Latest news with #BillyJones
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Plattsburgh Barracks Veterans Park improvements coming this year
PLATTSBURGH — Work on the Plattsburgh Barracks Veterans Park is expected to kick off later this year. Last Veterans Day, the City of Plattsburgh and members of the Plattsburgh's Disabled American Veterans chapter were presented with a $125,000 Dormitory Authority of New York or 'DASNY' grant by Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Chateaugay Lake) to improve the Plattsburgh Barracks Veterans Park, which is located on the former Air Force Base where the North Country Honor Flight ceremonies take place. 'It is so important to honor our local veterans for all their sacrifices, and this park is one way to not only recognize their dedication and service, but also to celebrate Plattsburgh's military history,' Jones said. 'Members of the DAV and the City of Plattsburgh work diligently to maintain and preserve this park, and I am honored to help them in their mission.' With the state funding, the city and members of the DAV plan to make renovations to the park, including improving the sidewalks and installing new lights. 'We're going to redo the lights and do a lot of the groundwork there,' Mayor Wendell Hughes said recently. 'I'm hoping, if we can get it done by, in between the second and third (Honor) flight, would be amazing so we can have it for the second half … but again, I'm not promising that.' The first flight of the year took place May 17. The next three will fly out of Plattsburgh on June 28, Sept. 6, and Oct. 4. According to a recent city resolution, the DASNY grant budget did not include funding for professional services to oversee the project and compile engineered design specifications before it goes out to bid for construction, so the city had to hire someone for these services. At their May 15 meeting, city councilors awarded a $2,500 Professional Service Agreement to Barton & Loguidice, which will now include providing oversight for the implementation of the DASNY grant. The council approved the resolution unanimously.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Jones gets $300K for Battlefield Memorial Gateway project, donations still needed
PLATTSBURGH — The Town of Plattsburgh's Battlefield Memorial Gateway project just got a $300,000 boost in funding before it advances construction on phase two this year. Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Chateauguay Lake), who was critical in getting funding for phase one of the project, secured the substantial support once again. 'I've fallen in love with this project,' Jones said at a news conference at the Plattsburgh Town Hall Friday. 'Any time you can bring an attraction to a region that honors our significant historical past, as well as thanking and honoring our veterans past and present, I think it's a home run.' The Battlefield Memorial Gateway or 'BMG,' located off Route 9 on the shores of Lake Champlain just south of the City of Plattsburgh, will be a premier veterans park dedicated to the area's rich history and will connect generations new and old when it's completed. PHASES The project first launched in 2017 and it was planned to be rolled out in phases. Phase one was completed in the fall of 2023 and included the outline of the park area and the Purple Heart Community walking trail, which is connected with the City of Plattsburgh's Terry Gordon Bike Path. Phase 2 will focus on completing Remembrance Plaza, which, among many of its features, will include medallions to represent each branch of the armed services, and is expected to be completed by the Battle of Valcour Island's 250th anniversary in October of next year. 'This space is meant to be an elevated premier space that's going to last generations,' Plattsburgh Supervisor Michael Cashman said about Remembrance Plaza. The town is sending out construction bids May 8. However, Cashman said the Trump Administration's proposed tariffs have left them with some uncertainty. 'We have recalibrated products in the face of the developing tariffs. Everything from the type of stone to the types of metals and other materials to build this,' he said. 'We, in theory, could get back some bids that we cannot afford. That's just the reality of the situation … What we've really tried to do is be very, very strategic so that we can continue to advance this project.' RAISING MONEY The first way is getting the message out that the BMG project still needs plenty of donations from the community. The full cost of the project will be around $6 million and Cashman said they have spent upwards of approximately $2 million so far. 'We are calling upon our community to support this largely veteran-led program. Cash is king, unfortunately. It's the most flexible way for us to be able to address the needs of this project and the many amenities that are represented in the project,' he said. 'But what we have done in a very creative fashion is we've taken the Remembrance Plaza, for example, and we've identified key features, key items that if there are individuals in our community that they would like to sponsor, underwrite or provide direct resources, like stone material, they could provide just that material. If they wanted to provide benches, they could provide just benches … it's not just cash donations that we're looking for.' Cashman said donating items that can be raffled off are another option for those looking to contribute to the project in a non-monetary way. One person donated a camper, another donated a painting, he said as an example. This summer's inaugural Michigan Fest on Aug. 2, will also be a big fundraiser for the BMG. 'There's lots and lots of ways to support the Battlefield Memorial Gateway … we have a lot to celebrate,' Cashman said. BREAKING GROUND The town is hoping to break ground on phase two late this summer. 'I'm hoping that by the end of May, we'll have a better position of where we're going to go,' Cashman said. 'Then, like we did with phase one, (break ground) late summer, early fall, and kind of plug away at it. Phase one was a great model for us. We proved to the public that as long as the money, the resources and partnerships are there, we can make speedy work of it. There was a very quick turnaround from the time that we had shovels on the ground in phase one to the completion of the baseline infrastructure.' PHASE THREE Phase three will encompass construction on the waterfront and the former Plattsburgh Air Force Base jetties. 'That's the biggest, heftiest lift out of all of them, because we'll have to work with numerous agencies for waterfront development,' Cashman said. John Rock, a member of the Battlefield Memorial Gateway Committee, said the Battlefield Memorial Gateway has always been a dream of his. 'This new Battlefield Memorial Gateway project is going to help educate our young and also help connect with the community,' he said. 'Our veterans will be down here walking around and talking, and this should be able to give them a chance to interact with our students, our younger generation and be able to have them come up to ask them questions about what it's like to serve and protect our country. Our freedoms aren't free, and it's come at a high cost.'
