Western NY News Now

JAMESTOWN – Educators in the Jamestown community are giving back to a local origination that helps victims of child abuse. The Jamestown Teachers’ Association has donated $1,000 to the Child Advocacy Program in Chautauqua County. “We chose this outstanding organization because of the resources, support, comfort and intervention they provide ... read more

JAMESTOWN – Some areas in Chautauqua and Cattaraugus Counties could see up to a foot of snow through Monday evening. The National Weather Service issued a Winter Weather Advisory until ... read more

JAMESTOWN – A local nature center has broke ground on a new wildlife habitat. The Audubon Community Nature Center this month held an informal groundbreaking ceremony for the new Pamela A. Westrom Wildlife Habitat. For almost two decades, Audubon has been home to Liberty, a non-releasable Bald Eagle that was ... read more

ALBANY (AP) — New York’s high school graduation rate improved slightly following the shift to remote learning and cancellation of Regents exams, the state reported last week. The statewide graduation rate for the class of 2020 was 84.8%, up 1.4 percentage points from the previous year, according to Education Department ... read more

ORCHARD PARK – The Buffalo Bills have advanced to the AFC Championships for the first time since 1994. The team punched their ticket with a 17-3 victory over the Baltimore Ravens at Bills Stadium on Saturday night. Taron Johnson returned an interception 101 yards for a touchdown to give the ... read more

JAMESTOWN – Two Jamestown residents are facing several drug charges after officers allegedly recovered meth and fentanyl during a traffic stop overnight. Jamestown Police say 27-year-old Michael Krause and 29-year-old Kyle Lewis were pulled over for alleged traffic violations in the area of Forest and Prather Avenues just before 2 ... read more

NORTH HARMONY – A West Ellicott resident is accused of driving while intoxicated following a vehicle pursuit on Route 394 in North Harmony this week. The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office says 55-year-old Charles Foringer was allegedly driving at high speeds and attempted to flee deputies when they attempted a traffic ... read more

JAMESTOWN – A Jamestown area business development specialist will spend time next week helping local businesses understand the expanded Paycheck Protection Program. The Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce is hosting a virtual Zoom meeting with Dr. Courtney Curatolo, the Director of the Small Business Development Center at SUNY JCC, on ... read more

JAMESTOWN – Winter weather is making a comeback this weekend, with lake effect snow likely Saturday night into Sunday. After some rain and snow showers moved through the region ... read more

App users, tap here to watch video report. JAMESTOWN – This week’s featured pet is a cat rescued from a condemned Dunkirk apartment last year. Baker Island is a four-year-old domestic shorthair mix that is looking for a new best friend. Our furry friend is looking for a place ... read more

ALBANY (AP) — Restaurants in some COVID-19 hot spots in New York state can once again offer limited indoor dining in the wake of the latest lawsuit against Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s virus restrictions, while a ban remains in place in New York City. Up to four people per table can ... read more

JAMESTOWN – The number of crimes increased more than 30 percent in the City of Jamestown last year. That’s according to data in the Jamestown Police Department’s 2020 report released on Friday. In the last year the estimated number of total crimes increased 31.4 percent from the year before. However, ... read more

MAYVILLE – The Chautauqua County Health Department reported 122 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday. In an update to the COVID-19 Dashboard, local health leaders say there are 731 cases active countywide with 190 actives in the greater Jamestown area. There remain 42 people hospitalized in the county, with the ... read more

App users, tap here to watch video. JAMESTOWN – The Lake Effect Snow Machine will be kicking on this weekend and produce bands of accumulating snow through Monday with temperatures falling below ... read more

LITTLE VALLEY – So far over 3,000 people received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Cattaraugus County, this as local health leaders continue to report new cases and fatalities connected to the virus. Cattaraugus County Health Director Dr. Kevin Watkins tells WNY News Now he is facing a ... read more

