Community Spotlight, the area's longest running local public affairs radio program, airs on all six Media One Radio Group stations each weekend and is also available to hear in our Podcast Section.  Each week we sit down with a community leader or another special guest to talk about issues within our community.  


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WJTN News Headlines

Two Pennsylvania men are alright after they fell through the ice while fishing on Chautauqua Lake near Chautauqua Institution.  Sheriff's officers were called to the scene just after 3:30 yesterday afternoon on a report of two people in the water.  Deputies say 57 year-old Mike Cooney of Austin, Pennsylvania was able to pull himself out of the water, and back onto the ice.  Officers say the other man, 79 year-old Jim Moore of Emporium, was wearing a life jacket... and, with Cooney's assistance... he was able to hang onto the ice shelf until he was rescued by the Dewittville Fire Department's hovercraft.  Both Moore and Cooney were transported to Westfield Hospital for treatment of hypothermia.

 

Temperatures reached into the mid, and upper-60s in some locations around the Jamestown-area yesterday... and, will be there again today.  The National Weather Service says the mercury will be just a few degrees lower along the Lake Erie Shoreline.  Forecasters say the Spring-like conditions will remain before temperatures drop slightly by the end of the week.  Forecaster Dan Kelly in Buffalo says strong, high pressure has settled in over the East Coast. Kelly says there won't be much of a chance for any precipitation until late today... when we have a 70-percent chance of rain.  He says Thursday we'll have the best chance of seeing some rain... adding we could get about an inch of rain during that time.  Kelly says the high Thursday will top out at about 60 before the highs drop into the upper 50s by the weekend.  He says were won't likely see any records set for highs this week... but, temperatures will be between 20 and 30 degrees above normal during the daytime hours.

 

An Olean man has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for fatally shooting another man two years ago at a scenic overlook.  The Olean Times Herald reports Gary Maull was given the maximum sentence late Monday in Cattaraugus County Court for killing Otis Lamont Parks in August 2014.  Maull, who turned 30 Tuesday, was convicted back on January 22nd of second-degree murder and tampering with physical evidence.  The jury found Maull shot the 54-year-old Parks in the head with a handgun in early August 2014 at a scenic overlook off Route 16 in the town of Allegany.  Prosecutors said Maull shot Parks over a drug debt and to silence him as a witness in another court case.

 

The first-phase of Chautauqua Institution's 41.5-million dollar Amphitheather "renewal" project is well underway... thanks in part to our mild weather.  That from Institution Spokesman George Murphy... who says work began shortly after a State Supreme Court Judge ruled the project could resume after a preservation group took the project to court.  Murphy says there are three elements to Phase-One... with a major part being the taking down of "the back of the house...." Murphy says the Massey Organ is the one part of the amphitheater that won't move during the razing of the amphitheater.  He says the bleachers at the back of the Amp have also been removed... opening up that part of the structure.  Murphy says the third part has been putting down casons around the perimeter to secure the Amp's columns.  In addition... Murphy says work crews are working to divert water that had flowed under the structure to the sides.  He says that should be completed before the new season begins.

 

Leaders of three good government groups say New York Governor Andrew Cuomo isn't doing enough to address Albany's chronic corruption problem.  Citizens Union, the League of Women Voters and the New York Public Interest Research Group on Tuesday called on Cuomo, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Leader John Flanagan to hold open, public negotiations over proposals to address corruption.  Leaders from each organization say that while Cuomo has proposed useful reforms -- such as restrictions on lawmakers' outside income -- there's no evidence he's working to convince lawmakers to accept the changes.  Last year... both the former Assembly speaker and Senate leader were convicted of federal corruption charges, the latest of more than 30 lawmakers to face ethics or criminal allegations since 2000.

 

Republican U-S Senator Ted Cruz will stay on New York's April 19th presidential primary ballot after a lawsuit challenging his eligibility to run was dismissed.  State Supreme Court Justice David Weinstein ruled late Monday that the petition to knock Cruz off the state's primary ballot was filed with the state's Board of Elections after a legal deadline for ballot challenges had passed.  Plaintiffs Barry Korman and William Gallo had argued that Cruz isn't ``a natural born citizen'' of the U.S. as constitutionally required for eligibility to be president.  Cruz was born in Alberta, Canada.  His mother was a U.S. citizen living there.  His father is a native of Cuba.  The 45-year-old Cruz was elected to the Senate from Texas in 2012.

 

Local Congressman Tom Reed may face a primary challenger in this June.  Gary Perry of Waverly, New York in Tioga County announced last Thursday that he will challenge Reed for the Republican nomination.  However... his nominating petition must first be verified.  Reed says he welcomes all people who chose to run... and, says when more people run, we're a stronger country.  According to reports in Central New York... it is Perry's first run for office.  He has worked on other campaigns including Buffalo real estate developer Carl Paladino's run for governor in 2010.  Jamestown-area Democrat John Plumb has already announced that he is running against Reed in the November general election.

 

The Democrat running for the 23rd Congressional District seat this year is not mincing words in reaction to comments about terrorists during the most recent Republican Presidental debate.  Jamestown-area native John Plumb is voicing outrage over discussion about torturing terrorists, and "hunting down" their families, and killing them.  Plumb says "it's shameful."  He adds the candidates either "don’t understand the ramifications of their words or they simply don’t care; in either case, it should disqualify them as serious candidates for President and Commander in Chief."  Plumb says Senator John McCain had it right when he said, "Mistreatment of enemy prisoners endangers our own troops who might someday be held captive."  Plumb is currently a Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve after spending over 6 years on active duty.  He is currently in his 22nd year of military service.

 

Hilton Grand Vacations Company has agreed to pay 250-thousand-500 dollars in fines to the state of New York for what state officials say were violations of the state's do-not-call law.  Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the fine late Tuesday... which is included in a legal settlement with the company.  Officials say Hilton Grand Vacations made more than 330 calls to consumers who were on the do-not-call registry.  The company, which did not admit any wrongdoing, also agreed to change its telemarketing practices in New York state.  The do-not-call registry allows consumers to opt out of telemarketing calls.  Cuomo says he hopes the settlement with Hilton serves as a reminder to other companies about the need to follow the law.  A message left with Hilton was not immediately returned late yesterday.