Town of Chautauqua residents arrested on several drug and weapons charges...
Two town of Chautauqua residents have been arrested on several drug and weapons-related charges following a traffic stop in the town of Ripley Tuesday night. Sheriff's officers say deputies stopped a car for failure to keep right on Burton Road shortly before 8 p.m., and, while interviewing the driver saw a drug pipe on the floor of the vehicle. During a search of the car... officers found more than 70-grams of methamphetamine... a digital scale... and $1,467 in cash. Deputies arrested 27 year-old Alexander Latta of Potter Road for second and third-degree criminal possession of a Controlled Substance... second-degree criminally using drug paraphernalia... resisting arrest... failure to keep right and aggravated Unlicensed Operation. Latta also had an arrest warrant for failure to appear. His passenger, 31 year-old Megan Hermann of the same address... faces similar charges. County Narcotics Investigators later obtained a search warrant for Latta's home... and, found an assault rifle, a firearm and a high-capacity magazine loaded with .223 ammunition. He was also charged with second-degree criminal possession of a Weapon... and three counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Both were jailed pending arraignment.
County elections commissioner says Election Day went well...
An official with the Chautauqua County Board of Elections says Election Day went well in the county... with nearly 34-thousand voters turning out at the polls. Republican Elections Commissioner Brian Abram says there were no major problems reported, with poll workers encountering some of the usual issues... like paper jams, or machines having issues reading a few ballots. Abram says one local contest is still too close... and that's the second of two trustees seats in the village of Mayville. He says there is a six-vote difference with Democrat Bill Ward leading in that race over Republican Eagle Harrington. Absentee ballots will be opened next Tuesday, Nov. 15.
Zeldin concedes governor's race to Hochul in NYS...
New York Congressman Lee Zeldin has now conceded the governor's race to Democrat Kathy Hochul after problems regarding the vote count in his home county were cleared up. There were lingering concerns over a cyber attack in Suffolk County that occured two months ago. But in the end... officials were relieved to learn their election night woes weren't because of another attack by nefarious hackers... but, something more innocent: slow Wi-Fi. Once the situation was cleared up... Zeldin final conceded defeat. In a printed statement... Zeldin congratulated Hochul... saying "this race was a once in a generation campaign, with a very close margin in the bluest of blue states." The State Board of Elections last night showed Hochul with 2.95-million votes... Zeldin with 2.66-million. In Chautauqua County... Zeldin won by a nearly 2-to-1 margin.
Sempolinski ready to help transition three members of new Congress, including Langworthy...
Southern Tier Congressman Joe Sempolinski brief tenure will end in a couple of months... but, he and his staff will very busy before he leaves office. But... it's not all to do with voting on legislation in Washington, D.C. Sempolinski will not only be tossing the batton to new Congressman Nick Langworthy... but, two others as well. As for Langworthy... he says his successor follows a similar path that he did -- as a former congressional district director. Sempolinski says that will put him in a good position to help work with people in the new, 23rd District. He says he'll also be working with re-elected Congresswoman Claudia Tenney... and, newly-elected Republican Marc Molinaro because they'll each be getting a small part of the former 23rd District. Langworthy... who is also New York state GOP Chairman... won the race for the new 23rd District over Democrat Max Della Pia... 189,000 to just over 101,000.
Jamestown man pleads guilty to federal Fentanyl-drug charges leading to death...
A city man has pleaded guilty in federal court to selling fentanyl that led to another person's death. U-S Attorney Trini Ross says 30 year-old Garson Butcher entered the plea before U.S. District Judge John Sinatra, Jr. in Buffalo to one count of distribution of fentanyl causing death, narcotics conspiracy, and using and maintaining a drug-involved premises. Prosecutors say between March of 2020 and June of 2021... Butcher and co-defendant Alisha Centi conspired with others to possess and sell heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. In late March of 2020... the pair was accused of selling fentanyl resulting in the death of a person identified as "T.R." Later that year... Butcher and Centi sold heroin to an individual identified as "K.K.", who overdosed... but was revived by multiple doses of Narcan. Both are slso accused of using homes on Fairview Avenue and Roland Road to manufacture and distribute drugs. Charges remain pending agains Centi.
"Meat Your Farmer" event in Fluvanna another success...
Over 80 people attended the latest 'Meat Your Farmer' event Wednesday night at the Fluvanna Fire Hall. 'Meat Your Farmer' brings local meat producers together with consumers. One of the organizers, Ted Card of Moon Meadow Farm, says it's a great education opportunity because there are a number of things -- including feed -- that sometimes confuses consumers. Card says the best way to find out what meat is available locally, and what cuts you might like is to reach out to a local farmer or Cornell Cooperative Extension. Extension's Lisa Kempisty... the local dairy and livestock educator... says they are interested expanding the 'Meat Your Farmer' concept to other areas of agriculture.
