News Staff

Saratoga County Judge Jim Murphy has retired, after being part of the area criminal justice system for nearly four decades. WNYT reports Murphy presided over thousands of cases as Saratoga County and Acting Supreme Court Judge. He served as Saratoga County District Attorney for five terms and assistant D.A. for nine years before that.

A community staple in both Malta and car racing could be on sale and the town of Malta has heard a pitch to develop the area of the Albany Saratoga Dirt Speedway. WRGB reports Five Corners Development wants to turn the raceway property into a complex that would include affordable townhomes and high-end apartments. Right now the Malta Town Board is not moving forward with discussions on the current redevelopment proposal of the racetrack.

A Saratoga County Judge sentenced a Wilton man to six months in Saratoga County Jail for first-degree vehicular assault that injured two children. 40 year old Matthew Murray pleaded guilty to the August crash in October. Murray confessed through his guilty plea to the crash on Pettis Road in Wilton on August 7, in which his pickup hit a pole and overturned, ejecting a seven and 10-year-old in the bed of the truck.

The Whitehall Department of Public Works is meeting with members of the Village Board to discuss a long-term solution to the water problems. According to WNYT, Pine Lake, the village’s water source, was shut down completely for several days. The mayor said the village has installed a new pump which has increased the output of the water, but residents are still being asked to conserve.

The Saratoga Springs City Council unanimously approved new regulations for short-term rentals, voting 5-0 during Tuesday’s meeting. WRGB reports the decision was made as city leaders aim to align local laws with state requirements and includes no limits on the number of licenses issued in the first year, no site plan required
and licenses are not transferable.

The Cambridge-Greenwich police chief is still on the job after a guilty plea Robert Danko admitted to disorderly conduct Monday in Salem Town Court. He was originally charged with unlawful imprisonment and harassment.
No word as to when or whether Danko may return to work.

A Clifton Park man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually abusing children. Luke Margison was arrested in May 2023 after police said he abused multiple victims over numerous years. Margison had pleaded guilty to the charges in August, reports WNYT.

A Greenfield woman was sentenced to 5 years in prison after dragging a Saratoga Springs Police sergeant with a vehicle during a traffic stop earlier this year. WNYT reports body cam footage shows Sgt. Adam Dingmon stopping Theresa Travis at the intersection of Hayes and Geyser roads in Saratoga Springs on June 18. Travis gives Dingmon a fake name and ultimately accelerates, with Dingmon still hanging on to her vehicle.

A Queensbury couple are accused of stealing from the Wilton Walmart. WNYT reports Kevin R. Abrams, 55, and Wendy L. Abrams, 48, allegedly stole property worth more than $1,000. Both were charged with grand larceny. Wendy Abrams is also facing a burglary charge because she had previously been notified that she was banned from the store.

A Burnt Hills man is accused of throwing a vase through a window. WNYT reports deputies responded to a report of a burglary on Lake Hill Road in the town of Ballston on Dec, 9 around 10:40 p.m. Horace R. Horton, allegedly threw the vase and damaged a television inside the home in addition to the window. Horton was charged with one felony count and one misdemeanor count of criminal mischief.