Tessa Bentulan

Sources: sexual harassment complaint filed against HVCC president Video Player is loading. This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color Transparency Background Color Transparency Window Color Transparency Font Size Text Edge Style Font Family End of dialog window. Sources tell me that complaint was filed by a school employee. Sources tell 13Investigates that a sexual harassment claim against the president of Hudson Valley Community College has been filed with the college's human resources office. Sources say the claim was filed against President Roger Ramsammy by a school employee. Because of this information, 13Investigates' Tessa Bentulan reached out to HVCC for comment on Monday, May 13. Neil Kelleher, chairman of the college's board of trustees, gave a statement: “The college's human resources office recently received an employee complaint, and an independent investigation was immediately initiated, per established protocol. The college respects the confidential nature of that investigation, and the board of trustees is committed to ensuring a prompt, yet thorough process.” In that same email, Tessa was told to reach out to President Ramsammy's personal lawyer, Kevin Luibrand. Luibrand wrote: “Dr. Roger Ramsammy has dedicated himself to elevating Hudson Valley Community College both locally and globally during the past six years. He has always, without exception, conducted himself professionally and respectfully with all employees at all times. Any allegation otherwise is completely baseless and without merit. Untruthful claims will be addressed within the context of the established college human resources process.” Sources tell 13Investigates that the HVCC employee who filed the sexual harassment claim against the president is not on campus while the investigation continues. The I-Team filed a public records request for a copy of the complaint against President Ramsammy. The college said it will grant or deny the request within 20 days. 13Investigates continues to look into this story and will continue to report on it as more details are confirmed.

FIRST ON 13: teen daughter allegedly set home on fire while her dad was inside Video Player is loading. This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color Transparency Background Color Transparency Window Color Transparency Font Size Text Edge Style Font Family End of dialog window. Advertisement The 15-year-old daughter lived in the home and set it on fire intentionally. The teen has been charged with murder and arson. New details in the case of a man who died inside his own home, during what police say was an intentionally set fire. The suspect is a teenager charged with murder. Felony complaints and an arraignment memorandum state the victim, Edmund Metz, 58 , and the 15-year-old suspect are father and daughter. The Deputy Chief Clerk for Columbia County Courts mentioned Metz and the suspect lived together in the home in Livingston. NewsChannel 13 is choosing not to report the suspect's name, as she is a minor. The teenager is charged with second-degree murder and arson after New York State Police say she intentionally set the home on fire while Metz was stuck inside. The home is at the corner of Cold Spring Rd and Route 9. The Livingston Fire Department got the call for a fire around 1:15 p.m. last Friday, June 7. It was put out quickly. The home set on fire was a rental property behind the main residence. NewsChannel 13 was told, on scene, by the people who live at the main residence that Metz had lived there for 14 years and they had a good relationship with him.

Mother describes daughter she lost to Waterford car crash Video Player is loading. This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color Transparency Background Color Transparency Window Color Transparency Font Size Text Edge Style Font Family End of dialog window. 14-year-old, Kiera Ebert was in the passenger seat when the car she was in rolled over in waterford June 29. NewsChannel 13 is learning new details about the teenager who was killed in a terrible car accident on Saturday, June 29 in Waterford. Family says Kiera Ebert, 14, was in the backseat of the white Dodge Charger that rolled over on Fonda Rd around 8:45 pm. Her mother, Cherie Moss Ebert sent a statement: “She will be missed greatly by so many. She was such a loving, kindhearted child. She was very outgoing and loved her family and friends so deeply. She would do whatever she could to help anyone. She loved her sports and hanging out with her siblings, nieces and nephews, and friends the most. She was known and loved by so many for her huge heart.” Ebert's older brother, 16, was also a passenger in the car. He is in Albany Med recovering from his injuries and is expected to be OK. The Family tells us the brother held Ebert until she died. Ebert was supposed to celebrate her birthday next month on August 8. She would have turned 15. Between funeral costs and hospital bills, the family has set up a GoFundMe page with a goal of $6,000. The family writes on the page, “The act of leaving your home and returning safely is an underrated blessing that many take for granted. On June 29th, Kiera Ebert – 14 years young, tragically lost her life. Her energy was continuous and she had a lot of life left to live.” Video Player is loading. This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color Transparency Background Color Transparency Window Color Transparency Font Size Text Edge Style Font Family End of dialog window. 18-year-old Everhett Hatlee was charged with reckless driving and two counts of vehicular manslaughter. Two teenage passengers were in his car when he crashed. One of them died on scene. Not many details are being released about the cause of the accident because it's still under investigation. However, police say speeding was certainly a factor. The speed limit is 45 mph in the area of the crash. The driver of the car is Everhett Hatlee, 18. He is facing a handful of charges including two counts of vehicular manslaughter, aggravated DWI with a child less than 16, operating a motor vehicle impaired by drugs, reckless driving, and more. Court documents tell us Hatlee was smoking marijuana before the crash. It also states he smelled like marijuana; his eyes were foggy, he couldn't talk properly, and he failed three of five roadside tests: a walk and turn, a balance test and the finger-to-nose test. Hatlee was friends with both passengers, and all went to school together at the Lansingburgh Central School District. Even though the school year ended last week, its crisis response team wants to address the impact it will have on the school community. They are offering drop-in hours with counseling staff at Lansingburgh High School tomorrow for all students from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Virtual counseling was also available until six o'clock on Monday.

