Displaying items by tag: saratoga

SARATOGA SPRINGS - Republican city mayoral candidate Mark Baker entered the final 11 days of his campaign with about $23,380 on hand, while Democrat city mayoral candidate Meg Kelly reported a balance of approximately $14,600 during the same period, according to campaign financial disclosure reports, provided by the New York State Board of Elections.

Citizens for Yepsen, who also filed a report 11 days prior to the Nov. 7 election, has about $3,850 in the bank. Current city Mayor Joanne Yepsen has elected to not seek re-nomination to the two-year post.

Baker’s campaign began with about $21,500 on hand in July. Financial contributors to Baker’s campaign include a handful of local builders, construction companies and developers, John Hendrickson and Marylou Whitney, and local GOP political figures Shauna Sutton and Michael Lenz. Baker was previously the long-time president of the City Center Authority.  

Kelly, currently the city’s Deputy Mayor, entered the race with $6,000 on hand in July. Kelly’s financial supporters include prominent City Democrats Raymond Watkins, Bill McTygue and Bahram Kermmati, as well as current city Supervisor Peter Martin. Political committees supporting current officeholders Mayor Joanne Yepsen, Judge Francine Vero and Accounts Commissioner John Franck have also contributed to Kelly’s campaign.

In the other contested race for a seat on the five-person City Council – Commissioners Franck, Madigan, and Scirocco are unopposed - Public Safety Commissioner hopefuls Don Braim (R, C, I, RFM), and Peter Martin (D, WF, WEP), reported balances of approximately $9,350, and $3,500, respectively, as of their filings of Oct. 27.

A local vote will also be held Nov. 7 regarding the city’s form of governing to decide whether to switch from a commission form of government to one run by a city manager.

The group Saratogians United to Continue the Charter Essential to Sustain our Success, or SUCCESS, is in favor of maintaining the current form of governing, and reported about $25,000 on hand in its 11 Day Pre-General Report filing. Notable contributors to the group include Charles V. Wait and W.P. Dake - each contributing $3,000; J.T. Roohan and John Hendrickson - each contributing $2,000; and Joseph W. Dalton, James Lavigne, Michael Hoffman, Frank Parillo, Thomas J. Newkirk, the Allerdice Building Supply Company and Mazzone Administrative Group each contributed $1,000 or more.

It’s Time Saratoga! – the group in favor of changing the current form of governing in the city to one run by a city manager reported just under $19,500 on hand in its 11 Day Pre-General Report filing. Among the group’s largest financial contributors are the nonprofit International City/County Management Association – who contributed $15,000, and the New York State City/County Management Association, who donated $2,500. Gary Dake ($500), and Gordon Boyd ($750), are among notable individual donors to It’s Time Saratoga! Boyd, who has acknowledged a change of mind regarding charter change in Saratoga Springs, initially donated $300 to the SUCCESS organization when it first started in 2006.

SARATOGA SPRINGS - Tabla player Ballu Khan sat at center stage, thwonk-ing jubilant beats, breaking into contagious smiles and commanding the center of attention Monday night at SPAC’s Little Theater where the Sachal Ensemble staged their Saratoga premiere.

The ensemble, perhaps best known for their role in the 2015 film “Song of Lahore,” was created by Pakistani investor and philanthropist Izzat Majeed. The “music-mad millionaire” – as a 2014 NPR interview referred to him – joined the Lahore-based group onstage for a curtain call. 

The eight-piece ensemble, making their debut U.S. tour, performed a 70-minute set, re-imagining western based crowd-pleasers such as Ben E. King’s “Stand by Me,” Henry Mancini’s “Pink Panther Theme,” and the jazz standard “Take Five” – first and most famously performed by the Dave Brubeck Quartet more than a half-century ago. A rendition of French composer Michel Legrand’s “Windmills of Your Mind” was emotionally stirring.  

But it was the band’s own personal creations, imbued with syncopated dives, synchronous ascensions and a melodic sweetness that best ratcheted-up the sonic intensity.  "Taxali Gate" – written about one of the gates of the old medieval Walled City of Lahore, and “Shalimar,” inspired by the garden complex located in the Pakistan metropolis known as the city of gardens, were the best of these.

Khan’s tabla playing was collaboratively paired with the player of a double-headed hand-drum – called a dholak; the duo’s percussive resonance augmented by the bow-ing of a violin, the tinklings of a grand piano, and the gentle pluckings of a sunburst Gibson Les Paul.

