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Ipswich selectman charged with drunken driving
By Steve Landwehr
Staff writer (Salem News)
IPSWICH — Ipswich Selectman Patrick McNally was arrested for drunken driving early Sunday morning in Troy, N.Y., after being stopped by police and failing a sobriety test.
A blood-alcohol test later showed his alcohol level to be .13, according to police — well over the legal driving limit of .08.
Chief Gerald Beston of the Watervliet, N.Y., police said McNally, 57, was seen drinking beer in a bank parking lot in that city shortly after midnight Saturday.
A police officer who approached him said McNally dropped the bottle and denied ever having it in his hand. The officer advised McNally of New York's law against drinking in public and cautioned him not to drive. Beston said McNally told the officer he had no intention of driving.
But just a few minutes later, Beston said, police officers saw him driving. Police tried to stop McNally, who pulled over after crossing a bridge into next-door Troy.
Watervliet is a city of just over 10,000 outside of Albany, N.Y., near the Massachusetts border.
Reached by phone yesterday, McNally, who was elected to his sixth term as a selectman this spring, would only say, "I don't comment on allegations about my personal life."
This is the second time in less than five months a town official has faced charges of driving under the influence. Town Manager Robert Markel was stopped by Topsfield police when he was observed driving erratically on Route 1 on Feb. 12, three days after he began his new job as town manager.
After admitting in court that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him on drunken-driving charges, Markel was ordered to pay $600 in fines and complete an alcohol education program. His case was continued without a finding for one year, and will be dismissed at the end of that time if he stays out of trouble.
Following the town manager's arrest, McNally said Markel's punishment was up to the courts. He faced no disciplinary action from the town.
"I think as long as everybody's safe and people own up to the truth, that's something to listen to," McNally said. "I hope the community will learn something from his mistakes."
Yesterday, Selectman Elizabeth Kilcoyne said she had not heard of McNally's arrest, and would only say, "That's really too bad. I hope he's all right."
Selectman Ingrid Miles said she had not heard the news, either, and was not prepared to comment.
Selectmen Jim Foley and Ed Rauscher did not return calls.
McNally was released on his own recognizance after his arrest, Watervliet police said, and appeared for an arraignment yesterday morning. He is scheduled to return for a court hearing in mid-July.
Chief Beston said police checked McNally's driving history as a matter of course and, "It looks like he has a clean record."
By Steve Landwehr
Staff writer (Salem News)
IPSWICH — Ipswich Selectman Patrick McNally was arrested for drunken driving early Sunday morning in Troy, N.Y., after being stopped by police and failing a sobriety test.
A blood-alcohol test later showed his alcohol level to be .13, according to police — well over the legal driving limit of .08.
Chief Gerald Beston of the Watervliet, N.Y., police said McNally, 57, was seen drinking beer in a bank parking lot in that city shortly after midnight Saturday.
A police officer who approached him said McNally dropped the bottle and denied ever having it in his hand. The officer advised McNally of New York's law against drinking in public and cautioned him not to drive. Beston said McNally told the officer he had no intention of driving.
But just a few minutes later, Beston said, police officers saw him driving. Police tried to stop McNally, who pulled over after crossing a bridge into next-door Troy.
Watervliet is a city of just over 10,000 outside of Albany, N.Y., near the Massachusetts border.
Reached by phone yesterday, McNally, who was elected to his sixth term as a selectman this spring, would only say, "I don't comment on allegations about my personal life."
This is the second time in less than five months a town official has faced charges of driving under the influence. Town Manager Robert Markel was stopped by Topsfield police when he was observed driving erratically on Route 1 on Feb. 12, three days after he began his new job as town manager.
After admitting in court that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict him on drunken-driving charges, Markel was ordered to pay $600 in fines and complete an alcohol education program. His case was continued without a finding for one year, and will be dismissed at the end of that time if he stays out of trouble.
Following the town manager's arrest, McNally said Markel's punishment was up to the courts. He faced no disciplinary action from the town.
"I think as long as everybody's safe and people own up to the truth, that's something to listen to," McNally said. "I hope the community will learn something from his mistakes."
Yesterday, Selectman Elizabeth Kilcoyne said she had not heard of McNally's arrest, and would only say, "That's really too bad. I hope he's all right."
Selectman Ingrid Miles said she had not heard the news, either, and was not prepared to comment.
Selectmen Jim Foley and Ed Rauscher did not return calls.
McNally was released on his own recognizance after his arrest, Watervliet police said, and appeared for an arraignment yesterday morning. He is scheduled to return for a court hearing in mid-July.
Chief Beston said police checked McNally's driving history as a matter of course and, "It looks like he has a clean record."