City woman faces arson charge after allegedly setting apartment complex on fire...
A Jamestown woman faces an arson charge after allegedly setting fire to the southside apartment building that she lived in early last Saturday night.  City firefighters were called to the scene about 7:30 p.m., along with Jamestown police.  During the investigation... officers determined the fire was intentionally set... and, they found 31 year-old Amber Hitchcock.  Police determined that Hitchcock had intentionally set the blaze while other tenants were in the building.  She was arrested for second-degree arson... and, jailed pending arraignment.  Police say everyone was evacuated safely... and no injuries were reported.

Busti woman arrested for alleged assault on Big Tree Road...
A town of Busti woman has been arrested for assault following an incident at an address on Big Tree-Sugar Grove Road late last week.  Lakewood-Busti Police say officers were called to the location shortly after 11 a.m. last Friday... and, their investigation found that 18 year-old Aliyah Maher had physically assaulted the victim and broke some of their property.  Maher was arrested for third-degree assault... and, third-degree criminal mischief.  She was taken to the county jail pending centralized arraignment.

Wdowiasz and Borrello react to Gov. Hochul's signing of $13.7-million loan to city of Dunkirk...
Governor Kathy Hochul has signed legislation for the state to make a controversial, $13.7-million loan to the city of Dunkirk.  Hochul announced late last Friday that she has signed the City of Dunkirk Revenue Anticipation Note Refinancing Act, which allows the city to repay a $12.7-million Revenue Anticipation Note by July 24.  The loan also carries a 7.5% interest rate over 15 years.  Dunkirk Mayor Kate Wdowiasz says she appreciates Hochul's acknowledgment of the city's fiscal crisis, and calls the bill signing a "vital step forward" in stabilizing city finances.  Wdowiasz says they really appreciate what the governor, and state legislators did for the north county city.  Hochul said the legislation -- "is necessary to avoid a potentially devastating default that could ripple far beyond Dunkirk's borders." Meanwhile, State Senator George Borrello, who had been advocating to establish a financial control board for the city, is 'disappointed' by the Governor's action, saying the legislation does nothing to address the problem in the long term.  Borrello says officials need to find the "root causes" of the city's financial issues... and, he still believes a control board is a better way to go.  In a statement issued earlier... the Sunset Bay Republican noted that the city will lose its $1.5 million in annual Aid and Incentives for Municipalities -- or AIM -- state funding.  He adds that the legislation moved forward with no regard to Home Rule Law.

Man from Bradford, Pa. to spend 20 years in federal prison on Child Porn conviction...
A Northwestern Pennsylvania man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison following his conviction for receiving child pornography.  U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo has announced that 26 year-old Dylan Irvin of Bradford, Pa., was also sentenced to 10 years post-release supervision by U.S. District Judge Richard Arcara in Buffalo.  Prosecutors say sometime in June or July 2023... Irvin engaged in sexual activity with a 13-year-old girl... using his cell phone to record the sexual activity and then received the video on a Snapchat account he controlled.  In early March of 2024... Irvin was arrested on state charges related to the sexual contact, at which time his cell phone was seized.  A search of the phone recovered the video of Irvin and the victim.  The Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Office was involved in the investigation... along with New York State Police.

Borrello says Hochul likely to face more opposition from her party for zero-emission, advanced nuclear power proposal...
While Governor Kathy Hochul has publicly stated that she wants a zero-emission advanced nuclear power plant constructed somewhere in upstate New York... it appears she will face a big hurdle in seeing that plan come to fruition.  That from State Senator George Borrello... who says that hurdle will come from within Hochul’s own party.  Borrello says Democratic leaders in Albany are not thrilled about forms of energy that are not wind and solar.  The Sunset Bay Republican says that was shown when none of them showed up her energy summit last year... adding they have been closed minded on such moves.  Borrello says he believes the state needs to invest in nuclear power in order to satisfy its future energy needs.  He adds he hopes the people of New York puts enough pressure on lawmakers to "make it happen."  Borrello and State Assemblyman Andrew Molitor are among the elected officials from Chautauqua County who are pushing to have a zero-emission nuclear plant built at the former NRG facility in Dunkirk.

Dewittville man arrested for criminal mischief following investigation...
A Dewittville man has been arrested following a two-month investigation into a criminal mischief complaint in the town of Chautauqua.  Sheriff's officers say they responded to an alarm at an unidentified business shortly before 3 a.m. on Tuesday, April 22... where damage was done to items inside the business.  Deputies say they've arrested 35 year-old Anthony Dudley for fourth-degree criminal mischief.  Dudley was arraigned and released with appearance tickets for a later date.