Well-placed accents were delivered by the multi-layered string arrangements of a sarangi - a small, box-shaped string instrument bowed with one hand and noted by fingers across the fret-board with the other. A flutist provided melodic accompaniment, occasionally infiltrated with short tonal flares reminiscent of the stylings of Roland Kirk - all of it held together by the foundation-clang of the beat-keeping bells. 

Greeted warmly by a large audience inside the theater the ensemble’s performance was a poignant reminder, for those who may have forgotten, of the collective power of music to erase geographic borders, melt cultural differences and served to transcend the musicians’ struggle to keep music alive under the auspices of a conservative Islamic regime in their native Pakistan, where music of a non-religious nature is discouraged.

Tabla player Ballu Khan. Photo provided. 

COURTS

Owen G. Phinney, 23, of Gansevoort, was sentenced Oct. 16 to 10 months jail, after pleading to felony aggravated unlicensed operation, misdemeanor DWI, assault and resisting arrest, in connection with an incident in Saratoga Springs. 

Devon M. Ostrander, 22, of Milton, pleaded Oct. 16 to felony attempted assault. Sentencing scheduled for Dec. 4. 

Mensah L. Watson, 23, of Saratoga Springs, pleaded Oct. 18 to attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance, a felony, in connection with an incident in Saratoga Springs. Sentencing scheduled for Dec. 6. 

Blake E. Labarge, 25, of Saratoga Springs, pleaded Oct. 18 to felony DWI in Saratoga Springs. Sentencing scheduled for Oct. 18. 

Adam J. Rouse, 32, of Hudson Falls, pleaded Oct. 18 to failure to report an address change to Saratoga Springs, a felony. Sentencing scheduled for Dec. 13. 

POLICE

Nacoda E. Meredith, age 20, of Saratoga Springs, was charged Oct. 20 with the felony charge of aggravated harassment in the second degree as a Hate Crime. Investigators from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation in Latham arrested Meredith after an investigation revealed that he was allegedly responsible for making racially motivated threats via social media.

Campus Security from Siena College contacted law enforcement the previous night regarding a report of an employee receiving racially motivated threats through a Facebook account. The threats specifically referenced the employee of Siena College and contained derogatory and racial statements as well as death threats to the employee and his family.  Officials located Meredith at his home in Saratoga Springs where he was taken into custody without incident. He was arraigned in the Town of Guilderland Court and sent to Albany County Jail in lieu of $15,000 cash bail.  An order of protection was put into place at the arraignment and Meredith was ordered to receive a mental health evaluation.

Donald J. Koenig III, 46, of Corinth, was charged Oct. 19 with burglary in the third-degree. It is alleged that Koenig forced entry into an office building on Oct. 4 in the Town of Milton, doing damage to a window and stealing in excess of $2,000. 

Trevor J. Hammar, 27, of Milton, was charged Oct. 17 with three counts felony burglary, five counts felony grand larceny, and one misdemeanor count attempted identity theft. Hammar is alleged to have entered three homes in the town of Milton on different dates since the beginning of October, and had stolen assorted computer equipment, cash, cell phones, credit and debit cards, and other miscellaneous items. then attempted to use the debit cards at an ATM to withdraw money from the victims’ bank accounts.

Nelson D. Bruno, 27, and Tyler R. Paradis, 26, both of Ballston Spa, were each charged Oct. 11 with Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument. Bruno was additionally charged with seven counts burglary and Paradis three counts burglary. All charges are felonies.  Over the span of several months, both are suspected of entering multiple buildings in the towns of Ballston, Malta, and Wilton and stealing numerous items, including tools, construction equipment, lawn equipment, and bank checks which they allegedly forged and cashed.  Bruno was released on his own recognizance and Paradis was sent to Saratoga County Jail with no bail. Both will return to court at a later date.   

Susan E. Steenburgh, age 32, Saratoga Springs, was charged Oct. 16 with assault. 

Mark Allen Proper, Age 49, Ballston Spa, was charged Oct. 15 with aggravated unlicensed operation.

Edward Walton, Age 27, Waterford, was charged Oct. 15 with criminal possession of controlled substance. 

Chad M. Yetto, Age 34, Cohoes, was charged Oct. 14 with criminal trespass. 

