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More About The Peru Gazette

The editor is John Ryan at email: perugazette@gmail.com. The Peru Gazette is a free community, education and information website. It is non-commercial and does not accept paid advertising.

Comment Policy

The Peru Gazette welcomes comments on posted stories. The author MUST include his/her first and last name. No  foul or libelous language permitted. The Peru Gazette reserves the right to not publish a comment.

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Man tied to suspect in Vermont border patrol killing could face death penalty in California, prosecutor says

Click here for the VTDigger story 

Vermont Conversation: Facing ‘systematic abandonment’ by the Trump administration, Vermont refugees confront fear and uncertainty

Click here for the VTDigger story 

Recent rash of prison exposures prompt calls for action

NYSCOPBA and northern lawmakers condemn recent incidents at Upstate Correctional and other facilities

Click here for the Sun Community College story 

N.Y. makes higher ed more affordable

Hopes to strengthen workforce through community college tuition support

Click here for the Sun Community News story 

Learn more about Hamilson Solar on Feb 8 at the Peru Free Library

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8 – 10:30 A.M. – 1 P.M.

Join the Peru Free Library Community Learning Series. Interested in Community Solar? This is the event for you. Learn about the HamilSun solar farm right here in Peru. Bring your NYSEG bill to sign up at the library if you have a low to moderate income. Save up to 20% off your energy costs.

Clinton Community College Plans Move of Nursing, EMT Programs to UVM Health Network – CVPH

CCC News Release – Clinton Community College plans to relocate the educational space for its renowned nursing and EMT programs to The University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH) beginning with the Fall 2025 semester. The move is a unique opportunity to further develop the college’s leading nursing and emergency medical programs as it prepares for the August shift of the main campus and most of its other operations to buildings on Beekman and Court Streets at the SUNY Plattsburgh campus.
The new educational space for the college’s programs will help meet the growing demand for skilled nurses in the North Country, create a sustainable pipeline of qualified professionals to meet area needs, and offers Clinton Community College students an enhanced learning environment, positioning both institutions as pioneers in education-healthcare partnerships.
The nursing and EMT programs will remain fully the college’s own accredited programs, taught by Clinton faculty, with simply the physical relocation of these specific operations. Plans and details will be developed over the next few months with the college, hospital and network leaders, as well as other stakeholders. This process will finalize space and infrastructure needs.
Established Pathways
The new location will include simulation and nursing labs, classrooms, office space, testing areas and storage rooms for nursing and emergency medical programs. Workforce training and professional development space for CVPH staff and other partners will be planned around class and open lab times.
The two organizations have long collaborated on pathways to upskill CVPH employees and other area professionals, developing a robust pipeline of RNs. The new location will provide a consistent flow of graduates trained in the facility, building familiarity with culture, processes, and standards, reducing onboarding time and costs. It further adds to area workforce development, addressing the national and local nursing shortage by investing in the education of future healthcare professionals. It also fosters CVPH’s role as a cornerstone of the North Country, committed to education, health, and workforce development.
Clinton Community College will bring its equipment and high-quality simulation labs, combining this with access to real-world clinical environments that surpass what the college can offer independently. A hospital-based program is highly attractive to prospective students, offering a hands-on learning experience in a professional setting. Students gain practical experience in the hospital, making the transition from education to employment smoother and more effective.
Historical Roots

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Adirondack Regional Blood Donor Center Drives Offers Many Opportunities to Give

Blood collected by Donor Center supports regional hospitals 

PLATTSBURGH, NY (01/29/2025) –   The Adirondack Regional Blood Donor Center, a program of the University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH) in partnership with numerous community sponsors, has several blood drives open to the community planned this month.

