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WJTN Headlines for Thurs., Mar. 18, 2021

Fire crews put out Ellery Silo Fire Wednesday night...
Flames have extensively damaged a silo at a farm in the town of Ellery.  Chautauqua County fire dispatchers say Ellery Center firefighters were called to the scene at 4067 Pickard Rd. shortly before 10 p.m. last night.  Dispatchers say they were joined by crews and tankers from Bemus Point... Stockton... DeWittville and Gerry.  The fire was reported out just before 10:30 p.m.  The cause is under investigation.  No injuries were reported.


County reports nearly 25% of adults have received at least one COVID vaccine... case numbers remain low...
Nearly one-quarter of Chautauqua County's adult population -- 16 and older -- have now received at least the first dose of one of the three COVID-19 vaccines.  The county Health Department reports 25,476 first doses have now been administered... which is 24.34%.  Officials add that 13,079 second doses have also been administered... which is 12.5%.  The Health Department adds that 12 new cases of the virus were reported the past day... bringing the local total to 7,860.  There were no new deaths.  There have now been 7,593 recovered cases... and, 127 cases are now active.  Officials say 10 of those are hospitalized.  They add the infection rate is now .9%.


Gillibrand announces push to have NYS farms more involved with Farm-to-Families program to fight food insecurity...
New York's Junior U-S Senator is calling on the U-S Department of Agriculture to prioritize using New York grown fruits and vegetables to help feed hungry Americans impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.  Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand says she's written a letter to new Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack... urging him to utilize the state's very diverse crop of healthy foods to help supply food banks and pantries across the nation.  Gillibrand says fruits and vegetables also help improve health among people who may be more suseptable to serious COVID-19 illness.  The program... called the "Farmer to Families Food Box" program... was unable to the food sent to everywhere it's needed.  Gillibrand says she wants to see the new program... which is being boosted by $1.5-billion in the December COVID bill... prioritize getting the food to all food insecure people.  She also wants a better flow of reimbursement to farmers.  She says there are and estimated 24-million American adults... and, 11-million children... who face "food insecurity."


Fugitive accused in Dunkirk stabbings arrested in PA...
Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt says an arrest has been made in connection with two stabbing incidents that occurred last Thursday in the city of Dunkirk.  Schmidt says Dunkirk Police identified a suspect following the incidents that occurred in the area of Deer Street.  He says that the suspect, who has not been identified at this time, was found in Pennsylvania.  Schmidt says the suspect was taken into custody on a warrant out of Dunkirk City Court for first-degree assault, and is awaiting extradition back to New York state.  Two men were taken to the Hamot Medical Center in Erie for treatment of their stab wounds.


State Assembly hires Manhattan firm to lead Cuomo impeachment probe...
New York's Assembly has hired the law firm Davis Polk & Wardwell, LLP to lead its impeachment investigation of Governor Andrew Cuomo.  Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said Wednesday that the top Manhattan firm gives the Assembly Judiciary Committee the experience needed to handle the investigation thoroughly and quickly.  Leaders in the Democrat-controlled Assembly said last week they would investigate allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate behavior by Cuomo.  The Democratic governor has denied touching any women inappropriately and has said he will not resign.  Two women accusing the governor quickly criticized the Assembly's choice of law firm.


Reed joins fellow Republicans in slamming Biden administration's handling of migrant surge at southern border...
Congressional Republicans continue to attack the Biden administration's handling of the recent migrant surge at the U.S.-Mexican border.  Local Representative Tom Reed Wednesday placed the blame squarely on the President... saying he should have followed the Trump administration's restrictive border policies.  Reed says Biden clearly said he would stop construction work on a border wall, and that sent a "clear message" to people in Central American countries.  In an interview with ABC's "Good Morning America" host George Stephanopoulos... Biden says his team is setting up a process to allow people to apply for asylum in their home nations.  The Federal Emergency Management Agency has been called in to help.  Reed says Biden needs to be more clear in stating that they are going to "fix our immigration policy, and allow our border to function in a secure fashion."  The Corning Republican made his comments during his weekly telephone conference call with regional media.


Study says minorities underrepresented in Service Academy nominations...
A new report finds that minority students are significantly underrepresented when it comes to  getting nominations from members of Congress to study at military service academies in the United States.  The analysis released Wednesday by they the Connecticut Veterans Legal Center... and, the Veterans Legal Services Clinic at Yale Law School found congressional members have awarded 6% of their total nominations to Black students and 8% percent to Hispanic students.  White students received 74% of the nominations.  About 15% of students in public schools nationwide are Black and 27% are Hispanic.