MAYVILLE – A former Jamestown Police Chief will be joining the Chautauqua County District Attorney’s Office as an investigator later this month.  Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt confirmed to WNY News Now that Harry Snellings will be on his staff. Schmidt says he “admires” Snellings’ background both as a ... read more

ALBANY – In his final State of the State Address New York’s Governor focused on improving infrastructure statewide. During the Thursday speech, Governor Andrew Cuomo pledged to invest $306 billion for projects like removing the skyway from Downtown Buffalo. Cuomo says infrastructure projects would not only create jobs but could ... read more

FALCONER – A project that would redevelop a property in the Village of Falconer which was destroyed by multiple fires in recent years took another step forward this week. The Town of Ellicott Board have approved a new Payment In Lieu of Taxes agreement allowing for advancement of the new ... read more

NEW YORK – New York’s Senior Senator says the state will receive $2 billion in additional pandemic relief funds from the federal government part of an agreement with the incoming presidential administration. Senator Chuck Schumer (D) announced on Thursday the funding will be provided from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. ... read more

App users, tap here to watch video report. MAYVILLE – With the threat of COVID-19 continuing to rise, Chautauqua County’s top health official encourages people to not let their guard down until the vaccine is completely rolled out. Public Health Director Christine Schuyler tells WNY News Now she is ... read more

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President-elect Joe Biden has unveiled a $1.9 trillion coronavirus plan to end “a crisis of deep human suffering” by speeding up vaccines and pumping out financial help to those struggling with the pandemic’s prolonged economic fallout. Called the “American Rescue Plan,” the legislative proposal would meet ... read more

JAMESTOWN – The Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force says they have confiscated more drugs and cash part of a yearlong drug trafficking investigation with the FBI. Last week police raided several locations in the greater Jamestown area part of Operation Crazy Ivan. In continuing the sweep, the Jamestown SWAT Team ... read more

App users, tap here to watch video. JAMESTOWN – Some wintry precipitation will be on the way to end the work week with some lake snow possible over the weekend ... read more

MAVYILLE – A new COVID-19 death and 105 additional cases of the virus were reported in Chautauqua County on Thursday. According to data on the county Health Department’s COVID-19 Dashboard, the latest death involved a 60-year-old. This is the 47th death linked to the virus since the pandemic began. There ... read more

ALBNAY – Our local representative in New York State’s Senate is partnering with a downstate colleague to establish a new food program to help families in need. State Senator George Borrello is pushing legislation that would direct surplus agricultural products to go to local food banks. “The economic recovery for ... read more

ALBANY – During the third installment of New York’s State of the State Address on Wednesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a four-step plan for building the Green Economy in New York State. Cuomo asserted that converting to renewable energy will not only fuel the economy and provide “future jobs,” but ... read more

FREDONIA – The SUNY Fredonia community is mourning the loss of one of their own following a skiing accident in Lake Placid this week. 22-year-old Junior men’s hockey player Tanner Kahlau died Tuesday from injuries sustained in the accident. Kahlau is a Pennsylvania native who played for the New Jersey ... read more

WASHINGTON – Congressman Tom Reed is urging Americans to “be calm” as President-Elect Joe Biden’s Inauguration Day is less than a week away.  Reed’s comments came just over an hour before President Donald Trump was impeached for the second time by the U.S. House of Representatives. The Congressman, himself, voted ... read more

CHEEKTOWAGA (AP) — A western New York man who told a Buffalo TV station he tried to light media equipment on fire as a “symbolic gesture” outside the U.S. Capitol last week was arrested by the FBI on Wednesday. Pete Harding was arrested at about 4 p.m. at a friend’s ... read more

BUFFALO (AP) — Some Erie County restaurants that had filed a lawsuit against New York state over a coronavirus restriction that bans indoor dining got a preliminary injunction on Wednesday against it being enforced. State Supreme Court Justice Henry Nowak ruled the restaurants could go back to the limited indoor ... read more