Press Release, New York Municipal Insurance Reciprocal

BUFFALO – At the 2022 Fall Seminar of the New York State Association of Counties being held this week in Buffalo, the County of Orleans was honored with receipt of the New York Municipal Insurance Reciprocal (NYMIR) Risk Management Award, which is given annually in recognition of a member county’s commitment to sound risk management, safety and training efforts.

The award was presented to the Chair of the Orleans County Legislature Lynne Johnson by NYSAC’s Executive Director Stephen Acquario and NYMIR’s Executive Director Kevin Crawford.  The award’s inscription reads: “In recognition of a commitment to sound risk management, safety and training that makes a difference.”

In presenting the glass crystal award, Mr. Crawford stated that, “Effective risk management requires a team approach, everyone working together to reduce the liability and exposures which are inherent in so many local government operations. Orleans was chosen from among our subscribing members – which includes 33 counties – because of the way in which its officers and employees respond to risk recommendations and other loss control suggestions.  Examples abound. Orleans County has been exceptionally attentive to key risk management procedures both operationally and from a property preservation perspective.”

Crawford praised the county for planned preventive maintenance and upgrades ahead of foreseeable end of life and obsolescence issues have meant that there has not been a single property claim at the county in the last five years.

Over 200 employees having taken NYMIR’s courses in Preventing Phishing, Data Privacy and Safe Computing. In total, over 1,300 online training sessions with NYMIR have been recorded for the County.

Stephen Acquario concluded his award presentation remarks by adding, “since it joined the Reciprocal as one of the very first Subscribers back in January of 1994, the County has remained committed improving safety within its ranks. It has a group of officials and employees who take risk management into account and are proud to do so. Likewise, NYMIR and NYSAC are proud to recognize their efforts today.”

Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION – A very large American flag is held up high over Main Street in Albion on Sunday evening by the Albion and Holley ladder trucks.

The county had a Sept. 11 memorial observance at the Courthouse lawn on the 21^st anniversary of the terrorist attacks, where 19 hijackers killed 2,977 people after crashing four airplanes.

Scott Galliford, the commander of the American Legion post in Holley, was part of the color guard of local veterans, carrying the banners and flags.

The county-wide service was held on the Courthouse lawn in front of the County Clerks Building and County Courthouse. There is a memorial to the Sept. 11 victims by the flag pole.

Lynne Johnson, chairwoman of the Orleans County Legislature, and Dale Banker, director of the Orleans County Emergency Management Agency, lead in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

Banker shared a timeline from 21 years earlier. On Sept. 11, 2001, at 8:46 a.m., the North Tower was struck in New York City. At 9:03, a plane hit the South Tower. At 9:37, the Pentagon was struck. At 9:59 p.m., the South Tower fell. At 10:07 a.m., Flight 93 crashed in rural Shanksville, Pa. At 10:28 a.m., the North Tower collapsed.

“We were attacked and wounded beyond belief, but not beyond repair,” Banker said.

Johnson read the lyrics from “Have You Forgotten?” That song was released in 2003 by country music artist Darryl Worley.

“Have you forgotten how it felt that day, to see your homeland under fire, and her people blown away? Have you forgotten when those towers fell, we had neighbors still inside, going through a  living hell.”

Johnson said she will never forget Sept. 11, 2001, which she called “the worst day in the history of our great country.”

John Becker of the Kendall Fire Department joined other firefighters at the observance. In 2001, Kendall also had a firefighter killed in the line of duty. Richard Buongiorne was fatally injured on January 9 when he was struck by two vehicles while he was directing traffic at the intersection of Routes 18 and 237 in Kendall.

Don Snyder, chaplain for the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, said first responders serve the community while putting themselves at risk. He encouraged others to volunteer with their fire departments and other community service organizations.

Scott Schmidt of Medina served as the keynote speaker at the observance. Schmidt spent 20 days with a federal team – U.S. Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team – and assisted in collecting and identifying remains, and interviewing family members searching for loved ones. He left for New York City on Sept. 11, 2001. Schmidt is the county’s chief coroner and also a funeral director with Mitchell Family Cremations & Funerals, Inc.

Schmidt said the nearly 3,000 people killed are just a number, and they were more than what they did for a career or how they served their communities.

“We mourn them all equally,” Schmidt said. “We are all connected to one another.”

