When Gina and Dave Kron made the decision to dedicate the proceeds from Tim Hortons’ annual Smile Cookie Campaign to the Boys & Girls Club of Northern Chautauqua County, they never would have imagined the…
Homelessness falling in state, not county
Homelessness is falling across the state through the end of 2025 - but not in Chautauqua County. The rate of…
Storage barn tops projects list for city
A new salt barn was the first thing Dunkirk’s planning and development director mentioned Tuesday when asked about projects his…
Dunkirk looks to wrap up Eminent Domain proceedings
Finally, some good news comes from an update regarding the Shorewood Water District in the town of Dunkirk. After a…
Rewards of a walk: Finding friends, religion on The Way
Editor’s note: This is the third and final installment of the series. Experiencing the aches and pains of long distance…
Patterson Library kicks off Early Bird Raffle
WESTFIELD --- The countdown has begun! Patterson Library’s Annual Auction & Chicken Dinner will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 19,…
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TRENDING
Local/Region
Group seeks donations to help with hurricane recovery work
A local organization that went down south a few times to help communities recover…
Jamestown police are warning those who own Kia vehicles to be aware of a rash of…
JPD warns public of rash of Kia thefts
Chautauqua County 4-H youth were excited to be back at the fair. Squeals of excitement were…
Swine winners announced at county fair
Volunteers needed for United Way’s second annual Day of Caring
Local Sports
Out of gas
BRADFORD, Pa. — Injuries limited the Pennsylvania roster to the minimum size for the…
New deer rules: simple goals, more complexity
Broncs have arrived for Gerry Rodeo
PITTSFORD (AP) — Tests revealed Buffalo Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson strained his lower right calf, three…
Bills safety Gardner-Johnson sustained calf strain
Latest news
Pennsylvania edges New York in Big 30 football game
BRADFORD, Pa. — Injuries limited the Pennsylvania roster to the minimum size for the Big 30 All-Star Charities Classic football game against New York at Bradford Area High School’s Parkway Field on Saturday. The depleted hosts were hoping for an early boost and it came right away. New York attempted to catch Pennsylvania off…
The OBSERVER’s View
Making proper call on robot teacher
The state Education Department was right to ask the Salamanca City Central School District to pause its plan to launch a pilot program featuring a Realbotix educational robot and digital avatar in its high school STEAM program during the upcoming school year. There are a lot of unanswered questions that should be answered before…
Perfect solution in village parking debate
The OBSERVER’s View: Another high cost for SUNY to absorb
Surging prices impacting summer travel
Obituaries
Nancy A. Winkler
Nancy A. (Majka) Winkler, 83, of Sheridan, passed away on Friday, July 31, 2026 at Brooks Memorial Hospital. Relatives and friends are welcome to attend Calling Hours on Wednesday, August 5, 2026 from 4-7 p.m. at the R. Mackowiak Funeral Home, Inc.; 56 East Doughty Street, Dunkirk, NY. A Mass of Christian Burial will…
Arlene E. Miller
Gloria E. Schmonsky 1929-2026
Frances L. Zolnoske 1942-2026
Commentary
County needs responsible rules before costs grow
Chautauqua County has already encountered a warning about poorly governed artificial intelligence. The OBSERVER reported that the county Law Department sought another paralegal after AI-assisted Freedom of Information Law requests contributed to a sharp increase in workload. This problem deserves more than another staff position. It calls for a practical system that preserves public…
Power can be dangerous in wrong hands
Don’t cancel village version of Must See TV
Time to speak up on quieting village residents
Sunday Lifestyles
Power can be dangerous in wrong hands
The information here comes from books written by legitimate historians along with reputable news media and/or internet sources. The first amendment of our Constitution allows me to express these facts and opinions. Adolf Hitler was born to a relatively poor family in Austria-Hungary. After moving to Germany, he enlisted in the Bavarian Army at…