Winter Storm barreling towards WNY to bring snow mainly north, bitter cold everywhere...
The huge Winter storm barreling across the United States will make it into our area tomorrow morning... bring with it frigid cold and wind chills... and, several inches of snow. However... the immediate Jamestown-area won't be seeing the snow they will along the Lake Erie Shoreline into the Buffalo-area and Niagara Frontier. That from Forecaster Kirk Apfell with the National Weather Service in Buffalo... who says northern parts of the county will bring 1 to 2 feet of snow along Lake Erie... and, 3 to 5 inches in the immediate Jamestown-area. A Winter Storm Warning has now been issued for our area... beginning at 7 a.m., when the strong cold front preceeding the storm moves into the region. Apfel says the wind will also pick up... and, we'll see a "flash freeze" situation. Apfel says wind gusts will be between 50 and 60 mph... and, the strongest will come between late afternoon Friday through Saturday morning. In addition to our Winter Storm Warning... the State Thruway has issued a travel ban for tandem and emptry truck ban... starting at 6 a.m. tomorrow until further notice due to the high winds forecast. That ban will be for I-90 from the Pennsylvania state line to Exit 46 in Henrietta. Our complete forecast follows the news.
Man from Brocton arrested on drug and weapons charges following early morning raid...
A Brocton man has been arrested on drug and weapons charges following a three-month investigation by police culminated with a raid on his home early this morning. Sheriff's officers say their narcotics investigators... along with Dunkirk Police and the Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force executed a search warrant just after 5 a.m. at Lot 36 at 133 Lake Ave. in the north county village. Police made entry into the home... where three people were found inside... and, arrested 29 year-old Marcus Carrizales. A search of the home turned up 6.2-grams of fentanyl, 6 dosage units of Suboxone, scales and packaging material for narcotics sales, a .22 cal. rifle, a high-capacity magazine and $5,900 in cash. Carrizales was charged with Felony third-degree criminal possession of a Controlled Substance... along with fourth and seventh-degree criminal possession. He was also charged with Felony third and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Carrizales was taken to the county jail pending arraignment. If you have any information about suspicious or drug-related activity in your area... call the Sheriff’s Office Tip line at either 800-344-8702 or 664-2420... or the Jamestown Police Tip line at 483-8477.
Two Mayville residents arrested during drug raid...
Two Mayville residents have been arrested for allegedly trafficking drugs during a raid on their home that turned up multiple illegal narcotics... and, cash proceeds. Chautauqua County Sheriff's deputies say the department's SWAT Team helped execute a search warrant at 107 Valley St. shortly after 6 a.m. Wednesday morning. Officers say their two-month long investigation resulted in the arrests of 47 year-old Jenell Long and 33 year-old James Mawhir. Police say they found quantities of Fentanyl... Oxycodone... Alprazolam... and Clonazepam... along with scales and packaging materials and the cash. Both are charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance... three counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance... and, second-degree criminally using drug paraphernalia. Both were jailed pending arraignment. Two other people inside the residence were not charged.
Gillibrand announces additional $5-billion in LIHEAP funding for lower-income residents to help pay for Winter heating...
Momentum toward passing the $1.7-trillion omnibus funding bill with more aid for Ukraine has slowed considerably as lawmakers struggle to reach an agreement on amendments to the bill. New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand confirmed Thursday that amendments were being made to the bill... which will also include about $5-billion more for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program... or LIHEAP. Gillibrand says that's in addition to $1-billion in added funding this past September through the LIHEAP Grant Program, and the federal Infrastructure bill. Gillibrand says natural gas is projected to increase 28% this Winter... while home heating oil is up 27%... and, electric is up by 10% over last Winter. An agreement on the amendments would speed the process along and allow lawmakers to avoid a partial government shutdown at midnight Friday. The impasse came just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sought to assure lawmakers during a joint meeting of Congress that the aid the U.S. is providing is much appreciated and could "speed up" a Ukrainian victory.
County Legislature approves increase in Management Salary Ranges...
Chautauqua County lawmakers have unanimously approved a local law that increases the salary range for several county managers. The measure passed by a 17-0 vote during Wednesday evening's legislature meeting in Mayville. Dunkirk Democrat Robert Bankoski, one of the co-sponsors of the local law, says the pay hike is needed because the county is having a hard time filling certain positions... and some have gone more than a year without being filled. County Human Resources Director Deborah Makowski clarified that six managers would need to get a raise in order to reach their new salary range... and, that would result in an immediate cost of nearly $10,000 for the county. Jamestown lawmaker Elizabeth Rankin abstained from voting on the local law because her husband would be affected. One other lawmaker was absent from the meeting.
