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Attention: Sentencing is scheduled for next month in the case of a former Town of Lewis Clerk accused of stealing approximately $250,000 from the town. Melissa Wagner-Dano had pled guilty back in April to wire fraud transfer in US District Court with sentencing to be held on August 16th. Due to the amount of money allegedly taken adversely impacting the town, Town of Lewis officials are writing a letter to the court expressing it‘s opinion regarding the sentence to be imposed, which reportedly could range from supervised release to 20 years in prison. The Town Board states that if the taxpayers & residents of the Town have an opinion as to the sentence that should be imposed by the court, it should be expressed in writing & addressed to the Honorable Norman A. Mordue, Chief Judge, US District Court, PO Box 7367, Syracuse, NY 13261.
Due to numerous requests for the number, if anyone is experiencing odors coming from the Ava Landfill, they are asked to call 942-4857. Closings & Delays: None at this time
Local News: July 30, 2010 Title: Lowville man charged with possession of stolen property A 74 year old Lowville man was charged with criminal possession of stolen property 5th degree. Lowville Police report that Bernard Rubar was charged after he was allegedly given prescription medication that had been stolen from Kinney Drugs by another associate in the Kinney’s parking lot. Rubar was issued an appearance ticket returnable to Village of Lowville Court at a later date.
Title: Layoffs & wage freezes anticipated in county budget The 2011 Oneida County Budget process is underway. County Department heads have submitted their 2011 budgets to County Executive Anthony Picente. Mr. Picente reports that the county is estimating an $8 million budget shortfall due to $7 million in federal stimulus money that was in the 2010 budget will not be in the 2011 spending plan as well as county drawing $1 million less from the fund balance. In addition, 4 out of 5 union contracts will expire at the end of the year, so unions may make concessions to help close the budget gap. Picente stated that he would like to avoid a tax increase & is anticipating everything from layoffs to wage freezes in the 2011 budget. Budget hearings will begin next month as Picente, the Finance Commission, Budget Director, & Department heads will go through the spending plan line by line with the goal of having a budget to present to the Board of Legislators by October 5th for approval by the middle of November.
Title: Boonville Firemen called to smoke report Boonville Firemen were called out last night. Fire Chief Dave Pritchard reports that the call went out at around 9 p.m. for a report of smoke near the Boonville Elementary Building on Ford Street. Firemen checked the area & could see or smell any smoke & returned to service a short time later.
Title: Hiking & biking trail maps available on GPS Those planning hiking & biking excursions in the Town of Webb now have a new tool to make their experience more enjoyable. The Town of Webb has teamed up with Mohawk Valley GIS to map the trails, including their length & difficulty & make them available to download to your GPS or phone. The maps can be downloaded at home or at the Tourist Information Center if the staff has time. Maps can be accessed through a link online at www.oldforgeny.com/recreation.html. For more information on the recreational opportunities in the Town of Webb area, call the Tourist Information Center at 369-6983.
Title: Police officer shot after bank robbery The manhunt continues for a suspect in the robbery yesterday morning at NBT Bank in Rome. Authorities report that robbery occurred shortly after 9 a.m. when 2 men entered the bank & a shot was fired in the bank, but no injuries were reported. Police were soon in pursuit of a gold Mitsubishi Gallant. One of the suspects, identified as 24 year old Ikiko Brown of Utica was taken into custody on the Cavanaugh Road in the Town of Marcy & will be arraigned today in Rome Court. The 2nd suspect, identified as 31 year old Brian Brown, fled to the area of the Mulaney Road, near the SUNY IT Campus. Oneida County Sheriff‘s Deputy Michael Burger was wounded in the ankle during an exchange of gunfire. SUNY IT was in lockdown, as was the Bank of America location on Horatio Drive, which means personnel are being told to stay inside. A State Police Helicopter was in the sky over the wooded area where the suspect is believed to be. State Police, Oneida County Sheriff‘s Deputies, Utica & Rome Police, as well as other law enforcement agencies are currently involved in the search.
Title: Rome man killed in motorcycle accident A 56 year old Rome man was killed in a 2-vehicle accident that occurred at around 3:33 p.m. yesterday afternoon at the intersection of the Rome-New London Road & Oswego Road in Rome. State Police out of Sylvan Beach report that a vehicle driven by 34 year old Hope Peck of Rome allegedly failed to yield the right of way & made a left turn onto the Rome-New London Road, striking a motorcycle head-on that was operated by David Page. Page was transported to Rome Hospital by AmCare Ambulance, where he later died from his injuries. Peck was ticketed for failure to yield the right of way. The accident remains under investigation.
