County Legislature approves pay raises for four elected officials...
The Chautauqua County Legislature has approved four local laws increasing the salaries of most elected officials. Most of the debate over base salary hikes for the county executive, county clerk, and the sheriff centered around the fact that... since 2018... each of them has received a year consumer price index pay increase. Jamestown Democrat Fred Larson -- in fact -- questioned the need for a Salary Review Commission to make recommendations. Larson says the increases of nearly six-years ago, and the cost-of-living increases... "should be adequate." However... with just a couple of exceptions... base increases for those three positions were approved by the Republican majority on the legislature. Audit and Control Committee Chairman Dan Pavlock praised the work of the commission... which hadn't met in recent years -- in large part due to the pandemic. He says this puts the salaries where they should be. The increase for both the county executive and the sheriff were approved 13-6... and the clerk's increase was adopted, 14-5. Lawmakers also approved legislator base pay increases from 9,000 to $14,000 a year.
Erie teen killed in crash near Panama identified...
An Erie, Pa. teenager was killed earlier this week in a single-car accident on the Panama-Stedman Road in the town of Harmony. State Police in Jamestown were called to the scene about 4 p.m. Monday... and, found that the late model sedan was northbound when it went off the roadway... and, struck multiple trees. Troopers say the passenger in the car... identified as 18 year-old Abdulnaser Al Hamwi.. was pronounced dead at the scene. They say the driver... 20 year-old Alaa Mohammad Al Zoubi -- also of Erie -- was flown to UPMC Hamot Medical Center in Erie for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. The investigation is continuing.
First Assistant D.A. excited to get GOP endorsement to run for 150th District Assembly seat...
A relative newcomer to Chautauqua County politics says he's pleased to have received the county Republican Committee's endorsement to run for the New York State Assembly. Fredonia's Andrew Molitor got the nod earlier this week over former Fredonia Mayor Doug Essek to run for the seat being vacated a year's end by long-time Assemblyman Andy Goodell. Molitor says he's honored and excited to get the committee's backing. He says they're good people who "work very hard" to nominate people who care about the issues they do. Molitor says he's always had an interest in policy matters... and, says a lot of those policies affect New Yorker's on a day-to-day basis. The county's current First Assistant District Attorney says he's ready to represent everyone in Albany. Molitor will be opposing Fredonia Democrat Michael Bobseine for the position this Fall. Molitor is married and has five children.
Jamestown man arrested for domestic violence incident...
A city man is accused of entering a home illegally... and, assaulting another person during a domestic incident on Jamestown's northside. City police were called to the location shortly before 2 a.m. Tuesday... and, spoke with the victim involved. Officers say the victim told them that 41 year-old Demaio McBride was able to get into the home... and assaulted and choked them in front of a child under the age of 17. Police arrested McBride for first-degree burglary... third-degree assault... criminal obstruction of breathing... and, endangering the welfare of a child. He was jailed pending arraignment.
Rare Disease Day being commemorated in Jamestown...
Jamestown’s City Hall and the Washington Street Bridge will be bathed in purple, blue, green and pink light tonight… in honor of ‘Rare Disease Day.’ Joan Eppehemier of Jamestown says rare diseases really aren’t that rare. Eppeheimer says research has found that 1 in 10 Americans now have one "rare disease." In the U.S., a disease is considered ‘rare’ if fewer than 200,000 people have it. There are 7,000 known rare diseases. One of them is Hunter’s Syndrome, where people lack an enzyme that removes cell waste from the body. Joan’s husband Wayne, a retired pastor, has Hunter’s Syndrome. He says he's "very grateful to God for each and every day" because people with the disease usually don't live as long as he has. The Eppeheimers believe it’s important to raise awareness on Feb. 29 because the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases can be extremely difficult to find. More information is available by looking up NORD, the National Organization for Rare Disorders.
Two women arrested in city for drug possession and forged license plate...
Two women have been arrested in Jamestown on drug and forgery charges after the car they were in was stopped for a traffic violation this past Monday night. City police say members of their Violence Interdiction Unit conducted the stop in the area Newton Aven. and Kipp St. just after 10 p.m., and identified the occupants as 46 year-old May Stilson... and, 44 year-old Shamori Houston. Officers say they spotted drug paraphernalia in plain view in the vehicle... and, conducted a search. They allegedly fuond a quantity of fentanyl in the vehicle. Police add they also found that the vehicle had a forged North Carolina license plate on it. Both Stilson and Houston were arrested... and, taken to the city jail on charges of second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument... and, seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled susbtance.