Local veterans line up in the honor guard for the service. Jim Freas in back left is the group’s leader.

The veterans, including Brad Nudd (second from left) did a gun salute.

Trellis Pore, pastor of the Shiloh Church in Albion, leads in singing “America the Beautiful.”

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature has accepted a state grant for $1,038,805 for the emergency communications system.

The state Department of Homeland Security approved the application for Orleans County Office of Emergency Management for the grant. The money will be used for “enhancing emergency response, improving capabilities, improvements in government structures, operating procedures, infrastructure development and addressing SAFECOM guidelines” through Dec. 31, 2024.

The grant was part of $100 million announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Aug. 3 for 57 counties and New York City to enhance emergency communications.

“This funding is critical to strengthening New York’s emergency response capabilities, in situations where every second counts,” Hochul said when she announced the funding. “We are laser focused on making smart investments in public safety across the state and these grants will be a significant boost for local governments working around the clock to keep New Yorkers safe.”

The funding is formula-based and provided through cellular surcharge revenue, Hochul’s office said. The grants are specifically designed to help improve the methods used by first responders to communicate with one another.

ALBION/MEDINA – The Orleans Digital Literacy Initiative, spearheaded by United of Orleans County, has secured three presentation kits to empower local non-profits by providing them with current, working equipment to reduce the demand on budgets and enable organizations to be able to offer services digitally.

For example, local non-profits can borrow the kits for presentations, virtual conferences, webinars and other necessary functions. The equipment kits include a projector, webcam, Chromebook, presentation muse and the necessary peripherals to connect the devices, said Katie Leach, who oversees the Digital Literacy program at Cornell Cooperative Extension. The IT equipment kits can be checked out from the Hoag Library in Albion and the Lee-Whedon Memorial Library in Medina.

Christine Mostyn, director of the Lee-Whedon Memorial Library, said this is another avenue to help other non-profits in the community by helping them offer online learning and teaching through technology United Way has provided.

“This equipment is expensive and an organization often can’t afford it,” Mostyn said.

At Hoag Library, Michael Magnuson, the reference librarian, will manage the program.

The Orleans Digital Literacy Initiative is a community-wide collaborative that is bridging the digital divide through education and internet/technology accessibility, said Leach, who coordinates the Digital Literacy program.

“The idea behind this program is to be beneficial to smaller non-profits who don’t have the money to purchase the necessary equipment to have general meetings or zoom meetings,” Leach said. “This includes churches, as well.”

Two kits are available at Hoag Library and one in Lee-Whedon.

“This is a nice addition to our services,” Leach said.

The IT equipment kits come with materials on how to set up and use the equipment. If anyone needs assistance with the kits, Leach will come and help set them up, she said. Her number is (585) 798-4265 (ext. 146 or option 4) or she may be reached by e-mail at kel99@cornell.edu.  Weekly tech tips and news about local tech resources are available on Facebook at @OrleansTechHelp.

The initial grant secured by United Way of Orleans County for the Digital Divide was $364,130. A small grant of $8,572 funds the Western New York Digital Equity Coalition, from where the equipment was purchased, and also covered lunches and a learning series.

Photo by Tom Rivers: This sign outside the County Office Building on Route 31 lets people know it is an early voting site during a primary in June. The turnout over nine days was less than 1 percent of the registered voters.

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature is asking the state to scale back the early voting mandates for smaller counties like Orleans.

The Legislature noted a tiny turnout in recent primaries for early voting. The county needs to staff a polling site for 72 hours over nine days of early voting, including two weekends and some weeknight evenings.

The turnout for the nine days of early voting in a June primary was 0.9 percent. It was even less in August when only 40 out of 6,059 registered Republicans used early voting over nine days for a Congressional primary.

County legislators said data from the smaller counties show that three years of early voting has proven to be a “financial, staffing and administrative burden on all counties where there are small, non-contentious elections and very small primaries.” Orleans legislators said there aren’t long lines of voters on election day, with people waiting to cast ballots.

Orleans officials are asking the state to not impose a “one size fits all” mandate on the counties.

Legislators said the recent primaries, with such a small turnout, “is a clear example of the waste and burden imposed by legislation calling for long hours of early voting.”

In Orleans, both election commissioners – Janice Grabowski, a Democrat, and Kathy Case, a Republican – favor scaling back early voting to bring down the costs and strain on the local Board of Elections.

