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BREAKING NEWS

ERIC MASSA SAYS HE WILL RESIGN ON MONDAY; ETHICS PROBE SHARPENS

Friday midafternoon, Congressman Eric Massa followed up an announcement that he "would not run for a second term" - which attracted widespread skepticism - with the bombshell pronouncement that he would resign on Monday. Massa spent five years running for his Congressional seat, including an earlier unsuccessful bid in which he was narrowly defeated by incumbent Republican Randy Kuhl (R, Hammondsport.) Massa served less than a year. The hasty resignation decision was sparked by a rapidly-unfolding scandal involving sexual advances allegedly made on a male staffer. (SEE, earlier related story.)

CONGRESSMAN ERIC MASSA, CLAIMING CANCER CONCERNS FORCED DECISION, SAYS HE WILL NOT RUN

Freshman Congressman Eric Massa (D, Corning) spent over four years running for office and was elected less than a year ago - but it appears his Washington career is already over. Massa, a cancer survivor, said he has suffered a third recurrence of the disease and will not run for re-election. He made the announcement in a teleconference Wednesday afternoon. However, the political website Politico.com pointed to another possible reason for Massa's withdrawal: a Congressional oversight probe into allegations Massa sexually harassed a male staffer. Massa told reporters he was not aware of the sex accusations.

WYSL MORNING HOST OF REP. LOUISE SLAUGHTER: "I'LL BUY YOUR CONSTITUENT'S DENTURES"

Jim Quinn - nationally syndicated talk host of "America's Morning Show," Quinn & Rose (M-F 6 to 9am on WYSL 1040 and 92.1FM) issued an on-air challenge to Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D, Fairport) on Wednesday's show. Quinn offered to buy dentures for one of Slaughter's constituents who claimed that, because of a lack of health insurance, she was forced to wear her recently-deceased sister's false teeth. Slaughter attracted widespread skepticism - not to say merriment - with a broadcast claim that she had received a letter from a female constituent making the frankly dubious claim, which Slaughter apparently accepted wholesale without confirmation. The influential Democrat Congresswoman is in the vanguard of a frantic push by the Obama White House to enact government takeover of US health care using a highly controversial budget parliamentary procedure and was citing the "denture tale" to bolster her argument. Observers have pointed out that even under "Obamacare" dentures would not be covered. There was no response from Congresswoman Slaughter.

VICTOR HIGH SCHOOL ART TEACHER GUILTY IN SEX CASE

The trial of veteran Victor High art teacher Ronald Bartlett ended Thursday with a conviction on one count of forcible touching and one of child endangerment. He was acquitted of a second forcible touching count and a far more serious one of sexual abuse. Bartlett's accuser was a 16-year old girl who was one of his students. The victim - whose ID is not being released by media - spent 5 hours testifying on the stand Tuesday, relating how Bartlett grabbed her thigh on one occasion and pressed his body against hers while advising her in the school's photo darkroom. But the most dramatic testimony thus far came from Bartlett's colleagues on the VHS staff. HR Director Michael DeMott claimed Bartlett came to him distraught, admitting he had touched the girl on the thigh and remarking, "it was almost like I was insane." Also conflicting testimony came from other teachers who claim Bartlett had related escalating desires towards the teen girl which culminated in Bartlett's rubbing his body against hers in the darkroom. Bartlett allegedly texted another art teacher "I went insane....it's really bad. Like 'fired' bad. It's like hate me forever bad." Bartlett has been on paid administrative leave since June; sources report the District will discharge him. He faces a possible year in jail at his April sentencing; no decision had been made as of the weekend as to whether Bartlett would appeal.

STORM CLOUDS GATHER FOR GOVERNOR PATERSON AS STATE WOMEN'S ORGANIZATION CALLS FOR RESIGNATION

Governor David Paterson career as skipper of one of America's largest states appeared in further peril at midweek only days after he announced he would scuttle an election bid for a full term. Pressure is mounting on Paterson in the midst of a mounting scandal involving his top aide, David Johnson, who was accused in a domestic violence complaint from his girlfriend. Johnson's friend, another State employee, accused him of ripping a Halloween costume off her he felt was too risque', throwing her against a mirror and striking her. Paterson allegedly contacted the woman and asked her to drop charges against Johnson, which she later did, according to reports (see related story re: New York State Police.)

SUPERINTENDENT OF NEW YORK STATE POLICE RETIRES IN WAKE OF PATERSON-JOHNSON SCANDAL

In a story related to Paterson's political troubles (see, this website) longtime New York State Police Superintendent Harry Corbitt has abruptly retired. One of the allegations made by David Johnson's girlfriend as part of her domestic abuse account was that she was harrassed and pressured by Troopers to drop her charge against Johnson. Corbitt reportedly admitted that the woman had been contacted by staff. That led to an earlier resignation by Paterson's communications officer who oversaw State Police, one Denise O'Donnell from Buffalo.

