Sixteen people -- all but three from Jamestown -- are jailed for allegedly trafficking methamphetime initially brought in through Mexico the past several months...  

 

Chief of the Criminal division of the U-S Attorney's Office, Joseph Karaszewski, says eight people were arrested during three raids Tuesday morning as part of "Operation Melt Down."  Karaszewski says they are accused of conspiracy to traffic and, distribute 50-grams or more of Meth.  He calls the arrests "significant".

 

Karaszewski says Hare is from Randolph, the other seven from Jamestown.  He says the two leaders of the operation, Jamell Trapp and Marcus Bowman of Fredonia... were arrested Monday during a sting operation involving the U-S Postal System.  Both face several major charges, including possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.  Karaszewski says agents had intercepted a package containing "high-grade" Meth from Southern California.  He says the other six were arrested on State Search warrants.  He says all sixteen are jailed pending further court action. 

 

 

A north county woman who was convicted on a weapons charge in connection with a homicide last year in Dunkirk is headed to prison...  

 

Chautauqua County District Attorney Patrick Swanson says 29-year-old Rebecca Ruiz was given a determinate sentence of six years in state prison, plus five years post-release supervision on one count of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

 

Swanson says while he would've liked to see Ruiz get the maximum 15-year sentence, he says he's not dissatisfied with the sentence that Judge Dave Foley handed her on Tuesday.  He says Ruiz received a violent felony conviction, which he says was a positive.  Swanson says 21-year-old Julian Duman was shot and killed at a home on Lake Shore Drive East in Dunkirk last July.  In March, a jury found Ruiz not guilty on other charges in that case, including second-degree murder and tampering with evidence.

 

 

The clean-up is continuing after a line of severe thunderstorms raced across portions of Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties early Monday night, downing several trees and power lines across the area...  

 

The National Weather Service reported a 43 mile-per-hour wind gust near Dunkirk.  The same storms caused a tree to fall on a house on Willard Street here in Jamestown.  However, Forecaster Aaron Reynolds in Buffalo says it's now much drier and cooler than Monday.  Reynolds says Monday's severe, 15-minute storm was ahead of a strong cold front that dropped the temperature about 10-degrees.  Electric Division workers for the Board of Public Utilities spent much of Monday night working in some areas because of tree and pole damage from the storm. 

 

 

Over a hundred people gathered for a candlelight vigil Tuesday night at Veterans Park on Jamestown's west side... 

 

The 'Vigil for the Children' was to protest the separation of parents and children at U.S. border points.  Susan Meara of the group 'Chautauqua Progressive Action' organized the event. She said it was not a political or partisan issue, but one of American 'value and decency.'  She added, the policy has reached a new intensity, even separating famlies with credible asylum claims.  A number of people carried signs saying 'families belong together' and 'what kind of country do we live in?'  Several people spoke extemporaneously, including one who asked, "Is this beoming Nazi Germany. Are we putting numbers on children?"

 

 

Local Congressman Tom Reed is throwing his support behind the more "moderate" of two immigration bills in the House of Representatives...  

 

The Corning Republican today said he supports what's being called the "Ryan Bill" over a measure proposed by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Robert Goodlatte of Virginia.  Reed says the Ryan Bill deals includes relief for DACA recipients and, deals with the current issue regarding children being separated from parents at the border.

 

Reed says Republicans are working to shore-up support for the Ryan bill in the House, where the 30-member "Freedom Caucus" opposes a path to citizenship for DACA recipients.  However, he says they need about 10 more votes in the Senate for the bill to get through that chamber.

 

 

One of the five Democratic candidates running for the nomination to run against incumbant Republican Congressman Tom Reed has military experience...  

 

Owego's Max Della Pia says he decided to run after attending a Town Hall meeting hosted by Reed and, felt someone needed to run against him.  While there has been some question about his affiliation, Della Pia says he is very much a Democrat and, in fact worked as a legislative liason for one in Congress.

 

While he's retired from the U-S Air Force and, Air Force Reserves.  He says he's fairly "moderate" on issues.  Della Pia says he's a strong supporter of federal programs to help combat and intervene with issues in communities such as hunger and the opioid crisis. On issues like international trade,  Della Pia, who has a background in economics, advocates for the government to be tough on nations like China and Vietnam who may be producing goods using exploited labor.  The 23rd District Congressional Democratic Primary is Tuesday, June 26.

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Each day this week, Media One Group News is high-lighting one of the five candidates seeking the Democratic endorsement to run for the 23rd Congressional District against Tom Reed.  The others are Tracy Mitrano, Max Della Pia, Ian Golden, and Eddie Sundquist.

 

 

Time is running out for action on some state bills important for New Yorkers with disabilities... 

 

The legislative session ends on Wednesday, but some bills that would help people with disabilities have yet to come up for a vote. Susan Dooha, who heads the Center for Independence of the Disabled New York, says housing issues are at the top of the list. New York City has passed a law prohibiting source of income discrimination in housing. Now, Dooha says, it's time for the state to act.

 

Bill "A-10610" has the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo, but it hasn't had a vote on the floor of the State Assembly and the State Senate has yet to take up the issue.  Dooha says another challenge will be getting a state law encouraging the development of new housing with first floor apartments that are affordable and accessible to people with disabilities.  She says lack of accessible housing statewide has led to homelessness and the unnecessary institutionalization of people with disabilities who could be living independently.  

 

 

Proposals to overhaul teacher regulations and add more school zone speed cameras in New York City are on the table as New York state lawmakers enter the final days of the legislative session...  

 

The Senate and Assembly hope to adjourn for the year later today.  High-profile proposals to extend the statute of limitations for child molestation, crack down on government corruption and eliminate cash bail in criminal cases aren't expected to get votes before lawmakers head home. 

 

 

The three school budgets in Chautauqua County that were rejected by voters last month will be voted on today, two of them with changes to them...  

 

School officials in Clymer say their 2018-19 budget passed.  Superintendent Ed Bailey says this budget only has a four-percent increase, which is under the state property tax cap.  The budget in Westfield includes a 1.5-percent increase and, was passed by a large margin-- 581 in favor to 267 against. The same budget was up for a vote in Ripley, which was defeated 106-YES and 264-NO.