Newswatch 50: Local News

L.I. men charged with cigarette trafficking in Franklin Co.

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:02:00 GMT

Four Long Island men were trafficking in untaxed cigarettes in Franklin County, according to state Tax Department officials.

The four were arrested February 4th by Tax Department investigators after a traffic stop by Border Patrol agents.

The cigarettes were allegedly found in one of the two vehicles the suspects were traveling in.

The untaxed smokes represented an estimated $47,000 in unpaid taxes to the state, officials said.

Charged:

Simon Kintu, 29, Shirley, NY
Damont Phipps, 28, Patchogue
Alfredo Quinones, 27, Bellport
Stanley Gray, 29, Mastic

They were arraigned on charges of tax fraud and unlawful possession of untaxed cigarettes and remanded to Franklin County jail with bail set at $15,000 each.

"These arrests should serve as a warning to others who engage in trafficking in untaxed cigarettes," said Acting Tax Department Commissioner Jamie Woodward.

Manufacturing forum to be held in Watertown

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:45:00 GMT

Manufacturers will have the ear of state legislators at a forum in Watertown on Thursday.

The Assembly Minority Manufacturing Task Force will hold a manufacturing forum at the State Office Building from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Assemblyman Will Barclay of Pulaski and Assemblywoman Jane Corwin of Clarence will host the event. Ms. Corwin chairs the task force; Barclay is the Vice Chair.

Also scheduled to be there:

Assemblyman Jim Bacalles, of Corning
Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava, Gouverneur
Assemblyman Cliff Crouch, Guilford

A number of leaders in local industry will also attend.

Before the forum, the group will tour Slack Chemical in Carthage.

Camp burglaries probed in Lewis County

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 15:27:00 GMT

A number of camp and home burglaries in Lewis County are under investigation, according to the Sheriff's Department.

They've happened in the past month in the towns of Harrisburg, Pinckney and Montague.

In most cases, money was taken, mostly change.

A "vehicle of interest" is described as a older model, black and gray Dodge Dakota with a red pinstripe. It may have been occupied by two white men in their 20s.

Anyone with information about the vehicle or the burglaries is asked to call the Sheriff's Department at 315-376-3511.

OD of muscle relaxer leads to crash

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:57:00 GMT

An overdose of a muscle relaxer put a driver to sleep, resulting in a one-car crash in Norfolk, State Police say.

Troopers say 46 year old Francis Browning went off State Route 56 and hit a utility pole early Sunday afternoon.

Several witnesses said Browning had been weaving into oncoming traffic just before he went off the highway.

Browning told troopers he'd taken a larger-than-prescribed dose of muscle relaxant medication and had fallen asleep.

He was charged with driving with ability impaired by drugs, failure to keep right, reckless driving and failure to notify the DMV of a change of address.

Browning was released on tickets returnable in town of Norfolk court.

Home burglaries investigated in Canton

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:37:00 GMT

Retailers are being put on alert for anyone making purchases with a large amount of small change.

The change was taken in multiple residential burglaries in Canton in late January and early February, according to State Police.

The money did include two one-hundred dollar bills but also a large quantity of nickels, quarters and dimes. Also stolen: a large number of half dollar coins and Sacagawea dollars.

The burglaries are under investigation by State Police and the St. Lawrence County Sheriff's Department.

Anyone with information about a person using a large amount of change to make a purchase is asked to call State Police Investigator Jared Duffy at 315-379-0012 or Detective Sgt. Albert Duquette of the Sheriff's Department at 315-379-2222.

Ogdensburg Councilor takes on Paterson soda tax

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:39:00 GMT

An Ogdensburg City Councilor wants the council to pass a resolution opposing Governor Paterson's plan for a new tax on soda.

"The Soda Tax will threaten local jobs and force families to stretch their budgets even further than they are now," said Councilor Nick Vaugh in a statement.

Governor David Paterson's proposed budget calls for a tax of a penny an ounce on soda beverages.

Vaugh's resolution calls on state leaders, State Senator Darrel Aubertine and Assemblywoman Addie J. Russell to stop the tax from becoming law.

The 22-year old Vaugh is considering a run this year against Assemblywoman Russell, The Watertown Daily Times reported recently.

In addition to being an Ogdensburg Councilor, he's a senior at Clarkson University.

America, Little River Band to perform in Watertown

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:29:00 GMT

Two big names from 70's rock will appear in Watertown this summer as part of the DPAO/Toyota 2010 Summer Concert Series.

America and Little River Band will perform at the Watertown Fairgrounds Arena on Friday, August 13th at 7 p.m.

America burst on the scene with the 1972 hit "A Horse With No Name" and has since sold 40 million albums.