Experienced pilot explains what could have caused Colonie plane crash Video Player is loading. This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color Transparency Background Color Transparency Window Color Transparency Font Size Text Edge Style Font Family End of dialog window. An experienced pilot and flight instructor believes it start with the seat. NewsChannel 13 wanted to get a better understanding of the crash after the National Transportation Safety Board said there was no mechanical issue with the plane. The NTSB came to that conclusion in a preliminary report released Tuesday, July 2. The only person on that plane was killed, pilot Natalie Gillis from Canada. Gillis crashed just minutes after taking off at Albany International Airport on June 17. The report said Gillis' Piper PA 31 Navajo plane struggled to reach 800 feet. Sam Barner is a flight instructor and experienced pilot. He's clocked thousands of hours in a Navajo plane. He said if the NTSB said there were no mechanical issues, there's only two other possible outcomes. The first one: is low fuel. However, we know that was not an issue because Albany Airport officials have previously said Gillis' plane fueled up before leaving. Barner said the second outcome is more realistic: he believes Gillis' seat was not properly set in place. “What it does is just move the weight towards the back. Everything towards the back,” he explains. That means when Gillis was taking off, her seat moved too far away from the controls to operate the plane properly. “The airplane can't fly in that position, and it probably just turned over in what's called an aerodynamic stall. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the engine. Only the wings. An aerodynamic stall is pretty hard to recover from in a Navajo if you're not high enough.” Barner wants to make it clear this is his professional opinion. Without seeing the plane that crashed himself, he won't know for sure what exactly happened. An autopsy was performed on Gillis' body. The results have not yet been made public. This is why the NTSB's investigation is extremely important. A full report with probable cause won't be ready for at least 18 months to two years. Barner also gave an example that makes this easier to understand: “It's just like if you're in a car and go up a hill. You feel your seat going back a little bit because gravity is trying to pull you back a little bit.”

The College of Saint Rose may be shutdown but the lights are still on What kind of security still exists on the now-closed College of Saint Rose in Albany, after the school was burglarized over the weekend? Saint Rose closed its doors for good last month after years of funding problems. The chief of staff, Lisa Haley Thomson said that even though the college is closed, it's still maintaining and securing the campus until the property is sold. Security will stay on campus until the end of December and that will be extended if necessary; security still answers the dispatch line and surveillance cameras are all over campus. It's a reminder after this past weekend's burglary where Albany police say two men went into the former science building and tried to take computers. When police arrived, campus security told officers the two people were still inside. Police charged both suspects with grand larceny and burglary, among other charges. This brought up the question: why does a shutdown college still have expensive equipment on campus? After a phone call with Thomson, NewsChannel 13 found out there are still about 40 employees who are working on campus to manage the closure. Some of the equipment, like computers, are still needed but Thomson said it's in the process of selling all of its equipment. No word yet on any potential buyers of the Saint Rose campus.

Warren County urges residents to download its app ahead of bad storms Warren County still under a state of emergency after severe thunderstorms and a handful of tornadoes touched down earlier this month. The county is urging residents to download its app that's all about keeping you safe during bad weather. The ‘Ready Warren County' app can help you even when you don't have service. You'll get push notifications even when texts or phone calls aren't going through. We all know how crucial that can be when a storm hits and powerlines are knocked down and the lights are out. The app will keep you updated on storms approaching Warren County, what area it could hit, and links to helpful resources once the storm has passed. For example — one helpful resource on the app recently was to let residents know where national grid was handing out dry ice and water after those terrible storms just two weeks ago. The county's public affairs director, Don Lehman says ‘Ready Warren County NY' launched last year but only 2,000 people have it. There's about 65,000 residents live in Warren County. Lehman said this app is a one stop shop. “Honestly during that storm two weeks or so ago, we were getting heads up about the tornado warning. We knew exactly where the weather was headed, it was very helpful [app] to know that wherever your cellphone is, you'll get these heads up that things are changing.” You can find the app on apple and google app stores. The best part? It's free.

