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WJTN News Headlines for Sept. 26, 2018

The head of the union representing Jamestown firefighters is urging city lawmakers to step in and, push for a quick resolution to the leaking issue at Station-One at Tracy Plaza....  

As we first reported a couple of weeks ago, a new leaking problem has cropped up with the contractor doing renovation work on the top of the plaza.  Fire Lieutenant Shawn Shilling addressed lawmakers at Monday night's council meeting, saying the Professional Firefighters Local 1776 has several concerns, including poor working conditions.

However, Mayor Sam Teresi says the matter is being addressed by the contractor, as well as city officials.  Teresi says they are again working with the contractor's insurance to get the necessary repairs made.  He adds a mitigation plan has been in place, and, fire management stated it was okay to use the area affected again.  Teresi says he's disappointed that the union chief used "a public grandstanding" approach to dealing with the matter.  He adds the contractor is in the final stages of finishing repairs and renovations on the city hall Police Station.

 

The first Jamestown City Council meeting held outside of City Hall in many years went off without few -- if any problems -- on Monday night...  

Those are the feelings of both lawmakers and Mayor Sam Teresi following the meeting at the main pavillion at Chadakoin Park.  Teresi believes the session, which was attended by about a dozen people, is a model they can use for other such meetings.

In addition to the Mayor's Office, the city Parks Department was also involved in the effort.  Parks Manager John Williams oversaw the set up in the park, including the sound system.  The meeting allowed lawmakers to showcase what has happened at the park in recent years -- including the opening of the new playground area near the pavillion. 


The controversial mayor of the village of Lakewood says she is still the mayor and has not moved... 

Speculation has run rampant after Monday night's village board meeting, which was not attended by Cara Birritierri.  Birritierri has missed a number of meetings in recent months, leading to rumors of the possibility of her stepping down with just over a year left in her term.  She has been embroiled in a number of controversies, most recently over approval of a water test along the village's shores with Chautauqua Lake to check on whether herbicides used in the town of Busti impacted local water.  The village board recently okayed paying the Chautauqua Lake Association for the testing, but it's not clear yet whether Birritierri or someone else ordered the testing.  Birritierri replied to our Facebook message today saying she had not moved from the village, and was still -- indeed -- mayor.


The Democratic challenger for the 23rd Congressional seat is sounding the alarm on the latest House budget plan which says would allow Social Security and Medicare to be used to balance the budget in 10 years...  

Ithaca's Tracy Mitrano says last year's tax reform bill will create an additional $1.4-trillion in deficits.  With that, Mitrano says outgoing House Speaker Paul Ryan included the proposal, approved by the House Ways and Means Committee.

Mitrano says while Reed labels her as an "Extreme Ithaca Liberal..." he has been even more to the extreme among convervatives.  She says the Corning Republican's "rhetoric doesn't match his record" when he contends he is a moderate.  Mitrano says voters need to understand that this "is Mr. Reed's policy, this is his plan, and it will deeply affect their lives."  She says any raiding of Social Security and Medicare will be devastating to the 166,000 people in the Southern Tier district who rely solely on Social Security to pay their bills.  Mitrano made her comments during her weekly press call with regional media.


Congressman Tom Reed's campaign responded to the accusation Tueday afternoon, saying this is "just another deceptive attack from our opponent"....  

Tom Reed for Congress Communications Director Abbey Daugherty says "Tom has never supported anything that would take away Social Security benefits from those currently receiving them and, has in fact been outspoken in his belief that those who have paid into the system all their working lives deserve to receive their full benefits."


 A two-month long investigation into alleged cocaine sales in the city of Dunkirk resulted in two arrests Monday afternoon...  

The Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force and the Dunkirk Police Department's Special Response Team executed a search warrant at 62 Lincoln Avenue around 5:30.  Police Chief David Ortolano spoke about the charges placed against the two men who allegedly sold quantities of cocaine to agents of the Task Force during the course of the investigation.  The search led to the recovery of a quantity of cocaine, suboxone, an assortment of tablet form controlled substances, scales and packaging materials along with a large amount of currency. Ortolano says additional charges are possible after the other controlled substances are tested. 


A north county man had to be tasered after he resisted arrest for allegedly stealing merchandise from the Wal-Mart SuperCenter in the village of Lakewood...  


Lakewood-Busti Police say they were called to the scene on Fairmount Avenue shortly after 5 p.m. Monday after 26 year-old Luca Brownlee of Dunkirk fled the store and, was later found in the Olive Garden Parking lot at the Chautauqua Mall.  Police say, when they confronted him, Brownlee ran off through the parking lot.  During the pursuit, officers deployed a taser to try and stop the suspect.  He was then arrested in front of the Plant Fitness club near the mall's main entrance.  Brownlee was arraigned on charges of third-degree burglary, petty larceny, criminal mischief, and resisting arrest and sent to the county jail pending further court action.


A Jamestown man was arrested for allegedly punching his ex-girlfriend in the face early Tuesday morning... 

City police responded to 107 Maple Street for a physical domestic dispute shortly before 3 a.m. and, the victim told officers 24 year-old Caleb Goodemote struck her multiple times and prevented her from leaving the residence. Goodemote was located a short distance away and taken into custody for third-degree assault and second-degree unlawful imprisonment. He's being held in City Jail pending arraignment. 


A Bemus Point man was arrested for two counts of drug possession after he was pulled over for speeding Monday...

State Police say 44 year-old Jeremy Shepherd was stopped for allegedly going 96-mph in a 55-mph zone on Dutch Hollow Road. While speaking to Troopers, Shepherd revealed that he was in possession of Carisoprodol -- a controlled substance he did not have a prescription for. A search of his vehicle additionally revealed a partial Suboxone strip. Shepherd was taken into custody and is scheduled to appear in Ellery Court at a later date.


A priest in the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo has been placed on administrative leave following a complaint of abuse...  

The diocese announced Monday that Father Ronald Mierzwa  is currently under internal investigation. Mierzwa serves as a pastor at a church in Ellicottville in Cattaraugus County.  He is one of more than 100 priests in the Diocese of Buffalo to be accused of misconduct.  Church officials say putting the priest on leave doesn't imply there's truth or falsity of the complaint.