Title: Lowville woman charged with petit larceny & drug possession A 27 year old Lowville woman was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance & 2 counts of petit larceny. Lowville Police report that Jessica Deblasiis was charged after she entered Kinney Drugs & allegedly stole a prescription medication consisting of hydrocodone tablets & a pack of cigarettes. She was issued appearance tickets returnable to Village of Lowville Court at a later date.
July 29, 2010 Title: Governor moving up date of layoffs Governor David Paterson has announced that he is moving up the timetable for layoffs of state workers in spite of labor unions stating that they have a document which prevents that action. The Governor stated that the union leaders’ refusal to negotiate has left him no choice but to resort to layoffs. He did not offer a date or month for the layoffs, but said that planning would begin immediately.
Title: Castorland woman charged with confinement of animal A 26 year old Castorland woman was charged with confinement of a companion animal in a motor vehicle. Lowville Police report that Tabitha Allen was charged after police received a complaint that a puppy was in a vehicle for about 30 minutes with the windows rolled up & the vehicle not running. Upon investigation, Allen was located in a nearby store. She was issued an appearance ticket returnable to Village of Lowville Court at a later date.
Title: Mapping van to work across 2 counties Select roads & streets in Jefferson & Lewis Counties will be digitally mapped using a high-tech van starting next week. Transmap Corp., based out of Ohio, has contracted with both counties as well as 13 of their towns & villages to digitally map over 1,300 miles of roads & streets with that information to be stored on new servers that will be maintained by the counties. While a kickoff event has been scheduled for next week, the van will start mapping roads on Friday. The van will collect video footage of the pavement surface as well as the positions of signs, culverts, fire hydrants, water shut-off valves, as well as other objects. Local traffic should not be impacted by the mapping operations as the van is able to collect data at normal highway speeds.
Title: AT&T to honor police officer A Rome Police Officer will be honored next week for his heroic actions. Officer Donald Moore will be honored by AT&T, the City of Rome, & the Communications Workers of America during the Summer Concert Series, held on the lawn of Rome City Hall on Monday at 6:30 p.m. On May 27th, Moore was off-duty & shopping in the AT&T Store in Whitestown when Abraham Dickan entered the store reportedly intending to kill 6 employees, shooting & wounding 1. Moore then used his personal weapon to shoot & kill Dickan before he could shoot anyone else. The store employee that was wounded in the attack survived his wounds.
Title: Schoolhouse to be restored Restoration of a 185-year-old schoolhouse is a community project. The nonprofit Wethersfield Historical Preservation Society, whose members have spent their summers replacing the Wethersfield Schoolhouse roof, which was completed last year, which makes it waterproof for the winter & now are re-painting the stone walls. The one-room schoolhouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built in 1825 & served the Wethersfield community between Barneveld and Holland Patent at the intersection of Route 365 and Pierce Road and was used as a school until the mid-1930s. That was when the district merged with Holland Patent schools. The preservation group, whose members include former Wethersfield students, have applied for grants and have received a few thousand dollars from people in the community wanting to preserve the building. It is not known how much it will take to complete the restoration with all the repairs being done to make the building as historically accurate as possible. There is no time frame for the completion of the project, but restoration members state that the goal is not to have the schoolhouse stand as just a museum, but something that is used by the community.
Title: Vice-President visits Fort Drum The Vice-President of the United States visited Fort Drum yesterday to welcome home troops returning from Iraq. Joe Biden, along with his wife Jill, joined some 2,600 soldiers & their families at a welcome home ceremony for members of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team at Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield. The Vice-President praised the soldiers for preparing Iraqi security forces to safeguard their future as a sovereign & self-reliant country, adding that the soldiers climbed to glory & have returned to a proud & grateful nation.
