A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
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By Andy Gardner Two COVID-19 testing machines that return same-day results are expected to arrive at St. Lawrence County hospitals this month, according to the county administrator. The county Board of Legislators during their Monday, Dec. 7 meeting voted to spend $100,000 on two Rheonix rapid testing machines. “We will have the machines delivered directly to the hospital locations,” County Administrator Ruth Doyle said. “We should see those before the end of the month.” Local hospitals are already using the machines and adding these will ho...
By Andy Gardner CANTON. The St. Lawrence County Board of Health president says people need to change cavalier attitudes about toughing it out and going to work with minor symptoms of illness. He says COVID-19, in many cases, can seem like a mild cold or flu, but the consequences of bringing that into a work environment can mean a lengthy hospitalization or even death for other people. Dr. Andrew Williams, SLC Board of Health president, discussed the problem of people with mild COVID symptoms going to work during the Monday, Dec. 7 St. Lawrence...
By Andy Gardner CANTON. A local public health director says there is a way for people who are being tested for COVID-19 can help their overwhelmed case investigators and contact tracers. “If you do get a positive test result, what you should do, make a contact list and the activities you’ve done,” says Dr. Dana McGuire, St. Lawrence County Public Health Department director. She told the St. Lawrence County Board of Legislators during their Dec. 7 full board meeting that the recent rapid rise in COVID-19 makes it difficult for her people to in...
By Andy Gardner CANTON. St. Lawrence County legislators are discussing if it would be possible to hold a mass COVID-19 public testing event. The discussion took place during the Dec. 7 full Board of Legislators meeting, which was streamed live online. Legislator Margaret Haggard, D-Potsdam, brought up the idea and several board members from both sides of the aisle agreed it’s worth looking into. “I think the timing is very good, if it was something we could put together at somewhat of a rapid pace, because of the uptick,” said Legislator Tony...
By Andy Gardner CANTON. The St. Lawrence County sheriff says Massena Mayor Tim Currier's arrest came after law enforcement "received information this suspect was dealing in drugs" earlier this year. And the Massena Police Department was intentionally left out of the investigation into the mayor's alleged criminal activity. Sheriff Brooks Bigwarfe, District Attorney Gary Pasqua and Undersheriff Sean O'Brien discussed the case with local news outlets during a Wednesday, Dec. 2 press conference....
By Andy Gardner MASSENA. The town’s director of sport fishing promotion says he wants Akwesasne to be involved with four tournaments planned for this summer that could bring 1,000 anglers to Massena. Don Meissner told the Town Council that the tournaments are scheduled for this summer at the Massena Intake. Meissner said the tournament coordinators should “figure out who’s the proper people we need to speak to, and who from among us should lead that contingency ... [to] collaborate and cooperate with the Natives,” he said. Meissner said since t...
By Andy Gardner MASSENA. The second phase of the Massena Central School District capital project will be split in half, with work being done in both the summer of 2021 and 2022. District contractors gave an update to the Massena school board during their Thursday, Nov. 19 meeting. The second and third phases are because of savings from the first phase that was rolled over into lesser-priority items that were scratched from the initial project. The district has $30 million set aside for the next two phases. “That’s really much more work tha...
By Andy Gardner St. Lawrence and Franklin counties have both seen additional deaths attributed to COVID-19. St. Lawrence County public health officials reported the county’s sixth death during a Monday, Nov. 16 county legislature committee meeting. Dr. Dana McGuire, St. Lawrence County Public Health director, announced the fatality during the county Board of Legislators Services Committee meeting on Monday, Nov. 16. She did not give out any identifying information, such as the person’s age, hometown or where the death occurred. She said the cou...
