It's one of the coldest days of the year... thanks to radiational cooling overnight. The temperature had reached one-below zero here at our Media One Studios at 10:30 last night. Many outlying parts of the Jamestown-area will get much colder than that today. Forecaster Bill Hibbert with the National Weather Service says another cold air mass from Canada is the reason behind the sub-zero cold... and it moved over the region overnight. While it could stay in the single digits along the lake shore... temperatures will plunge quickly as you go inland. Hibbert says some readings could be as low as minus-10 in some rural areas of the county. However... he says the bone-chilling cold won't last very long.
An on-going investigation into an alleged Methamphetime Lab on Jamestown's westside has led to the arrest of a husband and wife. City Police Chief Harry Snellings says the Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force, and State Police C-NET Team received some resident tips... and, developed information over the past couple of months... and, obtained a search warrant for the residence at 17 Catlin Avenue. Snellings says it was a difficult investigation.
Snellings says police were conducting surveillance on the house just before the raid took place at 3:30 PM. He says they were able to catch one of the suspects, 47 year-old Christopher Maini, during a traffic stop. He adds Maini's wife... 45 year-old Tammy... was arrested later. Snellings says they found the materials used to make "meth..." and, a "one-pot" lab in the garage. He says they were charged with one count each of Felony unlawful manufacture of Methamphetime... and, one count of seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Both are jailed pending arraignment. Anyone with information on suspected illegal drug activity is asked to call police at their Tips-line at 483-TIPS... that's 483-8477.
A Mayville woman is jailed without bail for allegedly operating an illegal Methamphetime Lab at her Pratt Street apartment. Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force members say they found 27 year-old Sara Lee Tolbert at a Highland Avenue home in Brocton late Monday afternoon. Task Force agents say they obtained a warrant for Tolbert's arrest after seeing her discarding items... believed to be used in making "Meth..." from her residence. Police raided her apartment back on December 30th... and, found the materials and chemicals used to make Meth. Task Force agents say Tolbert was arrested without incident... and, arraigned in Chautauqua Town Court on one count of Felony third-degree unlawful manufacture of Methamphetime. She was then sent to the county lock-up.
City lawmakers will vote later this month on a plan to borrow just over 3.9-million dollars for 10 different emergency equipment purchases... and, capital projects. However... Council Finance Committee Chairman Tony Dolce says they also want to refinance about 900-thousand dollars in debt from when the city borrowed money to make required radio equipment upgrades for Fire, Police and other public employee radios. Mayor Sam Teresi says now is the time to do the borrowing, because interest rates remain at historically low-levels... and, word is they may be increasing sometime in the near future. Dolce says they're looking at a 20-year bond... and, the 10 items discussed last week remain part of the package. He adds the Parks Department was looking to possibly add a brush and grass cutter... but, officials decided to see what they could get for a trade-in. Teresi says his administration began with a list of about 8.5-million dollars in projects and purchases... and, cut that back to 3-million. Teresi says the purchases, and projects are necessary.
Jamestown fire investigators are still investigating the cause of a blaze that destroyed a vacant, two-story home slated for demolition early last Sunday morning. Deputy Fire Chief Chet Harvey says firefighters were called to the scene at 76 Fairmount Avenue about 6 AM... and, found heavy fire and smoke coming from the building. Harvey says the cause is "suspicious" because no services were hooked up to the home... which was currently owned by the Chautauqua County Land Bank Corporation. The home was to be demolished Monday morning... since asbestos abatement had been completed. An excavator was already parked in front of the building. No injuries were reported.
There were some anxious moments when a car caught on fire between two homes on Jamestown's westside Tuesday afternoon. City Fire Battalion Chief Sam Salemme says fire crews were called to the scene between 24 and 28 Woodworth Avenue about 12 Noon... and, found the vehicle fully-engulfed in flames. Salemme says firefighters used a hand-line on the vehicle... and, also poured water on the two exposed walls. The car was destroyed... and, Salemme says the vinyl walls on the exposed sides of each house melted... the windows sustained heat damage... and, there was insulation damage. Salemme says no one was hurt... the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Firefighters from three department battled a blaze that damaged a home on Liberty Street in Fredonia Monday afternoon. Fredonia fire crews responded to the fire at 41 Liberty around 2:30 PM... and, received mutual aid from city of Dunkirk, and East Town of Dunkirk firefighters. Fire officials say they were alerted of smoke coming from a laundry room... and, located the fire in the rear of the house. Crews had the fire under control in about an hour and were at the scene for over three hours. Firefighters were called back to scene around 10:15 PM Monday when the fire rekindled. No word on what caused the fire.
Governor Andrew Cuomo has picked a business leader from Buffalo to lead the agency charged with improving the entire state's economy. Goveronr Andrew Cuomo has announced the appointment of Howard Zemsky to be president and CEO of the Empire State Development Corporation. If confirmed by the state Senate... Zemsky will succeed Kenneth Adams, who Cuomo has asked to lead the state Department of Taxation and Finance.
A man considered a "true giant of broadcasting" who operated the former WNYP-TV in Jamestown back in the 1960s... has died at his home in Montana. Lowell "Bud" Paxson was the co-creator of Home Shopping Network who later amassed a trove of TV stations... and, then launched the family-friendly network Pax TV. Paxson died last Friday at the age of 79. National Association of Broadcasters President Gordon Smith says "broadcasters have lost a friend and a legend in the passing of Bud Paxson, who was a tenacious advocate for over-the-air radio and television. The Rochester native began his career as an owner of WACK Radio, a little 500-watt radio station in Newark, New York. His next attempt at media ownership was radio station WXYJ... and, TV station WNYP -- Channel 26 -- in Jamestown. Paxson later owned a small AM radio station in Clearwater, Florida... where in 1977... an advertiser ran out of advertising money to sell 112 can openers. Paxson instructed a mid-day talk-show host to sell themm live over the airwaves, and both were stunned at the audience response. All the can openers were purchased within the hour. It was the start of the Suncoast International Bargainers Club... a fore-runner of the Home Shopping Network.
