Road Closure Alert....
Chautauqua County Dispatchers say a portion of Route 394 from Route 62 to County Line Road was closed off this morning due to a jack-knifed tractor-trailer. The Kennedy Fire Department assisted New York State Police at the scene. A New York State alert indicates 394 was closed for nearly 5 hours and was re-opened about 8:45 AM. More on this story later.
The murder trial of a Jamestown man accused of stabbing a Frewsburg man to death about a year-and-a-half ago will begin late this Fall.....
Chautauqua County District Attorney Patrick Swanson says jury selection in the second-degree murder trial of 20 year-old Tavion Turner will begin next November 12th in County Court. Turner has been held in the county jail in Mayville on one-million dollars cash bail since the November 2017 incident on Willard Street in Jamestown. He is accused of stabbing 23 year-old Dyllan Ownbey as the two were walking, then began fighting before Turner pulled the knife. Ownbey was later died at UPMC Chautauqua Hospital.
The Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Department in investigating a structure fire in the Town of Otto, in which one person died last Saturday.....
Deputies in Little Valley released few details this morning but, say their office received a 9-1-1 call July 20th for a residence on fire. Fire crews responded to the residence on North Otto Road shortly after 9 PM and, found the structure fully engulfed in flames. Deputies say one person was found deceased inside the heavily-damaged home. The victim's name will be released once official identification has been made and the family has been notified. Foul play is not suspected, but the cause remains under investigation.
A city man -- wanted on felony warrants -- was arrested after leading police on a foot chase with drugs in his posssession Tuesday night....
Jamestown Police were on patrol in the area of Prendergast Avenue and Price Street when they saw 23 year-old Zachary Graves walking. When they attempted to talk with Graves, he allegedly took off, leading officers in pursuit. He was taken into custody a short distance away without incident. Further investigation found Graves in possession of a small quantity of heroin, a digital scale and brass knuckles. In addition to the warrants, Graves faces multiple charges including seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, second-degree obstruction, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and second-degree criminally using drug paraphernalia. He's being held in the city jail pending arraignment.
The Chautauqua County Legislature has agreed to change the occupancy tax account that'll be used to provide a $10,000 grant to the new Chautauqua Lake Pops in Mayville.....
However, there was plenty of discussion before lawmakers approved the amendment, 13-to-5. Jamestown Democrat Chuck Nazzaro says he supports the change because he approved the original measure. However, he recalled the legislature resolution in 2011 that established the fund to help start-up tourist-related businesses.
The money will now come from the on-cycle, 3-percent bed tax fund. However, Ashville Republican Jay Gould said he was going to vote no again. Gould says the Pops has received bed tax funding six-times, including when it was at Bemus Bay. He says the county has given the Pops about $81,000. Jamestown Republican Elizabeth Rankin said she would vote for the measure because it was her understanding that this was to help with moving and other related expenses for the pops. However, going forward, she says the money should be used for "start-up" tourist-related businesses.
The new clock at the Family Church of Fredonia was installed yesterday without a hitch.....
Crews using two large cranes were able to perform the job Thursday morning, and, in a short time, crews were able to lift the LED backlit clock from the ground and position it in a perfectly-shaped opening on the south side of the steeple. With the three-part steeple installed just two weeks ago, Pastor Scott Wise says there's just some finishing work to be done.
Among those watching Thursday's operation was Kurt Maytum, who was a fire chief when a blaze destroyed the clock tower back in May of last year. Maytum says they came close to losing the entire church but, adds it's great to see the restoration project nearing completion.
The annual fund-raiser for the Babe Ruth World Series held in Jamestown since the first one in 1980 will take place tomorrow at Bergman Park....
The World Series of Wheels is an extention of what used to be the World Series of Cars. The 36th annual event for car and other vehicle enthusiasts begins at 8 AM tomorrow and, will feature vintage, classic and other vehicles from across the region. Kim Ecklund heads up the Babe Ruth Public Relations Division and, says they're ready to go!
Ecklund says, after a few years of dealing with weather issues, the committee decided to make the change. She adds that if there were to be inclement weather on Saturday, they would just move it to the following day. Also new this year, says Ecklund, is a motorcycle run during the day, put on by the Professional "Axemen" motorcycle group. She says that this years main sponsors again are Dave Warren Chrysler-Jeep, JS Auto Supply and Chautauqua Pool and Power Sports. The World Series of Wheels runs until 5 PM Saturday.
There may be discolored water system-wide in the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities territory through mid or late morning today....
That's because power was cut in the Falconer-area Thursday morning due to an accident in which a truck struck a power pole shortly before 11 AM. BPU Spokewoman Becky Robbins says the outage cut electricity to the Cassadaga Water Pump Station, stirring water when power was restored. Residents should not do laundry until their water appears to be clear. Power was fully restored by 12:45 PM Thursday. Power was cut in Falconer so crews could help the driver get out of his truck.
