WSSV News

A former inmate has filed a lawsuit claiming she was sexually abused by corrections officers at the Albany County Correctional Facility and got pregnant as the result of a rape. WNYT reports the woman claims she was forced to engage in sexual conduct when she was incarcerated from about July 1, 2014 to March 25, 2015. She said that she was raped by a corrections officer, which resulted in a pregnancy.

The Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office arrested Jesus Antonio Menendez-Flores, 26, for attempted robbery at a Halfmoon restaurant. At around 4:25 p.m. Saturday, the Sheriff’s Office responded to Mi Mexico Lindo Tienda y Taqueria regarding Menendez-Flores attempting to rob the store while implying he was armed with a handgun. He was arrested for first degree robbery and is in the Saratoga County lock up.

Saratoga County is proposing lowering property taxes 8%, even as county spending is expected to increase. The Daily Gazette reports the $411 million proposed 2024 budget is an 8.6% increase from the 2023 adopted budget of $378.3 million and projects $165 million in sales tax revenue next year.

Saratoga Hospital has unveiled its 28th annual holiday ornament. The newest design honors the legacy of Mrs. Marylou Whitney and her connection to the Saratoga Hospital Backstretch Clinic, reports WNYT. It was designed by Dr. Joseph Bell, a surgeon and friend of Whitney and her husband, John Hendrickson. It’s on sale at select locations for $25.

A community is helping a Skidmore college basketball coach and his family get through a tough time. WNYT reports Men’s Basketball Head Coach Joe Burke was in the gym on campus, when his family’s world was turned upside down. On Sunday, the family returned home to find a fast moving fire. Everyone got out OK. Now money is being raised in community efforts to get the family back up on their feet.

Teachers in Saratoga Springs have made up their minds and they want changes. WNYT reports dozens of educators marched into a school board meeting Thursday, Nov. 9, pushing for a signed deal. Around 50 teachers took up every seat at the Saratoga Springs City School District board meeting at Caroline Street Elementary School.

Summit Senior Living recently unveiled its fifth location with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Summit’s newest 55+ active adult community will feature a three-story building, making up just under 150,000 square feet, located on 13 acres. The community will include 110 apartment units and three garage bays totaling 50 individual garage units.

Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara has introduced new legislation that would expedite the activation of AMBER alerts in certain circumstances and allow parents to request early activation from state police. The bill follows the recent disappearance of a nine-year-old girl in Saratoga County, who went missing in early October while on a bike ride in a state park. She was ultimately found safe after more than 48 hours and 47-year-old Craig Ross was charged in connection to her kidnapping.

The Town of Clifton Park awarded nearly $12,000 in this year’s Community Action Fund Grant Awards. The Clifton Park Town Board presented the 24 grant recipients with their award, and a certificate from the town Monday. The $11,680 will help fund a variety of different projects throughout the community, including music, Boy Scout and Girl Scout programs and sports programs.

Tuesday’s election meant a city hall shakeup in Saratoga Springs as voters selected a new mayor and public safety commissioner and ousted the two Democrats currently on the job. Republican John Safford defeated Democratic Mayor Ron Kim in the race for mayor, and Republican Tim Coll claimed victory over Democratic Public Safety Commissioner Jim Montagnino. WNYT reports both Republican Party victors ran on the idea of eliminating drama in city hall.