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Author: Aidan Cahill

Chocolate woes: Local business Talks tariffs and Costs with Local Representative

Written by Aidan Cahill on . Posted in News.

Representative Paul Tonko recently visited a Saratoga Springs chocolate shop to go over the impact of tariffs on the business. 

The visit took place Nov. 24 at Saratoga Chocolate Co. in the Saratoga Marketplace on Broadway. Tonko toured the shop, spoke with employees and helped pack a few orders. 

The visit was one of two visits to local businesses aimed at looking at the impacts of recent tariffs on small businesses, the other taking place at DeFazio’s Pizzeria in Troy on Nov. 25. 

During the visit, co-owner Allison Rose talked about the issues facing her shop, particularly rising costs due to tariffs. Rose said the tariffs impact multiple parts of her business from the cocoa itself to the packaging and machinery used to produce and sell it. 

“It’s hitting us on all of our cocoa products, it’s hitting us on equipment, it’s hitting us on packaging,” Rose said. 

She highlighted specific examples of prices going up like her chocolate jars which went up in price by 32% and a chocolate producing machine which went up in price by nearly $6,000 from when she was quoted the price to when paid for the machine. 

The tariffs were just one of multiple recent challenges impacting chocolatiers worldwide. Rose cited climate change and epidemics of black pod rot as causes for increasing prices. 

In September, an epidemic of the fungal infection devastated farms in Cameroon, the fifth largest producer of cocoa in the world, according to reporting by Rueters. Meanwhile, recent research by scientists from Harvard’s Salata Institute found that excessive rainfall and droughts are to blame for much of the cocoa crop failures over the last two years. 

Rose said the tariff on cocoa caused prices to rise 15-20% and that the tariff was unavoidable as cocoa can’t be produced in the United States. Another area where Rose said her prices have gone up is in packaging which she said have gone up 60% due to tariffs. 

It’s not just prices that have been impacted. Rose said she’s had to worry about how she pays her employees due to the tariffs. 

“I have an intense desire to try to raise wages and offer benefits to the folks on my staff who are more full-time employees, and try to create career track opportunities for folks,” Rose said. “With our margins being as hit as they have been for the past two years, it has been very difficult for me to move my own employee forward in a way that will foster goodwill and result in employee retention.” 

These tariffs are already causing some chocolatiers to close shop. Rose pointed to the recent closure of Apothecary Chocolates in Colton as an example of this. Rose said that she got a call from the owner offering some of her packaging supplies to help Rose continue operations. 

In addition to the packaging supplies, the owner also gave her moral support which Rose said helped exponentially.  

“I don’t think anybody truly can appreciate what the chocolate industry is going through, unless you’ve been in the chocolate industry,” Rose said. “There are a lot of different businesses in this area that are very significantly impacted by the cost of chocolate rising.” 

While Tonko didn’t have numbers on how many businesses had closed within the 21st congressional district as a result of the tariffs, Rose pointed out that it’s not just the decision to close businesses that small businesses owners are dealing with. 

Rose said that some businesses may decide not to grow due to increased costs or consumer behaviors. 

“I know that business owners that I’ve spoken to are like, ‘we’re just going to hold its status quo right now, because we just don’t know in this economy,” Rose said.  “We just don’t know what’s happening with prices. We just don’t know how the consumers are going to respond. Because we’re all feeling those upward pressures in so many areas of our own budget.” 

Saratoga Springs Man Arrested for Road-Rage Incident

Written by Aidan Cahill on . Posted in News.

A Saratoga Springs man has been arrested after he shot a less-than-lethal pistol at another driver during a road-rage incident. 

Landon Spring-McCarty is alleged to have shot at another vehicle with the pistol during a road rage incident on Nov. 16 on Interstate 87 near Grooms Road in Clifton Park, according to the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office. 

A projectile from the pistol struck the other vehicle. At the time of the incident, a minor was present in Spring-McCarty’s vehicle. 

Spring-McCarty was charged with 1st degree reckless endangerment, 4th degree criminal possession of a weapon, and endangering the welfare of a child. Spring-McCarty was arraigned in Clifton Park Town Court and released to pretrial services pending further charges. 

Beware of Scammers: County Issues Warning

Written by Aidan Cahill on . Posted in Featured, News.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office and Saratoga County Sherriff’s Office have both put out warnings regarding scammers impersonating their officers.

The Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office has issued a warning regarding scammers impersonating their deputies after a resident was scammed out of $10,000. 

The scam occurred on Wednesday, Nov. 12. According to the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, the person was contacted by an unknown individual who left a voice mail. Upon the victim recontacting the alleged scammer, the victim was told they had a warrant out for their arrest for missing jury duty. 

