Published: November 12, 2007 03:52 am      

Area News Roundup

Two charged in crack bust

ONEONTA _ Two New York City men were nabbed Friday in a drug raid on Elm Street.

Kendale Simon, 18, and Bradley L. Douglas Jr., 22, were charged with felonies after they were found to be in possession of crack cocaine after a no-knock warrant was executed at a home Friday afternoon, according to a media release from the Otsego County Sheriff’s Department distributed Sunday.

The warrant, which allows police to enter a property unannounced to prevent the destruction of evidence, was obtained from Oneonta City Court after a joint investigation of the sheriff’s department’s criminal investigation division and the Oneonta Police Department’s Detective Bureau.

Simon was found with roughly 10 grams of individually packaged crack cocaine and $108 in cash, while Douglas was found with $2,311 in cash and half a gram of crack cocaine, deputies said.

Simon was charged with third-degree and fourth degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and Douglas was charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Both men were arraigned Friday night by Oneonta City Judge Lucy Bernier and sent to the Otsego County jail on $20,000 bail. They were still at the jail Sunday night awaiting an appearance Tuesday morning in Oneonta City Court.

Fire destroys Delaware home

DOWNSVILLE _ A fire razed a home near Corbett in southern Delaware County on Sunday. The elderly couple who lived in the newer, ranch-style home on Soules Road were in New York City for a funeral when the blaze broke out, said Downsville Fire Chief Dale Stone.

A neighbor in Corbett saw flames coming from the home of Tom Jenkusky and his wife shortly after 1 p.m., Stone said. When firefighters arrived, they found the home, which was about 10 years old, “fully involved,” he said.

Firefighters from the Walton, East Branch and Delhi fire departments assisted Downsville firefighters at the scene.

But the home and all of its contents were destroyed.

“Everything is burned right down into the basement,” Stone said.

No firefighters were hurt, Stone said.

The Jenkuskys were contacted and are aware of the fire.

Stone said he did not know if they had insurance.

“Fire investigators came to the conclusion it was a wood stove,” Stone said of the cause.

One of the couple’s sons had been at the home before the fire erupting, he added.

Sweeney charged with DWI

CLIFTON PARK (AP) _ Former U.S. Rep. John Sweeney was charged with driving while intoxicated Sunday after an early morning traffic stop, state police said.

Sweeney was pulled over by a state trooper on the Northway in Saratoga County at 1:20 a.m., police said. State Police said he registered a .18 blood alcohol level. In New York, the legal blood-alcohol limit is .08.

The Times Union of Albany reported that E. Stewart Jones, Sweeney’s attorney, has confirmed the arrest.

“He is a private citizen,” Jones said. “This is a private matter.”

Sweeney was released and scheduled to appear in town court Nov. 14.