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$1M in funds to assist Jamestown with brownfields

Jamestown is slated to receive $1 million, U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced Wednesday, in federal support to help assess, clean up, redevelop, and reuse contaminated and abandoned properties. Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law Schumer led to passage in the Senate, the support was allocated through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields Program. Grant funds in Jamestown will be used to conduct up to six Phase I and up to six Phase II environmental site assessments and support cleanup and reuse planning and community ...

Paint CHQ mural project to begin in Dunkirk

The Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Growth (CCPEG) is pleased to announce the commencement of a new public art mural at 125 Central Ave. in Dunkirk, as part of the Paint CHQ program that launched in 2025. After several delays prevented the originally selected artist from creating ...

Handicaptain highlight of Friday event

Dunkirk Pier’s new “Handicaptain,” which assists mobility-challenged people with boat access, will be highlighted Friday at the Tenth Annual Veterans Fishing Day. The boat access station was installed last July. Adam Begley, founder of HandiCaptain Brands, LLC, built it with a couple assistants. HandiCaptain later installed a second unit at the pier on Barcelona Harbor in Westfield. Begley proudly informed the OBSERVER that Dunkirk’s Handicaptain “will be providing A.D.A. Boat Access for the handicapped, disabled, and elderly veterans for their beloved, annual event, put on ...

Rustic Ramblers to perform in Cassadaga

The Citizens for a Better Cassadaga invites everyone to Cassadaga Beach on Sunday, June 28 to enjoy the music of the Rustic Ramblers. Preservation of classic country music is this band’s goal as it is the basis for much of the popular music of today. They will be performing on the Cassadaga ...

Dunkirk man sentenced for cocaine possession

Dunkirk man sentenced for cocaine possession A Dunkirk man has been sentenced for possession of illegal drugs. According to District Attorney Jason Schmidt, 42-year-old Jorge Negron Velasquez was sentenced by Judge David Foley to 6 years in state prison with 3 years of post-release supervision after being convicted of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. In February 2024, the Dunkirk Police Department conducted a traffic stop of Negron Velasquez and located a large quantity of cocaine following a search of the vehicle he was driving. In July 2024, Negron ...

Frewsburg man pleads guilty to obscenity charge

Raymond Mason, 54, of Frewsburg, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to possession of obscene visual depictions following a prior conviction, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who is handling the case, stated that in February 2010, Mason was convicted of possession of child pornography and attempted receipt of child pornography, and was sentenced to serve 144 months in prison and a term of supervised release of life. On July 15, 2024, United ...