February 2007

Arson Arrest - Tracy Baxter @ 12:14 pm EST
Town of Cornwall police say a year-old arson case has been solved with the arrest of an area teenager. The fire was set on February 1st of 2006. It destroyed the local little league office/concession stand complex and resulted in 120 thousand dollars in structural damage not including the loss of office equipment and little league records and memorabilia. An investigation by Cornwall Town police and A-T-F agents led to the arrest of 18 year old Colin Marron of New Windsor. Sargeant Phillip Sinagra says Marron will face felony charges of arson, burglary and criminal mischief. A second arrest could also be made.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Woodridge Arrest - Tracy Baxter @ 2:13 pm EST
A Woodridge man has been arrested for breaking into a local residence early Tuesday morning and stabbing the male resident. 26 year old Darwin Romero is charged with burglary and assault following the home invasion at 88 Roosevelt Avenue. The victim wasn't seriously injured and his fiance was not hurt. Sullivan County Sheriff Michael Schiff says the victims came up with a good description that was turned into a composite sketch that led investigators to Romero. The sheriff says a search of Romero's Woodridge apartment turned up evidence that linked him to the crime.

Sullivan Indictment - Tracy Baxter @ 2:07 pm EST
A Sullivan County grand jury has indicted a man who threatoned to kill a female companion during a standoff with police in Liberty last December. 41 year old Edwin Martinez of Monticello was indicted on charges of weapons possession and unlawful imprisonment. Assistant District Attorney Jim Farrell says during the incident, Martinez held a knife to the throat of the woman. Once he surrendered, police found a loaded handgun, drugs and stolen property in the motel room. Martinez faces up to 15 years in prison if he's convicted.

Mysterious Death - Tracy Baxter @ 2:01 pm EST
There remain more questions than answers...following Tuesday's discovery of the body of a man in his Town of Warwick apartment. State Police have identified the man as 52 year old Christopher Binsack. His body was found by his landlord at 117 Sleepy Valley Road. The landlord also found a broken front window, leading investigators to believe the death could be a homicide case. Two other windows in the apartment were also broken. An autopsy conducted Wednesday morning was inconclusive and police now await a toxicology report. State Police say they're not ruling out homicide, suicide or illness as possible causes of death. Binsack had moved into the Warwick area late last year.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

False Records - Tracy Baxter @ 10:42 am EST
A former store manager at the Poughkeepsie Galleria has been charged with stealing from the store and then altering the books to try to cover up his thefts. Town of Poughkeepsie police have charged 31 year old Julio Landor with grand larceny and falsifying business records. Police say while he was the manager at Kirkland's, he filed paperwork for more than 17 hundred dollars worth of bogus cash returns for merchandise that had not been purchased.

Friday, February 09, 2007

Hevesi Sentenced - Tracy Baxter @ 12:31 pm EST
Former State Comptroller Alan Hevesi has been sentenced to pay a 5 thousand dollar fine for bilking the government by using state employees as drivers and personal assistants for his wife. Hevesi was fined but was not sentenced to any jail time or probation during his Albany court appearance. Before being sentenced, Hevesi told the judge that he apologized to his family, his former staff and the people of New York state for his actions. Hevesi has repaid the state more than 200 thousand dollars.

Tax Receiver Charged - Tracy Baxter @ 11:06 am EST
State Police say he was doing more than just collecting taxes...they say he was pocketing some of the money that was coming in. A felony grand larceny charge has been filed against 39 year old James Dunlap of Highland Falls. Investigators say while serving as Receiver of Taxes in the Town of Highlands, Dunlap stole about 37 hundred dollars over a two year period. Dunlap was also charged with Official Misconduct and Offering a False Instrument for Filing because...investigators say...he'd steal late-payment penalty money from taxpayer checks and record the checks as being paid on time.

Felony Bust - Tracy Baxter @ 11:02 am EST
Police in Monticello hit a suspected drug location Thursday night and officers say their suspicions were confirmed when they walked out with more than 84 decks of heroin and drug packaging materials. 40 year old Shaun Farrell...who lives at the Horizons Apartment Complex unit that was raided ...has been charged with felony drug possession. The arrest was the latest coming out of a beefed-up, state-funded enforcement program called Guns, Drugs and Gangs.

Thursday, February 08, 2007

No Confidence - Tracy Baxter @ 3:57 pm EST
A controversy is brewing in Loch Sheldrake. The Board of Trustees at Sullivan County Community College is reacting with surprise to the vote of "no confidence" given to the trustees and to College President Dr. Mamie Howard-Golladay from members of the college's Faculty Association. The faculty resolution cites deep concerns with declining college enrollments and no confidence in the administration to deal with the college's fiscal management. The resolution also asks the State Education Chancellor and the Sullivan County Legislature to replace the trustees and the president. In a prepared statement, the Board of Trustees expressed its continued strong support for Dr. Howard-Golladay's abilities and leadership and trustees say no one from the Faculty Association came to them prior to the vote to discuss any issues or concerns.

Jersey Vote - Tracy Baxter @ 3:17 pm EST
Legislation that would permit the Port Authority to lease Stewart Airport has cleared a State Senate committee in New Jersey. The plan still requires the consent of New Jersey's full legislature and governor. The Port Authority hopes to take over operations at Stewart by October. The deal must also be approved by the F-A-A and transportation officials in New York. Supporters of the plan say Stewart could help ease air congestion in the New York Metropolitan area. About 300 thousand passengers used Stewart last year. Estimates are it could handle one and a half million.

