City man arrested for allegedly smashing glass security door at ROME warming shelter...
A Jamestown man has been arrested again for allegedly smashing out the glass on a security door at the Code Blue warming shelter on Washington Street. City police were called to the scene at the Recovery Options Made Easy shelter shortly before 4 a.m. Wednesday on a criminal mischief complaint. Their investigation determined that 44 year-old Wade Pfleuger had smashed out the glass door with a fire extinguisher... causing more than $1,000 damage. Pfleuger was arrested on one count of third-degree criminal mischief... and, taken to the city jail pending arraignment.
County among those seeing impacts of rising homeless issue in NYS...
There's been a staggering increase in the homeless population in New York state... with the numbers more than doubling since 2022. That from a recent report from State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli... who says New York now accounts for nearly 20% of the nation’s homeless population, second only to California. Chautauqua County Executive P.J. Wendel says... while much of this surge has been driven by conditions in New York City... the crisis is also affecting counties across the state — including Chautauqua -- where homelessness has spiked by over 100% in just two years. Wendel says while the county is doing all it can to deal with the issue -- "we need stronger support from the state to ensure resources are reaching rural areas like ours. We need more funding for emergency shelters and mental health services to truly combat this growing problem." He says the county will continue to step up, but "we cannot fight this battle alone." The comptroller's report shows a 103% increase in overall homelessness in the county between 2022 and 2024... with a 150% rise in homeless families and a 141% increase in children without stable housing.
----
In response to the growing need... Wendel and Director of Mental Hygiene, Carmello Hernandez, say the county has expanded its homelessness support network... offering a range of services designed to provide emergency relief and long-term solutions. The Code Blue Warming Center, operated by Recovery Options Made Easy, offers overnight shelter during extreme weather conditions, ensuring that no individual is left out in the cold. People in need of help can access these services by visiting CHQGov.com/CodeBlue or calling the Department of Mental Hygiene and Social Services at 661-8200.
Langworthy says Jamestown Office was vandalized while he and staff were at local event...
Local Congressman Nick Langworthy's Jamestown office was allegedly vandalized during the time he and office staff were at a local press event. In a printed release... Langworthy says the vandalism was "designed to jam the door and make it impossible for us to enter our office space. At the time of the incident, it was public knowledge that I was off-site holding a press conference and the office would be empty." The Buffalo-area Republican adds they immediately notified Jamestown police... who are investigating the incident. Langworthy says "this disturbing incident comes on the heels of an envelope with white powder that was recently sent to another one of my district offices." He says... "let me be clear: these actions are crimes and have no place in our political discourse. It is completely unacceptable for my hardworking staff and the citizens who rely on our office for federal assistance to be disrupted by the criminal activity of deranged zealots." He adds it "will not be tolerated, and I will urge prosecution to the fullest extent of the law."
Ecklund welcomes four new JPD officers...
The Jamestown Police Department has brought on four new patrol officers... bringing the department to within one of it's minimum staffing levels. That from Mayor Kim Ecklund... who welcomed the four new trainees to the department at the beginning of last night's City Council voting session. Ecklund says they are still completing their stints at the Sheriff's Academy at Jamestown Community College... but, adds they are also getting oriented, and working. She says the new officers have either finished their preliminary training... or are in the process of completing it. For the most part... she says they can now to on "ride-alongs" with other officers. Eckund adds that she is very pleased that two of the four new officers live in the city of Jamestown.
Petition's can now be circulated for candidates seeking election this Fall...
Tuesday was the day the petitioning process for the 2025 election cycle began in New York state... and, Chautauqua County. That from the county's Board of Elections and the Sheriff’s Office... who add the door-to-door process of getting signatures runs through Thursday, Apr. 3. Democratic Elections Commissioner Luz Torres says "each year... candidates must collect signatures from registered voters in the area they are seeking to run and for the party they are circulating petitions for. Collecting signatures can be a time-consuming and labor-intensive process and candidates often face challenges such as tight deadlines and limited access to voters. Republican Commissioner Nacole Ellis adds that -- "collecting signatures is a crucial step in getting candidates on the ballot for elections. It ensures that candidates have a baseline level of support from the community before they can officially run for office."
