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WJTN News Headlines for June 25, 2018

Jamestown Board of Public Utilities Water Division work today will mean re-routing of traffic beginning at 8 a.m.  for approximately 5-6 hours near the corner of North Main Street and Buffalo Street in the City...  
 
BPU Spokeswoman Becky Robbins says while valve replacement on a water main occurs, all southbound traffic on North Main will be redirected between West 21st Street to Buffalo Street.  Southbound truck traffic will be rerouted down Fluvanna Avenue to Buffalo Street.  Other vehicles will be sent down Fluvanna or up Buffalo Street.  The northbound lane on North Main Street will remain open.  Robbins says water will be turned off in the area at some point during the project.  Once work is completed, the area may see discolored water for 12 to 24 hours.
 
 
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that states can force online shoppers to pay state sales tax...  
 
The justices reversed a 1992 decision that a business didn't have to collect sales tax unless it had a physical presence in that state.  Chautauqua County Executive George Borrello says forcing on-line shoppers to pay a state sales tax would "level the playing field" with local businesses who have to charge that tax.
 
Borrello says if New York state adopts a measure that would require a sales tax online, it would help reduce local property taxes.  He feels such a law will be adopted in the state, but not until 2019 at the earliest, with this year's legislative session having wrapped up this week.
 
 
The nine-week Summer Season at Chautauqua Institution got underway with rain falling at times, but it held off for some of the bigger events last weekend...  
 
That from Chautauqua Spokesman Jordan Steves... who says they got a break in the weather Friday night for the concert featuring Grammy Award-winner Alison Krauss.  Steves adds the weather was also okay for the official "Three-Taps of the Gavel" opening speech Sunday morning in the amphitheater.
 
Today... Steves says the weekly lecture series begins with featured presentations by a number of renowned guests.  He says today's lecturer, American Author John Irving, will be interviewed by New York Times Book Review Editor Pamela Paul.  In addition to Irving, Steves says National Book Foundation Executive Director Lisa Lucas will also appear as part of "The Life of the Written Word" Week at Chautauqua.
 
 
Two Mayville residents have been arrested for allegedly breaking into a home on Valley Street in the village and, being in possession of illegal drugs...  
 
Sheriff's officers say they were called to the scene shortly before 9 p.m. last Thursday and, found 28 year-old Eric Courtier, and 21 year-old Page Zenns inside the residence, and found they had allegedly damaged property there.  Deputies also found the pair in possession of heroin and methamphetamine.  Both Courtier and Zenns were charged with second-degree burglary, fourth-degree criminal mischief and, two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance.  Both were arraigned in Chautauqua Town Court and, sent to the county jail on $50,000 cash bail each.
 
 
Republican candidate for governor Marc Molinaro says if elected he'll reform what he called the state's "failing and bloated" economic development programs that cost New York taxpayers billions of dollars annually...  
 
The Dutchess County executive said during a Friday news conference down the hall from Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo's Capitol office that handing cash in the form of state grants to privately owned corporations needs to stop.  Molinaro says if he wins in November he'll ban companies that contribute to New York political campaigns from receiving state tax breaks or other taxpayer-funded corporate subsidies.
 
 
The state legislature's 2018 session ended with a whimper, but that's not all bad for the organization representing school boards across New York...  
 
That from state School Boards Assocation Executive Director Tim Kreamer, who says there was no final action on legislation to change teacher evaluations.  Kreamer says the leadership in the Republican-controlled Senate and Democrat-controlled Assembly leadership were unable to agree on similar measures.
 
Kreamer says they support evaluation reforms but, they should not include cumbersom new collective bargaining requirement, and "sweetners" for charter schools.  Kreamer says they were pleased to have a couple of measures dealing with BOCES across the state.  He says the main one eliminates a district's contribution to a BOCES capital project from the property tax cap equation.  He says that will incentivize those district's to contribute to those projects.  In addition, Kreamer says the legislature did agree to raise the salary cap for BOCES District superintendents, something that's been a long-standing priority for the School Board's Association.
 
 
There's lots of uncertainty over the future of the NRG repowering project, but the organization that oversees New York's power grid wants to clear the air about the costs surrounding the project's interconnection charge...  
 
NRG had indicated that the charge could reach over $100-million.  We have now heard from the New York Independent System Operator.  Executive Vice President Rich Dewey says the interconnection costs depend on how many projects move forward.  Dewey says right now, there are 27 projects under consideration.
 
Those costs do not include additional costs for the Pennsylvania system.  Dewey says one of the organization's main concerns is the reliability of the system and, he says the NYISO is responsible for that.  He says when new producers or generators come on line, they need to ensure it's reliability.  Dewey indicated that a final decision on which projects move forward is expected to be made later this year.  
 
 
A New York Republican who's one of two World War-Two veterans believed to be still serving in a state legislature has bid farewell to fellow lawmakers...  
 
Senator William J. "Bill" Larkin, Junior cast what are likely his final Senate votes earlier this week as the Legislature wrapped up its 2018 session.  The 90-year-old Larkin served in the Assembly from 1979 to 1990 before winning the first of 20 two-year terms representing a section of the Hudson Valley.  The Troy, New York, native's political career followed a 23-year career in the U.S. Army.