State Police confirm arrest of town supervisor for public lewdness...
State Police now confirm the arrest of current Ellicott Town Supervisor for public lewdness and endangering the welfare of a child. The Jamestown Post-Journal reported late Wednesday that 72 year-old Patrick McLaughlin was arrested this week on a criminal complaint accusing him of the incident... which occured in the village of Celoron the presence of two juveniles. Officials say the youths reported the incident to the school resource officer at Southwestern Central School... but, the incident did not occur at the school. Ellicott Town Police then referred the case to State Police. State Police Public Information Officer James O'Callaghan confirmed the arrest this morning. O'Callaghan says McLaughlin is scheduled for a future court appearance on one count of first-degree public lewdness, publid lewdness and one count of endangering the welfare of a child.
Winter storm moving into Jamestown-area from Midwest...
The major Winter storm moving into Western New York is bringing up to a foot of new snow now through Friday morning. The National Weather Service is continuing a Winter Storm Warning for the region through 10 a.m. Friday. Forecaster David Thomas in Buffalo says this system is covering several states... and, will produce a general snowfall. Thomas says everyone will generally receive 8 to 12 inches of snow. Thomas says the precipitation began as rain... then changed to a brief mix with snow and rain before turning to all snow during the overnight. He says most of the region will see about a foot of snow through Friday morning... but, he says unlike the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day storm... we shouldn't see the blowing and drifting. Thomas says once the cold front moves through... winds will be out of the north at 10 to 20 miles per hour. This storm system developed in the Rockies... and, was producing freezing rain as far south as Texas before it drops snow and ice on the Midwest. The forecast comes nearly a year after a catastrophic winter storm devastated Texas' power grid, causing hundreds of deaths.
State legislature approves Congressional maps amid controversy over process...
New York's legislature has voted to pass new congressional district maps that will expand Democrats' influence in New York politics for years to come. The proposed maps would give the party an advantage in 22 of the state's 26 congressional districts. Republicans currently hold eight of New York's 27 seats in Congress. Democratic leaders have defended the maps as addressing the reality of New York's population shifts over the past decade. However... the maps will mean re-election trouble for several Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Sundquist says city enlistes state and federal help in dealing with condemned former Crawford Furniture factory...
The city of Jamestown has enlisted the help of state and federal agencies to help deal with a vacant, and condemned former furniture factory on the city's eastside. Mayor Eddie Sundquist says he and officials with the Department of Development and police and fire departments... met with officials last week from the U.S. Environmental Protection Ageny and state Department of Environmental Conservation at the former Crawford Furniture factory at 1061 Allen St. Sundquist says there are two major concerns with the property. First is the number of barrels containing waste inside that are in the building, and there's already been a collapse of the roof in the back portion of the building. Sundquist adds that the building appears in "imminent threat" of collapsing. He says the owners of the property the past several years... Patricia and Richard Rusiniak of Cheektowaga... have failed to clean-up or secure the structure. Sundquist announced the actions Wednesday. He says the city has secured the building... but, adds it's been broken into several times, and that allows more people to get into the building. He adds the Rusiniaks and their property business have been cited numerous times by city code enforcement officers for violations... but, they never addressed them.
County reports 1,026 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, as those numbers continue falling...
The number of new confirmed cases of COVID-19 is down for the third-straight week in Chautauqua County... but, they remain the highest they've been in several months. The county Health Department reports there were 1,026 new cases for the week ending Jan. 29, bringing the local total to 25,557 during the pandemic. Officials say there were four new deaths... bringing that total to 299. They add that 25,066 cases have now recovered. There are now 37 people hospitalized with the virus... and, the seven day infection rate is 10.2-percent. The most cases were again in the Jamestown 14701 zip code... which reported 373 the past week.
Dunkirk Dave see's shadow on Groundhog Day... predicts six more weeks of Winter...
For the first time in many years... nearly all of the nation's groundhogs are in agreement: We're going to see six more weeks of Winter. That after Punxsutawney Phil, and -- locally -- Dunkirk Dave -- both saw their shadows on this Groundhog Day 2022. Dave's handler, Bob Will, says Dave ventured outside his warm, comfy home and had some oatmeal shortly before going back into his home. Will says Dave definately saw his shadow. Will says Dave is more accurate than Phil because he does his prognostications the way they should be... with Dave being on the ground, and seeing his shadow and then going back into his home. Will says Dave is 90% right on his forecasts.
