A Warren County, Pennsylvania man was killed after his pick-up truck crashed head-on with a beverage truck in Sugar Grove Township yesterday morning. State Police in Warren say 26 year-old Melvin Murvine of Youngsville was northbound on Route 27 just after 8:30 AM when his truck crested a hill about half-a-mile south of Route 69. Troopers say Murvine's truck went into the southbound lane for an unknown reason... and, slammed into the larger delivery truck... operated by 48 year-old Scott Williams of Sugar Grove. Police say Murvine was pronounced dead at the scene. Williams was taken to Warren General Hospital for treatment of back pain... and, later released. Police say both men were wearing their seat belts. No charges were filed.
One person is dead following a one vehicle accident in the Town of Pomfret. The Chautauqua County Sherriff's Department reports that the operator of the vehicle was traveling north on Chestnutt Road just before 10pm Tuesday and failed to negotiate a curve. The driver travelled through a lawn before striking a tree. The drivers name is being withheld until the family is notified. The Fredonia Fire Department was also at the scene.
With no tax increase... and, no teacher lay-offs... the Jamestown School District budget was approved overwhelmingly Tuesday by a 5-to-1 margin. The tally was 320-to-68 in a low voter turn-out. Voters also approved a 795-thousand dollar bus proposition. The tally there was 302-to-79. School Board President Joe DiMaio says it was a "good night...." The Jamestown district plans to buy five full-sized buses... and, three other smaller ones with the proposition. Most of the funding will come from state monies. The vote also gave School Superintendent Deke Kathman a budget victory in his final year before retiring from the district. DiMaio was also re-elected to the Jamestown School Board. The Board President received the most votes... 304. Patrick Slagle... who was elected last year to replace Barbara Piazza on the board... was second with 282 votes. Challenger Todd Rushforth was third with 118 votes.
All but one school budget in south and center Chautauqua County passed in Tuesday's votes. The 13.1-million dollar spending plan proposed for the Bemus Point School District was defeated by just 12 votes. District officials say the vote was 215 in favor... 227 against. That spending plan included a 424-thousand dollar increase in the tax levy... and, a spending hike of about 645-thousand. There is no word on what district officials will do in the wake of that budget defeat. However... a 205-thousand dollar bus proposition was approved, 251-to-193. Barry Swanson and Lisa Allenson were voted onto the school board uncontested.
At Southwestern... new superintendent Maureen Donahue saw her first budget plan approved by the voters by a better than 2-to-1 margin. The 25.8-million dollar budget was adopted, 324-to-126. School officials add a companion bus proposition for up to 216-thousand dollars was also adopted by more than 200 votes. Bill Burk ran unopposed for the school board.
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Falconer School District residents approved a 21.6-million dollar budget for the new school year, 167-to-59. There were no other propositions... and, Todd Beckerink and Christopher Hannon were elected to the school board.
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In Frewsburg... district voters approved a proposed, 15.5-million dollar budget, 153-to-95. A proposition to buy two new buses was approved, 159-to-74. Three incumbants... and, one newcomer ran unchallenged for the school board.
Voters in the Cassadaga Valley Central School District have approved a 2013-2014 budget by about a 3-to-1 margin. The vote was 232-to-82 for the 19.9-million dollar spending plan. A 306-thousand dollar transportation proposition for two full-sized buses... one mini-bus, and a suburban was also approved 219-to-88. Jeanne Oag was re-elected to one school board seat with 319 votes... and, Daniel Pavlock was elected with the same number.
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In Panama... voters approved a 12.2-million dollar budget that included no tax increase, 127-to-40. They also approved a 90-thousand dollar bus purchase 129-to-38. Incumbant school board members Robert Delahoy and Greg Hudson were re-elected uncontested...
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In Brocton... voters approved the district's spending plan, 189-to-66. Beth Jagoda and Robert Mead-Colegrove won re-election to the school board.
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Voters in the Sherman Central School District approved an 8.77-million dollar budget that includes a 71-cent per thousand tax rate decrease. The vote was 160-to-37. They also approved a transportation proposition for two-buses... and, one Tahoe. That vote was 151-to-40. Emily Kidd ran unopposed for the school board.
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Budgets were also adopted in the Pine Valley, Clymer, Westfield, Ripley, and, Chautauqua Lake School Districts.
The major power outage last Sunday night in Jamestown that lasted about an hour-and-a-half was caused by a fault in the 35-thousand volt line that carries electricity from the Dow Street Substation to the Carlson Generating Station. Board of Public Utilities' Spokeswoman Becky Robbins says the outage occured shortly after 5 PM... and, affected the city's south and west sides... West Ellicott... and, Celoron. Robbins says a piece of equipment -- known as "termination" -- the point at which overhead lines transition to underground cable... failed... and, is being replaced. She says troubleshooting continues as it relates to the root cause of the failure.
The Ellicott Town Board has decided to hold their meetings on the first and third Monday of the month at an earlier time in hopes of getting more residents to attend. That from Town Supervisor Cecil Miller... who says he had asked for the earlier meeting time for one of their June meetings. However... he says discussion Monday night moved to changing the time to 6 PM permanently. Miller says they very seldom have people attend their meetings... unless there is a controversial issue before the board. He says they're hoping the earlier time will be more convenient... and, with meetings also ending earlier... residents can be home at a more reasonable time. Miller says the new start time of 6 PM will take effect with the Ellicott Town Board's June 3rd meeting.
