A murder suspect arrested for the sale of crack cocaine in the town of Halfmoon plead guilty on Tuesday to charges that he sold crack cocaine to an undercover federal law enforcement agent.

Leon Greathouse Jr., 27, of 50 Morningside Heights, New York City, has been charged with the attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree, a class C Felony. Law enforcement officers also found 25 grams of crack cocaine in his rectum.

It is expected that Greathouse will receive a term of seven years in a state correctional facility with one and a half to three years of post release supervision when he is sentenced on May 23, 2008. Greathouse has a previous felony conviction from 2001 when he pleaded guilty to a drug related felony and received a sentence of three years in prison to a lifetime of parole.

In addition to a seven year sentence, the defendant also has a parole violation pending for being convicted while on lifetime parole supervision. Greathouse is also the subject of an investigation pending in an unidentified New York County relating to a homicide in which he is a suspect.

Camp McGregor to stay open

On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno announced that the Camp McGregor minimum-security facility along with three other correctional facilities will remain open after former Gov. Eliot Spitzer had proposed closing the four camps while still in office.

Spitzer had proposed closing Camp McGregor, which consists of about 150 inmates, as a cost-saving measure. The 2008 budget includes $10.7 million to keep the prisons open.

Assemblyman Roy J. McDonald, R-Wilton said he would like to use minimum security prisons like McGregor to house inmates who have been prematurely let out of prison due to a lack of space.

McDonald also said he would like to see the appropriate agencies commit a study into New York's prison systems.

The other three facilities targeted for closure include medium-security Hudson Correctional Facility, minimum-security Camp Pharsalia and Camp Gabriels in Chenango and Franklin counties.

Property owners face eminent domain proceedings

On March 25, The Saratoga County Water Authority filed court papers that will allow the county to begin eminent domain proceedings on 40 property owners who haven't given permission for a proposed pipeline that would run across their land.

The water authority has tried to acquire easements on roughly 140 properties, and owners not complying with the request have been included in the lawsuit. The land easements, which will provide access to the land, are necessary to construct the 26 mile, $67 million water line from Moreau to Malta. Owners included in the court case represent about six miles of the projects route.

The water authority and property owners are scheduled to meet back in court April 18. Saratoga County Court Judge Thomas Nolan will hear arguments concerning a decision to allow work to continue on properties during the eminent domain proceedings.

Superintendent Dean leaving Saratoga National Historical Park

Frank Dean, superintendent of Saratoga National Historical Park, has decided to leave the position in April in order to take a post with the National Park Service in Washington D.C.

Dean has been the superintendant at the park since taking over the position in 2002. The park is known as the site of the Battle of Saratoga, which is considered to be the turning point in the Revolutionary War. The park is also the location of Schuyler House and the Saratoga Monument.

Aside from Dean leaving his position as superintendent of the park he will also be stepping down as executive director of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.

Joe Finan, the assistant superintendent to the battlefield, will take over for Dean until the park can fill the position. Beth Sciumeca will take over as the executive director of the Erie Canalway.

Malta town board accepts revised environmental impact statement from AMD

Advanced Micro Devices has submitted a revised environmental impact statement (EIS) to the Malta Town Board, concerning their planned facility at the Luther Forest Technology Campus.

The EIS is in intended to identify the beneficial and adverse environmental impacts relevant to the project, including offering measures to mitigate the impacts on the environment through reasonable alternatives.

The revised version of the document reflects changes made to the original document which was submitted three weeks ago.

A public hearing is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. May 5 at the Malta Town Hall. Written comments will also be accepted through May 16.

Acousticade moved to Skidmore

The Acousticade Music Festival that was originally intended to take place at the Glens Falls Civic Center has been moved to the Filene Recital Hall at Skidmore College.

The festivals producer Steve Williams cited the venue change to poor ticket sales. Tickets already purchased will be honored by the festivals new venue in Saratoga Springs.

If Acousticade is to earn a profit, Williams still intends to honor the 10 percent in proceeds he promised to the Adirondack Council.

Saratoga Springs Board of Education members announce re-election bids

Three Saratoga Springs Board of Education members will run for re-election on May 20.

Current school board president Francis Palumbo, Mia Pfitzer and Jeff Piro, the trio will be running on the same ticket and will seek three-year terms.

Palumbo is a licensed landscape architect and site development group manager for C.T. Male Associates P.C. in Latham. He has two children in the school district.

Pfitzer has served as president of the Home-School Association at the Dorothy Nolan Elementary School, including serving on numerous school committees.

Piro, is a licensed landscape architect and senior associate at J. Kenneth Fraser and Associates. He has two children who graduated from Saratoga Springs High School.

Saratoga Springs police investigate missing teen case

Saratoga Springs Police are investigating a missing teen last seen at Saratoga Springs High School.

Amanda A. Kilmer, 15, was last seen at Saratoga Springs High School Tuesday at 10:50 a.m. She was reported missing to police by her mother later in the day.

Kilmer is a white female, 5 feet, 2 inches tall, 130 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing light colored blue jeans, a white sweatshirt with a blue stripe, brown slip-on shoes and a black coat.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Saratoga Springs Police Department at 584-1800.

Teen charged in stabbing

An argument that started between two teenage girls resulted in one of them getting stabbed in the street.

State Troopers in Greenwich arrested a 14-year-old girl who allegedly stabbed a 16-year-old girl after an argument got heated.

The 16-year-old was transported to Glens Falls Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The 14-year-old, whose name is being withheld because of her age, was charged with second-degree assault and fourth degree weapons possession. She was scheduled to appear in Family Court Wednesday April 3.