Western NY News Now

KIANTONE – A Village of Frewsburg man is facing DWI charges following a rollover crash on Riverside Road Sunday. New York State Police say James Trotter, 28, crashed his vehicle after allegedly driving drunk. A unidentified passenger was taken to UPMC Hospital in Jamestown for injuries sustained in the crash. ... read more

RANDOLPH – A Town of Randolph man was arrested following a domestic dispute over the weekend. New York State Police say Nathan Culver, 20, allegedly took a woman’s phone and intentionally stepped on it causing damage during an argument on Saturday. Troopers say Culver is charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief. ... read more

NEW YORK — Being bold paid off for new “Jeopardy!” mega-champion Ken Jennings, while it didn’t for his opponents. Jennings won his third match in the “Jeopardy!” “Greatest of all Time” contest televised on Tuesday, an event that’s been a prime-time hit for ABC. He pocketed $1 million by dispatching ... read more

JAMESTOWN – With baseball season beginning in a couple months, registration is open for the Southwestern Little League.  There will be four different leagues in which a player can participate. Players ages four through six can play T-Ball and players ages six through eight can play Machine Pitch Baseball. Minor ... read more

ALBANY — New York once again is paying much more in federal taxes than it receives in federal spending, according to a report released Tuesday. New York paid $26.6 billion more in federal taxes in the fiscal year ending in 2018 than in got back in federal funds, according to ... read more

ALBANY — Political leaders in New York have reached an agreement to pass new limousine safety bills inspired by deadly crashes in 2015 and 2018, officials said Tuesday. The proposals target unsafe limos and lax regulations, said Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, ... read more

ROCHESTER – The man sentenced in the 2012 death of Clymer School Superintendent Keith Reed is appealing his conviction. According to the New York State Fourth Department Appellate Court calendar, representatives of Anthony Taglianetti are scheduled to appear before the Rochester based court on Tuesday, February 18. In November 2013, ... read more

JAMESTOWN – A new fine dining restaurant in Downtown Jamestown is now officially open for business. The Chop House on Main, at 2-6 E. 2nd St., held a grand opening ribbon cutting on Monday afternoon. Owned by husband and wife duo Amber and Andrew Carlson, with the kitchen run by ... read more

ALBANY — New York lawmakers could ban flavored tobacco products amid growing concern over the tobacco and vaping industry’s use of flavorings to attract young people and African Americans, though it’s unclear whether a push to ban menthol cigarettes will succeed. The Democratic Senate Majority plans to pass a ban ... read more

SALAMANCA – Two Salamanca men are facing murder charges after a body of a 38-year-old man was found deceased inside a building on Waite Avenue in the City of Salamanca. Police say Jeremiah Desjarlais, 35, and Derrick Marsh, 31, are charged with second-degree murder following an investigation by Salamanca Police ... read more

ALBANY — A New York lawmaker is working to push forward legislation that would ensure employees are protected from any future issues with payroll processing companies. A bill introduced by Democratic Sen. Kevin Thomas will be on the Senate’s Judiciary Committee agenda Tuesday, the Times Union reported. Thomas introduced the ... read more

FREDONIA – The Village of Fredonia is in the running to receive a half-million dollar transformation as a top five finalist on the hit reality show “Small Business Revolution.” On Tuesday morning the village found out they made the top five list after it was previously announced they were in ... read more

ALBANY — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is heading to Puerto Rico in the aftermath of earthquakes. The Democrat’s office says he plans to travel to Puerto Rico Tuesday and Wednesday. The ground in southwest Puerto Rico has been shaking since Dec. 28, with more than 1,280 earthquakes, of which ... read more

NEW YORK — A former congressman should serve nearly five years in prison for insider trading, especially after coming to represent “the cynical idea that those in power who make the laws are not required to follow them,” prosecutors said Monday. Christopher Collins, 69, is scheduled to be sentenced on ... read more

JAMESTOWN – An area of High pressure over the northeast will equate out to rather quiet afternoon. However, the winds will be coming right back into play once again on Tuesday with possibly some true winter-time air coming in next week. Through the rest of the day, we’ll call ... read more

