John Radliff’s story is the story of agriculture. His voice was Schoharie County’s: sometimes gruff, always honest, and with a reputation that almost always preceded him, the bad-cop to fellow farmer Richard Ball’s good cop.
Mr. Radliff died unexpectedly last Tuesday.
He was 68.
His friends are already wondering who’ll tell that story now.
“It was pretty hard to hear,” Mr. Ball said Friday. “I’m still in shock.”
The two had just spent more than an hour on the phone, grumbling about their aches and pains and growing old, he said.
“Every farm has its story and John was so good at carrying that story wherever it needed to go,” Mr. Ball said.
“He ...

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A two-car head-on crash so bad a helicopter was called in to airlift one of those involved to the hospital should be all the reason the Town of Middleburgh needs to lower the speed limit on Gridley Road.
That’s what resident Gus Wade told Supervisor John Youmans and councilmen Thursday.
Last Saturday at 4:30pm, Mr. Wade said, there was a two-car accident in front of his barn, all caught by his security videos.
“Sooner or later…the next one’s going to be fatal if the speed isn’t addressed,” he said.
There are three blind spots on the road near his place and those of neighbors Bonnie Snyder and Maurice Lawton, he said—Ms. Snyder and Mr. Lawton were also there—and at ...

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Elmira College women’s wrestling standouts Zoey Lints of Central Bridge, and Skylah Chakouian, of E Providence, each turned in banner performances at the USA Wrestling USMC Women's Nationals in Spokane, Washington.
The event brings the top women’s and girls wrestlers from around the country together to compete for USA World Team spots and future opportunities with the program.
Schoharie Central School graduate and Duanesburg-Schoharie wrestler Lints ’27 earned a spot on the U20 U.S. National Team after placing third in the 65 KG bracket.
With a membership to the USA U20 National Team, Lints will receive invitations to Championship and development camps hosted by USA Wr ...

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The closed Pizza Hut in Cobleskill is getting new owners.
Ben Oevering of Double Diamond Companies and an unnamed partner are purchasing the former restaurant that closed in July.
Mr. Oevering––recently appointed Schoharie supervisor––said they haven’t closed on the property but are purchasing it from a trust for $190,000.
He expects the closing to be within 30 days.
Plans are very preliminary, Mr. Oevering said Monday.
“It would be retail, it could be a quick-food restaurant, it could be a sit-down restaurant,” he said.
“We want to do something that’s a win-win for the community. We don’t want to put in something the community won’t love.”
H ...

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If it chooses to do so, the Albany Diocese can tear down the old St. Vincent de Paul’s Church on Elm Street in Cobleskill.
Mayor Becky Stanton-Terk and trustees Tuesday night ordered the diocese to “repair or remove” the old church, effectively overruling another village panel.
That panel––the Historic District Review Commission––ruled April 3 that the parish and diocese must repair the church or apply for hardship to demolish it.
Trustees’ action Tuesday night removes the hardship provision, which is difficult to obtain, and allows the diocese to move forward as it wants.
“We’re exercising our authority over the HDRC,” said Mayor Stanton-Terk. “We’re tearing off ...

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