Schmidt calls for bail to be revoked for Rolison after fatal Arkwright accident...
Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt is expressing frustration over the fact Randall Rolison was free on bail when he was involved in last weekend's fatal, two-vehicle crash in the town of Arkwright. In a printed release late Monday... Schmidt added that... given these circumstances... he will ask that Rolison's bail be revoked and he be held until he stands trial in Hughan's death. He adds that -- "we are also actively working to develop information and evidence arising from Saturday’s accident which may lead us to file new charges against Mr. Rolison." In addition to being out on bail on the manslaughter charge... Schmidt says Rolison also faces three counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. The D-A says he requested $500,000 bail... and $1-million property bond. However... Judge David Foley set bail considerably lower... totaling $105,000 cash... and Rolison posted bail.
Public at City Council meeting also express dismay over Rolison being out on bail, as well as pedestrian safety...
Members of the public at last night's City Council work session expressed their dismay over the fact Rolison was involved in another fatal accident. However... they focused more on the city... and, keeping people safe at intersections and cross-walks. Resident Gary Mooney knows Lexi Hughan's mother, and says people need to use "situational awareness" in those situations... and, know whether a vehicle is coming from any direction when you arrive at an intersection. Another resident... Missy Paterniti... says she's raised just over $2,000 for a permanent memorial to Lexi Hughan near where she was struck and killed on December 31st of 2021. She's already talked with city officials for guidance on putting something in an area of Dow Park to replace the make-shift memorial that's been up at the intersection of Washington and West Sixth Streets since that fatal accident occured.
Sundquist announces vetoes of five of the 27 budget amendments by City Council...
Only five of the 27 budget amendments made by the Jamestown City Council to Mayor Eddie Sundquist's proposed 2023 budget have been vetoed. Lawmakers now have until a week from this Thursday -- Dec. 15 -- to override any or all of the vetoes. However... Sundquist says he wants to keep talking with lawmakers about the best way to go. Two vetos were discussed briefly last night... including one to restore $5,600 for engineering supplies. Sundquist says, with passage of the federal Infrastructure Bill... more supplies are needed for the added work. He says that includes blueprints, and work on redesigning streetscapes, and other work. The second veto discussed had to do with an $11,000 allocation for the mayor's travel budget. Sundquist says it's mainly to cover costs going to sessions of the New York State Conference of Mayors... and, the National League of Cities. Sundquist says he's very close to $11,000 this year after travel was down the last two years because of the COVID Pandemic. Council is tentatively looking at a special meeting to deal with any overrides before next Monday night's work session.
City man accused of threatening people with an axe and machete arrested...
A Jamestown man has been arrested for allegedly swinging an axe and machete at more than one person during an incident on the city's northside Sunday night. City police were called to the undisclosed location about 7 p.m. on a report of a person with a weapon. When they arrived... officers learned that 61 year-old Michael McCool had brandished the axe and machete... but, no one was hurt. McCool was arrested on two counts of fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon... and, one of second-degree menacing. He was jailed pending arraignment.
One person suffers smoke inhalation in Dunkirk house fire...
Chautauqua County fire investigators are looking into the cause of a house fire earlier today in the city of Dunkirk. Dunkirk Fire Chief Mike Edwards says his department, along with a mutual aid crew from East Dunkirk, responded to the blaze at 92 West Chestnut Street around 5:40 a.m. Edwards says the single-family home was "heavily-engulfed" in flames on arrival. One person got out of the house, but, had to be treated for smoke inhalation. Edwards says firefighters made entry inside the house and quickly extinguished the flames. Extensive fire, heat and smoke damage was reported throughout the home. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Tenth-Anniversary "Holiday Haul" to be held in Jamestown next week...
This year will mark the 10th anniversary of another fund-raiser and food drive for the Jamestown area's largest soup kitchen. The "Holiday Haul" will again be held for three-days this month in the parking lot of the Jamestown Cycle Shop in Brooklyn Square. It's again being headed up by Northwest Savings Bank Director Keith Martin... who says it's hard to believe it's been 10 years. However... it's to help the St. Susan's Center... which needs the money and food to help their operations. Matine says it will be held on Thursday, Dec. 15 through Saturday, Dec. 17. He says hours will be 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. that Thursday and Friday, and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. Martin says they are just hoping to do a little better than last year... when they raised a record $24,000... and, 6-and-a-half tons of food and supplies for St. Susan's. The soup kitchen's director, Cherie Rowland, says she appreciates everyone who's made the Holiday Haul a big success... and says they need a number of non-perishable food items... and, supplies.
