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It's now official, the Kinney Nursing Home in Gouverneur will be closing early next month. The State Department of Health has approved the closing plans for the facility and officials say the nursing home will close it's doors on or around May 7. The nursing home currently has 22 residents who call the facility home. They will now have to find a new residence. Officials with the St. Lawrence Health System, which operates the nursing home, says it's too small to continue operating.

9:47 AM

A former Evans Mills Fire Chief has been sentenced for sex related charges involving a minor. Forty three year old Shawn Rutmanis was sentenced Tuesday in Jefferson County Court after pleading guilty earlier this year to a charge of third degree criminal sex act. It was alleged that he had sexual contact with a minor over a seven month period in 2008. He was ordered to two years in prison and will be required to register as a sex offender.

9:46 AM

Watertown City officials are now scrambling to try to find a way to find a solution to a new problem dealing with the holding of individuals immediately after they are arrested. Recently, Jefferson County Sheriff Johns Burns sent a letter to those officials, telling them that it has been brought to his attention that the city cannot legally hold prearraigned suspects at the Jefferson County Jail, as has been the case since the facility was built back in the early 90's. State corrections law prohibits that practice. The only way to get around it would be for the state legislature to pass home rule legislation. Both the Sheriff's department and the city are working together to try to figure out the next course of action.

9:45 AM

Mostly double digit unemployment once again in Northern New York, but as has been the trend in recent months, a year to year drop is also included. The numbers for the month of February were released on Tuesday. Jefferson County's jobless rate for the month came in at ten a half percent. That's down from 11.7% recorded in February 2013. Lewis County's rate was 10.9%, down from 12.4% a year ago. St. Lawrence County was lowest among the three at 9.7%, down over 1 % from the previous year. The state wide average for the month was 7.7%.

9:45 AM

The jury has been seated and opening statements are scheduled for today in St. Lawrence County Court in the trial of Bobbie Jo Zeller. The 37 year old woman is accused of bilking several individuals, including a now deceased priest, out of hundreds of thousand of dollars under false pretences. Zeller rejected a possible plea deal last week, sending the case to trial. She faces charges of third degree grand larceny.

9:44 AM

Gun rights activists are demanding that the state legislature repeal the SAFE Act. More than three-thousands opponents of the tough gun control law gathered outside the Capitol Building in Albany yesterday to protest the law. Among those speaking at the rally were developer Donald Trump and Republican candidate for governor Rob Astorino. He blasted Governor Andrew Cuomo, saying the governor has taken away their rights.

9:44 AM

Donald Trump may make his way back into professional football. The Donald told a Buffalo radio station he has been approached about buying the Buffalo Bills. Trump says he would be interested and will look into investing in the team. The business magnate owned the USFL's New Jersey Generals in the 1980's. It is unclear whether or not Trump would look to become a majority or minority owner of the team.

9:43 AM

Governor Andrew Cuomo's plan to provide free college courses to state prisoners may not be in the budget, but it's not dead either. Cuomo says his revised plan calls for it to be funded with private money and run by a non-profit. Cuomo drew loud criticism when he initially announced his plan to use state money to fund the program. The governor says some non-profits already run similar inmate programs, which he says have proven to greatly reduce recidivism rates.

9:42 AM

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