Title: Fire damages home in Rutland A portion of State Route 126 was closed last evening as firefighters from 6 departments battled a house fire. Fire Officials report that dispatchers received a report at around 7:25 p.m. of a fire at 26901 State Route 126. Black River, Copenhagen, Watertown, Tylerville, Felts Mills, & Champion Fire Departments responded. The fire apparently started in the garage & then spread to the home. It was not known if anyone was home at the time of the fire. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
July 28, 2010 Title: Bequest to support Lowville projects A bequest from a late judge’s estate will be used to fund community projects in the Lowville area. Long-time Lewis County Judge George Davis passed away in February & the Northern New York Community Foundation will receive a reported 6-figure gift from the judge’s estate. Foundation officials are not sure of the exact amount yet, but it should enable about $10,000 in grant funding annually. Foundation grant recipients are selected by the Board of Directors with a 3-person advisory committee, made of the Lowville Mayor, Lowville Academy Superintendent, & principal clerk or law assistant to the county judge recommending which projects are awarded from the George Davis Fund. The 1st round of grants from the new fund will likely be awarded sometime next year.
Title: Lowville man sentenced to prison A 33 year old Lowville man was in Lewis County Court for sentencing after reportedly failing to complete the county drug court program,. Nicky Manor was sentenced as a 2nd felony offender to 3-6 years in state prison, $8.25 in restitution, & $320 in court fees on a charge of burglary 3rd degree. Also in Lewis County Court, 34 year old Walter Martin of Lowville had his case of 2 counts criminal diversion of prescription medication, & 1 count of criminal sale of a controlled substance 5th degree dismissed due to lack of evidence. 45 year old Charles Simmons of Massena was sentenced to time served in the county jail, 5 years probation, 6 month suspension of his driver‘s license, & $375 in court fees on a charge of criminal possession of marijuana. 19 year old Jacob Farney of Lowville was sentenced to 5 years probation, 50 hours of community service, & $375 in court fees on a charge of criminal possession of stolen property 4th degree. 21 year old Merle Whipple IV of Copenhagen was sentenced to 1 year probation, $618.05 restitution & $200 in court fees on a charge of attempted assault 3rd degree. Judge Charles Merrell also issued a 5 year order of protection on the victim‘s behalf.
Title: Boonville man appears in court on criminal mischief charge A 20 year old Boonville man was in Lewis County Court to answer a charge of criminal mischief 4th degree, Robert Platt pled guilty to the charge & will be sentenced October 8th. 31 year old Shannon Overton of Greig pled innocent to 2 counts each of welfare fraud 3rd, 4th, 5th degree, grand larceny 4th degree, petit larceny, & offering a false instrument for filing 1st degree. Her case was adjourned until August 20th. 59 year old David Hirschey of Lowville pled innocent to grand larceny 3rd degree & scheme to defraud 1st degree. His case was adjourned until October 8th. 47 year old Mark Benson of Harrisville had his case of aggravated DWI adjourned until August 27th. 37 year old Scott Czajka of Glenfield had a possible trial date set for September 13th on 3 counts each of criminal sale & possession of a controlled substance 3rd degree. 27 year old Brian Raymond of the Snell Road had sentencing on charges of obstruction of governmental administration 2nd degree & DWI adjourned until August 20th.
Title: 3 injured in 3-vehicle accident A 3-vehicle personal injury accident in Rome remains under investigation. State Police out of Lee report that a pickup truck driven by 33 year old Aaron Baker of Rome was eastbound on State Route 69 when he reportedly failed to keep right & entered the westbound lane, sideswiping a van driven by 40 year old Paul Casler Jr. of Camden. Baker then continued eastbound in the westbound lane & struck a vehicle head-on driven by 67 year old David Prosser of Taberg. Baker, Prosser & passenger Doris Prosser were taken to St. Elizabeth‘s Hospital. Troopers issued Baker several tickets, all returnable to Rome Court at a later date.
Title: Governor forcing reconsideration of his ideas Governor David Paterson is forcing the State Legislature to reconsider some of his proposals that have already been rejected by lawmakers. The Governor has ordered the legislature recalled to finally finish the state budget, which is approaching 4 months late. The State Senate needs to approve a single revenue bill to complete the budget. Paterson has also included in the agenda his proposed cap on local property taxes, a plan to allow public universities to set higher tuitions without state approval, a tax on sugar drinks, & an authorization to sell wine in grocery stores. Under the rules of state government, when the Governor calls for a special session of the legislature, the governor sets the agenda.