By Andy Gardner CANTON. St. Lawrence County’s Board of Health president says the recent surge in coronavirus cases in the county threatens the progress with reopening schools and the economy, but it’s not too late for the public to embrace preventative measures and reverse course. Dr. Andrew Williams made the comments during the St. Lawrence County legislature’s Operations Committee meeting on Monday, Nov. 9. “We need to take this opportunity to reset and regain the ground we’ve lost in the last few weeks,” he said. “The best way to do this is...
By Andy Gardner CANTON. A recent malware attack and a steadily increasing number of COVID-19 cases are having an impact on getting people their test results and contact tracers doing investigations of positive cases. Drs. Andrew Williams and Dana McGuire discussed those issues with the St. Lawrence County Board of Legislators Services Committee during their Monday, Nov. 9 meeting. Dr. Williams is president of the St. Lawrence County Board of Health. Dr. McGuire is director of the St. Lawrence County Public Health Department. The recent malware...
By Andy Gardner On Thursday, Nov. 5, the Shamrocks triumphed over Potsdam 2-1. P.J. Ghostlaw connected for the game-winning goal in the 65th minute at the home contest in Fort Covington. Donovan Lauzon picked up the other SRC goal. Alex Baxter scored for Potsdam’s lone marker. Two days earlier, the Shamrocks dropped a road game to Ogdensburg 2-1. After a stalemate first half, OFA notched a goal the first minute of the second half when Karson LaRose scored on a penalty kick after a Shamrocks’ player was called for a handball. Salmon River tie...
By Andy Gardner St. Regis Mohawk Tribe officials credited community efforts with keeping a low prevalence of COVID-19 in Akwesasne during the first months of the pandemic. They also say the pandemic isn’t over and the community should continue doing what they’ve done so far. North Country Community College hosted a “North Country Live Fall Series: Indigenous Voices” online roundtable where the officials spoke. It was streamed online via Zoom on Thursday, Oct. 29. Speakers included Sub-Chief Benjamin Herne, Economic Development Director James L...
By Andy Gardner CANTON. A fifth person in St. Lawrence County has died of COVID-19. Dr. Andrew Williams informed the St. Lawrence County Board of Legislators during their Monday, Nov. 2 meeting. The doctor is also president of the St. Lawrence County Board of Health. He declined to release information on the deceased. “At this point I can’t (release information), in all fairness to the family. Information may become available at the family’s discretion,” the doctor said. He was responding to Legislator Tony Arquiett, D-Helena, asking if ther...
By Andy Gardner AKWESASNE. The tribal police chief says a project to place 14 cameras on public roads around the southern side of the territory says it is to “enhance criminal investigations” and aid in investigating traffic collisions. Matt Rourke, chief of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Police, spoke with Indian Time and says the project is not aimed at surveillance of the general public, or to hand out more speeding tickets. “We believe as tribal police … we are our first line of defense, our own Native police departments. We’re protectin...
By Andy Gardner MASSENA. Superintendent Pat Brady updated the Board of Education on new pandemic precautions during their October meeting, and told them student meals are free for the rest of the year. Brady updated the board during their Thursday, Oct. 15 meeting as the school is now settling in to hybrid classes for all students, kindergarten through 12th grade. “We had originally said it would be Oct. 13 … we were able to phase everyone back in as the cases went down,” Brady said. “Tonight was the first night we’ve had an athletic contest o...
By Andy Gardner The Salmon River Shamrocks have returned to the field for boys and girls soccer, with the squadrons playing early games of an abbreviated 2020 schedule against Ogdensburg, Brushton-Moira and Canton. The girls contingent won a 1-0 contest against the Brushton-Moira Panthers thanks to a late kick. With less than five minutes to go in the second half, Myranda Collette connected for the only goal the ‘Rocks needed to leave with a win. Mia Leroux made five saves earning shutout win for SRC. Natalie Palmer tallied two saves for B-M. O...
