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Register-Star Copyright 2022, Columbia-Greene Media Volume 238, No. 74
Serving Columbia and Dutchess counties since 1785
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FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2022
2 get maximum for Austerlitz burglary By Natasha Vaughn-Holdridge Columbia-Greene Media
BILL WILLIAMS/COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA
Two downstate men were sentenced for the break-in at the Citgo Station on Rigor Hill Road in Austerlitz.
HUDSON — Two downstate men were sentenced Thursday in connection with a 2020 Austerlitz burglary. Columbia County Court Judge Jonathan Nichols sentenced Jonathan Barham, 34, and Omar Hassan, 30, to 3 1/2
to 7 years in state prison and ordered them to pay $19,214 in restitution after they were convicted of third-degree burglary, a class D felony. Barham, of Cortlandt Manor, and Hassan, of Deer Park, were arrested June 15, 2020, by New York State Police trooper John Moore. Both suspects
were arraigned in Greenport Town Court and sent to the Columbia County Jail by Judge John J. Porreca without bail. Their arrest came one day after they broke into the Citgo gas station on Rigor Hill Road in Austerlitz by using a sledge hammer around 7:20 a.m. and stealing cigarettes, lottery
tickets and money from the ATM. A jury on Nov. 12 reached its verdict after four hours of deliberation. The pair are suspects in other burglaries in several states along the East Coast, according to the See BURGLARY A2
Heroic 911 dispatcher honored for saving man’s life By Bill Williams Columbia-Greene Media
PHILMONT — A Columbia County 911 dispatcher was honored Wednesday night for her role in saving the life of a heart attack victim in 2021. Robyn P. Sweet was presented with awards from the American Legion during the quarterly meeting of the Columbia County Volunteer Firefighter’s Association, which was held at the Philmont Firehouse. The incident that Sweet was honored for occurred on March 4, 2021, when Sweet answered a 911 call that involved a 62-year-old Chatham man who collapsed and was not breathing. Sweet worked quickly to enter the call into the computer-aided dispatch system and accessed the Cardiac Arrest chief complaint protocol to give the caller CPR instructions. Sweet asked the caller if there was an Automated External Defibrillator available and there was. She advised the caller to immediately retrieve the AED and then provided instructions on how to apply
and use the device. Sweet remained on the phone with the caller to coach him through CPR and to gather additional information and updates for responders. The patient was ultimately taken to a local hospital and survived. Were it not for Sweet’s prompt, professional work, the outcome may have been different, said Robert Lopez, director of Columbia County 911, who nominated Sweet for the award. “It’s an honor to have one of our own dispatchers selected for this statewide award. Robyn is very good at what she does. When the phone rings and someone is in crisis, Robyn can be counted on to do what needs to be done. She has made a difference in the lives of many,” said Kevin Johnson, Columbia County 911 chief dispatcher. Sweet is an active volunteer firefighter with the Greenport Fire Department and a 1999 graduate of Chatham High School. She attended college at SUNY Morrisville and studied Equine Sciences. She received her associate degree in Equine Business and Management. See HONORED A2
BILL WILLIAMS/COLUMBIA-GREENE MEDIA
Tom Burrell of the American Legion reads a proclamation for Columbia County 911 dispatcher Robyn Sweet, as she was honored by the organization on Wednesday night. Pictured (L-R) Jeff French, Burrell, Sweet, and Dana Petty of Columbia County 911.
Bird flu spread forces extension of fowl ban By Natasha Vaughn-Holdridge Columbia-Greene Media
ALBANY — New York has banned poultry auctions and fowl-related events to help stop the spread of avian flu. The state Department of Agriculture and Markets announced Thursday it has issued an order to ban all fowl auctions and other events for the purchase, sale, swap or trade of fowl in New York State to help prevent the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, in the state’s poultry population. The ban was issued by Commissioner Richard A. Ball because of the continuing spread of strains of HPAI in the United States. There have been eight detections in the state, which Department of Agriculture and Markets said has resulted in a
loss of more than 10,000 birds. The order expands on a previously issued directive to ban all live fowl shows and exhibitions in the state. The HPAI outbreak affects 26 states and is expanding nationwide, according to Department of Agriculture and Markets. “Avian influenza continues to be a growing and serious threat to all poultry and breeds of fowl in the United States, including New York.” Ball said in a statement Thursday. “This order is an important step to further limit the commingling of birds in our state, which will help to slow the spread of this disease, keep our birds healthy and safeguard our poultry industry. Common-sense steps like these are our best line of defense against this disease.”
See BIRD FLU A2
FILE PHOTO
Fowl on display at the Greene County Youth Fair. A bird flu outbreak could curb the presentation of birds at this year’s fair.
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The latest ban and the previous ban will remain in effect until further notice, according to the Department of Agriculture and Markets. The department said it will continue to monitor HPAI closely in New York and plans to reassess the ban in late May to determine whether it will remain in place through the summer. “At this point we have no idea,” Columbia County Fair Manager Angelo Nero said. “We’ve been told there is going to be a decision further on this later in the year. It would be an impact on us if they don’t open it back up. They said they are going to review it again, so we’re kind of waiting to see what the answer may be.”