Electrical malfunction cited as cause of major fire at main building at Forestville golf club...
An early morning fire Sunday at the main building of the Tri-County Country Club in Forestville is being blamed on an electrical malfunction. The Sheriff's Department's Fire Investigation Team say the Forestville Fire Department was called to the scene at 540 Route 39 just after 6 a.m., and, found heavy fire coming from the structure. Officials say several area fire departments were called in for mutual aid. Once the blaze was out... the fire investigation team was called in and found the electrical malfunction was found in the southeast corner of the building. The fire has been ruled accidental. No injuries were reported.
Wendel issues new order regarding potential homeless being relocated to Chautauqua County...
Chautauqua County Executive P.J. Wendel signed a modified, second Emergency Order on Sustainable Migration Friday... which would block a New York City program to relocate homeless people to Chautauqua County. During a video press conference last Friday... Wendel announced the order -- which was first signed by officials in Oneida County. Wendel says this is in response to New York City's "Fighting Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement" -- or FHEPS -- program. He says the program provides five years -- or more -- of rental vouchers to homeless New York City residents who agree to relocate upstate. Wendel says the city is now allowing those residents to go anywhere in New York State. While it applies only to the "homeless" in New York City... Wendel says it's an "unlawful program that poses a grave risk to the social, health and emergency services resources of our county, practically because the county’s homeless population is already at an all-time high." It's also caused problems with a large number living in a hotel in the village of Falconer. Wendel says the emergency order prohibits any person, business or entity within the county to accept a rental voucher as payment for housing, without first getting written authorization from the County Executive.
North County pair arrested on drug and weapons charges in Jamestown...
Two north county area residents face drug and weapons related charges following a traffic stop on Jamestown's southside early last Friday. City police say their violent crime unit conducted the stop in on East Virgina Blvd near Holbrook St. for observed traffic infractions. During the investigation... officers conducted a vehicle search after observing the passenger, 48 year-old Jimi Jo Sobczak of Brocton, reaching around the cabin of the vehicle and picking up an unknown pill and ingesting it as officers approached the vehicle. Police then located a switchblade knife in the possession of 45 year-old Thomas Dalton of Portland. The investigation later uncovered a quantity of cocaine in Sobczak's possession as she was trying to conceal drugs and paraphernalia. Once she was taken into custody she tied to dispose of additional drugs which were secreted on her person. Dalton was arrested for third-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Sobczak was arrested for seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance... and, tampering with physical evidence. Both were taken to the city jail pending arraignment.
City man arrested for threatening woman who had court order against him...
A Jamestown man is accused of threatening a woman -- who had an order of protection against him -- during an early weekend domestic incident on the city's westside. Jamestown Police were called to the unidentified location about 6:30 p.m. last Friday for a disturbance. On arrival... they learned that 22 year-old Austin Harkins had threated the female victim... a violation of the order of protection. Harkins was arrested for second-degree harassment... first-degree criminal contempt... and, aggravated family offense. He was taken to the city jail pending arraignment.
Langworthy votes for bi-partisan CR Saturday night to help avoid government shutdown...
Local Congressman Nick Langworthy was among the House Republicans who voted last Saturday night in favor of a 45-day continuing resolution to keep the government open. The Buffalo-area Republican also voted Friday in favor of the "Continuing Appropriations and Border Secuity Enhancement Act." After that... he blasted the 21 right-wing Freedom Caucus members who voted against the proposal. They voted with Democrats to defeat the measure, 198-232. On Saturday... Langworthy was among the 335 Republicans and Democrats who voted for the measure. There were 90 -- mostly far-right Republicans -- who voted no on the measure with one Democrat.
Schumer praises bipartisan effort to avoid shutdown...
After the House took it's vote... the Senate late Saturday approved the 45-day spending bill to keep the government open and avoid a shutdown. The House bill did not include funding for aid to Ukraine in it's war with Russia. After the bill passed -- Senate democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer praised the House for getting the bipartisan bill through and said he will work to restore help for Ukraine. He says majorities in both conferences support doing that.
Gillibrand expresses condolences to Feinstein's passing to her family...
New York's junior U.S. Senator is among those expressing their condolences to the family of her former colleague, and long-time friend, Dianne Feinstein. Kirsten Gillibrand said -- in a statement last weekend -- that she was "deeply saddened" by Feinstein's passing. Gillibrand called Feinstein a "role model and mentor. Dianne was a force to be reckoned with, a political giant and a trailblazer who laid the groundwork for generations of women leaders."
