Flames caused "Substantial damage" to a home on Jamestown's westside Monday afternoon after flames broke out in the back of the building. Fire Battalion Chief Sam Salemme says firefighters were called to the scene at 52 McDaniel Avenue just before 3:30 PM. Salemme says firefighters had to cut a hole in the roof to help vent the flames, and get the fire out quicker. There was a considerable amount of fire damage to the back of the structure. Salemme says no injuries were reported. The local Red Cross is helping some members of the family living there. The cause remains under investigation. Salemme says an off-duty shift was called in to assist. The last crew left the scene about 7:30 PM.
The Jamestown City Council has unanimously approved several grant applications for various projects... including the demolition of at least 40 vacant properties... and, for a National Comedy Center. Lawmakers held a brief, Special Meeting before last night's work session to approve the items... including the city's 2014 Community Development Block Grant... and, HOME Program plans. Councilwoman Kim Ecklund says another grant... from the Chautauqua County Land Bank Corporation... will provide 500-thousand dollars to tear down 40 vacant, abandoned properties in the city. In addition... Ecklund says there are more homes that will taken down with the one-million dollars in CDBG funding. She says the other big item in that grant will fund on-going projects to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Ecklund adds council also approved a resolution supporting efforts to obtain 6-million dollars for a National Comedy Center... and, Hall of Fame... through the state's Consolidated Funding Application program. The council also approved applying for a 1.6-million dollar federal grant for two pedestrian-bicycle bridges as part of the city's "Intermodal Transporation Connector" project.
Site preparation work is underway for a new location for a federal credit union on the Lakewood village line with the town of Ellicott. Work on the new Affinity One site at the north end of Sessions Avenue began earlier this Spring with the demolition of existing buildings on the location... which includes a pair of lots. Mayor David Wordelmann says Affinity One is locating a new, 15-hundred square foot office building, with drive-thru... just behind Lakewood Mobil Mart. Wordelmann adds that business has been good as of late in the village. There's another new store that has opened up in the Lakewood Village Center off Fairmount Avenue. Wordelmann says the Men's Warehouse has been a "great addition" to that location. He says it's a little "more upscale men's store" that adds to the mix of retail shopping available. Wordelmann adds that Panera Bread should be bringing it's final plans to the Planning Board soon for it's new location on Mall Boulevard. That's slated to open late this year.
Jamestown police have received several tips... but, officials say the investigation is continuing into last Friday night's incident in which an apartment house was fired on at least a dozen times. City Police Captain Bob Samuelson says officers were called to the scene just after 11:30 PM in response to several calls of gun-shots being fired in the area of West Seventh Street. Samuelson says the house... which was in the 100-block of West Seventh... was apparently targeted by whoever shot 12 "large calibur" bullets into it. Police say five people were inside the house at the time... but, fortunately... no one was hit during the shooting incident. Samuelson says they're looking into the circumstances surrounding one person that had just gotten back to the building before the shots rang out. He had walked there from another location. However... Samuelson says police don't have a specific motive yet. If you have any information on the shooting... you're asked to call Jamestown Police at 483-7537. If you want to anonymously... call the JPD's Tip-line at 483-TIPS... that's 483-8477. Samuelson says you do not need to leave your name.
Chautauqua County officials have put together the numbers... and, will now submit the preliminary damage estimates from the flash floods that hit portions of the county last month. County Emergency Services Director Julius Leone says the county has been working with the State Emergency Management Office and has a tallied up a damage total of around one-million dollars. Leone says state officials will add up the damage figures from about eight counties that hit by the severe weather. If those numbers top the state's threshold... Governor Andrew Cuomo will be able to issue a disaster declaration and, seek federal funding. In the meantime... Leone is encouraging any property owner with uninsured damage to contact their local government offices... or, the County Emergency Services Office. He says they're also trying to get a Small Business Assistance Declaration. He adds their office number is 753-4341.
A drug "drop box" has now been installed in the lobby of the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office in Mayville. That from Sheriff Joe Gerace... who says the box was acquired at no cost to the taxpayers through a national drug prevention grant. Gerace says the drop box is available to the public 24 hours a day... and, it's use is anonymous and free of charge. He says the proper disposal of prescription drugs will help prevent these drugs from falling into the wrong hands... and, is also much safer for the environment. Both prescription drugs and illegal drugs will be accepted at the drop box.