The victim was then threatened with arrest, loss of custody of their children and harm if they didn’t get the money. After receiving these threats, the victim paid $10,000 to the scammer through Apple Pay. 

“Scammers are exceptional at creating a false sense of urgency in people,” Saratoga County Sherriff Micheal Zurlo said. “That urgency should be the first clue that something is off. Slow down and take the time to call us before taking any action. It could save you from a significant financial loss and major emotional impact.” 

The incident came one day before the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York issued a warning regarding scams impersonating the Department of Justice. 

According to their notice, the scammers focus on immigration-related matters and threaten victims if their demands aren’t met. They also spoof the phone number to appear as though they’re affiliated with the government. 

In light of these scams, both the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Saratoga County Sherriff’s Office asserted that they would never contact someone to demand money under any circumstances. In addition, the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated that they would never ask for payment in the form of gift cards or ask someone for their credit card information. 

They also listed numbers to call should you be the target of one of these scams. For the Sherriff’s Office, residents are encouraged to call (518) 885-6761 and for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, residents can call 315-448-0672. 

While scams impersonating government aren’t new, it has been getting worse. The FBI Internet Crime report found that in 2024 there were 17,367 reports of government impersonation scams, compared to 14,190 in 2023 and 11,554 in 2022. These scams cost the victims $405,624,084 in 2024 — compared to $394,050,518 in 2023 and $240,553,091 in 2022. 

In July, a scammer from Brooklyn targeted an elderly couple by claiming to be from Citizens Bank and stole $80,000 from them. 

Saratoga Springs Principal Resigns after Stealing from Union

Written by Aidan Cahill on . Posted in Featured, News.

A Saratoga Springs principal has resigned after an investigation found that he stole thousands of dollars from a union he was a member of.  

Scott Singer, principal of Maple Avenue Middle School, resigned on Nov. 13 after pleading guilty to charges of petit larceny stemming from allegations that he stole $12,298.63 from the Saratoga Administrators Association (SAA). At the time of the theft, Singer served as the treasurer of the SAA. 

According to the criminal complaint, the theft was first uncovered by Johanna Friedman, an Assistant Principal at Saratoga Springs High School and the current treasurer of the SAA. In a deposition supporting the complaint, Friedman said her suspicions began when Singer closed an account run by the SAA — despite her requests not to — and subsequently deposited a check for $3600 into the account. 

These suspicions led Freidman and Kevin Wolpert, the SAA co-president and Saratoga Springs High School Assistant Principal to begin investigating Singer’s actions as the union’s treasurer dating back to the start of his term in 2019. It was during this investigation that they found multiple cash withdrawals and checks made out to Singer which he signed for himself.

“Scott made unauthorized cash withdrawals and checks to himself from our association’s account,” Wolpert said in his deposition. “The potential number of misappropriations and unauthorized withdrawals amounts to $12,298.63. Scott appears to have attempted repayment but owes the association up to $4,682.03.”

Singer’s resignation was accepted by the Saratoga Springs City School District Board of Education on Nov. 13. In an email to parents, Superintendent Dr. Micheal Patton announced the resignation and asserted that the allegations were not related to his work at the school. 

“In October, the district became aware of concerns regarding Mr. Singer’s conduct in his role as an elected official of the Saratoga Springs Administrators Association,” Dr. Patton said in the email.  “These concerns were unrelated to his responsibilities as a building principal, his interactions with students, staff, or any misuse of district or taxpayer funds.” 

Singer first joined the Saratoga Springs School District in 2002 as a special education teacher and served as a social studies teacher and assistant principal for both the middle and high school. He’s also served as the Treasurer of the New York State Middle School Association since 2019. 

As for Maple Avenue Middle School, on Nov. 19, the Saratoga Springs City School District announced that Mark Fish will take over as the interim principal from Dec. 1 to April 2, 2026. 

 Mark Fish  (seen here) will serve as interim principal of Maple Avenue Middle School after long-time principal Scott Singer resigned 
( Courtesy of Saratoga City School District)

Fish previously served as the Superintendent of Greenwich Central School District and most recently served as Interim Superintendent of Galway Central School District from January- July 2025. Fish is also listed as the historian for the New York State Middle School Association.

“We are very confident that Mr. Fish’s extensive middle school leadership experience will provide strong support for our students, staff, and school community during this time of transition,” The announcement said. 

Local Congresswoman Announces Run for Governor

Written by Aidan Cahill on . Posted in Featured, News.

Elise Stefanik has announced she will challenge Governor Hochul in the 2026 election (Official Portrait).

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-22) has announced she is running for governor in 2026 against incumbent Kathy Hochul. 

