Fire that damages vacant trailer home in Cherry Creek under investigation...
Flames damaged a vacant trailer home last Saturday morning on Prospect Street in Cherry Creek.  Cherry Creek fire crews were called to the scene about 6:30 a.m., and, were assisted by multiple mutual aid comnpanies.  Once the blaze was put out... the county's Fire Investigation Team was called in to determine the origin and cause of the fire.  The fire remains under investigation... but, no injuries were reported.

City woman arrested for alleged Meth possession...
A Jamestown woman has been arrested on a drug possession charge following a traffic stop on the city's southside last Friday night.  Jamestown police say a patrol conducted a traffic stop on Newland Avenue -- near South Main Street -- about 8:30 p.m. for moving violations.  Officers say they found the driver... 32 year-old Dashawna Sparks... in possession of a quantity of methamphetamine.  She was taken into custody without incident on a charge of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.  She was jailed pending arraignment due to previous failure to appear in court charges.

Ecklund says use of fund balance in 2024 and 2025 budgets will be $3.2-million to balance out shortfalls both years...
Before even presenting a 2025 budget proposal... Jamestown Mayor Kim Ecklund had to find $2.5-million to fill the hole in the current year's spending plan.  Ecklund says that was where a significant amount of the city's undesignated fund balance went before looking to next year.  She says that's why her budget team decided on using $700,000 in fund balance to help plug the $2.5-million shortfall projected for 2025.  Ecklund says that total's about $3.2-million to be used in both 2024 and 2025.  With that... Ecklund says there will still be about 4-million dollars left in the city's rainy day fund... and, she's urging city council not to use anymore of it.  She says they have to be ready for unexpected costs... one of which they're already seeing with the project to replace the old, leaky roof on city hall.  Ecklund says the contractor has found some additional work that needs to be done... which may put the cost back over $1-million.  Ecklund made her comments for last weekend's "Community Spotlight" program on the six Media One Radio Group stations.

Four Jamestown residents arrested on drug charges following traffic stop...
Four people were arrested late last week on several drug-related charges following a traffic stop in the area of Newland and
Fairfield Avenues in Jamestown.  City police say they stopped the vehicle just before 3:30 p.m. last Thursday... and, quickly spotted drug paraphernalia in plain view inside the vehicle.  The four people inside the car were identified as 30 year-old Steven Schrecengost... 50 year-old Casey Haberberger... 33 year-old Brittany Washington... and, 46 year-old Christine Carlson.  During a further search... officers found a quantity of fentanyl, packaging materials, a digital scale and mannitol, a cutting agent used
as a dilutent for the sale of illegal drugs.  The aforementioned items were located in a bag belonging to Steven Schrecengost. The search also found that Casey and Brittany were in possession of a small quantity of fentanyl. Christine was found to be in possession of numerous Naloxone Buprenorphine sublingual films which is a controlled substance.  All subjects were taken into custody and
transported to the Jamestown City Jail. Schrecengost is charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance... and, three counts of second-degree criminally using drug paraphernalia.  The other three are charged with one count each of seventh-degree criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance.  Schrecengost was jailed pending arraignment... the rest were issued appearance tickets and released.

TRC Celebrates client-worker anniversaries...
Work anniversaries for 36 clients of The Resource Center were recognized at their headquarters in Celoron last Friday... one of which was for 30 years.  Several of the client-honorees have worked at various private employers, as well as TRC worksites.  Director of Employment and Community-based Services, Terri Johnson, says she has a lot of passion in getting the developmentally-disabled out in the community and find fullfilling employment for them.  Johnson says she's done this during her entire career and finds a lot of gratification from seeing them go out and find a job.  Johnson says they are pleased to have so many employers -- more than 100 -- who have joined with TRC to employ the developmentally-disabled.  Some of workers recognized are employed at TRC's Allied Industries... along with Applebee's restaurant... and, others.   Johnson says their clients sometimes end up in jobs that typically have high turn-over.  She adds the employers like to sometimes have people that will stay in certain positions for the long-term and are reliable.

Cummings and Damcott to receive Mason Award from United Way...
Two Chautauqua County men... one an electrician... the other a Technology teacher... have been announced as co-winners of the Joseph H. Mason Labor Award.  The United Ways of Chautauqua County will recognize Scott Cummings of Mayville... and, Daryl Damcott of Jamestown during their annual "Salute to Labor" Dinner on October 23rd at the Athenaeum Hotel at Chautauqua Institution.  This is the 43rd year of the Mason Award... which is given in memory of Joseph Mason and his service to both organized labor, and the community.  United Way Executive Director Amy Rohler says, while traditionally only one recipient is chosen each year, but, this year they selected two.  For information on the Salute to Labor dinner... call the United Way at (716) 483-1561.