Council Finance Committee approves added $3-million in ARPA funding for housing and property improvement programs...
The Jamestown City Council will vote later this month on adding another $3-million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to two programs to upgrade housing and other property improvement programs. The Council's Finance Committee approved both measures last night. Acting Committee Chairwoman Marie Carrubba says $1-million will be used to replenish the Building and Infrastructure Improvements program... which had been reduced to $500,000. She says the action would restore the program to $1.5-million... which was the original amount. The Finance Committee also approved adding $2-million to the city's Healthy Communities and Neighborhoods funds to support roof, private sewer, and water line repair and replacement. Carrubba says there have been 130 requests for funding originally from the program... and, one-third were found to be eligible for the funding. But, only 10 were found to be ineligible for funding. The program was originally funded last March for $750,000.
City officials pleased with how Lucille Ball Comedy Festival went downtown...
Jamestown city officials are pleased with how last week's Lucille Ball Comedy Festival turned out following it's two-year, COVID pandemic hiatus. City Council President Tony Dolce says he attended some of the events... and, says the attendance was great... and, the response very positive. Mayor Eddie Sundquist echoed those sentiments... adding that downtown businesses were very pleased with how it all went. Sundquist says it "was wonderful to see people back in Jamestown, and enjoying (the festival)." He adds that he spoke with a number of business owners who were pleased to see business back to where it was before the pandemic. Sundquist added that one local restaurant may be the beneficiary of some positive publicity. He says he understands that eatery will soon be featured on the "Food Network" for what they did during the festival. Several of the major activities from the five-day event... which ran last Wednesday through Sunday... were sold out.
Woman from Gerry arrested for alleged assault with vehicle, and machete...
A Gerry woman faces assault and menacing charges after she allegedly stuck another woman with her car... then struck her several times with the side of a machete. State Police in Jamestown say they were called to a home in on Rt. 380 on a report of someone being struck by a vehicle. Troopers say they found that 64 year-old Mary Butler was driving with four youths inside the car last Thursday... and, swerved to hit the woman, who was on the side of the road. Police say Butler got out of the car... and, then struck the victim with the flat side of the machete. Butler then fled the scene... and, the victim was taken to UPMC Chautauqua Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. Butler was later found at her home... and, she was arrested for second-degree assault... second-degree menacing... second-degree reckless endangerment and four counts of endangering the welfare of a child. She was processed... and, taken to the county jail pending arraignment.
Schumer highlights what Inflation Reduction Act will bring to upstate region...
New York's Senior U-S Senator is back in the state... and, is touting major victories in recent weeks... including Sunday's approval of the more than $700-billion Inflation Reduction Act. During a Zoom conference with state-wide media Monday afternoon... Democrat Charles Schumer said "persistance" helped get the final legislation over the finish line... though it's less ambitious than President Joe Biden's original domestic goals. Schumer says there will be upwards of 9-million new clean energy jobs created through the measure... and, "hundreds of thousands of those will be in upstate New York. Several climate change tax credit and other programs are part of the package. Schumer says they include alternative fuels for cars and trucks... including advancement of hydrogen technology being developed by Cummins' Jamestown Engine Plant. In addition... Schumer says there will be funding to help lower energy costs for upstate New Yorkers in the bill. The lowering of prescription drug costs is also part of the measure... including a $35-dollar cap on insulin costs for people on Medicare. Finally... Schumer says the measure... which now heads back to the House of Representatives... includes $300-billion in deficit reduction.
Two county men sentenced in Chautauqua County Court...
Two Chautauqua County men have been sentenced to state prison time... one for illegal drug possession... and another for illegally possessing a loaded gun. District Attorney Jason Schmidt says today that 37 year-old Richard Sendall of Brocton, received a determinate term of six years in prison... and, three years post-release supervision after having pled guilty to two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance... both class B felonies. Schmidt says Sendall entered the pleas back in May. The two counts are from two separate incidents, one in the City of Jamestown and one in the Town of Ellery.
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D.A. Schmidt also reports that 53 year-old Aaron Davis of Jamestown was sentenced to a determinate state prison term of five-years with 5 years post release supervision after having pled guilty to second-degree criminal possession of a weapon -- loaded firearm. Schmidt says that's a class C felony. The conviction occurred earlier this year in March 2022... and, Davis was sentenced as a violent felony offender after having two felony convictions within 10 years.