Title: Input sought on sentencing Sentencing is scheduled for next month in the case of a former Town of Lewis Clerk accused of stealing approximately $250,000 from the town. Melissa Wagner-Dano had pled guilty back in April to wire fraud transfer in US District Court with sentencing to be held on August 16th. Due to the amount of money allegedly taken adversely impacting the town, Town of Lewis officials are writing a letter to the court expressing it‘s opinion regarding the sentence to be imposed, which reportedly could range from supervised release to 20 years in prison. The Town Board states that if the taxpayers & residents of the Town have an opinion as to the sentence that should be imposed by the court, it should be expressed in writing & addressed to the Honorable Norman A. Mordue, Chief Judge, US District Court, PO Box 7367, Syracuse, NY 13261.
Title: Fair officials pleased with turnout Exact admission figures are not in yet, but Lewis County Fair officials are calling last week‘s fair a resounding success. Based on preliminary numbers, fair officials report that the week went very well with record crowds Tuesday night & Thursday night as well as one of the largest crowds for a country music act on Friday night. The demolition derby drew a sizable number on Saturday afternoon with a tremendous crowd Saturday night. 557 child identification cards were created using the Safe Child ID System, which was on loan from the Jefferson County Sheriff‘s Department. The Lowville Police expect to have their own system in place in time for September‘s Cream Cheese Festival.
July 27, 2010 Title: Glenfield man charged with child endangerment & harassment A 31 year old Glenfield man was charged with 2 counts of endangering the welfare of a child & 1 count of harassment 2nd degree. Lewis County Sheriff’s Deputies report that Casey Turck was charged stemming from an investigation into a domestic dispute that occurred July 12th at Turck’s residence. He was processed at the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office & was released on appearance tickets returnable to Town of Watson Court at a later date.
Title: West Carthage man charged with child endangerment A 36 year old West Carthage man was charged with endangering the welfare of a child & harassment. West Carthage Police report that Terry Hayward was charged after he allegedly struck his 14 year old daughter with his belt. He will answer the charges in Village of West Carthage Court.
Title: Oneida County withholding payments to state Oneida County is reacting to the state budget crisis by withholding the county’s weekly Medicaid payments to the state. County Executive Anthony Picente announced that he will continue to withhold the payments, which totals over $800,000 per week due the state being late in sending $30-34 million to Oneida County. Mr. Picente explained that the county has $24 million in reserve & if it didn‘t hold on to the Medicaid money, it would have to borrow to cover their expenses, which could threaten their credit rating. A spokesman for Governor Paterson stated that they are unaware of another county withholding their Medicaid payments, adding that the state has the authority to reduce reimbursements to the county equal to the amount being withheld, but no determination has been made yet to do that.
Title: Accident remains under investigation A personal injury accident remains under investigation. Lewis County Sheriff‘s Deputies report that 46 year old Andrea O‘Neil of Carthage was traveling on Naumburg Lane in the Town of Croghan at around 11:57 p.m. Friday night when she went off the roadway, struck shrubs, a sign, & then a utility pole. She was transported to Lewis County General Hospital by Beaver Falls Ambulance. Deputies were assisted at the scene by State Police out of Carthage, Castorland Firemen, & EMS-1.
Title: Boonville man charged under Mental Health Law A 67 year old Boonville man was charged under a section of the Mental Health Law for being a threat to himself or others. Boonville Police report that Richard Larrivey was charged stemming from an incident on Main Street where he was allegedly lying on the ground & reportedly became physically abusive toward police & EMS Personnel who attempted to assist them. Larrivey was taken to St. Luke‘s Hospital for evaluation.
Title: Help for homeless veterans $2 million has been awarded to study & help homeless veterans that are living in the Fort Drum area. Congressman Bill Owens announced that the Utica, Rome, Oneida County Continuum of Care has been awarded the funding. Once parameters have been established, the group will look at solving the problem, which may include additional resources such as housing & other types of community activities that will help alleviate the homelessness problem. Fort Drum is 1 of 5 test sites in the nation to take part in the initiative.
Title: Village of Lowville moving to new offices The Village of Lowville offices will remain closed today as they move into their new offices. Furniture & supplies were transferred from the village municipal building on Dayan Street into space at the Town Municipal Building on Bostwick Street. A new building in the rear will house the Village Police Department. All Village Departments will remain closed until tomorrow to allow computer & phone systems to be set up & tested. All village phone numbers will remain the same. County Dispatchers can be reached for non-emergencies by calling 376-3511. A grand opening ceremony for the new village offices will be held later this year.
