790 WTNY Headlines

A Watertown man is facing charges of possessing child pornography. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Department arresting 25 year old Anthony Sparks of County Rt. 126 in the Town of Watertown. The arrest stems from an investigation into allegations that Sparks had electronically recorded a 12 year old female while she was nude. He was allegedly found to be in possession of sexually explicit photos of females under the age of 16 on his personal computer. Sparks is charged with felony possessing an obscene sexual performance of a child. He is also charged with possession of marijuana after police found two grams of the drug and a glass smoking devise with marijuana residue. He was arraigned Wednesday morning and ordered held in the Jefferson County Jail on $10,000 cash bail.

9:56 AM

Today, Spring is just a word on the calender. It certainly isn't the case outside. Areas of the North Country dealing with Lake Effect snow, with the Tug Hill area right in that snow bulls eye. According to the National Weather Service, a Lake Effect Snow Warning is in place for the Eastern Lake Ontario region through Thursday night. The Tug Hill can expect up to two feet of snow when it's all said and done. Other areas, including the City of Watertown could get about a half foot of snow between now and then. More early spring like temps of the low 40's and some sunshine expected for early next week.

9:56 AM

Voters in the Village of Mannsville say they want to continue living with that distinction. A proposal to dissolve the village and merge operations with the Town of Ellisburg failed on Tuesday. The dissolution vote failed by a tally of 106-17. In the end residents rejected the notion of lower property taxes and decided to take chances with keeping the Village and it's operations in tact.

9:54 AM

Voters in the Carthage School District voted down a $13 million capital project on Tuesday. The proposal would have allowed for various upgrades in the district, including improvements to parts of the high school and the closure of the district building in Great Bend. The tally was 431 to 311. It is the second capital project to be voted down by voters in two years.

9:54 AM

A teen was arrested Monday after allegedly flashing a gun in the parking lot of Colton Pierrepont Central School. Sixteen year old Sawyer Pignona is accused of showing a firearm to a group of students while he was inside a vehicle following the end of the school day Monday. That led to a lock down at the school and police were called. Parents were called to pick up students and all after school activities were cancelled Pignona was charged with criminal possession of a weapon as well as menacing. He was arraigned and ordered held in the St. Lawrence County Jail on $10,000 bail. It's believed that Pignona is not a student at the school.

9:53 AM

An autopsy was performed on a man from Herkimer County who was responsible for a shooting spree that left four people dead and two people injured. The number of bullets that hit 64-year-old Kurt Myers Thursday last week was not being released by State Police. But they did say yesterday that he died from internal bleeding and gunshot wounds in his heart, aorta, liver,lungs and right kidney. An investigation into the whole incident continues

9:52 AM

Pulaski residents vote to keep their police department. Voters turned back a motion to eliminate their police department by a margin of 217 to 147 yesterday. Residents will now see their property taxes rise about 18 percent to fund the department's 318-thousand-dollar budget. The village will now have an officer on patrol about three-fourths of the time.

9:52 AM

A new poll finds Republicans disapprove of Governor Cuomo's job performance for the first time since he took office two years ago. The Quinnipiac University survey shows 49 percent of Republicans disapprove while 38 percent approve. Cuomo still has a 55 to 27 percent overall job approval rating in the state.

9:51 AM

Governor Andrew Cuomo says there's no rush to get a budget deal done. Lawmakers are due to leave Albany Thursday until April 15, two weeks after an April 1 deadline for the budget. Cuomo says he's not going on vacation and plans to keep negotiating in the days ahead to come to an agreement.

9:50 AM

Governor Cuomo is thanking NFL officials for approving an agreement that keeps the Bills football team in Buffalo. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the owners committee approved the terms and conditions of a lease and renovations at Ralph Wilson Stadium. In a statement Cuomo says "the agreement protects taxpayer dollars and puts in place a long term plan for the team's continued presence in Buffalo."

9:50 AM

Archives of 790 WTNY