Wendel welcome's Hochul's decision on lifting mask mandate in most public places...
Chautauqua County's top-elected official says there will be no local mask mandate going forward in the county.  That from County Executive P-J Wendel in response to Governor Kathy Hochul's announcement that New York State's mask mandate for most public, indoor places has now ended.  Wendel announced late Wednesday that the county will not implement a local mandate.  Hochul stated during her briefing in New York City that counties can still choose to require masks.  Wendel says he welcomes Hochul's decision regarding the mandates... and, says she's been very thoughtful in looking at the data and making decisions.  Meanwhile, Wendel says he is thankful that Hochul did announce guidance for schools... which will still require masks.  That guidance will be reassessed in early March... once students return from the February Winter break.  Wendel says masks will still be required in areas controlled by the Office of Court Administration in the Gerace Office Building, as mandated by the state. 

Whitaker pleased the Hochul is taking thoughtful approach to lifting mask mandates in schools...
School superintendents around the region are happy to see New York state beginning to develop a plan allowing students to go about their day without a mask on.  Jamestown Public School Superintendent Kevin Whitaker is among them... because unlike private businesses, and most other public places... eliminating the mandate is more complicated for schools.  Dr. Whitaker made his comments on our Dennis Webster Show Thursday morning... and says that goes for riding buses, breakfast and lunches, and dealing with positive cases.  He says all those protocals are based on wearing a mask.  Dr. Whitaker adds that local Health Departments will be heavily-involved in the effort to allow students to go about without masks, and limit potential COVID exposures.  Another variable... he says... is the fact that while a number of district's will drop the mandate... some won't -- at least immediately.  Whitaker says it may end up being a "patchwork" of rules.  As with the region... Whitaker says the number of cases in the Jamestown district have fallen dramatically in the past few weeks.  Governor Kathy Hochul says the mask mandate will remain in place until students return from the February Winter Break... and, she sees where the numbers are.
---
Chautauqua County saw the number of new cases fall the past week to 652... but, 203 of those were in the Jamestown 14701 zip code.

Gas prices in Jamestown-area jump 16-cents a gallon over past two weeks...
The price of gasoline in the Jamestown-area over the past nearly two weeks has jumped by 16 cents a gallon.  The AAA's East Central Gas Price reports the cost of a gallon of regular, unleaded gas... began last week at $3.50 a gallon.  At many filling stations in the area... the price is now just under $3.66 a gallon.  AAA cites a number of factors in the increases... including blustery Winter weather, increasing demand for heating oil... and geopolitical tensions involving Ukraine and Russia.  There is concern world-wide that Russia will react to potential western sanctions by withholding crude oil from the already tight global market... and, that's putting heavy upward pressure on prices.  The national average for a gallon of gas surged to $3.44 to begin the week.  The price of oil is now moving towards $100 a barrel.

Reed agrees federal STOCK Act needs to be updated and reformed...
There are serious discussions underway in Washington, D.C. about how federal lawmakers can either reform... or outright ban members of Congress from owning stocks.  There has been talk about updating the STOCK Act, which regulates lawmakers ability to own and trade stocks.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is against any changes... but, local Congressman Tom Reed sees the need to eliminate potential "insider trading" by members.  At the same time... he says it's a complicated issue because family members are often involved... and, transparency is the best way to handle many of the issues.  Currently... Reed says it gets murky when family members get involved in buying and trading stocks... where some family members end up involved, but, they're not elected officials.  The Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act of 2012 is an Act of Congress designed to combat insider trading.  It was signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2012.  The insider trading issue came to the forefront in Western New York a few years ago in the case of former Congressman Chris Collins and members of his family.

Congress gives final approval to Sex Harassment bill...
Congress has given final approval to legislation guaranteeing that people who experience sexual harassment at work can seek recourse in the courts.  It's a milestone for the  'MeToo' movement that prompted a national reckoning on the way sexual misconduct claims are handled in the United States.  The measure is expected to be signed by President Joe Biden.  It bars employment contracts from forcing people to settle sexual assault or harassment cases through arbitration rather than in court.  Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York spearheaded the legislation... and, calls it "one of the most significant workplace reforms in American history." 

18 year-old arrested for sexual misconduct in Kennedy...
An 18 year-old man has been arrested for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a juvenile victim in Kennedy.  Sheriff's officers say the unidentified teen was taken into custody Wednesday on one count of sexual misconduct in connection with a "suspicous incident" in late January.  He'll appear in Poland Town Court at a later date.