City man accused of holding domestic victim against their will...
A Jamestown man has been arrested for allegedly imprisoning another person during the course of an argument on the city's southside. Jamestown police were called to the unidentified location about 12:15 a.m. Sunday for a domestic dispute. Officers say... when they arrived... that they learned the suspect was 49 year-old Daniel Reagle... who was arrested for unlawful imprisonment. No injuries were reported. Reagle was taken to the city jail pending arraignment.
City, JPD Officer's union engage in verbal battle over Jamestown's crime statistics...
The issue of whether the city of Jamestown is a safe place to live should be considered by the numbers... but, often times a deeper dive into those numbers is warranted. That's the crux of the current dispute between the city and it's policeman's union. There were seven homicides in the city last year... but, the administration says -- while tragic -- those were -- "isolated incidents rather than part of a broad crime wave." In a Facebook post... the Kendall Club-PBA says -- "Part 1 offenses include murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft. In 2023 there was a total of 1,016 offenses, and in 2024 the number increased to 1,084 offenses." At last week's City Council work session... Councilman Bill Reynolds -- a former JPD officer -- noted that Chief Tim Jackson laid out crime statistics in committee... and said there was no "wholesale" increase in crime... with the exception of homicides, and one or two other catagories. Some of the responses to the police union's post agreed with a need for more support... one person noted that a big part of the issue is New York state bail reform... which has allowed multiple offenses by one suspect to be committed. Reynolds says he believes -- overall -- that Jamestown is a safe city compared to larger cities... such as New York or Detroit. The administration countered that it "deeply values and respects" the officers... and, "we fully recognize the challenges they face daily and remain committed to ensuring they are supported in a manner that is fair and equitable to all." The policemans union's contract with the city expires this year.
Two men arrested on bench warrants, drug charges following traffic stop in Sherman...
Two Chautauqua County men were arrested late last week on multiple bench warrants and drug charges following a traffic stop in the town of Sherman. Sheriff's officers say they stopped the car... driven by 26 year-old Phllip Decker of Dunkirk... on Mount Pleasant Rd. about 12:30 p.m. last Friday. Deputies say Decker committed multiple traffic violations... and, they found he was wanted on multiple Felony arrest warrants. Officers also allegedly found him in possession of a small quantity of cocaine... and, Decker was additionally charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. They say his passenger... 40 year-old Larry Houser of Mayville... was also found to have several misdemeanor arrest warrants through the Sheriff's Office... and both men were arrested, and taken to the county jail pending arraignment.
Annual "Turn the River Green" in Jamestown draws large crowd on Saturday...
A large crowd was greeted by moderate temperatures and a little breeze last Saturday for the annual "Turn the River Green" in downtown Jamestown. Owner Pat Smeraldo with Collaborative Children's Solutions performed the countdown as the Chadakoin River was turned green for St. Patrick's' Day... and, to cap off the annual event off the South Main Street Bridge. Smeraldo was very pleased with the turn-out... which featured most of the people decked out in green... with a handful of leprechans in the crowd. Estimated ranged at about 1,500 people on hand... and, Smeraldo says it's what "community's all about!." The event started with people gathering along the Greater Jamestown Riverwalk... and, checking out the numerous vendors taking part. Those included organizations like The Resource Center... and, businesses like M-&-T Bank. Smeraldo says they are able to be there, free of charge. He was also quick to thank the city Parks and Recreation Department, Jamestown Police... and, the Board of Public Utilities...which provides the material used to turn the river green behind the Warner Dam. The Dam was opened about 11 a.m. to let the "green" water flow downstream.
Gillibrand joins with Schumer in voting for GOP-majority continuing resolution...
Both of New York's U-S Senators voted in favor of the GOP continuing resolution that keeps the government funded through the end of the current fiscal year. However... Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand quickly added in a press release that "President Trump and Elon Musk directed House Republicans to pass a partisan spending bill without any Democratic input. To be clear, I oppose the policies in this bill." Gillibrand added that the question was "do we pass a partisan bill that harms Americans but keeps the government and courts functioning? Or do we shut down government operations indefinitely, disrupting critical services that everyday people depend on, and in the process give even greater power to President Trump and Elon Musk, who have shown a lust for firing workers and dismantling government?" She concluded that she believes that handing President Trump this kind of "unchecked power would cause even more harm to my constituents."