York L. Mills, Age 28, Gansevoort, was charged Oct. 14 with criminal contempt. 

Londell C. Vanaernem, Age 41, Ballston Spa, was charged Oct. 14 with criminal mischief. 

Dino A. Petrocelli, Age 58, Albany, was charged Oct. 14 with misdemeanor DWI, fail to keep right. 

S. Purdy, Age 42, Ballston Spa, was charged Oct. 13 with reckless endangerment, obstructing governmental administration, circumvent interlock-court order-operate w/o device, aggravated unlicensed operation, fail to comply with lawful order of the police. 

Tino A. Liggero, Age 61, Saratoga Springs, was charged Oct. 13 with endangering the welfare of a child. 

Rogerio F. Torres, Age 35, Schenectady, was charged Oct. 13 with criminal possession of a controlled substance. 

Morris D. Vaughn, Age 33, Saratoga Springs, was charged Oct. 13 with criminal mischief. 

Elizabeth J. Gallo, Age 25, Averill Park, was charged Oct. 13 with misdemeanor DWI, failed to stop at stop sign, fail to keep right, passed a red traffic signal light 

by Thomas Dimopoulos

Saratoga TODAY

WILTON - A 16-year-old Saratoga Springs High School student, believed to having gone missing with a handgun shortly before noon on Monday, was found and taken into custody without incident near his Wilton home on Route 9 early Monday evening. He did not have the handgun with him at the time.

“He got into an argument with his mom inside the house. He had the gun and she locked herself in a room. Prior to his leaving the house, he hid the gun in the garage,” said Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo. “She last saw him with it, so we assumed he had it.”

Police conducted a search for the teen that covered a three-mile area around Route 9/ Maple Avenue and Northern Pines Road, that involved NY State Police, Saratoga Springs Police, state Park Police, as well the county Sheriff’s Department and a New York State Police Aviation unit helicopter.

Maple Ave Middle School, Dorothy Nolan Elementary School, SUNY Adirondack Wilton Center, and Skidmore College, as well as childcare centers in the area were all placed on precautionary lockout. Afternoon and evening events at the schools were cancelled, including a mayoral debate that was slated to take place at the high school.

“He was taken to Saratoga Hospital for a mental evaluation. Because he made suicidal comments prior to leaving the house, our main concern was safety – his safety and with (potentially) a gun the safety of others,” said Zurlo, who would not comment at this time as to whether the handgun is legally registered. “We’re going to determine (Tuesday) whether any charges will be brought.”

WILTON - A 16-year-old Saratoga Springs High School student believed to had gone missing with a handgun shortly before noon on Monday was found and taken into custody near his Wilton home early Monday evening. 

"We were able to locate the young man today right near his residence and take him into custody, without an issue. He’s been cooperative and the firearm he had has been recovered,” Saratoga County Sheriff's Department Investigations LT. Jeff Brown said, early Monday night.

Police conducted a search for the teen, Bryce Byno, that covered a three-mile area around Route 9/ Maple Avenue and Northern Pines Road, that involved NY State Police, Saratoga Springs Police, state Park Police, as well the county Sheriff’s Department and a New York State Police Aviation unit helicopter. 

Maple Ave Middle School, Dorothy Nolan Elementary School, SUNY Adirondack Wilton Center, and Skidmore College, as well as childcare centers in the area were all placed on precautionary lockout. Afternoon and evening events at the schools were cancelled, including a mayoral debate that was slated to take place at the high school. The middle school and high school began dismissal at approximately 3 p.m. District elementary schools were dismissed on time, however, buses were delayed by approximately 60 minutes, according to The Saratoga Springs City School District 

Byno is believed to have left his house 11:15 Monday morning with a handgun, following a domestic dispute. Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo said no specific threat was made to others, but added the teen has had "a tendency toward suicidal threats."  Zurlo would not comment whether the handgun was legally registered.    

The county Sheriff's Department said Monday night the investigation ongoing, and Brown thanked the community and the school district for their cooperation.

Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo, Monday afternoon. Photo by Thomas Dimopoulos.  

COURT

Francis H. Joy, 34, of Malta was sentenced Oct. 11 to 3-1/2 years in state prison, after pleading to sexual abuse in the first-degree, in connection with an incident in Malta. 

