A Texas man who was a former coach of a local junior hockey team has been arrested for allegedly receiving and distributing child pornography on the Internet.....
U-S Attorney James Kennedy, Junior announced late Wednesday that 32 year-old Travis Sanders of North Richland Hills, Texas -- formerly of Jamestown -- was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with receipt and distribution of child pornography. The prosecutor in the case says Homeland Security Investigations received a report from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police National Child Exploitation Center that a person was communicating with a person with the username “Damion Forsberg” on Skype. The report indicated that “Forsberg” regularly shared pornography that sometimes included children in the content and, was believed to reside in Buffalo or the state of Florida. Subsequent investigation determined that "Forsberg" was actually the defendant, who resided at the time in Jamestown. He was an assistant coach of the Southern Tier Xpress during that time. Police seized Sanders’ laptop and cellular telephone. A forensic examination of the defendant's laptop computer revealed images and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Anyone with information on the case should contact the Buffalo Homeland Security Office at 464-6070, you can also call the Child Advocacy Program at 338-9844. Kennedy says the charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Local Congressman Tom Reed is also expressing disappointment over the U-S Department of Transportation's rejection of restoring commercial air service to the Chautauqua County Airport near Jamestown.....
But, at the same time, the Corning Republican says he is optimistic that -- following discussions with DOT officials -- they will be successful on re-applying for Essential Air Service. During his weekly media conference call Wednesday morning, Reed said they are still early in the process with regional carrier Boutique Air.
Reed says he has also spoken with DOT officials and, says they have been very good about letting officials know what additional information is needed. He says Boutique Air has been a good partner through the process, and they will be moving forward. Reed also praised the efforts of County Executive George Borrello, who has been working to get the Essential Air Service program back to the County Airport. That service was pulled early last year, after the DOT warned the county and previous air carrier that they needed better passenger numbers for funding to continue.
Local Congressman Tom Reed says he hasn't seen all the details of a new continuing resolution to keep the government funded after this Friday....
However, Reed says he's inclined to back the deal, which would avoid another partial shut-down. At the same time, he says there is money for border security measures, including funding for a "border barrier."
According to national media reports, the funding is about $1.4-billion, which is much less than what President Trump had wanted. The president is signaling that he will scrounge up money for his promised border wall by raiding other funds that have not be used up to now. Reed says that's whats called "re-programming" in Washington, where funding is shifted from one pot to another priority. The president said Tuesday he would need more time to study the plan but, he also declared he was not expecting a shutdown to take place this weekend. He has been under mounting pressure from fellow Republicans -- especially in the U-S Senate -- to accept the compromise.
Officials in western New York say high winds may have caused a United Airlines plane to hit a jet bridge at the Buffalo airport as it was departing for Newark, New Jersey....
An airport spokeswoman says none of the 158 people on board Flight 1442 were hurt Wednesday morning. The accident is under investigation. Winds of nearly 60 miles an hour had been recorded earlier Wednesday. A winter storm warning was still in effect last night for much of New York state. Many school districts either remained closed or had two-hour delays during the second day of the messy storm. As much as 5 inches of snow fell in some parts of the state on Tuesday.
Talks are continuing between officials with the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force, and the Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force.....
During last year's campaign, new Chautauqua County Sheriff James Quattrone stated that he would like to see the county return to having one task force. But, Quattrone recently said that communications has improved between the two groups and Dunkirk Police Chief David David Ortolano says the talks have included discussions about a program to serve the north county area.
Fredonia Police Chief Brad Meyers hopes at least some of the discussions will lead the village board to adding an officer to the Fredonia department. The officer could be assigned to the task force. Meyers says Mayor Athenesia Landis has been supportive and, has put the added officer into her latest budget proposal. However, he says the village board has previously taken it out. Ortolano says further meetings are expected as the dialogue continues.
The Cuomo administration's top economic development official is defending the deal to bring one of Amazon's second headquarters to New York City....
Empire State Development head Howard Zemsky told lawmakers at a state budget hearing in Albany Tuesday that the 25,000 to 40,000 jobs Amazon is promising for Queen's Long Island City neighborhood is an "unprecedented number" for New York state. The deal New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo brokered with Seattle-based Amazon calls for the company to receive about $3 billion in city and state subsidies. Business and neighborhood leaders from Queens joined two Amazon officials in Albany Tuesday to voice support for the project, which is being opposed by some members of the state Senate and New York City Council.
