Jamestown firefighters were hard at work battling flames at a two-story, wood-frame house early this morning... 

 

City Fire Batallion Chief Sam Salemme says the call came in at 1:30 a.m. for a fire at 2 Vega Street. He says on firefighters' arrival, had significant fire on the first-floor that had self-vented out the front door and on the southside of house in two windows. 

 

Salemme says the property received significant fire damage, but a mother and infant daughter living there were not at home at the time of the fire. He adds the local Red Cross was called in to assist and no injuries were reported. The cause remains under investigation. 

 

 

The on-going negotiations on new water and sewer agreements between the city of Jamestown and the town of Ellicott were brought into the open during last night's City Council work session...  

 

At-large Councilman Andy Liuzzo expressed concern over whether the city was negotiating in good faith after changes were made to a proposal last Spring.  Liuzzo says he was blind-sided by the response from the town in a closed-packet he received from the city clerk.  Acting Council President Tony Dolce admonished Liuzzo for making the proposal public.

 

An angry Mayor Sam Teresi accused Liuzzo of trying to "blow up" the process by grand-standing during an open meeting about a matter that is still being negotiated.  Teresi says the two proposals were strictly that, adding that the Board of Public Utilities -- which must first ratify any agreement -- hasn't even received a final proposal to vote on yet.  Once the nine-member BPU does that, then it moves onto the City Council for final action.

 

 

A new report is revealing which New York counties have the highest rates of gun-related suicide and homicide and, one of them is just east of Chautauqua County...

  

The analysis looked at the rate of homicide and suicide in each county from 2012 to 2016 and found the highest rates in the rural upstate counties of Cattaraugus, Delaware, Allegany, Wyoming, and Sullivan.  Erie County, which includes the city of Buffalo, had the highest gun homicide rate.  The report was published Monday by a coalition of law enforcement officials, public health experts and elected officials who support a proposal to allow teachers and parents to petition a judge to remove guns from the homes of troubled students.  The bill's co-sponsor, Democratic Senator Brian Kavanagh of Manhattan, says the report shows gun deaths are a statewide problem that demands attention.

 

 

A local man is under arrest following a domestic incident involving a child at the Park and Ride on Route 60 in the town of Ellicott over the weekend...  

 

Ellicott Police report 32 year-old Joshua Brown allegedly engaged in a verbal altercation with an unknown female victim shortly after 6 p.m. last Friday.  While the victim was attempting to take their one year-old child from the vehicle, officers say Brown pulled the vehicle forward, ran over the victim's foot and, struck the victim and child with the car's door.  Brown then fled the scene, before being arrested with the help of Sheriff's officers.  He was taken to county jail and charged with second-degree harrassment, reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child. 

 

 

The count-down is on for the beginning of August when three major events all take place at about the same time and, thousands of people are expected in the Jamestown...  

 

August 1 will feature the grand opening of the National Comedy Center, and the start of the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival in the downtown area.  There's also the start of the 16-to-18 year-old Babe Ruth World Series, with teams arriving on Thursday, August 2.  Gebbie Foundation and Center City Development Corporation Director Greg Edwards says they're in a "sprint now" to those events.

 

However, the new Double-Tree by Hilton, and Celoron Harborfront hotels won't be open by that time.  Edwards and Mayor Sam Teresi agree it's a "great problem" to have and believe they'll be ready for the influx.  In the past, the city has worked with hotels as far away as Warren and Erie, Pennsylvania and others, to accomodate people coming in for Summer events.

 

 

There are two women seeking the Democratic nomination to run in the General Election against incumbant 23rd District Congressman Tom Reed...  

 

One of them has already received the backing of the Working Families Party and Women's Equality Party.  Ithaca's Tracy Mitrano is originally from Rochester and, spent some time working in Buffalo.  Mitrano also taught the Internet and cyber-security at Cornell.  She says the two main issues for her are affordable health care, and putting public education first.

 

Mitrano says that and, the area's abundant beauty and resource, will draw people here.  She says it's important to focus more on "working people and families," and bringing them back to the region.  Mitrano has won all five 2018 Democratic straw polls by sizeable margins.  She has also drawn several attacks from her opponents, challenging her residency, and stance on certain issues.  The 23rd District Congressional Democratic Primary is a week from today, Tuesday, June 26.

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Each day this week, Media One Group News is high-lighting one of the five candidates seeking the Democratic endorsement to run for the 23rd Congressional District against Tom Reed.  The others are Linda Andrei, Max Della Pia, Ian Golden, and Eddie Sundquist.

 

 

Demolition work got underway yesterday morning on the fire-damaged clocktower in downtown Fredonia...  

 

Family Church of Fredonia Associate Pastor Scott Wise said Monday that the goal was to get the work completed in one day, then begin work on a temporary roof structure.  Temple Street has been closed from Lambert Avenue to Church Street until the work is completed.  The clock tower was severely damaged in a fire that occurred on May 4.

 

 

Chautauqua County's retired Director of Emergency Services is the new president of the New York State Association of Fire Chiefs...  

 

Fredonia's Julius Leone, Junior was elected to the post during the Association's annual conference in Turning Stone last weekend.  Leone was director of the Department of Emergency Services for 15 years before retiring last year.  Leone has been a long-time member of the Fredonia Fire Department and, has served a couple of stints as it's chief.