Local stores survive cuts

RIVER VALLEY — The two Kmart stores in the immediate Upper Delaware region in Matamoras and Honesdale were not listed on the closings list issued by the corporation earlier this week.

Kmart Corp. will close 284 stores in 40 states and Puerto Rico, cutting about 22,000 jobs as part of its restructuring under Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the company announced on March 8.

Government center security
changes proposed

MONTICELLO — Public access to Sullivan County’s government center building would be tightened if new recommended security proposals are put in place.

The recommendations, called for following the 9/11 attacks, were presented to county legislators by Sheriff Dan Hogue on March 7 and include elimination of North Street and Government Drive parking, installing vehicle-blocking cement stanchions at the front entrance, adding additional deputies and limiting the number of entrances.

Funding for the measures was included in infrastructure bond authorizations done earlier this year.

Court allows 911 call into evidence

MONTICELLO — A 911 recording, in which homicide victim Gary Kays named his assailant, will be allowed into evidence at the trial of Ronald Caruso.

Sullivan County Court Judge Frank LaBuda ruled on March 9 that the tape of the Hortonville resident, recorded after the August 28 shooting, is a dying declaration.

Caruso’s defense attorney had argued the tape would be prejudicial and would deny Kays’18-year-old step-nephew a fair trial.

Separately, last week, LaBuda also allowed admission of evidence of Caruso’s flight from the military service in Kansas and his subsequent theft of two cars.

Jury selection for Caruso’s trial was scheduled to begin on March 14.

Mayor recommends combined services

MONTICELLO — After considering consolidation or dissolving the Monticello village government, Mayor Gary Sommers is recommending combining services with the Town of Thompson to save money.

Sommers reported to the village board last week after meeting with state officials to learn about his alternatives. The outcome was a recommendation for some shared services and joint purchasing.

Stolen military funeral flag recovered

LIVINGSTON MANOR — After a five-month investigation, two Livingston Manor women were charged last week with the theft of a military funeral flag that had been publicly displayed following the 9/11 attacks.

State police arrested Barbara J. Ramsey, 21, and Jennifer R. Roach, 24, charging both with petit larceny. Both were arraigned in Rockland Town Court. Ramsey was confined to the Sullivan County Jail in lieu of $500 bail, while Roach was released on her own recognizance.

Belonging to Army veteran John Reule, the ceremonial flag had been presented to him by the widow of another veteran following his funeral and had since been displayed on holidays before 9/11. Then on display at the old Hoos Bakery, it was stolen on the night of September 22.

Police recovered and returned the flag.

Delaware is river of the year

NARROWSBURG — The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) has named the Delaware River as its “River of the Year.”

With the recognition comes the illustration of the Delaware on the state’s annual River’s Month poster in June, and a first-ever DCNR-sponsored film overview of the Delaware, which is scheduled to air on PBS sometime in May.

Cornell offers marketing website
for local officials

ITHACA — A new Cornell University Cooperative Extension website program is aiming to bring some of the more sophisticated tools of government to rural officials.

Cornell and Penn State have gotten together to offer www.cdtoolbox.org, which provides ways to implement sound municipal-development decisions that ultimately will determine a communities’ long-term future. The site provides training in assessing the size and performance of the local retail market, germinating e-commerce for small businesses, retaining and expanding businesses and using employment data to understand the economy. It went online earlier this month.