Local News Headlines
A Ripley man is being treated for serious injuries after his speeding motorcycle crashed into a guard rail in the town of Ripley early Thursday morning. Sheriff's Deputies were called to the scene on Route 76 shortly after 12 Midnight on a report of a single-vehicle accident. Officers say 24 year-old David Baum was southbound at a very high rate of speed when he lost control on a curve... and, the bike overturned before it struck the guard rail. Deputies say Baum was treated at the scene... then flown to UPMC-Hamot in Erie, Pennsylvania. Officers got a blood test from Baum at the hospital... and, say charges are expected at a later date.
Final details were being tended to late yesterday in preparation for this morning's appearance in Jamestown by U-S Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. Roberts will be delivering the keynote speech at the 10th anniversary of the dedication of the Robert H. Jackson Center at 10 AM. Several hundred people... including about 15-hundred school students... are expected to be on hand when Roberts speaks from the center's Fourth Street porch. Jackson Center Executive Director Jim Johnson believes the Chief Justice will gear many of his remarks to those students. Speaking with our Jim Roselle and Dennis Webster... Johnson said Roberts fully understands Jackson's place in history... both on the Supreme Court... and, at Nuremburg. He adds that Roberts himself could wind up making history before he's done because he's in his mid-50s. Johnson says he's served seven years as chief justice... and, if he serves another 27 years... he will be the longest serving chief Justice ever. The longest serving Chief Justice in the history of the U-S Supreme Court was John Marshall... who served 34 years on the high court. You can hear full coverage of Roberts' speech... and, events leading up to it... here on WJTN.
Chautauqua County has finished 2012 in the black... and, the county's top-elected official credits some tough decisions... and, using innovative approaches to produce the savings. County Executive Greg Edwards says the county's year end audit for 2012 shows a 5.8-million dollar surplus for the general fund. Edwards says that's a major turnaround from the significant defict that was projected in 2011. Edwards says the surplus should help the county as work begins on the 2014 county budget. He says the biggest savings stemmed from the merger of the Department of Social Services... and, the Department of Health. Christine Schuyler now heads up both areas... and, their work saved about 2.7-million dollars. While more tough decisions are expected... Edwards says the surplus and efficiencies should help reduce a projected 13-million deficit going into 2014 by nearly 10-million. Next year's budget will be the last one for Edwards... who recently announced that he was not seeking a third term as County Executive.
A top Democrat in the U-S Senate plans to revive legislation that would protect journalists and their employers from revealing their sources. New York lawmaker Chuck Schumer made the announcement days after it was revealed that the Justice Department secretly obtained Associated Press phone records. A congressional official said Schumer plans to reintroduce the 2009 bill. The legislation stalled in Congress in past years. The government obtained the records from April and May of 2012 for more than 20 separate telephone lines assigned to AP and its journalists... including main offices. A-P's top executive called the action a massive and unprecedented intrusion into how news organizations do their work. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to publicly discuss the senator's plans.
Gas prices in the Jamestown-area continue to drop this week. In fact... the nearly 3-cent a gallon decrease means prices have gone down for eight straight weeks now. The Triple-A's Fuel Gauge report says the cost for a gallon of regular, unleaded is now 3-dollars-72 cents. Nationally... the Triple-A reports the average price for a gallon has climbed 6-cnets to 3-dollars-58 cents. That's the largest weekly increase since February. Higher crude oil prices are among the factors for the increase.
