Breaking... missing Jamestown teenager found safe...
A city teenager reported missing last October has been found safe and returned home to her parent. City Police Captain Bob Samuelson says 13 year-old Gianna Coleman was located New Year's Day about 1 PM in Jamestown after JPD received a tip by an unidentified citizen.
A woman was killed New Year's Eve after the car she was in crashed into a Chautauqua County snowplow on Big Tree Road in the town of Busti.
Lakewood-Busti police say the accident occurred around mid-afternoon and, first responders found the female passenger trapped inside the car. Lakewood and Busti firefighters used a hurst tool to remove the roof. However... the woman was declared dead at the scene. Two other people were reportedly taken to UPMC Chautauqua Hospital for treatment. The identities of those involved have not been made public, as yet.
The city of Jamestown has it's first new mayor in 20 years.
City Court Judge John LaMancuso did the honors of swearing in Democrat Eddie Sundquist on New Year's Day during an inauguration ceremony at Jamestown Community College. Sundquist says it's both "exciting and sobering" to become the city's new top-elected official. Sundquist did not lay-out a laundry list of agenda items for the new year... but, focused on what makes Jamestown great.
Sundquist later said he'll likely spend his first 100 days listening, mainly to employees to get a better feel for what needs to be done to make the city work better. He made a number of appointments, which were tabled by the City Council until the January voting session. They include Rudi Andelora as the new City Clerk/Treasurer and Corporation Counsel Elliot Raimando, who is moving back to Jamestown from the Albany-area.
The Jamestown City Council, featuring two new members, was also sworn-in during yesterday's annual reorganizational meeting at JCC.
Those new members, Jeff Russell and Grant Olson, give the GOP at 5-4 majority on the panel. As expected, the longest serving member of the council, Second-Ward representative Tony Dolce, was elected Council President. He welcomed the new mayor and, pledged to help move the city forward to meet it's many challenges.
Dolce also pledged to follow-up on several calls during the campaign to make city government more "open and transparent." He says he would like to see the panel hold some of it's meetings in each of Jamestown's six wards, and publish weekly agendas to provide more public access. Dolce also shared a lighter moment about the fact he and the incoming mayor both celebrate their birthdays on New Year's Eve.
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Dolce also made official his list of committee assignments. Veteran Republican Kim Ecklund will chair the Finance Committee, while fellow Republican Brent Sheldon will lead Public Safety. Democrat Tom Nelson will remain chair of the Public Works Committee and, Democrat Vickye James will remain head of the Housing panel.
The outgoing president of the City Council spoke briefly during completion of the panel's year-end meeting yesterday, but thanked several people for their support.
Demcrat Marie Carrubba presided the past two years, when the panel had it's first-ever female majority. Carrubba especially thanked out-going Mayor Sam Teresi, who was not on hand for the meeting. During Monday's session, she talked about Teresi using the writtings of Mother Teresa.
Carrubba thanked her Democratic colleagues for having faith in her ablities to lead the council and, Republican members for "setting aside" partisan differences and worked for the betterment of the city. Mayor Teresi spent the past 20 years as mayor and, prior to that, was City Development Director for more than 10 years. Lawmakers also said fairwell to outgoing council members Maria Jones, and Andrew Liuzzo.
A city man faces several charges, including burglary, following a New Year's Eve altercation at a home on Jamestown's westside Tuesday afternoon.
City police were called to a home on Livingston Avenue and, arrested 21 year-old Tyler Coulter. Officers say Coulter unlawfully entered the home, and got into the altercation with the female victim, who had an order of protection against him. Police add the incident occured in front of a 4-year-old child. Coulter was taken to the city jail pending arraignment on charges including second-degree burglary, first-degree criminal contempt, and endangering the welfare of a child.
The Jamestown High School Red Raider Marching Band and A Cappella Choir returned home late last night from their trip to Disneyworld.
Band director, Meghan Murray, says the band marched in a parade down 'Main Street USA' on New Year's Eve, the busiest day of the year, with some 45,000 people in the park. The A Cappella Choir sang twice in the Candlelight Processional at Epcot Center last Saturday. Director, Norm Lydell, says the JHS musicians performed to the 'high bar' that Disney sets for all performances. A total of 157 JHS students took the trip. Both directors say they are always looking for opportunities to show off the talent of Jamestown students, but the Disney trip will be hard to top.