Axios
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Axios
Dr. Jones now open in Metairie
Dr. Jones is now open thanks to two chefs with high-end bonafides. Why it matters: The new Metairie restaurant might seem designed as a neighborhood place, but it'll have folks driving from New Orleans to see what's on the menu, too. Catch up quick: Chefs David Rouse and Billy Jones have worked in top-tier kitchens in Chicago and New Orleans, according to The Times-Picayune, and they're bringing a creative interest in bold flavors to their new project. Most recently, they were running a catering business out of the former Yakuza House space on Veterans Memorial Boulevard, the paper reports, but ultimately built out Dr. Jones instead. The vibe: The space they created is petite with just a handful of tables and a bar that overlooks the open kitchen. On the day I visited, they had outdoor tables, so we got to enjoy some spring sunshine, too. The menu is tight, with just a dozen dishes across small and large plates and sides. Dig in: The small plates spoke to us most (we ended up ordering all but the gumbo, given the day's warmth). We especially loved the texture and saltiness of the onion ring fritters, and the freshness of the basil, cilantro and red onion in the mirliton and cabbage slaw. As our server said, "I've been traumatized by so many shrimp and mirliton dressings over Thanksgiving but that mirliton salad is so freakin' good." (He used another word for "freakin.") Yes, but: Our favorite bite was the side of crispy sweet potatoes, which are served with a delightfully crunchy, spicy salsa seca, a chili-laced fried seed and nut topping. If you go: Dr. Jones is BYOB. It's open for lunch Wednesday through Saturday. It also serves dinner on Saturdays. See website.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
North Country COs join others in Albany rally
PLATTSBURGH — Hundreds of striking North Country correction officers joined hundreds more from across the state at a rally on the steps of the state capitol in Albany Tuesday demanding safer conditions inside state prisons. Officers began their wildcat strike, which is not sanctioned by their union, the New York State Correction Officer Police Benevolent Association, on Feb. 17 at prisons across the state. The officers are demanding more staffing to alleviate double and triple shifts, better measures to screen mail and visitors to keep troublesome contraband out, and a repeal of the Humane Alternatives to Long Term Incarceration Act, which strictly limits how long and which inmates can be sent to Special Housing Units. The state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision and NYSCOPBA representatives met last week for a series of mediation sessions and came up with an agreement, which called for a suspension of HALT for 90 days after which it will be examined, more screening and no discipline for striking officers. But the rank and file, which did not vote on the agreement, was not enthused with the offer. Some officers returned to work by the March 1 deadline imposed by the state, but hundreds remained on the picket lines outside prisons across the state including in Dannemora, Altona and Malone in the North Country. BUS CARAVAN After picketing outside prisons for more than two weeks, a caravan of buses filled with officers and supporters trekked to Albany for a show of solidarity Tuesday. Reports of 2,000 to 3,000 people were there. Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Chateaugay Lake), a former correction officer himself, met with the striking officers who visited Albany. 'I remain committed, as I've always have been, to fighting for safe working and staffing conditions at correctional facilities,' Jones, who is also a co-sponsor on a bill to make changes to the HALT Act, said. 'My message has always been consistent, and I'll continue pushing the governor and DOCCS for much-needed facility updates to keep our workers safe... Two decades of my life have been spent behind the walls of our correctional facilities as a correction officer, so I know all too well the challenges facing officers, staff, and their families. Making sure our men and women who serve in our facilities can go to work and return home safely will always be a top priority to me.' Assemblyman Matt Simpson (R,C-Lake George) also took time to speak with officers. 'Our correctional officers put their lives on the line every day, yet Albany policies like the HALT Act have made their jobs even more dangerous. Assaults on officers have risen 76%, and inmate-on-inmate assaults rose 169%. Today's demonstration is proof the crisis can no longer be ignored,' Simpson said. 'I stand with these brave men and women in demanding action. We must repeal the HALT Act and restore the tools necessary to keep our correctional facilities safe,' Simpson continued. Simpson is sponsoring legislation in the Assembly to repeal HALT and protect those who work in and serve time in New York's prisons. 