Firehouse expansion project passes muster

By Melanie Lekocevic

Capital Region Independent Media

NEW BALTIMORE — Seventy municipalities across the state will share in $100 million in state funding for road repairs due to extreme weather impacts, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced.

Locally, New Baltimore in Greene County and Bethlehem in Albany County will benefit from the funding initiative.

New Baltimore will receive $1.4 million to resurface Route 144 from Route 9W to the Albany County line, and Bethlehem was awarded $1.1 million to resurface Route 85 from the Cherry Avenue roundabout to the Blessing Road roundabout.

Statewide, a total of 551 lane miles will be repaved, with funds going to every region of the state to repair damage caused by climate change, Hochul said.

“Between extreme heat in the summer, devastating winter storms and the ongoing saga of freeze-thaw cycles, New York’s roads take a pounding from extreme weather in all seasons, and this investment takes direct aim at rejuvenating some of the state highways most impacted by extreme weather,” Hochul said.

“Keeping our infrastructure in a state of good repair is a sound investment that not only increases resiliency but spurs economic development and tourism across New York,” Hochul added.

As winter weather gears up, the road repairs are expected to make it easier for crews to clear and maintain roads during storms.

“I’m proud to celebrate this significant investment that will help communities across our state withstand the increasing challenges presented by extreme weather,” U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, D-20, said. “Made possible in part by our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — which has already delivered more than $74 million to improve roads and highways in the Capital Region alone — these upgrades will play a key role in bolstering safety and quality of life for millions of New Yorkers.”

Repairs are expected to begin in spring 2025.

The Capital Region received a total of $10.5 million in the initiative. In addition to New Baltimore and Bethlehem, other communities to receive funding include Stockport and Stuyvesant in Columbia County; East Greenbush and Sand Lake in Rensselaer County; Scotia in Schenectady County; Chestertown and Johnsburg in Warren County; and White Creek in Washington County.

Editor’s note: A charge is not a conviction. All persons listed are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Charges can be amended or dismissed.

STATE POLICE

• Albaro Ovidio Xiloj Coxaj, 29, of Albany, was arrested Jan. 13 at 12:03 a.m. in Catskill and charged with operating a motor vehicle with a blood-alcohol content over 0.08% and driving while intoxicated, both unclassified misdemeanors. Coxaj’s arrest status was not reported.
• Kristin Ashley Buckley, 36, of Cairo, was arrested Jan. 13 at 2:36 a.m. in Catskill and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, a class E felony, and driving while intoxicated and operating a motor vehicle with a blood-alcohol content over 0.08%, both unclassified misdemeanors. Buckley’s arrest status was not reported.
• Michael Zambelli, 43, of Cairo, was arrested Jan. 15 at 1:40 p.m. in Cairo and charged with second-degree possession of a forged instrument, a class D felony. Zambelli was released on his own recognizance.
• Andrew Ford, 48, of Cairo, was arrested Jan. 17 at 4:31 p.m. in Cairo and charged with third-degree criminal mischief/damaging another person’s property, a class E felony, and two counts of second-degree reckless endangerment, both class A misdemeanors. Ford was issued an appearance ticket.
• Dominick Joseph Maynard, 28, of Cairo, was arrested Jan. 18 at 7:30 a.m. in Cairo and charged with third-degree criminal mischief, a class E felony, Maynard was issued an appearance ticket.
• Matthew Crawley, 52, of Freehold, was arrested Jan. 17 at 10:12 p.m. in Cairo and charged with operating a motor vehicle with a blood-alcohol content over 0.08% and driving while intoxicated, both unclassified misdemeanors. Crawley’s arrest status was not reported.
• Derek Brighenti, 33, of Ticonderoga, was arrested Jan. 19 at 12:35 a.m. in Catskill and charged with second-degree criminal contempt/disobeying a court order, a class A misdemeanor. Brighenti was issued an appearance ticket.
• Emily Wojewodzic, 33, of Ticonderoga, was arrested Jan. 19 at 1 a.m. in Catskill and charged with second-degree criminal contempt/disobeying a court order, a class A misdemeanor. Wojewodzic was issued an appearance ticket.