Three north county women are jailed on 10-thousand dollars each for allegedly running a methamphetime lab in a home on Route 60 in the town of Pomfret. Agents with the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force say they raided the home at 95-87 Route 60 shortly before Noon last Saturday. Task Force members say they found a quantity of materials used to make meth inside the home. They arrested 35 year-old Sara Tolbert... and, 26 year-old Laura Lewitzski -- both of the Route 60 address... and, 37 year-old Melanie Green of Silver Creek. Agents say they also found two children under the age of 5 inside the home. Authorities also seized several pieces of evidence that will be analyzed further... and, more charges may be placed. All three are currently charged with criminal possession of precursors of Methamphetime... and, endangering the welfare of a child. The county's Hazardous Materials Team and Fredonia Firefighters were also called to the scene to help with recovery and removal of evidence. The children were turned over to Child Protective Services.
A Stockton man accused of conning two Chautauqua County residents out of money for painting services he never delivered on has been sentenced to state prison time. District Attorney David Foley says 46 year-old Kerry Anderson was sentenced in county court to one-and-a-third to 4 years behind bars for fourth-degree Grand Larceny. Foley says he also received a similar term -- to run concurrently -- for first-degree scheming to defraud. Anderson was accused of taking 15-hundred dollars from a Westfield woman... and, 4-thousand dollars from a Lakewood resident. He's also been ordered to pay restitution. In addition... Foley says an Ashville man has been sentenced to 5-years in state prison for first-degree attempted assault. 34 year-old James Hall also received 5 years post-release supervision.
A long-time Jamestown resident... and, professor at Jamestown Community College has been named as a new, citizen member of the Board of Public Utilities. Mayor Sam Teresi has appointed Martha Zenns to a four-year term on the BPU. She replaces Dr. Len Faulk... who retired from the board at the end of last year. Teresi says Zenns is a "very capable person..." who brings a strong background in finance and economics to the board. Teresi adds she's also been very involved in public service in the community... having served for many years on the city's Planning Commission. She currently chairs the commission... and, has been a member of the Jamestown Urban Renewal Agency since 2007. Zenns was also a volunteer member of the city's Reapportionment Committee in 2012. Teresi says Zenns also has volunteered at the Fenton History Center. She says she's looking forward to being on the BPU. She says it will give her a chance to connect what she teaches with the various practices and functions of a public utility.
A Lakewood man has been arrested for allegedly stealing property from a number of cars in an around the center of the village. Lakewood-Busti Police say 21 year-old Blake Truver allegedly committed the vehicle larcenies over the past week... and, he was arrested Friday afternoon. In one case... officers say Truver allegedly stole a credit card from one of the vehicles... then used it twice in the village. He was arraigned in Busti Town Court on one count of Felony criminal possession of stolen property... and, two Felony counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument. He was arraigned and sent to the county jail on 20-thousand dollars cash bail.
Governor Cuomo will present an ambitious budget proposal this week that promises to turn deficits into surpluses even as he doles out tax breaks. One trick will be doing it in a time of slow economic growth. Cuomo has said that the state can amass its first budget surpluses in years as long as lawmakers agree to limit spending increases to 2 percent. The governor said that would allow surpluses to grow to 2-billion dollars in three years. State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli says while tax collections are up 5.6-percent so far this year... they are still below projections.
A one-trillion dollar continuing resolution that keeps the federal government open through the rest of the fiscal year received the support of the area's congressman. Corning Republican Tom Reed tells us the spending plan contains a lot of positives that will help local residents. Reed doubts there will be enough support for the controversial extention of unemployment benefits. He is pushing for a proposal that would help encourage the private sector to hire those who have been without a job for a lengthy period of time.The House of Representatives has gone on break and will remain out of Washington for a week. However... Reed will still be busy. He has scheduled three Town Hall Meetings this coming week... and, one is in Chautauqua County. Reed will meet with constituents at the Prendergast Library this Tuesday night at 5:30 PM. He'll also be at the Franklinville Town Hall in Cattaraugus County on Wednesday at 5:30 PM. So far... Reed has held more than 110 town halls in the new 23rd Congressional District.
