The man who's been Jamestown's police chief for the last decade is retiring. The Post Journal is reporting Harry Snellings will leave his post next month... after a 24 year career with the Jamestown Police Department. Mayor Eddie Sundquist says the process of finding a new chief will get underway very soon.
One person had to be flown to a regional hospital for treatment after being pinned under a tractor in an accident in the Cattaraugus County town of South Valley. Sheriff's deputies in Little Valley were called the the scene at 21-94 Little Bone Run Road, along with Randolph Fire rescue crews, shortly after 5 PM Tuesday... and, found the victim under the tractor. Frewsburg rescue also assisted at the scene.
A bi-partisan group of Congressional lawmakers is standing united in condemning the "unjust and brutal killing" of George Floyd while in police custody. However... Local Congressman Tom Reed says while reforms need to be made to eliminate police brutality, and racism... he says defunding or eliminating police is not the answer. Reed, who co-chairs the Problem Solvers Cauces, says they oppose the "radical legislation" being put forth by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others that would do the latter. Reed says the Problem Solvers Caucus recently had a good, productive meeting with Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Karen Bass... who also expressed optimism over the meeting.
It's not a matter of scoring political points... but, of trying to bring the Jamestown community together. Those are the feelings of city council members when it comes to supporting local Black Lives Matter protests in Dow Park the past two weeks. One letter read at Monday night's City Council work session questioned why some members were not at one or the other. Councilwoman Vickeye James... who is one of two black women on the panel... says whether she's at a protest or not... she's fought for civil rights since she was a child.
Those sentiments were echoed by the other African-American member of council, Tamu Graham-Reinhardt. New Councilman Jeff Russell was questioned about a post that appeared on his social media page with an AR-15 rifle stating "The answer to why you need an AR-15" regarding the death of a slain, former Police Captain in St. Louis, Missouri. Russell says Democratic State Assembly Candidate Christina Cardinale completely misunderstood what the post was about... he called it unfortunate.
The annual Labor Day Festival in the city of Jamestown has been cancelled for the 2020 year. Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist says "It is with a heavy heart that I have to inform you we will not be having the large festival we all were looking forward to this year". Sundquist says the COVID-19 pandemic and 'large financial strain from lost revenue' were factored into the decision. However... the Mayors says he is determined to celebrate Labor Day with a much smaller and muted ceremony. More details are expected at a later date.
For the first time since 1954, there will be no Jamestown Municipal Band Concerts this summer. The band usually performs at least a half-dozen Wednesdays at the Goranson Bandshell at Allen Park, but director Rick Lundquist says this year's challenges created the 'perfect storm.' Lundquist drew a tentative map of the 50 band members performing a 'socially distant' concert at Allen Park ... and said, "I don't even know if we'd fit in the glen."
A portion of Route 60 in the town of Pomfret was closed for nearly 10 hours because of utility work. Dispatchers say tree or two fell on some powerlines and fiberoptic cables in the area of Route 60 and Spoden Road.... and, National Grid crews began working about 10 PM last night. Route 60 reopened around 8:30 this morning.
