Five teenagers -- four from Jamestown -- have been arrested for allegedly being part of a large fight in the downtown area last Friday afternoon. City police say the high school's School Resource Officer spotted a large group of people gathering in front of the First Niagara Bank at 417 Spring Street shortly before 3:30 PM. The SRO saw several people in the group fighting... and, additional police units were called in to assist. Police say one 17 year-old from Jamestown was arrested on several charges... including obstruction, unlawful assembly, and resisting arrest. Officers add a 19 year-old female from Rochester was also arrested for allegedly having a large kitchen knife with her. She faces charges including criminal possession of a weapon... and, second-degree menacing. Another 17 year-old and two 13 year-olds were also arrested. The 13 year-olds were later released.
A Panama-area man has been arrested for allegedly trying to attack a social worker... and, threatening a Sheriff's Officer escorting the worker last week. Deputies say the officer was called to 57-77 Button Valley Road in the town of Harmony Wednesday afternoon to assist the worker... who was performing a welfare check on 59 year-old Randy Lawergren. Officers say Lawergren allegedly tried attack the worker, and he was arrested for harassment. He's then accused of threatening to kill the officer and yelling and screaming. Lawergren was arraigned in Harmony Town Court for two counts of second-degee harassment and disorderly conduct. He was sent to the county jail on 15-hundred dollars bail.
An informational session is being held tonight in Jamestown on the Heroin and opiate addiction crisis by an agency that works with the developmentally- disabled. The Resource Center will be hosting the informal gathering from 4:30 to 6 PM at the Center's Carl Cappa Building on East Second Street. Resource Center Spokesman Steve Waterson says several members of their counseling and psychiatric services office will be on hand to talk with people... and, answer questions. Waterson says there will be no formal presentation... nor presentations. He says they'll have various rooms set up with different staff members that people can stop into if they want to learn more about a particular aspect of the problem. Waterson says their goal is to help individuals -- and families -- deal with this problem. If you're attending... you can park in TRC's large parking lot across from the Cappa Building. For more information... call The Resource Center at 483-2344.
U-S Senator Charles Schumer is introducing legislation requiring a 25-thousand dollar reward for information generated through social media that helps thwart a terror attack. The New York Democrat tells The Associated Press the legislation will be introduced later this month. Schumer formally announced the bill at a news conference Sunday. He says the public should ``say something if they see something, especially on their newsfeed.'' Schumer says current law does not specifically cover tips generated through social media. The proposed bill would require the Department of State to pay rewards of no less than $25,000 for information that leads to an arrest or conviction in a terror case. A State Department spokeswoman said the agency was consulting experts and would respond as soon as it could.
Most Chautauqua County Democrats decided to back the "home team" in the race for the White House this year. that from County Democrat Committee Chairman Norm Green... who says the local committee supporter former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in their vote late last week. Green says U-S Senator Bernie Sanders made a good showing... but, adds Clinton got about 60-percent of the vote. He says Clinton personally knows people in Chautauqua County... going back to their days in Arkansas when they visited Chautauqua Institution. Mrs. Clinton held a rally at the Pierce Arrow Museum last Friday afternoon. Sanders is expected to be in Buffalo tonight... appearing on the UB campus at 7 PM.
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise took several members of Congress -- including local representative Tom Reed -- on a tour of the Gulf of Mexico's offshore oil and gas industry. Scalise, a Republican from Louisiana, has led energy tours for his peers since he became a House member in 2008. Yesterday, he was showing off the industry to seven other congressmen -- five Republicans and two Democrats. The politicians will visit an oil production platform in the Gulf of Mexico, meet and talk with industry leaders and tour Port Fourchon, an important oil and gas hub that services the offshore industry. In addition to Reed... Scalise expected to be joined by Republicans Jeff Duncan of South Carolina... Jody Hice of Georgia... Bill Johnson from Ohio... and, Dan Newhouse of Washington. He was also expecting Democrats Marc Veasey and Gene Green -- both from Texas.
Several local elected officials and labor leaders will hold a news conference and rally later today at Dunkirk City Hall to thank Governor Andrew Cuomo for his support of the new Athenex plant. They also want to urge him to use a Project Labor Agreement for the project. First Ward Dunkirk Councilman Don Williams, is helping to organize the event... and, will be joined by Mayor Willie Rosas... several fellow council members and local labor leaders. Williams, who is also with the County's CSEA Unit 6300, says he favors the use of PLAs... having seen one used for the former County Home project in 2004. He says that project finished on time... and, under budget. Williams adds they don't cost more, either. The rally will come nearly a month after the Association of Builders and Contractors Incorporated, Empire State Chapter, held a news conference in Dunkirk opposing a PLA for the Athenex project. Tonight's event will get underway at 6 PM... and, Williams invites the public to attend.
A Buffalo-area man has been arrested for allegedly stealing an excavator from a job site in the town of Hanover this past week. Sheriff's officers received a report last Thursday that the piece of equipment had been stolen from a job site on Routes 5 and 20 last March 29th. Deputies say an investigation found that 42 year-old Frank Kiley-the-Third of Angola had allegedly removed the excavator... and, taken it to another location in the Town of Hanover -- without the permission of the owner. Officers say Kiley turned himself into Hanover Town Court for arraignment on one count of second-degree Grand Larceny and criminal possession of stolen property. He was then freed on bail.
New York state's top cop is stepping down. State Police Superintendent Joseph D'Amico announced his resignation late last Friday to pursue ``other opportunities'' that he did not disclose. D'Amico has spent 35 years in law enforcement, including 17 years at the New York Police Department. He also served as the chief investigator at the New York state attorney general's office. He became the leader of the State Police in 2011 after being nominated by Governor Andrew Cuomo, who will also pick D'Amico's successor. The Democratic governor called D'Amico ``an outstanding public servant'' and said he will miss him both professionally and personally. Cuomo noted that during his tenure... D'Amico led the State Police through snow storms, hurricanes, prison breaks, a manhunt and anti-terrorism investigations.
