790 WTNY Headlines

(Albany, NY) -- The state Senate is giving final passage to New York's 132-billion-dollar budget after missing the Constitutional deadline this week. The fiscal plan keeps spending levels flat at 79-billion-dollars, but it includes a "millionaire's" tax on New Yorkers earning more than 200-thousand-dollars. Governor David Paterson and state Legislative leaders closed an 18-billion-dollar deficit.

9:24 AM

A Watertown High School student is accused of punching an assistant principal Thursday afternoon. Tonka E. Warney, 16, of 1704 State Street was charged with Assault 2nd Degree after police were called to investigate an incident involving Warney and Assistant Principal George Merritt. According to investigators, Mr. Merritt was punched in both eyes and his thumb injured at about 3:30 pm at the school. Warney is in Jefferson County Jail with bail set at $10,000.

9:19 AM

Details of the arrest of Ogdensburg weapons supect John Rumble were revealed in court documents when he was arraigned in federal Court in Syracuse Friday afternoon. Rumble is accused of dealing in firearms while being an unlawful user of a controlled substance and with having a firearm with an obliterated serial number. According to information from NewsWatch50.com, Ogdensburg City Police tried to lure Rumble out of his King street home but were unsuccessful, leading to a federal raid on his house on Thursday. Hundreds of weapons, including numerous rifles, shotguns and pistols were confiscated. One of the firearms allegedly had an obliterated serial number. Agents also found crates and large ammunition boxes containing hundreds of rounds of ammunition manufactured in Russia and other foreign countries.

9:17 AM

St. Lawrence County Sheriff's deputies arrested a man suspected of having sex with an underage girl in the summer of 2007. Richard L. LaPage Jr., 35, of Root Road, Potsdam is charged with 1st degree Rape. Investigators allege LaPage had sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 13 during
July and August of 2007. LaPage was arraigned in Canton Town Court and released from St. Lawrence County Jail after posting $1,000 bail. He's scheduled to appear next week in Town of Lisbon Court on the charges. Deputies say the investigation is continuing and more charges are possible.

9:16 AM

(Binghamton, NY) -- A prayer vigil was held last night in Binghamton where a gunman, identified as Jiverly Voong, opened fire inside a immigration services center, killing 13 people and wounded others. Mourners gathered at the Redeemer Lutheran Church for a songful remembrance of their lost loved ones. The gunman was among the dead. The shooting spree began around 10:30 a.m., Friday, and lasted several minutes inside the American Civic Association. Governor David Paterson calls the tragedy as sad day for New York. It was the worst mass shooting since the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007.

9:14 AM

A West Carthage man, 35-year-old Ronald R. Ward, charged by State Police last month with rape now faces additional charges for alleged similar crimes involving the same 16-year-old girl in Lewis County. Ward was arraigned in Town of Lowville Court Friday morning on three counts of 3rd degree Rape and three counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child. Ward has been held in Jefferson County Jail since his arrest on March 6th on multiple charges. Investigators allege Ward had sex with the underage girl in the village of West Carthage and in the town of Denmark, sent her nude photos of himself via a cell phone and gave her alcohol. Following the Lewis County arraignment, Ward was sent back to jail in lieu of $1,500 bail to await grand jury action.

9:11 AM

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