A Saratoga Springs man and two minors have been arrested after a police chase across Saratoga and Albany Counties.
Eugene Shaw, 21 was arrested for criminal possession of stolen property in the fourth degree, two counts of fourth degree criminal mischief, two counts of endangering the welfare of a child, reckless endangerment of property and other traffic violations, according to New York State Police.
The chase occurred Sept. 6. It started at 6:18 p.m. when a vehicle was reported stolen from Freeman Lane in Saratoga Springs. Within 10 minutes, the vehicle was spotted going southbound on I-87 in Malta. State Police as well as Deputies from the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop the vehicle, leading to the chase.
The chase ended in Albany County when State Troopers elected to terminate pursuit due to public safety concerns. After the pursuit ended, the vehicle exited the interstate at exit six but didn’t make it far. Troopers said Shaw attempted to make a left turn onto Troy Schenectady Road but lost control of the vehicle and flipped over multiple times before coming to rest on the overpass.
Shaw, along with a 12- and 15-year-old exited the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot but were taken into custody. All three were taken to Albany Medical Center for evaluation. The two minors were arrested Sept. 8 for fourth degree criminal possession of stolen property.
After being released from the hospital, Shaw was taken into custody and issued an appearance ticket for Sept. 25.
Flight-Medic Kevin Robert died while treating a patient. He was 55. (Courtesy of LifeNet)
First responders across Saratoga County are mourning one of their own this week after a flight medic suffered a fatal heart attack while treating a patient.
Kevin Robert died Aug. 27 after he suffered a heart attack while treating a patient on board a LifeNet 7-13 helicopter, based out of Ticonderoga. The helicopter diverted to Saratoga Hospital however medical crews were unable to revive Robert. He was 55.
“Our priority now is the well-being of our teammates and the continued support of Kevin’s family,” LifeNet said in a Facebook post. “The Ticonderoga base remains on safety stand-down as we allow our team the time and space they need to grieve.”
Robert had been with LifeNet for 15 years, according to his obituary. In addition to his work as a flight medic, he was a founding member of the John Ahearn Rescue Squad in Mechanicville and served in several EMS agencies throughout Saratoga County including the Clifton Park & Halfmoon Emergency Corps, Malta- Stillwater EMS and as a paramedic instructor at Hudson Valley Community College.
Tributes to Robert have poured in from across the county and beyond. In a statement, Saratoga County Board of Supervisors Chairman Phillip Barrett offered his condolences and said Robert served the county with professionalism and compassion. Similar sentiments were expressed by Clifton Park and Halfmoon Emergency Corps who said he was known for being one of the most talented EMS providers across the region.
Services for Robert were held at St. Edward the Confessor Church in Clifton Park. A Go Fund Me has been set for his family, which as of time of printing has raised over $17,000.
Those looking to donate can find the link in the online version of this story or on the Malta-Stillwater EMS Facebook page.
From left to right: Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce President Todd Shimkus, Saratoga Springs Downtown Business Association President Deann Devvit, Public Works Commissioner Chuck Marshall and Discover Saratoga President Darryl Leggieri celebrated the end of paid parking (Photo credit, see byline)
While the horse racing season may have ended the previous day, residents of Saratoga Springs still heard the famous call one more time.
It didn’t come from a race announcer at the track but rather Public Works Commissioner Chuck Marshall who said the famed line while putting a sign on a parking meter marking the end of the paid parking season in Saratoga Springs.
Marshall, along with representatives from the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, Saratoga Springs Downtown Business Association and Discover Saratoga highlighted the changes in a media event outside the Woodlawn Avenue Garage.
The event marked the end of program’s second year. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, visitors to Saratoga Springs could either park on the street for free or pay $2 an hour to park in one of the city’s parking garages or flat parking lots. For those parking overnight, the fee was $12.
Todd Shimkus, President of the Saratoga Chamber, talked about how things have changed with the parking situation over the last 15 years. While in the past, Shimkus said the complaint had been there hadn’t been enough parking in Saratoga Springs, the city has changed that.
“I got emails all summer and in the holiday season from folks around the world who complained about not enough parking,” Shimkus said. “Right here, we’ve got 450 more spaces. You look over at the city center, we’ve got 500 more spaces there. I don’t get those emails and calls anymore. We have enough parking. So, parking for us is really about whether it’s paid or not.”
