Bob Clark

OLEAN -- Some East Olean properties could be on a boil water advisory into Friday. City officials first reported an emergency water valve repair at 9:33 a.m. Tuesday on Seneca Avenue, one of the major water lines through the city. Water was first cut off to much of East Olean due to the break, with water being restored later in the day. At 3:51 p.m., the city issued a boil...

OLEAN — Groundbreaking on a $7.9 million overhaul of the city’s library is expected this fall. Olean Public Library officials, speaking at the library board’s monthly meeting on Wednesday, noted that bid documents are being prepared for the project and the work will go out to bid within the next month. With bids due back in early October, officials said a groundbreaking ceremony will be tentatively set for the end...

OLEAN – Organizations hoping to make the most out of Cattaraugus Gives will have some help this fall. Throughout the month of October, the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation will once again offer small-group workshops to help local nonprofit prepare for the 24-hour online fundraising event. In 2025, 100 participating organizations together raised more than $371,000, making it the most successful Cattaraugus Gives. To date, the effort has raised $2.06 million,...

St. BONAVENTURE — A focus on wellness was the theme of the year for the Southern Tier Leadership Summit. The annual event, held on Thursday at St. Bonaventure University by the Leadership Cattaraugus and Leadership Allegany programs, focused on sharing new tools and perspectives on wellness, including mental and physical wellbeing in the workplace. The keynote speaker was Kate Welshofer, a former television journalist and St. Bonaventure University professor, who...

OLEAN -- A boil water advisory affecting much of East Olean was lifted three days after it was issue... Olean Times Herald Local & Social

ALLEGANY — Months of hard work and headaches for staff and customers alike came to an end with celebration Friday morning. Store Manager Chris Jones cut the ribbon on the renovated Walmart project Friday morning, surrounded by some of the store’s 400 employees, dignitaries and vendors. Jones said the project’s total cost is between $10 and $15 million, with a proposed 4,000-square-foot expansion on the east side of the building...

ALLEGANY — A new town law looks to improve property conditions in the community. The Allegany town board has approved Local Law No. 6 of 2026, Property Maintenance and Sanitation Law. Supervisor Chris McPherson said the move came following complaints over debris on private property believed to be caused by persons without housing in areas like the Allegheny River Valley Trail and in neighboring Olean. “Our code enforcement officer has...

Municipalities have been relying more and more on property tax cap overrides, the state’s fiscal watchdog reported. State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s office reported that higher costs are just one factor that has led to local governments overriding the state’s property tax cap at higher rates than in the past. “Many local governments are under fiscal pressure, with rising costs and slower growth in recurring revenues,” DiNapoli said. “For local officials...

Local unemployment rose in July while state-level figures went down. The state Department of Labor on Tuesday reported that the Cattaraugus County unemployment rate was 4.3%, up from 4.1% in June and flat from July 2025. The labor force was 32,400 in July, down 800 from June but up 100 from July 2025. The employed labor force was 31,000 in July, down 800 from the month before and up 100...

OLEAN — A push to ban public camping targeting homeless individuals came with requests for action to target the causes of homelessness. The Common Council on Tuesday passed an ordinance to ban camping on public property, 4-2. The ordinance bans camping and establishing an encampment on public property in the city, which includes locations like parks, streets, the Allegheny River Valley Trail and the areas along the city’s flood control...