New York State police say a fisherman discovered the remains of a woman Tuesday in Cattaraugus Creek in Perrysburg. The Jamestown Post Journal is reporting that the remains are those of 59 year old Kimberly Militello of Gowanda, who they believe passed away shortly after her dissapearance in December 2013. The remains were taken to the Erie County medical examiner's office for an autopsy. The cause of death has not yet been determined. We'll have more details when they become available.
The Chautauqua County Sheriff's Department is one of 39 police agenies state-wide that are receiving funding in the first round of New York's 'Community Overdose Prevention Program.' The program... which was announced by the state Attorney General's Office Tuesday will provide money to help get Heroin Antidote... or "Naloxone Kits..." to the agencies. A-G Eric Schneiderman adds they will also help with training on their use. Sheriff Joe Gerace says his department will be receiving up to 28-hundred dollars for the effort. Schneiderman says the Community Overdose Prevention Program is being funded by seizures in crime investigations... and, will reimburse departments in 30 counties... including Chautauqua... to buy more than one-thousand kits. Gerace says they also want to have at least one in the jail. Gerace says he hopes to ALL their cars equiped... and, deputies trained... within 30 to 90 days. Nearly 100 departments applied for the funding. Schneiderman calls the drug ``stunningly effective'' in stopping an overdose in what has become ``a heroin epidemic.''
The second-annual forum on Poverty in Chautauqua County will be held tomorrow morning in Mayville with a focus on the 50th anniversary of President Lyndon Johnson's "War on Poverty." That from Chautauqua Opportunities, Incorporated Executive Director Roberta Keller... who says C-O-I is again hosting the event at Chautauqua will host the three-hour session at Chautauqua Suites. Keller says they'll look at the differences in poverty between 1965 now. She says they'll be able to show the changes have been fairly dramatic. Friday's forum in Mayville will include such speakers as County Executive Vince Horrigan and State Assemblyman Andy Goodell. It will run from 9 AM to 12 Noon at Chautauqua Suites.
The owner of an upstate fruit and vegetable farm has been confirmed by the state Senate as New York's agriculture commissioner. The Schenectady Daily Gazette reports that Richard Ball's confirmation as head of the Department of Agriculture and Markets was completed late Tuesday by the Senate. Ball had been serving as acting commissioner since January when he was nominated by Governor Cuomo. He has owned and operated the 200-acre Schoharie Valley Farms in Schoharie County for two decades.
A bill that would require labels on food products containing ingredients from genetically modified crops has passed a hurdle in the New York Assembly. The measure was endorsed late Tuesday by the Assembly's Consumer Affairs and Protection Committee. A vote of the full Assembly has not been scheduled. Supporters say labels would inform the public. Many agricultural and food companies disagree, however, noting that there's no scientific evidence that genetically engineered food is harmful. The bill would apply to genetically modified fruits, vegetables and processed foods as well as items that contain ingredients like oil or sugar that are derived from genetically engineered crops. Vermont has already adopted a labeling law. Maine and Connecticut have too, but the requirement in those states won't take effect until other states follow suit.
A delay in the start of the latest construction project to make the Prendergast Library more handicapped accessible has led officials to cancel this year's big, two-day booksale in early June. Library Director Tina Scott says the project was to begin in April... but, bids for the nearly 300-thousand dollar project came in high... and, some changes had to be made. Scott says they received a 294-thousand dollar grant... of which the library will have to provide a 25-percent match. Scott says the current ladies room is upstairs from the doorway... and, the men's room is near the front of the library. She adds the project will now begin in early to mid-June. However... she says the daily booksale -- which began in February -- has gone well... and, that will be continuing. Scott says the library will continue accepting donations for both the yearly... and, daily booksales. For more information on the booksales... call the library at 484-7135.
Gasoline prices across the nation may have reached their Spring-time peak... but, prices still climbed in the Jamestown-area by 2-cents over the past week. The Triple-A's Fuel Gauge reports the price is up to 3-dollars-84 cents a gallon. Local stations are charging anywhere between 3-dollars-82 cents to 3-85 a gallon. On the national front... the Triple-A says the average price at the pump is 3-dollars-67 cents per gallon. This is about 3-cents less expensive than one week ago... but, it's 9-cents more than one month ago. Gas prices reached 3--70 a gallon last week... through the Triple-A says it's too early to know for sure. Drivers in 32 states saw the price at the pump decline over the past 7 days, with the largest decrease in Indiana -- 13 cents. Internationally... tensions between Russia and Ukraine remain front of mind, and the latest round of sanctions is sustaining the geo-political "risk premium" that is factored into the market. The global market also continues to be influenced by disappointing economic data from China and the expectation that delays in oil supplies from Libyan ports will persist.
