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WJTN News Headlines for Dec. 12, 2018

A 22 year-old man -- who fled to Las Vegas Nevada -- is awaiting extradition to Cattaraugus County on second-degree murder charges in connection to a stabbing incident in Salamanca... 

Sheriff's Officers in Little Valley report the arrest was made following an investigation into the death of 22 year-old Juwaan Holt at 357 Broad Street last Saturday. Deputies say the unidentified suspect allegedly stabbed the Buffalo-area victim in the abdomen, resulting in his death. The investigation is continuing in conjuction with the Salamanca City Police and, more charges are pending. Officers say this was an isolated incident, the suspect is in custody and there is no current danger to the public. 


A Fredonia woman has been arrested for allegedly driving drunk in a two-car accident on Route 60 in the town of Pomfret Monday night....  

Sheriff's officers came across the accident scene shortly after 11 p.m. and, found that the driver of one vehicle, 60 year-old Andrea Tarnowski, drove into the intersection with Straight Road, and struck a southbound vehicle.  No injuries were reported, but deputies found that that Tarnowski's license had been suspended due to a prior impaired driving arrest.  After processing, officers say Tarnowski was released with tickets for Pomfret Town Court at a later date to answer charges of DWI, first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation, and failure to yield right of way.


The attorney representing the officer involved in Monday's police involved shooting in Fredonia believes it was a "legitimate and lawful use" of deadly force under New York State law...  

Police officials say the incident at 76 Liberty Street was first reported as a medical call, before village police were sent to the scene.  The officer involved is being represented by attorney Thomas Burton from the Buffalo area, who has handled a number of police-involved shooting cases over the years.  He says the man who brandished a knife did not obey the commands from the officer.

The man, who has not been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene by a county coroner.  The Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office, with the help of the State Police, are handling the investigation that is being overseen by District Attorney Patrick Swanson.  The Attorney General's Office was contacted and sent an investigator to the scene on Monday, but Burton does not believe the AG's Office will take over jurisdiction of the case because a weapon was obviously seen and recovered. 


A pair of people essential to the growth of the Robert H. Jackson Center were honored in a ceremony there on Tuesday.....  

Fran Galbato began as a docent, giving tours of the fledgling facility as it started over 17 years ago.  Her husband, Tom, quickly joined on.  Greg Peterson, one of the founders of the center, said the couple stepped up on many fronts when help was needed the most.

The Galbatos' -- whose family business is Brigiotta's -- organized fund raising spaghetti dinners, took long trips to bring 'Jackson memorabilia' back to Jamestown, and helped organize the office as the center began to grow.  Because of health issues, neither Tom nor Fran could be present at the ceremony.  Their daughter, Carla Kays, spoke on her parents' behalf, saying her mother loved what Robert Jackson stood for-- equality, justice, and treating one another with respect and kindness. The Jackson Center's Interim President, Tom Schmidt, said a brick honoring the Galbatos' commitment will be installed in the front sidewalk next spring.    


The Chautauqua Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Council will hold a forum tonight to try and clarify the differences between medical marijuana and recreational pot....  
 

CASAC Executive Director Melanie Witkowski says the forum will be held at McEwen Hall at the SUNY College at Fredonia from 5:30 to 7:30 PM.  Witkowski says she'll be on the panel in addition to health care, and local task force officials.

Witkowski says Chautauqua County Health Commissioner Christine Schulyer, Will Jones of Smart Approaches to Marijuana and, retired UPMC Chautauqua Hospital Clinical Director Andy O'Brien will also be on the panel.  She says there is a lot of concern about recreational marijuana being legalized in New York state because there is already a lot of substance abuse here already and, the area's poverty numbers are high.  The forum will be held in Room 209 of McEwen Hall at SUNY at Fredonia.  For more information or to register, go on-line to casacweb.org.


Several nationwide food contamination outbreaks has led U-S Senator Kirsten Gillibrand to call on the Food and Drug Administration to implement legislation approved several years ago by Congress...  

The New York Democrat says the Food Safety Modernization Act was drafted -- by her -- in 2010, but the FDA has yet to enforce the standards.  While grocery stores are good at getting those products off the shelves, Gillibrand says they don't do as well in notifying their customers of those recalls.

Gillibrand says -- often -- people will have items left in their pantry or freezer that has been recalled and, they don't realize it.  She adds that -- with the use of current technology -- shoppers can be informed quickly through various means.  Gillibrand says supermarkets and grocery stores know what was sold and often to whom and, can connect with those people through a phone call, e-mail or text.  She says there are four store chains -- including Wegman's -- in New York that have already implemented such measures on their own. 


With less than two weeks to Christmas and one major distribution yet to come, Toys for Tots in Chautauqua County has run out of toys....

Heather Brown, one of the Toys for Tots Coordinators from the Resouce Center, speaking at Toy Central in Falconer Tuesday, said donations have been a little down this year, and applications way up, reaching 3,000 for the first time in TRC's 18 year history with the project.  Terri Johnson, another of the coordinators, hopes people will purchase toys for any age range over the next couple days and place them in one of the over 100 barrels at stores and other locations throughout the community.   Toys should  be new and unwrapped.  They final distribution is set for Saturday, when they hope to have toys for another 1200 young people.  More information on Facebook, or call 661-1042.


A Pennsylvania man convicted of killing his wife and tossing her body into Lake Erie has been sentenced to life in prison without possibility of parole....  

The Erie Times-News reports that Erie County President Judge John Trucilla imposed the mandatory sentence Tuesday on 49-year-old Christopher Leclair.  He also added three years and nine months to 17 years for counts including abuse of a corpse, evidence-tampering and false reports.  Leclair reported his wife missing in June 2017 but surveillance images showed the two leaving and him returning alone, and he later put out a distress call.  Her body was found in July off Dunkirk, New York.  The judge ordered him to pay nearly 706-thousand dollars in restitution to the Coast Guard for the search.  Defense attorney Bruce Sandmeyer said Leclair maintains his innocence.


Authorities say three snowmobilers have died in separate crashes in northern New York since last Friday...  

Two crashes took place on Friday, with 46-year-old Thomas Hetherington of Middlesex, New York killed after crashing into a tree while snowmobiling in the Adirondack town of Inlet.  New York Upstate reports that 23-year-old Jonathon Black of Somerset, New Jersey died that same evening near Old Forge.  Webb Police Chief Ronald Johnson says conditions in the area were very icy, and the causes of the crashes were "imprudent speed for the conditions."  New York State Police say 18-year-old Luke Tyrrell of Adams, New York died Sunday morning after losing control of his snowmobile and crashing into a tree.  Tyrrell was pronounced dead at an area hospital.