Blood and blood products collected by the Donor Center meet the needs of CVPH patients, as well as patients at Alice Hyde Medical Center in Malone, Elizabethtown Community Hospital (including the Ticonderoga campus), Massena Memorial Hospital and Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake.  The following is the February schedule:

  • Monday, Feb. 3, Adirondack Medical Center’s Redfield Room, Saranac Lake,
    noon to 4 pm
  • Tuesday, Feb. 4, Essex County Department of Social Services, Elizabethtown,
    10 am to 2 pm
  • Thursday, Feb. 6, Beekmantown Fire Department, 4 to 7 pm
  • Friday, Feb. 7, Medisca, 626 Tom Miller Road, 1 to 4 pm
  • Monday, Feb 10, Willsboro Fire Department, 3 to 6 pm
  • Wednesday, Feb 12, Churubusco Fire Department, 4 to 7pm
  • Thursday, Feb. 13, Oak Street School, 1 to 4 pm
  • Friday, Feb. 1, Clinton County Government Center, 8:30 am to 12:30 pm
  • Monday, Feb. 17, St. Augustine Parish Center, Peru, 3 to 6:30 pm
  • Tuesday, Feb 18, BHSN, 2215 Route 22B, Morrisonville, 2 to 5 pm
  • Wednesday, Feb. 19, Bloomingdale Fire Department, 3:30 to 6:30 pm
  • Thursday, Feb. 20, Cumberland 12 Cinemas, 4 to 8 pm
  • Friday, Feb. 21, Burke Adult Center, 9 am to 1 pm
  • Monday, Feb. 24, West Chazy Fire Department, 4 to 7 pm
  • Tuesday, Feb. 25, Ellenburg Knights of Columbus at Holy Name Church, 4 to 7 pm. Held in memory of Ronnie Manor
  • Wednesday, Feb 26, Plattsburgh VA Clinic, 10 am to 2 pm
  • Thursday, Feb. 27, Champlain Valley Vascular, 11 Hammond Lane, 11 am to 3 pm

The Adirondack Regional Blood Center also welcomes donors to its Donor Center located at 85 Plaza Blvd. The Donor Center is open Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4 pm.  Walk-ins are welcome.

Blood donors must be at least 16 years old (16- and 17-year-old donors must have written parental/guardian consent), in generally good health, and weigh at least 110 lbs. Prior to donating, a screening questionnaire addressing personal medical, social, and travel history must be completed, and a donor card or another form of identification is also required. Donors must wait 56 days between donations.

Learn more about the Adirondack Regional Blood Center, giving blood and becoming a sponsor at UVMHealth.org/GiveBlood or call 518-562-7406.

Hawk in the Deli

On Jan. 7, a Sergeant with the Lewis County Sherriff’s Office contacted NYS Environmental Conservation Officer Kraeger to report a hawk trapped in a local grocery store’s deli in Lowville. Officer Kraeger responded to the store and observed employees guarding the entrance to the deli area. The manager advised the bird flew into the grocery store through the front entrance sliding door and ended up in the deli. ECO Kraeger located the hawk perched on a shelf in a storage area, safely captured it, and then released the bird a short distance from the store, where it flew off successfully.

Nearly 5 years after schools closed, the nation gets a new report card

Click here for the NCPR story 

Prison in Malone on lockdown after two incidents that hospitalized 25 staff

Click here for the NCPR story 

Wastewater Treatment Plant pre-bid meeting held this morning

Peru, NY January 29, 2025— Several contractors (local, downstate, and VT.) attended the Wastewater Treatment Plant pre-bid meeting this morning at the Peru Town Hall. AES Northeast, the town’s contracted engineering firm, filled them in on the contract details and responded to questions. The regulations contractors are required to follow are mind-boggling. None of them seemed phased. Bids must arrive at the town hall no later than February 25 at 10 a.m.

Six people, including a family of five, killed in Massena fire

Click here for the NCPR story 

Saranac Lake Winter Carnival on tap for Jan. 31-Feb. 9

Click here for the Adirondack Almanac story 

All the executive orders Trump has signed after 1 week in office

Click here for the NCPR story 

What a 25% tariff on Canadian goods would mean in the North Country

Click here for the NCPR story 

Direct File helps New Yorkers file taxes easily

More are eligible for free program this year

Click here for the Sun Community News story 

Border agent shooting suspect makes initial appearance in front of Burlington judge

“The guns recovered from the scene of the shooting were purchased from an individual who is allegedly a resident of Orleans, Vermont.”