Little River Band was formed in Australia in 1975 and had a string of hit singles.

Tickets for the show go on sale Monday, March 8th at 7 a.m.

Reserved tickets are $40 and $34 each and General Admission tickets are $26.

For more information, call DPAO (Disabled Persons Action Organization) at 315-782-0044 or 1-800-533-2859.

Massena man faces cocaine charge

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 14:02:00 GMT

A Massena man faces drug charges after a traffic stop in the town of Louisville.

State Police say 34 year old Scott M. Douillet was found with a small quantity of cocaine and that he was also consuming alcohol in the vehicle.

Also in the vehicle: 31 year old Robert F. Green of Raymondville, who was also charged with consuming alcohol in a motor vehicle.

Meanwhile, 40 year old Tammy J. Serge was charged with having no license plate lamps.

The traffic stop took placed on State Highway 56.

Man critical after snowmobile accident

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 13:58:00 GMT

A Rochester man was critically injured when he was hit by a snowmobile in Lewis County on Saturday.

The Sheriff's Department says 52 year old Gregory Muratore was thrown from his machine when he hit a series of snow moguls on the Potter Road in North Osceola about 4:30 p.m.

As he stood up after being thrown, Muratore was hit by a snowmobile driven by Michael Perry, who had been behind him, deputies said.

Muratore was airlifted to University Hospital in Syracuse and listed in critical condition.

The investigation into the accident is continuing.

Potsdam man accused of having child porn

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 17:11:00 GMT

A Potsdam man had several images and videos of child pornography, village police say.

On Friday, David L. LaBrake, 40, was charged with possession of a sexual performance by a child.

He was arraigned and released into supervision of the county probation department.

Agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement assisted village police with the investigation.

New rape charge against Potsdam man

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 17:06:00 GMT

A Potsdam man was arrested on rape charges twice this week.

On Monday, 25 year old Dustin Musick was accused of having sexual encounters with a 15 year old girl in the village of Potsdam last summer. He was charged with two counts of rape and one count of criminal sex act.

On Friday, Musick was again arrested on a charge of rape. This time, police say he had sexual relations with a 16 year old girl in October, 2009.

He was arraigned on the new charge and remanded to St. Lawrence County jail with bail set at $5,000.

Union: Tops may sell North Country P&Cs

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:04:00 GMT

Tops Friendly Markets may be looking to sell, instead of operate, its newly-acquired P&C supermarkets in the North Country, says a union.

Tops has asked the United Food & Commercial Workers union whether there are any "union buyers" interested in the stores in Watertown, West Carthage, Gouverneur, Canton, Potsdam, Massena or Ogdensburg, says the UFCW Local 1 website.

UFCW told Tops that's not likely, meaning that if Tops pursues selling the stores, it would likely be to a non-union buyer, the website message said.

The North Country stores are outside Tops "core operating area," the union says.

"We have asked, and Tops has pledged that any Penn Traffic member that is displaced will be placed on a preferential hiring list for future openings at Tops," the message goes on to say.

An earlier message posted on the website says, "As for the North Country stores, at this point in time, the company has informed us it is out of their footprint, and we are attempting to find a union buyer for these stores."

River Hospital regrets it must close nursing facility

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:43:00 GMT

River Hospital in Alexandria Bay says it "regrets to announce" that it's decided to close its skilled nursing facility.

The hospital board has made extraordinary efforts to preserve the facility but found no viable options, says a release from the hospital.

The Medicaid per-day reimbursement rate doesn't come close to covering operating expenses and the hospital's had to subsidize the 27-bed nursing home for many years, the press release says.

The direct subsidy required to keep the nursing home open in coming years was expected to be over $300,000 per year.

"Our most recent review indicates that if we do not act now to begin the closure process of the Skilled Nursing Unit there is an almost certain probability that the entire institution would be insolvent within the next 10 to 16 months," says the release.

"We are extremely distressed that a Board member chose to resign and reveal our closure plans to the media in violation of Department of Health Regulations," the release adds.

Board member Nellie Taylor resigned after the board made its decision earlier this week, The Watertown Daily Times reported.

Cornwall Island man not guilty in Massena smuggling case

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:16:00 GMT

A Cornwall Island man, accused in a million-dollar ecstasy smuggling scheme, has been cleared of all charges.

A federal jury in Syracuse returned the verdict on the second day of deliberations in the case of 51 year old Silas Benedict.

Benedict and another Cornwall Island man, 53 year old Mitchell David, were arrested last July at the Massena Port of Entry.

Police said the two men had an estimated 50,000 ecstasy pills - about 33 pounds - hidden in a spare tire. The pills had an estimated street value of $1.5 million.

