It was a quiet day weather wise Monday, but conditions are expected to change quickly by about midweek...  

 

The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a high wind warning for Chautauqua and Erie counties from late tonight through Wednesday evening.  Meteorologist Shawn Smith says forecasters will be keeping an eye on a strong storm system to our west.

 

Additionally, Smith says we could see winds gusting up to 65 miles per hour by Wednesday, with 30 to 40 MPH sustained.   The strong winds could bring down some trees and power lines and cause difficult travel for high profile vehicles.

 

 

A Jamestown toddler was injured after falling out of a two-story window Monday afternoon...

 

Jamestown Police dispatchers say officers were called to 214 West 8th Street shortly after 12:30. WKBW-TV reports that the 3 year-old is recovering from minor scrapes at this time. We will update this story as soon as more information becomes available.

 

 

A city man has been arrested for harassment after allegedly threatening another person with a knife during a domestic dispute late Sunday night...  

 

Jamestown Police say officers responded to 225 Steele Street for a physical domestic incident about 9:30.  An investigation led to the arrest of 34 year-old Chad Biauce, who is accused of damaging two plates in the residence, taking the undentified victim's cellphone from her so she couldn't call for help, and threatening her with a knife.  Biauce was taken into custody a short distance away and is being held pending arraignment. 

 

 

Local State Assemblyman Andy Goodell says the just-approved, 2018-19 state budget is a "mixed bag" of news for Chautauqua County, but overall is better than where they started... 

 

Goodell says he voted for many of the approxmiately one-dozen budget bills that make up the $168-billion spending plan this past weekend.  but, he adds there were others he did not.  The Jamestown-area Republican says he voted against the bill increasing the state's debt service.  However, Goodell says he supported the added one-billion dollars in school aid.

 

Goodell says there was also another $65-million put into the Consolidated Highway Improvement Program... or CHIPS funding.  Back to school aid... he says Chautauqua County's districts received another $11-million in funding.  However, Goodell says there was less money for the Southwestern District in the final spending plan.  He made his comments on the Dennis Webster Show on WJTN Radio, yesterday morning. 

 

 

There were no injuries and no damage was reported at the Lakewood Wal-Mart SuperCenter during a fire call Monday afternoon...  

 

Chautauqua County Sheriff's Dispatchers say Lakewood firefighters were called to the Fairmount Avenue local shortly before 3:00.  However, they say crews found no flames when they arrived, and add that everyone was evacuated from the building while crews checked the structure.  Firefighters were there until 3:40.

 

 

A short, simple question that's being proposed as part of the 2020 U.S. Census has stirred a lot of controversy since news first broke about it...  

 

The Trump Administration is eyeing a question wanting to know if a person being counted is a U.S. Citizen.  Some believe it's a deliberate effort to discourage legal and undocumented immigrants from taking part in the Census.  Local Congressman Tom Reed is shying away from the controversy, but adds he wants an accurate count of the people in each state.

 

Reed says the Census is very important to each state in order for states to get their fair share of federal aid and to keep representation in Congress.  He says a key issue for him is New York state enacting better policies to keep people and businesses from moving away.  He adds there were 45 members of Congress from New York at one time, but now there are 27.  Reed says more losses are projected in 2020.  The Corning Republican made his comments for his weekly telephone news conference with Southern Tier Media.

 

 

New York immigrant advocates are mounting opposition to adding that citizenship question to the Census...  

 

They're convinced the question will discourage participation by New York's 4-million immigrants, potentially costing the state billions in federal aid and political clout in Congress.  Elizabeth OuYang, with the New York Immigration Coalition says a statewide organization. known as "New York Counts 2020..."  turned out to support state Attorney General Eric Schnederman as he announced a legal challenge to the Census Bureau's addition of the citizenship question.

 

At least a dozen states have said they will sue to block the citizenship question.  The Justice Department -- which requested that the question be added -- says it would use the data to enforce the Voting Rights Act.  But, OuYang calls that reasoning disingenuous.  She claims the administration has sought to dilute the voting rights of marginalized communities and adds that the purpose of the census is to take an accurate count of every person living in the United States.

 

 

There is now an official opening time for the new, National Comedy Center on Jamestown's westside...  

 

Center officials said Monday that the 37,000 square-foot facility will open during the annual Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, which starts on on Wednesday, August 1.  Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson says this will be the first "national cultural institution that provides comedy the opportunity for appreciation often afforded other art forms."

 

Gunderson says "Lucille Ball understood the power of comedy, and had the vision for her hometown to become a destination for its celebration in a way that would educate, foster and inspire.  That's what we've set out to do here."  The opening date comes on the heels of U.S. Senator Charles Schumer visiting the center last Friday and announcing his push for a Congressional designation for the Center becoming the nation's "cultural institution dedicated to the art of comedy."  For more information, go online to NationalComedyCenter.org.