Steven R. Jones, 25, of Queensbury, was sentenced Oct. 11 to one year in jail, after pleading to felony criminal contempt, in connection with an incident in Saratoga Springs.   

William K. Hutton, 52, of Saratoga Springs, pleaded Oct. 12 to felony DWI. Sentencing scheduled Jan. 4. 

POLICE

Nathaniel J.   Danker 30, Scotia, was charged Oct. 12 with felony DWI, aggravated DWI, unreasonable speed, reckless endangerment. 

Christopher Shannon, 37, Ballston Spa, was charged Oct. 12 with misdemeanor DWI.   

Sean M. Carey, 30, Saratoga Springs, was charged Oct. 12 with operating a motor vehicle mv impaired by drugs. 

Steven A. Keene, 29, Saratoga Springs, was charged Oct. 12 with unlawful possession of marijuana, criminal possession of a controlled substance. 

Jennifer L. Hallowell, 42, Saratoga Springs, was charged Oct. 12 with harassment, resisting arrest, criminal tampering, assault. 

Caeli Paige, 23, Victory Mills, was charged Oct. 12 with speeding, aggravated unlicensed operation. 

Alonte J. White, 26, Saratoga Springs, was charged Oct. 10 with three counts assault, two counts robbery. White was charged following a lengthy investigation conducted by the Saratoga Springs Police Department.  It is alleged that White assaulted and stole money from a victim, whose injuries during the incident required treatment at Saratoga Hospital. White was arraigned in Saratoga County Court and was sent to Saratoga County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail, or $200,000 bond, according to police.       

Griffin P. Edwards, 19, Delmar, was charged Oct. 10 with aggravated unlicensed operation. 

Matthew R. Barton, 34, Ballston Spa, was charged Oct. 10 with misdemeanor DWI, aggravated DWI, leaving the scene of an auto accident (property), following motor vehicle too closely. 

Justin N. Ware, 25, Troy, was charged Oct. 9 with stalking, criminal contempt, aggravated family offense – a felony. 

William J. Deaprix, 29, Scotia, was charged Oct. 8 with misdemeanor DWI, driving the wrong way on a one-way street. 

Nicholas C. Georgalas, 19, Massapequa, was charged Oct. 7 with criminal mischief.    

John J. Guerin, 39, Ballston Spa, was charged Oct. 7 with criminal possession of a controlled substance. 

Carlos Perez, 22, Amsterdam, was charged Oct. 7 with two felony counts and one misdemeanor count criminal possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of marijuana, criminal impersonation. 

Joseph R. Bozony, 22, Saratoga Springs was charged Oct. 7 aggravated unlicensed operation.

Kristen L. Fuller, 30, Saratoga Springs was charged Oct. 6 with aggravated unlicensed operation, failure to stop at a stop sign, failure to signal a turn.    

Joseph A. Romero, 18, Saratoga Springs, was charged Oct. 6 with criminal possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of marijuana, trespassing. 

Timothy P. McHugh, 57, Latham, was charged Oct. 6 with felony grand larceny.      

Celestino G. Moreira, 54, Saratoga Springs, was charged Oct. 6 with failure to stop at stop sign, aggravated unlicensed operation, operating unregistered motor vehicle on highway. 

John Lavada, 27, Mayfield, was charged Oct. 7 with eight misdemeanor counts petit larceny. 

Anthony F. Aubin, 27, Clifton Park, was charged Oct. 5 with two felony counts grand larceny.   

James P. Purdy, 30, Stillwater, was charged Oct.4 with misdemeanor petit larceny.   

Amy L. Lavoy, 37, Saratoga Springs, was charged Oct. 4 with aggravated unlicensed operation, a misdemeanor. 

Marcus T. Jackson, 28, Saratoga Springs, was charged Oct. 3 with attempted assault, and criminal mischief.    

COURTS

Wayne M. Bakken II, 20, of Saratoga, pleaded Oct. 6 to promoting prison contraband, a felony. Sentencing scheduled Dec. 1. 

Jared M. Tenace, 27, of Schenectady, pleaded Oct. 6 to criminal possession of stolen property, a felony, in connection with an incident in Milton. Sentencing scheduled Dec. 1. 

Nathaniel A. Harrington, 37, of Hudson Falls, pleaded Oct. 6 to promoting prison contraband. Sentencing scheduled for Dec. 1. 

