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Sheriff’s Report

The following information was provided by the Dutchess and Columbia County Sheriff’s Offices. All subjects  are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. They are to appear in a local court at a later date.

DWI saturation patrol

The Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office reports that deputy sheriffs made 15 impaired driving arrests over a five-day period, with five of those arrests being for felony related impaired driving charges. Those arrests were made over the St. Patrick’s Day Crackdown Period of Friday, March 14, through Tuesday, March 18. The majority of those arrests were made in conjunction with Dutchess County STOP-DWI and funded by a state grant they received for agencies within the county to put extra patrols for the sole purpose of locating impaired drivers with the remainder being made by the Sheriff’s Office road patrols.

The following are local arrests that were made:

Benjamin Sargent-Brown, 23, of Millbrook, was charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI) and a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08 percent or more, both D-felonies, after being stopped for several traffic violations on State Route 44 in the town of Pleasant Valley. The DWI charges are felonies since he had two prior DWI-related charges within the past 10 years. Sargent-Brown is to appear in the town of Pleasant Valley Court on Monday, March 31, at 5:30 p.m.

Hermelindo Morales, 35, of North East,  was charged with DWI and BAC .08 percent or more, both misdemeanors, subsequent to a traffic stop stemming from an erratic vehicle complaint on State Route 22 in the town of Amenia.

Child endangerment

Michael Fix Sr., 42, of Copake, was arrested at 9:21 a.m., Wednesday, March 12, and charged with endangering the welfare of a child (Class A misdemeanor) by Sergeant Andrew Broockmann. 

The incident occurred at a private residence in Copake. Fix was arraigned in Hillsdale Town Court and was released on his own recognizance. He was scheduled to appear in Copake Town Court on Monday, March 24.

Lakeville Journal

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DOVER PLAINS — Lelah M. Somers, 97, a longtime Dover Plains, New York, resident, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, at Ferncliff Nursing Home in Rhinebeck, New York. Lelah was born on July 3, 1929, in Pawling, New York, to the late Byron and Lelah (Watts) Brill. Lelah grew up in Pawling and on Nov. 22, 1946, in Pleasant Valley, New York, she married James F. Somers, Sr. Mr. Somers passed away on Sept. 3, 1970. Lelah worked for New York State as a therapy aide for thirty-years and as a senior companion for New York State for thirty-two-years, with specific care provided to the mentally disabled.

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