City men arrested following alleged shooting incident involving stolen guns, and drugs...
Two Jamestown men face major weapons and drug charges after police responded to a report of several shots being fired from the 100-block of Bowen Street. City Police Captain Bob Samuelson says officers arrived shortly before 10 p.m. Thursday and, arrested 19 year-old Jahdiel Rivera, and 21 year-old Omar Vera-Velazquez. Samuelson says they were found in possession of four hand-guns... which were all reported stolen -- one of them from last weekend's burglary at a gun shop in Columbus Township, Pennsylvania. He says police also allegedly found 2.25-ounces of powder cocaine... 1.5-grams of a heroin-fentanyl mix... and, drug paraphernalia. Samuelson says both men face four counts of criminal posession of a firearm, and criminal possession of stolen property... and criminal possession of a controlled substance. Both Rivera and Vera-Velazquez are jailed pending arraignment.
----
Samuelson adds that there are 29 hand-guns that were allegedly taken during the gun shop burglary that have not been found. If you have any information on the incident... you are asked to call JPD's confidential tips line at 483-TIPS... that's 483-8477. You can also call the Tips 4-1-1 app.
Jamestown man arrested for allegedly trafficking Heroin and Fentanyl...
A city man was arrested early Thursday morning during a drug raid on Jamestown's westside. City police say members of the Jamestown Metro... and, Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Forces... and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms... executed a search warrant at 51 Fairmount Avenue just before 7 a.m. They arrested 39 year-old LeShon Hayes with the help of the JPD SWAT Team. Police allegedly found half-an-ounce of Heroin, and 5.8-grams of Fentanyl. Hayes is jailed pending arraignment on two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Chautauqua County's "Tapestry" Initiative for youth with substance abuse, and mental health issues, receives $4-million grant...
The Chautauqua County Department of Mental Hygiene's "Tapestry Resilience Initiative" has received a $4-million federal grant to help children and youth in the county dealing with mental health challenges. The grant is being awarded throught the U-S Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Public Relations Coordinator Ann Rosenthal with the Mental Hygiene Department says they're thrilled to be awarded their third federal grant. Rosenthal says they are "very proud" to have again be recognized by SAMHSA for the work they have done. She adds this will help them work with children between toddler and 8 years of age, and those between 18 and 21 years of age. Rosenthal says "Tapestry" is a sytem of care that provides supports, community education, and other resources and partnerships for children, youth, and their families throughout the county. She says collaboration by their "many partners" make the initiative successful. Local Congressman Tom Reed says Tapestry "provides much needed services to Chautauqua County children and their families. We are proud to support this program and get much needed funds to the right place." For more information about the Chautauqua Tapestry initiative... go on-line to chautauquatapestry.org.
County receives $100,000 grant for bomb squad improvements...
Chautauqua County is receiving a $100,000 from a $2-million federal grant to improve it's bomb squad response to improvised devices. That from Governor Andrew Cuomo... who says the funding is coming from the Department of Homeland Security to help equip and train the state's 12 local, FBI-accredited bomb squads to locate and prevent potential emergencies caused by improvised explosive devices, or I-E-Ds. Cuomo says more than $21-million in dedicated homeland security funding has been awarded to New York bomb squads over the past 13 consecutive years. In addition to improved equipment and advanced training... he says the funding will be used by local bomb squad teams to enhance and improve coordination with law enforcement organizations... including specialty teams such as tactical and explosive detection canine, and regional partners.
Reed in good condition after collaping prior to television interview...
Local Congressman Tom Reed is in good condition now after collapsing due to an undiagnosed case of pneumonia just prior to a scheduled T-V interview. Reed updated his situation in a printed release issued by his Washngton, D-C office... adding that the diagnosis came from his evaluation after the incident by the doctors at George Washington University Hospital. He says he hopes to return to work on Monday. Reed's Spokesman, Will Reinert, issued a statement late Thursday saying that -- quote -- "Tom is in good condition, responsive, and being checked out by medical personnel."
Shock Marketing being used to get message across about school shootings...
Marketing experts say hoodies in a fashion show and an ad seeking nonprofit donations both used similar shock tactics about school shootings to get their message across. In a fashion show last week, models for fashion brand Bstroy showed hoodies emblazoned with the names of four schools touched by shootings, pierced by what appeared to be bullet holes. And an online ad put out by 'Sandy Hook Promise' starts out as a breezy back-to-school video but morphs into a depiction of children running and hiding from a shooter. Sandy Hook Promise is led by relatives of victims of the 2012 Connecticut shooting that killed six educators and 20 small children. The group calls the hoodies "repugnant and deeply upsetting." Paul Argenti is a communication professor at Dartmouth College. He says that "both knew exactly what they were doing in both cases and purposefully wanted to provoke it."
