Evidence mounts against Lang

WASHINGTON, D.C. — An assistant U.S. attorney has filed more than 1,000 pieces of evidence against Edward Jacob Lang, the Narrowsburg native and former Honesdale High School student who was arrested in January for his alleged role in storming the Capitol Building with pro-Trump demonstrators. 

Lang heavily documented his participation in the January 6 riot on his various social media pages. According to reports from ProPublica, Lang also spent 10 days between the riot and his arrest “recruiting militia members to take up arms against the incoming Biden Administration” through the messaging app Telegram. 

He now faces numerous charges, including assaulting a law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon and engaging in acts of violence on restricted grounds. His next court date is set for Tuesday, June 15 and he currently remains in custody.

PA residents oppose ‘radioactive roads’ bill

HARRISBURG, PA — Two pieces of legislation in the PA General Assembly, House Bill 1144 and Senate Bill 534, have some commonwealth residents concerned. The legislation would define separate sets of regulations between conventional and unconventional oil and gas industries.

“Conventional” generally refers to oil and gas that are easier and cheaper to produce, opposed to “unconventional,” which require more involved drilling methods, such as fracking.

Gov. Tom Wolf has vetoed similar legislation in the past, citing “unacceptable risk to the environment and the public health and safety of our citizens.” Most concerning to some residents, the new legislation would allow energy companies’ residual waste, or brine to be used for “dust control, road stabilization, anti-icing and de-icing.”

A www.MoveOn.org petition was started to urge legislators to vote against these bills.

“They are dangerous bills that would set back the clock on environmental protection decades,” the petition reads. “The road spreading of toxic, radioactive waste on unpaved and paved roads will do irreversible damage to our environment.”

IDA appoints new leadership

MONTICELLO, NY — Edward T. Sykes has announced his retirement as the County of Sullivan Industrial Development Agency (IDA) CEO. Appointed to the IDA board in 1996, Sykes will remain a board member and serve in his newly appointed position of vice chair.

“I have always enjoyed my work with the IDA and am proud of our achievements in facilitating economic opportunities here in Sullivan County,” said Sykes. “I look forward to continuing to work with the board and its newest members, Craig Fleischman and Sean Brooks.”

“We are grateful to Ed for his commitment to the IDA and the advancement of meaningful projects during his tenure as CEO. As of December 2020, the IDA’s approximately 70 active projects have created 2,560 new jobs in Sullivan County,” said IDA chairperson Suzanne Loughlin.

The board has since appointed John W. Kiefer to fill the role of CEO. Kiefer, a Sullivan County native, is a “seasoned executive with extensive experience in finance and commercial banking.” Since returning to Monticello, he has worked with the Sullivan County Revolving Loan Fund, enabling the growth and development of dozens of businesses in the county.

Sheriff, DA propose ‘Hope Not Handcuffs’ 

MONTICELLO, NY — In an effort to address the continuing opioid/drug crises, the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office’s Gang and Narcotics Intelligence Unit has made numerous recent arrests involving the possession of illicit substances including crack cocaine, heroin and fentanyl. All suspects were released on their own recognizance under New York State’s bail reform law.

Sheriff Mike Schiff said that many of these suspects are good candidates for the Hope Not Handcuffs program being proposed by Sullivan County District Attorney Meagan Galligan.

“Unfortunately, we no longer have the leverage that the bail system used to afford us,” he said. “Hopefully, we can find a new way to coax defendants into treatment rather than return them to the streets to get high again and possibly overdose.”

“We know it will take a combination of narcotics enforcement operations and diversion for those who can benefit from treatment,” Galligan said. “The [Hope Not Handcuffs] program will provide immediate intervention in appropriate situations identified by law enforcement, to get people who need it into treatment without delay.”

Restaurant reopens after fire

PLEASANT MOUNT, PA — The popular Red Schoolhouse Restaurant, located on the Bethany Turnpike in Pleasant Mount, has reopened after a fire closed it down for months. During the fire, which took place in November of last year, a small explosion caused the building to move from its foundation. Investigators believed that a furnace malfunction was to blame.

“We would like to thank everyone who helped us overcome our unfortunate situation,” the owners posted on Facebook, specifically mentioning the firefighters, insurance company, construction workers, friends, family and neighbors.