There have been two more raids... and, two more arrests as part of the Jamestown Police Department's on-going crack-down on narcotics trafficking in the city. JPD Captain Bob Samuelson says the raids took place at 6:30 yesterday morning in conjunction with the state Police C-NET Team. The first search warrant was executed at 11 Park Street... where investigators seized a quantity of Heroin... and, about 3-thousand dollars in cash. Samuelson adds that officers arrested 49 year-old Olga Santiago... who is charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance... and, criminally using drug paraphernalia. At 15 Park Street... Samuelson says police found another quantity of Heroin... and, 2-thousand dollars in cash. He says they arrested the occupant there... 25 year-old Doris Ramos... who was in the house with two small children. She is also charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance... and, criminal using drug paraphernalia. Ramos is also charged with two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Samuelson says the investigation is continuing and more arrests are expected. If you have any information on illegal drug activity in the city... call the JPD Tip-Line at 483-TIPS... that's 483-8477.
An agreement by state leaders on a package of bills designed to fight the heroin and opioid epidemic that is sweeping the state is getting mainly positive reviews by the county's top cop. While he is still reviewing the details of the legislation... Sheriff Joe Gerace says it seems to address a number of issues including one of the root causes of the growing problem. Gerace is also encouraged that the legislation will allow individuals who have an addiction problem to get the help they need. He says it's a major problem at the County Jail in Mayville beccause they have inmates who are addicted... and, when they're released... it's hard for them to get treatment because of lack of insurance. Gerace took part in the drug forum held on the Seneca Nation's Cattaraugus Indian Reservation a few weeks ago that was co-hosted by the State Senate and the Nation. State Senator Cathy Young -- a member of the Senate task force that held meetings on the issue -- says it helped generate major policy initiatives that will address the heroin issue.
The investigation is continuing into a blaze early yesterday morning that destroyed a vacant, multi-family home on Jamestown's northside. Fire Battalion Chief Sam Salemme (Suh-Lemmee) says crews were called to the scene at 837 Prendergast Avenue shortly before 4 AM. Salemme says they found a lot of fire and smoke pouring from the building on arrival. Since the building was uninhabited... Salemme says firefighters went into a defensive posture to put the blaze out. He says they also put water in two nearby exposures. One was at 837-and-a-half Prendergast Avenue... while the other was next door at 839 Prendergast. Salemme says the building was torn down because it's a safety hazard. He says it was also being razed so some remaining hot-spots can be doused. Salemme says no one was in the building at the time of the fire... and, no one was hurt. He says an off-duty shift of 15... including a shift commander... were called in to assist.
A 1971 graduate of Jamestown High School who's been the performance coach for a major league baseball team the past 10 years will be JHS's graduation speaker tonight at Chautauqua Institution. Dr. George Carlo will headline the school's annual commencement exercises... which begin at 7 PM at Chautauqua's Amphitheater. Principal Mike McElrath says they're excited to have Carlo... whom they found out about when he helped Jamestown Boy's Varsity Basketball Coach Ben Drake prepare his team for the state play-offs earlier this year.
The JHS Team made it to the "Final Four" at Glens Falls in this year's tournament. McElrath says they went through Drake to contact Carlo... who said he was "very interested" in coming back and being commencement speaker. In addition to working with the Detroit Tigers... and, other sports teams... he says Carlo has also been a performance and leadership consultant to field personnel in several U-S government agencies... including the Department of Defense. Carlo has also written four books. Jamestown High School is holding it's graduation earlier than other county schools because Chautauqua's 2014 Season begins Saturday.
The Jamestown Board of Public Utilities is warning customers about a telephone scam that has been attempted on at least two local restaurants... and, one hotel. BPU Communications Coordinator Becky Robbins says the businesses have received calls from an "866" area code from someone claiming to be from the BPU... and, demanding that they pay their electric bills within 45 minutes... or be shut-off by the BPU. The caller tells the business to purchase a money order or same day money pack at Walgreens... Rite Aid... CVS... or 7-11 and call back to pay the bill. Robbins says this is a scam to cheat the person or business called. Robbins says the BPU only accepts payment at it's Customer Service office, City Clerk’s office, Ellicott Town Clerk’s office, on-line and at official drop boxes.
New York senators are proposing several measures to deal with tick-borne Lyme disease that appears to be spreading across the state. The task force report cites 462 cases reported through the first week of June in New York and a recent federal estimate of 300-thousand new cases annually with only a fraction actually reported. The bacterial infection, usually treated with antibiotics, is spread through the bite of infected ticks that are often carried by mice or deer. The report shows it has spread far north and west from initial outbreaks on Long Island and the Hudson Valley.
