Hochul announces mask mandate in schools will end on Mar. 2...
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced that the statewide masking requirement in schools will be lifted by March 2nd. In a Sunday briefing... the Democrat cited declining COVID-19 cases and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She said counties and cities could keep their own mandates in place, and parents could still choose to send their kids to school in masks. The new rules effective Wednesday apply to children 2 years and older in childcare facilities. New York State has 2.7-million schoolchildren, including about one-million in New York City.
Two arrested on drug and domestic charges during Jamesotwn traffic stop...
Two people have been arrested on drug and domestic charges following a traffic stop on Jamestown's westside late last Saturday night. City Police say a patrol stopped the car, driven by 40 year-old Chantilly Southwick of Frewsburg, just after 10 p.m. on Jones and Gifford Ave. at Lister St. Officers say Southwick made an improper turn off West Eighth Street onto Jones and Gifford. During the stop... police spotted a quantity of methamphetaminein the vehicle. Their investigation led to the arrest of a passenger, 50 year-old Christopher Howie of Jamestown. Howie was also found to have violationed an order of protection because he was supposed to stay away from another passenger. He's jailed pending arraignment on charges including third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance... second-degree criminal contempt... and Aggravated Family Offense. Southwick was also allegeldy found with meth in her possession... and, faces charged including seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.
City Council to vote on proposed reval tonight...
The Jamestown City Council tonight will decide on whether to use $285,000 in American Rescue Plan funding to do a revaluation of properties in the city. Lawmakers will also decide on hiring the firm that performed the last revaluation 15 years ago. Mayor Eddie Sundquist says revals should be done more frequently than that. Sundquist adds the city would also get it done at a much lower cost this time around... because last time the city had it done, it cost just over $1-million. GAR Associates did that last reval, and would perform this one if the resolutions are approved. However... the city has done some of the early leg-work and that's helping to cut the cost. One of the biggest concerns is sticker shock because home purchases in many cases have turned into bidding wars. Sundquist says the understand that concern... but, he says GAR will consider a number of factors in assessing properties... including what homes are selling for in a "wider area." Tonight's meeting begins at 7:30 p.m.
City lawmakers to also act on hiring four new firefighters, and one Parks laborer...
City lawmakers will also act tonight on two resolutions to lift the hiring freeze and hire four new firefighters, and a new Parks Department laborer. During their last work session... council members learned more about the need for the firefighters. Finance Committee Chairwoman Kim Ecklund says these will fill vacancies due to retirements. One of those occured in April of last year... the others will occur this Spring and Summer. Those new firefighters will have to go through training before they can go on duty. Ecklund says the vacancy in the Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department has also been created due to a retirement.
Westfield woman arrested for domestic assault...
A Westfield woman was arrested early last weekend after she allegedly assaulted another person during a domestic incident in the town of Westfield. Sheriff's officers and members of the Westfield Police Department responded to the undisclosed address just before 5 p.m. last Friday. They say the investigation determined that 18 year-old Sydney Switzer had assaulted the victim... causing facial lacerations... and, that person had to be treated by medical personnel. Deputies say Switzer was arrested for third-degree assault for causing injury to another person. She was processed, and taken to the county jail for centralized arraignment. She was issued appearance tickets for Westfield Town Court.
City domestic incident leads to man's arrest...
A Jamestown man has been arrested after allegedly fleeing the scene of a domestic incident late last week. City police were called to the scene on the city's southside late last Thursday night on a report of a domestic involving 34 year-old Silk Spencer. Officers searched the area, along with Sheriff's deputies, and located Spencer at a different location. Police ordered Spencer to stop... but, he continued to walk away. He was then positively identified, and arrested for second-degree criminal contempt, and obstruction. He was jailed pending arraignment in city court.
Reed blasts Biden for not sanctioning Russian oil and gas production and sales...
Local Congressman Tom Reed is blasting President Joe Biden for not sanctioning Russia's oil and gas production and sales as a deterant against aggression in Ukraine. Reed says "President Biden has shown his true alliance with Putin when he specifically promised, under the announced ‘sanctions package,’ that the U-S will continue to pay (President) Putin and his oligarch friends billions of dollars for oil and gas production and sales." The Corning Republican says the U-S has the resources to "knock Russia out of the oil and gas market entirely" because it's a source of money for Putin's operations.
