The ability to find new ways to increase revenues and, made dozens of small and big cuts, has allowed Chautauqua County Executive George Borrello to propose a no-tax increase budget for 2019....  

Borrello presented his first tentative spending plan to the legislature at last night's monthly meeting.  He presented a handful of big ways he was able to cut spending, and increase revenues.  One significant cut involves re-bidding the county's employee health insurance, which is eight-percent of the entire budget.

Borrello says the county had to make an "accounting adjustment" to begin the process, which required $4.2-million to be moved from the undesignated fund balance to their capital reserve fund.  With that, he says the budget team decided to use $3.4-million more into roads and bridges and, upgrade equipment for the Public Facilities Department.  Through his "bushel full of pennies" philosophy, Borrello says most department heads were able to meet -- or exceed their own budget targets in the just over $254-million budget.  The legislature begins hearings on the budget next week.

A 15 year-old boy was struck by a single gun-shot fired by someone during an apparent drive-by shooting in Warren County's Eldred Township...  

State Police in Warren say someone in a vehicle fired the round at a residence in the 14-hundred block of Fiddlersgreen Road about 4:45 Wednesday morning.  Troopers say the suspect vehicle then fled the scene.  Police say the teenager was taken to Titusville Hospital for treatment.  Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call State Police at 1-814-728-3600 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-832-7463.

A condemned house that's been a serious blight on an eastside street in the city of Jamestown will soon be torn down and it won't be too soon for the neighbors there...  

The matter regarding the property at 42 Eagle Street was first brought up just over a week ago after the man told a council member that he had brought the property from the previous owner for a dollar.  However, the man has been living outside the home in a tent with no means to upgrade the property.  A woman from the neighborhood says the man is nothing more than a vagrant.

The woman, who wished not to be identified, says all the proper channels to get the property condemned have been gone through.  Mayor Sam Teresi says he and the Department of Development fully-agree with the residents there.  Teresi says, if the man living on the property has the means later to buy and rehabilitate the property, there are plenty of others in the city that would be better suited than the one on Eagle Street.

The Jamestown YMCA has been looking into options to become more financially responsible with resources over the past two years, in order to provide members with programs they want to see in facilities...  

However, an reported petition to "Save the Lakewood YMCA" has been circulating and, local YMCA Chief Executive Officer Mark Eckendorf says it's produced a "misunderstanding."

Eckendorf says the Jamestown YMCA is working with a professional company to do a feasibility study with "due diligence" by asking community members their feelings about consolidation and the possibility of a new YMCA location via telephone and email.  In a printed released, he says the 'Y' has been "part of this community for more than 157-years and will continue to be a part of this community for many more".  Again, the Lakewood YMCA is NOT closing and all programs will continue as is.  Eckendorf says nothing is immediate and all discussions are only exploratory.  

Congress has passed a bill that includes $75-million each year through 2025 to clean-up nuclear waste at the West Valley Demonstration Project in Cattaraugus County....  

Local Representative Tom Reed announced the approval late Tuesday and, says he's been proud to be "an unrelenting advocate" for West Valley.   Reed adds that he worked to ensure there would be a "fair amount of funding for the complete and total cleanup of this nuclear site."  He says the bill offers "clarity and, ensures the health and safety of our environment for years to come.  He also urged his colleagues in the Senate to quickly pass our bill to reauthorize this vital nuclear cleanup project while speaking on the House floor.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has blamed upstate weather for prompting people to flee to other states....  

The Democrat, who is up for re-election this November, told reporters Tuesday that while job losses and high taxes once drove people to leave New York, his administration has ended that trend and improved the local economic situation.  He says many of the New Yorkers leaving the state now are doing so for personal reasons or decisions that he called "climate based."  The comments came after Cuomo's Republican challenger, Marc Molinaro, said Cuomo has failed to stem the number of New Yorkers leaving for states with lower taxes and more jobs.