By DIANE VALDEN
CHATHAM—It took several hours to clear an empty CSX freight train car that derailed in the Village of Chatham January 30 at 7:21 p.m., according to Village Police Chief Joe Alessi. No one was hurt.
Calls started coming in to Columbia County 911 that evening from residents and passersby who saw the train apparatus off the track and a fire underneath the car, according to a Chatham Fire Department Facebook post.
The incident took place between CSX rail milepost 177 and 176, at Main and Locust streets in the village.
Chatham and Ghent Volunteer fire companies were dispatched. Cars 1, 2, 3 and 9 along with Engines 58-42 and 22-43 responded. A minor fire was found in a switch heater at the Locust Street and was extinguished by first arriving units. The Main Street and Austerlitz Street crossings were blocked until about 10:30 p.m.
During the cleanup the Chatham Police Department advised the public to avoid the area and follow detour routes as necessary.
Chatham Fire reported receiving swift assistance from Chatham Police, Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, State Police and Columbia County Fire Coordinators Office.
CSX crews and contractors worked through the night and removed the derailed car which allowed for remaining crossings to be cleared by 2:30 a.m. January 31 and normal traffic flow to resume.
At no point was there any public hazard threat. The timing of the incident resulted in only minor traffic disruptions.
Police Chief Alessi told The Columbia Paper by phone that a hand brake was the cause of the derailment, though it is not yet clear if it was a malfunction or human error.
He said, CSX runs 12 freight trains through the village daily and this kind of incident does not happen frequently. “Emergency services came together to help out and everything was under control,” he said.
In a statement, Village Mayor John Howe said, “the Village has a long history and relationship with CSX and trains. The village was formed over a hundred years ago around the train industry. This incident was minor in nature. We have a very responsive emergency services group in the village and I want thank all of them for their quick response to this incident. Village residents should feel safe and thankful we have such a responsive Police Department and so many fire department volunteers ready to respond.”
To contact Diane Valden email dvalden@columbiapaper.com
First local ICE raid is chilling the community
By DEBORAH E. LANS
CAIRO—An early morning worksite raid in the Greene County town of Cairo January 28 resulted in the detention of two individuals by ICE. The raid was confirmed by Bryan MacCormack, co-executive director of Columbia County Sanctuary Movement (CCSM), which visited the worksite and spoke with the business owner as well as a family member of one detainee.
The two individuals had lived in the country, respectively, eight and twenty years. One has children who are U.S. citizens. Neither detainee has a criminal record. The individuals have been taken to Batavia, the Buffalo-area detention center, where they will have bond hearings in which an immigration judge will determine whether to allow them to be released pending deportation hearings, based on whether they pose a risk of flight or danger to the community.
Mr. MacCormack declined to identify the worksite, or even the nature of its business, given the small size of the Cairo community and the likelihood that any details would expose it.
Mr. MacCormack said that the raid, like the many elsewhere in the country in the past week, has “successfully terrorized the community.” CCSM has received dozens of reports of ICE activity locally, although this is the only one that it has been able to verify to date. Information as to the individuals’ backgrounds, as well as published reports about ICE raids elsewhere in the country, confirm that the government is not limiting its activity to criminals, as it has stated.
CCSM keeps its membership informed through Facebook and Instagram posts, and issues a press release when it has confirmed reports of government activity. Mr. MacCormack believes that the many reports CCSM has received not only underscore the level of fear in the community but also that people are invoking the “Know your Rights” measures that CCSM teaches and has posted on its website as an aid to community safety.
Whether the two individuals are released will likely be significant to the outcome of their cases. CCSM says that individuals who are free on the outside to access legal counsel are better positioned to succeed, and of course they and their families suffer less damage to their mental, physical and financial health during the pendency of the cases. Whether or not to grant a bond is discretionary with immigration judges. Calls to ICE went unanswered.
To contact reporter Deborah Lans, email deborahlans@icloud.com.
Columbia County 911 dispatched Canaan Fire and Chatham Rescue Squad Inc, and under mutual Red Rock FD, Lebanon Valley FD, and East Chatham FD to Loves Truck Stop, 12845 Route 22, (Flints Crossing and Peaceful Valley Roads), Canaan, for a pickup truck on fire at the diesel fuel pumps, February 1 at 11:33 a.m. Canaan responded with 3440 with crew and Red Rock with 7612 with crew. Canaan Fire deployed a handline and extinguished the fire. No injuries were reported. State Police assisted on the scene. Firefighters were back in service at 12:25 p.m. / Canaan Protective Fire Company Facebook Post
Be aware of Big Game ticket scams
ALBANY—The New York Department of State’s Division of Consumer Protection is warning New York consumers to be aware of Super Bowl ticket scams as game day quickly approaches. Unlike other events, Super Bowl tickets are not typically sold to the general public but are distributed to NFL teams, franchises and others who can then resell them. Fans usually get excited about their favorite team and may decide to see them play live to be part of the experience and share in the excitement. This makes the Super Bowl an attractive opportunity for scammers to pose as resellers and steal money from dedicated fans. Consumers should follow important steps to avoid fake tickets and lost money ahead of the Super Bowl on February 9.
“With the Super Bowl right around the corner, fans may be scrambling to snag tickets to see their team play in the big game. But looking for last minute tickets could make you an easy target for scammers. Don’t get intercepted by Super Bowl scams – read our consumer tips and help prevent scammers from ruining the game for you,” Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley said in a press release.
Tips to avoid ticket scams:
*Look for official resellers: Many scammers will try to “resell” fake tickets. Check out the official NFL website for information on how to buy tickets from verified sources. Scammers may also create fake websites that look like official ones, so always double check the URLs to make sure the websites you visit are real
*Watch out for fake tickets: Scammers deceive unsuspecting consumers with nonexistent tickets advertised on social media, fake websites and online marketplaces like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace and Instagram. They may even send you convincing looking screenshots, barcodes or confirmation emails. Watch out for resellers who request payment from outside an official ticket platform. Reputable ticketing platforms have built-in systems that allow resellers to transfer digital tickets and the consumer to send payment directly through the official website or app. Only buy tickets from sources you know and trust
*Know how tickets will be accessed for the event: For this year’s Superbowl, all tickets are mobile and use barcodes which refresh every few seconds for security. Don’t believe a reseller who tries to convince you a screenshot, PDF or paper ticket is a real Super Bowl ticket. Use a strong password for your ticket account so a scammer can’t hack into your account and steal your ticket
*Verify the seller: You can also look up the seller on VerifiedTicketSource.com to confirm you are buying from a National Association of Ticket Brokers member resale company, which requires its members to guarantee that every ticket sold on their websites is legitimate
*Beware of low prices: Don’t let the excitement of finally finding a good deal on a ticket cloud your judgment. Many scammers use low prices and will try and pressure you into quickly buying the tickets. If it looks too good to be true, it’s probably a scam
*Consider paying with a credit card: Credit cards generally offer more fraud protection than other payment methods like debit cards and payment apps if you ever need to dispute a charge. Scammers often want you to pay with payment apps, prepaid gift cards or cash since these payment methods are untraceable and may not allow you to stop payment or reverse a transaction.
