There are 19 new cases of the coronavirus being reported in Chautauqua County over the past day... with 10 of those here in the Greater Jamestown-area. The county's Health Department says six of the cases are in Jamestown... and, two others have been reported in Lakewood. Interim County Executive P-J Wendel says that brings the number of confirmed cases since the pandemic began to 831... and, 698 have now recovered. Wendel says there are now 120 active cases... with 11 of those currently among employees of Tanglewood Manor... and, another 55 among residents there.
The Chautauqua County Legislature has approved a local law authorizing lawmakers to override of the tax levy limit for the 2021 county budget. The measure was approved by a 15-to-0 vote during a Zoom conference meeting Tuesday night. Legislator Chuck Nazzaro of Jamestown, who is the ranking member of the Audit and Control Committee, says one of the reasons they needed to take the action was because the tax levy cap is under two-percent for 2021.
Nazzaro says the cap next year will be 1.56-percent. County officials say there was also a small carry forward of just over $9,000. That was much less than the 2019-20 budget carry forward of $855,000. The full legislature is expected to take final action on the budget during their monthly meeting on Wednesday, October 28th.
A Cherry Creek man faces federal drug charges while a second man faces local charges after a raid Tuesday morning. The Chautauqua County Sheriff's SWAT Team and members of the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at 6900 Main Street in Cherry Creek for 38 year-old Gregory Schroeder. Deputies say Schroeder was the subject of a DEA Federal Arrest warrant... and, he was taken into custody for possession to distribute 50-grams or more of methamphetamine. Police say other suspects were also arrested... including 26 year-old Raymond Provorse, on charges unrelated to the investigation. Prior to leaving the scene... officers called in the Cherry Creek Code Enforcement office to inspect the house, which they deemed unsafe and uninhabitable. Schroeder was arraigned and sent to the County Jail. Provorse was arraigned and released. Officers say this is still an on-going investigation.
A woman from Jamestown is accused of being in possession of a hypodermic instrument following a "well-being" check in Ashville. Sheriff's deputies were called to an undisclosed location in the hamlet just before 6 PM Wednesday night... and, later arrested 27 year-old Jessica McAdoo after she was found with the hypodermic instrument. McAdoo was issued an appearance ticket for North Harmony Town Court at a later date.
Chautauqua County's member of the House of Representatives held a special roundtable in Elmira on Wednesday... and, says there are some police reform proposals he can support. Corning Republican Tom Reed says one of the proposals would establish a police misconduct registry to help weed out "bad apples." Reed says that would keep those bad officers from jumping from agency to agency. The other item is more funding for body cameras. Body cameras have become more prevailent in Chautauqua County and other areas. However... right now not every officer is able to have one. The roundtable Reed hosted with law enforcement officials looked at possible reforms.
The Democratic challenger in the race for the 23rd District Congressional seat says the incumbant is misrepresenting her positions on police reform, and the recent rioting in Rochester. A campaign ad supporting Republican Tom Reed states that Penn Yan's Tracy Mitrano wants to "defund the police." Mitrano says her campaign has filed a "cease and desist" camplaint because there is "no truth to the claim."
As for the protests... and, later rioting that occured in Rochester following the death of a mentally ill black man who was in police custody... Mitrano made it clear that she supports peaceful protests... not rioting or looting. In fact... she says "living through the rioting" of the 1960s... and, seeing it's impact, she condemns it "unequiocally, and completely." The Rochester protests arose following the death of Daniel Prude.
Governor Cuomo has signed legislation officially making Juneteenth a New York state holiday. Juneteeth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people in the U-S. The Democrat had used an executive order to make Juneteenth a paid holiday for state employees this year. The state Legislature had passed a bill in July to make it a state holiday. President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1st of 1863. But... not everyone heard about it right away. It wasn't until June 19th, 1865, that enslaved people in Texas, found out about it.
