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WJTN News Headlines for Dec. 31, 2018

A Jamestown man is accused of trafficking narcotics in the area following a traffic stop last Saturday night on Maple Street in the village of Sinclairville....  

Sheriff's officers say they stopped 26 year-old Alexander Cieplinski for allegedly failing to stop at a stop sign.  Deputies say further investigation revealed that Cieplinski was allegedly in possession of multiple controlled substances that include a quantity of LSD, psychdelic mushrooms and MDMA.  They say he was also found in possession of multiple scales and marihuana.  Cieplinski was arraigned on charges including two Felony counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, one Felony count of fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and, second-degree criminally using drug paraphernalia.  He was sent to the county jail on $100,000 bail.


The Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office has been surprised by a life-saving Christmas gift for it's K-9 unit by a former Jamestown resident.... 

Deputies say that Cynthia Miley-Evans, now of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and her husband David, donated a new bullet-proof, stab resistant vest to the K-9 unit.  The Evans purchased the vest to be used by K-9 "Bentley."  Bentley, a 2 year old Belgian Malinois Shepard, is the newest canine member of the Sheriff’s Department K-9 unit.  However, he was not yet equipped with a protective vest until the Evans made their generous donation.  As a surprise thank you on Christmas Day, the entire K-9 unit -- including "Bentley" "Drago" and "Link" arrived at the family's Jamestown residence and met with the family members to thank them in person and to showcase the life-saving vest that was provided through their selfless donation.


Chautauqua County's top-cop for the past 24 years is wrapping up his career with the Sheriff's Department today and, is reflecting on his 40 years with the department....  

Joe Gerace says it's been an "honor" to serve and protect the people of the county.  Gerace says that serving in law enforcement has been his life's passion.  He says there have been a number of cases that come to mind through the years, including the one involving the area's "HIV Preditor..." Nushawn Williams.  Williams was the first person nationally to be arrested for allegedly knowingly infecting several girls and women with the virus that causes AIDS in the late 1990s...  However, he says there were more enjoyable assignments -- including when President Clinton came to Chautauqua.

The Sheriff's Office -- and other departments --  helped provide "outer perimeter security" for former President Bill Clinton when the Democrat came to Chautauqua Institution to prepare for a 1996 Presidential debate with Republican Bob Dole.  Gerace was defeated in a tight election race by Republican Jim Quattrone last November.


Governor Andrew Cuomo says a record $35-million has been awarded to 40 farms across the state to protect 13,000 acres of land...  

The Democratic governor says the grants mark a historic level of funding awarded in a single round of the state's Farmland Protection Implementation Grant program.  The program provides local governments, soil and water conservation districts and land trusts with grants to offset the cost of conservation easements to keep farmland from being converted to non-agricultural use.  More than $283-million has been awarded to farmland protection projects since 1996.  Nearly 289 projects have protected more than 73,000 acres of New York farmland.


If you found some money in the road during a drive, would you stop and go after it?  

That's what many people did on Routes 5 and 20 near Silver Creek last Thursday morning.  But, the co-owner and operator of Can Kings Redemption Centers realized the money that was scattered across the busy highway couldn't be real.  Steve Promber took a closer look after scooping up a quantity of the alleged money and determined it was replica or "prop" money, then alerted Sheriff's Office.  He says a young deputy came out to talk with him, and the officer then went around the village to inform others.  Right now, Promber is alerting the public about the fake bills.  The bills either have "replica" or "this note is not legal" marked on them.  Some photos of the fake money is posted on-line at Chautauqua Today.com.

 
The New York Thruway Authority has filed a lawsuit against multiple companies over the failure of four wind turbines....  

The authority says in its lawsuit filed late this week the turbines located along the Thruway in Erie, and Chautauqua counties went offline between October 2017 and January 2018.  The turbines were installed in 2013 and 2014 as part of a renewable energy initiative.  The lawsuit is alleging negligence, professional malpractice, breach of warranty and breach of contract.  WIVB-TV reports the authority is seeking $8.1-million plus interest, costs and collection fees.  One of the agencies named in the lawsuit, Kandey Company, Inc., says it has not been served.  Still, Kandey says it is confident it did nothing wrong and will be vindicated in court.


The Cuomo administration says the number of confirmed cases of influenza is rising across New York state, with more than 5,400 people coming down with the illness so far this season...  

The state Department of Health says as of Thursday new cases of flu have been reported in 58 counties, including the five boroughs of New York City.  Only Wyoming, Yates, Seneca and Hamilton counties are not reporting any cases yet.  Officials say the number of people hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed flu was 363 this past week, a 41 percent increase over the previous week. So far this season more than 1,300 people have been hospitalized with the flu.  Governor Andrew Cuomo is urging flu vaccinations for all New Yorkers six months of age and older.