Cassadaga man arrested on Child Porn charges following more than 2-year long investigation...
A more than two-year long investigation into child pornography in the Cassadaga-area has led to the arrest of a 72 year-old man. Sheriff's officers say they began the investigation in 2023... and, identified the suspect as Daniel "Danny" Wojcieszyn of Barnum Road. Deputies say they raided Wojcieszyn's home... and, collected a large amount of electronic evidence... which was submitted to the Regional Computer Forensics Lab in Buffalo. The Sheriff's Office says it got the evidence back last month... reviewed it... and, found a large quantity of images portraying children engaged in sexual performances. A warrant was issued... and, Wojcieszyn was arrested in Dunkirk... and, taken to the county jail pending centralized arraignment. He is charged with 10 counts each of promoting an obscene sexual performance by a child... and possessing an obscene sexual performance by a child. He's to answer for his charges in the Chautauqua County Supreme Court.
State Legislature approves final 2026-27, $268.5-billion budget...
The New York State Legislature has finally approved a 2026-27 budget... the latest spending plan in 16 years. Lawmakers in the Senate and Assembly approved the final bills making up the $268.5-billion spending plan shortly before Midnight Wednesday. Spectrum News reports that Governor Kathy Hochul signed two budget bills yesterday... and, has others still to sign. The measures signed include: changes to the 2019 climate law... pensions for more than 830,000 government employees... speeding up the state’s environmental review process tied to development, known as SEQRA; and car insurance reforms.
County Legislature's Democrat Leader presents response to Wendel's State of County Address...
Minority Democrats on the Chautauqua County Legislature gave their rebuttal to County Executive P.J. Wendel's State of the County Address last night. Wendel's annual address was given at April's annual County Executive's Breakfast hosted by the CHQ Chamber. Dunkirk Democrat Bob Bankowski presented their nine-minute long response... noting that while wages in the county have increased... they haven't kept pace with nine other, comparable counties in New York. Bankowski says the median income in those nine other counties was $76,000... but, in Chautauqua County, it only increased slightly above $55,000. He says that was still below even Cattaraugus County. Bankowski also noted that the county has seen some 700 job losses in recent months... including more than 200 at Bush Industries. While the number of private sector jobs has fallen... along with the population... Bankowski says the number of county government jobs is up about 200. The county lost 200 jobs several years ago with the sale of the County Home in Dunkirk.
GOP -- including Wendel -- respond to Democrats response...
Republicans provided a quick response to the Democrat's critique... with one lawmaker saying he's ready to work with Democrats -- if they'll work with the GOP Majority. John Penhollow says the numbers don't tell the full story because of the adverse business and tax climate created by state Democrats in Albany. County Executive Wendel was at the meeting... and, later offered a sharp rebut to Democrats... saying it was "disappointing in the fact we have elected members of this body who like to see Chautauqua County at the bottom of the barrel. They don't want to see success unless it comes from their side of the aisle. Maybe they need to be reminded they represent everyone in their district..." and not just members of their party.
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In other action during last night's monthly meeting... legislators -- in near party-line votes -- rejected local laws that would eliminate annual cost of living adjustments for the legislators.... and, another that would have cut the County Clerk's salary by $10,000 a year... beginning in 2030.
County IDA approves working capital loans to support new fruit juice pouch facility in Westfield...
A Westfield-area grape cooperative has plans to renovate a former car dealership building and turn it into a fruit juice pouch filling and packaging facility... and it's getting financial support from Chautauqua County. The county's Industrial Development Agency has okayed $200,000 in working capital loans to WMC Grape Juice, LLC. IDA Chief Executive Officer Mark Geise says the entity, which does business as Lake Erie Juice Company of Westfield, will produce four-ounce grape juice-filled pouches for distribution to school districts, food banks, and other locations. Geise says the pouches will contain 100% Concord Grape juice... and will be labeled as grown and produced in Western New York. He says they'll be under the brand name, "Good and Grapey." Geise says WMC plans to invest $2.6-million into the former DeHavens Dodge City building on Route 20 in the Town of Westfield. He says most of that will come from cooperative members... and the new company will have both a processing and packaging line with mainly member-owners to begin with. By year-6... they expect to have about 17 new workers on board. Additional startup assistance for the project has been provided by the New York Small Business Development Center at Jamestown Community College, Empire State Development, Farm Credit East, the US Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Guarantee, and others.
