A Silver Creek man has been arrested for allegedly operating a methamphetamine lab in the north county village. Agents with the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force had been investigating 45 year-old Sean O'Connor of 21 Hickory Street the past several months... and, obtained a search warrant. Task Force members raided the home early Friday morning... and, arrested O'Connor without incident. They were assisted by the Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force in searching the residence... and, discovered multiple meth labs, and other materials used to make the labs. The State Police C-C-SERT unit was called in to clear the labs and materials from the home... and, the Silver Creek Code enforcement officer condemned the house. O'Connor was arraigned on one count each of third-degree unlawful manufacturing of methamphetamine, and unlawful disposal of methamphetamine laboratory material. Sheriff's officers also obtained an arrest warrant for Jennifer O'Connor. If you have any information on her whereabouts, or other illegal drug activity... contact the Task Force, or the Sheriff's Office Tips line at 664-2420.
A city woman is accused of threatening a man, and trying to attack him with a screwdriver on Jamestown's eastside late last Friday. City police were called to the scene on East Second Street... and, arrested 59 year-old Patricia Clyde. Officers say Clyde was charged with second-degree menacing, and jailed pending arraignment.
Local Assemblyman Andy Goodell says he gave "mixed votes" to police reform legislation recently approved by the New York state legislature. The Jamestown-area Republican says he voted in favor of measures that were fair and balanced to both police and the public. One of those was the right to record encounters with police... but, not interfere with police doing their jobs. He also supported use of body-cameras by State Police.
However... Goodell says he did not support a total ban on chokeholds, especially if the officer's life is in danger. He says police are given "broad discretion to use force as appropriate." However... he says there are restrictions on that. Goodell did voted against total repeal of Civil Service Law 50-a. That would allow disclosure of all complaints and disciplinary actions... including those later found to be untrue.
The legislation was proposed by Governor Andrew Cuomo in the wake of the police-involved death of George Floyd in Minnesota... and, was later approved by the Democratic-majority in both the State Senate and Assembly. Goodell made his comments for this past weekend's "Community Spotlight" program on the six Media One Radio Group stations.
The Congressional District once represented by Republican Chris Collins is on two separate ballots Tuesday. They are a special election to fill out the convicted former House member's fourth term... and, in a Republican primary for the GOP line in November's general election. The unusual situation is part of election season fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. Governor Andrew Cuomo moved the special election originally scheduled for April to coincide with state and federal primary elections.
Nearly 100-percent of the school budgets that came in under New York state's 2-percent property tax cap were approved by voters last week. That from State School Boards Association Executive Director Bob Schneider... who says the just under 99-percent total approval numbers was a definate improvement over the previous three years. Schneider says it's "really good news" given the fact the budget votes were later into June, and all the votes were mail-in due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
However... Schneider says that doesn't mean there is some pain being endured... and, the association is hopeful for some additional federal aid in a fourth stimulus package. In Jamestown... there were about $3.5-million in cuts made to bring the tax levy down to a no-tax increase budget. Budgets that stayed within the state's 2-percent property tax cap were approved by 99.2 percent of district voters... while about 70-percent were adopted in the 13 districts that exceeded the cap.
Three new cases of the COVID-19 Virus were reported last weekend in Chautauqua County... all three on Saturday. That from County Executive P-J Wendel... who adds that the number of people who have recovered from it has exceeded 100... with 103 now. There are 118 confirmed cases. In addition... Wendel says there are eight active cases, and they continue to recover under orders from the local Health Director. There are 85 cases are now under quarantine or isolation orders... and, 12,209 negative test results have been reported to date.
What happens to a college town when the college students disappear? The small upstate New York city of Ithaca is finding out. Most of the almost 24-thousand students at Cornell University and 6,200 more from Ithaca College effectively vanished in March when the COVID-19 Pandemic struck, leaving behind struggling restaurants and shops. Cornell students spend an estimated $225-million annually.
