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Randolph school board pledges better communication

RANDOLPH - Randolph Central School board members have spent the summer reflecting after the defeat of its 2026-27 budget - and the board is pledging to do a better job communicating with district residents moving forward. Board members sent a letter to district residents recently thanking voters who cast votes on two defeated budget votes as well as teachers, staff, administrators and other employees. The letter was signed by board members David Adams, Louise Boutwell, Eric Brown, Kyle A. Brown, Daniel Jackson, Julie Milliman and Lacey Pihlblad. "Since the votes, the board has ...

Water Street project with art begins today

Chautauqua County has announced that local artist Erin Ruffino will begin installation of the Water Street tactical bump-out artwork today, with work continuing through Monday. The project is located at the intersection of East and West Alley, closest to 21 Water St. in Fredonia. The tactical bump-out project is a pilot initiative funded through the Chautauqua County Complete Streets Fund and identified through the Chautauqua County Complete Streets Workgroup, a collaborative group comprised of representatives from the County’s Department of Public Facilities, Chautauqua County ...

County official proposes law to help safety of bicyclists, others

On July 9, 78-year-old Mary Husted, who resided in the town of Chautauqua, was riding her bicycle on Chautauqua-Stedman Road around 1 p.m. when she was struck by a vehicle and died. One county official is proposing legislation that he believes would better protect bicyclists and other ...

Speeding found as ‘normal’ in AAA study

Three in 10 drivers agreed with the statement that most drivers think speeding is normal in a new study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (AAAFTS), highlighting how speeding has become normalized on today’s roads. While most drivers agreed that posted speed limits are appropriate, many also considered driving 10 mph over the limit acceptable, and nearly half believed keeping up with traffic is safer than obeying the posted limit. Those attitudes matter because speeding continues to have deadly consequences. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, ...

Comptroller: tax cap overrides increasing

More local governments have reported to the state Comptroller’s Office that they plan to override the property tax cap than in recent years. More school districts, which require a ballot proposition and at least 60% voter approval to override the tax cap, have also reported plans to override the cap. While a planned override suggests that local officials may be concerned about a potential budget shortfall, it does not necessarily mean that they will exceed the cap for that year. “Many local governments are under fiscal pressure, with rising costs and slower growth in recurring ...

WACS board opposes AI robot in classes

At a recent meeting, Westfield Academy and Central School Board of Education members reacted strongly to the news of the Salamanca City Central School District's plan to introduce a humanoid robot into classrooms. "As long as I am on the board, I don't ever want to hear the words AI robot and classroom instruction in the same sentence," said board member Tom Tarpley. Tarpley raised the issue during the board commentary segment of the meeting. He referred to a news story about how the Salamanca School District proposed having an AI robot do classroom instruction. Salamanca district ...