Lake Effect Snow storm to lay coating of white on start of Spring Wednesday...
Parts of Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties should keep that snow shovel handy because of lake effect snow coming in the next couple of days. A Lake Effect Snow Advisory is in effect from 5 p.m. Tuesday until 6 a.m. Thursday morning. Meteorologist Bill Hibbert of the National Weather Service says its shaping up with a good situation if you like lake effect snow for the arrival of spring. He says it's strange that we're seeing Lake Effect Snow coming as Spring arrives... and, some areas may see up to a foot of snow. Storm totals will range from 6 to 12 inches in the persistent lake snows, mainly across the Chautauqua Ridge. Much lesser amounts are expects near Lake Erie. The snow will result in hazardous travel conditions with snow covered roads and reduced visibility in areas where the heaviest snow is occurring.
Village Elections underway for 12 of 15 villages today...
Twelve of the county's 15 villages are holding their elections today... and, many of them have contested races for trustee seats. Chautauqua County Republican Elections Commissioner Brian Abram says there are also two villages with contested Mayoral races. Abram says the big one is in Westfield... where incumbant David Carr is seeking a fourth-term against former Trustee Michael Vandevelde. Abram says there are also two Republicans and two Democrats running for a pair of trustee seats... so it's expected to be a busy day there. In addition to the vote... residents will be signed in using an Electronic Poll Book. In addition... Abram says there's a contested mayor's race in the far north county village of Forestville. Katherine Bowker and Linda Aures are running for Mayor. In the immediate Jamestown-area... there's a contested trustees race in the village of Lakewood. Current trustees Joe Troche and Sue Drago are running... as is Democratic challenger David DiSalvo. Two seats are up for grabs. Abram adds they have the same scenario in Sherman... Brocton and Cherry Creek. There are also four people are running for two board seats in Silver Creek. Voting runs now to 9 p.m. Results will be available shortly after that at www.votechautauqua.com.
Westfield experiment with EPDs the second such one in Chautauqua County...
A new way of signing in when you vote in local elections is being tested by the Chautauqua County Board of Elections in two village elections this Spring. Elections Commissioner Brian Abram says they've been given permission by the state to use new Electronic Poll Book's that would be a "paper-less" replacement to the current books people sign. Abram says they've already used the new poll book in the Fredonia election... and, says it went "very well." Westfield is where the other pilot program is taking place. Abram says there are two advantages to using the new "paper-less" poll books. He says it saves on paper... but, the voter history is put in by a "hand-wand" so there's a record that they actually voted. Abram says they had the state's "blessing" to hold the test trials with the Electronic Poll Book's... but, there's no word on how soon the book's may be used on a regular basis.
City lawmakers get final, unaudited 2012 budget numbers from Bellitto...
There will officially be a deficit for the city of Jamestown in 2012... but, it's not as bad as it could have been. City Comptroller Joe Bellitto reminded lawmakers at Monday night's meeting that the city began the past fiscal year $715,000 in the hole. That's because the city used that much money from the undesignated fund balance to hold down taxes during the past year. City government was able to make up $447,000 of that during the year... mainly because expenses were $544,000 less than budgeted. Bellitto says spending was down because there was little overtime used due to mild Winter Weather... and, a savings on salaries. But... Bellitto says the mild Winter also hurt city revenues. He says Jamestown received $97,000 less than was budgeted in 2012. He adds a number of revenue lines came in lower... including the Gross Receipts Tax on utility costs. Several other lines were down... though sales tax revenues came in slight above what was forecast.
Five men jailed without bail for allegedly selling heroin, "crack" in Jamestown...
Five people have been arrested for allegedly trafficking heroin and "crack" cocaine in the Jamestown-area from a northside location. City police say members of their drug enforcement unit... along with the department's SWAT Team... raided a home at 442 Buffalo St. early Monday afternoon. Officials say all five men were arrested after a lengthy investigation. Police say 33 year-old Russell Bales of the Buffalo St. address... and, 28 year-old Joseph McNamara of 440 Buffalo St. were taken into custody... along with another city resident... 20 year-old Ryan Baker. Also arrested were 27 year-old Mark Dzielski of Brocton... and, 21 year-old Christopher McMillen of Youngsville, Pennsylvania. Police say all five are charged with two Felony counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance. Bales was also charged with criminal nuisance. Officers say they found 10-thousand dollars worth of heroin and "crack" inside... along with a quantity of cash. All five suspects were arraigned in city court and sent to the county jail without bail.
Fredonia man arrested in connection with shooting incident...
A 22-year-old Fredonia man is facing several felony charges after he allegedly pointed a loaded handgun at a victim outside a house at 66 Center St. in Fredonia Monday. Fredonia Police say as the victim and his friends entered their vehicles and attempted to leave the driveway, Ronald Duman, Jr. allegedly pointed the gun toward them and fired a round missing the vehicle. Police were able to locate Duman around 7 p.m. Monday... he was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by police. They also recovered the handgun used in the shooting. Duman is facing charges of first-degree reckless endangerment... first-degree menacing... criminal possession of a weapon.
