WSSV News

Jim R. Davis begins his career as Saratoga’s next county judge. The Daily Gazette reports
Davis, 54, was previously a state Deputy Inspector General but won the county judgeship in November to replace Murphy who will now begin a career at Behan Communications.

A footbridge in Clifton Park is closed for a replacement project. WTEN reports the bridge brings pedestrians over a trail between Oakhurst Court in Park Lane and Chillmark Turn in Brookhaven. The footbridge will be closed for about two weeks.

Saratoga County Sheriff Mike Zurlo is not seeking re-election Zurlo told WNYT that he informed his deputies on Thursday that he will not seek another term at the end of this year. Zurlo, who is 70, has served three four-year-terms as sheriff. Before that, he was an investigator. He has served in law enforcement for 48 years.

It’s a new year and maybe it’s a new you. But up at Lake George it’s their same old annual event. Lake George’s Annual Polar Plunge, First Day tradition has been around since 1973. WTEN reports this year’s plunge brought out Casey Frankoski’s family. She’s one of the New York National Guard pilots that died in a helicopter crash on the U.S. Mexico border last year.

Peter Bauer will step down as the Executive Director of Protect the Adirondacks, a position he has held since 2012. Sun Community News reports previously, Bauer worked as the Executive Director of the FUND for Lake George, now merged with the Lake George Association, and the Residents’ Committee to Protect the Adirondacks, which merged to form Protect the Adirondacks.

Warren County has been awarded over $600,000 in New York State grant funding to pursue economic development and environmental projects across the county, including money to begin development of a countywide composting facility. Sun Community News reports the grants were awarded through the most recent round of Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) funding.

Glens Falls School District completed its 11th annual Pennies for Pink (P4P) coin drive to support cancer patients at Glens Falls Hospital, pushing the overall grand total to over $40,000 raised in the 11 years of P4P. The Post Star reports students presented a check for $4,386.93 to Cristina Britton, Vickie Yattaw, and Sunday Conine from the Glens Falls Hospital Foundation.

Ralph Grasso, the cherished vendor behind Grasso’s Italian Ice in Saratoga, has died at the age of 91. WRGB reports Grasso was a well-known figure in the city , serving generations of locals from the window of his iconic white truck. He took over the family business from his father, Ralph Grasso Sr., who founded it in the 1930s.

Alex West, the man convicted of driving his boat over a family on Lake George and killing an 8-year-old girl, will be released from prison. The state parole board voted 2 to 1 to release West during its meeting this month., WNYT reports West was convicted at trial of manslaughter in the July 2016 boating crash that killed little Charlotte McCue and badly injured her mother. West had been drinking and drugging all day on the lake before he ran his boat over the top of the other boat and then kept going without calling 9-1-1.

Police stopped a vehicle on Lake Avenue in Gansevoort around midnight on December 30 after the driver failed to signal a turn. A passenger, identified as 39-year-old Jon Carpenter of Gansevoort, was asked to exit the vehicle for further investigation. He tried to flee but was caught. Upon searching Carpenter, officers discovered he was in possession of 87 grams of cocaine.