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WJTN News Headlines for Jan. 19, 2018

A 74 year-old man from Jamestown man has died from apparent smoke inhalation in an overnight fire early Thursday morning blamed on a space heater...  
 
Acting City Fire Battalion Chief, Lieutenant Tim Glenn says crews were called to the scene at 21 Carey Place shortly after 1 a.m. and says they found flames coming from the upper part of the structure... and, they found Patrick Reilly unresponsive in his room.  Reilly was pulled out of the room, and later died at UPMC Chautauqua WCA Hospital.  Glenn says firefighters were able to get the flames out fairly quickly and, they determined the cause to be the electric space heater the man was using that was too close to combustables.  
 
 
 
Governor Andrew Cuomo's 2018-19 proposed budget increases state school aid by 3% or about $769-million...  
 
However, when you "peel back" the layers of the spending plan, there's really not enough to cover the anticipated increase in costs to educate children in the state.  That from New York State Schools Boards Association Executive Director Tim Kreamer, who says it's really about a 2.3% increase.
 
Kreamer says the other issue is the way the state doles out "catagorical" aid, which means the money must be used for that category.  He says when you look at that,  most of that nearly $800-million is already spoken for. He says what the Governor proposes for education funding is a starting point.  However, Kreamer says early indications are that Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie also believes the increase is not enough, while Senate Majority Leader John Flanigan is "embracing" the Governor's increase.  The budget is due April 1.
 
 
 
Most Chautauqua County schools will benefit from Governor Cuomo's proposed 2018-19 budget.  In fact, all but three will see increases in their state aid if the budget is adopted as is...  
 
State Assemblyman Andy Goodell's office released school runs for the county late yesterday and the overall increase is nearly $9.5-million.  The runs show that Jamestown will get the biggest increase -- $4.1-million -- but, about $3-million of that will be for building and building reorganizational incentive funding.  The next biggest bump in aid goes to Dunkirk, which would get nearly $1.5-million more in 2018-19.  Bemus Point is next with another $937,000.  However, there are three districts who will see reductions, led by Frewsburg, which is seeing a $139,000 cut.
 
 
 
Local Congressman Tom Reed was among House members in a slim majority that voted in favor of the short-term Continuing Resolution to keep the government funded after Midnight tonight...  
 
Reed today says Congress is "working to govern on behalf of the American people."  He says the vote funds essential programs such as the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for the next six years. Reed admits that -- overall -- it's only good for the next four weeks, but does include the CHIP funding.  Reed says he still wants to begin work to put at least a one-year funding deal put together.  Ideally, he says he would like to see a two-year deal like the one negotiated a few years ago between Democrats and the GOP.  DACA is reportedly not part of the Congressional resolution.  Senate Democrats are vowing a filibuster unless there's a deal to protect around 700,000 immigrants from deportation who arrived in the U.S. as children and stayed illegally.  Reed is calling on Senators from both sides of the aisle to support a sensible solution.
 
 
 
A Brocton man has been arrested for allegedly violating the state's Sex Offender Registry Act...  
 
Sheriff's officers say they took 44 year-old Victor Martinez into custody yesterday afternoon following an investigation that began last month.  Deputies say Martinez is a registered level-3 sex offender, who allegedly failed to comply with the terms of the registry.  He was arraigned in Chautauqua Town Court and sent to the Chautauqua County jail on $15,000 bail/ $30,000 property bond.
 
 
 
A Jamestown woman was arrested following a traffic stop after she was allegedly found in possession of two controlled susbstances Wednesday evening...  
 
City police say they stopped a vehicle at the intersection of Newland Avenue and Prospect Street for a traffic violation shortly after 7:00.  Officers say the driver, 37 year-old Kristen Nelson, was found to be driving on a suspended license.  Further investigation revealed Nelson also had a quantity of methamphetamine and unprescribed suboxone in her possession.  She was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation and failure to stop at stop sign.