Wide range of Winter Weather -- including wind and ice -- returns to Jamestown area, and northeast...
There's going to be a wide range of Winter weather conditions here in Western New York now through early next week... and, a Winter Weather Advisory is now in effect through 7 p.m. tonight. That from Forecaster Jason Alumbaugh with the National Weather Service in Buffalo... who tells us we'll see a combination of rain, freezing rain... snow and sleet through the day today. He adds there will also be gusty winds at times. That added up to some slick conditions this morning... and, still some this afternoon -- especially in Cattaraugus County. Police dispatchers there say the main problem areas are Interstate 86 and Route 219. There were still about two-dozen outages in the National Grid territory in Chautauqua County about Noon... with the largest possibly being in Gerry. With that... the Gerry Fire Department has opened up it's hall as a temporary warming center. Alumbaugh says the next major weather system arrives Friday night... and, is part of the major Winter weather system moving through the upper midwest and south. Alumbaugh says some places in the north county area will be most affected... with up to 8 to 12 inches of snow through early next week. The Weather Service has now issued a Winter Storm Watch beginning at 7 p.m. Friday.
Sempolinski votes no on one-week Continuing Resolution...
The Democrat-led House of Representatives has approved a one-week... stop-gap spending bill that will keep the federal government operating for through Dec. 23. That as Democrats and Republicans bicker over a longer-term measure for next year that would likely spend more than $1.5-trillion. The vote took place last night... and, local Congressman Joe Sempolinski said earlier in the day he would not support it. Sempolinski says that's not even "close to what should be done..." because House Republicans haven't even been part of the discussions. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday that "appropriators held positive and productive conversations" over the past weekend. In his short... 3-and-a-half months in the House... Sempolinski says this will be the second continuing resolution he's had to vote on. He says -- again -- he will vote no... calling it a "horrific process" that does nothing to help America's "fiscal situation." Sempolinski made his comments during his weekly telephone conference call with Southern Tier media.
NYPA approves low-cost Hydropower allocation for coal recycling facility...
The New York Power Authority board has approved a low-cost Niagara hydropower allocation for a coal recycling company located in northern Chautauqua County. The NYPA Board Tuesday approved the 2,550 kilowatt allocation in support of Coal Ash Recycling's expansion, spurring nearly $45-million in capital investment, and creating 20 green jobs in the region. CAR, an owner of landfill sites that hold fly ash... a key component in concrete manufacturing... is planning the expansion project at its Fredonia facility to remediate and process fly ash so that it may be used in the production of low-carbon green concrete. Fly ash is a by-product of burning ground coal to generate electricity. CAR's Chautauqua County landfill contains fly ash produced at the Dunkirk Generating Station in the 1960s through the 1980s.
Dunkirk City lawmakers approve amended city budget...
Dunkirk city lawmakers are going forward with a 2023 budget proposal that includes more than a dozen changes. On Tuesday, the Common Council adopted the amended spending plan by a 3-2 vote during a special meeting at City Hall. Among the changes are the rejection of a $15,000 increase in the city attorney's salary... and the elimination of $30,000 that funds the city's annual Fourth of July fireworks display. Councilman at-Large David Damico says the council was eyeing a "long-term solution." Damico believes the city should be tightening it's belts a bit because of possible recession next year. Mayor Willie Rosas is vetoing all but one of the proposed changes, describing most of them as "careless and political in nature." The only amendment Rosas did not veto is a $2,000 increase in contracted services for the Dunkirk Lighthouse.
Jamestown man arrested for assault following domestic incident...
A city man is accused of assaulting a woman duing a domestic incident on Jamestown's southside Tuesday night. City police were called to the undisclosed location about 9 p.m., and, found that 25 year-old Chevez Brown had intentionally injured the female victim. Brown was arrested for third-degree assault... and, taken to the city jail pending arraignment.
Gasoline prices in Jamestown-area continue falling, but, are still above national average...
Gasoline prices continue to fall across the nation... and, that's been the case again in the Jamestown-area over the past week. AAA East Central's Gas Price Report says a gallon of regular, unleaded gas this week fell to just over $3.89... with some locations now reporting a price at $3.86. That's a 12-cent per gallon drop since the beginning of last week. However... that's still 31 cents higher than this time last year. Nationally... the average price fell another 15-cents to $3.25 cents a gallon at mid-week. That's 53-cents less than a month ago. AAA says the relief comes as Americans are driving less... and, oil prices are remaining lower. According to data Energy Information Administration... gas demand remained low at 8.3-million barrels per day last week, about 605-thousand barrels per day lower than a year ago. The price of crude oil ended last week at $71 per barrel.
