A 31 year old Carthage man was arrested after he was allegedly found hiding inside Community Bank in Black River yesterday morning. Jefferson County Sheriff's Deputies report that Michael Lowe was charged with second-degree burglary, third-degree criminal mischief, fourth-degree grand larceny, second-degree criminal trespass, fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, & attempted petit larceny. According to Investigators, Lowe allegedly stole a pickup truck in the town of Champion and drove it to the bank, where he smashed a window to get inside. Once inside, Lowe reportedly smashed some cameras and did other damage inside the bank while trying to get into safes and the main vault. A bank employee arrived at work yesterday morning & noticed something was wrong and called police. Police responded to the scene and found Lowe hiding inside a closet. He was arraigned on the charges in Town of Champion Court and ordered held in the Jefferson County Jail in lieu of $25,000 bail. Police report that no money was taken from the bank.
A 46 year old Canastota woman is facing several charges. New York State Police in Remsen report that Tracy Jones was charged with Criminal Contempt in the First Degree, Criminal Mischief 4th Degree, and Harassment 2nd Degree for allegedly violating a stay away order of protection when she physically harassed the protected party and damaged property belonging to the protected party while at a home located in the Town of Floyd. She was arraigned in the Village of New York Mills Court and was remanded to the Oneida County Jail in lieu of $5,000 bail.
An 18 year old Boonville man is facing a charge of harassment 2nd degree. Boonville Police report that Bradley Okusko was charged stemming from an incident that occurred on April 23rd in a parking lot on East Schuyler Street, where Okusko allegedly chased another person & pushed them to the pavement. He was issued a criminal summons returnable to Village of Boonville Court tonight to answer the charges.
A 37 year old Ava man was in Lewis County Court to answer drug charges. According to the court report from the Johnson Newspapers, Benjamin Gallo pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a controlled substance 5th & 7th degree & was approved by Judge Daniel King to sign a Drug Court contract. Also in Lewis County Court, 44 year old Cameron Carter of Copenhagen had his case of felony DWI, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle 1st degree, refusal to submit to a breath test, having no license plate and failing to keep right adjourned to June 7th. 52 year old Brian Aikens of Plattsburgh had his case of reckless endangerment, unlawfully fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle 3rd degree, reckless driving, failing to comply, improper passing, moving from a lane unsafely and two counts of speeding adjourned to June 7th. 33 year old Andrew Meda of Lowville had his case resulting from last month's drug sweep in Lewis County adjourned to July 17th. 31 year old Carissa Blair pled guilty to DWAI/drugs and aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle 3rd degree and sentencing was set for July 17th. 35 year old Billie Wilmot had his case of criminal sex act 1st degree, two counts apiece of rape 3rd degree and sexual abuse 1st degree, four counts of sexual abuse 3rd degree and five counts of criminal sex act 3rd degree set for a June 10th trial.
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who is a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, is urging Congress not to tighten its fiscal belt on the backs of children, seniors, veterans, and families facing a constant struggle against hunger. Senator Gillibrand is leading a coalition of one-third of her Senate colleagues pushing the Agriculture Committee to fully fund the nation's food stamp program and restore the already proposed cuts. Senator Gillibrand also announced her plans to introduce an amendment to the Farm Bill to restore the proposed Senate cuts, as she did last year when the bill was on the Senate floor. The 2012 Farm Bill passed the Senate but was never signed into law due to the House of Representatives not taking up their version of the Farm Bill. Republicans from both the Senate and House have also introduced legislation that would cut billions of dollars from the national food stamp program as well as make fewer families eligible.
Deer are on the move across New York & often end up in the middle of the road and in the paths of drivers. Authorities report that drivers can expect to see deer on rural and suburban roads and highways from May through June, especially between dusk and dawn. Last year, over 2,000 incidents involving deer were reports on the State Thruway alone. Drivers can help avoid problems with deer simply by being aware of the animals. If you see a deer on the side of the road, the best approach is to slow down in case they bolt into the roadway. Also, deer tend to move in groups; so drivers should anticipate that if there is one deer on the side of the road, there may be more. If a deer is in the path of your car, drivers should apply their brakes firmly, & do not swerve as it can cause you to lose control of your vehicle. If you do hit a deer, make sure you don't approach it or touch it. Instead, call 911 to have it properly taken care of.
