ALBANY (AP) — New York's new state health commissioner stepped into the role Wednesday, at a time when COVID-19 hospitalizations are on the rise in the state. Mary Bassett, a former New York City health commissioner, spent 17 years developing AIDS prevention programs in Zimbabwe. She's ...

NEW YORK (AP) — Just a day after the U.S. announced its first case of the omicron variant of the coronavirus had been detected in California, health officials announced Thursday it was found in a man who attended an anime convention in New York City in late November. The man tested positive ...

A Dunkirk resident has been charged after he was seen entering an establishment Tuesday through a back window. Dunkirk Police report Thomas M Fafinski II, 38, was nabbed at 310 Lake Shore Drive West after officers were deployed around the location. Fafinski was detained by as he exited the ...

Nine new virus-related deaths were recorded in the last week in Chautauqua County. In addition, the number of people who have tested positive for the virus and are in the hospital continues to rise. There are currently 52 hospitalizations, according to information released Wednesday by the ...

OBSERVER Photo by M.J. Stafford The Dunkirk Fire Department rolled to a basement fire at 27 Leming St. shortly after noon today. Light smoke, but no flames, were visible. There were no apparent injuries. The American Red Cross was called to assist two children and two adults due to the event.

A Shaver Street residence in Ripley was heavily damaged in a fire that broke out Monday afternoon. Firefighters from Ripley, South Ripley, Westfield and Sherman, along with crews from Pennsylvania, were alerted to the fire around 2:15 p.m. The blaze was under control in about 45 minutes. One ...