Missing Jamestown teen found safe...
A Jamestown teenager reported missing earlier this week has now been found... safe and sound. City police late Thursday reported that 18 year-old Zachary Hamby... who was considered a "missing endangered person with autism" had been last seen on Monday in the city. Officers say they appreciate the public's help in the matter.
City man arrested for possessing child porn after phone is found inside store...
A Jamestown man who was convicted 20 years ago on multiple sex abuse charges has now been arrested on a federal charge of production of child pornography. U.S. Attorney Attorney Trini Ross says 63 year-old Timothy Douglas was arrested on a criminal complaint in connection with an incident last Aug. 12. Prosecutors say a customer at a grocery store in Jamestown found a blue Moxee phone sitting on a table in the entryway to the store and turned it over to a store employee, who took it to the security office. The employee unlocked the phone... noticed that the photo gallery was open... and, saw a picture of naked 5 or 6 year-old girl. The employee decided to wait until the next day to contact the store’s General Manager. The next day another employee saw the phone in the security office, unlocked it, saw another photo of a naked girl, and called city police. At that point... JPD investigators executed a search warrant on the phone and recovered images and videos of child pornography. They traced the phone back to Douglas... who is a New York State Registered Sex Offender. If convicted... he faces a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison... and, a maximum of 50.
Wendel says legislature Democrats are being "very misleading" when saying residents are "overtaxed..."
Chautauqua County's top elected official says county legislature Democrats are being "very misleading" when they say local property owners are being "overtaxed" in his 2024 budget proposal. Executive P.J. Wendel is responding to a proposal by minority Democrats who are calling on using an additional $1-million from fund balance to offset the tax levy in next year's budget. The Lakewood Republican says -- first of all -- the state has heaped another $7.3-million dollars in unfunded mandates on the county. Wendel adds that doesn't include the just over $3-million in federal eFMAP funding the state has intercepted for it's own use. He confirmed that the county's undesigned fund balance has grown to just over $37-million. However... he says that's not all property tax monies. Wendel says there have been "other" revenues that have come in. However... he says some of that money was taken by New York state, and the federal government. Wendel says that $5-million of the $18-million in added rainy day monies has gone back to the state and federal government because they can't keep profits from tax foreclosure sales in the past three years. His proposal includes an 89-cent per $1,000 full value tax rate decrease... and, increases the levy by about $1.8-million.
Wendel also defends having Media Info. Officer in county government...
Through the first three-days of deliberations on his budget proposal... Wendel says legislature Democrats have been quiet regarding their proposal... including elimination of the Media Information Officer's position. The executive believes that's because... due to restructuring in his office, and elsewhere... it's not impacting his budget. Wendel says they had planned for the new position by consolidating some others.. beginning two years ago. He made his comments for this coming weekend's "Community Spotlight" program on the six Media One Radio Group stations.
Rally held in front of Brook's-TLC Hospital for state to release funding for new hosptial...
Officials and workers from Brooks-TLC Hospital... along with several elected officials... had a message Thursday for the New York State Department of Health. They chanted "Build Brook's Now." A rally was held at Brooks Memorial Hospital in Dunkirk to call for the release of $71 million in funds for a new hospital in the north county. Among the speakers was Assemblyman Andrew Goodell, who says a new hospital is critical for the area... not just Dunkirk. Brooks-TLC President and Chief Executive Officer Ken Morris says a new hospital is part of the health care system's plan to provide quality care, and that included funding to improve access and services to be provided. Dunkirk Mayor Willie Rosas says without the funding, the hospital is in jeopardy of not existing... for not just Dunkirk... but the entire north county area.
Five people arrested during drug raid in Jamestown Wednesday...
Five Jamestown residents have been arrested following a drug raid early Wednesday morning at a home on the city's eastside. Jamestown police say members of the Metro Drug Task Force and Sheriff's Office Narcotics Investigators executed a search warrant at 628 Spring St. shortly after 6 a.m., with the help of the JPD SWAT Team. Officers say there were six adults found inside the home.... and, a search led to seizure of a quantity of fentanyl... crack cocaine... methamphetamine... Alprazolam, scales, packaging materials, and a small quantity of cash. Police arrested 47 year-old Wilfredo Castrillo... 46 year-old Cesar Soto... 45 year-old Jennifer Aldrich... and two 18 year-olds -- Kayla Lutgen, and Alanah Howard. All five are charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance... and, criminally using drug paraphernalia . They were all taken to the city jail and, are being held pending arraignment.
