Breaking News

Local/Region

Attorney general offers advice on SNAP changes

New York Attorney General Letitia James released the following statement as new federal work requirements for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients take effect in New York. “SNAP is a vital safety net that helps millions of New Yorkers put food on the table. The federal government’s new policies risk pushing more families and individuals into food insecurity at a moment when the cost of necessities remains high. “Anyone who receives SNAP should keep an eye out for communications from state or local SNAP officials and contact their local social services ...

Aid available for high energy bills

Experts cite many reasons why the cost of electricity is so high, including aging infrastructure, extreme weather and increased demand, but, no matter what the reasons, everyone agrees that costs have risen dramatically in the past few years. To make people aware of available help, National Grid sponsors Bill Assistance Webinars throughout the state, with a New York State Consumer Advocacy team providing information and contacts. The presenters of the webinar were Kari Kelly and Eric R. Raphael, two of 19 Consumer Advocates serving New York State. The program reviewed subjects such ...

Shakespeare Club hears report on Indonesia

A recent meeting of the 2025-26 season of the Fredonia Shakespeare Club was hosted at the home of Judi Lutz Woods. President Karin Cockram welcomed Club members to the meeting. After a brief business meeting concluded, a paper by Barbara Albert on Indonesia was presented. This is the ...

Hochul meets with WNY officials on tariffs

New York state Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday held a roundtable with business leaders and farmers from Erie and Niagara counties to hear about the challenges they’ve faced over the past year while navigating the Trump administration’s tariff policies. After the Supreme Court ruled the tariffs unlawful, Hochul immediately called for the federal government to return the $13.5 billion taken from New Yorkers. During the conversation, the roundtable participants underscored how the economic chaos coming out of Washington has upended their families’ financial livelihood and made planning ...

GOP wants hearing to seek relief on utility costs

Republican members of the New York state Senate are continuing to voice worries regarding the increasing cost of electricity. Sens. Tom O’Mara, Mario Mattera, and Mark Walczyk, Republican members of the Senate Committee on Energy and Telecommunications, sent a letter to Sen. Kevin Parker, Committee Chair, urging a public hearing on legislation (S.8461A) sponsored by O’Mara that would provide $3 billion in immediate relief to ratepayers struggling with skyrocketing utility costs by allowing unspent funds in NYSERDA’s Climate Investment Account and held by utilities to be returned ...

Jamestown DMV could relocate in future

While there are no immediate plans, the newly elected Chautauqua County clerk says he may explore relocating the Jamestown Department of Motor Vehicles. County Clerk Greg Carlson recently attended the Chautauqua County Planning Board where he went over his department’s operations, including staff, fees, revenue and “potential future projects.” Future projects listed on his report were the digitization of records and possible relocation of Jamestown DMV location. “If anybody’s tried to park there, it’s certainly not ideal and there’s some other issues, too,” Carlson ...