John P. Allen, 54, of Middle Grove, was sentenced Oct. 2 to time served and five years of probation, after pleading to felony criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Lawrence D. Wright, 64, of Saratoga Springs, was sentenced Oct. 2 to 2 to 4 years in state prison, after pleading to felony promoting a sexual performance by a child. 

Meriah M. Riley, 25, of Saratoga, was sentenced Oct. 2 to 1.5 years in state prison, after pleading to felony criminal possession of a controlled substance in Wilton. 

Jonathan R. Higley, 20, of Ballston Spa, was sentenced Oct. 2 to 10 months and two weeks in jail, after pleading to felony DWI in Milton. 

Marshall G. Gaudet, 32, of Malta, pleaded on Oct. 2 to felony rape, predatory sexual assault against a child, and two counts possessing sexual performance of a child. He was accused of a 55-count indictment in February of having created multiple items of child pornography using multiple children between 2013 and 2016. During the creation of the child pornography, he also committed acts of rape and sexual assault, according to the Saratoga County District Attorney’s office. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 4, during which Gaudet faces a sentence of imprisonment of 25-years-to-life. 

Paul J. Sims, 25, of Stillwater, pleaded Oct. 4 to felony DWI related to an incident that occurred in Malta, on April 29, and felony criminal mischief – regarding an incident in Saratoga Springs on June 18. Sentencing scheduled for Nov. 29. 

POLICE

Rakell L. Dutcher, 32, of Galway, was charged Sept. 28 with DWI, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, refusal of a pre-screen test, and endangering the welfare of a child. Dutcher is accused of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated at a time when she had three children under the age of 15 in the vehicle. She is also accused of having a revoked driver’s license at the time. 

Dana M. Crispell, 35, of Troy, was charged Oct. 3 with felony aggravated DWI, misdemeanor DWI, and endangering the welfare of a child. Crispell is accused of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated in Stillwater while she had two children under the age of 15 in the vehicle. She was released on her own recognizance. 

Chelsea R. Shafts, 23, of Round Lake, was charged Oct. 1 with misdemeanor petit larceny, following the alleged theft of an iPad from a home in the village of Round Lake.  Shafts is accused of stealing the iPad and pawning it for profit. The iPad was recovered and returned to the owner. She was released on an appearance ticket. 

Amy E. Theriault, age 36, Freeport, Maine, was charged Oct. 1 with misdemeanor DWI, and fail to obey traffic control device.

Kevin M. Sullivan, age 60, Fairport, was charged Oct. 1 with misdemeanor DWI and aggravated DWI, unlawful possession of marijuana, failed to stop at stop sign. 

Nathan W. Chase, age 27, Clifton Park, was charged Sept. 30 with aggravated unlicensed operation, no/expired inspection certificate. 

William E. Mays, age 44, Saratoga Springs, was charged Sept. 30 with endangering the welfare of a child.

Larry L. Bakke, age 46, Saratoga Springs, was charged Sept. 30 with misdemeanor DWI.    

Garrette S. Ouellette, age 30, Ballston Spa, was charged Sept. 29 with criminal possession of marijuana, and unlawful possession of marijuana. 

Ronald F. Owen, age 52, Saratoga Springs, was charged Sept. 29 with misdemeanor DWI, unlawful possession of marijuana, fail to keep right, refuse pre-screen test.

William C. Cooper, age 46, Schenectady, and Edward J. Hamil, age 61, Schenectady, were charged Sept. 29 with misdemeanor petit larceny. 

Aaron J. Brinkley, age 30, Saratoga Springs, was charged Oct. 6 with aggravated cruelty to animals, a felony. According to police, Brinkley was seeking medical treatment for a dog bite allegedly suffered at his home when concerns were raised by comments Brinkley made as to the welfare of the dog following Brinkley being bitten. A subsequent investigation revealed Riko, a 1 to 2-year-old Boston Terrier, deceased on the back deck. Brinkley is accused of causing the dog’s death.  Brinkley was arraigned and sent to Saratoga County Jail in lieu of $15,000 cash, or $30,000 bond.

SARATOGA SPRINGS – The prevailing practice of kids selling water for a buck-a-bottle to patrons outside the entry gates of the Saratoga Race Course will no longer be permitted, announced city Public Safety Commissioner Chris Mathiesen, who said he has fielded numerous complaints connected with the issue. 

