State Police responded to a Delaware County 911 report of a vehicle in the Delaware River, just off Harvard Road in the Town of Hancock. Troopers located a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee, with a New Jersey registration, approximately 50 feet into the river and half submerged in the water. Troopers found a deceased occupant, identified as 37 year old Stephen Maikisch of Somerset, New Jersey. Troopers reported that Maikisch exited State Route 17 at Exit 90 at a high rate of speed, drove through a t-intersection at the end of the ramp, crossed Harvard Road striking a guide rail and several trees. The Jeep traveled about 200 feet from the road before it came to rest in the river. Police said that a toxicology screening would be conducted and the results are pending.
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Governor Cuomo honored 27 fallen law enforcement officers from agencies across New York State, including officers who died last year in the line of duty. The names of the 27 officers honored today have been inscribed on the Police Officers’ Memorial located on the Empire State Plaza in Albany. Among those added to the memorial were State Trooper Christopher Skinner of Troop C, who was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver on I-81 on May 29th, and Johnson City Police Officer David Smith, who was ambushed while responding to a disturbance call on March 31. The memorial’s complete Roll of Honor is posted at criminaljustice.ny.gov.
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Jury Deliberations continue today in Schoharie County Court in the 3rd murder trial of Cal Harris. This third trial took over 11 weeks to complete, it had been moved to Schoharie County from Tioga county following a 2nd successful appeal by Harris’s defense attorneys. He was convicted twice before for the September 2001 murder of Michele Harris in Tioga County.
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State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos refused to step down from his leadership position yesterday, despite his arrest on charges of bribery & extortion following a federal investigation. Former Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver resigned his leadership position in January after being arrested for similar offenses, he did not resign from his state assembly seat and remains free on bail.
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Chenango county sheriff’s deputies arrested 42-year-old Shawna Bourn of Norwich, for Criminal Mischief & Trespassing. Bourn was arrested following an investigation into a Domestic Dispute, where Bourne is accused of damaging a cell phone, trespassing on a 3rd parties property & refusing to leave. Bourn was arraigned in the Town of Norwich Court and remanded to the custody of the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office in lieu of $500 cash bail. Bourn is to reappear in the Town of Norwich Court at a later date.
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The State Assembly looks to wrap up the legislative session in the coming weeks; on the agenda is the annual call by the Governor & assembly leadership to raise the minimum wage, as well as the farm labor bill. Area Assemblyman Cliff Crouch said that temporary Migrant labor is hired for the harvesting season, and they should remain exempt from state labor laws do to the different environment for work on farms:

(Crouch 5-6-15)

Crouch has served on the Assembly Farm committee during his tenure and is also the only former farmer serving in the state Assembly.
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State Senator Jim Seward honored Patricia Kennedy of Oneonta as the 2015 Senate “Woman of Distinction” from the 51st senate district at the 18th annual senate Women of Distinction ceremony at the Capitol. Kennedy serves as the CEO at Springbrook, which serves over 850 people with developmental disabilities, & employs more than 1,200 individuals.
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