Man from Buffalo arrested for possession of large number of illegal drugs during traffic stop in Jamestown...
A Buffalo man has been arrested following a traffic stop on Jamestown's southside that turned up a large number of illegal drugs... including just under 200 pills. City police conducted a traffic stop at Barker and South Main Street last week for a car that only had one headlight working. Officers say they found the driver... 25 year-old Haitham Kassem... in possession of 125 Oxycodone Hydrochloride pills... 48 Clonazepam pills, and a quantity of Methamphetamine. While taking Kassem to the city jail... he allegedly tried to conceal 1.7-grams of Fentanyl in the back seat of the patrol car which was found by officers. Police charged him with two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance... Felony tampering with Physical Evidence... and two counts of seventh-degree criminal possession of a Controlled Substance. He's also charging with operating a motor vehicle with One Headlight... and, was jailed pending arraignment.
Mandatory evacuation from storm in north county along Lake Erie lifted over weekend...
A brief mandatory evacuation of residents in Silver Creek, Hanford Bay and Sunset Bay was lifed by mid-day Saturday. That from County Executive P.J. Wendel... who announced the evacuation order due to high waters caused by gale force winds along Lake Erie that began with the blizzard early last Friday morning. In addition.. Sheriff Jim Quattrone announced late Saturday that the Travel Advisory for Chautauqua County has been lifted. However... the State of Emergency for all parts of the county -- north of Route 5 -- remains in effect through today. County officials also urged residents that return to their homes to use caution, and to ensure their vehicles are not parked on the street.
BPU approves increase in trash collection rates in 2023...
Jamestown Board of Public Utilities' Solid Waste Division customers will see an increase in costs in 2023... but, officials say it's a minimal increase. Mayor Eddie Sundquist... who serves as BPU President by virtue of his office... says the board approved the $1.50 monthly increase as part of it's 2023 budget at it's December meeting. Sundquist adds, though, that if you recycle... that increase will be lower, at $1 a month. He says the reasons for the increase is increased labor costs... and the cost for disposing of the waste. BPU General Manager Dave Leathers says line item costs are rising... and some of them are "significant.” Among the increased costs are tipping fees at the Chautauqua County Landfill... and, fuel expenses.
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While there will be no increase in electric rates in 2023... the BPU may begin looking at one in 2023 or 2024. Officials say some of the contributing factors include inflation of natural gas and electric prices, and state legislation like the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. For 2023... water rates are expected to go up 3-percent. However... there will be no change for Wastewater in the coming year.
Man arrested for late Christmas Eve assault...
A man has been arrested in Jamestown for allegedly assaulting another man during an altercation on Christmas Eve. City police were called to a southside address just after 11:30 p.m. Saturday... and, spoke with both 34 year-old Ruben Planas... and, the male victim. Officers say their investigation showed that Planas had assaulted the man... and, he was taken into custody for third-degree assault. He was jailed pending arraignment.
Attendance at Comedy Center in 2022 rebounds, but, not to pre-COVID levels yet...
The past year was a successful "rebound" year for the National Comedy Center with resumption of the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival... and, new exhibits opening. That from Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson... who says they -- along with most entertainment venues -- were not able to return to 2019 "pre-pandemic levels." However... Gunderson says they had a very good start to the year... with Comedianne Amy Poehler unveiling her documentary program about Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Late this year... she was appointed to the center's national advisory board. While attendance at the Comedy Center has not returned to pre-pandemic levels... they did host the first, in-person Lucille Ball Comedy Festival since the pandemic this past August. Gunderson says that was well-attended. She says that included three "sell-out" or full headiner shows for Jeff Foxworthy and the Legends of Saturday Night Live. That's in addition to other programming they had for the festival. Gunderson made her comments for this past weekend's Community Spotlight program on the six Media One Radio Group stations.
U.S. Senators from NYS announce local, regional funding in Omnibus Bill...
Just under half-a-million dollars has been earmarked to help purchase and renovate a building for a new town hall in the north county town of Pomfret. The $440,000 is part of $14-million in project funding in Western New York in the $1.7-trillion Omnibus spending bill for next year. That from New York Senators Charles Schumer... and, Kirsten Gillibrand... who say the Pomfret project will allow for the purchase and renovation to an existing, vacant building to help address the current lack of space for the town's functions.
Warren Co. Commissioners announce no tax increase budget proposal...
Warren County, Pennsylvania commissioners have -- for the third straight year -- released a balanced budget with no tax increase. Commissioners say the 2023 budget... which will be voted on Dec. 28 at their Noon meeting... maintains the 21.75-milage rate of the previous year while making strategic capital investments that will help strengthen the county government.
