City firefighters were hard at work battling two separate fires in the overnight hours... 

 

That from Jamestown Fire Battalion Chief Roger Sigular, who says crews were on-scene at Farm Fresh Foods on West Third Street shortly after 10:30 p.m.. Sigular tells us that they were able to quickly put the flames out on the hood of an oven inside the grocery store. Firefighters used a ladder to climb onto the roof to search the area. Sigular says crews were on-scene until shortly after midnight. The immediate cause of how the fire started is not known yet. 

 

In addition, Sigular says another fire broke out just before 1:30 a.m. this morning at a vacant property at 426 Allen Street. Crews were on-scene there until just after 2:30. The same crews responded to the blaze. The cause remains under investigation. 

 

 

The investigation is continuing into the overnight fire that has destroyed a long-standing business in Warren, Pennsylvania...  

 

Warren Fire Lieutenant Andrew Moore says crews were called to the scene at Warren Tire Center on Pennsylvania Avenue East about 1 a.m. Thursday and, found the business fully-engulfed in flames.  Moore says one crew was still at the scene dousing hot spots late Thursday because there were hundreds of tires inside and around the building.  He adds that the Warren County 'All-Hazards' Team intially put a "containment boom" across the Allegheny River near Starbrick due to melted tire product upstream. It was taken out by Thursday afternoon.  One firefighter was treated for a minor injury.  Eight mutual aid companies assisted at the scene.

 

 

Crews will begin tearing down the fire-ravaged clock tower in downtown Fredonia next Monday after it was destroyed by fire early last month...  

 

Associate Pastor Scott Wise with Family Church of Fredonia says a contractor will remove the clock tower, which caught fire on May 4.

 

Wise says the main structure of the church building was spared from the flames, but there was heavy smoke and water damage.  He says the contractor will put up a temporary roof structure once the old one is taken down.  He says they'll then develop plans for a new tower.  Wise says it has taken time to develop a plan for taking down the clock tower because of the construction involved.  

 

 

A native of western New York is returning home to be the next president of Jamestown Community College...  

 

The college Thursday afternoon announced the State University of New York Board of Trustees has approved the appointment of Daniel DeMarte to head up JCC, beginning July 30.  JCC Vice-President Kirk Young says DeMarte -- most recently -- has been Vice-President of Academic and Student Affairs at Tidewater Community College in Virginia.

 

Young says DeMarte previously served at Genesee Community College in Batavia, then later at Macomb Community College and Northeast Wisconsin Technical College.  He says the new president came from a pool of "outstanding candidates" who applied to the JCC Board of Trustees.  Young says the three finalists were all brought to campus to interviews.  Young says DeMarte graduated from Archbishop Walsh High School in Olean before moving onto Alfred State.  He received his doctorate's degree from North Carolina State University.  DeMarte replaces Cory Duckworth, who retired from JCC at the end of May.

 

 

Chautauqua County's annual Best Tasting Drinking Water contest will be held this Saturday at the Chautauqua Mall in Lakewood...  

 

Residents from across the county can take part in the contest that will feature a number of water systems.  Bill Boria is a Water Specialist from the Chautauqua County Department of Health and Human Services and, helps organize the event.

 

Boria says there will be a half dozen communities taking part in this year's contest, including Jamestown, Cherry Creek, Westfiled, Mayville, Sinclairville, Frewsburg and Ripley.  The contest will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.  This also marks the 25th year of the contest.  The winner will take part in a regional competition to be held in Rochester in July.

 

 

Actress and New York gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon has laid out a $7.3-billion plan to boost education from preschool through college...  

 

Nixon said Wednesday that her plan would be paid for by increasing taxes on wealthy New Yorkers and corporations.  The former "Sex and the City" star is running against incumbent Andrew Cuomo for the Democratic nomination for governor.  Nixon said New York schools that serve predominantly black and Hispanic students are underfunded and heavily policed compared with schools that serve white youngsters.  She led supporters gathered at Borough of Manhattan Community College in chanting "Schools not jails!"  A Siena poll released Wednesday shows Cuomo leading Nixon 61 percent to 26 percent among likely Democratic voters.  The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.

 

 

Court Appointed Special Advocates will benefit from a unique fundraiser on Father's Day at Panama Rocks... 

 

axe throwing.  

 

Jonathan Weston, of Panama Rocks, says 'axe throwing' involves propelling a tomahawk 12 to 18-feet, hoping to hit a bull's eye.  It's the newest addition at the park.  The preview event will be Sunday from 3 to 5 p.m., at a cost of $30 for two hours and $20 for one hour.  Weston says all of Sunday's proceeds will go to help CASA represent children in the courts.  To make a reservation or get more information on the Father's Day fundraiser, go to AxcellentAdventures.com.  Weston adds their axe throwing is completely safe and supervised.

 

 

A proposal from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to allow teachers and parents to ask a court to remove firearms from the homes of troubled students is advancing in the state Legislature...  

 

The state's Democrat-led Assembly endorsed the measure on Wednesday. But it's not expected to pass the GOP-led Senate, which has proposed its own response to school shootings that include more funds for armed security.

 

 

Defending World of Outlaws Late Model Champion Brandon Sheppard took advantage of another racer's misfortune to win last night's 50-lap A-Main Feature at Stateline Speedway...  

 

Sheppard, from New Berlin, Illinois, inherited the lead when South Carolina's Chris Madden spun off a 35th-lap re-start.  Sheppard held of local regular Darrell Bossard of Centerville, Pennsylvania, who finished second.  Winfield, Tennessee's Mike Marlar was third.  A large crowd was on hand for the Outlaws first appearance at Stateline in five years.