LOCAL HEADLINES 4:45 AM 3/13/13
Most of the county's 15 villages will hold their elections a week next Tuesday... and, many of them have contested races for trustee seats. Chautauqua County Republican Elections Commissioner Brian Abram says there are also two villages with contested Mayoral races. Abram says the big one is in Westfield... where incumbant David Carr is being challenged by Michael Vandevelde. Abram also says there are two Republicans and two Democrats running for a pair of trustee seats there. In addition... he says there's a contested race in the far north county. Katherine Bowker and Linda Aures are running for Mayor. In the immediate Jamestown-area... there's a contested trustees race in the village of Lakewood. Three people are running for two seats there. Abram adds they have the same scenario in Sherman... Brocton and Cherry Creek. There are also four people are running for two board seats in Silver Creek. The races in Bemus Point and Falconer are uncontested. Voting next Tuesday takes place from 12 Noon to 9 PM. Results will be available immediately at Votechautauqua-dot-COM after the polls close.
The county's Board of Elections is using two village elections to test new Electronic Poll Book's that are being reviewed as a paper-less replacement to the current books people sign. That from Election's Commissioner Brian Abram... who says they've already used the new poll book in one village election. Abram says one was assigned to the Fredonia election Monday night. Abram says the pilot program with A-E in Fredonia went "very well." He says there are two advantages to using the new "paper-less" poll books. He says it saves on paper... but, the voter history is put in by a "hand-wand" so there's a record that they actually voted. Abram says they had the state's "blessing" to hold the test trials with the Electronic Poll Book's in two votes... but, there's no word on how soon the book's may be used on a regular basis.
The state is withholding pension payments for cultural institutions and day care centers that have New York city contracts. The institutions include the American Museum of Natural History and the Brooklyn Museum. Budget Director Mark Page says the city has not paid into the Cultural Institutions Retirement System this fiscal year. The decision is based on a review that suggests the number of workers covered by the arrangement was overstated. The non-profits had no immediate comment.
A western New York man whose lawsuit claiming part ownership of Facebook got him arrested wants his criminal case halted. Paul Ceglia of Wellsville filed a complaint in Buffalo federal court Monday seeking to stop the U.S. government's prosecution of him on fraud charges. Ceglia was arrested last October in what the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan called a multibillion-dollar scheme to defraud Facebook and its chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg. Prosecutors accused Ceglia of doctoring a contract he signed with Zuckerberg in 2003 to make it appear Ceglia would eventually receive half-ownership in the Menlo Park, California, company. That contract is the basis of a pending lawsuit Ceglia filed against Facebook and Zuckerberg in 2010. Ceglia's new complaint says prosecuting him criminally for filing a lawsuit violates his constitutional rights.
A Jamestown woman is charged with Felony assault after allegedly fighting with city police while she was being booked on a criminal mischief charge... and, bit one officer. City police say they were called to 614 East Second Street about 7 AM Monday for an unknown woman destroying a garage door... and, fleeing the scene. Officers found the suspect... 20 year-old Mallory White... a short distance away... and she was arrested. However... police say she became unruly during transport to headquarters... and, damaged a rear door to the patrol car. She then is accused of continuing to be violent while she was being booked... and, fought with officers... biting the one... injuring the policeman. She was also arraigned also faces a second criminal mischief charge... and, sent to the county jail without bail.
Lakewood village lawmakers have approved a local law allowing the municipality to override the state's 2-percent property tax cap -- if they need to. But... Mayor David Wordlemann says they don't expect to have to override the cap. Wordlemann says the approval came following a public hearing on the measure Monday night... during which they heard no significant comment. He says -- even if you don't need it -- it's become a formality because sometimes you're not sure if you're over the cap. Wordlemann says sometimes mistakes are made... or there's a miscalculation... and, spending in the budget goes up by more than 2-percent unintentionally. If that's the case... those muncipalities or school districts need to have the local law in place. Wordlemann expects to have the village's 2013-2014 budget out shortly.
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett is expected to ask Attorney General Kathleen Kane to reverse her rejection of a contract to hire a British firm to manage the state's 3.5-billion dollar lottery. Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati said Tuesday that Corbett administration officials told him they are making changes to the contract with London-based Camelot Global Services before they resubmit it. Kane said last month she wouldn't approve Camelot's 20- to 30-year contract because state law doesn't allow the governor to privatize the management of the lottery nor does it allow the expansion of gambling that it would permit. Corbett spokeswoman declined comment... but, says certain changes to the contract wouldn't trigger the need to re-bid it. The administration has a March 16 deadline to respond to Kane's decision.
