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Challengers need to spice up insipid races

As the month of July melts into the sunset, August begins to turn up the heat when it comes to this campaign season. In both Pennsylvania and New York, it appears incumbents are in complete control with the election 95 days away. Republican gubernatorial challenger Bruce Blakeman is hoping ...

Bean counters often on short end of municipal payroll

Since a much-needed control board is not part of the current equation, the city of Dunkirk is banking on a new comptroller to better steer the fiscal condition for the municipality. In taking the newly created position this month, Tracy Smith-Dengler will be compensated $140,000 per ...

Feather in cap of serving turns into heavy lift

Being elected to serve on a municipal board does not appear to come with the prestige it once brought in Chautauqua County. Instead, it often brings oversized headaches. Within the last year, especially in the north county, debates with the public have become almost as fractured as partisan ...

Area fully plugged in to data center debate

Maybe Portland town Supervisor Rich Lewis and Town Board members were testing the waters in March. That is when the legislative body passed a resolution expressing its support for a proposed data center to be located on the grounds of the former Sugar Hill Golf Course. If anything, they had ...

Unpredictable Iran keeps U.S. on defensive

Nothing is ever a certainty when dealing with Iran. Despite more than a week of waiting for an agreement with the Middle East power and nemesis, President Donald Trump’s team led by Vice President JD Vance, were in gridlock earlier this week. Iran is a master of deception. Even when it ...

Campaign trail in region displays high costs

Western New York had the look and feel of a battleground region last week when both state Gov. Kathy Hochul and challenger Bruce Blakeman made their way to the region. Within hours on June 12, the high-profile candidates were setting an agenda while offering voters a vision for how the next ...