Week of 1/23-1/29

Joe Bruno, the Republican state Senator who was one of the most powerful politicians in the state while serving in New York's 43rd Senate District, was indicted on federal corruption charges Friday, Jan. 23.
The 79-year-old Bruno retired from his post in the state legislature after 14 years of leading the Senate as Majority Leader. He was indicted on eight counts of federal corruption charges by a federal grand jury after an investigation that spanned more than three years. He is accused of taking more than $3 million from private firms to influence state business and not disclosing information about his actions from 1993 to 2006. The indictment says Bruno exploited "his official position for personal compensation and enrichment, knowing and believing that his reasonably perceived ability to influence official action would, at least in part, motivate those he contacted to enter into financial relationships beneficial to his personal financial interests."
In a statement read after the indictment, Bruno called the investigation "an expensive fishing expedition that had to show some results to justify the costs and effort directed against me."
He added that he has been the focus of a "Get Joe Bruno Campaign" by federal investigators.
During a local news interview, Bruno continued to adamantly deny that the investigation had anything to do with his retirement from the state Senate.
If convicted, Bruno faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count.

Escaped man found after five-hour manhunt
A man who escaped from Four Winds psychiatric hospital while being admitted on Tuesday, Jan 27 was found by police after a more than five-hour search.
According to police, Gary VanNess, 41, of Latham, escaped the facility around 3:45 p.m. and was located by authorities around 9:15 p.m., approximately one mile from the facility.
He was found wearing only sneakers, blue jeans and a fleece coat as temperatures continued to plummet as a winter storm threatened the region. He was transported to Saratoga Hospital and treated for weather related injuries, police said.
Assisting in the search were Saratoga Springs police, state police, state park police, state park rangers, the Saratoga Springs fire department, an aviation team and volunteers with the lower Adirondack Search and Rescue Squad.

GE agrees to pay $7 million toward water line
After several communities in Saratoga County expressed displeasure over a possible contamination of drinking water due to the upper Hudson River dredging project, General Electric has accepted a new agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency to pay $7 million toward a new water line.
Both the towns of Waterford and Halfmoon had expressed concern over contamination in their water systems because the towns get their drinking water from the upper Hudson River. The EPA along with GE will now build an $8.2 million, four-and-a-half-mile-long water line from the city of Troy to the two towns with the goal of providing an alternative water source for them during the dredging project.
The water line is scheduled to be completed by April - one month before dredging is scheduled to start in late-May. Aside from the $7 million dollars to build the water line, GE has also agreed to pay for the increased fees for use of the Troy water supply. The project is a result of more than 1 million pounds of PCB's GE dumped into the river from their Hudson Falls plant. The dumping was legal up until it was banned in the 1970s.

Wilton man convicted of sexually abusing former girlfriend
A Wilton man accused of beating and sexually assaulting his former live-in girlfriend faces up to 50 years in prison after being found guilty on felony charges on Monday in Saratoga County Court.
James Clairmont, 34, was arrested in Wilton on Feb. 19, 2008 after his 25-year-old girlfriend, for whom he had lived with for two months, accused him of waking her up at night by beating her and then sodomizing her for several hours for supposedly uttering another mans name in her sleep. Clairmont was indicted in June of 2008 on felony charges of rape and sexual abuse, including two misdemeanor charges of unlawful imprisonment and assault.
After approximately a week long trial and a three hour jury deliberation, Clairmont was convicted on three felony counts, including a criminal sexual act in the first degree, sexual abuse and violent felony assault.
Saratoga County District Attorney James Murphy said he will seek the maximum sentence of 25 years in a state prison, which would total 50 years.
"Mr. Clairmont beat her because he believed she uttered another man's name in her sleep. To "punish" her, he thought beating her violently and sodomizing her was appropriate. We think what is appropriate is a 25-year state prison sentence," Murphy said in a written statement.
Formal sentencing has been scheduled for April 19 at 10:30 a.m. Clairmont remains in Saratoga County jail.

Schumer says upstate will receive $1.6 billion in federal stimulus aid
Senator Charles Schumer says upstate New York counties will receive $1.6 billion in federal aid from President Barack Obama's $825 billion stimulus package over the course of two years.
"The stimulus package is going to give a big boost to Upstate New York. There is an overwhelming consensus that we should give aid to states and localities. The reason for it is very simple. For federal government to be pumping money in to the economy to reduce severity of the recession, while the states are taking money out of the economy by either laying people off or raising taxes, simply makes no sense," Schumer said in a written statement.
The stimulus package overcame its first barrier on Wednesday, Jan. 28 when House members approved it by a vote of 244-188.  Republicans voted unanimously against the package.