Thomas Marra Photography

15/06/2024

The Bethlehem Central High School Eagles Baseball Team received an es**rt riding in fire trucks after their big win.

The Eagles Baseball Team won the 2024 NYS Class AA Baseball Championship and local first responders es**rted the team from the Bethlehem High School.

Participating in the es**rt included Delmar, Elsmere, Slingerlands and Onesquethaw fire departments, Bethlehem Police and Delmar-Bethlehem EMS.

06/06/2024

One person is dead following a serious motor vehicle accident involving three vehicles that occurred on the Town of Bethlehem and City of Albany line.

Numerous 911 calls started to come in to both the Town of Bethlehem and City of Albany dispatch centers for a motor vehicle accident with one car rolled over and a car on fire on State Route 85 just before 7 a.m. on Wednesday, May 1.

Due to 911 calls coming in to both dispatch centers with the crash being on the town/city line, first responders from both the Town of Bethlehem and the City of Albany responded to the scene.

Crews arrived to find one car on its roof and on fire, as well as another car that sustained heavy damage and was also on fire.

“Upon our arrival on scene, Albany Fire was already there,” said Chief Craig Sleurs of the Slingerlands Fire Department. “Bystanders had removed both victims from the cars that were on fire.”

Sleurs says Fire/EMS crews from Albany were tending to patients as well as putting the fire out on both cars.

The driver of one vehicle was 28-year-old Matthew Monthie, from Clifton Park, and was transported to Albany Medical Center with non life-threatening injuries, according to a press release from the Bethlehem Police Department.

The driver of the second vehicle involved was operated by 53-year-old Shawna Marzahl, from Selkirk, who was pronounced deceased at the scene and was turned over to the Albany County Coroner’s Office, according to police.

The crash was investigated by the Bethlehem Police Department and the Albany County Crash Investigation Team.

“The preliminary investigation into the crash has determined that Matthew Monthie’s vehicle was traveling westbound on Rt 85 when it crossed over the center lane marking, striking an eastbound vehicle that was being operated by Shawna Marzahl,” according to the press release from Bethlehem Police.

Police said there was also a third vehicle involved, operated by 20-year-old Thomas Nastars, from Slingerlands. Nastars was not injured in the crash.

“Due to the impact of the crash, the vehicle directly behind Shawna Marzahl’s vehicle sustained damage after being hit with debris from the initial crash,” police said. “The operator of that vehicle was Thomas Nastars, age 20 of Slingerlands.”

Slingerlands Fire cleared the scene early on and turned the scene over to Albany Fire.

The call was considered in the Slingerlands Fire District, so crews were dispatched back to the scene later in the evening to assist with road cleanup and cleaning up the fuel and other fluids from the roadway.

Responding agencies included City of Albany Fire, Slingerlands Fire, North Bethlehem Fire, Westmere Fire, Delmar-Bethlehem EMS, Albany County Paramedics, Mohawk Ambulance, Bethlehem Police, Albany Police, New York State Police, Albany County Coroner.

State Route 85 was closed in both directions from Blessing Road to the Krumkill Road exit in the City of Albany from 7:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.

Bethlehem Police say the investigation remains open as of their latest update.

04/06/2024

A local fire chief was flagged down to discover an active structure fire in Coeymans.

Around 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 2, Assistant Chief Rob Domanico of the Coeymans Fire Department was alerted by a passerby to a fire at 54 Church St in Coeymans.

“When I got there the corner of the house was on fire and was quickly spreading up the house because of the winds,” Domanico said.

Coeymans, Ravena and New Baltimore fire departments responded to the scene with Ravena Rescue, Albany County Paramedics and Albany County Sheriff’s Department.

“Once units arrived, the fire was quickly put out and only the corner of the building sustained damage,” Domanico said.

He says the fire was caused by the homeowner burning brush in close proximity to the house when the wind gusts spread the fire to the house.

Everyone was out of the house and there were no injuries reported on the scene.

30/05/2024

17/05/2024

Fire crews responded to a reported fully-involved garage fire at 593 State Route 143 in Ravena.

Local fire departments responded to the call around 11:40 a.m. on Saturday, April 27.

Arriving units discovered a small structure on the ground with its contents burning in a pile against a garage.

Assistant Chief John Williams of the Coeymans Hollow Fire Department says the homeowners had a garden hose on the fire upon his arrival.

The bulk of the fire was extinguished and firefighters continued to wet down the pile to ensure it was extinguished.

Crews used thermal imaging cameras to ensure the fire did not cause more damage to the garage.

Williams says the fire was caused by the homeowners burning some garbage behind the structure, which then started to spread.

There were no injuries reported on the scene.

On scene were the Coeymans Hollow, Ravena, New Baltimore fire departments, Ravena Rescue, Albany County Paramedics, Albany County Sheriff’s and Coeymans Fire on standby.

13/05/2024

Firefighters made quick work of a bedroom fire at a home in Slingerlands.

A call over the radio from Chief Marc Futia of the Elsmere Fire Department alerted dispatchers of a confirmed structure fire at 1498 New Scotland Rd in Slingerlands on Thursday, April 18, around 6:40 p.m.

Chief Craig Sleurs from the Slingerlands Fire Department says Futia was on his way to the Slingerlands Firehouse for a radio committee meeting.

“I was at the station and heard him call out on the scene requesting the fire department for a working structure fire,” Sleurs said. “He had smoke visible from the second floor Alpha side, the front of the structure.”

