News Headlines for Thursday, August 27th 2009:

CLERK FIRED--Potsdam Village Court Clerk Shelly Warner was abruptly fired on Tuesday, according to the Courier-Observer Warner was fired by Potsdam Justice Joseph Welch the same day local newspapers reported Ms. Warner questioning the safety of using the Civic Center board room as a makeshift court space until asbestos can be removed from the main courtroom facility upstairs. And according to Warner she was given little explanation of the firing other than she was insubordinate. The report quoted Judge Welch as saying he didn't fire Warner for anything in the newspaper but he also refused to answer any specific questions.

WELLNESS CLINIC--The Canton-Potsdam Hospital has made a proposal to create a student health clinic at the Potsdam Central School according to hospital spokeswoman Rebecca J. Sutliffe. Potsdam School board officials announced this week that they plan to create an ad hoc committee to look at the hospital request.

PHONE HELP--North Country Savings Band & Slic Network Solutions are teaming up to donate phone systems to local nonprofit organizations. The Bank recently upgrade it's phone systems and decided to donate the replaces systems, TAUNY in Canton was the first recipient of a system but there are more available. They will be taking applications until September 15th for the remaining systems.

OGDENSBURG ARREST--Ogdensburg City  Police arrested a second man Wednesday for his alleged involvement in a July burglary that robbed $220,000 from Hazel P. Lumbard. Brent St. Germain, 23, of 109 Grove St., was charged by city police with 2nd-degree burglary-a class C felony. St. Germain allegedy forced his was through the back door of Ms. Lumbard's home, and he and others allegedly removed two safes containing $220,000 collected from rental properties throughout the city.

NEHER DIES--A north country broadcasting icon, George Neher, dies on Tuesday afternoon when he was found by his wife in ther home in Watertown around 1:20pm. Neher, 65, was a Buffalo native who attended St. Lawrence University and began his broadcasting career here at WPDM. He later joined WWNY TV & radio in 1964 before being know recently as the morning news host on WTNY. Neher is survived by his wife Debbie.

H1N1 ON CAMPUS--As classes begin again on college campuses around the county, Universities are preparing for the growing H1N1 pandemic by helping to immunize students and staff, educating them about the swine flu virus and isolating the sick. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention revised its recoomendations for how institutions of higher education should deal with swine flu outbreaks earlier in the month. Representatives from the Associated Colleges of the St. Lawrence Valley recently met to discuss how they're preparing for the H1N1 on thier campuses.

FLAG DIRECTIVE--Governor David Paterson has directed flags on New York State government buildings be flown at half-staff on Friday, August 28 in honor of a Fort Drum soldier who died of wounds sustained in Wardak Province, Afghanistan on August 20th. Specialist Justin Pellerin of Boscwen, New Hampshire, was injured when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle.