Livingston Manor residents arrested for burglary 

LIVINGSTON MANOR, NY — On March 3, New York State Police arrested Amanda L. Mead, 40, Robert Mead, 38, and Erin P. Smith, 38, all from Livingston Manor, but listing their current living situation as “homeless.” All three subjects were charged with burglary. Amanda Mead was in possession of a needle containing heroin and was additionally charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance.

The arrests were made as the result of a two-day investigation conducted by state police. A local resident reported a burglary of their unoccupied residence in the Town of Rockland. All three subjects are suspected of entering the residence, spending the night inside and removing several items from within. Several witnesses were located and interviewed by the troopers assigned to the Roscoe Satellite Station. Liberty Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Uniform patrols were able to locate and take all three subjects into custody.

Catskill Brewery wins award

LIVINGSTON MANOR, NY — Catskill Brewery has won gold for its Wild Ale, Freak Tractor, in the Belgian Farmhouse category. The NY State Craft Beer Competition has become one of the most prestigious for New York brewers.

Freak Tractor is a classic Belgian table beer, a light-amber color and what the brewer calls, “a unique rustic aroma and complex fruit-forward flavor that is derived from the esters produced by the yeast in fermentation.”

“The beer is extremely versatile. It is delicious on its own, but this beer soars when paired with food. It’s great with exotic foods, elegant fair, or with a pizza.” said Greg Lofaro, the director of operations at Catskill Brewery. “Besides our Ball Lightning Pilsner, it’s probably the most universal food beer we have in the lineup.”

Freak Tractor is made with a specific type of yeast called Brettanomyces. “Brettanomyces yeast is a wonder,” brewer Mike McQuiston said. “It was originally cultured from the skins of harvested fruits and is a very sturdy strain. It imparts such a great variety of flavor notes including a distinct funky quality that, when put in balance with the other flavors, it generates will give a profile that is very unique. We are proud of the beer and are very gratified to see it get the recognition we think it deserves.”

New PA legislation regarding student sexual assault

HARRISBURG, PA — Sen. Scott Martin (R-13) will introduce a bill soon that would mandate the expulsion of any student who is convicted or adjudicated delinquent of sexual assault against a student in the same K-12 school district, at the victim’s request.

The legislation is being introduced in response to a situation in one of the school districts Martin represents, in which a young woman was raped by her classmate. The assailant was charged and adjudicated for the crime, but when he returned from his sentence, the victim had to attend school with her attacker on a daily basis.

“No victim should have to face the choice between attending school with their attacker or transferring to a different school district in order to avoid contact,” Martin said. “Survivors of sexual assault often rely on their friends at school as a source of support when they are recovering from an assault. It is completely unfair for them to face the prospect of having to change schools and lose that critical source of support just to avoid attending school with the person who sexually victimized them.”

Martin’s bill would empower sexual assault survivors by having their abuser expelled upon request.

PA term limits proposed

HARRISBURG, PA — Freshman Republican state lawmakers representatives Andrew Lewis and Mike Jones on March 12 unveiled their proposal to enact term limits for members of the state House and Senate.

The measure seeks to amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to limit a member of the General Assembly to 12 consecutive years of service in each chamber. That equates to six consecutive two-year terms for House members and three consecutive four-year terms for senators.

“It is such an honor to have been elected to the state House, and we most certainly recognize and appreciate the hard work and dedication of our fellow lawmakers who have served and continue to serve our Commonwealth so well,” the lawmakers said. “However, we respectfully believe the time has come for Pennsylvania to begin a thoughtful and phased transition to a term-limited legislature.

“We think our proposal strikes the right balance between the desire to bring new voices to serve in government and the need to preserve institutional knowledge that ensures effective operation of the General Assembly,” they added.