99 NEWS HEADLINES FOR FRIDAY, 1/8/09

STATE POLICE INVESTIGATE FATAL SNOWMOBILE-TRUCK COLLISION--Investigators say one person perished in the collision about 11am Thursday on a remote portion of Blue Mountain Road. Further details are forthcoming.

LANDFILL BIOFUEL EXPERIMENTS BY CLARKSON STUDENTS HOLD PROMISE--Students of Dr.Susan Powers worked for a semester last fall at the Development Authority of the North Country Landfill in Rodman, using heat from methane-driven electric generators to run a greenhouse, and to grow algae that has oils that can be turned into biodiesel. Powers says there was enough biodiesel produced to fuel all of the landfill's heavy equipment, with some left over that could be sold.

LARCENY CHARGES DROPPED IN POTSDAM FATAL BIRD TORTURE CASE--The Courier-Observer says charges of petit larceny were dropped at prosecutors' request in the case of four people accused of stealing a zebra finch from a Potsdam residence last year, torturing it with loud noise and eventually killing it with blow-darts. One of the suspects, Alan Grove of Botha, Washington still faces a felony animal cruelty charge.

GOUVERNEUR ESTATE THIEF ARRESTED--55-year-old Katherine Johnson was arrested Wednesday by State Police on a count of felony third degree Grand Larceny, alleging she stole nearly 45-thousand dollars from the estate of a man she worked for as a tax preparer. Investigators say she was in financial trouble and gambled a portion of the proceeds trying to recover. Johnson was arraigned and released to probation supervision until future court dates.