There are 36 new confirmed cases of the COVID-19 Virus in Chautauqua County since last Saturday. That from County Public Health Director Christine Schuyler Monday. She says that 12 of the new cases were tied to the current outbreak at Fieldbrook Foods in Dunkirk... and, to date, 75 positive cases have been associated with the food processor. She says there are now 105 active COVID cases in the county, and there have now been 396 total cases of COVID since the outbreak began. There are 282 people have now recovered. There are 384 cases under local quarantine or isolation orders... while 544 persons are under the "domestic traveler quarantine." There have also been 34,268 negative test results to date.
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Schuyler adds the state’s free rapid testing at the Fire Murphy Training Grounds on Brigham Road in Dunkirk remains open from 9 AM to 6 PM through Wednesday by appointment only. All residents are eligible for tests and appointments can be made by calling 833-697-8764.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was tracking the results of rapid testing sites across Western New York over the weekend. Cuomo announced Sunday the results from the first day of testing. Cuomo says the regional infection rate was "high" at 3.4-percent... but, was about 1.5-percent in Chautauqua County.
Cuomo adds has expressed concern over a growing number of infections after several workers at Fieldbrook Foods in Dunkirk tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days. The outbreak reportedly started on August 16th. Interim County Executive P-J Wendel says another worker had tested positive back in June... but, that was an isolated case.
The Jamestown City Council has approved a local law to start a school bus "stop-arm camera" program to catch drivers who don't obey the flashing red lights and stop-arms on school buses. City lawmakers unanimously approved setting up a New York State Demonstration Project at last night's voting session. Mayor Eddie Sundquist says it also establishes a partnership with the Jamestown Public Schools to get the video taken of cars passing the red lights, and stop-arms.
Sundquist told council members that motorists violating the stop lights and arms has been a problem in the city... and, often, unless there is a police car nearby, the driver isn't caught. A public hearing will have to be held on the local law... which Sundquist would then sign to be filed with the state. It would likely be in place shortly after the school year begins on September 8th.
The city council automatically tabled a local law last night that would allow tattoo parlors to be located in certain parts of the downtown area. The move comes after a recent proposal for a variance was rejected by the Jamestown Planning Commission. The new proposal was accepted in committee during last week's Work Session. It was outlined briefly by Public Safety Committee Chairman Brent Sheldon last Monday... who says such parlors would be allowed in C-2, C-3 and R-C Districts.
During discussions over the past month... council members have agreed that Tattoo parlors are much cleaner and sanitary than they were went that part of the city code was last updated. The proposed parlor that initially went to the Planning Commission last year was for a location on East Fourth Street.
A Jamestown man sought by city police on multiple Felony warrants has been arrested for allegedly stealing a motorcycle on the city's eastside Monday morning. City police were called to 118 East First Street about 9:30 AM... and, found the bike in a parking lot with no license plates on it. Shortly after... officers say they found 33 year-old Christopher Dellahoy hiding in the backseat of a nearby car. Police took Dellahoy into custody, and further investigation showed he had stolen the motorcycle. He's charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property... as well as the arrest warrants. Dellahoy was jailed pending arraignment.
A group of Republican State Senators are urging the chamber take up a new bill that would freeze the threshold for overtime for farm workers at 60 hours a week through 2024. Local Senator George Borrello says he's proposing the measure to stop the Farm Laborers Wage Board from lowering that threshold to 40 or 50 hours by the end of 2020. Borrello says the state needs more information on the potential impact of the provision... which is part of the Farm Workers Fair Labor Practices Act.
Borrello is the ranking Republican member of the State Senate's Agriculture Committee... and, says farmers upstate haven't even finished the first year of the new labor law, and are struggling to comply with the 60-hour OT threshold. He... and, several other senators, during a Zoom press conference yesterday... said farming is a "very seasonal" industry.