'It's time for Gov. Hochul to listen to the voices of our correctional officers and take real action before this crisis spirals further out of control,' Simpson said. On Monday, the state began terminating some officers who have been out of work since the strike began. Gov. Kathy Hochul did, however, use the State of Emergency designation to make body scanner use mandatory for visitors. SCANNERS State Sen. Dan Stec (R,C-Queensbury) said that was a good first step, but more needs to be done. 'On Jan. 30, I visited Upstate Correctional Facility (Malone) after an unknown chemical exposure and met with the superintendent, officers and civilian staff. During this meeting, I learned that body scanner use is optional for inmates and their visitors and on Feb. 4, I introduced Senate bill S.4422 to close this loophole and make body scanner use mandatory,' Stec said in a statement. 'After introducing this bill, I wrote to both Governor Hochul and Senate Majority Leader (Andrea) Stewart-Cousins, requesting this measure be included in the upcoming state budget. The main reason correction officers across the state are on strike is that they are forced to endure extraordinarily unsafe working conditions. Making body scanner use mandatory for inmates and visitors is a crucial step in the effort to make correctional facilities safer.' Stec said the governor and DOCCS' decision to make body scanners mandatory for visitors during the ongoing state of emergency is a welcome first step that he, officers and other advocates for prison safety have called for. 'But a temporary change in policy and executive order is exactly that, temporary and must go further,' he said. 'Mandatory use of body scanners for visitors and inmates must become a permanent change in policy and that requires a legislative resolution. I urge the governor and Legislative leaders to either pass my legislation concerning body scanners or include analogous language in this year's state budget. It's clear that the governor and DOCCS know that this is the right thing to do and given the fraught situation, immediate action on my legislation is more necessary than ever.'
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Sen. Stec To Visit Malone After 2 Prison Incidences
MALONE, NY — A North Country lawmaker plans to visit Upstate Correctional Facility, in Malone later this week. Sen. Dan Stec will meet with prison staffers Thursday, after two concerning incidences in four days. Both Stec and Assemblyman Billy Jones say more needs to be done to make sure everyone can feel safe. According to New York's Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS), Wednesday afternoon, 20 staffers from Upstate Correctional were hospitalized after close interaction with an inmate. 12 correction officers, 7 nurses and 1 office assistant became ill, and had to go to the hospital. A Hazmat team came in with special investigators, but DOCCS said no hazardous substances were found. Then on Saturday night, almost the same scenario occurred. An inmate being treated in the prison's infirmary was found unresponsive but breathing. That inmate was taken to the hospital for treatment. Three of the responding correction officers and two nurses became ill and were also hospitalized. One of the officers and one of the nurses were given Narcan to be revived. DOCCS has not provided any other information, but people close to the situation have. The sister of one of the staffers did not want to be identified, but she said she is deeply concerned, confused and frustrated with what she calls an overall lack of integrity inside a prison system without proper safety measures. She said her sister is one of the staffers that was given Narcan after getting sick. She said her sister is currently at a hospital dealing with symptoms of what she and other sources say DOCCS is calling a stress related illness. Jeff Dumas is retired from the New York prison system, but he's been following this situation closely. 'All these people falling out and being transported by the EMT and then the state and the admin saying that it's stress related? I've never seen Narcan used for stress,' said Dumas. A big question remains; how are drugs getting into the prison? 'It's always been a problem, and it's gotten really, really worse, especially with Fentanyl,' said Dumas. 'We know how it comes in and we know how to get rid of it. But the people in Albany do not want to get rid of the drugs. The don't want non-contact visits, and that's where 90 percent of the drugs come in, visiting rooms. Assemblyman Billy Jones, also a former correction officer at Upstate Correctional said,' We need to do everything humanly possible. We need to strengthen the policies that are in place right now. Give the correction officers the resources to make sure that these dangerous chemicals and this contraband is not introduced into the facility. DOCCS did not provide any updated information as of Monday night. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