The announcement came on Nov. 7, three days after the municipal elections in the state. In her statement and announcement video, Stefanik attacked the incumbent and highlighted affordability as one of the top issues. 

“Kathy Hochul is the Worst Governor in America,” The opening line of her statement read. “Under Kathy Hochul’s failed leadership, New York is the most unaffordable state in the nation with the highest taxes, highest energy, utilities, rent, and grocery prices crushing hardworking families.” 

Stefanik’s Congressional District encompasses the northern half of Saratoga County. The entire town of Saratoga and the majority of Wilton fall within the district on the eastern side of the county while everything north of and including the Towns of Greenfield and Providence falls within the district in the west. 

Stefanik, 41, has served in Congress since first being elected in 2014. At the time of her election, she was the youngest member of the House of Representatives. Prior to serving in Congress, she worked for then President George W. Bush’s administration from 2006-2009 as well as her family’s business in Essex County, according to official biographies. Stefanik lists her home as being in Schuylerville. 

In Congress, Stefanik serves the House Armed Services Committee, the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. She previously served as Conference Chair for the House GOP and had been nominated to be the US Ambassador to the United Nations. 

In 2024, the most recent election, Stefanik beat her Democrat challenger Paula Collins with 62% of the vote. Prior to announcing her run for Governor, Stefanik raised $1,980,190.47 for her run for reelection in the House of Representatives. 

After announcing her run for Governor, Stefanik quickly received the backing of most county Republican Committees in the state — including Saratoga County — as well as several elected officials. State Senator James Tedisco, who represents Saratoga County, offered his endorsement as did Assemblywoman Marry Beth Walsh. 

If Stefanik earns the nomination, she will be the first woman to run as the Republican Party nominee for New York Governor. 

NTSB: Plane lost power before fatal crash.

Written by Aidan Cahill on . Posted in News.

A preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says that a plane lost power before crashing into a residential area in the Town of Milton. 

The report was issued Nov. 8 and reveals several details about the aircraft history, prior maintenance, flight plan and crash. It doesn’t list the cause of the accident or potential impact of wind that was present in the area. 

The crash killed pilot Frederick Baber and seriously injured Alexander Hoff, a flight instructor from New Hampshire. At the time of the accident, they were flying to Punta Gorda Florida, where Baber lived. 

Hoff told the NTSB that the plane only made it to 200 feet above ground before rapidly losing power. After losing power, Hoff took control of the aircraft from Baber and tried to return to the airport. While making the turn, he realized he was too low and made a left turn to avoid a house before crashing into a tree, according to the NTSB report. 

This wasn’t the first time the plane had lost power. Hoff told investigators that a month prior to the accident, Baber was flying the plane on a test flight when the engine lost power, but he was successfully able to recover and land back at the airport. According to Hoff, the fuel had been contaminated with algae and debris. It was later repaired by a local mechanic. 

The NTSB said that six gallons of fuel was recovered from the right wing fuel tank with no water or debris in the tank but the left tank was destroyed by a post impact fire. No blockages or debris were found in the fuel or exhaust systems. 

The same fire consumed portions of the engine, instrument panel and cockpit. According to the NTSB, no useful information could be obtained from the remaining instruments. 

Baber and Hoff met the night before the flight, according to the report. Baber was required by insurance to have flight instructor with him on the flight to Florida due to inexperience the make and model of aircraft.  Prior to the flight, both performed a pre-flight inspection and sampled the fuel multiple times with no issues found. 

As for the model of aircraft, the Mooney M20E, a review of NTSB data found that the plane has been involved in 528 accidents since it entered service in 1964, of those 118 have been fatal. These accidents have resulted in 245 deaths, 72 serious injuries and 126 minor injuries. In 1966, the NTSB released a recommendation regarding the landing gear of the airframe which the manufacturer accepted. 

Knife wielding man arrested after robbing a Stewart’s

Written by Aidan Cahill on . Posted in Featured, News.

A Cohoes man has been arrested by Saratoga Springs Police after he tried to steal cigarettes from a Stewart’s and pulled a knife on responding officers.

Craig Valcik, 45 of Cohoes was arrested on Nov. 7 at 3 pm during a robbery attempt at the Stewart’s on Church Street in Saratoga Springs. Police said officers were in the parking lot at the time of the robbery and were alerted to the incident by a store employee. 

Once inside the shop, the officers attempted to take Valcik into custody, but he refused to comply. He then pulled out and knife and began to threaten officers. Ultimately after more commands were issued, Valcik dropped the weapon and surrendered without incident. 

Valcik was charged three felonies — first degree robbery, menacing a police officer, and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He was also charged with criminal possession of stolen property and criminal tampering.  

