Local News Headlines 4:47am
Two city men are jailed without bail for allegedly trafficking "crack" cocaine from an apartment on Jamestown's eastside. City police raided the dwelling at 113 Willard Street about 9:30 PM last Friday following a lengthy investigation into illegal narcotics sales in the Greater Jamestown area. Members of the JPD SWAT Team made entry... and, found 41 year-old Christopher Howie inside. He was arrested. But... the other suspect -- 34 year-old Anthony Cunningham -- jumped out a window to try and flee police. Officers gave chase... and, with the help of a K-9 unit... caught Cunningham a short district away. Both Cunninghman and Howie were arraigned on third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance charges Cunningham also faces charges including first-degree criminal nuisance... and, obstruction. Both were then sent to the county lock-up.
A northwestern Pennsylvania man has been arrested for an alleged sexual assault on a 9 year-old Cattaraugus County girl five years ago. The Buffalo News reports 38 year-old Harold Hunt, Junior of Ridgeway, Pennsylvania was taken into custody last Thursday in Erie... and, was returned to Cattaraugus County. State Police in Machias say Hunt was jailed in Erie on a warrant charging him with Felony preditory sexual assault, and child endangerment for the 2008 incident in Delevan. He was arraigned in Yorkshire Town Court... and, sent to the Little Valley Jail on 150-thousand dollars bail.
A Sinclairville man is being held on 5-thousand dollars bail for alleged child endangerment following an incident in the town of Charlotte last week. Sheriff's officers say they were called to the scene on Edson Road just before 6 PM last Wednesday. Deputies say 33 yer-old James Hall of Edson Road allegedly drove a vehicle with two children inside into a ditch intentionally... and, slapped one victim in the face. Hall is also accused of destroying household property. He was arraigned on two counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child... harassment and criminal mischief. Hall was arraigned in Charlotte Town Court... and, sent to the Chautauqua County Jail.
Authorities are on the lookout for a man wanted in connection with Friday night's shooting in the north county city of Dunkirk. An investigation by Dunkirk Police found that Montel Cooper shot a 23-year-old Dunkirk man at King and Main Streets. The victim's name has not been released. Police say Cooper, whose last known address was 522 Park Avenue in Dunkirk, fled prior to officers' arrival at the scene at 10 PM. They add the victim is believed not to have been the intended target, and was standing across Main Street nearby when the second victim was being shot at. The Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office and Fredonia Police assisted with crowd control and the investigation. A warrant has been issued for Cooper's arrest on charges of first-degree reckless endangerment... and, second-degree menacing. Officers say additional charges are expected. Cooper is believed to have shoulder-length dreadlocks at this time. Police add he has ties to Dunkirk and the Jamestown-area. Anyone with information related to the shooting is asked to call Dunkirk Police at 366-2266... or their confidential tip line at 363-0313.
The bid of a Buffalo company to install new, natural gas burners for the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities' Carlson Generating Station has been approved. BPU General Manager Dave Leathers says the 225-thousand dollar offer by Quackenbush Company was recently approved by the panel. Leathers says Quackenbush will head up the project to convert Boiler number-10 to use natural gas... and, back up the BPU's Gas Turbine. Leathers says they're pleased Quackenbush's bid came in lower than was expected. Leathers say the bids ranged from Quackenbush's 225-thousand-500 to 358-thousand dollars. He says the low nitrous oxide burners will be installed once modifications to the facililty air permit for the project are approved. Leathers says the project also includes the modifications to the piping that are needed to supply natural gas to the unit. Back in late 2012... he says the BPU approved a resolution for the design of the burners, and to "go-ahead" with the project. Leathers says they are looking at starting the project this Summer.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says three more gun show operators have agreed to rules designed to make sure weapons aren't sold to prohibited buyers... bringing the number of agreements to 26. The procedures involve putting tags on all guns brought to shows by private sellers. Those tags are checked later to determine whether gun buyers underwent a background check.
A northwestern Pennsylvania man has pleaded guilty to wire fraud for selling $379,000 worth of rusty or otherwise junked computers and worthless electronics to online customers. Thirty-one-year-old Jeffrey Kodba, of Erie, pleaded guilty Thursday to selling the run-down equipment to 16 customers worldwide between April 2006 and June 2011. Federal prosecutors in Erie say Kodba sold the items through websites JSKcomputerservices.com... and, asset-recovery.com, by claiming he was selling bulk quantities of computer and electronic equipment that had been used by corporate customers. In reality, Kodba would fill the orders with broken, junked or scrap equipment he bought from other vendors, then would refuse to give refunds or replace the equipment. Kodba must return for sentencing August 16th before a federal judge in Erie.
Governor Tom Corbett is nominating the man who's been Pennsylvania's acting Health secretary since October to take the position on a permanent basis. The governor said Friday his choice to lead the 17-hundred employee Health Department is Michael Wolf, a former public affairs and policy director with Pfizer. Wolf has a master's degree from the University of Phoenix and attended college at Slippery Rock University.
Original works from 25 artists coming to auction are estimated to bring in more than 8-million dollars to support the construction of a new building for the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City. Sotheby's says Friday original paintings from artists like Jasper Johns, Cy Twombly and Ellsworth Kelly have been donated by the artists, artists' estates, private collectors and dealers. A 2012 Jasper Johns work called ``Untitled'' is estimated to bring in as much as $2 million alone. The auction will be held on May 14th and 15th at Sotheby's. The museum's new building is projected to open in 2015 and will have three times more gallery space. The designer is Italian architect Renzo Piano.
