City man arrested on several Felonies after break-in, and brief imprisonment...
A Jamestown man has been arrested on several Felony charges after allegedly holding a woman and her children against their wills for a short time early last weekend. City police were called to the scene of a domestic violence incident at 2 Stearns Ave. shortly before 2 a.m. Saturday. Officers were told that 31 year-old Andrew Kiendl had forced his way into the house... violating four orders of protection the victims had against him. Police forced entry, and arrested Kiendl on charges including second-degree burglary, unlawful imprisonment... and four counts of second-degree criminal contempt. He was also jailed on five counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
Cuomo administration officials clarify renewal of State of Emergency until June 7...
New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo has extended the State of Emergency until June 7. Under the new order, New York will remain in a state of emergency until that time. However... the "New York Pause" which has shut-down non-essential business and other activity... remains in place until this Friday, May 15. The Albany Times-Union reports the order's legal nuances caused confusion even within the administration, as evidenced by an initial statement from a Cuomo spokesman said if they "did nothing, (the pause and the state of emergency) would expire Saturday and everything would be open." That statement was corrected later in the day by a Tweet from Cuomo's secretary Melissa DeRosa: "NY ON PAUSE was NOT extended to June 6. The Executive Order extended the underlying legal authority for the (initial) executive order BUT did not change the text of any of the directives in NY ON PAUSE & so the expiration date on May 15th still stands until further notice."
4-H members, leaders, await word on status of County Fair...
Leaders and members of Four-H are anxiously waiting for word on whether the the Chautauqua County Fair will be held this year. 4-H and Youth Educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension Kate Ewer says she's hopeful it'll happen... but, ready if it doesn't. She says they have a Plan B and C is necessary... and, they're waiting to hear what the state will allow -- possibly as soon at the end of this week. 4-H has around 250 members in Chautauqua County. They bring around 150 animals to the Meat Animal Sale, with many other animals and projects on display. Kate Ewer says Four-H'ers are finding ways to move forward in the midst of the shutdown. She says some projects are being done by "virtual meetings." The Chautauqua County Fair is planned for July 20 -- 26 at the fairgrounds in Dunkirk.
State Nursing Homes must now start twice-weekly COVID testing of staff...
New York nursing homes must start twice-weekly coronavirus testing for all staffers, and will no longer be sent COVID-19 patients leaving hospitals. Governor Cuomo announced the policy Sunday after facing growing criticism over the handling of nursing facility outbreaks. That requirement changes an earlier recommendation by the state... which Chautauqua County was going to be among the first to receive the testing and Personal Protective Equipment. Public Health Director Christine Schuyler explains testing is now being offered to both residents and staff now. To this point... Schuyler confirms that there have been no cases of the COVID-19 Virus in any county nursing homes. Governor Cuomo, earlier in the weekend, came under increasing criticism for his handling of the crisis. Health care watchdogs and lawmakers cite problems with testing and transparency that have prevented health officials -- and the public -- from grasping the full scale of the problem.
No new cases of COVID in Chautauqua County over the past weekend...
There were no new case of the COVID-19 virus reported in Chautauqua County over the past weekend... so the number of confirmed cases remains at 42. County Executive P-J Wendel says there are still six active cases, and those people continue to recover under orders from the Local Health Director. Wendel adds there are now 32 people who have recovered from COVID-19... and, there are currently 95 cases under quarantine or isolation orders. He adds 1,335 negative test results have been reported to date.
Borrello among those pushing for all Child Care to NYS to be released...
Child care advocates are accusing Governor Andrew Cuomo of not releasing most of the $160-million New York received from the CARES Act to provide emergency relief for the state’s childcare system. State Senator George Borrello held a news conference following a "thank you" car parade that started in Jamestown last Friday, and ended at the Lake Shore Family Center in Irving observing Child Care Provider Appreciation Day. Specifically... Borrello says only $30-million of the $163.4-million sent to the state has been allocated. Borrello says child care providers are a critical component of the area's frontline workforce... and, he says "adequate" child care is going to be very important once people get back to work.
Comedy Center to celebrate "virtual" birthday party for the late George Carlin Tuesday night...
An on-line, star-studded event will be held this Tuesday night to help support the National Comedy Center in Jamestown. The Live Stream Birthday Event will be held tomorrow night, May 12 at 8 p.m. for late, legendary Comedian George Carlin, who would have been 83 on Tuesday. Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson says the event will feature comedians, comedy writers, producers and friends who will reflect on Carlin’s art and long-standing influence. It will include conversations with Norman Lear, Sebastian Maniscalco, and George Carlin’s daughter Kelly Carlin. "Laughing Matters: Carlin’s Legacy” will be live streamed at ComedyCenter.org/Carlin with a simulcast via the National Comedy Center's Facebook page.
