Weapons Detection At JHS Doesn’t Solve School Safety Problem

February 7, 2026

The gun found on a student inside Jamestown High School was apparently the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back. When students came back to school on Monday morning, the district was using the OpenGate weapon detection system at the front doors of the high school. It sounds as if students adapted to the change. Some were already familiar with the weapons detection system, which has been used at some extracurricular activities as well as for students entering the Fashano Tech Academy on Fourth Street. We’re sure there are many parents who feel more secure in the knowledge ...

NYS Lawmakers, Remember We Have An Affordibility Crisis

February 5, 2026

Sen. Pam Helming has a simple request of her fellow New York state lawmakers - tell people the projected costs of bills that would expand insurance coverage requirements. Last week, senators passed legislation that shines a light on why Helming’s bill (S.8619) is so desperately needed. Senators approved S.4497 to remove an existing restriction on infertility preservation services that would make more of those services something required to be covered by insurers in New York state. As is the case with most insurance coverage bills that come before the state Legislature, supporters ...

Housing Policy Is New Council’s First Real Test

February 4, 2026

We had said before the end of 2025 that new City Council members faced a steep learning curve before taking office on Jan. 1. Judging from community suggestions brought to the council recently by the Jamestown Justice Coalition, there are some who want the new four Democrats on the council to move quickly - particularly when it comes to housing. We don’t disagree that there is too much substandard housing in Jamestown. And we hear far too often about people who pay their rent only to struggle to get things like broken furnaces fixed or to have water problems fixed quickly. ...

Housing Policy Is New Council’s First Real Test

February 4, 2026

We had said before the end of 2025 that new City Council members faced a steep learning curve before taking office on Jan. 1. Judging from community suggestions brought to the council recently by the Jamestown Justice Coalition, there are some who want the new four Democrats on the council to move quickly - particularly when it comes to housing. We don’t disagree that there is too much substandard housing in Jamestown. And we hear far too often about people who pay their rent only to struggle to get things like broken furnaces fixed or to have water problems fixed quickly. ...

New County Clerk Carlson Is Hitting The Ground Running

February 3, 2026

County Clerk Greg Carlson is hitting the ground running. Less than a month into his first four-year term in office, Carlson is asking the Chautauqua County Legislature to create a position of senior motor vehicle representative to help provide frontline customer service and help supervise daily operations at the DMV. Carlson plans to take an existing position on the payroll to fill the new position rather than adding to the county’s job count. It’s a good solution that provides some operational flexibility in the DMV offices given a state rule that sets a minimum of two staff ...

Will Dems Support GOP Domestic Violence Registry?

February 2, 2026

Everyone agrees that domestic violence is a scourge on our society. The question before New York state lawmakers this legislative session is whether or not they want to try something new to deal with domestic violence. Two bills (A.9538, S.8932) have been introduced in recent weeks to create a domestic violence registry for repeat offenders. The bills aren’t companion bills, which means there are two completely different proposals floating around the legislature waiting for action. If the bills had been crafted by Democrats one would believe the issue could be ripe for action ...