Two people are jailed after they were arrested during a drug bust in the Cattaraugus County town of Randolph last night.
Members of the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force say they were investigating 29 year-old Brent Robbins of Kennedy for allegedly trafficking Heroin when they spotted his car stopped on Swamp Road about 8 PM.
Task Force agents say they found both Robbins and his passenger, 24 year-old Ashley Waite of Salamanca in possession of a bag of Heroin, and Heroin that was packaged for sale. Both were arrested by Task Force members and Olean Police on charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Robbins was also charged with criminal sale. Robbins is in the Cattaraugus County Jail on $15,000 bail Waite on $5,000 bail.
The man who has headed up Chautauqua County's Emergency Services Department for the past 15 years says he'll be calling it a career in late October.
County Executive Vince Horrigan announced Thursday that Fredonia's Julius Leone will officially step down from the position October 27th. Horrigan says he'll miss having Leone's expertise and ability to lead local fire departments in responding to major fires, tornados, and floods.
He says their relationship goes back to Horrigan's time as director of the local Red Cross and, he says Leone has been a "master" at handling emergency situations here and across the state. He says Leone will "truly be missed." Horrigan adds that Leone has also led the annual training of firefighters at the county's Taylor Training Center in Jamestown and, the Murphy Training Center in Dunkirk.
He's also been fully-involved in developing the county's new "Fly-Car" EMS Service. Horrigan says he's already spoken with Legislature Chairman David Himelein about creating a search committee to find a replacement. However he says not only does a person need the expertise but, they need someone who works well with several local fire agencies.
In a printed statement Leone says it's been "an honor and privilege" to serve county residents and, work with the local fire departments.
After several hours, crews finally left the scene of Thursday's dust bin fire in the village of Silver Creek.
Firefighters from Silver Creek and Sunset Bay first responded to the blaze which originated in a bin near Newbrook Machine on Mechanic Street around 9:30 AM. They later had assistance from the Chautauqua County Hazardous Materials Team.
County Emergency Services Director Julius Leone said late Thursday that village residents could go outside again shortly after 4 PM after the fire was put out. Leone says the all clear was given at that time.
Village residents had been asked to stay indoors with windows closed and ventilation off while the fire was burning. Leone says crews did an excellent job in getting the blaze under control adding they are difficult fires to put out. Leone says investigators are still looking into what sparked the blaze.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed into law a measure that extends mayoral control of schools in New York City and names the new Tappan Zee Bridge after his father, the late Governor Mario Cuomo.
Cuomo, a Democrat, signed the measure Thursday shortly after lawmakers approved it and adjourned. The law giving Mayor Bill de Blasio control over city schools had been set to expire Friday. The extension renews the 15-year-old policy for another two years.
The Legislature also voted to name the new Tappan Zee Bridge the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge. The span will replace the current, aging structure and is expected to open later this year. Cuomo says his father would not have sought the tribute and would have considered it an act of vanity.
People in Chautauqua County are again able to buy fireworks that are considered "sparkler-type" devices this year for the Fourth of July.
The County Legislature took advantage of a new state law in 2016 that allows local counties to sell such devices within two weeks of the Fourth of July and, New Year's Day. Sheriff Joe Gerace voiced several concerns over the ability to sell such devises last year and, he still has those concerns now.
Gerace says the biggest one is parents allowing children to have, and set these off, unsupervised. He says in that case the parents are responsible. Gerace says the new law has taken an old one that was "difficult to enforce" and, made it "impossible" to enforce.
He says fireworks that go "boom" like M-80s are still illegal in New York state. Lawmakers hoped that lightening up on regulations for sparklers would keep residents in border counties from going into Pennsylvania to buy fireworks.
On this weekend's "Community Spotlight" program Gerace also urged residents to attend one of the several professional fireworks displays locally.
The Uber and Lyft ride-hailing services are up and running in upstate New York and on Long Island.
The apps became available for those regions as of 12:01 a.m. Thursday under legislation approved by state lawmakers and signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo this month.
The original measure called for the services to begin upstate and on Long Island on July 9th but Cuomo and the Legislature worked out a deal to push up the start to just before the busy Fourth of July holiday.
