Jamestown man arrested following westside domestic incident...
A city man has been arrested for allegedly punching and choking another person during a domestic incident on Jamestown's westside. City police say they were called to the location shortly before 10 a.m. Friday... and, found that 40 year-old Devin Berg had choked and punched the victim. Officers say the victim tried to call 9-1-1... but, Berg grabbed the phone away and broke it. He was arrested on two counts of fourth-degree criminal mischief... third-degree assault and criminal obstrutcion of breathing or/ blood flow. Berg was jailed pending arraignment.
Woman arrested following domestic violence incident in Lakewood...
A Lakewood woman faces multiple Felony charges following a domestic incident in early April. Lakewood-Busti Police say they were called to an unidentified location the evening of April 3... and, investigated. Officers then arrested 50 year-old Teresa Chevalier for second-degree assault... second-degree menacing... edangering the welfare of a physically disabled person... and, endangering the welfare of a child. Chevalier was taken to the county jail pending centralized arraignment.
Lakewood board member notes the change in tax rate is based on new town of Busti assessments...
The new Lakewood budget comes on the heels of last year's reassessment of property by the town of Busti... where a number of village properties saw assessments double. With that... the per thousand rate in Lakewood fell from $9.92 to $6.12. Village Trustee Ellen Barnes says her assessment doubled... so she understands why people are very concerned about this year's taxes. She adds that the revals aren't done yet... because there are still court cases underway challenging some of the new assessments. The main one currently involves the Chautauqua Mall on Fairmount Avenue... which is seeking to have it's assessment lowered.
NYS 2026-27 budget now one month late... and, policy remains the issue...
It's now been one month since New York State's budget deadline has passed, and leaders in Albany still have not reached an agreement on a final spending plan. State lawmakers on Wednesday approved an eighth budget extender to keep the state government running while negotiations continue. State Senator George Borrello says there continue to be disagreements over the Climate Act and immigration policy... and, the governor is pushing back against the "climate agenda." Borrello adds that Gov. Kathy Hochul has been "rattling her saber" against federal immigration policy, but, adds she realizes it's impacting her efforts to win re-election. Meanwhile, there are reports of another sticking point that's developed surrounding Governor Kathy Hochul's proposals for saving New Yorkers money on auto insurance. However, Borrello says there are rumors that a deal has been reached in that area. On that issue, the Sunset Bay Republican says he sides with Hochul, who had been getting pushback from the New York State Trial Lawyers Association. The Sunset Bay Republican adds the ongoing gridlock in Albany is an example of why he believes policy should not be put into budgets. The state's budget deadline was April 1st.
Lakewood village lawmakers approved heavily-cut 2026-27 budget...
The Lakewood Village Board has approved a 2026-27 budget that increases the tax levy... but, it's much lower than it was initially. The board discussed a number of proposed -- across the board -- reductions in the $5.69-million spending plan at Thursday morning's special meeting. Much of the discussion was led by Deputy Mayor and Trustee, Ben Troche, who thanked Village Clerk April Troutman for her work on the spending plan... along with all the board members for their efforts to cut the budget "quite significantly." Initially... the board was looking at about $50,000 in cuts... but, was able to triple that amount in the final budget. Troche says the final budget maintains services... but, adds some increases are unavoidable... including utilities, and gasoline for the police and fire departments. The total tax levy -- or amount to be raised by taxes for 2026-27 -- is $2.74-million... and, the final tax rate will be about $6.12 per $1,000.
Langworthy pleased to see House, and President approve DHS funding bill...
Local Congressman Nick Langworthy says he's pleased that President Trump has now signed the just-approved Department of Homeland Security funding bill. The measure... approved a few weeks back in the U.S. Senate... funds the department... but, not Immigrations and Customs Enforcement... or U.S. Border Patrol. However... Langworthy says those will be addressed during the reconciliation process. The Buffalo-area Republican sent a letter at the beginning of the week to Speaker Mike Johnson... urging him to pass the Senate DHS bill.
County Workers Memorial Service to be held Saturday...
Chautauqua County will honor the lives of workers who have been injured or lost their lives on the job during the 25th Annual Workers Memorial Service tomorrow in Frewsburg. The program will be held at 11 a.m. at the Workers Memorial site at Erlandson Overlook Park at 465 Oak Hill Rd. The program is organized by the county's Workers’ Memorial Committee... and, the annual observance serves as a solemn reminder of the importance of workplace safety... while paying tribute to those who went to work and never returned home. During the ceremony... those attending will gather to remember all Chautauqua County workers who have been injured or killed on the job. A key part of the service is the reading of the Memorial Roll, which now includes more than 180 individuals whose lives were lost while working in Chautauqua County.
