Explosion and fire triggered by alleged Methamphetime production heavily damages part of Jamestown apartment house...
Volatile materials used to make the drug Methamphetime have been determined to be the cause of a fire in a second-floor apartment on Jamestown's northside. City fire crews were called to the scene at 824 Prendergast Ave. about 3 p.m. yesterday... and, found the second-floor of the building fully-engulfed in flames. City Police Captain Bob Samuelson says firefighters got the blaze out... and, fire investigators did a preliminary investigation. Samuelson says the investigation teams found the precursors for "Meth" at the scene. He says the second-floor was extensive damaged... and, he adds police are now looking for several possible suspects in the case. He says so far... they have learned about one male who was burned when the explosion took place... and, are trying to identify him. Samuelson adds the man was able to flee before firefighters and police arrived. He says the Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force headed up the investigation... and, adds the state Police Contaiminated Crime Scene Emergency Response Team is cleaning up the scene. If you have any information on the fire... or victim... call police at 483-7537... or their Tip-line at 483-TIPS... that's 483-8477.
Lake Effect Snow warnings, advisories, done for WNY... but, a Floor Watch has been issued for Chautauqua Co. for Sunday through Wednesday morning...
The second lake effect event to hit Western New York this week has come to an end. But... the work is ongoing for public works crews in the city of Dunkirk -- and elsewhere in the north county to remove about 3-and-a-half to four-feet of snow. A driving ban was lifted in the city this morning. However... Dunkirk Police Chief David Ortolano says drivers in that area will still want to use caution. Ortolano says streets are still snow covered and slippery. The Natonal Weather Service has now issued a Flood Watch for the county for Sunday afternoon through Wednesday morning. The village of Silver Creek also lifted the driving ban, but Mayor Nick Piccolo says they are still urging residents to avoid any unncessary travel. Piccolo says they're trying to "widen" the path of their side streets to make it passable for them. Snowfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches are still possible in persistant lake effect snow through the end of the day today.
NYS Thruway now reopened, but, only to "Essential Traffic...."
The 132-mile section of the Thruway closed since Tuesday because of a massive lake-effect snow storm in western New York has been reopened for "essential traffic" only. That from Governor Cuomo... who says a 58-mile stretch of Interstate 90 from Exit 46 near Rochester to Exit 50 at Williamsville reopened at 3 this afternoon. The governor says the highway from Exit 51 to Exit 61 at Ripley -- at the state-line -- also reopened at that time... but, vehicles won't be allowed to exit. Cuomo says the highway is being reopened in stages to allow the hundreds of tractor-trailers and other vehicles stranded since Tuesday to leave the region.
