99 NEWS HEADLINES FOR WEDNESDAY, 6/24/09

POTSDAM SCHOOL BOARD CONSIDERS HOMEWORK POLICY--The draft policy would de-emphasize grades for what educators consider practice work, and emphasize the correlation between doing homework and better test performance, where it counts more. ALSO FROM POTSDAM SCHOOL BOARD LAST NIGHT--The board approved a new 3-year contract with Superintendent Pat Brady giving a raise of 2.75 percent the first year and future years negotiated. AND--last night marked the last as President for Ann Carvill, who remains on the board. Indications are that longtime board member Ralph Fuller will become President in July. Last night also marked the last meeting of Lance Myler, he steps down and Pat Regan takes over in July.

GILLIBRAND UNVEILS DAIRY PROPOSAL, DOUBLING MILC PAYMENTS--New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand told reporters yesterday she proposes doubling the program, and making it retroactive to March of this year. Also proposed is indexing MILC to inflation going forward.

ATV CRASH FATAL FOR LOUISVILLE MAN--State Police in Massena say 48-year-old Dennis Martin perished when the machine he was riding traveled off a curve on a trail into trees off County Route 36 about 12 noon Sunday. Autopsy reports show blunt force trauma as the cause of death.

FELONY DWI FOR POTSDAM MAN AFTER PULLOVER--Village Police stopped 39-year-old Terry Sweeney about 1am today on Main Street. He was found to allegedly be intoxicated and allegedly refused to take the breath test. Sweeney was arraigned and jailed on a thousand dollars cash bail or 2-thousand dollars bail bond.

EMERALD ASH BORER GETTING CLOSER--DEC spokesman Steve Litwhiler told us yesterday the pesky invasive insect species that decimates trees has been detected in Western New York. Thousands of purple boxes have been installed throughout the region to detect the insect in time to avoid damage.

HAMMOND MAN BUSTED IN RENTAL RIP-OFF CASE--Sheriff's Detectives say 54-year-old James Loucks took 1500 dollars for the rental of a trailer on Black Lake. The renter found the trailer was going to be removed from the property, and was not on the lake as promised. Loucks was charged with Felony 4th Degree Grand Larceny, arraigned and jailed on 10-thousand dollars cash bail or 20-thousand dollars bail bond.

ALSO ONLINE....SECOND ARREST MADE IN BRASHER CENTER NIGHTCLUB CASE, 19-YEAR-OLD JAMIE RUSH ON THE SAME CHARGES...