RANDOLPH – A Randolph native recently graduated as one of 13 new, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers. Jacob Skudlarek received the rank of ranger during a ceremony in December at the Exposition Center at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse. In total, 13 new rangers ... read more

ALBANY – The number of confirmed flu cases and flu-related hospitalizations are continuing to rise in New York State. Governor Andrew Cuomo is now directing the New York State Department of Health to take additional steps to ensure healthcare facilities are prepared for the remainder of the flu season. The ... read more

SILVER CREEK – New York State Seantor George Borrello braved Lake Erie’s icy waters Sunday during‌ the annual Silver Creek Polar Bear Plunge for charity. This is Borrello’s 16th year raising money for several charities like Oishei Children’s Hospital in Buffalo. The Senator, dressed as The Cat in the Hat’s ... read more

JAMESTOWN – A City of Jamestown man was charged for allegedly driving while intoxicated following an overnight traffic stop Saturday on Jones and Gifford Avenue. The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office reports Eric Barbee, 37, was pulled over after allegedly crossing both the white fog line and the yellow line on ... read more

CARROLTON – A 19-year-old Pennsylvania man was charged Sunday morning for allegedly driving while intoxicated following a crash in Cattaraugus County. The Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office says Tyler Benner, 19, of Gifford, Pennsylvania, was allegedly drunk when he drove his vehicle off the roadway just before 4:30 a.m. Benner is ... read more

JAMESTOWN – Shaking off a 7-0 loss on Friday, the Jamestown Rebels snapped their eight-game losing streak on Saturday after posting a 6-1 win over the Johnstown Tomahawks in their final game of a two-game home series.  Noah Finstrom finished with a three point night for the Rebels, scoring a ... read more

ALBANY – With the huge success of legalized marijuana sales in Illinois, New York is going to re-double its efforts to get legislation passed this year. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo last week highlighted adult-use cannabis legalization as one of his 2020 priorities. His proposal includes forming an office of ... read more

WASHINGTON – The number of Americans who have died from alcohol-related problems annually have more than doubled between 1999 and 2017. Researchers from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism used death certificates to determine the number of alcohol-related deaths. Determined the number of alcohol-related deaths increased ... read more

JAMESTOWN – Some residents in the Southern Tier are waking up in the dark as howling winds moved through the region early Sunday morning. As of 5 a.m., over 500 National Grid customers in Chautauqua County are without power with the majority of those outages occurring in the Village of ... read more

JAMESTOWN – Winds gusting up to 60 mph are expected this weekend as mild spring like temperatures give Jamestown a break from old man winter. Saturday’s high temperature is expected to reach 62 degrees, feeling more like mid-April than January. Saturday will also be breezy, with a south wind 17 ... read more

ALBANY — New York advocates are pushing a bill this session that would ban placement of a prisoner in solitary confinement for more than 15 consecutive days. Legislation supporters chanted at the State Capitol this week and urged lawmakers to pass the proposal, which did not cross the finish line ... read more

ORCHARD PARK – The National Football League is investigating the Buffalo Bills after a player’s tweet revealed that the team may have violated the league’s injury policy.  On Tuesday, Buffalo Bills defensive end Jerry Hughes posted a tweet about playing in the team’s AFC Wild Card game vs. the Houston ... read more

JAMESTOWN – As we’ve been discussing all week, a complex storm system is set to impact Western New York over the weekend with very mild temperatures and the potential for flooding rain in combination with ice and snow melt.  The National Weather Service maintains the Areal Flood Watch for ... read more

ALBANY – New York State Senator George Borrello says Governor Andrew Cuomo’s State of the State Address failed to explain how the state’s budget will be balanced. Borrello says as a former county executive, he knows first hand the challenges governments face in spending wisely. “A lot of talk about ... read more

MAYVILLE – The trial for a woman accused of killing a teen girl last year is now underway. Prosecutors say Ashlyann Lopez-Lopez, 26, stabbed 15-year-old Jefreda Brown during an incident on Lincoln Avenue in Dunkirk last May. Brown died a day after the stabbing at a regional hospital. The trial ... read more