CITY MAN ENTERS NOT-GUILTY PLEA TO SECOND DEGREE MURDER IN FATAL STABBING OF MOM OF FOUR

Carl Nelson of Rochester entered a not guilty plea in Monroe County Court to the fatal multiple stabbing of Sherie Wilson, whose body was discovered stuffed in a garbage bag in a drainage ditch on I-490 in Chili last week. Prosecutors say that Nelson killed Wilson in a jealous rage over another man.

BAD-BOY COP-TURNED-CONVICT COPS PLEA TO SECOND SEX-ABUSE CASE; WILL DO NO ADDITIONAL TIME

Ex-Greece cop Gary Pignato, serving a four-year sentence for pressuring a vulnerable female on probation to have sex with him to avoid arrest on a petty charge, agreed to a plea deal. Pignato had been arrested on a similar charge involving a woman who said he barged into her apartment without a warrant and threatened to arrest her on pot possession if she refused his advances. Pignato was sentenced to one year on each of two counts, official misconduct and criminal trespass, and will serve those sentences concurrently with his current term. He's eligible for parole in 2011.

WAYLAND MAN ARRESTED, JAILED ON ACCUSATION OF "SEXTING" 15 YEAR OLD LIVINGSTON GIRL

Donald LaClair, 30, of Wayland, Steuben County, is in the Livingston lockup in lieu of bail after allegedly sending explicit text messages and pictures to a 15 year old girl. He was arraigned in Groveland Town Court on a charge of disseminating indecent material to a minor. Deputies say additional charges are pending.

7 YEAR OLD KILLED IN HEARTBREAKING MURDER-SUICIDE; POLICE SAY KILLER WAS HIS DAD

Calling hours are this week with a funeral set for this weekend in the death of 7-year old Hunter Resch, reportedly at the hands of his distraught father, Mark Resch. Resch, despondent over recent job loss and repossession of his car, had recently been served with a divorce complaint including an order of protection against his wife Susan. She told investigators that she received a call from Resch, who had been battling alcohol problems and had sought counseling, advising her that he was going to shoot his boy during visitation and that she would never make it to Resch's house soon enough to intervene. The, say police, Resch shot Hunter as he lay on the sofa watching TV - then turned the weapon on himself. Counselors were posted at Hunter's school, Paddy Hill Elementary in Greece, to help parents help their children deal with the tragedy even though the school is closed during break week.

"HOME-ALONE" MOM CONVICTED OF CRIMINALLY NEGLIGENT HOMICIDE, CHILD ENDANGERMENT IN FIRE THAT KILLED 3-YEAR OLD

Nicole Allen, 22, was convicted after 5 1/2 hours of jury deliberations of criminally negligent homicide and child endangerment for a fire that killed her 3-year old Kamari and gravely injured 18 month old Dayveion and 2 month old Natalya. Allen left the three young children alone in a Second Street house owned by her mother, while she walked over a mile to a convenience store to buy beer. Not only that, the three youngsters were left alone with a meal cooking on a gas stove in the next room. The house erupted in flames while Allen was away. She was acquitted of the more serious charge of manslaughter and faces was sentenced to the maximum term of 1 1/3 to 4 years in jail.

MACEDON WOMAN FACES DRIVING UNDER INFLUENCE OF DRUGS WITH A CHILD IN THE CAR; NOW A FELONY IN NEW YORK

Tracy Turner of Macedon is in the Wayne County lockup, arrested on driving while ability impaired by drugs, and police say she could face a felony charge. New York's new "Leandra's Law" effective the first of January mandates a felony in cases where a drunk or high driver has a child in the car. Turner's car plowed into a concrete abutment off Route 31F last week; the 6 year old girl on board was not injured.

FARMINGTON WOMAN CHARGED IN "MARAGARITA MURDER" OF LIVE-IN BOYFRIEND

Cynthia Galens, 51, was arraigned in Farmington Town Court on a murder charge. She's suspected in the poisoning death of live-in boyfriend Thomas Stack last October. An autopsy on Stack's body concluded that he had died of acute ethylene glycol poisoning; that's the main ingredient in lethal automotive antifreeze. Police claim that Galens killed Stack, who suffered from alcoholism and depression, and then confessed to an unnamed source over the holidays while in Florida. That person called police, leading to Galens' arrest.

GREECE MAN TO BE PROSECUTED FOR D-W-I IN FIRST "LEANDRA'S LAW" CASE IN REGION

Effective the first of the year, "Leandra's Law" makes it a felony to drive drunk with a child in the car - and it didn't take long for Monroe County to have a case governed by the provision. Thomas Richardson has been arrested after allegedly driving drunk with a 15 year old girl on his lap, those circumstances somewhat remarkably suspicious on their own. Greece police say Richardson refused to pull over, leading an officer on a brief slow-speed chase to his driveway. He faces felony DWI, harassment, resisting arrest and child endangerment.

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