Two men were arrested Tuesday afternoon in Jamestown for allegedly assaulting another person, then being found in possession of drugs and a sawed-off shot-gun....
City police say members of the Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force spotted 23 year-old Tyler Tedesco and 18 year-old Jacob Graham assaulting the individual just before 1:30 PM. Officers say the pair fled before police could stop them. However... a city patrol later stopped the car on Lincoln Street... and, arrested the two men. Officers spotted methamphetimine inside the car... and, a further search turned up more meth and the shot-gun... which was reported stolen from Ohio. Graham has been charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon... criminal possession of a stolen property, and third-degree criminal possession fo a controlled substance. Tedesco is charged with disorderly conduct. Both were taken to the city jail pending arraignment.
A city man who was arrested in March of last year for drug and weapons possession has now been sentenced to more than 5-years in federal prison as a repeat felon....
U-S Attorney James Kennedy, Junior says 39 year-old Douglas Wood was given 63-months behind bars by District Judge Richard Arcara for his conviction of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Prosecutors say Wood was arrested during a narcotics investigation... and, learned that Wood was in possession of a silver handgun. Jamestown police were alerted and, they approached Wood and spoke with him briefly before he tried to run off. Following a brief struggle, he was taken into custody, officers recovered a loaded revolver and 14 additional rounds of ammunition. Wood was previously convicted of several felony crimes, between 2001 and 2007.
The 100th class in Cornell Cooperative Extension's LEAF program was held Tuesday night at the Falcon's Nest in Falconer....
LEAF-- or learn, empower, achieve, farm --was the brainchild of local Farm Business Educator Katelyn Walley-Stoll. She says some 2,000 people have taken the short, farm related classes, with an economic impact of a half-million dollars. One of the speakers at the 100th LEAF class was the Director of Cornell Cooperative Extension in New York state, Chris Watkins. He told the audience Walley-Stoll will begin a new job on July 1st as the farm-business educator on a recently created 'regional Extension team'. Additional LEAF programs are being scheduled. More information is available from Cornell Cooperative Extension-Chautauqua County.
Chautauqua County is one of 15 counties across New York state that is receiving a share of $86-million from a division of the National Institutes of Health to help reduce opioid deaths....
County Executive George Borrello says the county's Department of Mental Hygiene will be receiving $2-million over the next four-years from the National Institute of Drug Abuse to put an "evidence-based" Opioid Use Disorder Treatment model in place.
The Department of Mental Hygiene is the county office responsible for addressing opioid use, and, was recognized by the Columbia University's School of Social Work to receive the funding. Borrello says it will help build local programs to help cut the number of opioid-related overdoses -- and deaths. He says that number fell by about 30-percent from 2017 to last year. Borrello says the grant, along with continued collaboration between stakeholders taking part in the County-wide Alliance for Enforcement and Rehabilitation,will "allow us to continue to make strides forward in addressing the opioid crisis here."
Legendary band director, Ralph 'Raz' Rasmusson, conducted the JCC Concert Band for the final time at the Spring Concert Tuesday night.....
'Raz' is retiring after 28 years at the baton. Dr. Marilyn Zagora, Vice President of Academic Affairs at Jamestown Community College told Raz he leaves behind a legacy of excellence at the college. Rasmusson, who previously had a long career at Falconer High School, will soon turn 83. He was humble and in typical humor as he accepted the recognition, saying it was 'a little like attending the wake at your own funeral' where you can greet your friends and have a smile. While he won't be directing the band, Raz was quick to note he'll still be playing in Pearl City Jazz and other groups he's well known for.
The Falconer School Board held it's public hearing on the district's proposed $23.7-million budget for the 2019-2020 school year last night.....
The hearing on the no tax levy-increase spending plan was held in the Middle-High School Media Center. Superintendent Steve Penhollow says the budget hikes spending by 2.6-percent over the current year. Penhollow says there are a couple of areas where costs are up, including the legal costs of defending the district in the annexation case with the city of Jamestown.
The district is taking part in the legal defense against the city's effort to annex about 4-acres of land that primarily belongs to the Board of Public Utilities.
Penhollow says the board was able to keep the tax levy flat due to a 3.1-percent increase in state aid, and using some reserve funds. The Falconer School Budget and board vote will take place from 2 to 8 PM on Tuesday, May 21st in the High School Gym foyer. Penhollow says incumbant board members Robert Carpenter and Tracy Schrader, and newcomer Marci Conti are running for three seats.
The Lakewood Village Board is officially on board with applying for permits necessary to apply herbicides soon on Chautauqua Lake to deal with the ongoing weed problems.....
Village Clerk Joe Johnson says the panel yesterday morning approved requesting permits for the areas targeted by the Chautauqua Lake Watershed and Management Alliance. They also approved a service agreement for a company to apply the herbicide. Late yesterday, the Celoron Village Board was to discuss and take possible action on the permits as well.
An elderly north county man has been charged after allegedly pulling his Sports Utility Vehicle in front of a tractor-trailer near Routes 5-and-20 in the village of Silver Creek Monday afternoon, triggering a violent crash....
Sheriff's officers say 88 year-old Donald Hoeber of Irving pulled out from Howard Street just after 2 PMand, the semi driver tried to avoid the collision. However... the operator still hit the SUV, and the truck with a load of gravel, crossed the roadway, and flipped onto it's side. A large amount of the gravel went onto the road. He suffered minor injuries, and was taken to Lakeshore Hospital for treatment. Hoeber and his passenger were not hurt. He's been charged with failure to yield the Right of Way when Entering a Roadway... and, will appear in Hanover Town Court at a later date. Officers say Howard Street was shut-down for some time during the investigation, and clean-up at the scene.
