Police blotter

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

• Johnny Boyd, 64, of Wichita, Kansas, was arrested Nov. 3 at 9:50 p.m. in Coxsackie and charged with operating a motor vehicle with a blood-alcohol content over 0.08% and driving while intoxicated, both unclassified misdemeanors. Boyd’s arrest status was not reported.
• An unidentified 18-year-old, of Brooklyn, was arrested Nov. 4 at 7:25 p.m. in Coxsackie and charged with two counts of second-degree introducing contraband into a prison, a class A misdemeanor. The individual’s arrest status was not reported.
• Alyssa Marie Marshall, 24, of Schenectady, was arrested Nov. 5 at 9:48 a.m. in Coxsackie and charged with first-degree knowingly introducing dangerous contraband into a prison and fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, both class D felonies. Marshall’s arrest status was not reported.
• Tanesha Johnson, 30, of Brooklyn, was arrested Nov. 5 at 10:25 a.m. in Coxsackie and charged with second-degree possession of contraband in a prison, a class A misdemeanor. Johnson was issued an appearance ticket.
• Jaida Acevedo, 23, of Poughkeepsie, was arrested Nov. 5 at 9:47 p.m. in Athens and charged with operating a motor vehicle impaired by drugs, an unclassified misdemeanor. Acevedo was issued an appearance ticket.
• Krzysztof Kucharek, 61, of Staten Island, was arrested Nov. 5 at 10:12 p.m. in Catskill and charged with driving while intoxicated with a previous conviction, a class E felony. Kucharek was released to a third party.
• Guy Kabessa, 31, of Hensonville, was arrested Nov. 6 at 2:12 a.m. in Windham and charged with operating a motor vehicle with a blood-alcohol content over 0.08% and driving while intoxicated, both unclassified misdemeanors. Kabessa was issued an appearance ticket.
• Zeke Daggett, 26, of Coeymans Hollow, was arrested Nov. 6 at 5:35 p.m. in Cairo and charged with acting in a manner injurious to a child less than 17 and first-degree unlawful dealing with a child/alcohol, both class A misdemeanors. Daggett was issued an appearance ticket.
• Brian Marcelo Mejicano, 22, of Round Top, was arrested Nov. 7 at 11:01 a.m. in Cairo and charged with driving while intoxicated and operating a motor vehicle with a blood-alcohol content over 0.08%, both unclassified misdemeanors. Mejicano was issued an appearance ticket.
• Joshua David Apjohn, 19, of Greenville, was arrested Nov. 7 at 11:40 p.m. in Cairo and charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, a class E felony, and second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, driving while intoxicated and operating a motor vehicle with a blood-alcohol content over 0.08%, all unclassified misdemeanors. Apjohn was issued an appearance ticket.
• Casey Smith, 32, of Kingston, was arrested Nov. 9 at 5:34 p.m. in Cairo and charged with second-degree criminal contempt/disobeying a court order, a class A  misdemeanor. Smith was released on their own recognizance.
• An unidentified 17-year-old juvenile, of Hannacroix, was arrested Nov. 9 at 12:09 p.m. in New Baltimore and charged with criminal mischief with intent to damage property, criminal mischief/disable equipment to prevent an emergency call, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon with intent to use and second-degree menacing/weapon, all class A misdemeanors. The individual was issued a family court appearance ticket.
• Samantha Utter, 27, of Cornwallville, was arrested Nov. 9 at 11:34 p.m. in Durham and charged with operating a motor vehicle with a blood-alcohol content over 0.08% and driving while intoxicated, both unclassified misdemeanors. Utter was issued an appearance ticket.
• Rita Meguin, 45, of Preston Hollow, was arrested Nov. 9 at 11:12 p.m. in Durham and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a class A misdemeanor. Meguin was issued an appearance ticket.
• Adam Bacon, 28, of Palenville, was arrested Nov. 11 at 1:40 p.m. in Catskill and charged with third-degree assault with intent to cause physical injury, a class A misdemeanor. Bacon was released on his own recognizance.
• Jennifer Marie Lehmann, 36, of Catskill, was arrested Nov. 12 at 11:46 p.m. in Albany and charged with third-degree bail jumping, a class A misdemeanor. Lehmann was held with no bail.
• An unidentified 18-year-old juvenile, of Schenectady, was arrested Nov. 12 at 2:03 p.m in Coxsackie and charged with second-degree introducing contraband into a prison, resisting arrest and second-degree criminal impersonation, all class A misdemeanors. The individual was issued an appearance ticket.

By Melanie Lekocevic

Capital Region Independent Media

GREENVILLE — Voters will head to the polls May 16 to determine the fate of the proposed $34,227,771 budget for the Greenville Central School District.

The tentative budget, adopted by the board of education on April 17,  includes a tax levy increase of $438,414, or 2.57%, compared to the current school year, and allocates an additional $530,329, or 1.57%, in increased spending.

Included in the proposed budget are academic support coaches and interventionists that were hired in 2021, which have led to academic progress for students in need of support, District Superintendent Michael Bennett said in the annual newsletter to community residents.

“Since the addition of these supports, we’ve seen substantial progress both in learning outcomes and instruction quality,” Bennett said. “Academic supports, such as interventionists in math and reading, as well as curriculum focused academic coaches allow us to target students who do not have deficits severe enough for a special education classroom, but whose needs go beyond the scope of what classroom teachers are able to provide.”

The proposed budget also includes the purchase of new snow-removal equipment for the district’s transportation department.

The district has been hard hit by inflation and rising costs, Bennett said.

“Like many others, Greenville Central School District has seen an increase in everything from tax rates to fuel prices, energy costs, and classroom materials due to inflation,” the district superintendent said. “Despite these challenges, we are proud to have managed to keep the budget-to-budget increase to 1.57%, while maintaining all of our contractual services.”

Under the proposed budget, the 2.47% tax levy increase is below the tax cap — the maximum allowable tax levy increase without being required to get a supermajority of voters, or 60%, to approve it. The state mandated tax cap is determined through a complex formula and fluctuates from year to year.

The tax levy increase was 2.25% for the 2022-23 academic year budget, and 1.15% for the year before that.

Three candidates will also be on the ballot vying for the two open seats on the board of education. The candidates, in order of their appearance on the ballot, will be Kelly Hubicki, Robert Pondiscio and Eric Herbstritt.

Herbstritt is running for re-election to another term on the board, and Hubicki and Pondiscio are newcomers. Incumbent board member Duncan Macpherson is not running for re-election and his term will expire June 30.

Also on the ballot will be a resolution authorizing the district to purchase two buses at a maximum cost of $195,736.

When they head to the polls May 16, voters will also give thumbs up or down to the proposed 2023-24 budget for the Greenville Public Library. That proposed spending plan includes an increase of $500, from $43,411 this year to $43,900 next year.

The budget vote and board of education election will take place Tuesday, May 16, from 1-9 p.m., in the cafeteria at Scott M. Ellis Elementary School, located at 11219 State Route 32 in Greenville.

Voters are eligible to cast ballots if they are a U.S. citizen at least 18 years of age, a resident of the district for at least 30 days prior to the vote, and must be registered to vote.