Phase 3 Sewer Expansion Around Chautauqua Lake Advances

March 11, 2026

CELORON - Chautauqua County officials are moving forward with Phase 3 of the South & Center Chautauqua Lake Sewer District (SCCLSD) expansion, marking the final stretch in the decades-long effort to establish public sewer service around Chautauqua Lake. Phase 3 will extend public sewer infrastructure from Point Chautauqua to Midway State Park, effectively closing the remaining gap and completing the system connection around the lake’s south and northern basins. County Executive PJ Wendel called the announcement one of the most significant infrastructure advancements in recent ...

Dunkirk man charged after two brief police chases

March 11, 2026

A Dunkirk man driving on a revoked non-driver's identification card led police on two chases Tuesday in the town of Hanover and the city of Dunkirk. At 12:45 a.m. Tuesday, David P. Topliffe, 45, of Dunkirk was charged with third-degree aggravated unlicensed operation, second-degree obstructing governmental administration, resisting arrest, third-degree unlawfully fleeing a police officer and several traffic violations after leading deputies on a short pursuit from Hanover into the city of Dunkirk after deputies tried to pull his vehicle over for an alleged inspection violation. ...

City Woman Charged With Leandra’s Law Violation After Accident With School Bus

March 11, 2026

A Jamestown woman has been charged with a felony Leandra's Law violation after allegedly backing into a school bus on Martin Road near Brad Street recently. Emily K. Depane, 34, of Jamestown was charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs, driving while ability impaired by drugs with a passenger under 16 (felony Leandra's Law), unsafe backing, seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child at 3 p.m. March 5. Police responded to a report of a property damage accident involving a vehicle and a school bus. Depane ...

Former Randolph Post Office Employee Pleads Guilty

March 10, 2026

BUFFALO - Melissa Olson, 47, of Randolph pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra Jr. to theft of mail by postal employee, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who is handling the case, said Olson was hired by the United States Postal Service (USPS) in 2023 as a rural carrier associate assigned to the Randolph Post Office. Between April and May 2023, Olson opened a stamped, first-class mail envelope that had been entrusted to her for delivery and removed a Visa gift card from the envelope. ...

Jamestown Man Pleads Guilty To Drug Possession, Kidnapping In Federal Court

March 10, 2026

BUFFALO - Dwayne Lowery aka Chi Chi, 31, of Jamestown pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and kidnapping, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of life, and a fine of $5,000,000. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Donna M. Duncan, Joshua A. Violanti, and Louis A. Testani, who are handling the case, stated that on December 7, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Lowery’s West Cowden Place residence, seizing 59 grams of fentanyl, $1,140 in cash, and ...

Second Person Charged In Relation To 2025 Shooting

March 9, 2026

A second Jamestown man has been charged in connection to an early morning shooting July 24, 2025, near East Second and Cheney streets. Jamestown police on Monday announced that Ian N. Sanchez, 24, of Jamestown has been indicted by a Chautauqua County Grant Jury on charges of attempted murder ...