The paid parking program hasn’t been without its critics. During his campaign, Commissioner Marshall voiced his opposition to the program and maintained that opposition during Tuesday’s event.
“I ran originally as an opponent of paid parking, and I remain an opponent of paid parking,” Marshall said. “We’re looking at revenues now that look to not quite meet the budgeted expectation, but certainly more than they’ve seen in the past. We’ll evaluate, and reconsider as we develop the 2026 budget.”
From Labor Day till Memorial Day, residents and visitors won’t risk a $45 ticket if they don’t pay for parking at the city’s lots and garages (see byline)
In a recent City Council meeting, Marshall had proposed ending the paid parking program two days early; however, that proposal failed with all other members voting against it.
Marshall said that the program had been budgeted to bring in $465,000 in revenue but that actual revenues from the program were just over $400,000. This lack of projected revenue has led to some changes in how the money is distributed, according to Marshall. Deann Devitt, President of the Downtown Saratoga Business Association echoed this and said her organization had been working with the city on alternate strategies.
“Obviously, revenues haven’t been where the city wanted them to be,” Devitt said “The idea of that was to take some of the revenues to put into marketing our downtown. But it hasn’t worked out, so we’ve worked with Chuck to come up with some other really great opportunities for us.”
Some of those ideas include using the revenue for Christmas decorations and covering fees for events.
While paid parking may be gone for most of the city’s lots, there are two notable exceptions. Parking at the library will still require a library-issued permit and parking at the City Center garage will still require payment.
While the paid parking program may face changes in the coming months, Marshall emphasized that for now residents can enjoy over 260 days of free parking in the city.
“Free public parking until Memorial Day of 2026,” Marshall said. “I hope everyone enjoys downtown and all it offers.”
Moran ( seen here in his official city portrait) also faced censure by City Council after he was found guilty.
Accounts Commissioner Dillon Moran was ordered to pay $660 in penalties after he was found guilty of violating New York State’s Freedom of Information Law (FOIL).
The verdict came after a three-day long bench trial which ended on Aug. 28 and centered on three FOIL requests made by Saratoga Springs Republican Party Chair Mike Brandi. According to prosecutors, Moran purposefully withheld documents subject to FOIL by issuing certificates saying the requested materials didn’t exist.
The three FOIL requests in question were related to messages sent by Moran in relation to the city’s short-term rental legislation which was being considered at the time the messages were sent.
Through the testimony of Anna Smith, an advocate for short term rental owners, Sarah McFee, the FOIL officer for the City at the time the requests were sent, Brandi, the prosecution, showed that messages not only existed but would’ve been subject to FOIL.
In addition, Robert Millis, a local music executive and event organizer, testified that Moran had told him that several of his devices were not subject to FOIL and that he maintained two phones for a reason.
While Brian Hill, Moran’s defense attorney, tried to argue there wasn’t a deliberate effort to conceal the records and some of the records might not have been subject to FOIL, City Court Judge Jeffrey Wait disagreed.
“I first find that the evidence is sufficient to demonstrate that the text messages in question were subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Law,” Wait said in his ruling. “I also find that Commissioner Moran knew this. Furthermore, the evidence shows that he was told by the city’s Freedom of Information Officer and by the assistant city attorney that text messages concerning city business were subject to disclosure, and that this was true, even if they were recorded personally.”
Wait also noted that while he couldn’t find any rulings on officials being charged with violating the FOIL law, the legislative memo clearly states that there needs to be consequences for violating the law.
Following the trial, Hill said that he disagreed we the judge’s verdict that he planned to appeal and that there were several fundamental legal issues with the case.
In addition to the trial and fine, Moran also faced censure by Saratoga Springs City Council. The censure motion was introduced by Public Safety Commissioner Tim Coll and also called on Governor Cathy Hochul to investigate Moran’s misconduct.
During a contentious City Council meeting, Moran objected to the censure and called the investigation into him and others politically motivated. Ultimately the measure passed with Coll, joined by Republican Public Works Commissioner Chuck Marshall and Mayor John Safford voting in favor while Moran and fellow Democrat, Finance Commissioner Minita Sanghvi opposing the measure.
Two people have been arrested in Malta for animal abuse after Saratoga County Sherriffs said they kept three dogs in unsafe conditions.
Tosha Jerome and Christopher Terry of Malta were both arrested on three counts each of failure to provide proper sustenance.
The Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office said they became aware of the issue after receiving an animal complaint on the morning of Aug. 21. According to the Sheriff’s Office, Jerome and Terry kept three Cane Corso dogs in “unsafe and unsanitary conditions.” The three dogs were seized by the Sheriff’s Office under court order and are currently in the care of the Saratoga County Animal Shelter.
The arrest of Jerome and Terry marks at least the fifth incident of animal abuse in Saratoga County this year. These incidents have resulted in eight arrests, 201 counts of misdemeanor animal abuse and two felony charges.
The incident has triggered action from county legislators who proposed a bill to create a county registry of animal abusers. Under the proposed legislation, those convicted of one of 17 animal related offenses would have to register as an animal abuser with the District Attorney’s Office. The convicted party would remain on the registry for 15 years after their first offense and permanently for any subsequent offenses.
Saratoga County wouldn’t be the first county to implement an animal abuse registry. 20 counties —including Albany and Rensselaer — plus New York City all maintain registries of animal abusers.
On the state level, there is currently a bill introduced that would create a state registry of animal abusers. The bill is sponsored by Senators Pete Harckham (D, WF- 40) of South Salem and Anthony Palumbo (R- 1) of New Suffolk and was referred to committee in May.
In addition, Sen. James Tedisco — who represents Saratoga County — also proposed several bills in January which would strengthen New York’s animal abuse law known as “Buster’s Law.” All of those bills have been referred to committee with no action taken since January.
As for Saratoga County, the legislation was introduced at the last Board of Supervisors meeting, and a public hearing has been set for Sept. 10.
A Saratoga County man has been charged with possession, receipt and distribution of child pornography.
Conner Buskey, 20, of Saratoga Springs was arrested by federal authorities on Aug. 22 after an investigation by the Saratoga County Sherriff’s Office and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) found multiple images and videos of child pornography on his phone.
Federal authorities were first tipped off to the incident after Snapchat reported that a video of child pornography had been sent across its network. In March the tip was passed along to the New York Internet Crimes against Children Task Force with the IP address of the sender being traced to Saratoga Springs, according to the criminal complaint.
That same month, Buskey was arrested by the Sherriff’s Office for rape and sexual abuse of a then 12-year-old girl. The girl reported the incident to her school leading to Buskey’s arrest. At the time of the arrest, Buskey’s phone was seized — leading to the charges, according to a statement by the Department of Justice.
On March 11, 2025 Buskey was arraigned in the Town of Greenfield and posted bail. While an order of protection was placed on Buskey ordering him not to contact the victim, New York State Child Protective Services has received credible information that he violated the order at least once, according to the complaint.
“Conner Buskey is accused of abhorrent crimes against an innocent child, and would be roaming free if not for the federal charges brought last week,” Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the HSI Buffalo Field Office, said in a statement “I applaud our HSI Albany personnel, the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York for ensuring the wellbeing of the public, including and especially victims and vulnerable communities, remains the priority above all else.”
A search warrant of Buskey’s phone found multiple images and videos of child pornography and a later search warrant for his snapchat account found a video which matched the one from the original Snapchat tip. The same warrant also found chat logs where Buskey allegedly sent the video to a minor.
If convicted, Buskey could face up to 20 years in Federal prison for each of the charges and a maximum fine of $250,000. Once out of prison, Buskey would be required to register as sex offender and have a period of supervised release of five years to life.
Schuylerville is the latest Saratoga County School District to adopt a state mandated phone ban in schools.
The policy was adopted on Aug. 18 and details both how students are supposed to store their devices and the potential consequences for violating the policy.
Under the policy, students in elementary school are required to store their devices in their lockers if they bring them to school. While the lockers don’t have locks built in, students can bring their own personal locks under the condition that they submit the key or combination to the school.
In addition to phones, students are barred from bringing in smartwatches, tablets and all headphones and earbuds — both wired, and Bluetooth enabled devices.