County legislators are asking state officials to either repeal or amend the following new election laws:

• CHAPTER 441 OF 2019, which creates nine days of early voting prior to any special, primary or general elections and requires 66 hours of staffing in at least one poll site in each county;
• Laws beginning with CHAPTER 91 OF 2020, that modify the availability and allowable reasons for the use of Absentee Ballots and resemble “Vote by Mail” processes, which create additional administrative burdens on staff, and divert voters form Election Day voting, thereby creating underutilization, increased costs and inefficiencies;
• Two laws, CHAPTER 763 OF 2021, modified by CHAPTER 117 OF 2022, create a lengthy and highly inefficient procedure for processing arriving absentee ballots twice weekly, in batches of as little as one ballot;
• CHAPTER 781 OF 2021, adds an additional 12 hours of early voting to an already ineffective, burdensome and costly 66 hours of early voting.

The Legislature forwarded copies of the resolution to Governor Kathy Hochul; Senator Zellnor Myrie, Chair Senate Committee on elections; Assembly Member Latrice Walker, Chair NYS Assembly Committee on Election Law; Senator Robert Ortt; Assemblyman Steve Hawley; Assemblyman Michael Norris; NYSAC; NYS Association of Towns; co-executive directors Valentine and Stavisky of the NYS Board of Elections; and NYS Elections Commissioners Association.

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature has approved $50,000 each for both the Cornell Cooperative Extension and for a workforce development initiative.

The money comes from part of the $7,887,187 in federal funds set aside for Orleans through the American Rescue Plan Act.

The Legislature in a resolution last week said the $50,000 for the Extension will assist the agency with infrastructure upgrades. Legislators said the Covid-19 pandemic restricted the Extension from generating revenue to fund the infrastructure upgrades. The pandemic, for example, forced the cancelation of the Orleans County 4-H fair in 2020.

The other $50,000 goes for technical job training for Orleans County residents. The money goes to Livingston County Workforce Development, which was a grant recipient for the four-county Genesee-Livingston-Orleans-Wyoming (GLOW) Workforce Development Board.

“Orleans County has an increased demand from Orleans County residents for job training so that these residents may be qualified for existing jobs that require specific technical skills training,” county legislators stated in a  resolution. “Orleans County has a significant number of job vacancies that require specific technical skills.”

Legislators last week also approved using $29,400 for 250 copies of NetMotion connectivity software from Brite Computers in Victor.

Since the pandemic started in March 2020, county workers have been more mobile and not confined to the office.

“The increased mobility of the workforce creates an increase in the risks to cybersecurity,” legislators said.

The NetMotion connectivity software gives the county government more cybersecurity protection, legislators said.

The Orleans County Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for its 24th annual business awards. The deadline to nominate a business or person is Sept. 11.

The businesses and individuals will be recognized during an awards dinner on Oct. 20 at the White Birch in Lyndonville.

The categories include:

• Business of the Year – This award is presented to a business that has experienced significant overall achievements/success throughout the year.
• Lifetime Achievement – This award is presented to an individual with a long-term record of outstanding business achievements.
• Phoenix Award – This award is presented to an organization or business that has successfully adapted or re-used an existing facility.
• New Business of the Year – This award is presented to a business or organization that has opened in the past year.
• Community Service Award – This award is presented to a business, organization or individual that has provided meaningful contributions to the community in either professional or non-professional spheres.
• Agricultural Business of the Year – This award is presented to an agricultural business that has experienced significant overall achievements/success throughout the year.
• Small Business of the Year – This award is presented to a small business that has experienced significant achievements/success throughout the year.

Send a nomination to the OCCC, PO Box 501, Medina, NY or email it to director@orleanschamber.com, through Google forms (click here), the Chamber’s Facebook page or the Chamber website.

Sheriff’s budget for gas, diesel also boosted $31K this year due to rising fuel costs

ALBION – The Orleans County Legislature has approved several resolutions and agreements for the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office.

• One resolution is with the NYS State Canal Corp. for $39,920 for marine patrols to enforce the NYS Marine Law and monitor activity along the canal and its pathway, effective from April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023.

• The Legislature last week also voted to transfer $31,000 from contingency to the Sheriff’s Office so its budget has enough money to pay for diesel and gas, which are much higher than a year ago.

