Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

The stepmother of one of the Backstreet Boys is in Chautauqua County Jail, charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs. 39-year-old Ginger Carter of Mayville was stopped at just before 7 o’clock last night in Chautauqua when police were responding to another incident and saw that she failed to use a turn signal. During the traffic stop they discovered she was impaired by drugs. Because she was convicted of a DWI-related offense within the past 10 years, this is a felony. Carter, who married Robert Carter in 2004, appeared on "House of Carters" in 2006 with her stepson Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A woman accused of taking pills to an inmate in the Chautauqua County Jail found herself behind bars, too. Sheriff’s deputies say at about 2 o’clock Thursday afternoon 44-year-old Laurie Schrecengost of Celeron passed two morphine sulfate pills, 2 Xanax pills and two Oxycodone pills to 25-year-old Kevin Schrecengost. In addition to his original burglary and theft charges, Kevin is now charged with promoting prison contraband and criminal possession of a controlled substance. Laurie is also charged with promoting prison contraband and possession, as well as criminal sale of a controlled substance. Her bail is $5,000. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

After allegedly ramming his vehicle into a Winnebago on purpose a Mayville, New York, man is facing a couple of charges. 49-year-old Ricky Zentz allegedly drove his vehicle to a camp site in the Town of Chautauqua at just after 9 o’clock last night and rammed the Winnebago while people were inside of it. Sheriff’s deputies say he also tried to hit a person outside the camper with his vehicle. Zentz was charged with criminal mischief and reckless endangerment and sent to jail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A 17-year-old Chautauqua County boy is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from a relative’s safe. Sheriff’s deputies say Tyler Conway of Mayville broke into a safe in a relative’s home and stole about $3,500. He is charged with grand larceny and criminal mischief. Conway was arraigned in Town of Chautauqua Court and released to his father. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Sheriff’s deputies say they found syringes and other drug paraphernalia in a car they stopped for speeding early this morning. They say they stopped the vehicle at 1:20 a.m. in the Village of Mayville and saw what appeared to be narcotic packaging material in the wallet of 43-year-old Edward Wood of Westfield while he was getting his driver’s license out. They searched the vehicle and found a quantity of a controlled substance, as well as two syringes and the other paraphernalia. Wood was arrested driving while ability impaired by drugs and criminal possession of a controlled substance and a hypodermic instrument, as well as a couple of traffic violations. Image from Google Earth © The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Two Mayville, New York, teenagers are in jail for allegedly stealing items from two businesses. Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Investigators Doug Walter and Tim Hollern say after a very lengthy investigation that started in July they arrested a 17-year-old and a 16-year-old Wednesday night. They say the teens stole numerous items from 3 Seas Recreation and the Chautauqua Belle. The 16-year-old also stole an ATV in the Town of Chautauqua. The ATV and all the other items have been recovered. The teenagers are both charged with burglary, grand larceny, petit larceny and criminal mischief. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Three Mayville, New York, residents have been arrested for allegedly growing marijuana on their property. Sheriff’s deputies say on July 16 they harvested a small amount of marijuana growing at 107 Valley Street. After completing their investigation they arrested 54-year-old Suanne Carroll, 23-year-old Eric Courtier and 19-year-old Robin Johnson-Dearing. All three are charged unlawful possession of and growing marijuana and are scheduled to appear in Town of Chautauqua Court. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

For the second time this month a Chautauqua County woman has been charged after letting a child wander the streets of Mayville. At around 9:15 this morning sheriff’s deputies responded to a call about a lost child wandering on East Chautauqua Avenue. They found the child and the mother, 21-year-old Clarissa Dickey, and charged her with endangering the welfare of a child. Back on July 5 her 3-year-old was found wandering alone in the neighborhood at 10:30 a.m. and again later that day. Dickey will appear in Town of Chautauqua Court at a later date to answer both charges. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A grand jury has handed up an indictment charging a Mayville, New York, woman with robbing the Southern Chautauqua Federal Credit Union back in April. 35-year-old Jennifer Gens is accused of going into the bank in Clymer on April 17, handing a teller a note demanding money and indicating that she had a gun. She got away on foot with an undisclosed amount of money. She was arraigned on a charged of third-degree robbery and is jailed on $75,000 cash bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Mayville woman is facing charges after her toddler was found wandering through a neighborhood alone twice in the same day. At around 10:30 a.m. on July 5 the 3-year-old was found wandering in the neighborhood of Chautauqua Street in Mayville. Sheriff’s deputies returned the child to his mother. Later that day the same child was found wandering in the same neighborhood. Sheriff’s deputies then charged 21-year-old Clarissa Dickey with endangering the welfare of a child. She’s scheduled to appear in Chautauqua Court. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A woman is accused of hitting a sheriff’s deputy who was arresting her for disorderly conduct. Deputies say they got a call about a woman in the road on Water Street in the village of Mayville at 7:30 this morning. When they arrived, 19-year-old Alexandria Earls was still in the road. They say while they were interviewing her she got belligerent and hit a deputy. She was charged with disorderly conduct and harassment and was sent to jail on $1,000 cash bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Four teenagers are facing charges after being found on the roof of the Chautauqua County Municipal Building. Sheriff’s deputies say the got a report at around 2 a.m. on the morning on August 12 about people on the roof of the Mayville building. K-9 officer Drago found the area where the teens climbed onto the roof. Deputies found them and escorted them back down. Three of the teens are 16 years old; the other is 17. They are all charged with trespassing and are scheduled to appear in Town of Chautauqua Court.

An elderly Mayville man is dead after part of a tree he was cutting fell on him. Sheriff’s deputies say 84-year-old Fredrick Hannum was in the woods near his Hannum Road home attempting to cut up a tree that had uprooted on his property. Hannum apparently cut the tree and walked behind the stump/root portion, which fell on him. He was under the tree, and had already died when rescue personnel arrived. County Coroner John Sixbey pronounced Hannum dead at the scene. Rescuers got help from the Town of Chautauqua Highway Department’s heavy equipment to move the tree.

A Mayville teenager is facing assault charges for breaking another teen’s jaw during a fight. Sheriff’s deputies say a 16-year-old got into a fight with an 18-year-old from Bemus Point, and during the fight the 16-year-old punched the 18-year-old in the jaw and broke it. The 18-year-old was taken to Westfield Memorial Hospital then transferred to Hamot Medical Center in Erie. The 16-year-old turned himself in. He was arraigned and released on his own recognizance.

A Mayville man is facing charges for stealing cases of beer from the walk-in cooler at Piper’s Alley Bar early this morning. Sheriff’s deputies say 23-year-old Andrew Mayer took two cases of beer out a side door of the building. He was seen in the parking lot of a neighboring business. The bar owner confronted him and, after a brief conversation, Mayer fled the scene. Deputies caught up with him and charged him with petit larceny and criminal possession of stolen property. He will appear in Chautauqua Town Court at a later date.

The National Weather Service says there were reports of at least four tornadoes in Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties Saturday evening. During a news conference at 9 p.m., the NWS said the first was spotted in the area of the Chautauqua Institute. One of the twisters had a seven-mile path of destruction that was 150 yards wide. They estimated the wind speed of that tornado at 125 miles per hour. So far there are no reports of injuries. Bradford resident Kristin Asinger told The Buffalo News she saw the funnel cloud descend from the sky and touch down near Chautauqua Lake. Tornadoes also made their way to Randolph in Cattaraugus County, where a twister knocked down gas pumps at a Sugar Creek store. http://www.buffalonews.com/weather/article80888.ece Photo by Brandon Teribery, used with permission from Kristin Asinger