Students in middle and high school have a similar policy. Students are required to keep their phones off and in their lockers during the school day. Under the policy, students aren’t allowed to use their phones during rest period including lunch, study halls and in the hallways in between classes.
Students who need to contact their parents can do so in the main offices of their respective schools. Parents can also contact the school and request to speak to their student.
The policy also laid out the consequences of violation.
• 1st Offense: Student or teacher brings phone to office where it is held until the end of the day.
• 2nd Offense: Student or teacher brings phone to office where it is held until a parent/guardian can pick it up.
• 3rd Offense: Student or teacher brings phone to office where it is held until a parent/guardian can pick it up, student is assigned a detention.
• 4th Offense: Student or teacher brings phone to office until parent/guardian can pick it up, further consequences are provided at the discretion of the administration.
A sample of the dust first responders and residents were exposed to around the collapse of the World Trade Center ( Courtesy of World Trade Center Health Program)
A retired New York State Trooper from Saratoga Springs has died from a 9/11 related illness.
Retired Sergeant Frederick Scheidt died on Aug. 13 at the age of 67 of cancer, according to his obituary.
Originally from Greenwich, Connecticut, Scheidt joined the State Police in 1979 and served for 30 years, eventually settling in the Saratoga Springs area and retiring in 2009. He is survived by his wife, son and two grandchildren.
Scheidt is one of 34 State Troopers to die from illnesses related to 9/11, according to the New York State Trooper Police Benevolent Association. This number makes it the second most common type of line of duty death experienced by Troopers since the agency’s founding in 1917 and the most common line of duty death in the nearly 24 years since the attacks. Scheidt is the fourth Trooper from Saratoga County to die from illnesses related to the attacks.
The attacks on Sept. 11 represented the single deadliest day in US history for both law enforcement and fire personnel. 72 law enforcement officers were killed in the attacks, the majority coming from the NYPD which lost 23 members and the Port Authority Police which lost 37. In addition, four members of the New York State Office of Tax Enforcement, three members of the New York State Office of Court Administration, one fire Marshall, one member of the FBI, one member of the Secret Service, one member of the New York Fire Patrol and one member of the EPA were all killed in the attacks.
On the fire department side, 343 members of the FDNY were killed along with six on-duty EMS providers and two volunteer EMTs who responded to the disaster on their own.
In the years since, however, the number of first responder deaths from 9/11 related illnesses have surpassed those from the attacks. In addition to the 34 State Troopers, NYPD lists over 370 officers who’ve died as a result of illness, the FBI lists 29 agents who died and the FDNY has lost over 360 members.
The losses are due to the toxic debris first responders and residents were exposed to while working and living near the site of the attack. According to the CDC’s World Trade Center Health Program, the attacks exposed people to over 300 chemical hazards, 14 physical hazards and 26 hazards that could result in mental health issues down the road. Of the 400,000 potential exposures, over 145,000 have signed up for health monitoring through the program.
The most common ailment faced by those in the program is cancer with over 48,000 certified reports. Other ailments include respatory illnesses like asthma and COPD, and mental health conditions like PTSD and depression, among other conditions.
As for Scheidt, his funeral was held Aug. 21 in Saratoga Springs. In advance of the funeral, Saratoga closed streets and restricted parking along the processional route.
The Galway man charged with threatening the family of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson allegedly threatened to shoot ICE agents in Saratoga Springs.
Shane Daley of Galway was allegedly found with emails threatening that he would shoot ICE agents in Saratoga Springs, according to court documents.
“If someone in a mask without proper law enforcement identification aggressively approaches me anywhere in Saratoga Springs, they better have their affairs in order as they’re going to catch two slugs from a legally owned firearm,” Daley allegedly said in the email “ if you want shootouts in your city, feel free to continue doing nothing. But I’d rather leave in a body bag than in cuffs so consider the above message. Hope no one catches a stray!”
The court docs didn’t indicate who the email was sent to or whether they would lead to official charges.
The emails came as a result of a visit to Daley’s home by U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services officers. While at the home, officers found a loaded shot gun, numerous beer cans throughout his home and vehicle, nitrous oxide containers known as “whip-it” — a means of inhaling the substance for recreational use — and quantities of marijuana.
