Overnight fire destroys home in Sugar Grove, Pa...
About a half-dozen fire departments -- including two from Chautauqua County -- were called to help battle a house fire in Sugar Grove, Pa. early this morning. Warren County fire dispathers says Sugar Grove firefighters were initially called to the scene at 215 Main St. just after 1:30 a.m., and, found heavy fire on arrival. Several fire departments provided mutual aid... including Busti and Kiantone from Chautauqua County. Lakewood was on stand-by. The home was destroyed by the flames. The last crew left about 8 a.m., and, fire investigators were at the scene a short time later. No injuries were reported... and, no cause has yet been determined.
Police find two loaded hand-guns during Saturday traffic stop...
Three people were arrested early last Saturday morning during a traffic stop in Jamestown for allegedly being found in possession of two loaded pistols. City Police Captain Bob Samuelson says the car, driven by 41 year-old Erin Olmstead, was pulled over shortly after 2 a.m. on The Arterial at Institute Street after the vehicle was observed without it's headlights on. Officers say Olmstead appeared drunk... and, they allegedly found a handgun in plain view on the floor of the back seat near the rear passenger. Police later patted down the front seat passenger... and, an additional handgun was found. The two passengers, 20 year-old Joel Coleman, Junior and 23 year-old Allen Jackson -- both of Buffalo -- were charged with Felony second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Olmstead was charged with Aggravated driving while intoxicated... operating without headlights... and, having an open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle. Olmstead was processed and released... while Coleman and Jackson were pending arraignment.
Celoron man arrested for allegedly holding person against their will in parked car at Lakewood Wal-Mart...
A Celoron man was arrested early last weekend after allegedly holding a person against their will with a gun inside a vehicle in the parking lot of the Lakewood Wal-Mart SuperCenter. Lakewood-Busti Police were called to the scene at 350 East Fairmount Ave. just after 1 p.m. Satuday for a domestic incident. They learned that 41 year-old Scott Merritt was armed, and would not let the victim leave. Police began communicating with Merritt who eventually let the victim leave, and he was taken into custody without incident. He's charged with first-degree unlawful imprisonment, reckless endangerment... second-degree menacing... and, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He was taken to the county jail pending further court action.
Mayville-Chautauqua Chamber head pleased with Winter Festival...
This year's renewal of the annual President's Day Weekend Winter Festival in Mayville was a big success. People were still in line for carriage rides, to get kettle corn... and, get another look at the ice castle as the two-and-a-half day event at Lakeside Park. There was also music... and a sledding hill. After no festival last February due to the COVID-19 pandemic... the festival was back this year. It was put on by the Mayville-Chautauqua Chamber of Commerce. Chamber President Sareena Gilkinson says... aside from a couple of minor issues on Friday... it all came off very well. Gilkinson says they worked through a "couple of hiccups" at the beginning, but everything went well, and they had "a wonderful turn-out." There was some concern about the castle during last weeks' two-day warm-up. However... Gilkinson says their crew did a great job keeping it cold. Friday night's castle lighting was one of the high-lights of the weekend... along with Saturday night's fireworks display at Lakeside Park.
Ice Castle lit to start Festival Friday night...
Both the temperature and the wind speed were in the teens last Friday night as the ice castle was lit. Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Officer, Dan Heitzenrater, led a shivering crowd of around 100 in a countdown. However... the group had to wait another half minute. Then the lights came on, and the newly-completed ice castle was brilliantly illuminated in a rainbow of color. It took two weeks and 1,000 blocks of ice to build the 12 foot tall castle. Veteran crew chief Nick Andriaccio considered the work ‘therapeutic’ this year because there was no castle in 2021. Following the lighting... Noel and Gen Guttman of the Mayville Fire Department were named crowned Winter Festival king and queen in recognition of their ‘selfless community minded attitude.’
Leathers says issues smoothing out for BPU garbage collection...
There are still some issues the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities is working through... but, it appears that garbage collection is going better than it was last month. That's when the BPU began enforcing it's rules about how trash should be left out for crews to pick-up. General Manager Dave Leathers says a lot of people were "caught off-guard" with the change... which requires all garbage to be put in the new BPU containers... and, the lid be shut on them. Leathers says they were initially working through those issues when two significant snowfalls hit the area. He says the BPU had been working for the past five to seven years to move the program to where it follows what's in the city code. The problems recently have come with the trash being left where it shouldn't be... and, the container lids not being shut. Leathers noted that the city code states that garbage cannot be left out in garbage bags only... and, must be in containers they distributed last year. Leathers made his comments for last weekend's "Community Spotlight" program on the six Media One Radio Group stations.