Click here for the MYNBC5 story 

CVPH Peru Blood Drive, Monday, Feb. 17

Peru – CVPH Donor Center Blood Brive, Monday, February 17, from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., at St. Augustine’s Parish Center, 3030 Main St. in Peru. St. Augustine’s Knights of Columbus Council 7273 is coordinating the drive.

Peru mourns Geoff Spear’s passing

Peru Town Board January 27, 2025 Meeting Summary 

By John T Ryan

Youth Director Kristen Marino suggested a moment of silence, saying, “We have a heavy heart that one of our staunchest supporters, Geoff Spear, passed away yesterday.” Marino said Spear helped at Applefest, with the Youth Commission’s summer program, and at camp. She added, “His entire family pitches in as well.” (See the 36:18 minute mark in the accompanying video)

In her report, Marino said two to five basketball games are held at Peru Central on Saturdays beginning at 8 a.m. All is going well, and the custodial staff is very cooperative. Finney Sports is giving the town reasonable apparel prices and the Youth Commission website is up and running.

AES Northeast Engineer Nathan Bull reported that good local and out-of-town contractors are interested in the wastewater treatment plant upgrade project. Two permits are outstanding; however, Bull expects them to be received within a week. The bid opening is scheduled for February 25 at 10 a.m. Bull said he’ll meet with Town Supervisor Craig Randall to discuss project funding.

Supervisor Craig Randall stated that engineers report no schedule changes in the Telegraph Road bridge replacement project. The town plans to advertise for bids on August 15, 2025. Highway Superintendent Michael Farrell forwarded a 144-page Army Corp. – DEC document to our engineers for review.

The board approved its 2025 contracts with the Peru Free Library, Peru JCEO Outreach, and Essex County. The town budgets $80,000 annually for the library, pays JCEO $15,811 twice a year for its services, and plows Terry’s Mountain’s parking lot for $70 per visit.

Eagles Nest Veterinarian Services will continue providing dangerous dog services to the town at a $500 annual flat rate.

The board approved the Highway Department’s purchase of a 2025 Chevrolet pickup truck with a plow-equipped, state-contracted price of $70,632. Joe Basil Chevrolet of Buffalo was the low bidder. 

The board tabled a resolution to purchase a new pickup for the Water-Sewer-Parks Department pending the determination of the payment source.

A sewer department employee will attend a two-day training program for grinder truck repair in Clifton Park.

The board tabled a Verizon request to support an undefined issue pending more information.

The town received a $211,640.78 Clinton County sales tax revenue check. Supervisor Randall will ask the County if it will send more checks this year. The board budgeted $326,466 in 2025 sales tax revenue.

Courtney Tetreault reported that the Sullivan Park ice rink is in good shape, and people are using it. 

Supervisor Craig Randall thanked confidential secretary Pam Barber for working through the recent payroll system platform change. Although it came at the end of the year, when she was busy with many reports, Barber worked through the challenge successfully.

The board adjourned to the Executive Session at 6:45 p.m. to discuss personnel issues. 

25.01.27 Regular Meeting Minutes. Added 1/12/25

Suspension of federal funding hits Vermont refugee resettlement agencies and dozens of new arrivals

“Our 40-year history has shown the remarkable compassion of Americans towards those who stood alongside US troops, escaped violent conflicts, and those seeking hope and freedom,” Joe Wiah, executive director of the council

Click here for the VTDigger story 

Suspects in killings of Vermont border patrol agent and California man connected by marriage license, extreme ideology

Click here for the VTDigger story 

‘I had to shut down’: Student who endured persistent racism at Woodstock school wins settlement against district, supervisory union

“He was called the N-word. His head was compared to a chimpanzee’s skull. A banana was waved at him with comments about him looking like he needed it.”

Click here for the VTDigger story 

Community mourns the loss of distinguished college coach and father – Geoffrey Spear

“His love for the game of soccer and deep dedication to our student-athletes was evident in everything he did.”

Click here for the Sun Community News story 

Chateaugay woman sentenced to prison for local drug crimes

Sarah Beamon was found with 2+ ounces of meth, cocaine and a weapon

Click here for the Sun Community News story 

Mom admits assaulting Syracuse teacher, will get prison time

She posed as a student and attacked a teacher in front of students

Click here for the Syracuse.com story