“This is something that was (started) with the best of intentions, but it’s turned into something that has been quite a drain and everybody in our department is fed up with what’s been happening,” Mathiesen said.

The act was never legal to begin with, with no sales tax charted, and no licensing involved. Vendors are typically required to obtain a license to sell their wares in Saratoga Springs. A 1934 ordinance exempts from the city’s licensing ordinance the sale of milk, periodicals and newspapers – the latter of which is a common practice outside the racecourse, and which will be allowed continue.  

“A number of years ago, one of our code enforcement officers, Dan Cogan, was trying to be a really good guy and make it possible for kids to be able to sell bottled water at the track as a way for them to make some money,” Mathiesen explained. The suggested guidelines stipulated the seller be 14 years of age or younger and allotted a one cooler maximum, filled with water bottles. “It’s turned into something that has gotten way out of control,” Mathiesen said. “Unless the City Council acts otherwise, this illegal activity is not going to take place in 2018.”

Current Code Enforcement officer Jack Donnelly supplied a letter that cited numerous complaints involving kids obstructing traffic, older folks – not just kids – selling and refilling multiple coolers of water, and families arguing with one another about their “spot,” to the point where the police had to intervene.

“This past season was the straw that broke the camel’s back for Code Enforcement. My department was constantly badgered and disrespected by a few of the water bottle salespersons this season,” reads Donnelly’s report, which adds that the safety of the unattended children could not be guaranteed given the large crowds of people going in and out of the racecourse. “I feel Code Enforcement should not be burdened with having to babysit an illegal endeavor.”

City Police Chief Greg Veitch released a statement which reinforced safety concerns and noted some coolers have been chained to race course fences overnight in an attempt to hold that vendor’s “spot,” and police have witnessed several unattended children selling water for hours at a time from multiple coolers re-stocked multiple times by parents throughout the day.

“While the police have no interest in closing down the lemonade stands of small children looking to make a few dollars – unfortunately, like many things in life, the actions of a few have led to a decision to ban all unlicensed water sales from the area around the racetrack beginning in the 2018 racing season,” Veitch said.

Public Works Commissioner Anthony “Skip” Scirocco suggested the city explore the possibility of a lottery-type system which would allow some kids, under regulated guidelines, to continue to sell water and subsequently learn some entrepreneurial lessons.

“If you regulate it, you have to accept responsibility for it, collect sales tax and declare income on a regular basis,” Mathiesen said. “There are a lot of hurdles there.” According to Assistant City Attorney Tony Izzo, a similar lottery practice was instituted during the 1990s, but resulted in an unfair flooding by some “entrepreneurs” of the lottery box.

“Even the people inside the track like to come out and buy the water because it’s only a dollar compared to like five dollars inside,” Finance Commissioner Michele Madigan said. “I’m not going to sit here and argue about something that’s essentially illegal – but if there’s a way to do it legally, where it’s enforced and safe and kids can be supervised, I think the next Council should probably take a look at it.”  

POLICE

Four minors were charged in connection with a Tuesday morning incident at the Ballston Spa Central School District which resulted in the middle school and the high school going into lock-down mode. 

The most serious allegation – making a terroristic threat, a felony – was charged to a 14-year-old boy suspected of posting a threatening message on-line via Instagram. Three other boys – a 13-year-old and a 15-year-old from the town of Milton, and a 15-year-old from the village of Ballston Spa were each charged with the juvenile offense of unlawful possession of weapons by persons under the age of 16. 

Tuesday morning, Ballston Spa Central School District administrators contacted Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office school outreach officers with information that there had been an on-line threat made by a student about a shooting at the school. 

While investigating the allegation, authorities discovered information that another student had brought a weapon into school that morning. School administrators located the weapon and turned it over to Sheriff’s Office Investigators. An investigation by Sheriff’s Office personnel revealed that the weapon was a blank pistol that looked identical to a real firing pistol. 

All the juveniles were referred to the Saratoga County Probation Department. 

Last Friday, a 16-year-old Saratoga Springs High School student was charged with making a terroristic threat after allegedly posting a story on Snapchat about “shooting up the school.”    

