By Melanie Lekocevic
Capital Region Independent Media
As 2024 winds down to a close, it’s time to take a look back and see what some of the top issues and stories were in the Greenville Pioneer’s coverage area.
We took a look at Google Analytics, which analyzes which of our stories received the most views from the Pioneer’s readership. Here is a summary of the top five stories of 2024, starting with No. 5.
No. 5: ‘District seeking new principal as Mahan steps down’
In February, longtime principal Peter Mahan retired from Scott M. Ellis Elementary School after more than 20 years with the school and the district launched a search for his replacement.
“It has been an absolute joy to serve the community of Scott M. Ellis Elementary School for over 20 years,” Mahan told the faculty and staff. “During that time, we have experienced tremendous change within our school and within the world. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to recruit and work with so many remarkable faculty and staff members who are fully committed to supporting children as they grow as thinkers, individuals, friends and citizens.”
Interim Principal Joseph Lorenz continued at the school’s helm for the remainder of the 2023-24 school year.
New principal Matthew Urban was appointed by the board of education as Mahan’s replacement in April.
No. 4: ‘District mulls bringing football to Greenville’
In January, the school district’s director of Health, PE and Athletics, Denise Wickham, broached the possibility of bringing football to Greenville.
The high school has never had a football team, and according to a survey Wickham presented to the board, 71% of responding students said they would be interested in playing the sport.
In addition to Greenville fielding its own football team, Wickham also presented to the board the possibility of a merger with the Coxsackie-Athens school district, which had difficulty fielding a team in 2024 and had to cut the season short this year.
She presented the costs for both options, including equipment, transportation, a coaching staff, and referees, and reconditioning safety equipment between seasons.
Greenville Central High School does not have a football team at this time.
No. 3: ‘Women-owned dispensary to open Greene County’s first cannabis store’
In the fall, Greene County’s first recreational cannabis dispensary opened on Route 9W in Coxsackie.
The women-owned store, including one owner from Greenville, was the first of its kind in the county after New York state legalized recreational marijuana.
“We are incredibly excited to be the first recreational dispensary in Greene County,” co-owner Brittany Palmateer said when the announcement was made. “This is just the beginning of a new era for the area, and we’re thrilled to be a part of it.”
No. 2: ‘Freehold man charged in armed burglary’
In February, a 19-year-old Freehold man as arrested in connection with an alleged armed burglary in Westerlo, according to state police.
The alleged intruder reportedly used a knife to force entry into the home, which was occupied by an adult and a 17-year-old. During the incident, the adult victim was injured and there was damage to the home, state police said at the time, but the knife was not used to cause the injury. The teenager was not hurt.
The suspect was known to the victims and fled in a vehicle before law enforcement arrived at the home. He was arrested about four hours later and charged with first-degree burglary, two counts of second-degree menacing, third-degree assault, fourth-degree criminal mischief and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
No. 1: ‘Greene County man charged with attempted murder’
In January, a 32-year-old Greenville woman was allegedly shot in the pelvis during a domestic dispute at a King Hill Road home, according to police.
The woman, whose name was not released, was found by deputies outside the home. A tourniquet was applied and she was transported in a patrol car to a landing zone, where she was airlifted to Albany Medical Center to undergo emergency surgery.
A 63-year-old man was arrested and charged with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, and first-degree criminal use of a firearm. He was remanded to the Greene County Correctional Facility without bail.