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Mid Hudson Times , Wednesday , February 21 , 2018
16 arrested in major drug-ring bust
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began a joint investigation .
“ It is only through coordinated enforcement actions such as ‘ Operation Yellow Brick Road ’ that law enforcement is able to pursue those higher-level drug dealers and craftier offenders who attempt to insulate themselves from criminal liability by dealing drugs through intermediaries ,” county District Attorney David Hoovler said last week .
The investigation included hundreds of hours of physical surveillance , wiretapping , hidden cameras , GPS devises and undercover agents . “ During the course of the investigation , electronic surveillance revealed that these 16 defendants allegedly acquired large amounts of narcotics from New York City and Paterson , New Jersey , in order to sell them in Newburgh and Orange County , and throughout New York ,” the AG ’ s Office said .
Mid Broadway developer files suit
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Tuesday .
Mill Street applied for state tax credits to fund most of the $ 31-million project . But , a 30-year payment in lieu of taxes ( PILOT ) drew intense criticism from some city residents claiming the project provides too large a tax break to the developer .
Mill Street claims it has already spent $ 1,000,000 pursuing the project . “ Mill Street has , and continues to , suffer significant damages as a result of the city ’ s material misrepresentations ,” the notice reads .
The developer also claims the city violated the Fair Housing Act as “ such conduct has the effect and / or impact of making unavailable quality workforce housing to support the largely minority population in downtown Newburgh .”
The project has encountered numerous hurdles since the development agreement was signed by former City Manager Richard Herbek six years ago . In addition to heavy opposition to the PILOT , two residents filed a lawsuit against the city in 2014 , alleging a permit for the project was granted without sufficient review . A county judge agreed .
One of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit was Stuart Sachs , who was appointed to the Newburgh Housing Authority
police also took down a major heroin distributor , seizing 2,700 decks of heroin , $ 50,000 in cash , and a hand gun .
The police department continues to make improvements in 2018 , starting with purchasing two more roadside speed indicators , three of which are already located across town . The signs are solar-powered , collect data by Ciaravino last year . That city agency is ultimately responsible for releasing a deed restriction , which stipulates that if the parcel is not used for municipal purposes it reverts back to ownership by the Newburgh Housing Authority .
Sach ’ s appointment to the Housing Authority at that time “ was a clear conflict of interest ,” Mill Street attorney David Cooper alleged in an email this month .
Last year , Mill Street asked for a resolution of support from the city for its request to the Housing Authority to release the restriction , known as a “ reverter clause .” At a meeting of the Newburgh City Council in September , city Corporation Counsel Michelle Kelson explained the deed restriction would remain “ a hurdle to any kind of real estate transaction ” for the property until it was removed . The city council was split 3-to-3 on a vote to support its removal by the Housing Authority . One council person abstained and the resolution failed to pass .
A mediation session has been scheduled for the two parties at the end of February , Cooper said . “ Mill Street is hopeful that the city will seek to work with Mill Street to resolve the reverter clause issue , recommit to supporting the project , and resume a productive public / private partnership to reinvest in a long-forgotten property in the city ’ s downtown ,” he wrote .
Campbell : Town police in better shape for 2018
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Fatal fentanyl “ They ’ ve been here in some fashion for about three to four years ,” said City of Newburgh Police Lieutenantin-Charge Aaron Weaver . “ One area they concentrated in was the First Street and Carpenter intersection .”
“ They are one of the violent groups who have been targeting Newburgh ,” he said , through the Group Violence Initiative . Started in 2014 , the program targets individual gang members and offers them support to leave their groups .
When asked how much heroin and fentanyl the gang was selling in Newburgh city streets , Weaver said he couldn ’ t estimate the exact amount . “ They were selling decent quantities of it ,” he said .
At a forum on the opioid crisis held at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center in January , Sgt . Julio Fernandez of the New York National Guard Counterdrug Task Force reported that Newburgh ’ s St . Luke ’ s Cornwall Hospital treated 181 opioid overdoses from April 2017 to Jan . 19 of this year .
“ Basically , a lot of the heroin comes with fentanyl in it ,” Weaver explained . “ That ’ s what a lot of the overdoses are . With fentanyl , you don ’ t need a lot of it to overdose .” And , the heroin purchased by users comes already cut with fentanyl , he said .
on traffic from both directions , and can be removed and redeployed to another location .
“ It gives you a lot of information too that can be downloaded , about speeders and what not ,” Supervisor Gil Piaquadio explained . “ It ’ s capable of many features .”
The police department also requested to purchase computers and related equipment to be installed into the town ’ s four new patrol cars that were purchased in 2017 .
In Brief
Town to hold hearing on Cold War exemptions
The town of Newburgh will be hosting a public hearing on Monday February 26 to discuss a resolution that would make the Cold War Veteran ’ s exemption permanent . The exemption , which allows qualified Cold War veterans to receive a tax reduction on owned properties , was originally created with a ten year limit in 2008 .
The new proposed local law would amend that exemption to make it permanent . The town is hoping to enact this law after the public hearing so that it can take effect before March 1 , 2018 , the taxable status date , when the exemption may expire for some residents .
Exemption application deadline approaching
Town of New Windsor Assessor Todd Wiley would like to remind taxpayers that the next filing deadline for all property tax exemption applications is March 1 , 2018 . This includes first time applications and renewal applications .
The exemption applications must be filed , or post marked , by March 1 , 2018 . Most municipalities across New York State also have this same filing deadline .
Suspect sought in town gas station robbery
Police are looking for a suspect who rammed his car into the front doors of the Gulf gas station at 100 Route 17K in the Town of Newburgh around 11 p . m . on Saturday then gained entry to the store and stole cash .
When the store clerk , who was in an employee room , heard a crash from the front of the building , he saw a man wearing blue jeans , a black hooded jacket and work boots trying to pry the front doors open .
Surveillance video shows the suspect intentionally ramming the front doors with his car before he got out and tried to get inside the store .
Later in the morning , a vehicle matching the description of a dark colored sedan , possible a Subaru , with frontend damage and a Pennsylvania registration , was located in the city of Newburgh .
The vehicle was impounded and is being processed for investigation .
Anyone with information is asked to call town of Newburgh Police detectives at 845-564-1100 .