By Andy Gardner AKWESASNE. State Police continue to investigate the 1976 death of Francine M. Mitchell, whose residence at the time of her murder was listed as New York City. Forty-four years ago, Francine M. Mitchell was visiting Akwesasne and stayed with relatives from New York City. On October 11, 1976, at about 4:30 a.m., Mitchell was observed by New York State Troopers sleeping behind the wheel of her vehicle, on the south shoulder of State Route 37 in Hogansburg. Shortly after the troopers...
By Andy Gardner Akwesasne Mohawk Police used a tire-deflation device to stop a car that crossed into Canada while fleeing New York State Police and Border Patrol, according to a news release from state troopers. Around 10:45 p.m. on Sept. 27, troopers say one of their officers observed a pick-up truck towing a trailer, traveling northbound on State Route 37 in the town of Westville, without taillights or brake lights. Troopers say the officer stopped the vehicle, but the driver then sped away. The pursuit continued into Fort Covington where...
By Andy Gardner Three people from the North County were involved with the 2020 Stanley Cup champions as a player, coach and scout, respectively. NHL hockey player Zach Bogosian plays defense for the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning defeated the Dallas Stars 2-0 to win the series four games to two. Bogosian played in 20 playoff games this season, tallying four assists. Derek Lalonde, formerly of Brasher Falls, is an assistant coach with the team. He signed with the Lightning in July of 2018. "T...
By Andy Gardner MASSENA – The Massena Central School District, in consultation with St. Lawrence County Public Health officials, is seeking to transition some students back to in-person learning earlier than anticipated, Superintendent of Schools Pat Brady said. Massena Central started the 2020-21 school year with entirely remote learning after a cluster of COVID-19 was discovered in town. There were over 20 positive cases and over 150 contacts traced through the Public Health investigation of the cases. The district on Monday, Sept. 21 b...
By Andy Gardner CANTON – St. Lawrence County legislators heard proposals from three entities on operating a methadone clinic in the county, all of whom are proposing their sites be located in Massena. St. Lawrence Health System, St. Joseph’s Addiction Treatment and St. Lawrence County Community Services all gave pitches to the board’s Services Committee during a Monday, Sept. 21 meeting streamed online via YouTube. People being treated with methadone for substance abuse disorder currently have to travel to either Watertown or Plattsburgh to ge...
By Andy Gardner Billy Cook has seen the sport of racing grow and change over his 50-year career and says he's still not ready to get out from behind the wheel. "Everybody keeps asking me, because of my age ... and telling me it's time to quit. Most people are asking me when I'm going to quit. I tell them, I'm just getting started I'm in my sophomore year," Cook said. "Unless my health goes bad or something goes bad, I'm going to be there." The 76-year-old Akwesasne man was recently applauded...
By Andy Gardner FORT COVINGTON. Salmon River Central School will delay the start of in-person classes due to a staff member testing positive for COVID-19. SRCS Superintendent Dr. Stanley Harper made the announcement in a Friday, Aug. 28 letter. “As you are aware on Wednesday, we were notified that one of our employees tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, there have been a significant number of our staff that have since been quarantined,” Harper wrote. “In light of the events of this past week we have taken a closer look at our re-op...
By Andy Gardner CANTON. The St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office wants to use a state terrorism prevention program grant to purchase a drone that can be used for rescue operations or criminal investigations. The St. Lawrence County legislature’s Operations Committee unanimously approved accepting the grant funding during their August meeting. Sheriff Brooks Bigwarfe spoke and said the county currently has to borrow a drone from St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Police, and because of that “sometimes it takes hours to get to a location.” “If someone g...
By Andy Gardner Two brothers from Akwesasne are accused of having over 400 pounds of marijuana in their vehicle. State police say they charged Tevin L. Terrance, 27, and Tyren A. Terrance, 25, both of Akwesasne, with first-degree criminal possession of marijuana on Aug. 20 in the Town of Mayfield. Troopers say around 9:30 a.m. that day, they stopped two vehicles on state Route 30 after the operators were allegedly "observed committing numerous traffic violations." While interviewing the...
