Local News Headlines
Two Jamestown men have been arrested... and, a third is still being sought... for allegedly running an illegal meth lab on the city's eastside. City police investigators raided a home at 181 Barrows Street late last week after developing information that it was being used to manufacture, and sell methamphetime. Police Captain Bob Samuelson says they were joined by members of the State Police C-NET Team... and, the Department of Homeland Security. Samuelson says the state Police Contaminate Crime Scene Emergency Response Team found a quantity of items used to make the highly volatile drug. Police say they arrested 28 year-old Joseph Snyder... and 23 year-old Dustin Verrett late Friday. Both were arraigned on charges of unlawful manufacture of methamphetime... and, criminal possession of a controlled substance... and, sent to the county jail without bail.
City police add they are also looking for a third suspect in the case. Officers accuse 38 year-old Donald Dean... who also lives at the 181 Barrows address... is wanted on several outstanding warrants. Anyone who knows Dean's whereabouts is asked to call city police at 483-7537... or the JPD Tip-Line at 483-TIPS. That's 483-8477.
A city man faces menacing charges for allegedly threatening three people with a knife during an incident on Jamestown's eastside early last weekend. Police were called to the scene of a reported fight on Willard Street just before 2 o'clock Saturday morning. Officers accuse 20 year-old Jarrelle Sparks of displayed the knife to the trio of victims... and, threatened them with it. However... Sparks was arrested without incident... and, taken to the city jail on three counts of second-degree menacing. He was being held pending arraignment in city court.
A German pet food producer is very interested in locating a new plant in Chautauqua County. However... the former AFA Foods site in Ashville is competing with another location in Michigan for the 20-million dollar project proposed by Saturn Petcare. County Executive Greg Edwards updated county lawmakers on the Audit and Control Committee on efforts to land the new business. The AFA Foods plant is the former Fairbank Farms location... which has been idle since AFA closed it last year. Edwards says he and Industrial Development Agency Director Bill Daly met with the number-two man at Saturn last Wednesday... and, they're excited about the possibilities. Edwards says Chautauqua County is a finalist because it's within a day's drive of 50-percent of the U-S population. On last weekend's "Community Spotlight" program... he said talks were very upbeat... but, he adds that state-backing is also needed. Edwards says he's "confident" that the county... and, state... "put their best foot foward" to make the project a reality.
As first responders deal with the tragedies in Boston and Texas... local fire departments are looking for volunteers to help with day to day operations. About half of the 42 fire departments in Chautauqua County will be taking part in a statewide effort to recruit firefighters and EMTs. That from County Emergency Services Director Julius Leone... who says many of the departments will hold open house events during the weekend of April 27th and 28th. Dan Imfeld of the County Emergency Services Department administers a 400-thousand dollar SAFER Grant the County received last year. He says incentives are available to those who join up. Locally... the Lakewood Fire Department will hold an open house next Saturday, April 27th and Sunday the 28th... from 11 AM until 2 PM. There will also be on in Fredonia on the 27th with the same hours. Leone says interested persons can find out about house events across the county by calling the County Emergency Services Office at 753-4341.
The Lakewood Village Board will likely vote tonight on a 3.24-million dollar, 2013-2014 budget that increases taxes by 1.3-percent. While spending is up by nearly 101-thousand dollars... Wordelmann says revenues are also up about 80-thousand. He says there are basically four areas where spending is going up in the spending plan. The biggest... he says... is more than 37-thousand dollars in increased pension costs to New York state. Wordelmann says it's the third straight year of significant pension cost hikes. The other big increase is about 32-thousand dollars in fuel and equipement for both the Police and Fire Departments combined. As for revenue increases... he says a key one is a change in taxing status for the Lakewood Village Center on Fairmount Avenue. They are changing to a payment in lieu of tax agreement... which was put in place because the Widewaters Group made a major investment in upgrading the center when three new businesses moved in. Wordelmann says the tax levy only increases by about 22-thousand dollars under the plan.
New York officials say hunters killed about 243-thousand deer during the 2012-13 hunting seasons, roughly 6 percent more than a year earlier. Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens says the state has been taking steps to encourage hunting as the deer population continues to grow. The breakdown of the past season's take was 124,000 adult females and fawns and 119,000 adult bucks.