• The Legislature also authorized filling vacancies in the Sheriff’s Office including two vacant part-time dispatchers at $15.68 per hour, a vacant part time correction officer in the county jail at $15.68 per hour, and a vacant part time deputy sheriff in the Sheriff’s Road Patrol at $24.80 per hour.

• In another resolution, the Legislature authorized the sheriff to apply for $30,190 from the state in the STOP DWI Plan. This funding for this plan would allow the Sheriff’s Office, and other local law enforcement agencies, to participate in increased STOP DWI patrols throughout the year with combined total of $5,000. The money also would pay for $4,000 of equipment, with $5,000 also going to town courts, $5,000 to probation, $10,840 to the Orleans County Youth Bureau for outreach and education. Another $350 would cover administrative fees including NYMIR and Association dues. This STOP DWI Plan goes from Jan. 1, 2023 through Dec. 31, 2023.

• The Sheriff’s Office also was authorized to apply for a $15,000 High Visibility Engagement Grant from the state’s STOP DWI Foundation. The money would allow the Sheriff’s Office and other local law enforcement agencies to do increased DWI patrols during peak holiday periods throughout the year. Grant period dates are effective from Oct. 1, 2022 through Sept. 30, 2023.

• The Legislature approved purchasing jail uniforms for $16,050 from Galls LLC in Lexington, Ky.

• The county accepted a $50 donation to for the Sheriff’s K9.

Survey planned to get feedback to strengthen childcare services and availability

In February, the New York State Office of Children and Family Services announced that funding would be made available to develop new childcare programs in areas of the state without sufficient childcare slots, known as childcare deserts.  They identified most of Orleans County as a childcare desert.

On Aug. 3 the United Way of Orleans County hosted a “listening session”  with representatives from the county, day care providers and interested professionals, to discuss the lack of childcare in Orleans County and develop ideas for strengthening childcare resources.

Rachel Bonsignore, director of Lift-Off Western New York, facilitated the discussion and information sharing session and in an e-mail to all who attended, summarized the challenges and gaps identified by the group and what is going well in Orleans County. She also listed opportunities and a timeline going forward.

A number of factors were identified as challenges and gaps in the childcare system in Orleans County.

Shared information and understanding population trends by age and geography; pre-K expansion plans in schools, full or half day, timelines and wrap care option; changes in how employers do business, such as working from home, hybrid, hours and flex time; and employee childcare needs.

• Attitudes and beliefs – a perception that early childhood educators are “babysitters,” instead of education professionals who are highly trained, well regulated and offer safe and enriching care; lack of political support and recognition that childcare is an economic development driver and opportunity for Orleans County.
• Supply of childcare that matches families’ needs, including traditional hours, a lack of providers that operate during evenings, overnights and/or weekends; distribution challenges of registered child care options close to parents’ home or place of employment; getting new providers.
• Transportation – Limited public transportation options and hours; varied car ownership and related costs (fuel, insurance); ride sharing is limited, particularly for families with young children.
• Costs – Parent often pay the equivalent of rent or their mortgage for childcare; awareness of the Child Care Subsidy program and parental eligibility; program operating costs, payroll, overhead, etc., infrequently breaks even; impacts on minimum wage increases by centers and GFDE programs.
• Workforce – Hiring and retaining high quality staff; workforce pipeline, expected retirements; minimum wage and struggle for competitive wages outside of early care and learning field.

Opportunities for improving childcare access and services included developing a targeted employer and parent survey, to include small and large businesses, churches and faith community, Leadership Orleans alumni and partners; and convening a childcare community forum, to include schools, employers, child care providers, government partners, workforce development, schools, libraries, higher education and pediatricians.

Its purpose would be to create a better understanding of how business gets done (onsite, hybrid and work from home) and the unique needs of their workforce and employees with children.

Short-term opportunities (five to eight months) identified are creating an Orleans County Early Childhood Educator of Distinction Award, a county proclamation of April 1 – 8, 2023 as “Week of the Young Child” and planning events and happenings during “Week of the Young Child,” by libraries and church sermons, etc.

Medium-term opportunities (12 months) include a community child-care plan/agreement, created and informed by the community; and improved and continuous communication with schools, employers, the county, Child Care Resource and Referral (services in Orleans County provided by Community Action) and policy makers.

The report has been well received by those in attendance at the “listening session.”  The opportunity to share information and ideas on the topic of childcare in Orleans County strengthened communication among providers and generated many new ideas.