Daley was initially charged with cyberstalking after he left four messages threatening the wife of murdered United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. According to court documents, Daley made several graphic threats to the family, saying that Thompson deserved his death and his family deserved the same.
“You deserve to due begging for your life on the cold concrete, just like your pathetic [expletive] [ expletive] of a [ family member]” Daley allegedly said, among other threats and insults in the messages.
While Daley initially asserted that he hadn’t made the calls in interviews with FBI agents, he later said it was possible given his heavy drinking around the time the threatening calls were allegedly made. Agents were able to match his voice with that on the calls as well as match phone records which came from a phone Daley said he was the sole user of, according to court documents.
Daley was initially held in the Albany County jail, due to the belief that he was a danger to the public. During a hearing on Aug. 19, Daley was ordered released from the jail and into the custody of an addiction treatment facility with an electronic monitoring device attached.
Daley will next be in court upon completion of the program.
The New York State Public Service Commission recently approved a rate proposal by National Grid which would see rates for electricity go up by 11% and rates for gas go up by 10%.
The Commission approved the proposal on Aug. 14. The proposal was signed by multiple agencies, companies and other organizations including the US Department of Defense, Walmart, The New York Solar Energies of New York, The New York Geothermal Energy Organization, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union No. 97 — among others.
Under the proposal, rates across the areas National Grid serves would go up for residential customers by around 11- 12% for year one, five percent for year two and three percent for year three. In terms of gas expenses, National Grid states in its proposal that rates will go up by around eight percent across all three years it covers.
The rate increase comes after over a year of negotiations between National Grid and various stakeholders.
Under the initial proposal rates would’ve increased electricity rates for residential consumers by 15% and gas rates for residential consumers by 20%. These rates were reduced through the negotiating process to where they are in the current proposal.
Under the approved proposal, revenues for National Grid from electricity would increase by $167.3 million in year 1, $297.4 million in year 2 and $243.4 million in year 3.
“The main rate drivers of the recommended increases are due to increases to operations and maintenance (O&M) expense, return on and return of (i.e., depreciation expense) capital investments, and a change in the return on equity to reflect market conditions offset by lower than previously forecast property taxes and a forecasted increase in revenue,” The proposal said.
The increased rate isn’t without controversy. The report detailed how in hearings across the state during the year of negotiations, 62 individuals spoke up about the rates and nearly 9,000 people submitted written comments.
“Many speakers opposed the proposed rate increases, stating that bills are already unaffordable and suggesting that executive compensation and shareholder dividends be reduced prior to raising rates,” the proposal stated “Others noted that the requested rate increases outpace inflation and suggested that there should be methods for funding necessary infrastructure improvements without rate increases.”
Despite these comments, The Commission ultimately decided to approve the rate increases.
“While reflecting a considerable reduction from National Grid’s original request, the Joint Proposal nonetheless provides sufficient funding for the Company to maintain safe, adequate and reliable utility service at just and reasonable rates; thus, the Joint Proposal appropriately balances the interests of ratepayers, the Company, and its investors,” The Commission stated.
The approval was met with swift backlash from many New York lawmakers and other politicians. Governor Kathy Hochul released a statement criticizing the decision.
“While I appreciate that the New York Public Service Commission worked to significantly lower the outrageously high initial rate proposals, it’s still not enough,” Governor Hochul said. “I have been crystal clear that utilities must make ratepayer affordability the priority.”
In response to the rate hike, Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara, whose represents parts of Schenectady and Amsterdam, announced he would introduce legislation which would allow the legislature to review any rate hike by the Public Service Commission.
“Utility costs are already a significant burden for New Yorkers,” Santabarbara said. “This bill makes sure that when major decisions like this are made, elected representatives have the chance to step in on behalf of the people they serve – even if the PSC has already approved it. In this case, we still have time to review and potentially reverse this increase before it becomes permanent.”
This isn’t Santabarbara’s first time introducing legislation to exert legislative control over the Public Service Commission. Back in January, Santabarbara proposed legislation which would require legislative consent on all proposed rate hikes. The same bill was proposed in the senate by Senator James Tedisco, who represents all of Saratoga County and parts of Schenectady and Kevin Parker who represents parts of Brooklyn.
The legislation was referred to committee in both houses and no action has been taken since.
