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WJTN News Headlines for Wed., Feb. 2, 2022

National Weather Service issues Winter Storm Warning for all of WNY -- including Chautauqua County...
A major Winter storm is expected to affect a huge swath of the United States, with heavy snow expected over the next day and a half in Chautauqua County.  The National Weather Service has now issued a Winter Storm Warning for the region beginning at 10 p.m. tonight through 10 a.m. Friday.  Forecaster David Thomas in Buffalo says this is a huge storm system.  Thomas says the precipitation will begin tonight as rain... then mix with snow after Midnight before turning to all snow during the overnight.  He says most of the region will see about a foot of snow through Friday morning.  During the daytime Thursday... Thomas says we're looking at a general 3 to 5 inches of snow... and, another 3 to 5 inches during the evening and overnight hours.  The storm system developed in the Rockies... and, is producing freezing rain as far south as Texas before it drops snow and ice on the Midwest.


BPU issues statement to clarify how trash should be left out in snow conditions...
The Jamestown Board of Public Utilities is clarifying it's garbage collection policy in the wake of recent heavy snowfalls... and more snow predicted starting Wednesday night.  BPU Communications Coordinator Becky Robbins says garbage collection has been "very difficult for our Solid Waste employees and has also caused customer frustration and confusion related to compliance with rules and expectations."  Robbins says customers have been asked to shovel a space for their garbage containers so BPU workers don't have to climb onto snow and ice piles to bring down heavy containers.  However... she says they understand that's difficult in many cases right now.  With that... Robbins urges customers place containers in cleared walkways, on or near driveways, or even on a shoveled sidewalk near a driveway or access point. 


Dunkirk Dave see's his shadow, and the groundhogs are in full agreement...
It's Groundhog Day... February 2nd... and, a number of groundhogs around the nation have made their prediction.  Locally, Dunkirk Dave issued his forecast regarding the arrival of Spring.  Dave's handler Bob Will says the weather prophet ventured outside his warm, comfy home and had some oat meal.  Will says after eating, he saw his shadow, and went back into his home... indicating six more weeks of Winter weather.  Punxsutawney Phil, Dave's counterpart in Pennsylvania, also predicted that there won't be an early spring this year.  Will claims that Dave is more accurate than Phil, providing correct predictions 90% of the time.


Former Crawford Furniture factory in Jamestown is condemned... owners called out...
The former Crawford Furniture factory building on Allen Street in Jamestown has been condemned... and, the out of town owners are being called out for leaving the property in "imminent threat" of collapse.  Mayor Eddie Sundqust announced the actions this morning... after the city's Department of Development, Jamestown Police and Fire Departments... and, several other agencies -- including the State Department of Environmental Conservation... inspected the structure at 1061 Allen St.  Sundquist says the building has suffered from "long deteriorating conditions as a direct result of property owner neglect."  He says the owners, Patricia and Richard Rusiniak, have been cited "several times" by the Jamestown building and code officers for junk and debris, and failure to renovate or demolish.  In a printed release... Development Director Crystal Surdyk said "after repeatedly suffering devastating events like the Jamestown Royal Upholstery Factory fire last spring, we must take more proactive action and learn from the consequences of inaction."  We do have a call into Mayor Sundquist for further comment.


City Council approves additional projects and purchases from ARPA funding...
The Jamestown City Council has approved using another another $1.4-million in American Rescue Plan Act funding for parks and public works projects and purchases.  Lawmakers voted Monday night in favor of six specific projects recently presented by city Fleet Manager Pat Monaghan.  Council President Tony Dolce says they voted on the "general amounts" of funding so there was flexibility if more money was needed for some of those other proposals... which are still being prioritized.  The "specific" items approved included a $100,000 project to replace the roof on Fire Station-#4 on Allen Street... and, $210,000 for 60 new, portable radios for the Jamestown Police Department.  The purchases also include a $154,000 purchase of a new sidewalk plow to replace a 43-year-old Bombardier plow for the DPW.  The need for a new piece of equipment was underscored during the most recent snowstorm.
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Also from Monday night's meeting... the city council approved the hiring of a new School Resource Officer for the Jamestown Public Schools.  Lawmakers say the officer would be hired in August to begin the next school year in the middle schools. 


Jamestown School Board approves new "big cat" mascot...
The Jamestown School Board has unanimously approved a new high school mascot that keeps with the school's history... dating back seven decades.  The board approved the recommendation of the JHS Mascot Committee of a red, big cat... which first appeared as a mascot back in 1948.  Officials say the JHS Mascot Committee presented the proposed mascot to the school board at it's meeting last December... and, it was discussed at the Jan. 18 meeting.  Superintendent Kevin Whitaker asked the panel to reconvene in 2020 to address concerns regarding the feathers on the “J” as it was considered Native American imagery.  Since then... the school has worked to eliminate that imagery.