Happy new year!
It's a brutally cold morning and, get ready for some more lake effect snow...
However, the parts of Chautauqua County that have been buried by several feet of snow in the past week won't see that much through early Tuesday. Meteorologist Jon Hitchcock with the National Weather Service in Buffalo says a Wind Chill Advisory ends at 10 this morning and, we are now under a Winter Weather Advisory through 4 a.m. tomorrow. Hitchcock says wind chills will be in the range of 10 to 20 below zero through mid-morning today. That trend isn't going to be changing much through the week. After a slight warm-up Tuesday and Wednesday, Hitchcock says we'll be back into the single digits for a high on Thursday. He adds Friday will be even colder, adding we'll be hard pressed to reach zero during the day and, we'll be well below zero heading into Saturday.
A working sprinkler system inside an apartment on Jamestown's southside held a bathroom fire in check...
...and prevented major damage to the building. City Fire Lieutenant Tim Glenn says crews were called to the scene at 262 Forest Avenue shortly after 8 PM last Saturday and, they found flames coming from the second-story bathroom area. Crews got the flames out within minutes. Glenn says investigators found that combustibles too close to a hot water tank triggered the flames. An off-shift was called in to assist. No injuries were reported. Fire damage was confined to the bathroom area. Firefighters were at the scene until shortly before 11 PM.
Reducing the city of Jamestown's personnel costs may be the best way to get the city out of the financial hole it has found itself in the past couple of years.
Those are the feelings of new, at-large City Councilman Andrew Liuzzo, who says he understands that there collective bargaining agreements involved. However, Liuzzo says the city should be negotiating from the stand-point of a city that no longer has 45,000 people with most of them working.
Liuzzo says engaging in new talks could bring down the costs in areas from health insurance, to actual salaries. City officials have said that lay-offs cannot be considered because 'Impact' payments would have to be paid to the Police, Fire and other unions that have minimum staffing clauses. Liuzzo says he would also like to see more work done to provide long-term help for addicts caught up in the area's Heroin and Opioid Abuse crisis. On the treatment side, work has begun on a new, long-term treatment facility at UPMC Chautauqua WCA Hospital that will provide longer treatment periods for people trying to beat addiction.
It's a new year and a new start for Chautauqua County with the swearing in of new County Executive George Borrello.
Borrello says he has been working feverishly to get ready to hit the ground running prior to today. His Inauguration is set for 1 p.m. today at the County Courthouse in Mayville. County Clerk Larry Barmore will also be given the oath of office for the second time by County Court Judge David Foley. Meantime, the County Legislature's annual re-organizational meeting, during which the entire legislature will be sworn-in, will take place tomorrow at 4:00.
A Sherman man was injured when he was thrown from his snowmobile as he pulled off a trail and in front of a car in the town of Chautauqua late last Friday night.
Sheriff's deputies were called to the scene shortly on the Stockton-Hartfield Road after 10 p.m. and, found that 35 year-old Gregory Auge was crossing the road -- off Snowmobile Trail 4-E -- when he failed to yield to the car. Officers say the driver of the car, 33 year-old Joshua Luce of Forestville, was eastbound when the crash occured. Deputies say Auge was thrown from the sled and, was treated before being taken to a nearby hospital.
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Sheriff's officers are reminding all snowmobilers to be cautious when they are out riding and to make sure you are paying attention to the signage that is placed on the trails by the snowmobile clubs. Riders are also asked to use extra caution when crossing any roadway.
One person was hurt, but not seriously, when his car struck a jacknifed tractor-trailer on Interstate 86 in the town of Sherman early last Friday night.
Sheriff's officers say the big-rig, operated by 62 year-old Covic Ismet of Lakewood, Ohio, was westbound shortly after 8 p.m. when the tractor-trailer skidded on the snow-slicked road, and jacknifed into the median. Deputies say the car, driven by 59 year-old Robert Blake of Copley, Ohio was right behind the vehicle, and could not stop. Officers say the car then crashed into the back of the trailer. Blake was taken to UPMC Hamot Medical Center in Erie for treatment of minor injuries. The crashed forced the closing of the westbound lanes on I-86 for a short-time while the scene was cleared. No charges have been filed.
Two people from the Jamestown-area have been arrested for allegedly shop-lifting items from the Lakewood Wal-Mart Super Center last last week.
Lakewood-Busti Police add that one of the suspects, identified as 50 year-old Miguel Rivera-Morales, had previously been issued a notice of restriction to stay off the Fairmount Avenue property. Officers say he stole some items and was arrested along with 52 year-old Lillian Lebron-Guzman. Police say she was allegedly found with several items, including pet food and cutlery that she did not pay for. Morales is charged with third-degree burglary, while Guzman was charged with petty larceny.
A woman with developmental-disabilities who became the face of local fund-raising efforts for The Resource Center passed away during 2017.
Resource Center Community Relations Director Steve Waterson told us last November that Silver Creek's Laurel Hoteling died at the age of 54 at a Buffalo-area hospital. Waterson says she had been struggling with health issues for the past year or so.
Waterson says Laurel was born with Downs Syndrome, but her parents -- Wayne and Elaine -- elected to "mainstream" her as much as possible. She became well-known for being the inspiration for "Laurel Run," which was named in her honor. However, she was unable to attend this year's event. Waterson says Wayne Hoteling called him with the news last November 13.
An Ashland, Ohio man is facing DUI charges for allegedly driving a snowmobile while intoxicated in the Town of Chautauqua early this morning.
Deputies say they made contact with the operator of the snowmobile--identified as 33 year-old Douglas Emery-- just before 3:00. Emery was found to be intoxicated and taken into custody. Deputies say he refused a breath test and was held at the Chautauqua County Jail on pre-arraignment bail. He is scheduled to appear in court at a later date and time.
An Irving teen was arrested New Years Eve for allegedly threatening to kill a person with a knife in Silver Creek.
Sheriff's deputies say the incident occured on Babcock Avenue in the Village. Further investigation revealed 18 year-old Nathan Zaczor displayed a pocket knife at an individual and threatened to kill the person. Kaczor was taken into custody and charged with second-degree menacing. He is to appear in Silver Creek court at a later date.
