Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

The body of a man who had been missing since last Wednesday has been found. Authorities say the body of 64-year-old David Spink of Wyoming County was recovered from Chautauqua Lake at around 6:45 this morning. They haven’t released any further information yet. The search started a week ago when he didn’t show up to meet a fishing buddy. His truck and boat trailer were found at the Prendergast Point boat launch. His empty boat was found on the shore at Long Point State Park. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Duke Center man is dead after his boat capsized on Chautauqua Lake. State police say 69-year-old Robert Knell Sr. and 65-year-old Roy Barclay of Derrick City were fishing on Friday when their boat flipped over because of high winds and heavy rain. A man and his son, who were also fishing, got Knell and Barclay out of the water and onto a dock. Knell and Barclay, who were both wearing life jackets, were both taken to WCA Hospital in Jamestown for treatment of exposure but Knell later died of oxygen deprivation. Police say severe weather conditions are the cause of the accident. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A sailboat capsized in Chautauqua Lake late Tuesday afternoon, and two people were taken to the hospital after being rescued. The Chautauqua County Navigation Patrol was called to the scene near North Harmony at about 5 p.m. The owner of the boat, 65-year-old Richard Gould of Jamestown, helped in righting the boat and towing it to Long Point State Park Marina. Abby Gould and Carly Gould, who are both 21, were taken to WCA Hospital for evaluation. The sheriff’s office says it appears the boat capsized because of extremely high winds and rough water. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Senator Catharine Young (R,C,I-57th District) and Assemblyman Andy Goodell (R,C-Chautauqua) announced they have secured another $50,000 state grant to help clean up Chautauqua Lake. The funding doubles the $50,000 the lawmakers obtained in the state budget that was passed in March, totaling $100,000 for this fiscal year that will be used by the Chautauqua Lake Association (CLA) to harvest invasive weeds. “This situation has reached a high point of urgency, and Assemblyman Goodell and I were able to convince Albany of the immediate and dire need. You can’t have part of the CLA’s weed harvesting fleet sitting idle and areas not being tackled. Our goal is to get operations humming again to have maximum impact against the weeds this year, while looking at the future and long term management of aquatic invasive species,” Senator Young said. “Our local economy and tax base depends heavily on having a clean and healthy lake. It brings in millions of tourism dollars, is the economic engine...

An Ohio man was hurt in a tubing accident on Chautauqua Lake Sunday afternoon. Sheriff’s deputies say 20-year-old Adam Fludine of Beachwood, Ohio, was tubing with friends off a boat operated by 20-year-old Francis O’Shaughnessy of University Heights, Ohio, when he was thrown off the tube and suffered a neck injury. Fludine was taken to shore by his friends, and was then taken by ambulance to Westfield Hospital. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

For the second time in less than a month a boat caught on fire on Chautauqua Lake. Sheriff’s deputies say 68-year-old John Obey and 58-year-old Cindy Obey of Ashville were on their boat at 9:30 this morning when they saw smoke coming from the engine bay. John Obey opened the compartment and learned the boat was on fire. He was able to put the fire out, but was burned in the process. Personnel from the Lakewood Fire Department helped the Obeys get back to shore. John Obey was treated at WCA Hospital for a burned finger. On Memorial Day, two people were hurt when their boat caught on fire. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A woman is hospitalized and a man was burned after a boat exploded on Chautauqua Lake near Smith Boys Marina Monday afternoon. Chautauqua County Sheriff's deputies say 41-year-old Stephanie Mummert of Fairfield and 43-year-old Thomas Meyers of Mechanicsburg grabbed life vests and jumped into the water. Nearby boaters pulled them from the water and called 911. Mummert is being treated at WCA Hospital in Jamestown for burns to her lower legs. Meyers suffered minor burns and was treated and released. photos from Facebook The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

One man is dead after driving his vehicle into Chautauqua Lake this morning. Sheriff’s deputies got a call at around 5:45 a.m. reporting the vehicle in the lake. They found it about 40 feet beyond the Bemus Point-Stow Ferry Launch submerged in about 4 feet of water. The driver, 64-year-old Mark Swanson of Stow was removed from the vehicle and taken to WCA Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. They say it appears Swanson may have suffered from a medical condition prior to the accident, which is still under investigation. Ashville FD, Bemus Point FD and the county's Water Emergency Team also responded to the scene. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Six students from the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford’s sister college in Japan arrived in Bradford on Wednesday for a two-week stay in the United States. The students from Yokohama College of Commerce arrived with their instructor, Dr. Akiko Sakai, and will hone their English as part of Pitt-Bradford’s Summer Intensive English Program. Students will live on campus and visit local attractions such as Chautauqua (N.Y.) Lake, the Zippo/Case Museum, Festa Italiana, the Seneca Iroquois National Museum in Salamanca, N.Y., Crook Farm and the McKean County Fair. On Sunday, the students will visit Niagara Falls, and next week they will attend the Potter County Bowhunter Festival at Ski Denton. Members of the community will host the students in their homes for dinners, barbecues and game nights. Before returning to Japan, the students will visit New York City, where they will see the off-Broadway show STOMP and explore the city. ...

Boaters on Chautauqua Lake are being warned that the “aids to navigation” beacon lights on the Route 86 lake bridge will be out until further notice. Chautauqua County Sheriff’s deputies say plans are being made to repair the lights, but no date for the repairs has been set yet.

The Chautauqua County dive team went back into the Ashville Bay area of the lake this morning to search for a man who fell off a boat Sunday evening. Chautauqua County Sheriff's deputies, state police and volunteer fire departments are conducting the search for Colin Speta of Lakewood, NY. Sheriff's deputies say two boats were together on the lake when Speta, who was in the front of one of the boats, got tossed into the water by a wave. ~~~ A man who was inner tubing in the Magnolia area of Chautauqua Lake got pulled into a rotating propeller, which severely cut his leg. Sheriff's deputies say the man fell off the inner tube and couldn't get back on. He got pulled into the propeller while trying to return to the inner tube He was taken to WCA Hospital in Jamestown. Sheriff's deputies didn't release the man's name. ~~~ On Saturday afternoon at Bemus Bay on Chautauqua Lake, a boat operated by 18-year-old Natalie Generalovich of Pittsburgh hit another vessel, w...