City man gets 6-years in prison on drug possession charge...
A man from Jamestown has been sentenced to six-years in state prison on a drug possession charge following a home visit in November of 2023.  Chautauqua County Distrrict Attorney Jason Schmidt says 29 year-old Donavan Paquette was arrested on several charges following the supervised home visit by County Probation... and, Jamestown police.  Schmidt says Paquette was later indicted by the county Grand Jury on charges of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance... and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.  The defendant later pled guilty to one count of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance... and, was sentenced in County Court this past Monday.

Man from Westfield charged in connection with fatal, trailer fire in Ripley...
A Westfield man is facing charges in connection with the death of a Ripley woman this past August.  Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt says a grand jury on Wednesday indicted 40-year-old Jonathan Wilson on charges of second-degree murder, third-degree arson, and aggravated cruelty to animals for allegedly killing 43-year-old Alice Waters and her dog in the town of Westfield.  Schmidt says an investigation determined that Wilson fatally shot Waters inside a camper at 7984 McKinley Rd. on Aug.6, then left the scene briefly before coming back and setting fire to the camper with Waters and her dog inside.  Schmidt says Waters' dog succumbed to the heat and smoke that resulted from the fire.  He says Wilson, who was being held in the Chautauqua County Jail on a warrant out of the town of Sheridan, is now jailed without bail.   Wilson pleaded not guilty to all three counts in the indictment.  Schmidt says Wilson's next court date will be Oct. 31.   The indictment was the result of a multi-agency investigation that also involved the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office, and Westfield Police and the Westfield Fire Department.

City woman arrested following large fight earlier in the week at 7-Eleven store, now faces another charge...
A Jamestown woman arrested with another woman for their alleged involvement in a large fight at the 7-Eleven store on North Main Street faces an additional charge.  City police say 35 year-old Leonela Rodriguez was arrested last Sunday night after allegedly hitting and biting another person during the fight.  Officers later determined that Rodriguez was "highly intoxicated" after being at the Wine Cellar bar earlier in the evening.  At the jail... police say she decided to relieve herself by deficating and urinating onto the floor of her jail cell.  She then allegedly tried to kick the water at officers while spitting on them.  Rodriguez was additionally charged with third-degree tampering.

Jackson Center hosts Naturalization Ceremony for 56 new Americans...
There are 56 new U.S. citizens in the region following a naturalization ceremony in Jamestown Thursday morning at the Robert H. Jackson Center.  The Cappa Theater was briefly turned into a courtroom of the U-S District Court of Western New York... with Justice Mark Pedersen presided over the ceremony.  Jackson Center President Kristan McMahon says this was the third ceremony hosted by them.  McMahon says they began hosting them the year the Smithsonian Exhibit at the center... and, says it's "for me, it's one of the most visable, and joyous ways for us to live our mission."  McMahon says the 56 new American citizens come from 21 different countries... as close as Canada and distant as Malaysia.  Judge Pederson was presented a motion from an officer of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announcing each of the candidates are eligible... and, ready to take the oath of citizenship.  The judge happily accepted the motion.  The Clerk of the Court administered the oath to each new citizen.  One of them led the Pledge of Allegiance, and each were called to accept their official citizenship certificate.

Wdowiasz to present 2026 Dunkirk budget proposal next week...
Dunkirk Mayor Kate Wdowiasz is in the final stages of preparing a draft of her tentative 2026 city budget, and she is looking to unveil that spending plan next week.  During Tuesday's Common Council meeting... Wdowiasz revealed that she plans to make her budget presentation on Tuesday, Oct. 14.  She says this year's presentation is happening later in the calendar compared to previous years because the city wanted to wait for release of the 2024 audit... to make sure they're on pace to meet their spending guidelines going into 2025.  Wdowiasz says she is aiming to stay under the state's 2% tax cap, but the final number will depend on what the Common Council wants.

A.G. James gets indicted in federal mortgage fraud case...
New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted Thursday in a mortgage fraud case that President Donald Trump urged his Justice Department to bring after vowing retribution against some of his biggest political enemies.  James, a Democrat who infuriated Trump after his first term with a lawsuit alleging that he built his business empire on lies about his wealth, was charged with bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution in connection with a home purchase in Norfolk, Virginia in 2020.  The top federal prosecutor for the Eastern District of Virginia, a former Trump aide, personally presented the case to the grand jury weeks after she was thrust into the role amid the administration’s pressure to deliver charges.