Hochul Is 5% Right On Plan To Lower Energy Costs In The Empire State

January 17, 2026

Gov. Kathy Hochul has heard the pleas from state residents who want something to be done to decrease the cost of living in the Empire State. Helping lower state residents’ home heating and power bills while, at the same time, making sure the supply of power is plentiful, is a good place to start. So we’re encouraged to hear Hochul is advancing a new initiative, the Nuclear Reliability Backbone, directing state agencies to establish a clear pathway for additional advanced nuclear generation to support grid reliability. The Nuclear Reliability Backbone will be developed by a new ...

Langworthy’s Office Closure Sign Of Times

January 15, 2026

Our political discourse is not in a good place across the country. The closure of Rep. Nick Langworthy’s Jamestown office after what the congressman termed credible threats and calls for violence directed at Langworthy is proof of that. It would be nice to see charges if the threats are credible, as Langworthy says they are. Given vandalism at Langworthy’s office in Jamestown and a suspicious package sent to Langworthy’s Clarence office, both of which took place within the past 12 months, we can understand the need for caution if only to protect Langworthy’s office staff who ...

Family Receives Closure That Eludes Too Many

January 14, 2026

The family of Kala Hodgkin will receive some semblance of justice with Michael Burham’s guilty plea to a charge of first-degree murder. Hodgkin accused Burham of forcibly raping her two months before her death and was shot dead in her home by him after he was charged but before he was arrested. Burham will be sentenced March 2 and is expected to receive a prison sentence of 25 years to life. Burham is currently serving time behind bars in the kidnapping of an elderly Pennsylvania couple. The plea brings to a close one of the more shocking Jamestown crimes in recent history. Burham ...

It’s Time For-Profits Lead Downtown’s Renaissance Trend

January 13, 2026

There should be some excitement after the recent New Year’s Day announcement that TheZone, a long-awaited and discussed addition to the Northwest Arena, will open later this year. Arena officials kicked off the $4 million fundraising campaign in August 2021 for an interactive indoor sports and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) children’s play experience that will provide children hands-on exhibits that blend sports with STEAM learning. It is expected to include interactive physics-based sports challenges and high-tech engineering stations and artistic ...

Time Is Now For Community To Engage With Study

January 12, 2026

We’re sure William Schneider, Panama mayor, has many of the same concerns as the Panama residents he represents when it comes to the proposed fate of the Panama school building as a study of a possible merger of the Panama, Clymer and Sherman school districts begins. But we appreciate Schneider’s comments on the issue during the most recent Panama Village Board meeting. Panama and Clymer have been down this road before, and Schneider’s comments encouraging public participation in the merger study process are words we hope residents of all three communities take to heart. ...

As It Moves Into New Phase, JRC Needs To Find Right Leadership

January 10, 2026

We’ve long thought it was important to have someone whose sole focus is downtown Jamestown. So we’re encouraged by the seeming reinvigoration of the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation announced earlier this week by the non-profit’s board after six months of inactivity that began last June. This version of the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation is stripped down, notably with no mention of housing and neighborhoods that was part of the JRC’s mission for roughly 15 years before the 2025 shutdown. Also not mentioned is events, which had been part of the group’s mission since ...