House and garage fire in Fredonia blamed on carelessly discarded smoking materials...
Chautauqua County fire investigators say carelessly discarded smoking materials is the apparent cause of a fire that heavily damaged a home and garage in the village of Fredonia. Investigators say Fredonia fire crews were called to the scene at 411 East Main Rd. shortly after 10 p.m. Monday. Mutual aid was also called in to help extinguish the blaze... which began in the garage and spread to the nearby residence. No one was hurt. Investigators add that two neighoring homes suffered exterior damage to the siding. A resident of the house told investigators that a they had discarded the smoking materials... but, the cause remains under investigation.
More than 20 people attend public hearing on new, Short-Term Rental law in Lakewood...
More than 20 people -- many of them rental property owners or realtors -- were on hand to express several concerns over Lakewood's proposed restrictions on short-term rental properties. The controversial topic has been discussed for many months by the village board... which held a public hearing on the plan Monday night. Consultant Molly Gaudioso of Rochester says the law would eliminate one chapter of the village code... and, put it into the next chapter that deals with zoning. Gaudioso says the new law better defines a short-term rental... which can only last less than 30 days. Realtor Rick McMahon... who has property in Lakewood... says there's a lot of like about the new law. However... he says lakefront properties should be allowed to be used as short-term rentals. Most residential properties would not be allowed to be used for short-term rentals. Another realtor... McMahon's wife, Julia... argued most of those owners are doing a good job... and a "few bad apples" should not lead to "punishing the entire barrel." However... Mayor Randy Holcomb says there have been more than a few of "bad apples," and the board has heard a lot about them. With the current moratorim on short-term rentals expiring in May, board members are looking at voting next week.
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No one spoke during an earlier public hearing on Lakewood's proposed 2024-25 budget... which totals just over $5.3-million. The spending plan includes a 5-cents per $1,000 tax rate increase to $8.17. Holcomb says the big reason for that is a significantly reduced assessment for the Chautauqua Mall. The mall won the lower assessment in a court case.
Hochul says she and lawmakers are "close" to a final budget agreement, but, catches legislators off guard...
New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Monday announced the framework of a $237-billion budget that includes broad plans to drive new housing construction, address the influx of migrants and crack down on illegal marijuana shops. However... top Democrats in the state legislature say they were taken by "surprise" by the governor's announcement. Hochul, a Democrat, described the announcement as the “parameters of a conceptual agreement" on the budget, which is about two weeks late, that was struck with leaders of the Senate and Assembly after a series of backroom negotiations. Still, the governor's announcement appeared to have caught lawmakers off guard, with officials still in the process of holding meetings and working out the specifics of the spending plan regarding housing, and, the migrant crisis.
Author Salman Rushdie's new book about attack at Chautauqua is out today...
In Salman Rushdie's first book since the 2022 stabbing that hospitalized him and left him blind in one eye.. the author wastes no time reliving the day he thought might be his last. In "Knife" he writes -- "At a quarter to eleven on August 12, 2022, on a sunny Friday morning in upstate New York, I was attacked and almost killed by a young man with a knife just after I came out on stage at the amphitheater in Chautauqua to talk about the importance of keeping writers safe from harm." At just over 200 pages, “Knife” is a brief work in the canon of Rushdie, who is among the most exuberant and expansive of contemporary novelists.
Homeless man arrested after causing $11,000 damage at UPMC Chautauqua Hospital...
A homeless man has been arrested in Jamestown after allegedly becoming disorderly and causing about $11,000 in damage to medical equiipment at UPMC Chautauqua Hospital. City police say they were called to the scene just before 9:30 p.m. Sunday... and, learned that 48 year-old Daniel Baird had damaged the equipment... and, spit on two hospital employees before running off. Officers found Baird a short distance away... and, he was arrested without further incident. He was charged with second-degree harassment... second-degree aggravated harassment... and second-degree criminal mischief. He was taken to the county jail following his arraignment.
North county man arrested for allegedly stealing more than $90,000 worth of gas from Sheridan service station...
A Dunkirk man has been arrested for allegedly stealing upwards of $90,000 worth of gasoline and diesel fuel from a Sheridan service station... and, then selling it at his "own rate." Sheriff's officers say they began an investigation into the allegations last March 26, and, determined that 50 year-old Matthew Weaver had been taking the fuel from the location since October of last year. Deputies say Weaver allegedly kept the proceeds... which totaled more than $90,000. He turned himself into the Chauuauqua County Sheriff's Office for arraignment on one count of second-degree grand larceny. Weaver is to answer the charges in Sheridan Town Court.
