Community Spotlight, the area's longest running local public affairs radio program, airs on all six Media One Radio Group stations each weekend and is also available to hear in our Podcast Section.  Each week we sit down with a community leader or another special guest to talk about issues within our community.  


Weather Forecasts are available across our radio stations each day and also as your fingertips! 

Connect with The National Weather Service's Buffalo Office or with WGRZ-TV for accurate weather information!

 

 

 


 

WJTN News Headline

A city woman is jailed for allegedly being found in possession of a quantity of Heroin... packaged for sale... just a short distance away from Love Elementary School.  Jamestown Police Captain Bob Samuelson says members of the JPD Drug Enforcement Unit... and, state Police C-NET Team raided an apartment at 614 Spring Street about 12:30 PM Wednesday.  Samuelson says they found the occupant... 28 year-old Leslie Rodriguez... trying to flush some of the Heroin in her possession down a toilet.  He tells our Terry Frank this was part of their ongoing crack-down on Heroin trafficking in the city. In addition to the Heroin... Samuelson says officers found packaging material... and, 6-thousand dollars cash.  The first drug raid near the school was a couple of weeks ago... and, allegedly involved the discovery of a loaded revolver.  Samuelson also says they've been getting a lot of help from citizens on their anonymous tip-line.  He says they're getting an average of "3 or 4 calls" a day.  For repeat callers... he says be patient because they will get back to you -- only if you want them to call.  Their number is 483-8477.  Rodriguez is charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance... and, criminal tampering.

 

State lawmakers lawmakers have agreed on legislation designed to help curb the growing heroin epidemic in New York.  Governor Andrew Cuomo says the eight bills approved today (Wednesday) include requiring insurance companies to better cover substance-abuse treatment... creating a statewide public awareness campaign to prevent opioid use... and, harsher penalties to crack down on illegal drug distribution.  The legislation would also require every anti-overdose kit, which contains the drug naloxone -- or Narcan -- to include an information card on how to administer the drug... and, how to recognize the symptoms of a heroin and opioid overdose.  Cuomo, a Democrat, says there were more than 89,000 heroin and prescription opiate treatment cases in New York last year, up from roughly 63,000 in 2004.  Experts say today's heroin is cheaper and more potent than it was in the 1980s.

 

Both the state Senate and Assembly have now approved legislation to provide Chautauqua County with a second, Family Court Judge.  State Senator Cathy Young says the new judge will help address a record number of cases.  Young says -- typically -- Chautauqua County’s family court caseload is around 4-thousand per year... but, last year it grew to about 9-thousand cases.  She says the dramatic increase resulted in a family court judge from Erie County being brought in to help with the caseload two days every week.  Right now... Judge Judith Claire is the only full time Family Court Judge in Chautauqua County.  Young says negotiations between the Senate and Assembly were "arduous" because Assembly members from New York City wanted more judges downstate.  However... Chautauqua County remained on all the lists.  She commended Bemus Point Assemblyman Andy Goodell for his "strong efforts" to protect the county's needs. Chautauqua County’s new judge will be elected in this November’s general election. Given the special circumstances of the creation of these new judgeships... and, the limited time available between now and the election, candidates will be accommodated by a lower than usual requirement for petition signatures. Ballot petitioning for candidates will begin on July 11, 2014, and petitions must be filed with the county Board of Elections between July 21st and July 24th. 

 

Quick thinking by an employee at Jamestown's Bergman Park prevented serious damage to a bathroom near the ballfields after someone set some paper towels on fire.  Fire Battalion Chief Don Woodfield says fire crews were called to the scene on Baker Street Extension about 4:45 PM.  Woodfield says they found a smoldering, plastic paper towel dispenser in the men's room.  He says the caretaker threw some water on the dispenser... and, firefighters used a water can to extinguish the fire.  No one was hurt.  Woodfield says whoever set the fire... apparently just set the paper itself ablaze.  City police and fire officials are investigating.  Contact either department if you have any information on the arson fire.

 

Members of the Jamestown Fire Department... other city officials and residents... paused yesterday afternoon at Fire Station-#5 to remember one of the department's darkest days.  Thursday was the 80th anniversary of the Richfield Oil Company explosion and fire on Fluvanna Avenue.  Four members of the department at Station-#5 died from burns in that fire... while several others... including the Chief... were seriously burned.  Retired firefighter Leo Duliba (Do-Lee-buh) is the department's Historian... and, has chronicalled most of what happened. The four firefighters who were killed were Station-#5 Office in Charge Harold Anderson... Oscar Bloom... Walter Kastenhuber... and, Chief's Aid Raymond Allison.  Two died at the scene... while the other two died the following day.  In addition... Duliba says three boys... ages 12 to 16... died returned to the area to get their bicycles. Duliba says he interviewed five members of the fire department in 1968 who were at the scene of that refinery fire... but, he says it took a while for them to first open up about what happened that day.  A bell tolled four times at 3:20 PM... the time of the first alarm.