Cuomo issues mandate for state employees to get vaccinated, or undergo weekly COVID testing...
New York will require all state employees to get vaccinated against the coronavirus by Labor Day or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the policy Wednesday morning in a Zoom call with the nonprofit Association for a Better New York. In mandating either the shots, or frequent testing for government workers, the Democrat is following on the heels of California and New York City. Cuomo also called for "aggressive mitigation" in schools this Fall in schools where their communities are seeing increased infections. He says schools will be "places of congregation," and they can be superspreaders, especially with higher concentrations of community spread. Like other states... New York has seen a rising number of coronavirus cases linked to the delta variant. New infections have climbed more than 400% since the end of June. Cuomo also said vaccines would be mandatory for "front-line" workers at state-owned hospitals. He says that's because those are "points of contact" that could trigger serious community spread.
Five new cases of COVID-19 reported in county Wednesday...
The Chautauqua County Health Department is reporting five new confirmed cases of COVID-19 mid-day Wednesday for the second-straight day... and, there are now 15 active cases. Health officials say this brings the total number of cases to 9,334... while 9,161 have now recovered. There were no new deaths, and no one is hospitalized.
County Legislature defeats motion to keep 23rd Congressional District boundary lines...
It will now be up to individual residents in Chautauqua County to make their feelings known about keeping the county in the 23rd Congressional District when new lines are drawn by an independent commission. That after county lawmakers last night failed to get enough votes to approve a motion expressing those sentiments to the commission. The measure received 11 yes votes among the 17 legislators at last night's monthly meeting. However, Legislature Chairman Pierre Chagnon says a 13 vote supermajority was needed... so it was defeated. He says lawmakers can still write to the commission on their own, along with residents. Only one lawmaker spoke prior to the vote. North County Democrat Christine Starks felt the legislature should not be telling the commission how to do it's job, and she encouraged people to use the data in making their cases to the panel. Starks and her four fellow Democrats... and, Mayville area Republican Bill Ward voted against the motion. Some local leaders have expressed concern that Chautauqua County may again be lumped into a South Buffalo-area district like it was a decade ago.
Three Lake Erie swimmers have to be rescued Tuesday...
Three swimmers in Lake Erie had to be rescued Tuesday afternoon after they were caught by a strong current near Ripley Beach. Chautauqua County Sheriff's deputies say the county's Water Emergency Team was called to the scene in the town of Ripley about 1:15 p.m. to assist Ripley fire crews with a rescue. Officers say the trio... who were not identified... were swimming when one of them got pulled away by the current. Officers say the person began to have difficulties swimming. The other two subjects assisted in getting that person to the cliff face... but, were unable to make it back to the beach do to the current. The county's WET Team, assisted by the Fuller Hose Water Rescue Team from North East, Pennsylvania, were able to pull two of the subjects from the cliff face and secure them in a boat. The third subject was able to climb up the cliff to safety on his own. All three were evaluated at the scene and released.
JCC to be fully open, with classes starting on Aug. 23...
The fall semester at Jamestown Community College starts on Monday, August 23. And the Director of Admissions, Corinne Case, says they plan to be ‘fully open’ on all three campuses. She says they are "very excited" to have students back for class, and student life activities. JCC’s Vice President of Student Affair, Dr. Kirk Young, adds COVID vaccinations will not be required to attend in the fall. But, every student will be surveyed. Those with vaccinations will not be required to mask or practice social distancing, but the unvaccinated will be asked to do both. In addition Dr. Young says, at such time as any one of the three COVID vaccines is fully approved, the State University of New York system will likely require student vaccinations, but that’s not the case now. He emphasizes that any student not able or comfortable attending in person will find plenty of on-line opportunities at JCC as well.
Three North County fire departments called out for mobile home fire in town of Dunkirk...
Three north county fire departments responded to an early afternoon blaze Wednesday at the Lakeside Mobile Home Park on East Lake Road in the town of Dunkirk. Chautauqua County fire dispatchers say Dunkirk city, East Dunkirk and Sheridan fire crews were called to a modular home. The fire was reported by a passerby, and was quickly extinguished. One person was taken to an area hospital. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
