October 2007

Lawsuit Dismissed - Tracy Baxter @ 3:09 pm EST
It's a big win for those fighting to prevent the construction of a major electrical transmission line through our area. There was word Friday that a Federal District Court Judge has dismissed a lawsuit by NYRI....New York Regional Interconnect...that had challenged a state law that protects homeowners from the use of emiment domain by private transmission companies. NYRI has been seeking to use eminent domain to get the property it would need to run the 200 mile line from Central New York through our region to New Windsor. State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo called the judge's decision a win for homeowners. He says he'll continue to fight for New York's right to make decisions on power projects based on the state's environmental and energy needs, not on the desires of private companies or the federal government.

Fighting NYRI - Tracy Baxter @ 12:50 pm EST
The organization that's working to prevent the construction of a major electrical transmission line through our area...has gotten more cash from Orange County. County Executive Ed Diana says the county has committed another 25 thousand dollars to the legal fight that'll be waged against New York Regional Interconnect. Orange County is a member of CARI, Communities Against Regional Interconnection, which is comprised of 8 counties and 5 citizen groups that are opposing the 200 mile-long project.

Mother Charged - Tracy Baxter @ 12:46 pm EST
Drugs were apparently the family business at one Monticello apartment where village police have arrested a third suspect.....the mother of the two men arrested on Wednesday. Monticello police returned to the Hillside Garden apartment unit Thursday and arrested 55 year old Nelida Padin on felony drug possession charges. They had arrested her two sons....Angel and Joseph Serrano...the day before. Police returned Thursday because mom wasn't home at the time of the earlier raid.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Vehicular Manslaughter - Tracy Baxter @ 1:11 pm EST
An 18 year old from Salisbury Mills pleaded guilty Friday to criminal charges for causing a car crash that took the life of his passenger last March. Richard Lewis admitted that he was drunk when his car ran off Clove Road in the Town of Blooming Grove. The crash took the life of 22 year old Ryan Binassarie of Blooming Grove. Lewis pleaded guilty to the charge of vehicular manslaughter and faces up to 7 years in prison when he's sentenced next month.

Counterfeit Fraud - Tracy Baxter @ 10:56 am EST
Town of Newburgh police say it's just one of many frauds on the internet. They arrested a city of Newburgh woman for attempted grand larceny and possession of a forged instrument. Police say 36 year old Sofia Garcia tried to cash counterfeit WalMart moneygram orders at the store. The total value of the 3 moneygrams was more than 27 hundred dollars. Police say how the scam works is people get the counterfeit moneygrams in the mail from people they've met on the internet. That person asks the intended victim to cash the moneygrams at WalMart and then mail back a percentage of the funds.

Tank Dedication - Tracy Baxter @ 10:52 am EST
Saturday October 27th will be an important day for Sullivan County veterans. They will be honoring the memory of Sargeant Kenneth Von Ronn during a tank dedication ceremony at the Veteran's Cemetery in the Town of Liberty. Sargeant Von Ronn of Bloomingburg, a Pine Bush High School graduate, died in January of 2005 when his Army National Guard unit was hit by a roadside bomb while serving in Baghdad. Von Ronn was 20 years old. The tank, which was formally assigned to Sargeant Von Ronn's unit, will stand as a sentinel overlooking the veterans who are now at rest.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Drug Lab - Tracy Baxter @ 2:30 pm EST
The investigation began Sunday when security officers at Dutchess County's Bard College found two suitcases. State Police were called and what they found inside the suitcases amounted to a portable drug processing lab including hashish oil, a concentrated hallucinogen and drug paraphernalia. The investigation led police to a residence in Robbins Dorm on campus where more hash and marijuana were found. Bard College students Elliot Kidd, Zakhar Berlin and Gregory Schroder have been charged with felony drug possession.

Time Card Case - Tracy Baxter @ 2:26 pm EST
A former part-time officer with the Tuxedo Park police department has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor Official Misconduct charge for doctoring time cards and pocketing more than 40 thousand dollars in pay that he wasn't entitled to. Former officer John Reilly of New Windsor will be sentenced in December and Orange County District Attorney Frank Phillips is recommending he serve 60 days in jail and pay back the money. Reilly was charged as part of an investigation into the department and former Chief Robert Culhane who admitted taking money from a PBA fundraiser and using the money to buy computers for his home.

Monday, October 08, 2007

Newborn Murder - Tracy Baxter @ 12:58 pm EST
State Police in Orange county have filed murder charges against a town of Deerpark woman for allegedly causing the death of her newborn baby girl. 37 year old Christine Maher of Echo Valley Road was arrested Sunday night and charged with second degree murder shortly after being released from Orange County jail where she was being held on an unrelated grand larceny charge. Investigators say her landlady discovered the remains of the newborn in a garbage bag that was on the back of a truck on the property. State Police say shortly after giving birth on or about September 24th, Maher intentionally caused the death of her child.

Thursday, October 04, 2007

Terror Threat - Tracy Baxter @ 12:11 pm EST
A Middletown High School student has been charged with making a terroristic threat at the school. Middletown city police say it happened Wednesday afternoon when 17 year old Jose Rios Diaz spoke out in a school hallway, saying he had a bomb. An administrator heard the threat and Rios Diaz ran off. He was found in a classroom and brought to the school office. When police arrived he resisted arrest and police used mace to subdue him. Rios Diaz was charged with the felony of making a terroristic threat and resisting arrest. Police say he was carrying a pocket-knife and a firecracker at the time of his arrest.