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Eric DeGrechie

Executive editor

Sweeney pleads guilty

Former U.S. Rep. John Sweeney was arrested last week and charged with driving while intoxicated.

Sweeney, 52, pled guilty on Nov. 14 to misdemeanor driving while intoxicated in Clifton Park Town Court.

Sweeney was pulled over early on the morning of Sunday, Nov. 11, on the Northway while driving a BMW sedan. He allegedly made an unsafe lane change.

He was charged with an unsafe lane change, a violation and misdemeanor DWI and aggravated DWI, which means Sweeney’s BAC was .18 percent or higher. The legal limit is .08 percent.

In his plea agreement with the district attorney’s office, the charges were merged. Sweeney will face a six-month license revocation, take a victim’s impact class and pay a $1,000 fine.

Green, president of SEDC, resigns

The president of the Saratoga Economic Development Corporation resigned Tuesday, Nov. 12 after being arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated.

Ken Green, 52, was employed by SEDC and led efforts to bring Advanced Mirco Devices, Inc. to the Luther Forest Technology Campus in Malta.

Green was arrested early on the morning of Sunday, Nov. 11 asleep in his 2001Chevy Suburban a few blocks away from his home in a neighbors lawn.

Green is scheduled back in Saratoga Springs Court on Friday, Nov. 16.

Search continues

for missing boy

Officers continue the search for Jaliek Rainwalker, the missing 12-year-old boy from Greenwich. Rainwalker’s adoptive mother has agreed to a polygraph test, but the chief  of the Cambridge-Greenwich Police Department has not released why the boy’s father hasn’t.

Police said the boy did leave a note saying goodbye before he vanished, which could mean he ran away. But the chief, George Bell, believes if that were so, he would have been spotted leaving town. So the investigation is largely centered in the Washington County area.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Jaliek Rainwalker is asked to call 1-800-FIND-KID or any State Police barracks.

Saratoga Library names new director

The Saratoga Springs Public Library has named A. Issac “Ike” Pulver new director. He will be replacing Harry Dutcher, who retires in January after serving in that position for over 25 years.

Pulver is the current deputy director of the Shaker Heights Public Library in Cleveland, Ohio.

Ballston Spa

bicentennial takes hit

A $90,000 grant has been cut from the budget for Ballston Spa’s bicentennial year thus cancelling remaining events to celebrate the distinction.

The village has spent $130,000 to date on the bicentennial with part of it being paid by the the legislative grant from Assembly Minority Leader Jim Tedisco’s office. The only event still on the schedule following the cut is a Dec. 26 time capsule dedication.

Governor Spitzer drops license plan

On Wednesday, Gov. Eliot Spitzer withdrew his illegal immigrant licensing proposal. The issue drew criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike. Spitzer characterized his proposal, which would grant drivers licenses to illegal alliens, as a “no-win issue.”