He says lawmakers in the most recent omnibus spending bill added one-billion dollars to veteran's dealing with mental health issues, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. 

 

Schumer says the $1.3-Trillion spending bill includes $4-billion in additional money to help V-A facilities, such as the one in Canandaigua in Western New York that's had trouble in recent years.  Back to the V-A Secretary, President Trump has tapped long-time White House doctor Admiral Doctor Ronny Jackson to be the new head of the V-A.  He made his comments during last Friday's visit to the National Comedy Center in Jamestown.

 

 

Lawmakers in New York state have approved a new, just over $168-billion state budget that includes surcharges on taxi, Uber and Lyft rides in Manhattan and a new state sexual harassment policy written following the #MeToo movement...  

 

Members of the state Senate and Assembly worked into the early morning hours today to complete their work on the spending plan before a new fiscal year begins Sunday.  State Senator Cathy Young says the approval came after the Governor issued a "message of necessity", which was needed to be able to vote on budget bills.  Young says lawmakers were briefed on what was in the bills as they were approved by leadership.  The budget includes one-billion dollars in new education spending, investments in water quality and money to fight Lyme disease.  It contains one notable new tax, a fee on opioid manufacturers and distributors that will raise funds to combat addiction. 

 

 

Most of the total reconstruction of the South Main Street Bridge in Jamestown begins today, and that means motorists should watch for detours...  

 

Mayor Sam Teresi says about a third of the approximately $4-million project has been completed by Chautauqua County and the state Department of Transporation.  Teresi says this will be the second-phase of the two-phase project and will help preserve the integrity of the historical span.  Teresi says the project is being undertaken by the county's Department of Public Facilities with 90% of the cost is being born by the state and federal governments, while the county is providing the other 10%.  He says the city is providing some in-kind services.

 

 

The head of the newly-merged Brooks-TLC Hospital System says officials are still looking to break ground on their new facility in the town of Pomfret later this Spring...  

 

That from President and Chief Executive Officer Mary LaRowe, provided a recent update on plans for a new facility for Brooks Memorial on East Main Road, just east of Fredonia.  LaRowe says they are still working on their formal application to the state Health Department.

 

If construction on the 29-bed facility can get underway this spring, LaRowe says completion for the new hospital is slated for some time in 2019.  The new Brooks-TLC facility will be located on 25-acres of land and will be affiliated with Kaleida Health.

 

 

State environmental officials say Lake Ontario Chinook salmon fishing in 2017 was the best in more than 30 years...  

 

The Department of Environmental Conservation has surveyed Lake Ontario boat anglers to estimate fishing quality and harvest annually since 1985. Surveys showed anglers had the highest catch rate ever recorded last year.  DEC estimates that anglers caught 96,000 and kept nearly 54,000 Chinook salmon in 2017.  Chinook or "king" salmon are the largest Pacific salmon in the Great Lakes and are fierce fighters on the line. 

 

 

New York state's trout fishing season has begun...  

 

The state's season actually kicked off on Sunday.  The state Department of Environmental Conservation says it will stock more than 2-million catchable-size trout in 315 lakes and ponds and in roughly 2,800 miles of streams around the state.  The state estimates that 647,000 anglers fish for trout in New York.