A known, long-time Heroin trafficker in the city of Jamestown is jailed without bail for allegedly being found with about 100 bags of the drug during a raid on the city's southside. City Police Captain Bob Samuelson says members of the Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force were helped by the JPD SWAT Team is gaining entry to the residence at 78 Forest Avenue about 1:30 PM Tuesday. Samuelson calls the arrest of 38 year-old Cesar Soto, and the bust "a major find..." The drug bust Tuesday comes on the heels of last week's arrest of four-people with 244 bags of Heroin during a traffic stop. Samuelson says there's been a definate uptick in local Heroin activity due to spiking demand. In addition to the Heroin... Samuelson says Soto was also allegedly found with a quantity of Suboxone, and drug paraphernalia during the raid. He says Soto is charged with third and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance... and, three counts of criminally using drug paraphernalia. He was also arrested on a warrant stemming from a drug investigation several weeks ago. Anyone with information on illegal narcotics trafficking in the Jamestown-area is asked to call 483-TIPS... that's 483-8477.
An industrial facility in the north county town of Sheridan will be closing its doors. Berry Plastics has announced that it will be closing its facility at 35-65 Chadwick Drive. Spokeswoman Eva Schmitz with Berry Plastics' corporate headquarters in Evansville, Indiana, says the company will relocate the facility’s production operations to three of its other locations. Schmitz says about 60 full-time employees will be laid off, and adds the company will help those affected by the closing. She says they will help with identifying local job opportunities... or those at other "plastics locations." Berry Plastics is expected to close in early October.
County Executive Vince Horrigan says the notice of the sudden layoffs at Berry Plastics came as a surprise. However... Horrigan adds that the business took a big hit when the Carriage House plant in Fredonia shut down in 2014. Horrigan says since then, county officials have been working with the company to keep the Dunkirk-area facility financially stable. He adds that he has received word that there may be discussions about keeping Berry Plastics in the area with company officials. Those discussions would include the county's Industrial Development Agency... and, Empire State Development. Horrigan calls it "unfortunate" that the facility is not able to "regain sufficient business" at this time.
New York's attorney general is rejecting a congressional committee chairman's demand for records about his investigation into whether Exxon Mobil misled investors about global warming. Committee on Science, Space and Technology Chairman Lamar Smith, a Texas Republican, told Attorney General Eric Schneiderman he has until midnight Wednesday to provide documents the committee requested two months ago. Smith said in a letter Monday that the committee ``will consider the use of compulsory process to obtain responsive documents'' if Schneiderman didn't comply. He wants all communications between Schneiderman, a Democrat, and the other so-called ``Green 20'' attorneys general as well as groups blaming fuel burning for global warming. In a letter Wednesday... Schneiderman's counsel Leslie Dubeck said the committee lacks the constitutional authority for oversight of his state duties -- including investigating Exxon Mobil's possible violations of New York's fraud statute.
Two former state legislative leaders convicted of public corruption crimes are urging judges to let them remain free pending appeal... mainly due to a recent U-S Supreme Court ruling. Former state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and former Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (SKEH'-lohs) made the requests in Manhattan federal court on Monday. Sillver, a Democrat, was sentenced to 12 years in prison after he was convicted last year in a $5-million dollar corruption case. Skelos, a Republican, and his son, Adam, were convicted last year of extortion and bribery. Skelos was sentenced to five years in prison... while his son received a 6 1/2-year sentence. They believe their prospects on appeal improved considerably after the Supreme Court reversed the conviction of former Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell.
Faced with a teacher shortage, New York education leaders are making it easier for out-of-state teachers to work in the state. The policy-making Board of Regents on Monday amended rules so that experienced teachers certified elsewhere who meet citizenship and training requirements can qualify for an initial certificate in New York state. Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia says the changes will help ease the teacher shortage while upholding high standards. The changes also apply for certified school leaders.
The operators of the Nine Mile Point nuclear power plant are in talks to buy and maintain a reactor on Lake Ontario scheduled to be shut down in January. Exelon said Wednesday that any purchase of FitzPatrick Plant near Oswego would be contingent on the state adopting a subsidy plan for nuclear reactors that compensates them for their clean emissions.
How Cummins Engine came to Chautauqua County over 40 years ago was the subject of a presentation Wednesday night in Busti. Joe Gerace, Senior who was Town Supervisor and Chairman of the County Legislature at the time said it began with a traveling salesman's comment to a member of the Busti Town Board. That salesman's name is lost in history. Cummins Craig Colburn was instrumental in the decision to take over the vacant Art Metal plant on Baker Street in 1974. The company had experienced labor trouble at its home in Columbus, Indiana... and there were fears of the same thing here. But Jametown had a Labor-Management Committee, established by then mayor Stan Lundine. Mike Abbate, the current plant manager, says the Jamestown Engine Plant was established on the idea that 'employees are team members', and that concept remains in place.
Though the market is somewhat soft, the local plant is currently building 300 diesel engines a day. Wednesday's session was sponsored by the Busti Historical Society and the Hamlet Improvement Group, and was held at the Busti Federated Church.