What does Monday's stock market drop mean for you? Stock market traders brace for another tough day ahead after shares took a steep tumble Monday morning. The Dow Jones dropped 1,034 points. The S&P 500 fell 3% in the biggest one-day drop since September 2022. For those who invest in the stock market, or have a 401k, or if you're looking at retirement – listen up. Bob Canterbury a senior financial advisor, with Dopkins Wealth Management, said don't make any changes with your emotions in mind. Today's stock numbers were staggering but it has happened before. “The stock market just doesn't only go up. We know that it goes up and down but over time it's a steady slope and that's what we're really banking on going into the future.” Canterbury said if history repeats itself, the numbers will go back up in due time. It usually takes a few months. This means if you have any stake in a company, the odds are that shares will increase. The same goes for your 401k. If you have at least several more years until you even consider retirement, keep investing in them. For those looking to retire very soon, Canterbury said the stock market drop should make you take a pause. Think about how much money you may need when you retire. Is today's event going to impact that? Canterbury said the answer for most of his clients is no but it's still good to have that conversation. “Taking emotion out of the equation. It's hard to do. When you're losing money, you feel like you should be doing something,” Canterbury said. “Depending on your time frame, it really supports not panicking and not really making any big changes.” Canterbury said if are going to do something, now is the time to invest. You can grab stocks at a bargain.

All 49 Lake George camping islands reopen after severe thunderstorms in July Video Player is loading. This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color Transparency Background Color Transparency Window Color Transparency Font Size Text Edge Style Font Family End of dialog window. All 49 camping islands are back open after extraordinary work done by DEC crews. Cover photo provided by DEC. You may remember the scary scene on the Lake George islands three weeks ago: uprooted trees, docks torn apart, and tents left abandoned. This was the result of storms that crashed down on the area on July 16. The state closed all 49 camping islands until they could clean up and repair the damage. After several weeks of work, the Department of Environmental Conservation said all campsites have reopened. DEC cleaned up the islands in good time considering the amount of damage left behind by the storms. “The worst we've ever seen,” Bill Bernard, DEC Regional Operations Supervisor. “We came across campsites where there were campers the night before, and everything was crushed, blown away. They literally got in their boats and left.” Bernard said the DEC had to pull employees from different parts of the state to get the job done before the end of summer. “We had a crew from Stamford and Delmar from Region 4 and downstate Region 3 from New Paltz came up.” Bernard said 60 people were cleaning up the mess the first three days after severe thunderstorms hit the islands on Lake George last month. To put in perspective how much manpower was needed, fewer than ten DEC employees are usually assigned to work in the Lake George region. Crews all did it under the beating sun and with limited tools. “It's extremely difficult. Different. There's no excavator, there's no skid steerer to help you pull out a tree out or to pull it back to shore. It's all done manually.” Supplies and machines were brought over by boat. “They're extraordinary people. Most of them have spent a lifetime on the lake.” Now it's back open for you to enjoy, thanks to the DEC's hard work.

Saratoga Springs is cracking down on phony rideshare drivers. 13investigates first told you about this problem last year and it’s happening again.Now, the city is hoping to drive them out of town.“If you are not connected to them on the app, don’t get in a car,” Dillon Moran said, Saratoga Springs Commissioner of Accounts.These drivers […]

Schenectady couple finally receives cruise refund two years later Video Player is loading. This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color Transparency Background Color Transparency Window Color Transparency Font Size Text Edge Style Font Family End of dialog window. A court ordered forced Royal Caribbean Cruises to reimburse nearly $1.3 million to customers. A refund two years in the making. Royal Caribbean Cruises court ordered to return more than $1.3 million to customers after two cruises never set sail during the pandemic. 13Investigates first told you about this problem at the beginning of last year when a Schenectady couple contacted the I-team saying they felt like they were being scammed. Pam and Kenny Dickenson finally got a $5,000 check in the mail last week. It's all thanks to a 10-page settlement that holds Royal Caribbean accountable. The Maryland District Attorney's Office investigated the matter after receiving over 50 complaints. The Capital Jazz SuperCruise was supposed to set sail on January 16, 2021, using Royal Caribbean ships but was canceled due to COVID-19. Customers were then offered a choice of a refund or tickets to the same cruise on January 14, 2022. Pam and Kenny Dickenson were supposed to be on the ship. However, the SuperCruise was canceled again because of the pandemic, and a surge of the Omicron variant. Capital Jazz is a charter client of Royal Caribbean. In the 10-page settlement just released, it states Capital Jazz issued refunds to some passengers but still owed refunds to others. Under federal maritime law, Royal Caribbean was financially responsible if the SuperCruises did not happen. The settlement states Royal Caribbean could have transferred this liability to Capital Jazz for the SuperCruises, but it did not do so. The Maryland District Attorney's Office said all customers who were owed refunds should have already received checks in the mail.