"Compromised" heat tape listed as cause of early Monday house fire in town of Chautauqua...
An early morning house fire in the town of Chautauqua was caused by "compromised" electrical heat tape.  However... County Fire Investigators say no one was hurt in the blaze at the residence on Willow Tree Point... which was called in shortly before 4:40 a.m. Monday.  Mutual aid was called in to assist Chautauqua firefighters at the scene.  Fire investigators were called in... and, determined the heat tape... which was on the home's exterior... triggered the flames.

Cooking accident leads to weekend house fire in Westfield...
A cooking accident in the kitchen of a Westfield home is the cause listed for a weekend fire.  Sheriff's officers say Westfield firefighters were called to the scene at 9 First St. in the village about 12:30 p.m. Saturday.  The county's Fire Investigation Team was later called in to determine the cause.  They say the cause was determined to be accidental.  Several mutual aid companies also responded.  No injuries were reported.

Matar, found guilty of trying to kill Salman Rushdie, to be sentenced in April...
The jury in the case of the man accused of stabbing author Salman Rushdie several times at Chautauqua Institution in 2022 has found him guilty.  The jury... which delibrated less than two hours... also found 27 year-old Hadi Matar guilty of assault for wounding a man who was on stage with Rushdie at the time.  Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt said Matar ran onto the amphitheater stage where Rushdie was about to speak on Aug. 12 of 2022, and stabbed him more than a dozen times before a live audience.  The attack left the 77-year-old prize-winning novelist blind in one eye.  Rushdie himself was the key witness during seven days of testimony, describing in graphic detail his life-threatening injuries and long and painful recovery.  As he was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs, Matar quietly uttered, "Free Palestine," echoing comments he has frequently made while entering and leaving the trial.  County Court Judge David Foley set a sentencing of Apr. 23.  Matar could receive up to 25 years in prison.

Borrello and Molitor walk picket line with corrections officers at Lakeview facility in Brocton...
Chautauqua County's two state lawmakers are standing in solidarity with striking corrections officers at the Lakeview Shock Incarceration Facility... as the work stoppage there nears a full week.  On Saturday... Senator George Borrello and Assemblyman Andrew Molitor visited the officers standing outside across from the facility in the town of Portland.  Borrello says he and Molitor want to make sure people across New York understand the danger these officers face on a daily basis... including forced overtime, and not having protections against dangerous inmates.  He says the governor needs to act on the matter... first of all to repeal, or at least amend, the HALT Act.  Officers at Lakeview and a handful of other prisons across the state have made a list of demands to Governor Kathy Hochul, including repealing the HALT Act and using scanning machines to inspect outside packages.  Molitor says it's a reasonable list of demands... adding that the strike is about safety... not money.  Meanwhile... Borrello says Republican lawmakers on Monday plan to attach a bill to repeal the HALT Act to another bill and use it as a "hostile amendment" to force Democrats in Albany to debate it.  The Sunset Bay Republican says he hopes it will force Democrats to confront what they've done to make corrections facilities less safe.  Both Borrello and Molitor have called on Hochul to use her power to suspend the HALT Act.

City man faces Leandra's Law violation after being found unresponsive behind the wheel with young child in car...
A Jamestown man faces a Leandra's Law violation after he was found, unresponsive, behind the wheel of a car with a small child in the back seat.  City police were called to the area of Foote Avenue and Allen Street about 12:20 p.m. Saturday for an unresponsiive man possibly overdosing on drugs.  On arrival... police found the car... and, driver... identified as 23 year-old Samuel Buck... and the child in the back seat.  Officers say the car was still running -- and in gear -- when they arrived.  They administered aid to the driver... and, took the child to safety.  The child was turned over to a family member a short time later.  Police say they found that Buck was under the influence of drugs... and, he was arrested after being treated at the hospital.  He's charged with Felony DWAI under Leandra's Law... and, endangering the welfare of a child.

Man and woman arrested on drug charges following traffic stop in Jamestown...
A traffic stop on Jametown's southside late last week has led to the arrest of a man and a woman after they were allegedly found in possession of methamphetamine.  City police say a patrol in the area of Linden and Forest Avenues spotted the car... which had equipment violations... shortly after 7 p.m. Friday.  Officers say they identified the pair as 35 year old Lilliana Rivera-Lopez... and, 41 year old Jason Nevares.  Their investigation found both in possession of meth... and, police later found Nevares in possession of an ounce of cocaine.  Nevares was charged with two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance... and, one of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.  Police charged Rivera-Lopez with one count of seventh-degree criminal drug posession.  She was issued an appearance ticket... while Nevares was jailed pending arraignment in city court.