Indictments handed down in Callicoon shooting

CALLICOON, NY — Joseph P. Naughton, 64, the owner of the Western Hotel in Callicoon, has been indicted by a Sullivan County Grand Jury on charges related to the April 13 shooting death of Lori Schubeler, age 41. The charges were Manslaughter in the 2nd degree, a class C felony; Criminally Negligent Homicide, a class E felony; and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 4th degree, a class A misdemeanor.

Naughton was processed at the Sheriff’s Office in Monticello and released after posting a $100,000 dollar property bond pending a future court appearance.

Clinton amendment would ease transition to new flood maps

WASHINGTON, DC — An amendment introduced to the Flood Insurance Bill by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) and Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) has passed the Senate. The amendment will help ensure that homeowners won’t be caught off guard and are fully educated about all of the options available to them if their property falls within a federal flood zone when new floodplain maps are redrawn.

The amendment would require FEMA to initiate outreach activities, including notifying property owners when their properties become included in, or when they are excluded from, an area having special flood hazards, and the effect of such inclusion or exclusion on the requirement to purchase flood insurance; educating property owners regarding the flood risk and reduction of this risk in their community, including the continued flood risks to areas that are no longer subject to the flood insurance mandatory purchase requirement; and educating property owners about the benefits and costs of maintaining or acquiring flood insurance, including, where applicable, lower-cost preferred risk policies, among other provisions.

Amendment ties milk support to feed costs

WASHINGTON, DC — An amendment has been added to the Farm Bill that will adjust the price at which payments are made to farmers under the Milk Income Loss Contract program based on the composite monthly price of feed (corn, soybeans and alfalfa hay.) The amendment should help to ameliorate the impact of rising feed prices on dairy farmers.

The full Senate is expected to vote on the Farm Bill sometime this week, but had not done so as of press time. Besides the dairy farmer amendment, the Farm Bill has a provision to help fruit and vegetable farmers by including about $3.5 billion in new money for specialty crops programs and contains new programs to assist organic farmers, provide funding for organic farming research and help conventional farms that desire to transition to organic farming.

Hinchey introduces bill to cap credit card interest rates

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) has introduced a bill in the House, the Fair and Justifiable Credit Card Interest Rate Act of 2008, that would put a maximum cap of 20 percent on the interest rate that credit card companies can charge consumers.

“With the cost of living soaring, Americans are turning to their credit cards more than ever just to keep up with it all. Credit card companies are taking advantage of millions of people by unfairly jacking up their rates in the blink of an eye, often over very minor things,” Hinchey said. “This bill would put a cap on credit card interest rates so the ‘worst case scenario’ is clearly known up front by all parties and the rate is held within check.”

The Federal Reserve’s last published survey on credit card debt was in 2004, and it revealed that American households with credit card debt had a median balance of $2,200.

Tusten residents to vote on future of highway superintendent position

NARROWSBURG, NY — In the election in November, residents of the Town of Tusten will vote on whether the position of highway superintendent will remain an elected office or will become a position appointed by the town board.

At the town meeting on May 12, the board voted unanimously to put the question to voters in the form of a referendum, which would also create a new town department of public works (DPW). The DPW would be comprised of the highway department, the water department and the sewer department.

Supervisor Ben Johnson, and other supporters of the measure, said it would save the town money because members of the three departments could work more closely together and more efficiently. Johnson said the move would also bring more accountability to the role of highway superintendent.

Critics have charged at town meetings that the board is seeking to take power away from the voters.