An elderly Chautauqua County man who contracted the COVID-19 Virus has now died from complications due to the virus. County Executive P-J Wendel says the Department of Health and Human Services was notified Monday of the death. Wendel says the man was in his 80s... and, he underwent Coronavirus testing and treatment at a hospital in Erie, Pennsylvania. The executive says there have now been a total of eight confirmed cases of COVID-19; including the one death. The other seven individuals are recovering at home. He adds that there have been 98 negative test results so far.
The coronavirus may not be as prevalent as it is in downstate New York... but, it's important for local residents to continue to take the precautions to prevent spread of COVID-19. State-wide.. the number of cases has now exceeded 66,000. Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul yesterday urged Chautauqua County residents to continue to practice social distancing and other precautions as New York continues to combat the virus.
Those measures include cancelling school until at least April 15th. However... local schools are out until at least April 20th. Hochul says she is staying aware of the situation locally by contacting local officials... including County Executive P-J Wendel. Of the 66-thousand cases of COVID-19... Governor Cuomo says that 9,500 are now hospitalized... while the number of deaths is 1,218.
Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist is addressing rumors of a possible COVID-19 case in the city. Sundquist says those showed up late last week on social media... and, in other conversations. He noted that "as more COVID-19 cases are confirmed in Chautauqua County, I recognize the need to provide accurate and timely communications to our residents." He reminds residents that the Chautauqua County Health Department, the lead agency for the COVID-19 response, has not publicly confirmed any positive cases in the City of Jamestown." However... he adds that he's said all along that a confirmed case in the City is not a matter of if, but when.
The Jamestown Board of Public Utilities has approved a four-year contract extension with it's 12 Solid Waste Division employees represented by Teamsters Local 264. BPU General Manager Dave Leathers says the revised contract was approved at Monday's meeting and will run through December 31st of 2025. The former contract ran from October of 2017 through December of 2021. Leathers says the new agreement includes a 2-percent wage increase for full-time "Level-One" employees from 2022 through 2025. He says there are three of them. Leathers adds that full-time "Level-Two" employees will see a new, eight-year graduated pay scale that starts at $16.50 per hour. He adds both parties also agreed to health insurance plan contribution changes, starting back on March 1st.
A Jamestown teenager has been arrested for allegedly stabbing another teen during an altercation involving several people on West Fourth Street late Sunday night....
City Police Captain Bob Samuelson says officers were called to the scene -- near Cherry Street -- shortly before 10 PM, and found a 16-year-old boy with a stab wound to his leg. The teen was taken to UPMC Chautauqua Hospital for treatment of the non-life-threatening injury. Samuelson says officers investigated... and, soon after arrested 18 year-old Tyler Hough for second-degree assault. Hough was also jailed on one count of endangering the welfare of a child. He's being held pending arraignment.
