The St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department seeks the public’s help identifying people who burglarized businesses in Madrid and Morley Tuesday night.

“It looks like it’s at least two individuals,” said Sheriff Kevin M. Wells. “We’re looking to curtail these burglaries before other businesses are hit.”

Mr. Wells said burglarized were Wayne’s Gas Station, Route 310, Madrid, and The Longbranch Restaurant, at County Routes 14 and 27, Morley.

The department is circulating surveillance photos separately showing two masked people inside the gas station near its front counter. The time signature on the images shows the photos were recorded slightly after 2 a.m. One photo can be viewed at www.watertowndailytimes.com.

Mr. Wells said items were stolen from both businesses, but did not place a value on them. He also declined to say how the suspects entered the buildings.

“We welcome anything we can get back from the public in regard to vehicle descriptions, who these subjects possibly are, any other information,” he said.

Mr. Wells asks that anyone with information call 379-2222. Tips may also be left at 1-800-287-3784.

A town of Henderson man pleaded guilty Friday in Jefferson County Court to a charge that he smashed a glass window at Car-Freshner Corp. in an attempt to enter the locked-down business in September.

Derek S. More, 24, of 17171 Fields Road, pleaded guilty to fourth-degree criminal mischief. He is expected to be sentenced Jan. 22 to time served at the Metro-Jefferson Public Safety Building and three years’ probation, according to a contemplated sentence outlined in court.

He admitted that he damaged a 36-inch heated glass door, two masonry urns and other items at Car-Freshner’s headquarters in the county Corporate Park on Sept. 22.

Mr. More was outside the building behaving suspiciously when he was asked to leave by an employee. He became agitated when denied permission to use a bathroom and tried to enter the business, prompting the activation of a security system that locked all of the building’ doors.

He then picked up a metal ash can and smashed it through the business’s front door. Mr. More indicated to Judge Kim H. Martusewicz Friday that he was “sleep-deprived” at the time of the incident.

An Antwerp man admitted Friday in Jefferson County Court that he used a hidden camera to spy on people in his bathroom.

Dennis J. Koerick Jr., 44, of 35558 Pulpit Rock Road, pleaded guilty to second-degree unlawful surveillance. He is expected to be sentenced Jan. 22 to probation supervision and be required to register with the state as a sexual offender.

He admitted that between Dec. 10 and Dec. 15 he installed a camera in his bathroom to watch people without their consent for the purpose of his own sexual arousal.

Officials from the Syracuse Veterans Administration Medical Center aimed to quell fear about a possible gap in health care for north country veterans during a contentious press conference this morning at the Dulles State Office Building in Watertown.

The Carthage hospital's current contract with the Syracuse VA hospital runs out Nov. 30. After the press conference, Carthage Area Hospital Administrator Walter Becker said no one from the Syracuse VA had yet contacted his company about continuing services at the clinic through Feb. 15. During the press conference, Mr. Becker railed against the decision by the Syracuse VA hospital to award to clinic contract to Valor Healthcare and questioned whether a legitimate process was followed in making the decision.

Mr. Cody said the Carthage hospital provided a high quality of care to veterans through the clinic, but that moving services to Watertown would increase access for veterans in the area.

James Cody, director of the Syracuse VA Medical Center, said “no care will be interrupted for any of the veterans of this area,” during the coming months as Valor Healthcare, Inc., prepares to open a VA clinic in Watertown that will replace a clinic currently operating at the Carthage hospital.

But Mr. Cody said no concrete plan was yet in place to ensure that health care services would continue during the transitional period.

“We're working on a game plan,” he said. “My assumption is that Carthage will be working with us during the transition.”

The Carthage hospital has been operating on a series of three-month contracts with the Syracuse VA hospital since 2006, Carthage hospital officials said during the press conference.

The Carthage Area Hospital was not successful in its bid for a new contract to operate the VA clinic, and that the contract was awarded instead to Valor Healthcare, Inc., which operates 17 similar VA outpatient clinics across the country. Valor's clinic will open at the CANI building, 19472 Route 11, in Watertown, Feb. 15.

P&C grocery stores throughout the north country are expected to close by February, according to a letter being distributed by its parent company, Penn Traffic Co., which filed for bankruptcy this week for the third time in the last decade.

The letter says that labor laws require the company to inform government officials of the pending closures in communities where the stores are located. P&C has stores in Canton, Potsdam, Massena, Ogdensburg, Gouverneur, Pamelia and Lowville. Canton and Gouverneur mayors said they received the letter this morning. Officials in other communities said they were still waiting to get the news.

“I had heard six or eight weeks ago that another large grocery store was interested in buying it. I hope it does. We need it," said Gouverneur Mayor Dorothy L. Vorce. "I feel so sorry for the people who have worked there all this time."

Penn Traffic in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing Wednesday said it plans to sell its stores and other assets.

See Saturday's Times for the complete story.

The Watertown City School District is seeking nominations for 2010 inductees into the district's Distinguished Alumni Hall of Achievement.

The Hall of Achievement is an initiative started by the district in 2001 to honor distinguished Watertown High School graduates, and to provide positive role models for current students. Nominations can be mailed to the district by using this form.

The Hall of Achievement has inducted 36 graduates in past years. Twenty candidates were inducted in 2001 and eight candidates were inducted in both 2003 and 2005.

Anyone can nominate a candidate for the Hall of Achievement, although self-nominations aren't permitted. Candidates must have graduated from Watertown High School at least 10 years ago.

The search committee encourages including materials such as letters of reference, resumes and newspaper clippings with the submission.

The district office must receive all nominations by 4 p.m. Jan. 25. The selected inductees will be announced in February.

Nancy Madsen, the Watertown Daily Times' business reporter, takes an early peek inside the new Arsenal Street Denny's. See her report here: