Oswego County TodayNewsFREE Independent News for Oswego County

BREAKING: Maxwell Trial Goes To Jury

August 8, 2009 Contributor

UPDATE, 8:20 PM: The jury is having read to them for a second time the rules regarding whata constitutes endangering the welfare of a child.

They’re going back in to continue deliberating.

5:30 PM SATURDAY: The fate of Lynn and Lindsey Maxwell is in the care of a jury in the town ofÃ‚Â Palermo at this hour.

Lawyers for both sides summed up their cases Saturday afternoon.Ã‚Â Town Justice Robert Wood instructed the six person jury on the law and sent them off to make their decision at about 5:15p.m. Saturday.

The Maxwells are accused of endangering the welfare of their 11 year old daughter, Erin, last August.Ã‚Â Erin died in what police claim is a sexual assault and murder at the hands of stepbrother Alan Jones,Ã‚Â The Maxwells are not charged with her death, but instead with providing living conditions that endangered her welfare.Ã‚Â Each is charged with four misdemeanors,Ã‚Â for which the maximum punishment is 1 year in jail.

[…]

Maxwell’s Son: My Statement To Police Was Inaccurate

August 8, 2009 Contributor

Bryan Belrad said his statements to police about the death of stepsister Erin Maxwell and the conditions in her home were inaccurate.

Belrad’s claim is nearly identical to the claim of Lynn Maxwell.Ã‚Â Both said there were things in the statements given to police that were not true or were exaggerations.

[…]

Do This Tonight: Jazz Fest Returns

August 7, 2009 Contributor

It’s been a few years, but an old friend is back in town.

Fulton’s Jazz Fest opens tonight, renewing the festival that ran for years in downtown Fulton.Ã‚Â The event has a new home — behind the War Memorial.Ã‚Â Bring your own lawn chairs to enjoy two days of great music.

Below is tonight’s prime time entertainment, The Critics honr section with the Cortini Brothers rhythm section, seen here at Fulton’s Rock The Block event.

The full schedule:

Friday:
5:30 p.m.: The Do Good Swing Band
8:00 p.m.: The Critics with the Cortini Bros.

Saturday:
3:00 p.m.: Melvin Sparks
6:00 p.m.: Nancy Kelly
8:00 p.m.: Classified

Can’t make Jazz Fest?Ã‚Â How about the Fort Ontario Festival of the Arts on Saturday in Oswego or the annual Minetto Canal Splash fun canoe and kayak race at the Magic in Minetto festival.

Hey, do ’em all!

[…]

Scene Around Town: A Waterspout In Oswego

August 7, 2009 Contributor

Friend of the publication Tim Nekritz took the photo below Thursday morning in Oswego.Ã‚Â In the center of the photo you can see the beginnings of a waterspout poking down from the clouds, stretching towards the lake.

A waterspout is, essentially, a water tornado.

Read the whole story to get a visual explanation of what waterspouts are.

[…]

McHugh’s Nomination On Hold; Conservatives Pick A Candidate Today

August 7, 2009 Contributor

Both of Kansas’s US Senators say they’ve put a hold on McHugh’s nomination and 9 others because they want their state’s military prison taken off the list of prisons to be used to house prisoners moved from the military detention camp at Guantanamo Bay when it closes next year.

[…]

Oswego County Plans Aerial Spraying Saturday Evening

August 7, 2009 Contributor

Dr. Dennis Norfleet, Public Health Director of the Oswego County Health Department, said that 11 pools of mosquitoes in the Toad Harbor Swamp area have tested positive for Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), a rare but serious virus that is spread by infected mosquitoes, since early July.

[…]

Maxwell: Police Made Errors In Drafting My Statements

August 7, 2009 Contributor

Maxwell was pressed about the statements she gave to police on August 30, the day after Erin died, and on September 11.

Maxwell has said in court that Erin “could have pushed on the hinge side of the door and it would have come right off.”Ã‚Â Prosecutor Mark Moody asked her why that wasn’t in the statement she gave to police, which she reviewed and then signed.

[…]

Oswego Teachers Return To ‘Class’

August 7, 2009 Steve Yablonski

More than four dozen teachers, from a variety of subjects, became students for four days this week. They took part in the Summer Writing Institute at Sheldon Hall. Guest speaker for the opening day was local award-winning author Laurie Halse Anderson.

[…]

Maxwell Trial Updates: Thursday

August 6, 2009 Contributor

REFRESH YOUR BROWSER OCCASIONALLY FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION

UPDATE 1:Ã‚Â Lynn Maxwell remains on the stand, under cross examination from Assistant DA Mark Moody.

Few points made so far:

Maxwell believes her statements to police contained several errors.Ã‚Â Moody asked her whether she read the statements before she signed them, and thenÃ‚Â signed them.Ã‚Â Yes, she said, but there were sitll errors.
Only a few cats had fleas in the home, she said.Ã‚Â Others have testified that they were covered in fleas after entering the Maxwell home.

A brief recess, then the testimony continues.

[…]

Volney Voters Approve Water District Extension

August 6, 2009 Contributor

Voters in Volney threw a shutout this week. They voted 29-0 to approve a new extension to the town’s water district.

The extension covers part of State Route 176 and a section of County Route 45. 67 property owners were eligible to vote, according to town clerk Barbara MacEwen.

[…]