April 2008

Day Care Abuse - Tracy Baxter @ 11:44 am EST
It is every parents nightmare....an incident of child abuse at a day care center and City of Newburgh police say it happened at a center at 95 West Van Ness Street and they've arrested the son of the woman who operates the facility. Police have charged 17 year old Christopher Allen Johnson with the felonies of Criminal Sexual Act and first degree Sexual Abuse. Police say Johnson sexually assaulted the child while the youngster was in his mother's care at the center. Johnson lives at the West Van Ness Street address. Newburgh police say to this point there is just one victim but their investigation is continueing.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Brush Fire - Tracy Baxter @ 11:38 am EST
Continued cooler temperatures and increased humidity are helping emergency crews battle a 31 hundred acre brush fire in Minnewaska State Park that began on Thursday. A State D-E-C official said that as of Monday morning the fire was about 80 percent contained. Sunday's weather helped crews intensify efforts with helicopter water drops and it allowed them to work overnight for the first time since the fire began. Hundreds of people are fighting the fire that is centered in the Shawangunk Ridge area of the park which remains closed. The forest is mainly hardwoods, pitch pine and mountain laurel.

Back in Class - Tracy Baxter @ 11:33 am EST
Members of the Lay Faculty Association were back in their classrooms Monday at John S. Burke in Goshen and Our Lady of Lourdes in Poughkeepsie amid word of a positive development in their contract dispute with the Archdiocese of New York. Members of the teachers union are expected to reach a decision Tuesday on a new contract proposal from a mediator. About 350 teachers from 10 catholic high schools including Burke and Lourdes went on strike last week. They've been working without a contract since September.

Timothy Hill - Tracy Baxter @ 11:30 am EST
A prominent Sullivan county resident who was a familiar face for years at the County Government Center in Monticello lost a year-long battle to cancer on Sunday. County leaders reported the passing of long-time Democratic Elections Commissioner Timothy Hill. He was 53 years old. The Woodbourne resident had been a commissioner for almost 22 years and during that time was active with the campaigns of many of the democratic candidates in Sullivan County. Hill's life was not just about politics and elections. He was also well-known as an accomplished piano player.

Friday, April 18, 2008

Road Rage Indictment - Tracy Baxter @ 12:52 pm EST
An Ulster County grand jury has indicted a Saugerties man for a violent road rage incident last November. Police say Matthew Schumacher rammed a car that he was trying to run off Main Street in Saugerties following a domestic dispute. The charges he faces include stalking, assault, reckless driving and D-W-I. Police say Schumacher rammed a man's car. He had gotten the female victim in his vehicle to get her to the police station.

Shooting Investigation - Tracy Baxter @ 12:49 pm EST
It will be up to a Sullivan County grand jury to determine if the shooting death of Lori Schubeler was an accident or the result of either reckless conduct or criminal negligence. Schubeler was the 41 year old waitress who died of a single gunshot wound last Sunday while working at the Western Hotel in Callicoon. District Attorney Stephen Lungen said the bullet entered her chest and was fired from a handgun that was being handled by hotel owner Joseph Naughton. The grand jury is expected to hear the evidence on or about April 30th.

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Burglary Case Arrest - Tracy Baxter @ 12:07 pm EST
Town of Newburgh Police have made an arrest in connection with that violent burglary Tuesday morning. Officers picked up 55 year old Sterling Banks of Newburgh, a man who fit the description of the man who burglarized a house on Grand Avenue and stole money after assaulting the female resident. Police say Banks, who they described as a prison parolee, had credit cards and identification that was reported stolen from the home. Police also say a search of Banks' residence turned up merchandize that Banks had bought with the stolen credit cards. He was initially charged with possession of stolen property. Additional charges of burglary and assault are expected to be filed.

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Crash Victim - Tracy Baxter @ 12:47 pm EST
State Police in Ulster County have released the identity of the young man who died in the crash on Route 209 in the Town of Wawarsing Monday. Investigators say 19 year old Kyle Freese of Kingston was behind the wheel of the speeding car that collided with a fuel oil truck while trying to pass another vehicle. Freese was dead at the scene. The truck driver, 48 year old Kenneth Barringer of Hurley, was treated for minor injuries. Police say Freese sped off after a trooper noticed he was driving without an inspection sticker. The investigation determined he was going about 100 miles an hour and didn't hit the brakes before colliding with the truck.

50 to Life - Tracy Baxter @ 12:34 pm EST
The second man convicted of killing a family of five and setting their Fishkill home on fire has been sentenced to 50 years to life in prison. Mark Serrano was sentenced Tuesday in Dutchess County Court. He was found guilty last December of killing Tony and Tina Morey and their 3 boys then setting fire to their home. Prosecutors said he and Charles Gilleo Jr. went to the couple's home to steal cocaine and cash in the early hours of January 19, 2007. Serrano was convicted by a Dutchess County jury on 41 of 42 charges, including 31 counts of first and second degree murder. Gilleo was sentenced last week to five consecutive life terms in prison.

Monday, April 07, 2008

"Out of Reach" - Tracy Baxter @ 12:57 pm EST
A Washington D.C.-based housing advocacy group has released a study that confirms what many already know....that millions of Americans can't afford the price of rising rental costs. The report called "Out of Reach 2007-2008" shows that the housing wage for Orange County is 21 dollars and 21 cents. That's the hourly wage a family must earn to be able to afford rent and utilities in the private housing market. That's an increase of 47 percent since 2000. According to the Middletown anti-poverty agency RECAP, the typical renter in Middletown earns 11 dollars and 46 cents an hour with 53 percent of renters in Middletown not earning enough to afford a two-bedroom unit at the fair market rent. Tony Figueroa of RECAP says the report highlights the pressing need for affordable housing in our communities.

Thursday, April 03, 2008

Cleaning Lady Thief - Tracy Baxter @ 2:44 pm EST
City of Newburgh police say a cleaning lady did more than just clean a local man's home...she also stole his car. It happened Monday when the cleaning lady left the residence. The man noticed his car keys were missing from the counter and his car was missing. Early Thursday morning Newburgh police spotted the car on Grand street....with the cleaning lady behind the wheel. 45 year old Terri Engelhardt was charged with criminal possession of stolen property. A charge of drug possession was added when police found she was carrying some crack-cocaine.

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Airport Shutdown - Tracy Baxter @ 1:16 pm EST
Stewart Airport was shut down and evacuated for about an hour late Tuesday night because of a suspicious package. State Police say security screeners spotted an item in a piece of carry-on luggage that had metal cartridges, wiring and batteries and closely resembled a bomb. It turned out to be an inflatible life vest that had been stolen from a plane. State Police say Justin Braun of Columbus Ohio had stolen the vest from a previous flight into Stewart last week and had it in his carry-on bag for his return trip to Columbus. Braun was charged with criminal possession of stolen property and criminal nuisance. Now he has another scheduled trip....to New Windsor Town Court May 13th.

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

5 Life Sentences - Tracy Baxter @ 1:13 pm EST
A man convicted of killing a Dutchess county family of 5 and setting their Fishkill house on fire last year has been sentenced to five consecutive life sentences. Charles Gilleo Jr. was found guilty last month of killing Tony Morey, his wife Tina and the couple's 3 sons in January of 2007. Prosecutors said Gilleo and Mark Serrano went to the home to steal cocaine and cash from Tony Morey. The two adults were shot and the 3 boys were stabbed multiple times. Gilleo was given the maximum sentences in Dutchess County Court Tuesday on each of 41 charges including 20 counts of first degree murder and 11 counts of second degree murder. Serrano was convicted in December and will be sentenced next week.