Jamestown area receives surprise Lake Effect Snow amounts overnight...
The Greater Jamestown area saw a bit more snow than expected overnight... with up to a foot of lake effect falling in many parts of the region. That from Forecaster Steve Welch with the National Weather Service... which initially predicted the higher amounts in the traditional snow belt areas. However... those amounts wound up in and around the city. For the most part... he says the area received 4 to 7 inches with higher localized amounts. Here at our Media One Radio Group stations... we recorded a foot of new snow, and there was also a foot reported in the lower parts of the town of Ellicott. There was about 10 inches of new snow in Lakewood... 9 inches in Falconer... and, 7 inches on West Oak Hill Road outside the city. Welch says the amounts we were expecting actually fell in the snow belt areas. There's still the chance of some more snow this afternoon and evening. However... the weather service expects less than an inch or so in most places. Temperatures will remain in the upper 20s today.
Snow-slicked conditions cause semi-trailer loaded with beer to overturn in town of Poland...
No injuries were reported early this morning when a semi-truck loaded with beer slipped off the edge of Quaint Road in the town of Poland and overturned. The Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office and Ellicott Town Police confirmed the accident occured about 4:30 a.m. at the intersection with Clay Pond Road. Police say the county's Hazardous Materials Team responded to the scene along with the Kennedy and Falconer Fire Departments. No charges have been reported, and the beer was being off-loaded by hand.
Sundquist announces several vetoes in 2022 budget plan approved by City Council...
Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist has vetoed five amendments the City Council approved for the 2022 budget plan lawmakers adopted unanimously last week. In his veto message... Sundquist says one of the biggest items was the $10,000 reduction to the city's Urban Renewal Agency. Finance Committee Chairwoman Kim Ecklund told fellow lawmakers at last night's work session that upholding a veto with money attached to it needs to be accounted for. She says you have to find the money to add for that item -- be it more anticipated funding, or corresponding cuts. Secondly... Sundquist vetoed a cutting a first time, $6,000 allocation for the city's Human Rights Commission. A third item vetoed was reducing the mayor's travel, education, and stationary budget... and, a fourth was to put back $10,000 for Tracy Plaza building maintenance. Ecklund noted that they hope to eliminate that need using American Rescue Plan funds for infrastructure improvements to Tracy Plaza that would cut maintenance costs. The final item was to restore increase wages for key management employees. City Council President Tony Dolce has planned a special voting session before next Monday night's work session at 6:30 p.m. to vote on veto overrides.
Fredonia High School resumes regular operations following incident with student with a pocket knife...
Fredonia High School resumed regular activities after police responded to an incident Monday morning involving a student with a knife. Superintendent Brad Zilliox issued a statement on the incident Monday afternoon... noting the incident occured just after 9 a.m., and involved an "unruly student" found with the pocked knife. He says the situation was defused quickly. Fredonia Police were assisted by State Police and the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office. Fredonia Police Chief Phil Maslak praised the district for "phenomenal job" the staff did in handling the situation.
Ninth-annual "Holiday Haul" set for Dec. 16-18 at Jamestown Cycle Shop parking lot...
The ninth-annual Holiday Haul to benefit the St. Susan's Center in Jamestown is set for three-days at the end of next week. Northwest Arena Executive Director Keith Martin will head up the effort again this year... and on our Dennis Webster Show Monday morning... he said they're hoping to better last year's haul... when they raised over $20,000 in funding, and six-and-a-half tons of food for the area's largest soup kitchen. Martin says he'll again be in the parking lot of the Jamestown Cycle Shop on Thursday, Dec. 16 through Saturday, Dec. 18 to receive food and monitary donations for the area's largest soup kitchen. It will be the first major event for St. Susan's new Executive Director Cherie Rowland... who's been living and working in Erie, Pennsylvania the past 12 years. Rowland says it's exciting to come back to her hometown area to work with the organization. Hours for the Holiday Haul will be held from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. both Thursday and Friday, Dec. 16 and 17, and, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 18.
COVID-related changes announced for JHS A Cappella Vespers...
The Jamestown High School A Cappella Choir has decided to limit the number of people in the audience for its upcoming Vespers services. Director Lauren Scharf explains the changes... noting that they are limiting the number of tickets alloted to each student to five. The services are set for the next two Sundays... Dec. 12 and 19 at First Lutheran Church in Jamestown. Scharf says while they’d hoped to have the doors wide open, they couldn’t ignore the rising COVID-19 case numbers. She says they believe this was the "best course of action" so that those attending feel "safe and comfortable" in the audience. Everyone at the church must be masked and maintain social distance. To accommodate those unable to attend... the Vespers will be live-streamed for the first time ever… through the Jamestown Public Schools website at 4 p.m. both Sundays.
