During a blustery, bone-chilling February morning last year, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer was joined by about a half-dozen north county veterans as he called for additional health-care assistance for those who may have been touched by Agent Orange during their service to the United States in ...

Former town Supervisor Frederic “Nick” Norton remembers the long grind associated with making green energy become a reality in Arkwright. Some of it was on the local end, but the larger struggle was really on the next level with New York state. That was a headache, to say the least. ...

David C. Bryant had a knack for looking ahead while reflecting on the past. It was a part of his love for life and passion for this community. You could see it in his brilliant smile — and in the relationships he built that led to a renovation of many historic structures that dot the ...

Here is the real problem with the public sector’s perception of the $16 billion deficit that is currently facing New York state. It can be summed up in three words: Ripley Central Schools. Smallest of the 18 Chautauqua County districts, serving less than 160 students from prekindergarten to ...

Ready or not, it appears a change that goes through the heart of downtown Jamestown is just around the corner. For some, the adjustment will take us out of a comfort zone. Last week, state Department of Transportation representatives held a virtual public hearing regarding the proposed ...

State Sen. George Borrello was taking a page from U.S. Rep. Tom Reed’s playbook. In order to make things happen, do it collaboratively and for the greater good. In this instance, it was a perfect and unlikely match. Republican and upstate representative Borrello teamed with a downstate ...

GOWANDA — Big names gathered outside the Gowanda Correctional Facility just days before Christmas. Only 24 hours earlier, state Gov. Andrew Cuomo let the bomb drop that has the potential to change the pulse in this community for years to come: the prison was slated for closure. Republicans, ...

Tempers had been simmering for the first 11 months of 2020 in Dunkirk City Hall, but it was nothing like this. After Common Council approved a $24 million budget that included increases to the sewer rate and tipping fee — which goes toward garbage collection — at the beginning of December, ...

Late Tuesday evening, a nurse practitioner took to Facebook to share her plight regarding the rapid COVID-19 increases that are taking a toll on every portion of this region. Her plea was simple and to the point: right now, the virus is “scary.” “Listen up Chautauqua County! I praised ...

Exactly 29 days before life as we knew it dramatically shifted from coming together to staying apart, Michael Mansfield attended his first Dunkirk Board of Education meeting. The lifelong Chautauqua County resident was being announced as its new superintendent. “We want to improve ...

Keeping Dunkirk and Western New York’s greatest natural asset as pristine as can be relies on cooperation and goodwill from neighboring states and cities as well as Canada. Last week, during a press conference in Erie, Pa., 13 organizations released a blueprint designed to protect the Lake ...

Twenty viewers were able to watch what was happening during the Dunkirk Common Council meeting via the feed from Dunkirk Access through the YouTube Channel on Tuesday night. Pictures, however, did not tell the whole story. In a meeting that lasted about 21 minutes, the audio difficulties ...

Around one year ago today, the wheels were set in motion. Board members and the administration of the Brooks-TLC Hospital System Inc. announced the Lakeshore Hospital campus in Irving would be closing within the coming months. Unexpectedly, the quick, closed-door decision was met with anger, ...

Chautauqua County Legislator Lisa Vanstrom’s prayer, offered Wednesday night to begin the monthly Legislature meeting via Zoom, has gone unanswered in Mayville for the last five years. “Strengthen (local elected representatives) with the wisdom and the grace for the heavy burdens they carry ...

SILVER CREEK — Surrounded by plastic dividers in a conference room while being 6 feet apart and wearing a facial covering, Superintendent Todd Crandall spoke with pride in the work done by his staff as students were entering the high school building on Monday. Coming through the front door in ...

As an election approached, a battle was brewing inside the membership committee of the Chautauqua County Democratic party. It had nothing to do with the upcoming vote involving three local candidates vying for positions of importance and influence. It instead revolved around the appointment ...

Campaign season, even in a world not facing a pandemic, never comes across as normal. With early voting already in full swing since Saturday, it appears many have made up their mind regarding the slate of candidates. This year’s race for president has plenty of prominence for those in ...

Congressional candidate Tracy Mitrano was shaken as she appeared on a Zoom meeting with Southern Tier media on Monday afternoon. It was earlier that same morning, incumbent U.S. Rep. Tom Reed and members of his campaign team singled out the challenger while winning an endorsement from the ...

Economically, we were stuck in neutral. Many area businesses, in the midst of a global pandemic, had been forced to close their doors while restaurants could only serve take-out meals as New York state endured some 64 days in a “pause.” From March 15 to May 18, only essential workers were ...

State Assemblyman Andrew Goodell was losing his patience. While making a point at an October 2018 League of Women Voters debate, during a rebuttal session with then challenger Judith Einach, moderator Marcia Merrins interjected. She asked the incumbent to stay on the topic about whether ...