A multi-agency investigation into the location of two members of a Buffalo, New York street gang led them to a Jamestown home where both were arrested yesterday morning....
City Police Captain Bob Samuelson says members of the JPD Metro Drug Task Force were assisted by the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, State Police and, New York state Parole in arresting the two men at 214 West Seventh Street. Samuelson says 26 year-old Earl Stone and 25 year-old Shaquelle Coleman are considered "violent parole violators."
Samuelson says the arrests were made without incident and, adds Task Force members also found about one-thousand dollars in cash and a quantity of crack-cocaine in the men's possession. He says that's apparently what Stone and Coleman were doing here, in addition to "hiding out" from authorities. He says both men -- who are known to belong to Buffalo's "Fruit Belt Posse -- are in the county jail on the Felony warrants for their arrests. Samuelson adds that both men face additional charges.
A Texas man has been arrested in the city of Jamestown following a traffic stop and, police found he was wanted in his home state for violating his parole.....
Jamestown police say they pulled over 46 year-old John Harrington of Ennis, Texas on East Second Street for an alleged traffic violation just after 4 p.m. Monday. Officers say Harrington was found to be drunk, and was driving with a suspended license. Police say a background check revealed the warrants for parole violation and, Harrington was arrested. He is charged with first-degree unlicensed operation, DWI and fugitive from justice. He was jailed pending arraignment.
The National Comedy Center will give the public its first glimpse of creative papers and artifacts that belonged to the late comedian Ernie Kovacs....
The materials have been packed away since Kovacs' death nearly 60 years ago, but his estate is collaborating with the western New York comedy museum to showcase it beginning in August. The National Comedy Center announced plans for "The Ernie Kovacs Centennial Exhibit" on Wednesday, on what would have been the television star's 100th birthday. He was killed in a car crash at age 42. The Kovacs exhibit will debut during the five-day Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, which begins Aug. 7.
The Chautauqua County Legislature has agreed to help the village of Lakewood with the funding needed to bring forth two stormwater drainage projects that have been awarded major state grants....
However, the vote on the Chautauqua Avenue Green Street Retrofit and the Lowe Park Stream was 13-to-4, with some lawmakers expressing concern over loaning the village up to 450-thousand dollars to cover it's costs. The county will provide $16,000 for it's own match. Legislature Chairman P-J Wendel, who represents Lakewood, says he doesn't want the county to impose it's will on the village.
Ellicott Legislator Lisa Vanstrom says she voted no because there was "not enough clarity" on what the loan, at zero-percent interest, would be used for. Deputy Lakewood Mayor Ted McCague spoke before the vote and, urged lawmakers to support their efforts, which received $950,000 through the state's Consolidated Funding Application program. The grant funding is allocated through the Regional Economic Development Councils. But, McCague says such projects are difficult to bring to fruition because smaller towns and villages often don't have the money on hand for them.
Eight New York State school districts -- including Jamestown Public Schools -- are weighing out options following a January 10th decision by the State Supreme Court to dismiss the "Small Schools Lawsuit".....
Jamestown School Superintendent Bret Apthorpe tells our Noel Blackhall he's disappointed in the ruling in the case known as Maisto vs New York.
The eight city school districts involved were suing for additional state funding. However, Dr. Apthorpe says Justice Kimberly O'Connor's 113-page ruling comes after her first decision was unanmiously overturned by the state Court of Appeals. He says their lawyers will send the decision back to her to re-write it because "she ignored the facts" in the case. Apthorpe says they're now waiting for the small cities's attorneys to write their opinion on the decision, but believes they will be appealing the ruling.
A tasty event that benefits the WCA Foundation Rappaport Fund for Breast Cancer Technology enters its 8th year this weekend!
Director of Development at UPMC Chautauqua Hospital Megan Barone says the "Souper Bowl" is a fun way to spend time with family and friends while voting for your favorite participating restaurant's soup.
Barone says 100-percent of the proceeds benefit breast cancer patients and diagnostic testing. She says the Rappaport fund continuously works to support updating technology, including 3-D mamography. She says this year's restaurants participating include the Lakewood American Legion, which is hosting the event, as well as the Game-Time Sports Bar and Grill, Ashville General Store, Group Ther-Happy, and Three C's Catering to name a few. The Lakewood Legion host's Souper Bowl-8 this Sunday from 1 PM to 4 PM. The Media One Group of radio stations are sponsoring the event.
The first of 13 public hearings on New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's state budget proposal for the next fiscal year got underway yesterday morning....
The third-term Democrat last week released a $175-billion spending plan for the 2019-2020 fiscal year that begins April 1st. The state Assembly and Senate's first joint budget hearing was held Wednesday in the Legislative Office Building in downtown Albany. Environmental conservation was on the opening agenda for the series of hearings that will wrap up February 13th. Among Cuomo's proposals: banning plastic bags given to store customers and expanding the state's bottle bills to include sports drinks and other containers currently not required to have a 5-cent deposit.
