Two Jamestown teenagers have been arrested for allegedly breaking into a maintenance building at Lakeview Cemetery... and, stealing a four-wheel Gator vehicle. City police were called to the scene at 907 Lakeview Avenue about 7:30 last Saturday night. Officers saw that the building had been forcibly entered... and, that the John Deere vehicle had been taken. They found the two 17 year-olds a short time later with the vehicle on Winsor Street -- near Price Street. Officers say one teen was quickly taken into custody... while the other fled on foot. However... he was also apprehended -- with the help of witnesses -- minutes later. Both were arrested for third-degree burglary... third-degree criminal possession of stolen property... and, criminal mischief. The boy who fled was also chared with obstruction. Both teens were jailed pending arraignment.
A Jamestown man has been arrested for allegedly trying to flee from police... then fighting with arresting officers early Saturday morning. City police say a patrol officer was in the area of 316 Stowe Street shortly after 1 AM... when he spotted a suspicious person in a yard. Officers say the patrolman investigated, and questioned the man. However... the suspect refused to talk, and then ran into a nearby house. The officer tried to stop the suspect... who then allegedly fought with the policeman. A second officer then came to assist... and, the man gave a phony name. He was arrested, and police learned he was Kevin Klemens -- and, that there was an active bench warrant for his arrest. Klemens was arraigned on charges of resisting arrest, false personation, and second-degree obstruction... and, sent to the county jail on one-thousand dollars bail.
Former New York Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver is asking to remain free pending appeal of his criminal conviction. Lawyers for the Democrat say Friday the U.S. Supreme Court is considering changing the limits of a law used to convict him. They say the change may cause a reversal of Silver's conviction. The 72-year-old Manhattan resident was sentenced last week to 12 years in prison in a 5-million dollar corruption case. The lawyers also asked U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni to block collection of a 1.75-million dollar fine... and, $5.3-million forfeiture order until appeals are completed. They say he otherwise will have to sell homes he jointly owns with his wife. A spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan declined comment. Silver is scheduled to report to prison July 1st.
The city of Jamestown has the title of "Best Tasting Water" in Chautauqua County for the second-straight year. The city's Board of Public Utilities' water won out over two other six municipal water supplies in last weekend's annual contest in Lakewood. It coincides with National Drinking Water Week. Water Specialist Bill Boria with the county's Health and Human Services Department says it's used to call attention to the importance of having a good, clean water supply. Boria says they had a great turn-out of "judges" who each tasted the water over three rounds of judging. One round was held for surface-water supplies... and, the other round was for ground-water supplies. Boria says some 50 people voted in the final round... which determined the winner and runners-up. He says Jamestown will next take part in the Western New York regional water tasting contest in Rochester in early August. The winner there will move onto the state finals at the State Fair in Syracuse around Labor Day. In the past... both Jamestown and Mayville won state "Best Tasting Water" titles.
New York's state comptroller says fast-food companies Wendy's and YUM! Brands have agreed to assess labor standards and risks to human rights in their operations and supply chains and post findings on their websites. Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, trustee of New York's roughly 180-billion dollar pension fund for public workers, says he has withdrawn shareholder proposals asking the companies to hold their suppliers more accountable on human rights issues. YUM! Brands, parent company of Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell's, has 43-thousand restaurants in more than 130 countries and territories. Wendy's is the third largest quick-service hamburger chain globally, with more than 6,500 restaurants. The New York fund owns about 1.3 million shares of YUM! Brands and 475,900 shares of Wendy's.
It's believed that at least one-thousand people attended the sixth-annual National Train Day recognition and activities at the Gateway Train Station in Jamestown. That from Train Day Organizer Lee Harkness... who says the event keeps getting better each year. By mid-afternoon... Harkness said there were had about 700 people come through that entrance alone... and, adds that did not include the other two entrances that people can use. Harkness says the activities they have going on as part of National Train Day are usually the big draw. He says the first was the arrival of an actual steam engine that belongs to a local man, Scott Simmons, that's been there before. Harkness adds they also had the first of two "Great American Train Robberies..." and a Civil War re-enactment. The Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad was unable to bring one of their engines. But... he says having Simmon's "Viscose-6" engine made all train enthusiasts happy. Events continued into the evening... with another Great American Train Robbery, and a Civil War Encampment.
Vice President Joe Biden told graduates at Syracuse University's College of Law early last weekend that they should pursue success without losing sight of family or their values. Speaking at their convocation... Biden reflected on the death of his son, former Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden, who succumbed to brain cancer last year. The Syracuse Post-Standard reports that Biden told the graduates they should pursue their careers but not forget ``what's really important'' -- family and their values. He said this generation of students would make the world a better place. The vice president graduated from the law school in 1968. His son was also a graduate of the school.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany has sued state insurance regulators over requirements that workplace health plans cover employee abortions. The complaint filed in state court late last week says the Department of Financial Services lacks legislative authority to impose the requirements. The lawsuit claims the mandate is unconstitutional... and, forces employers with religious and conscientious objections to abortion to help pay for them. The diocese calls it ``an invidious governmental coercion of religious institutions, employers and individuals.'' The lawsuit faults DFS-issued ``model language'' to insurers requiring individual and small group health plans to include coverage of ``therapeutic'' and ``non-therapeutic'' abortions. The suit also says that abortion coverage ``is encrypted in health insurance contracts under the rubric of `medically necessary' surgery.''
