The city of Plattsburgh has had a revolving cast of characters running its police department over the last several years. One chief resigned in 2021 after being placed on administrative leave. A former Warren County sheriff served as interim leader for more than a year. And the department's most recent chief retired in September after just nine months on the job.
Well, there's a new police chief now, and he faces allegations that he didn't properly investigate several serious cases as a lieutenant. Some city residents are unhappy with the appointment. That's today's story of the day. Support for Story of the Day comes from Pearsall Wealth Management at UBS Wealth Management USA. Subsidiary UBS HR. Member FINRA SIPC, 1 Broad Street, Glens Falls. Hey, I'm David Summerstein. It's Thursday, May 22nd. First up.
New York is disproportionately affected by President Donald Trump's so-called Big Beautiful Bill that House GOP members passed in the early morning hours today. That's according to the Executive Director of the New York State Association of Counties, Steve Aquario.
Aquario says the proposed cuts to Medicaid will raise costs for that program and for child health insurance programs. Eligibility changes in Medicaid could increase the uninsured by 500,000 in just a few years by 2029 and by another 1 million. annually thereafter when additional work requirements begin. The Association of Counties made a direct plea to New York GOP lawmakers to reject the bill, but they voted in favor of it.
North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik said proudly in a statement she was the, quote, deciding vote for the bill's passage. Aquario says the proposed cuts will destabilize New York's current health care system. The bill now heads to the Senate. The Wild Center in Tupper Lake has raised enough money to keep employing its AmeriCorps members. The Trump administration cut funding for AmeriCorps programs across the country in late April.
The Adirondack Explorer reports the Wild Center was able to raise $72,000 with an anonymous donor contributing half. That'll allow all eight AmeriCorps members to work through August 8th, the original end date of their program. The members work with more than a dozen community programs in the Tupper Lake area. They include school, the library, and the town's recreation department. The Wild Center continues to fundraise to try and sustain the program.
The Chancellor of the State University of New York delivered his annual address yesterday. As Jung Yoon Han of the New York Public News Network reports, John King addressed federal threats to higher education. King used the State of the University address to say he's committed to defending research projects. and DEI initiatives in the face of possible federal funding cuts. geography and race. religion and income.
Politics. and nationality. President Donald Trump, however, says universities are spreading quote radical left ideology through certain courses and DEI initiatives. While King never mentioned Trump by name in his speech, he later told reporters that he's concerned by the administration's orders to cut funding at other institutions. Why would you undermine what is one of the most important assets for making America stronger, healthier, and more economically successful?
$700 million in federal funding for its research. Some SUNY schools have already lost some of those grants but are backfilling the funding through state and university programs. In Albany, I'm Jung Yoon Han for the New York Public News Network. Voters approved the vast majority of North Country School District budgets Tuesday. That included the Watertown District's almost $104 million spending plan.
Local child care providers had urged residents to vote it down. That's because instead of increasing their rates for providing pre-K, the school district included funding to open its own in-house pre-K classrooms. The providers are concerned they'll lose staff to the district because it can pay more. Voters in the Keene School District rejected a $9 million budget. Due to the size of the tax levy increase, it required a 60% supermajority to pass, but failed to do so.
The Adirondack Daily Enterprise reports a revote on a reduced budget will take place June 17th. Superintendent Dan Maybury says equipment and potential increased employment benefits could be cut from the spending plan. Plattsburgh City Council installed a new chief of police last Thursday. It's fourth in five years. As Kara Chapman reports, he was a controversial pick that divided some local residents. The Plattsburgh City Council voted 5-1 to confirm Lieutenant Jared Trombley as police chief.
Speaking with media after the vote, Trombley said he felt proud and humbled. To be able to lead this department to better serve this community, get back to community policing, get back to principal policing, and really start being focused and purposeful in what we're doing. Trombley's been with the police department for the last 20 years, but last fall he was accused of improperly using his city vehicle and cell phone and not fully investigating more than a dozen serious cases.
In lieu of disciplinary charges, he signed a settlement agreement and briefly retired. Mayor Wendell Hughes reinstated him when he took office in January. Trombley has effectively led the department since. Trompley's past came up during a heated public comment period ahead of his confirmation last week. April Wood presented each of the counselors with a 65-page packet of documents that included the allegations against him. It's telling of how deeply the public trust was harmed.
As Wood laid out the contents of her packet, Hughes warned her when she'd cite Trombley's name, saying that violated the meeting's rules. After three warnings, he asked her to leave the podium. You were asked, I've asked you twice. You know what the problem is? You don't like what I have to say about your candidate. I've heard what you've had to say. Wood refused to leave the podium, and Hughes had a police officer escort her out of the council chamber.
President Joan Jansen also expressed opposition to appointing Trombley. Perhaps the worst part about appointing such a terribly flawed candidate is the message that you send to the officers who will work under this charge. without an irreproachable chief of police. How can we hold the staff? The city launched an investigation into the allegations against Trompley and other city officials in February. The findings have yet to be made public.
Jim Votra, who lives in the city's fourth ward, urged the council to share the findings of that probe before appointing a new chief of police. We need to see the facts that we paid to find out about. But others in the community said it was time for a new chief. Denise's nephew said Trombley's been accessible over the years and she's already seen a difference under his leadership. We need somebody we can relate to, talk to, that emails me back, that calls me back.
former mayor jack stewart also encouraged the counselors to move forward you can't run a department the size of the police department with no chief you have to have and i gotta give the mayor the credit Because he did it! And he stepped forward and bit the bullet. Current Mayor Wendell Hughes told reporters after the meeting that it's a new day for city police. Regarding the investigation, he said the council was given an overview ahead of the vote. We don't have an actual report.
but I've had communication and we're very fluent with what... going to be on it. Trombley similarly said he wasn't concerned about what will be in the report. It will stand on its own. I look forward to the future. I look forward to leading a very good department, and I love this community. The council also appointed Joel Vassar as the department's new captain. Both he and Trompley started their new roles Friday.
Kara Chapman, North Country Public Radio. We have more news all the time on our website, ncpr.org. Music today by Christopher Watts of Canton and Roan Yellowthorn of Plattsburgh. I'm David Summerstein, North Country Public Radio.