City Council tables tax override local law... but, debate sparked over need for public hearing before vote is taken...
There won't be a vote until the end of May... but, a local law allowing the city of Jamestown to override the state's 2% property tax cap was a hot topic at last night's City Council meeting.  Resident Doug Champ argued during public comment that... since it was on the agenda... he thought there would be a vote.  Champ says that can't happen until a public hearing is held... if it's not held... he says it's a "direct violation" of the law.  Champ also argued that lawmakers hadn't held the required hearing the past two years.  However... lawmakers searched and found the hearings had been held.  Councilman Tony Dolce says that -- since there was no urgent need for the local law -- it would be automatically tabled until the May voting session.  Dolce says that's normal procedure for local laws -- unless the mayor issues a "message of necessity" to have it acted on sooner.  Mayor Kim Ecklund later noted that the public hearing on the 2026 budget override was held in May of last year... around the same time as this year's to avoid any action that would muddy the budget waters at the end of the year.  Councilman Andrew Faulkner added that the public hearing in 2024 was held in November of that year because work on the 2025 budget ran late that year.

Man from Jamestown arrested in Ellicott after children are found, unsupervised, near busy roadway...
A man from Jamestown has been arrested after allegedly letting two minor children be outside -- unattended -- along Route 60 in the town of Ellicott.  Town police were called to the location about 10:30 a.m. last Friday for a suspicious situation... and, found the two children out near traffic on the busy roadway.  Officers found 38 year-old Mark Ceci... inside the home... when he should have been watching the children.  Ceci resisted arrest... but, was later taken into custody on two counts of endangering the welfare of a child... and one of resisting arrest.  He was issued an appearance ticket for Ellicott Town Court at a later date.

Erie, Pa. man arrested in Forestville for driving drunk in accident last Thursday afternoon...
An Erie, Pa. man has been arrested for allegedly driving drunk during an accident late last week in Forestvile.  Sheriff's deputies say they were called to the scene on  Main Street just before 3:30 p.m. last Thursday... and, were told a vehicle driven by 56 year-old David Johnson... had fled the scene.  Officers say they found the car, and Johnson, a short time later and he was arrested.  Further investigation showed that he was driving while ability impaired by alcohol.  Johnson was also charged with leaving the scene of a property damage accident... consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle.... reckless driving... failure to stop at a stop sign... passing a stopped vehicle at an intersection... failure to keep right and others.  He was taken to the Hanover Substation... and, issued appearance tickets for Hanover Town Court.

Gas prices in Jamestown-area reach $4.20 a gallon...
Gasoline prices in the Jamestown-area started the week a penny higher at $4.17 a gallon for regular, unleaded fuel.  However... over the past day... prices have increased again to $4.20 a gallon.  AAA East Central's Gas Price Report says the average price, nationally was up to $4.11 a gallon to start Monday.  But... that jumped another six cents overnight to just under $4.18 a gallon.  Crude oil prices increased over the past day... as the conflict in the Persian Gulf continues.  Currently, pump prices are just over a dollar more than this time last year, when a gallon of regular was about $3.14 a gallon.  The Energy Information Administration says total gasoline demand was down the past week... as was the gasoline supply.

Langworthy writes letter to House Speaker, calls for up or down vote on funding DHS -- minus ICE funding for now...
It's time for Congress to put the U.S. Senate's plan to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security on the House floor for a vote.  That from local Congressman Nick Langworthy... who has returned to Washington following the attempted attack on President Donald Trump and other administration officials at last Saturday night's White House Correspondents Association Dinner... where a California man allegedly rushed a security checkpoint in an effort to assasinate the president.  Langworthy says the measure would fund 80% of the Department of Homeland Security... minus funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  He says that can be worked out during reconsilliacion.  He says some of the same Secret Service agents protecting the President last Saturday night still haven't been paid.  The Buffalo-area Republican made his comments during a video press conference Monday afternoon.

Man from Jamestown-arrested for allegedly allowing two minor children to be outside -- near busy Rt. 60 -- unsupervised...
A man from Jamestown has been arrested after allegedly letting two minor children outside -- unsupervised -- along Route 60 in the town of Ellicott.  Town police were called to the location about 10:30 a.m. last Friday for a suspicious situation... and, found the two children -- near traffic -- on the busy road.  Officers found 38 year-old Mark Ceci... inside the home when he should have been watching the children.  Ceci resisted arrest... but, was eventually taken into custody on two counts of endangering the welfare of a child... and, one of resisting arrest.  He was issued an appearance ticket for Ellicott Town Court.