Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Investigators believe a violinist with the Chautauqua Symphony probably surprised a burglar in in home on Tuesday, and that person then shot her and stole her car. They say 61-year-old Mary Whitaker was found inside her Westfield home Wednesday afternoon after friends and family members could not contact her. Investigators believe she died of a gunshot wound and had been dead for nearly a day when her body was discovered. Her car was found today in Erie, where at least one of her credit cards was used on Peach Street. Sheriff Joe Gerace, District Attorney David Foley and US Attorney William Hochul will be holding a news conference in Mayville later this afternoon. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Chautauqua County Sheriff Joseph A. Gerace announced today that a drug drop box has been installed in the lobby of the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office in Mayville, NY. The drop box was acquired at no cost to the taxpayers through a grant provided by The National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators (NADDI). The drop box is available to the public 24 hours a day; its use is anonymous and free of charge. Sheriff Gerace stated, “The proper disposal of prescription drugs will help prevent these substances from falling into the wrong hands and is also much safer for the environment than to have the drugs flushed down the toilet or placed into the landfill”. Both prescription drugs and illegal drugs will be accepted at the drop box. No needles or other “sharps” will be accepted. The Sheriff’s Office also has received funding for a second drug drop box which is slated for deployment in a location in the north county in the near future. Photo of Sheriff Gerace provided by his ...

Pictured, Dispatcher Michael Katta (left) and Sheriff Joe Gerace Photo provided by Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

(News Release) Effective Monday, the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office 911 Center will begin dispatching for the New York State Police Barracks in both Jamestown and Fredonia. Currently, the State Police dispatches Troopers from the Jamestown Barracks on Rt. 60 in the Town of Ellicott. On December 16th, the police phone lines from the Barracks will be transferred to the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office 911 Center and the Troopers will switch to the Sheriff’s Office police radio frequency as their primary channel. All 911 calls via cell phones are currently received by the Sheriff’s Office 911 Center. Staff at the State Police Barracks for non-emergency business may still be contacted by calling 716-665-3114 or 716-679-1520. There will also be an emergency call box located at the front door of the Jamestown and Fredonia Barracks in the event a citizen arrives at the Barracks with an emergency. The call box will ring into the 911 center and the closest available police car will b...

The four suspects in Wednesday’s double homicide in Carroll, New York, are scheduled to be in court next week, and one of them will be represented by a Bradford native. 34-year-old Davide Coggins, along with 21-year-old Joshua McCormick, 18-year-old Steven Todd and 18-year-old Ricky Knickerbocker of Elmira, were arrested in Elmira Thursday morning after a manhunt. They are charged with two counts each of second-degree murder in connection to the deaths of 66-year-old Gordon Skinner and his wife, 59-year-old Joyce Skinner, who were found by firefighters inside their burning home. All four suspects will be back in Carroll Court Thursday morning for preliminary hearings with their court-appointed attorneys. Bradford native Lyle Hajdu will be representing Steven Todd. During a news conference on Thursday, Sheriff Joe Gerace said law enforcement is certain this was a home invasion that ended up in the deaths of the victims. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Four people have been arrested for the double homicide in the Chautauqua County Town of Carroll on Wednesday. Their names have not been released yet, but Sheriff Joe Gerace says they were picked up in Elmira and will likely be arraigned later today. Gerace says the scene inside the Wheeler Hill Road home was the worst he's ever seen, and said a firearm was not used. The names of the victims have not been releaesd yet either.

