Co. Executive Wendel to be at Hochul's State of the State Address...
Among those planning to be in attendance for Gov. Kathy Hochul's State of the State Address Tuesday afternoon is Chautauqua County Executive P.J. Wendel. Wendel says he's looking forward to the address... which will outline Hochul's goals for 2024. Wendel says he's been told there will be some good news for the county in that address. Wendel says it's nice to see the county mentioned during the address... and, he's hopeful on a couple of fronts. First... he's hoping to see Hochul sign-off on the $70-million for a new Brook's Hospital in the north county. Second is funding to help Chautauqua Lake. He adds, though, that "New York is New York..." and they're looking at having to pay $12-million to $16-million dollars in unfunded mandates being put on the county. However... with the county in pretty good financial shape right now... Wendel says there are "no major complaints" at this point. The Lakewood Republican adds that he is concerned about at least one new law that's being proposed. He says that concerns the In-REM Foreclosure law. Also in attendance will be local State Senator George Borrello and Assemblyman Andy Goodell.
Borrello says new State Legislative Session expeted to be a "tumultuous one..."
The New York state legislature's 2024 session is officially underway... and, Senator George Borrello is expecting the session in Albany to be a "tumultuous" one, as legislators enter an election year. The Sunset Bay Republican also says legislators need to use this year's session to address a projected budget deficit of more than $4-billion... a lot of which has been caused by taxpayers leaving New York state due to the taxes. Borrello also spoke about what issues he would like to see addressed. Among them -- he says -- is the state's Unemployment Insurance Fund... which he says is $8-billion in debt to the federal government because of what he calls "mismanagement" by the State Labor Department. Borrello adds that he hopes lawmakers can "apply common sense" to issues like affordability, crime, and the migrant crisis.
Jamestown man arrested for being in possession of metal knuckles...
A city man is accused of being in possession of a set of metal knuckles... which are outlawed in New York state... during a street check in the downtown area early last weekend. Jamestown police say a patrol spotted 26 year-old Darius Franklin shortly after 2 a.m. Saturday in the area of North Main and East Third Streets. Officers say they knew there was a Chautauqua County Court warrant for Franklin's arrest. He was stopped... and, arrested. During a subsequent search... police found him with the metal knuckles... and, he was taken to the city jail on one count of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon... as well as the warrant. Franklin was held pending arraignment.
City man arrested for being drunk, and breaking items during domestic incident...
A Jamestown man has been arrested for allegedly being drunk and throwing items... breaking many of them... at a home on the city's westside early Saturday morning. Jamestown police were called to the unidentified location just after 2 a.m., and, found that 22 year-old Chase Pellerino had returned home in an intoxicated condition.. and, began throwing items all over the house. After that he got into a physical domestic with a woman there. Pellerino was arrested for third-degree criminal mischief... and, was taken to the city jail pending arraignment in City Court.
Dunkirk man found guilty of federal sex trafficking...
A Mayville man has been convicted by a federal jury of the sex trafficking of a minor in U.S. District Court in Buffalo. U.S. Attorney Trini Ross says that 49 year-old William Quinones was found guilty last Friday of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and sex trafficking of a minor. Ross says prosecutors found that in July of 2021... the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office got a complaint that Quinones had been sexually abusing two children the previous eight-years. Further investigation found a total of four minor victims. During interviews with investigators... the victims stated that Quinones raped or attempted to rape and sexually abused them. Quinones threatened them with violence or hurt their families if they told what he was doing. Quinones had regular sexual contact with one minor victim, referred to in the indictment, beginning when she was 8 years old, as often as three to four times a week. That victim also said that Quinones started paying her in exchange for sexual contact, beginning when she was 13 years old until age 16. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years to life in prison. Quinones is to be sentenced next June.
Two city residents arrested on criminal contempt charges...
Two Jamestown residents were arrested early last weekend after police found they were found to have orders of protection against the other during a domestic incident. City police were on a "targeted domestic violence detail" just before 11:30 a.m. Saturday when they responded to a northside address. When they arrived... they made contact with 47 year-old Rudy Ryen and... and, 48 year-old Christina Dorman... each of whom had an active order of protection to stay away from the other. Both were arrested without incident... and taken to the city jail. Ryen was charged with first-degree criminal contempt due to a previous criminal contempt conviction... and, Dorman was charged with second-degree criminal contempt.
