Rain is on the way this weekend as drought continues in Chautauqua County...
Chautauqua County remains under a drought warning... but, some relief should be on the way by the weekend.  That from the National Weather Service in Buffalo... which reports we're down about an inch of rainfall for the month of October already.  However... Forecaster Liz Jurkowski says we should see the start of some soaking rain by early Sunday.  Jurkowski says a cold front is going to come across the area... and, that'll bring some rain early in the weekend... but, she says Sunday we'll see rain most of th day with at least half, to three-quarters of an inch of soaking rain.  Jurkowski says that'll be the start of a "more active pattern" of more Fall-like weather... including increased chances of rain into next week.  She says we'll also see more seasonal temperatures come next week... ranging from the upper 50s to low 60s.  

Town of Ripley's State of Emergency continues, but, residents and county and fire officials helping out...
The news of some significant rain coming is welcome news in the town of Ripley... where customers of the town's Water District are now under a State of Emergency.  Town officials, along with the Chautauqua County Health Department, Tuesday declared the emergency due to "critically low" water levels in the town's reservoir.  Since then... the county's Director of Environmental Health Services, Jessica Wuerstle, says local fire departments have set up a fire truck relay to bring water from Lake Erie to the reservoir.  Wuerstle adds that the water in the reservoir is safe to drink.  Town Supervisor Lauree Pless says they have also set up the first bottled water distribution to local residents for tomorrow morning at the Town Highway Building from 9 a.m. to Noon.  Ripley Water and Sewer District Superintendent, Andrew Strine, thanked the district's 18-hundred customers... the county and others for helping them out.  For drinking water and fire emergencies... he says they want to keep at least 100-thousand gallons of water in the reservoir.  He says they met that goal Wednesday.

Water conservation now being urged in village of Fredonia...
The village of Fredonia... which also has a water system that depend's on a reservoi... has also begun urging users to also reduce water usage.  Village officials add the ongoing lack of rainfall has significantly impacted the reservoir, which is now in extreme danger of reaching a critically low point.  Fredonia's Emergency Manager, Josh Myers, says if the current trends continue, the Village’s ability to produce and supply adequate drinking water will be severely compromised.  The county's Environmental Health Services Director, Jessica Wuerstle says there are three reservoirs in the county... including Westfield, Ripley and Fredonia... and, she says all three a reporting much lower levels due to the drought.  Fredonia officials are asking all village residents, businesses, and institutions to take the steps to help mitigate the situation by following immediate conservation measures -- like those in Ripley.

Fredonia mayor says he's disappointed that village is facing another lawsuit surrounding where it gets it's water...
Fredonia Mayor Mike Ferguson says he's "not surprised, but disappointed" that the village is facing a second lawsuit over a decision to abandon its current water system in favor of an alternate source.  Ferguson is calling on village taxpayers to "step up and speak out" about the suit brought by three village residents that was filed late last week in State Supreme Court in Mayville.  He says this lawsuit will likely cost as much, if not more, than a suit that was filed in early 2024.  Ferguson says that suit cost just over $32,000... and, this one may well cost more than that.  That legal action kept the village from implementing a project to get its water directly from the City of Dunkirk.  Ferguson adds that the new lawsuit may ultimately end up costing taxpayers as much as $8-million to $13 million, due to a possible loss of grant funding from the state for the project to connect the village to the North County Water District.  He says that's due to the fact there are deadlines for getting the paperwork finalized.  The current suit contends that the village violated the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act, General Municipal Law, and the Village Code during the process of pursuing the project.  On Sept. 10, the Board of Trustees approved a resolution, 4-1, to move forward with the project that also involves demolishing the water treatment plant and decommissioning the dam at the Fredonia Reservoir.

Two north county women arrested following assault/menacing...
Two women from Irving have been arrested for allegedly getting into a physical altercation at a home on Buffalo Road in the town of Hanover.  Sheriff's officers say they were called to the scene about 6 p.m. Tuesday... and, found that 29 year-old Kaitlin Parker of Milestrip Extention had struck 60 year-old Kimberly Cook multiple times.  Deputies say Cook had tried to hit Parker with a baseball bat... and, she was arrested for second-degree menacing.  Parker was arrested for third-degree assault.  Both women were issued appearance tickets for Hanover Town Court at a later date.