As a starting point, the group endorsed the idea of conducting a survey. Bonsignore suggests a survey should be a collaborative effort between Community Action, Leadership Orleans and United Way. Any others who would be interested in participating are welcome. After the survey goes out, the group will convene again to review the results and invite additional community members to help with a plan to strengthen childcare services and availability in Orleans County.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Orleans County District Attorney Joe Cardone speaks during last week’s County Legislature meeting.

ALBION – Orleans County District Attorney has seen the ravages of the opioid epidemic up close in his role as district attorney.

Many defendants with no previous criminal history have turned lawless with burglaries and robberies in an attempt for cash to buy drugs.

Some of those defendants would die of overdoses.

“Each day there are 600 more addicts at a tremendous cost to our society,” Cardone said last week when he addressed the County Legislature on Opioid Overdose Awareness Day. “It is costing us the lives of our children.”

The most recent statistics from 2020 count six fatal opioid overdoses in Orleans County, 15 in Genesee and seven in Wyoming County.

The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics reported an estimated 100,306 drug overdose deaths in the United States during 12-month period ending in April 2021, an increase of 28.5% from the 78,056 deaths during the same period the year before.

The opioid overdoses increased from 56,064 to 75,673 in the 12-month period ending in April 2021.

“This is the greatest crisis our country faces, without a doubt,” Cardone said.

Cardone said the country needs to do more to slow all the fentanyl and synthetic opioids coming in from Mexico and China.

“If we had another army or nation killing 100,000 of our people we’d declare war on them,” Cardone said. “We need to wipe out drugs coming into our country.”

The DA said the federal government needs a stronger response. He said he appreciates the efforts of local law enforcement, including the Major Felony Crimes Task Force, in trying to fight the problem.

But Cardone said too many of the drugs flow unabated into the country and find their way to Orleans County.

“These drugs are foisted upon our community,” he said.

To raise public awareness of opioid overdoses, the County Courthouse is being illumined in purple through the end of August.

Photos by Ginny Kropf: The Orleans Women’s Leadership held its first meeting during the Covid pandemic on Wednesday night at Leonard Oakes Estate Winery. Among those who attended are, clockwise from left front, Laura Olinger, Wendy Oakes Wilson, Gloria Brent, Kelly Schrader, Kelly Kiebala and (in foreground), Ann Fisher-Bale.

MEDINA – It was in 2018 when Skip Helfrich, director of Leadership Orleans, took notice that many business owners in Orleans County are women.

Helfrich was in the process of organizing the first class of Leadership Orleans, and while compiling a list of business people, he received the names of 127 women in business.

He shared that information with Kelly Kiebala, director of the Orleans County Job Development Agency; Laura Olinger, president and owner of Bentley Brothers; and Wendy Oakes Wilson, general manager of Leonard Oakes Estate Winery and LynOaken Farms.

“We formulated a group of local women leaders that became Orleans Women’s Leadership in 2019,” Helfrich said. “Those three women nurtured it to where it is today. I have a lot of passion for effective leadership, and Orleans County has many women making a difference every day in this county. I support their leadership efforts and all the great results they achieve.”

To date 75 women have been involved in the Leadership Orleans program, doing what they do in very diverse roles as leaders in Orleans County. OWL is just another network for bringing them together, Helfrich said.

At their first meeting in 2019, 39 women attended. OWL was barely getting started and had a year of programs planned when Covid hit in March 2020, resulting in the programs being canceled.

Wednesday was the return of what OWL hopes will be regular programming. The agenda for the evening was a social trivia event, compiled by Catherine Holland. Admission of $20 included a glass of wine and snacks.

Programs for the rest of the year are “Exploring Work-Life Balance” Sept. 20 at the Lockstone in Albion; “Dare to Leap” Oct. 19 at Zambistro’s Restaurant in Medina; and a Christmas social event Nov. 17 at Bent’s Opera House. All events run from 7 to 9 p.m.

To sign up or for more information, e-mail Holland at catherine@oakeswinery.com.

Susan Howard, left, Orleans County’s first assistant district attorney, and Ann Fisher-Bale chat with Skip Helfrich, head of Leadership Orleans and originator of the Orleans Women’s Leadership which had its first meeting I nearly three years on Wednesday evening.