Valcik was arraigned and placed in custody at the Saratoga County Jail. He is set to appear in court on Nov. 13. 

National Cemetery Cancels Veterans Day Ceremony

Written by Aidan Cahill on . Posted in News.

Flags line the road leading into the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery on Veterans Day

A ceremony set to take place on Veterans Day was canceled this year due to the government shutdown. 

The ceremony was set to take place at the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery at 11:00 but couldn’t go forward due to loss of federal funds. 

“We’re saddened to share that this year’s Veterans Day Ceremony has been cancelled due to a lack of cemetery funding and the ongoing government shutdown,” the Cemetery said in a Facebook post.

Due to the government shutdown, the annual ceremony honoring veterans at the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery was canceled

While the ceremony may have been canceled, there were signs of the holiday up around the cemetery. Students from Stillwater High School put up flags along the roadway leading to the cemetery. 

In addition, the cemetery was open to the public allowing those who wished to honor veterans buried at the cemetery. 

Plane Crash Kills One in Milton

Written by Aidan Cahill on . Posted in Featured, News.


One person died and another is seriously injured after a plane crashed near the Saratoga County Airport in Milton (NYDOT)

One person is dead, and another is seriously injured after a plane crashed into the driveway of a home in the town of Milton. 

The pilot, Frederick Baber, 58, of Port Charlotte Florida was killed in the crash while the passenger, Alexander Hoff, 39, of Hollis New Hampshire was seriously injured. He was transported to Albany Medical Center with serious injuries. 

The crash occurred on Oct. 31 at 10:24 am in a residential area on Wyndham Way in the Town of Milton. Nine fire departments, three police agencies, Community EMS, Saratoga County Office of Emergency Management and Saratoga County Hazardous Material Team all responded to the crash, according to the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office. 

In a press conference the day of the crash, Saratoga County Sherriff Mike Zurlo said that the plane is believed to have hit a tree and dropped into the driveway of a residence. 

While the crash was initially dispatched as a structure fire with entrapment, responders on scene determined that the fire was limited to outside the residence and that the structure was not impacted. 

The house was occupied at the time, but the residents were not injured and were able to safely evacuate, Zurlo said. 

The aircraft involved in the crash was a Mooney M20E that was originally manufactured in 1964, according to the FAA Aircraft Registration. It is listed as a fixed wing single engine aircraft. It first received its airworthiness certification in December 1964 and its current registration was issued in January 2025. 

The listed owner was not involved in the crash and told other media outlets that he sold the plane the month prior. 

The plane first came to Saratoga County on Oct. 9 according to Flightradar24, a real-time flight tracking service. Its last flight prior to the crash occurred on Oct. 21 with Flightradar24 showing that it circled the Saratoga County Airport for about 13 minutes before landing. The fatal crash on Oct. 31 did not appear on the service’s website. 

The aircraft pilot, Baber was listed as having received his private pilot license in July 2019 with his last listed medical certification coming in July 2025. According to the FAA, Baber had a single engine and instrument rating. His daughter said in a Facebook post that he died doing what he loved. 

Saratoga County hasn’t seen a fatal plane crash since 2014 when a pilot crashed in Gansevoort while attempting to pick up a towable banner, according to the NTSB. The last non-fatal accident occurred in 2023 when a student and instructor were forced to make an emergency landing in a field after running out of fuel. 

As for the Oct. 31 crash, no cause has been issued for the crash, and the NTSB announced that they are currently investigating. 

An earlier version of the story misspelled Frederick Baber’s name. We apologize for the mistake and have since corrected the mistake.

Northumberland Man Arrested on Multiple Charges After Robbery

Written by Aidan Cahill on . Posted in News.

A Northumberland man is facing a slew of charges stemming from a robbery in the town. 

Pedro Correa Rodriguez, 36 of Northumberland was charged with 11 different counts ranging from drug possession to robbery after an incident that occurred the morning of Nov. 3. 

According to New York State Police, Correa Rodriguez struck another person, stole their cell phone, and pointed a handgun at them before fleeing the scene. 

A short time later, he was found walking in the area and taken into custody where Troopers found a loaded handgun, the victim’s damaged cell phone, a glass smoking device and drugs. 

Correa Rodriguez was arraigned in Northumberland Court and is currently being held without bail at the Saratoga County Correctional Facility. 

He was arrested on the following charges: Possession of a Weapon in the second degree, Robbery in the third degree, Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the third degree, Criminal Mischief in the third degree, Criminal Possession of a Firearm, Assault in the third degree, Four counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance in the seventh degree, Menacing in the second degree, Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia in the second degree and Criminal Mischief in the fourth degree.