By DIANE VALDEN
GHENT—The continued lack of precipitation has prompted the National Weather Service in Albany to issue a Special Weather Statement this week. The statement applies to all of Columbia County.
The November 13 NWS statement says there is an “elevated risk for fire spread today…
“The combination of prolonged dry weather, northerly winds up to 15 mph, relative humidity values between 25% and 35% and dry fuels will contribute to an elevated risk of fire spread today for portions of eastern New York, including the eastern Catskills, Capital District, Mid-Hudson Valley, and the Taconics.
There is a statewide burn ban in effect through November 30. Use extra caution if handling any potential ignition sources, such as machinery or matches, and ensure to properly extinguish or dispose cigarette butts.” Refer to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation website (dec.ny.gov) for information on burn restrictions.
The WTEN Storm Tracker weather forecast for the next seven days calls for cool and dry weather with no appreciable rain in sight. There is just a chance of isolated showers on Monday, November 18.
In a November 12 statement Governor Kathy Hochul provided an update on wildfires burning across New York State and has deployed a multi-agency response to fires in Orange and Ulster counties in close coordination with local fire departments and first responders.
“Aerial investigation shows the Jennings Creek/Sterling State Park wildfire, which is in both New York and New Jersey, now encompasses 5,000 acres, half of which is in New York, and is 10% contained in both states. The fire in the Town of Denning, Ulster County, is 95% contained within 630 acres,” the governor said.
On Sunday, November 10, smoke from these fires drifted into Columbia County. The smoke hung over the landscape like a milky haze and a smoky smell filled the air. An Air Quality Health Advisory was issued to alert sensitive groups to take necessary precautions because ozone and/or fine particle levels were expected to exceed an AQI value of 100.
WTEN reported November 12 that a crew from the Greenport Fire Department recently went to Orange and Sullivan counties to battle the Jennings Creek Fire.
Governor Hochul also announced a statewide burn ban is in effect until November 30 due to an increased fire risk as the State continues to experience drought conditions. This burn ban prohibits the starting of outdoor fires statewide for purposes of brush and debris disposal, as well as uncontained campfires, and open fires used for cooking.
To contact Diane Valden email dvalden@columbiapaper.com
AG releases footage from investigation into death of Hillsdale man
NEW YORK CITY—New York Attorney General Letitia James recently released police body-worn camera footage that her office obtained as part of its ongoing investigation into the death of James A. Dellea, 48, of Hillsdale, who died September 11 following an encounter with members of the New York State Police in Saratoga County, according to a press release from the Attorney General’s Office.
On the afternoon of September 11, NYSP troopers responding to a 911 call followed Mr. Dellea as he drove to and parked in a parking lot on State Route 9. The troopers approached Mr. Dellea while he sat in his car, holding a long gun. During the encounter, one of the troopers, who was off-duty at the time, fired his weapon, striking Mr. Dellea. Mr. Dellea was pronounced dead at the scene. Troopers recovered one long gun at the scene.
The Office of Special Investigation (OSI) of the Attorney General’s Office released footage from body-worn cameras that NYSP troopers were equipped with during the incident. The release of this footage follows Attorney General James’ directive that camera footage obtained by her office during an OSI investigation be released to the public to increase transparency and strengthen public trust in these matters.
Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed. Also, the decedent may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSI’s assessment indicates an officer may have caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident.
The release of this footage is not an expression of any opinion as to the guilt or innocence of any party in a criminal matter or any opinion as to how or whether any individual may be charged with a crime.
The footage may be seen at https://ag.ny.gov/osi/footage/james-dellea
The Attorney General warns that the video contains content that viewers may find disturbing.
Valatie man faces rape charge
BALLSTON—The Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office responded to an inactive sexual assault complaint on Westside Drive in the town of Ballston, Saratoga County, November 8 at 10:36 a.m.
Investigation into the complaint, led to the arrest of Shane A. Morris, 29, of Valatie for first degree rape, a class B felony; first degree criminal contempt, a class E felony, and second degree menacing, a class A misdemeanor, according to a press release from the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office.
Mr. Morris is accused of engaging in vaginal sexual contact with another person by forcible compulsion and of violating a court order by placing the protected person in reasonable fear of physical injury, serious physical injury, or death by displaying a baseball bat. He was arraigned before Justice Ellwood A. Sloat Jr. in the Malta Town Court and sent to the Saratoga County Jail in lieu of bail, bond, or partially-
secured bond pending further proceedings. –Diane Valden
SPs issue 9,000+ tickets during Halloween DWI enforcement
LIVINGSTON—The New York State Police issued a total of 9,984 tickets statewide during the annual DWI Halloween Enforcement campaign which started Thursday, October 31 and continued through Sunday, November 3.
During the campaign, State Police utilized sobriety checkpoints, additional DWI patrols, and ticketed distracted drivers who used handheld electronic devices. Troopers also used both marked State Police vehicles and Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement (CITE) vehicles as part of this crackdown in order to more easily identify motorists who were violating the law. These vehicles blend in with everyday traffic but are unmistakable as emergency vehicles once the emergency lighting is activated.
Troopers arrested 176 people for DWI and investigated 964 accidents, which resulted in three fatalities.
As part of the enforcement, Troopers also targeted speeding and aggressive drivers across the state. Here is a sampling of the total tickets issued: Speeding 3,590; Distracted Driving 270; Seatbelt violations 370; Move Over Law 129.
During the 2023 Halloween DWI enforcement period, which was one day longer than the 2024 enforcement, the State Police issued 13,115 total tickets and arrested 207 people for DWI.
In Troop K, eastern Hudson Valley, the following tickets were issued: 29 for DWI, 498 for speeding, 37 for distracted driving, 26 for child restraint and seatbelt violations, 13 for move over violations, total tickets including other violations 1,022.
