NYS budget late for sixth-straight year, legislature approves one-week extender...
For the sixth-year in a row... New York will have a late state budget, although negotiations between legislative leaders and Governor Kathy Hochul are ongoing.  In a late afternoon press release Tuesday... Assembly Minority Leader Ed Ra said -- "the  only credit Democrats deserve is that, weeks ago, they stopped pretending they were ever capable of delivering a spending plan on time."  With that... a budget extender has been approved to keep the government funded for a week.  Local State Senator George Borrello noted the main sticking point remains.  New York's controversial Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.  However... Ra -- a Long Island Republican -- says "it epitomizes the dysfunction that surfaces whenever Albany Democrats are forced to complete the most important part of their job."  The governor's proposal totaled $262-billion dollars... while Democrats in the Assembly and Senate propose budgets much larger.  Last year... a final budget was not in place until May 8.

Ecklund hopeful city will receive additional, $1-million in State Aid in new budget... but, also says it's time for New York to get real about funding for local governments...
As negotiations continue on a new state budget... local municipalities in line to receive additional, temporary aid... are continuing to push the legislature to do that.  The Jamestown City Council approved a resolution Monday night that urges lawmakers in Albany to add that $100-million to the 2026-27 budget.  The city would receive an additional $1-million of that aid.  However... while appreciating Governor Kathy Hochul's proposal... Mayor Kim Ecklund says there needs to be more, additional, permanent aid... with a better process in place.  She says lack of that makes "budgeting very hard."  Ecklund and other mayors... including past Jamestown mayors Eddie Sundquist and Sam Teresi... often talked about the state needing to increase municipal aid more regularily.  If the temporary aid is added to the final budget... the city would receive nearly $1.6-million in aid from New York state.  

Woman from Jamestown arrested on 17 counts of endangering after allowing her three young children to be unsupervised multiple times...
A city woman has been arrested on 17 counts of endangering the welfare of a child for allegedly leaving her three young child unsupervised multiple times.  Jamestown police say they took 31 year-old Amanda Pearsall into custody Monday afternoon on multiple arrest warrants at an East Second Street address.  Officers say Pearsall was accused of leaving the children... ages 5-months... one-year, and 4-years old... unsupervised in their home in November of last year.  She was arraigned in city court and released pending further court action.

Severe thunderstorms produce torrential downpours and hail in north county late Tuesday...
Severe thunderstorms with torrential rain and hail rolled through northern Chautauqua County Tuesday afternoon.  A severe thunderstorm warning was issued... with several reports of flooding, downed trees and powerlines impacting several areas.  Meteorologist David Thomas with the National Weather Service in Buffalo says the heavy rainfall around the southern tier... causing mostly ponding and lower level flooding.  Some creeks in the region also overflowed.  Thomas reports that golf ball-sized hail rained through the Gowanda area yesterday, which caused damage to houses and cars... and, resulted in the closing of the Gowanda Central Schools Wednesday.  He also reports that the county saw an estimated 2-3 inches of rainfall across the northern portions of the county. 

Jamestown man arrested on warrant, meth possession during street check...
A city man has been arrested on an active arrest warrant and a drug charge following a street check on Jamestown's northside.  City police say they spotted 45 year-old James Hall walking in the area of North Main and West Sixth Streets shortly before 5 p.m. Monday... and, arrested him without incident.  Oficers say they allegedly found Hall in possession of a small quantity of methamphetamine... and, he was additionally charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance... along with the warrant.  He was held pending arraignment.

Gasoline prices continue rising in Jamestown and Chautauqua County...
The average cost for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline in the Jamestown-area is nearing the $4 a gallon mark as the conflict in Iran continues.  AAA East Central reported Monday that the average price for a gallon in the Jamestown-area was 22 cents higher that last week... and, this week started at $3.92 cents.  However... over the past day... some service stations showed a price of $3.96... and, a few were at $4 a gallon... with one at $4.06.  Nationally... AAA says the average price is about $3.99 a gallon... which is 4-cents higher than the past week... and, crude oil prices remain high as the Iran conflict hits the four-week mark.  The national average could reached $4.02 a gallon Tuesday for the first time since August 2022 when the Ukraine-Russian War broke out.  Gas demand is also on the rise as spring break season continues.  The Energy Information Administration reports gasoline demand increased last week... but, total domestic gas supply decreased.  

Boil Water Order lifted Tuesday in Fredonia...
The Boil Water Order in the north county village of Fredonia was lifted Tuesday after two consecutive days of testing found turbidity levels safe for consumption.  That from the village, and Chautauqua County Health Department.... who add this also goes for customers in the town of Pomfret.  Officials say operations have returned to "normal..." and, testing indicates that the water in the distribution system is safe for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing teeth, and making coffee.