City Council approves budget changes for 2024 to stem $1.6-million dollar shortfall in highway funding...
The Jamestown City Council has further amended the 2024 budget to eliminate a $1.6-million shortfall in Consolidated Highway Improvement Program... or CHIPS funding. Lawmakers approved the changes at last night's meeting... which involved some cuts... and use of just over $500,000 more in the city's fund balance. Finance Committee Chairwoman Kim Ecklund says other potential shortfalls will be addressed after the start of the new year. Those would be in state retirement funding, and health insurance. That potential shortfall in retirement and health insurance is believed to be about $700,000. The amount of fund balance to be used to offse the shortfall is $504,000. One other change was to cut Parks Administration by $28,000... for a total cut there of $40,000. City lawmakers approved the just over $40-million budget at the end of November... but, the new changes will be part of the new spending plan as tax bills are sent out for 2024. According to budget figures after council action last night... the tax rate would be reduced to $23.35 per $1,000 full value.
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Also at last night's meeting... Jamestown Police Chief and Public Safety Director Tim Jackson was reappointed for another two-years... through December of 2025. Jackson was first appointed to replace the retired Harry Snellings in November of 2020.
Florida woman sentenced for transporting nearly 10-pounds of Fentanyl into the city a year ago...
A Florida woman arrested just over a year ago with nearly 10 pounds of Fentanyl stashed away in her car's battery has been sentenced to just over seven-years in federal prison. U.S. Attorney Trini Ross announced late Monday that 67 year-old Elina Martinez of Miami who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of Fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 85 months in prison in U.S. District Court in Buffalo. Prosecutors say a city police officer pulled over Martinez’s vehicle on Dec. 7, 2022 -- which had a Missouri license plate -- for committing a number of traffic violations. Martinez, who produced her driver's license, and, car rental paperwork to the officer, gave consent for the officer to search the car. Officers opened the hood of the car and saw an “aftermarket” car battery that appeared to be too large for the car and tampered with due to the presence of an unknown adhesive. Officers cut into the battery and found a plastic bag containing a large quantity of blue pills. Martinez was detained, and the car was towed for a more extensive search. Officers later searched the car battery and the car and discovered a plastic bag containing approximately 9-pounds, 13 ounces of blue pills bearing the markings “m” and “30.” The pills contained 4,389 grams of fentanyl.
City man sentenced to 8-yrs, one-month for being part of meth trafficking ring in Jamestown...
A Jamestown man found guilty of being part of a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy has been sentenced to eight-years and one-month in federal prison. U.S. Attorney Trini Ross announced Monday that 57-year-old Austin Gordon... who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, five grams or more of methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, was sentenced to serve 97 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard Arcara. Prosecutors say... between June and December 2019... Gordon bought, sold, and distributed quantities of meth for profit the Jamestown area... using Facebook to conduct his drug trafficking. On July 16th of that year... investigators searching for a federal fugitive at a Bishop Street home in Jamestown found methamphetamine inside the residence. Investigators later raided the home and found meth and drug paraphernalia... along with $1,476 in cash. In November of 2019, investigators raided Gordon’s Newland Avenue residence... and, recovered 32 grams of meth, illicit mushrooms, $1,642 in cash, two firearms, and 454 rounds of . ammunition. Gordon was is a convicted Felon, and, is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm. Co-defendants Miller Hagga, Kylie Reeves, Garland Beardsley, Tyler Tedesco, Michael Murphy, and Giselle Bennett were previously convicted.
Weekend traffic stop in Jamestown leads to arrest of fugitive...
A traffic stop last weekend on Jamestown's westside has led to the arrest of a 43 year-old man for being a fugitive from justice in Pennsylvania. City police say their violent crime unit conducted the stop in the area of Cherry and West Sixth Streets just before 3 p.m. last Saturday. Through their investigation... officers found that the passenger of the vehicle, Richard Conway, had a confirmed warrant out of Pennsylvania. Conway was taken into custody without incident and taken to the city jail. He's charged with being a fugitive... and, is being held pending arraignment.
City man arrested on northside for alleged domestic incident...
A Jamestown man is accused of allegedly damaging another person's property during a domestic incident on the city's northside late last Saturday night. Jamestown police say they were called to the scene shortly before 12 Midnight... and, their investigation showed that Hector Ortiz-Rodriguez damaged the victim's coffee table during the incident. When Ortiz-Rodriguez was told that he was being arrested... he tried to flee the home. However... he was quickly apprehended and was taken into custody without further incident. Ortiz-Rodriguez was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief... and resisting arrest... and he was jailed pending arraignment.