Newburgh Fire Victim - Tracy Baxter @ 12:19 pm EST
City of Newburgh Police have identified the victim of the Tuesday night fire that broke out in a bedroom of an apartment at number 253 Montgomery Street. 41 year old William Hart Jr....the apartment tenant...died after suffering severe burns. Hart had recently returned from the Middle East where he had worked as a civilian contractor. The cause of the fire remains under investigation but Newburgh fire officials say it is not suspicious.

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Paintball Mischief - Tracy Baxter @ 10:48 am EST
An eyewitness helped Ulster County Sheriff's deputies arrest two Kingston men for shooting paintballs at a house from a passing car early this morning. 20 year old Samuel Peterman and 19 year old Matthew Harrington were charged with criminal mischief and conspiracy for causing damage to the house on Union Center road in the Town of Hurley. Deputies are trying to determine if other houses were hit.

Shaken Baby - Tracy Baxter @ 10:39 am EST
Ulster County police agencies have called it a case of shaken baby syndrome and now a grand jury has indicted a man for causing serious injuries to his 3 month old son. 28 year old Roger Rotella of West Shokan was indicted on the felony charge of reckless assault of a child. District Attorney Donald Williams says the child suffered serious head injuries as a result of the November incident. Rotella is expected to be arraigned this week. Williams says it happened on Rotella's wife's first day back to work from maternity leave.

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Burglary Spree - Tracy Baxter @ 11:29 am EST
Middletown city police say Jose Lara was a busy young man....they say he was busy breaking into businesses in the past two months. The 16 year old from Middletown has been charged with 5 burglary incidents, including break-ins at Barone's Auto, Garcia Automotive and the Highland Avenue Laundromat. Detective Jerry Mishk says some of the stolen property has been recovered. Lara may also be connected with burglaries being investigated by State Police and Town of Wallkill police.

Guilty Plea - Tracy Baxter @ 11:26 am EST
The man who held an elderly man hostage for 5 hours after robbing a bank in Ulster County last January has pleaded guilty in federal court to that robbery as well as another bank heist in Nebraska. 31 year old Michael Kauffman is expected to get 20 years in prison for the robberies, including the Key Bank heist in the Town of Ulster. Kauffman stole about 87 hundred dollars and after abandoning his getaway car, held a man hostage before surrendering. Kauffman still faces felony kidnap and weapons charges in Ulster county.

Cadets Charged - Tracy Baxter @ 11:23 am EST
Four West Point cadets are facing drug charges. Cadets Bradley Simms, Jordan Yeargain, Troy Wilson and Ryan Pope were named following an investigation into the use of cocaine. The circumstances surrounding the charges were not released. A pre-trial investigation will be conducted by a West Point military officer to determine if a trial by courts-martial is warranted. In the meantime, the cadets will continue with their regular duties.

Friday, February 02, 2007

Attempted Murder - Tracy Baxter @ 11:11 am EST
A Montgomery man has been indicted for attempted murder in connection to a domestic dispute last November. An Orange County grand jury also charged 36 year old Dennison Sprague with first degree reckless endangerment and first degree stalking for the incident that allegedly occurred in the Town of Wallkill. Sprague is accused of trying to strangle the female victim.

Shirley Zeller - Tracy Baxter @ 11:08 am EST
For more than 3 decades she was the person you saw when you visited Deerpark Town Hall. Long-time Town Clerk Shirley Zeller died Thursday at Bon Secours Hospital in Port Jervis. She was 77 years old. Zeller retired in 2001 after serving 32 years as Deerpark Town Clerk. A family statement described Shirley as strong-willed and not afraid to stand up for what she thought was right.

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Suit Filed - Tracy Baxter @ 12:57 pm EST
The company that wants to build a high-voltage power line through our area is taking the state to court. New York Regional Interconnect says it filed a lawsuit Thursday in federal court, asking that a state law be thrown out. The law restricts the company's use of eminent domain to get land for its proposed 200 mile, one and a half billion dollar project. New York Regional Interconnect wants to build the transmission line from Utica through the Hudson Valley, ending in New Windsor. It would be used to deliver electricity to meet growing demand in the New York Metropolitan area and Long Island. Last Fall, former Governor Pataki signed the law restricting the company's use of eminent domain as a way to block the project. Regional Interconnect says the law is discriminatory and violates its rights under the Constitution. Community organizations have been vigorously fighting the power line plan since it was proposed last year.

Agreement Reached - Tracy Baxter @ 11:29 am EST
It took awhile but the Town of Newburgh has finally reached a contract agreement with its unionized work force. Employees represented by C-S-E-A voted unanimously to accept a five year contract that is retroactive to January of 2004. It includes salary increases totalling 18 percent over the life of the contract. The settlement for the 80-member Town of Newburgh union was reached following a fact-finding process.

Animal Cruelty Charges - Tracy Baxter @ 11:26 am EST
In Ulster County, a Kerhonkson man is facing animal cruelty charges after deputies responded to a report of a neglected dog in his yard. They say they found the dog tied to a piece of farm equipment without food, water or shelter. Deputies say the dog was left in a snowstorm for longer than 12 hours ...tied on 4 feet of rope. 33 year old James Terbush was located the next day and the charges were filed. The animal was seized by Town of Rochester animal control officers and taken to the town shelter. Terbush will be in court February 14th.