Local police are looking for a man in his 20s who allegedly held up the Kwik Fill Store on Foote Avenue Extension in the town of Kiantone last night with a knife... and, fled with an undisclosed amount of cash. Jamestown Police Captain Bob Samuelson says the suspect entered the store about 7:05 PM... wearing a black hooded jacket and blue jeans. Samuelson says the man was a white male, between 6-foot-and 6-foot-2 inches tall with a thin build. He says city police were called to the scene to assist Chautauqua County Sheriff's officers. Samuelson says the Sheriff's Department will release more details on the crime. Anyone who may have information on this crime is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 664-3100.
Gas prices this last, full week before Christmas in the Jamestown-area have dropped another 10-cents a gallon from last week. That from the Triple-A's Fuel Gauge Report... which says prices locally are down from just over 3-dollars-10 cents a gallon... to just over 3-dollars a gallon. In fact... some stations are showing a price of 2--99.9 for regular, unleaded. The price is based on reports from 19 service stations in the Jamestown area. Nationally... the Triple-A says the average for retail gasoline is at it's lowest level in more than five years. The average price in the U-S is now 2-dollars-55 cents per gallon.
A woman involved with the Warren High School Dragons Band Boosters has been accused of stealing 12-thousand dollars in funds from the booster's savings account the past four years. State Police in Warren say they arrested 46 year-old Michelle Lee Bova of Warren Tuesday for allegedly taking the money between early 2009... and, this past September. Troopers say Bova made withdrawls from the account that were not authorized... and, she's been charged with 16 counts of theft by unlawful taking. Bova was arraigned... and, sent to the Warren County Jail on 30-thousand dollars cash bail. If you have any information that might help police... they ask you to call State Police, or CRIMESTOPPERS.
Often the only way to bring about change is to expose what needs to be changed. That was the lesson for nearly 150 Persell Middle School eighth-graders earlier this Fall in Jamestown. They were part of the "Muckraking in Jamestown" project to show problems in the community. Many of the students say blighted and delapitated housing... and, crumbling sidewalks are both an eyesore... and, a safety issue. During a presentation to the City Council Monday night... student Sarah Reale says they took hundreds of pictures to bring to light those problems.
Graffiti was another prevailent problem the students photographed in the downtown area. One student added the most common word they saw was Cheez... but, it was spelled C-H-E-E-Z. He says it seemed meaningless at first... but, they later found it was the nickname for a combinaton of Heroin and Tylenol PM. The students spoke as many of the pictures they took during their day in the downtown where shown on a screen in Council Chambers. Eighth Grader Teacher Jayme Genco says the students really got into the lesson... which was based on the writtings of Jacob Ries... who highlighted slum conditions in New York City during the late 1800's.
The state Board of Regents has recommended a 2-billion dollar increase in state school aid in the 2015-16 budget. The board, which sets education policy, says the recommendation approved Monday would drive more money to districts with the greatest needs and advance priorities like early childhood learning. In all... the Regents recommend the state spend 24.4-billion dollars on education in the next fiscal year. About 600-million would go to restore Gap Elimination Adjustment funding. Lack of such funding has hurt Jamestown in recent years.
The 120-year-old Chautauqua Amphitheater needs an upgrade... but, it shouldn't be torn down to make way for a new facility when it can be saved. Those are the feelings of Chicago's Brian Berg... a summer resident of the Institution... who with his wife... formed the group "Save the Amphitheater-dot-ORG. Berg has become the voice of the opposition to the 30-million dollar project... which is slated to begin at the end of next season. He say's it's a "great historic venue..." adding that Historian Jeff Simpson calls it the "heartbeat of Chautauqua...." Berg adds that several other preservation groups... including 'Preservation Buffalo-Niagara...' feel the same way he and his wife do. The Cleveland native says groups from there to Pittsburgh, and Buffalo, now oppose tearing down the current Amp to make way for a new one. Berg says the state Office of Historic Preservation is also on board... and, recently told Chautauqua to "pull back" and, scrap plans to demolish the structure. Institution officials say, to keep the amphitheater where it is now, a complete rebuild is needed.
Chautauqua County Executive Vince Horrigan says he is continuing to work with local government officials to develop a plan to achieve long term tax savings through shared services. He held another forum on the issue in Mayville late Monday... and a number of local mayors, supervisors and municipal leaders attended the session. Horrigan says the state is requiring a shared services plan as part of the process to continue the freeze in 2016. He says they'll require a shared services plan to generate one-percent of the tax levy to then provide a rebate back to all STAR Eligible homeowners. Horrigan expects local leaders to meet again sometime next spring. He says the deadline to submit the plan is June 1st.
It's a move that "solidifies" top-calibur baseball's return to Jamestown next year. The city council has approved transferring the lease for the new collegiate Prospect League baseball franchise to a Wisconsin-based sports marketing and entertainment business. During a special meeting Monday night... lawmakers unanimously approved the new 5-year agreement with MKE Sports Entertainment... which has bought controlling interest in the Lorain, Ohio franchise from RS Entertainment. Council Finance Committee Chairman Tony Dolce says this the next move in bringing and keeping a franchise here. The new ownership group will be based in Jamestown... and, be called Jamestown Baseball, LLC. The principals... including major partner Mike Zimmerman... were introduced during a press conference late last week. Zimmerman's group -- which recently bought the Milwaukee Wave of the Major Indoor Soccer League -- also has bought interest in the Prospect League's Kokomo, Indiana franchise. Mayor Sam Teresi says the move was not a surprise... because RS Owner Kevin Rhomberg said -- with the move to Jamestown -- he would be losing a couple of investors he had in Ohio.