Title: Vice-President to visit Fort Drum Fort Drum‘s 2nd Brigade Combat Team will have a special guest on hand to welcome them home from their most recent deployment. Vice-President Joe Biden & his wife Jill will be on hand & deliver remarks at the welcome home ceremony, which will be held at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. The 2nd Brigade Combat Team is one of the most deployed in the US Army, having been sent to Afghanistan 3 times & to Iraq 4 times.
July 26, 2010 Title: Carthage woman charged with DWI A 27 year old Carthage woman was charged with DWI. Lewis County Sheriff’s Deputies report that Amanda Ward was charged following a 1-vehicle rollover accident that occurred at around 8:30 p.m. Saturday night on State Route 3 in the Town of Diana. According to Deputies, Ward was traveling eastbound when she lost control on a curve, exited the south side of the roadway, & overturned. Her passenger, 38 year old Joseph Marek of Natural Bridge, was taken to Carthage Area Hospital for treatment of minor injuries. Ward was taken to the Lewis County Public Safety Building, where she allegedly registered a 0.11% blood/alcohol content. She was issued tickets for DWI & crossing hazard markings. Deputies were assisted at the scene by State Police, Harrisville, & Natural Bridge Firemen, & Furney‘s Towing.
Title: Carthage man charged with grand larceny A 42 year old Carthage man was arrested for grand larceny 3rd degree. West Carthage Police report that Darryl Johnson was charged after he allegedly took appliances, a lawn tractor, & a snowblower belonging to his former landlord. Johnson was arraigned in Village of West Carthage Court & was remanded to the Jefferson County Jail on $5,000 bail. He was later granted a probationary release & awaits grand jury action.
Title: Castorland man charged with harassment A 38 year old Castorland man was charged with harassment 2nd degree. Lowville Police report that Brian Moser was charged with allegedly threatening to physically harm another person on North State Street in the Village. Moser was issued a criminal summons returnable to Village of Lowville Court at a later date.
Title: Jen Kaido returns to Olympic training A West Leyden native is returning to training with the hopes of another trip to the Olympics. Jen Kaido had walked away from the sport of competitive rowing in September after saying she was burned out & missed her family. After reassessing her career, Jen decided to return to the US Rowing & Training Center in Princeton, NJ with the hopes of making the US National Team next month. Should she qualify, she would then compete in the world rowing championships in New Zealand starting October 31 & then on to the 2012 Olympics in London. After competing in quadruple sculls, Jen‘s coach has convinced her to try the 2-person sweeps, where both rowers each have 1 oar & must match up perfectly to balance the boat & move efficiently. Should she master the 2-person event, Jen says that she would then row in a boat of her choice.
Title: Juvenile arrested for grand larceny A 15 year old juvenile was arrested for grand larceny 4th degree, which is a class-E felony. Lewis County Sheriff’s Deputies report that the juvenile, whose name was not released due to age was charged after an investigation revealed that they allegedly stole a credit card from a residence in the Town of West Turin & used it on multiple occasions. The juvenile was issued an appearance ticket & was released.
Title: Lowville woman charged with criminal trespass A 42 year old Lowville woman was charged with criminal trespass 2nd degree. Lewis County Sheriff‘s Deputies report that Christine Vannest was charged after she allegedly entered a residence in the Town of Croghan without permission. She was issued an appearance ticket returnable to Town of Croghan Court at a later date.
Title: 2 Boonville residents charged with fighting 3 Boonville residents were charged with fighting & personal violence under the Boonville Ordinance Law & harassment 2nd degree. Boonville Police report that 54 year old Michael Rairden, 40 year old Michelle Allen, & 30 year old Tammy Denton were charged stemming from a July 7th incident on Church Street in the Village where the 3 allegedly became involved in a physical altercation with each other. All 3 subjects were issued criminal summonses returnable to Village of Boonville Court August 11th to answer the charges. Moose/Oldies 900 News Department Policy: 1. All news stories that air on The Moose/The Blizzard come from 1st-hand reporting, press releases, & other media outlets only. 2. All press releases that come from law enforcement agencies & fire departments are aired with no exceptions 3. All names & ages of subjects in police reports are aired if they are released from the police agency. 4. If is at all possible, the names of victims are not aired. The Moose/The Blizzard reserves the right not to air suicide or mental health stories, depending on the circumstances. 5. Should you believe there is an error in the report, contact the police agency involved & if there is indeed an error, a correction will be aired. 6. All statements made during interview segments are the beliefs & opinions of the interview subject & do not reflect the opinions of the radio stations. |
