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WJTN News Headlines for Mar. 28, 2018

Jamestown Police are looking for the public's help in finding an armed bandit who held up the West 3rd Street Kwik Fill convenience store early Tuesday morning...  
 
City Police Captain Bob Samuelson says the incident occured shortly before 1 a.m. at the 1617 West Third location.  Samuelson says the unidentifed, masked man came inside and pulled a silver revolver and demanded cash from the clerk before taking off towards Kenmore Avenue. 
 
Samuelson says they do have a photo of the suspect up on their website, and Facebook page.  He adds the suspect was wearing a black Carhart Jacket and a black hat with the bandana over the face.  Samuelson adds the man is about 5"10.  He says they hope to hear from members of the public because robbers sometime like to "brag" about or describe their success to others.  No one was hurt and he says there were other people in the store when the hold-up occured.  Samuelson says if you have any information, call them confidentially at 483-TIPS (8477).  You can also contact them anonymously at their Tips 4-1-1 app.
 
 
A city man is jailed after allegedly striking a 3-year-old girl in the head yesterday morning on Jamestown's northside, sending her to a Buffalo-area hospital...  
 
City police say they were called to the scene at 196 Clyde Avenue on a report of an unresponsive child.  Officers say local EMTs arrived and initially took the child to UPMC Chautauqua WCA Hospital.  Police say the toddler was later transferred to a Buffalo hospital for emergency surgery.  The preliminary investigation showed that the caregiver who was at home with the child -- 28 year-old Joshua Berg -- hit her in the head.  Berg was charged with second-degree assault, and endangering the welfare of a child.  The investigation is continuing, and more charges are pending.
 
 
Leaders of the New York state legislature are still pushing for an on-time budget, but lawmakers remain far apart on how much to spend and tax in the new spending plan...  
 
That from State Senate Finance Committee Chairwoman Cathy Young, who says talks stalled briefly Tuesday afternoon.  The Olean Republican (who represents Chautauqua County), says there are still some significant disagreements, including Governor Andrew Cuomo's proposal to hike taxes by about a billion dollars.
 
Young says the good news is, there are no real "non-budget policy" items included in the spending plan.  She says once the budget is in place, there is plenty of time to deal with those before the end of the 2018 session.  Young adds, while the governor was looking at a billion-dollar tax increase, there's a $2-billion dollar increase in the Assembly Democrat's plan.  She says, if the budget is to be acted on by the April 1 deadline, the governor will likely have to issue a "message of necessity."
 
 
The state's new budget year begins Sunday morning and the county's state Assemblyman says lawmakers are running out of time...  
 
Jamestown-area Republican Andy Goodell says legislators in both chambers have approved only one budget bill in the $168-billion package.  Goodell says negotiators from both the Assembly, Senate and governor's office have made some progress.
 
Goodell says lawmakers have only approved the one bill that one dealing with the state's debt service.  It's among the 10 to 12 bills that usually make up the budget.  Otherwise, Goodell says no other bills have been printed so.  He adds that what is complicating matters this year is that the first day of Passover is Saturday and many Orthodox Jewish members will not be able to take part in any votes.  Sunday is Easter.  However, the budget is due Sunday because it's April  1-- which is the start of the fiscal year.
 
 
The Jamestown School Board got the ball rolling during Tuesday night's budget work session for the 2018-19 school year... 
 
Board President Paul Abbott says he's encouraged about future plans for the district, including re-instituting 14 full-time employees. He says the district is re-postitioning itself "very well for handling the ebb and flow of the state budget while addressing scholastic needs".
 
Abbott says he is also committed to keeping the current tax levy flat at $14.6-million-- or lower. The board also discussed introducing an annual capital outlay project, meaning that the district could carry out a small capital project up to $100,000. Jamestown Superintendent Bret Apthorpe says the school district would be eligible for 98% aid. Apthorpe says each project then would cost the district $2,000. This year's capital outlay project would be used to improve security at the main entrance of Jamestown High School. 
 
 
A Mayville man was arrested following the seizure of multiple drugs and paraphernalia during a raid at his home early last Saturday morning...  
 
The Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force and Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office SWAT team carried out a search warrant at 5 Blanchard Street around 1:00.  Officers also had an arrest warrant for 64 year-old Charles Baker based on an investigation into alleged meth trafficking.  The arrest warrant was for one count each of third-degree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance and Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance.  Baker was arraigned in Chautauqua Town Court sent to County Jail without bail with additional charges pending.  During a search of the home, officers located an additional quantity of methamphetamine and marijuana, packing materials, scales and a quantity of cash.  As a result, Baker faces several more drug charges.
 
 
A catholic priest in Dunkirk has been put on administative leave following a sexual abuse complaint dating back to the 1990s when he served at a church in Buffalo...  
 
Bishop Richard Malone announced Monday afternoon that Dennis Riter was placed on leave as an investigation continues into the complaint.  WKBW-TV in Buffalo reports that Riter, current pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Dunkirk, is facing allegations that he had inappropriate sexual contact with two former altar boys.  A victim who spoke with Channel 7 said he was abused more than 20 times over the course of three years. 
 
 
Even before last Saturday's "March for Our Lives" in Washington, DC and elsewhere, the national conversation about how to prevent school shootings was well underway...  
 
That from local Congressman Tom Reed... who applauded the students and adults for bringing attention to the issue.  Reed says lawmakers have been listening and potential gun ban is not on the table.  The Corning Republican says the bi-partisan "Problem Solver's Caucus" he's part of has come to a 75% consensus on three areas-- "funding School Resource Officers, make sure background check system is functioning to keep guns out of the hands of those who commit crimes and the dangerously mentally ill".  
 
Reed says there are too many differences right now for the caucus to talk about the second-amendment because Republicans and Democrats are too far apart on that.  Students at the rallies were being urged to register and vote in the coming elections if they are 18 years-old.  Reed sees that as a good thing for Democracy and will push the debate for better solutions to the issue.