WSSV News

Last year the event drew more than 1,500 visitors and Ballston Spa is now gearing up for its eighth Chocolate Fest for area restaurants, bakeries and chefs to showcase their talents. There are three categories: sweet, savory and chocolate beverage. The festival runs from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on February 3 in some 20 sweet spots in the downtown area.

The entire city of Mechanicville was invited to a free dinner and a chance to hear former NBA player Chris Herren speak. Herren travels all over the US sharing his story, not of stardom but of drug abuse, warning people on the dangers. WNYT reports in a room full of teenagers and their parents, he shared his struggles with drugs and talked about how it ruined his NBA career and how it affected his family.

In the Saratoga Springs City School District, the Kindergarten Registration Process for students who will be entering kindergarten in the 2023-2024 school year begins this month and the District will hold a Virtual Kindergarten Information Night on Thursday, January 12 at 6 p.m. Find a link on how to connect to the event at saratogaschools.org.

The former Rensselaer County elections commissioner pleaded guilty Wednesday to applying for absentee ballots in the names of other registered voters. 43 year old Jason Schofield, who is from Troy, admitted that in 2021 he unlawfully used the names and birthdates of voters in connection with 12 absentee ballot applications he submitted electronically to the New York State Voter Absentee Ballot Application Request Portal, according to federal prosecutors.

A woman in Saratoga County who was driving more than 90 miles per hour in the moments before causing a crash where a woman died, will have to wait two more weeks to learn her punishment. WNYT reports Ashley Donovan was expected to be sentenced for causing the death of Diane Welch back in October 2021. The judge said he received letters from the victim’s family members that they didn’t feel the punishment fit the crime.

A local nonprofit, Gateway House of Peace, is opening up a new Gateway House thrift shop in Ballston Spa. The organization expects to be opening sometime in February. According to WTEN, Gateway House of Peace explains themselves as a donor-funded community home that takes care of residents and their families in their loved ones’ final days of life. The Gateway House thrift shop will be accepting donations soon but not at this time.

A mother and son from Saratoga Springs are accusing of endangering minors across the county. WNYT reports 27 year old
Michael May and his mother, 67 year old Tomassina May would exchange nicotine products and vapes for sexually explicit photos and videos of girls via social media. Tomassina is charged with unlawfully dealing with a child. Her son faces a number of additional felony charges.

“Erasing Face and Spaces: The Legacy of Urban Renewal in Saratoga Springs” will be held on Saturday, January 14, as part of Martin Luther King, Jr. Saratoga Celebration Weekend. WTEN reports the event is free and there is no registration necessary.
The event will take place from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Saratoga Springs Public Library.

The Pet Zone, a pet store with a location in Crossgates Mall, deceived New Yorkers into buying sick pets, says New York state’s attorney general. WNYT reports Letitia James says customers were given incomplete medical records to hide pets’ illnesses. The company will pay up to $200,000 to reimburse qualifying customers for medical costs.

A Malta man is in the Saratoga County Jail, facing a felony charge, accused of failing to change his address as required within 10 days. On January 4, the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office arrested Cody J. Letourneau, 25, of Malta. According to the sheriff’s office, Letourneau was required to change his address as required within 10 days due to his being a registered sex offender, and did not do so., which constitutes a class E felony.