UPDATE: Taglianetti is back in Chautauqua County. Watch the video of his arrival taken by WGRZ-TV. The Virginia man accused of shooting and killing Clymer School Superintendent Keith Reed Jr. will be back in Chautauqua County today. Sheriff Joe Gerace says two deputies went to Virginia on Monday to pick up Anthony Robert Taglianetti, and they are expected to be back in New York by 3 or 4 o’clock this afternoon. The 42-year-old will be taken to the county jail today, and is scheduled for his first court appearance in Chautauqua County tomorrow morning. He will be arraigned on a charge of second-degree murder. Taglianetti is accused of shooting Reed outside his Clymer home back in September because he believed Reed had a relationship with his estranged wife. Taglianetti who, at first, refused to waive extradition, has been jailed in Prince William County, Virginia, since he was captured a week after the shooting. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The man accused of fatally shooting Clymer School Superintendent Keith Reed Jr. back in September could be back in Chautauqua County this week. District Attorney David Foley says in a news release that Anthony Robert Taglianetti failed to file a writ of habeas corpus in Prince William County, Va., where he is being held. Taglianetti, who refused to waive extradition proceedings after he was picked up in Virginia on September 28, is eligible for an “immediate return” to Chautauqua County to face a charge of second-degree murder. Sheriff Joe Gerace says his office his making arrangements to pick up Taglianetti. Reed was found dead September 24 outside his home. Taglianetti was named as a suspect a couple of days later, and was picked up the next day. Authorities believe Taglianetti shot Reed three times because he believed Reed was having an affair with his wife. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Deputies are looking for the driver of a car involved in a fatal accident early this morning in the Town of Hanover. Sheriff Joe Gerace says a car driven by 22-year-old Jeremiah Burgess was traveling west on routes 5 and 20 at 3 a.m. when the car went out of control and crashed into a concrete abutment in the ditch on the south side of the road. His passenger, 22-year-old Jeremy Long of Silver Creek, was pronounced dead at the scene. Burgess is 6 feet tall and weighs 270 pounds. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call the sheriff’s office. Pictured, Jeremiah Burgess The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Anthony Robert Taglianetti is fighting extradition to Chautauqua County. During a hearing this morning in Virginia, the 42-year-oldl man charged with second-degree murder in the death of Clymer Schools Superintendent Keith Reed Jr. did not waive extradition. Sheriff Joe Gerace says Taglianetti will remain jailed in Prince William County, Virginia, until an extradition hearing can be held. Gerace says that could take up to 30 days. District Attorney David Foley is handling extradition procedures. Taglianetti was picked up in Virginia Friday, a week after he allegedly shot and killed Reed outside his Clymer home. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Virginia man has been named as the suspect in the killing of Clymer School District Superintendent Keith Reed Jr. Anthony Robert Taglianetti is considered armed and dangerous, according to Chautauqua County Sheriff Joe Gerace who held a news conference this afternoon along with District Attorney David Foley. They believe he is in Virginia now, but have put out a nationwide alert. Gerace and Foley said the murder has nothing to do with Reed’s job, but was not a random act of violence. They believe they know the reason Taglianetti killed Reed, but are not disclosing that because it’s an ongoing investigation. They say they know Taglianetti was in Clymer in Friday, and they believe that’s when Reed was killed. Foley says the main purpose of the news conference was to find Taglianetti. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Authorities believe the father of the Sheridan Fire Chief who died after being shot accidentally killed his son. 33-year-old Jeffrey Roberts died of a gunshot wound he received while hunting in the town of Stockton on December 3. During a news conference this morning Chautauqua County Sheriff Joe Gerace and District Attorney David Foley said the shot was fired from a Winchester 7mm rifle that Roberts' 72-year-old father was carrying at the time. Gerace says Roberts was bent over dressing a deer and had removed his orange hunting apparel. William Roberts, who is suffering from a terminal illness, says he has no memory of the incident. Foley says no charges will be filed. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Convicted cop killer Ralph "Bucky" Phillips is suing the sheriffs of Chautauqua and Chemung counties, claiming he was mistreated while being held in the county jails. Phillips claims sheriffs Joe Gerace and Chris Moss violated his civil rights by, among other things, not allowing him to exercise outside of his cell, have visitors or get medical attention for his back. No court dates have been scheduled yet in the case. Phillips is serving a life sentence for shooting and killing New York State Trooper Joseph Longobardo during the longest manhunt in state history. He also shot and wounded troopers Sean Brown and Donald Baker Jr.