A city man is jailed after allegedly threatening a woman and an 11 year-old child Wednesday night on Jamestown's westside... and, firing gun shots near them. City police were called to the area of Proudfit Street about 9:15 PM on reports of a disturbance... and, that a man had contacted a female victim, and said that he was coming over to kill everyone. The man... later identified as 45 year-old Blake Smith... arrived and reportedly fired shots from a handgun near the victims... but, no one was hurt. Police say Smith fled the scene before they arrived. Jamestown Police and, Metro Drug Task Force officers took Smith into custody at about 10:30 Thursday morning as he got out of a car on Pine Street. Smith, who is a state parolee, was arrested on charges including menacing, parole violation, and endangering the welfare of a child. More charges are pending, and Smith was jailed pending arraignment.
A number of police agencies -- including the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office -- are moving to the next step in reinventing and modernizing their strategies and programs. It's part of the effort to comply with Governor Andrew Cuomo's executive order last June mandating a plan be in place by next April. Sheriff Jim Quattrone says most departments in the county are already complying with several of the new mandates.
Quattrone says some of the programs used locally are developed, and mandated by the New York state municipal training council... and, the state's Law Enforcement Accreditation program. Several meetings have already been held... and, the sheriff says the next step is to develop five stakeholder groups to help survey the public on needs that should be addressed. He says they would include an elected officials group, emergency services, and law enforcement itself. County Executive P-J Wendel was on hand... with a number of other local officials... to support the "unity of effort" in completing each police agency's plan. Quattrone says they expect to have final plans to be completed by February so they can be presented, and voted on.
There has been a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases in Chautauqua County over the past day... with 17 more being reported yesterday. County Health officials say most of the cases are in the north county with six in Dunkirk. There are four in Jamestown, and, one each in Lakewood and Frewsburg. Interim County Executive P-J Wendel says 68 cases are currently active... and, the total number of cases has climbed to 727. Wendel says five people are now hospitalized... and, the number of recovered cases now totals 646. He says 313 cases are under quarantine or isolation orders... and, there are 22 others under the "domestic traveler quarantine."
Western New York's COVID-19 infection rate has once again gone above the statewide average after being below one-percent on Tuesday. Governor Andrew Cuomo gave an update during a conference call with reporters yesterday and said the regional infection rate increased to nearly one-and-a-half percent on Wednesday. Cuomo says that rate is up from point-9 percent on Monday. He says COVID "hot spots" had an infection rate of nearly 6-percent. In addition... Cuomo says 145,000 tests were conducted across New York state on Monday, a state record.
A restructuring of legacy costs... including health care and retirement contributions... is being used by Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist to propose a 2021 budget that includes a slight tax decrease. Sundquist proposed his $34.8-million spending plan Thursday afternoon during a press conference at City Hall. He says the tax levy would be cut by $70,000 and, the tax rate by point-72 percent... or 17-cents per thousand full value. Sundquist says they'll save $325,000 by delaying some state retirement system payments.
Sundquist says the biggest savings will be seen in health insurance costs for some 350 retirees who are 65 and older. He says they would be shifted to Medicare programs... saving about $1.1-million. However... he says the city will pick up the cost of their premiums making those programs free. Under Sundquist's proposal... he says the tax rate would go down from $23.69 per thousand to $23.52. The proposal now goes to the City Council for review.
The Jamestown Public Schools Superintendent is applauding the great work staff, faculty and students have been doing to protect everyone's healthy and safety in the middle of the COVID-19 Pandemic. With many new changes in place, such as wearing face coverings and increased cleaning, Dr. Kevin Whitaker says they are fortunate because they haven't had any new COVID-19 cases since their initial two cases. Whitaker says those two students were learning remotely.
Moving forward... Whitaker says they are continuing their re-opening process by expanding to in-person learning on Fridays. Elementary students currently attending either morning or afternoon session... Monday through Thursday... will also attend each Friday -- morning or afternoon -- beginning October 23rd. For students graded 5 through 9 in Cohort A and attend Mondays and Wednesdays, will also begin attending on Fridays on October 23rd... and, every other Friday after that. Those in the 'B' Cohort will begin attending every other Friday as well on October 30th. For the high schoolers.... Dr. Whitaker says Principal Dana Williams is expected to release information for which specific JHS courses will be available to students who participate in electives or AP classes.
A school district in Cattaraugus County has goine to all remote learning through next Monday due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the eastern part of the county. The Portville Central District announced on it's Facebook page that a staff person tested positive for the coronavirus... and, that their schools are closed to in-person classes today through next Monday. Monday is Columbus Day -- which is a national holiday. However... the Cattaraugus County Health Department says there is no evidence that COVID-19 transmission is occuring at the school.
