The Saratoga Springs women accused of prostituting herself for cocaine was sentenced to a year in jail after failing to carry out a promise with a Saratoga County judge to enter a drug rehabilitation clinic.

Wendy Knowlton Cook, 37, admitted to breaking the conditions of a Saratoga County Drug Court program when she was arrested during a sting operation being conducted by Schenectady police in October of 2007 on charges of performing sex acts in a car that her children were present in to get money for cocaine.

She had promised Judge Jerry J. Scarano that she would enter an inpatient drug rehab program instead of serving jail time. She will face further jail time when she appears before a Schenectady County judge for violating her probation for not seeking treatment.

Cook, the daughter of Funny Cide owner Jack Knowlton, was first detained on October 1, 2007 when Schenectady police arrested her during a crackdown on prostitution. Police accused her of smoking crack and snorting cocaine off her 8-week-old son's stomach while she breast fed him.

She originally faced five counts of endangering the welfare of a child, first degree felony reckless endangerment and fourth-degree prostitution. She avoided jail time by promising to complete a drug treatment program and pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of reckless endangerment and child endangerment. 

Residents approve $3.2 million bond to purchase Spring Street building

Saratoga residents approved a $3.2 million bond on Tuesday, April 29 in a 500-275 vote which will allow for the town to buy the former Schuylerville High School on Spring Street in order to turn the building into its town's new administrative offices.

The building will be purchased for a price of $4.3 million and will provide the town 27,000 square feet of office space. The decision to relocate the town's administrative office was due in part to it having outgrown its existing town hall located at 30 Ferry St. including the structural damage present at the location.

The town will use only half the space available and lease the remaining space out to the facilitie’s existing commercial tenants. Revenue raised from the leased spaces will offset the cost of the buildings.

It is estimated that it will take four to five months before town officials move into the new facility.           

District Attorney says new charges in sex abuse case need to go through police

The lawyer representing two boys accusing former Saratoga Springs School bus driver Douglas Conrad of sexual abuse, has been told by District Attorney James Murphy to report any new allegations involving the boys case to police.

Last week, attorney John Aretakis came forward with new information in the case that he says one of the two boys had come to him with allegations of sodomy, which could potentially result in felony charges. Conrad is currently accused only of misdemeanors.

Aretakis is attempting to turn the new allegations over to the District Attorneys office; however, he has stated that it will in turn refer the matter to police for further investigation. After conducting an investigation, if police were to find probable cause in the new allegations then the District Attorneys office would  pursue more severe charges.

Lack of revenue forces Theatre Company to leave Spa City

Due to a lack of revenue the New York City-based Epiphany Theatre Company has been forced to shut down its operation and move back to New York City were it will regroup and attempt to return to Saratoga Springs in 2009.

The theatre company, which has existed in Saratoga Springs since 2006, has been forced to cancel 24 local public performances scheduled for May and June including having to stop selling subscriptions for the 2008-2009 season. The company was forced to cancel its upcoming season due to a lack of fundraising, grant money and individual donors.