99 NEWS HEADLINES FOR WEDNESDAY, 1/21/09

CHAMBER WANTS TO INCREASE BANNERS, TRUSTEES RAISE CONCERNS--the Potsdam Chamber of Commerce approached the Potsdam Village Board Tuesday asking a way to be made for the Chamber to erect up to a hundred banners around the community. Community spirit and advertising opportunities for sponsors were cited as goals. The banners would be in violation of current off-premises sign code. Trustees say there would be issues of fairness and controversy from re-opening an already hot topic

POTSDAM FAMILY OF SIX LOSES HOME, PETS TO FIRE--Potsdam firefighters with muutal aid fought a blaze at the residence of Melvin Murray and family on Sissonville Road in Unionville. The house was destroyed; seven cats and nine dogs perished. The cause is still under investigation.

NORFOLK FAMILY LOSES HOME IN GRANTVILLE BLAZE--Trucks rolled to the home of Herbert Sweet and family on Grantville Road Tuesday. Damage was reported to be extensive; the cause was believed to be electrical in nature.

LISBON FIRE DAMAGES HOUSE--Firefighters were summoned to the residence of Carl Washburn on Cold Spring Road yesterday. A wood stove chimney is believed to be the cause. A working smoke detector is credited with allowing washburn to escape safely.

OLMSTEAD TO DO STATE TIME FOR FELONY DWI, AND LEAVING SCENE OF FATAL CRASH--George Olmstead, a Chase Mills man connected with the death of Matthew Caldwell in a collision between Olmstead's vehicle and the 12-year-old's snowmobile this past March, admitted in county court he left the scene of the fatal accident without reporting it, and also to driving drunk in another incident later. Olmstead, with a long record of alcohol-related driving convictions, may serve up to 3 and a third to 10 years in the state pen. There was not evidence strong enough to connect Olmstead with driving drunk in the commission of the fatal accident.

MAN ACCUSED OF POSING AS COP JAILED--Norfolk Town Police arrested 35-year-old Eric Snyder of Mc.Intyre Road in Stockholm recently on a felony charge alleging he posed as a 'sheriff' to find a woman who he was allegedly harassing with repeated phone calls. He allegedly threatened to beat up the woman, and allegedly called her a 'bitch'. Snyder was arraigned before Justice George Grubee and jailed on 10-thousand dollars cash bail or 20-thousand dollars bail bond.