The whole case against Benedict was "based on speculation and assumption," said his attorney, Brian Barrett of Lake Placid.

While prosecutors produced nine witnesses, evidence also showed that "they pushed my client around," Barrett said.

David pleaded guilty earlier in the week and will be sentenced in June.

Army will hike funding for military bases

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:43:00 GMT

The Army will add $500 million to its 2010 military base funding, meaning military posts won't face the dramatic cut in funding proposed earlier.

"We will continue to look for efficiencies and best practices, but the bottom line is we will not shortchange our soldiers and their families," said Army Secretary John McHugh.

"The secretary and I remain committed to ensuring our soldiers and families get the support they need and we will continue to provide the resources to do that," said Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey Jr.

The Army's Installation Management Command will continue to work closely with each installation to ensure its essential base operating support needs are met, said a press release from the Department of Defense.

Clinton County double murder suspect in custody

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:19:00 GMT

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (AP) — A retired New York state prison guard sought in connection with the fatal shootings of his ex-girlfriend and the man she was dating surrendered to police after a standoff at an upstate motel, authorities said Friday.

State police said Anthony Pavone, 52, of Morrisonville surrendered around 4 a.m. Friday after more than four hours of negotiations with police as law enforcement SWAT teams surrounded the Del Motel in Binghamton.

Senior Investigator Patrick Mitchell of the state police in Plattsburgh said a Broome County Sheriff's Department patrol spotted Pavone's pickup truck in the parking lot of the motel late Thursday night.

After police evacuated the motel, police began negotiating with Pavone to surrender. Pavone, who worked 25 years at Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, told police he was armed, but surrendered without incident.

Authorities launched a search for Pavone last Sunday after troopers found the bodies of 52-year-old Timothy Carter and 43-year-old Patricia Howard inside Carter's home in Dannemora, in the northeastern Adirondacks 140 miles north of Albany.

Police say Howard and Pavone had dated but had recently broken up. Carter and Howard had gone on their second date last Saturday, Howard's birthday. Authorities said Howard called state police in Plattsburgh at 3:54 a.m. Sunday to report that Pavone was outside the house and wouldn't leave.

Troopers later arrived and found Howard and Carter dead from multiple gunshot wounds.

Mitchell said police were alerted to Pavone's location after the license plate reader on the Broome County sheriff's patrol car scanned the plate on his truck.

Motel owner Ashok Patel told The Associated Press that Pavone checked into his $50-a-night room on Tuesday. He said police didn't tell him why they were interested in the guest in Room 20 at the 26-room motel, only that "they were looking for one guy with a black truck."

Patel said he had no idea Pavone was wanted in connection with a double slaying.

"His behavior is like a normal guy," Patel said.

Mitchell said state police investigators from Plattsburgh were en route to Binghamton to return Pavone to Clinton County, where he'll face murder charges.

Carter had worked at Clinton state prison as civilian maintenance employee since November 2005. Howard, a divorced mother of two daughters, was a dental hygienist in Plattsburgh.

Waddington man accused of sexual contact with child

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:15:00 GMT

A Waddington man is accused of having forcible sexual contact with a child under the age of 11.

St. Lawrence County sheriff's detectives charged 46 year old Timothy J. Johnson of 640 County Route 33 with criminal sex act and endangering the welfare of a child.

He was arraigned in town of Waddington court and jailed in lieu of $20,000 bail.

Foot licking leads to trespass, harassment charges

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:09:00 GMT

A Massena man was arrested Thursday night after he allegedly went into a woman's home and subjected her to unwanted physical contact.

The unwanted contact, police say, consisted of licking the woman's feet and toes.

Barry Hill III, 20, Water Street, was charged with trespass and harassment. Police say he entered the apartment on Willow Street without permission.

Hill was arraigned this morning and released after posting $1,000 bail.

Police say he is on probation for misdemeanor DWI convictions.

Norfolk, Norwood burglaries under investigation

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:21:00 GMT

At least three homes have been broken into recently in the town of Norfolk and the village of Norwood, says the St. Lawrence County Sheriff's Department.

Unspecified items were taken in each case.

Anyone with information that could help with the investigation is urged to call the Sheriff's Department at 315=379-2222.

Dog sought at SLU

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:31:00 GMT

A dog bite victim at St. Lawrence University will have to undergo rabies shots unless the dog and owner can be located.

The victim was bitten shortly after noon on February 2nd on the Kip Trail between Wachtmeister Field Station and the Pike Road, according to university officials.

The dog is described as medium-size, brown black and white and resembling an Australian Shepherd.

The person believed to be with the dog wore a waist-length gold or yellow winter jacket.

Anyone with information on the dog or owner is asked to call SLU Security and Safety at 315-229-5555.