John Cropley, Author at The Gloversville Leader Herald

31 Aug

Judge rejects plea deal; trial likely in Schoharie limo disaster that killed 20

John Cropley0 CommentsEmail Newsletter, Fulton County, Gloversville, Local News, The Gloversville Leader Heraldlimousine disaster, Schoharie limo crash

SCHOHARIE — In a surprise move Wednesday, a judge rejected the plea deal reached a year ago in the Schoharie limousine disaster that killed 20 people. State Supreme Court Justice Peter Lynch said the arrangement was fundamentally flawed. He gave limo company operator Nauman Hussain a choice between withdrawing his guilty plea and accepting a 15- to 48-month prison sentence, the maximum possible term for his role in the 2018 crash. His lawyers withdrew the plea, setting the case on course for a future trial. An Associated Press writer present for Wednesday’s proceeding reported that the decision caught those present…

25 Aug

3.2% Albany Metro jobless rate lowest for July since 1999

John Cropley0 CommentsFulton County, Local News, Montgomery CountyCapital Region, joblessness, New York state Department of Labor, unemployment rate

ALBANY — The Albany metro area had an estimated 3.2% jobless rate last month, the lowest recorded by the region in any July since 1999. That compares to 4.5% in July 2021 and 8.5% in July 2020, which was the highest unemployment rate recorded for the month since the current record-keeping system began in 1990. The state Department of Labor issued the preliminary data Tuesday. The percentages translate to 444,400 people working in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy Metropolitan Statistical Area working at least part time in the middle of the month and 14,900 not working but able to work and actively seeking…

19 Aug

Broadalbin hemp processor licensed to produce adult-use cannabis products

John Cropley0 CommentsLocal NewsBroadalbin, cannabis, hemp, marijuana, Office of Cannabis Management

ALBANY — State regulators this week announced they had licensed the first 15 companies to produce the edibles and other marijuana-derived products that will be sold by cannabis dispensaries when they open for sales.There still is no exact target date for the start of legal retail sales of marijuana and its extracts for recreational use by adults. The state Office of Cannabis Management is crafting the regulatory framework for the new cannabis market, and simultaneously trying to make it safe, have a positive economic impact, and provide social justice and equity for communities that for decades bore the brunt of marijuana…

08 Aug

Member of family that owns Stewart’s Shops drowns in Friends Lake

John Cropley0 CommentsLocal NewsChestertown, Dake, Friends Lake, Stewart's Shops, Warren County

CHESTERTOWN — A member of the family that founded Stewart’s Shops and a longtime member of its board of directors drowned Sunday in Friends Lake.Perrin W. Dake, 62, had been swimming off his boat at the time.A caller told the Warren County Sheriff’s Office a swimmer on the east side of the lake had been in distress and slipped beneath the surface around 2 p.m. Sunday.Divers from the Sheriff’s Office and New York State Police, assisted by multiple fire departments, searched unsuccessfully for Dake until around 8:30 p.m., when darkness impaired visibility. They resumed their search Monday, and recovered his body around…

03 Aug

Counties get millions to boost emergency radio networks

John Cropley0 CommentsFulton County, Local NewsFulton County, Montgomery County, Schenectady County

ALBANY — Area counties will get millions of dollars to upgrade their emergency radio systems through state grants funded by cellphone surcharges. The state on Wednesday announced the 2022 distribution of the annual funding, which is designed to improve public safety communications networks within and between agencies and jurisdictions. The 57 counties and New York City will receive a combined $100 million — $90 million under the Statewide Interoperable Communications Grant program, for large-scale projects, and $10 million under the Public Safety Answering Point program, to support day-to-day operations of public safety communications centers. Locally, the 2022 awards break down…

26 Jun

CDPHP, MVP, other health insurers seek major rate hikes in 2023

John Cropley0 CommentsLocal NewsAlbany, CDPHP, health insurance, MVP Health Care, rate hikes, Schenectady

ALBANY — Health insurers are asking state regulators for their largest premium increases in several years — a weighted average of 18.7% for the individual market and 16.5% for the small group market.By weighted average, the requests submitted by Capital Region-based insurers MVP Health Care and CDPHP range from 13.6% to 38.4%, with individual rate increases of as much as 48.2%.The state Department of Financial Services reviews the requests submitted by insurers operating in New York and typically approves a lesser amount than originally requested. In 2021, CDPHP and MVP requested premium increases ranging from 4.9% to 16.9% but were granted 3.4%…