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WJTN Headlines for Tues., Feb. 23, 2021

City police seize significant amounts of cash, drugs, and a stolen gun during Sunday raid...                     
Jamestown police say they recovered a significant amount of cash, illegal drugs, and a weapon during a raid last Sunday on the city's westside.  JPD Captain Bob Samuelson says officers, and, members of the Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at 5 Hammond Street about 4:45 p.m., and, detained several men and women inside.  During a subsequent search... police found $2,279 cash... nearly 32 ounces of cocaine, and 183 bags of Fentanyl, all in individual packages ready for sale.  Samuelson says there was also a separate bag of 5.5-grams of fentanyl not yet packaged.  Along with the drugs... investigators found a 9-millimeter pistol that was previously stolen during a burglary of a gun shop in Pennsylvania.  Samuelson says charges are expected to be placed against all of the individuals who are involved in the trafficking of illegal drugs in the area.  He adds the investigation was assisted by the Sheriff's Department K-9 unit, and JPD SWAT Team.


City lawmakers approve retroactive Jamestown Fire contract for 2016-17 with 2-percent raises...
The Jamestown City Council has approved a two-year, retroactive contract with the city's professional firefighters union to cover years 2016 and 2017.  Mayor Eddie Sundquist says his administration team and other parties involved, recently reached the agreement with Jamestown Professional Firefighters Association Local 137... which approved the contract last weekend.  Sundquist says he's "delighted" to announce the agreement... which includes 2-percent wage hikes for each year.  He adds there will be a 2-percent increase in health insurance contributions for the following years, beginning in 2018.  He adds there are other administrative parts of the agreement that includes EMT certification.  In response to a question... City Comptroller Ryan Thompson noted that the city has the $917,000 set aside to pay the agreement.  He says that also includes retirement, and social security.  The agreement comes on the heels of the city agreeing to pay out 2-percent annual wage hikes to the city's Policeman's union for 2016 and 2017 following dismissal of the city's appeal of an arbitration ruling.


City council also agrees to telecommunications contract, new police and fire hires...
The City Council last night also approved a proposal to have a Pennsylvania firm do provide telecommunications audit services for the next year.  Lawmakers unanimously approved having Eric Ryan Corporation of Ellwood City do the work from March 1st through February 28th of 2022.  There is no charge for the service... while the company will receive some of the savings the city receives.  Lawmakers also approved lifting the hiring freeze to hire 4 new firefighters, and one new police officer. 


Wendel preparing State of County address for Wed. night, touts county being in the black for 2020...
Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel is preparing for his State of the County message this coming Wednesday evening.  It's the county executive's first such speech, since he did not deliver one in 2020.  One of the topics will be the county's COVID-19 response and Wendel says the county has been able to keep its spending under control... and, he says they've had to make tough decisions, and it's showing.  He says the county is currently $4.5-million ahead of their 2020 adopted budget.  Wendel says the pandemic has not kept the county from looking at economic development projects.  He says he can't reveal a lot... but, says there are some new opportunities that should come "to fruition" in the next couple of months.  Wendel's address will be presented during the County Legislature's meeting starting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. 


Number of new COVID-19 cases for Friday through Monday totals just 51...
The COVID-19 infection rate in Chautauqua County has again dropped over the past week... and, is now 1.4-percent.  The county Health Department reports that over the past three days... only 51 new cases were reported.  County officials say that brings the local total to 7,441 confirmed cases... and, 141 of those are currently active.  They add that 13 people are hospitalized.  There were no new deaths... and, that number remains 136.  Officials say there have now been 7,164 recovered cases.


Officials upset that Chautauqua County was reportedly bypassed by NYS for COVID Vaccine Site...
Local elected officials are expressing outrage over an NBC News report that says Chautauqua County was denied a federal, COVID-19 vaccination site by New York state.  The report... siting unidentified sources... says when the Biden White House started looking for sites for four small vaccination centers across New York state, federal officials ranked the best spots based on a county-by-county "social vulnerability index" that measures average income, unemployment, race and a dozen other factors.  The data showed that Chautauqua County was a leading candidate to get vaccine shots to the underserved.  However... state officials said no.  They told the White House that there were better places to achieve the goal of vaccinating more Black and brown people.  However... the state pushed back against FEMA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which are expanding the federal footprint in the country's race to vaccinate.  Both Congressman Tom Reed and State Senator George Borrello blasted the move... with Reed saying "people are sick and tired of seeing their leaders play politics during a crisis."  NBC reports the federally supported facilities, scheduled to open the first week of March will be in Buffalo, Rochester, Albany and Yonkers.