CRIME & SAFETY
Upstate New York Student Out of Coma After Being Hit by Illegal Dirt Bike
An 18-year-old college student was left lying in the road after being struck by an illegal dirt bike last month in Upstate New York. Over the last few years, lawmakers across New York have begun to try and crackdown on the number of illegal dirt bikes that are driving on streets. The illegal motorbikes are usually unregistered, uninsured, and oftentimes operated by drivers that don't hold a proper license to operate a motorcycle.
Herkimer PD arrest Utica man after box-cutter threats
HERKIMER, NY (WUTR/WFXV/WPNY) — A Utica man is now in jail after he allegedly threatened a man with a box cutter on Tuesday, May 7, according to Herkimer Police. Police were called to the bus shelter on the corner of Albany Street and North Main Street in the village of Herkimer at approximately 2 pm on Tuesday for a report of a man threatening people with a knife. Upon their arrival, they encountered an agitated male — later identified as 34-year-old Richard Carcone of Utica — who was not complying with officer requests.
Maintenance Worker Killed on Thruway, Another Seriously Injured After Truck Strikes Them
A Thruway maintenance worker has passed away, and another is injured and in critical condition after being hit by a tractor-trailer on Thursday. Maintenance Worker Killed on Thruway, Another Seriously Injured After Truck Strikes Them. A Thruway maintenance worker has passed away, and another is injured and in critical condition...
'Must Be Changed': Drugged Driving Loophole Target Of NY Bill Amid Rising Fatalities
A bill sponsored by Democratic Sen. John Mannion and co-sponsored by two Republicans would change the definition of “drug” in the vehicle and traffic law to include any substance or combination of substances that impairs one’s ability to drive. Under current state law, drivers who are obviously...
LaPolla pleas in federal court; faces up to 20 years in prison
Former Utica Mayor and former school board President Louis LaPolla, 78, pleaded guilty on Friday in federal court in Syracuse to one count of mail fraud, according to federal officials. The announcement was made in a statement by U.S. Attorney Carla Freedman and Craig Tremaroli, special agent in charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. ...
Clark Mills fire chief charged with violating order of protection, deputies say
CLARK MILLS — A 42-year-old man was charged with violating an order of protection on Railroad Street Tuesday evening, according to the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities said Gary Spaven was in violation of a court order when he was in the presence of the protected party on Railroad Street around 6:50 p.m. Tuesday. Spaven was taken into custody the following day on a charge of second-degree contempt, a misdemeanor, authorities stated.
Fentanyl Awareness Day prompts renewed call to N.Y. Gov. Hochul for state of emergency
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Issuing dire warnings that taking only one pill laced with fentanyl could kill, law-enforcement and community leaders on Staten Island gathered to renew their demand that Gov. Kathy Hochul declare a state of emergency for the overdose crisis in New York state. District Attorney Michael...
Bus crash reporting opens window on lives of migrant workers in our midst (Editorial Board Opinion)
Migrant laborers are here in Central New York but are largely invisible to us until we are forced to look — as in the horrific North Country bus crash in January 2023 that left six men dead and nine injured. A box truck traveling in the opposite direction crossed...
Blaze engulfs Whitesboro home and garage; no injuries reported
WHITESBORO — No one was believed to have been injured after a large garage fire spread to the home on Westmoreland Road in Whitesboro Friday afternoon. The alarm was raised shortly after 2 p.m. for a garage on fire at 157 Westmoreland Road, emergency officials said. The fire destroyed the attached garage and quickly spread to the one-story residence and a truck in the driveway. According to fire officials on the scene, no one is believed to have been injured.
Firefighters Quickly Extinguish Ridgewood Plaza Fire. The Challenge Was Attempting to Report Blaze Because of Area’s Limited Cellphone Reception
Utica firefighters swiftly extinguished a fire at Ridgewood Plaza on Oneida Street in South Utica on Thursday afternoon. However, before their arrival, there were tense moments.
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