Photo by Tom Rivers

ALBION – Orleans County Legislator Don Allport, left, on Wednesday congratulates Paul Pettit, public health director in Genesee and Orleans counties, for being elected to the National Association of County and City Health Officials’ Board of Directors.

Pettit was picked for a three-year term as a Director for Region 2, representing local health departments in New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

NACCHO is the voice of the country’s nearly 3,000 local health departments. Pettit’s term began on July 1.

Pettit said he will use the position to advocate for public health funding for rural communities.

He thanked the Legislature for supporting him in the role, and also for providing resource for the local public health department.

Lynne Johnson, Legislature chairwoman, commended Pettit for leading the county’s response during the Covid-19 pandemic since March 2020.

“You stepped forward and the state took notice,” she said.

Photo by Tom Rivers: Dr. Arthur Mruczek, an ophthalmologist and member of the Orleans County Medical Scholarship Board, shares with the County Legislature on Wednesday that the Lyndonville Area Foundation has matched the county’s $72,000 commitment for a medical scholarship. He said the $144,000 total is one of the biggest medical scholarships available in the state. He is joined by Russ Martino, left, of the Lyndonville Area Foundation.

ALBION – Orleans County has a new incentive to bring doctors to serve the community: one of the most lucrative scholarships available in the state.

Orleans County can now offer a medical scholarship for $144,000 over four years. The County Legislature in December 2021 voted to increase the size of scholarship from $36,000 to $72,000. The Lyndonville Area Foundation has since voted to match that amount, bringing the total to $144,000.

“We’re in desperate need of doctors,” said Lynne Johnson, the County Legislature chairwoman and a member of the board of directors for both Orleans Community health and the Lyndonville Area Foundation.

Dr. Arthur Mruczek, an ophthalmologist and member of the Orleans County Medical Scholarship Board, said the $144,000 is one of the largest medical scholarships available in the state. The $36,000 annually for four years would cover about 60 percent of the $60,000 annually to be in medical school, Mruczek said.

The county needs to promote the scholarship locally and at medical schools, he said. Mruczek believes the scholarship would get medical students’ attention, and should result in doctors making a commitment to serve in Orleans County after they graduate.

They would need to commit five years to the county to get the scholarship. Mruczek believes many would stay more than five years once they stay and get connected to the community. He said Orleans County residents in medical school would be given preference for the scholarship.

Mruczek,a Corfu native, was the first recipient of the medical scholarship in Orleans County back in 1969. He received $18,000 in the scholarship and went on to work in a long career as an ophthalmologist in Medina.

Other scholarships recipients who served in Orleans include Frank Cutson, Joseph Misiti, Deborah Preishel (White), Eric Johnson and Celeste Stahl Balaban.

Others were approved for the scholarship but they decided not to practice in Orleans County and paid back the scholarship.

“I’m passionate about bringing doctors here because you gave me an opportunity that was beyond my expectations,” Mruczek told county legislators on Wednesday.

He said the big scholarship is “an incredible product” that should bring medical talent to the rural community, where the pay is typically much less than in the suburban and city hospitals and healthcare facilities.

“It’s a nice opportunity to get fresh blood in Orleans County,” he said.

For information about the scholarship, contact the County Legislature office at 585-589-7053.

The unemployment rate for Orleans County was at 4.2 percent in July, compared to 5.5 percent a year earlier, the state Department of Labor reported today. (In July 2020, early in the Covid pandemic, the unemployment rate was at 9.4 percent in Orleans.)

The unemployment rate also dropped statewide from 7.1 percent in July 2021 to 4.8 percent last month. Nationally the unemployment rate declined from 5.7 to 3.8 percent.

The state DOL is reporting there were 400 more people working in Orleans County in July, compared to the previous July, from 16,200 to 16,600. The number of unemployed declined from 900 in July 2021 to 700 last month.

Genesee County, where the unemployment rate is at 3.0 percent, also saw an increase in people working, from 28,200 in July 2021 to 29,600. The number unemployed dropped from 1,300 to 900 during that time, the DOL reported.

The unemployment rates among Western New York counties for July include:

• Orleans, 4.2%
• Genesee, 3.0%
• Wyoming, 3.0%
• Livingston, 3.4%
• Niagara, 4.1%
• Erie, 4.0%
• Monroe, 3.9%
• Chautauqua, 4.2%
• Cattaraugus, 4.1%
• Allegany, 4.1%