Fire crews arrived on scene quickly, pulling two handlines and getting the fire knocked down in 5-10 minutes, Sleurs said.

He says the fire damage was mainly confined to the front bedroom, with some smoke and water damage in the rest of the house.

“The two female occupants were inside at the time of the fire,” Sleurs said. “One of them went back in to try and get stuff out.”

He says the occupants had originally shut the bedroom door, which, Sleurs says, most likely helped save the rest of the house.

He says one dog and three cats were inside the house and all made it out safe. Two cats were brought out by firefighters.

Firefighters discovered a fire hydrant that did not work on the corner of New Scotland Road and Bridge Street, but crews were able to find another hydrant on the other side of the house.

On scene were Slingerlands and Delmar fire departments, Elsmere Fire for FAST, Selkirk Fire for FAST and the air truck, North Bethlehem Fire for rehab, Delmar-Bethlehem EMS, Albany County Paramedics and Bethlehem Police.

The Bethlehem Police Department Fire Investigation Team investigated the fire and the cause appears to have been from smoking, Sleurs said.

There were no injuries reported on scene.

“The crews did a really great job at saving the house,” Sleurs said.

04/05/2024

Several occupants escaped a rollover in Coeymans Hollow.

First responders were called to 543 Blodgett Hill Rd for an automatic crash detection notification from an IPhone just before 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 17.

Arriving sheriff’s deputies reported a passenger van that was on its side in the ditch.

Chief Daniel Haight of the Coeymans Hollow Fire Department says there were five total occupants in the van, all of which were able to self-extricate with the help of good samaritans.

The occupants were able to get out of a rear sliding door, which was facing upwards following the crash.

All five occupants were evaluated by EMS personnel and released at the scene.

Blodgett Hill Road was down to one lane while crews waited for the tow company to arrive and remove the vehicle.

Responding on the scene was the Coeymans Hollow Fire Department, Ravena Rescue, Albany County Sheriff’s Ambulance, Albany County Paramedics, Albany County Sheriff’s.

03/05/2024

A structure fire ripped through a vacant warehouse in the City of Albany in the early morning hours on Sunday, April 14.

Firefighters were called to 15 Learned St in Albany for a fully-involved warehouse fire.

Crews battled the fire all morning and smoke could still be seen coming from the structure throughout the day as crews waited for demolition to begin in order for firefighters to finish hitting all the hotspots.

As portions of the brick were torn down, smoke and flames could still be seen coming from the structure into the afternoon.

Photos from the initial fire early in the morning and additional details will be found on Sidewinder Photography’s page.

30/04/2024

A dedicated public servant was honored after passing away from a battle with cancer.

Past chief of the Selkirk Fire Department and current assistant chief of the Delmar Fire Department, William Borger, 58, passed away following a battle with cancer on March 25, 2024.

Borger served with the Selkirk Fire Department for over 30 years before joining the Delmar Fire Department in 2015.

Borger was the president of the Town of Bethlehem Volunteer Fire Officers Association for nine years.

He worked for 36 years as an employee with the Town of Bethlehem, recently employed as Chief Plant Operator at the water treatment plant.

Following his passing, both the Selkirk and Delmar fire departments held a final call ceremony to honor Borger, as well as a procession that brought his remains throughout the fire districts for one final ride.

19/04/2024

A walkout ceremony was held for a retiring police sergeant from the Bethlehem Police Department.

On Friday, March 29, a walkout ceremony was held for First Sergeant Brian Hughes of the Bethlehem Police Department.

Hughes retired from the department with 33 years of service to the community.

“We thank him for his leadership, mentorship and countless contributions that helped shape this department into what it is today,” said a Facebook post from the Bethlehem Police Department.

Police Chief Gina Cocchiara presented Hughes with a gift as he did his final sign off over his radio.

17/04/2024

Selkirk and Elsmere firefighters saved a home from a garage fire in Glenmont on a high call volume weekend.

Fire crews were called to 37 Milltowne Rd in Glenmont, in the Milltowne Plaza neighborhood, for reports of a fire in an attached garage around 10 a.m. on Sunday, March 24.

Police officers arrived on scene and confirmed a fire in the garage and stated everyone had safely evacuated the home.

“The garage was fully-involved, the window on the garage was blown out and there were flames coming out of the structure on the B side of the garage,” said Chief Tom Neri of the Selkirk Fire Department. “Everybody was out of the house at the time.”

He says two individuals live in the home and there were no known pets inside.

“The Bethlehem Police Department Fire Investigation Team did the investigation on it,” Neri said. “They believe the cause is from the snowblower that was used just prior to the fire.”

There was also a hybrid car inside the garage at the time of fire, but was not ruled as the cause. The car was, however, towed by Robert’s Towing as a precaution in the event the lithium ion battery were to re-ignite inside the garage.

Neri said the flames were knocked down in less than 15 minutes.

The fire damage was confined to the garage with only smoke damage inside the home, he said.

“The fire code sheetrock in the garage did an amazing job to contain the fire for us,” Neri said. “We knocked down the fire and another interior crew was inside checking for extension at the same time.”

The residents relocated to a family members home while fire restoration work can be done at their home.

The fire came the same weekend as a rain, sleet and snow event moved through the area, giving close to 30 fire calls for Selkirk firefighters that weekend, Neri said.

There were no injuries reported on the scene.

Selkirk and Elsmere fire departments were on scene, along with crews from the Town of Bethlehem FAST Team, Bethlehem Police, Delmar-Bethlehem EMS, Albany County Sheriff’s Ambulance and Albany County Paramedics.