Andrew J. Rivett, 24, of Gansevoort, was charged Sept. 28 with felony assault and the misdemeanors: criminal possession of a weapon, criminal obstruction of breathing, and unlawful imprisonment. Rivett is accused of causing serious physical injury to a woman known to him in Wilton, according to the Saratoga County Sheriffs Department. He was sent to County Jail in lieu of bail, or bond.    

Siobhan K. Ramos, age 25, Schenectady, was charged Sept. 28 with misdemeanor DWI, and aggravated unlicensed operation. 

Samantha M. Hamelin, age 22, So. Glens Falls, was charged Sept. 28 with misdemeanor DWI, failure to stop at stop sign, speeding, operating motor vehicle with a restriction. 

Kevin T. Lafleur, age 27, Malta, was charged Sept. 28 with aggravated unlicensed operation. 

Donald R. Mason, age 29, East Berne, was charged Sept. 27 with misdemeanor petit larceny, and criminal possession of stolen property. 

Melissa A. Beckwith, age 47, Gansevoort, was charged Sept. 27 with aggravated unlicensed operation, failure to stop at stop sign. 

Richard J. Robilotto, age 58, Saratoga Springs, was charged Sept. 27 with criminal possession of stolen property. 

Michael A. Coonradt, age 20, Granville, was charged Sept. 26 with three misdemeanor counts endangering the welfare of a child, criminal possession stolen property, reckless endangerment, and felony criminal possession of stolen property. 

Chad M. Cruger, age 18, Saratoga Springs, was charged Sept. 26 with misdemeanor petit larceny. 

Michael C. Gutto, age 30, Ballston Spa, was charged Sept. 25 with use of portable electronic devices, aggravated unlicensed operation. 

Jonathan L. Carleton, age 27, Ballston Spa, was charged Sept. 25 with criminal mischief. 

Logan M. Virkler, age 21, Ballston Spa, was charged Sept. 25 with aggravated unlicensed operation, no/expired inspection certificate. 

Ali M. Peltola, age 20, Middleborough, Massachusetts, was charged Sept. 24 with assault. 

Emery C. Huff, age 18, Saratoga Springs, was charged Sept. 23 with petit larceny.

Trevor L. Klock, age 31, Buffalo, was charged Sept. 23 with felony DWI.    

Timothy E. Bush, age 30, Saratoga Springs, was charged Sept. 23 with harassment, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct. 

Corey P. McHale, age 34, Brooklyn, was charged Sept. 22 with misdemeanor DWI, refuse pre-screen test, two counts failed to signal a turn, fail to obey traffic control device.   

Gary J. Foersch, age 41, Dobbs Ferry, was charged Sept. 22 with criminal trespass. 

Dennis J. Landry, age 57, Mechanicville, was charged Sept. 22 with petit larceny.

David A. Day, age 28, Rock City Falls, was charged Sept. 22 with felony criminal contempt, three misdemeanor counts endangering the welfare of a child, and misdemeanor counts criminal mischief, harassment. 

Mason A. Weber, 24, of Stillwater, was charged Sept. 21 with two counts felony burglary. He is accused of entering a village home without permission and stealing property not belonging to him, and of entering a Subway restaurant in the town of Halfmoon and stealing two safes from the business.  Weber was sent to Saratoga County Jail in lieu of $50,000 cash bail, or $100,000 bond.

BALLSTON SPA – Four minors were charged in connection with a Tuesday morning incident at the Ballston Spa Central School District which resulted in the middle school and the high school going into lock-down mode.

The most serious allegation – making a terroristic threat, a felony – was charged to a 14-year-old boy suspected of posting a threatening message on-line via Instagram. Three other boys – a 13-year-old and a 15-year-old from the town of Milton, and a 15-year-old from the village of Ballston Spa were each charged with the juvenile offense of unlawful possession of weapons by persons under the age of 16.

Tuesday morning, Ballston Spa Central School District administrators contacted Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office school outreach officers with information that there had been an on-line threat made by a student about a shooting at the school.

While investigating the allegation, authorities discovered that another student had brought a weapon into school that morning. School administrators located the weapon and turned it over to Sheriff’s Office Investigators. An investigation by Sheriff’s Office personnel revealed that the weapon was a blank pistol that looked identical to a real firing pistol.

All the juveniles were referred to the Saratoga County Probation Department. 

Last Friday, a 16-year-old Saratoga Springs High School student was charged with making a terroristic threat after allegedly posting a story on Snapchat about "shooting up the school.”