(Lopez 6-16-15)
The “Prisoner Privileges Limitation Law” seeks to prevent the violent convicts from having unfettered access to civilians at prisons and being able to wear civilian clothing while incarcerated, it would also take away a portion of the good behavior rewards program for the most violent felons, who committed crimes such as murder and rape.
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47-year-old Penny Auerbach pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of stealing money orders and cash from the U.S. Postal Service and misappropriating postal funds. The charges stemmed from an investigation by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. Auerbach admitted to stealing over $4600 in postal funds while working at the Westford Post Office, she was sentenced to 4 years probation, will perform 500 hours of community service and was ordered to pay restitution.
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The Oneonta Common Council will hold their next regular meeting tonight at city hall. The Meeting will begin at 7:00 PM in the common council chambers on the 2nd floor & it is open to the public.
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The State DEC Officers and Forest Rangers issued 357 tickets for open burning-related charges during the spring statewide open burn ban, according to DEC Commissioner Joe Martens. DEC issued the tickets during the two-month burn ban that ran from March 16 through May 14th, for unattended fires, burning during the burn ban, unlawful disposal of solid waste and setting a fire that endangers the property of another. The number of tickets written this year is up 58% from 2014, many of the larger fires this spring were attributed to people violating the states burn ban, during excessively dry conditions.
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The Greater Oneonta Economic Development Council announced that they would hold their next meeting on Monday June 22nd, at the Oneonta Holiday Inn at 7:00 PM. Residents of the town & city of Oneonta are encouraged to attend; the topic is the possible savings in taxes by consolidating the town of Oneonta into the City of Oneonta.
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The Chenango County Sheriff’s summer camp will start on July 6th. Applications can be picked up at the Sheriff’s Office or online at www.chenangosheriff.us. The camp is free to all Chenango County children ages 9 to 12, more information is available at 334-5175 Monday through Friday 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
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(Bonacic 1-28-15)
The package of bills will be sent to the Assembly for consideration.
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Nominations are being accepted currently for the 9th annual Woman Trailblazer Award presented by the Oneonta City Commission on Community Relations & Human Rights. A complete nomination form is available at City Hall or on the City Web site at: www.oneonta.ny.us and click on City Government, then Commissions, then Community Relations & Human Rights. The deadline for submitting nominations is February 20th, the award will be presented at a March Oneonta Common Council meeting at City Hall.
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Chobani will be donating one million cups of Greek yogurt to New Yorkers in need this holiday season as part of its commitment to give to the communities where they operate. The first one million cups will be distributed to City Harvest, to help feed more than 1.4 million New Yorkers facing hunger. The company will begin loading product on today from their plant in New Berlin. Chobani will also be making another large product donation to a local food organization near their Twin Falls plant in Idaho.
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The Chenango county united way program is behind in their fund raising efforts this year, with less than 2 weeks to go in the campaign. Executive director Elizabeth Monaco explains:
(Elizabeth Monaco 12-18-14
Monaco said that people could make a pledge at 334-8815 or online at Chenango uw.org, through 12:00 noon on December 31st.
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A free dinner is being offered on Christmas day again this year in Sidney, through the efforts of area churches & markets. Gene Schmidt is coordinating the event again this year:
(Gene Schmidt 12-18-14)
Those who would like to volunteer, or donate food can call Schmidt at 610-4030.
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New York State remains free of any Ebola cases and the State Department of Health continues to monitor and screen health care workers and others traveling from Ebola-affected countries. Individuals may be monitored or quarantined for 21 days, depending on their contact history with Ebola. Anyone that has symptoms consistent with Ebola virus will be immediately transported to a specially designated hospital and tested. New York has had only one patient with Ebola, a health care worker who recovered from the disease at Bellevue Hospital in New York City
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G-MU graduate Corin Todd of Otego has been selected to compete in the 2015 ESPN X-Games in Aspen, Colorado from January 22-25. Todd is a professional snocross rider for Leighton Motorsports, competing in the U.S. and Canada. The Winter X Games are a competition including winter sports like skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling.
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New state regulations will prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species and help to preserve New York’s ecosystems, according to state DEC Commissioner Joe Martens. The rules with the lists of prohibited and regulated species, may be viewed at dec.ny.gov/regulations.
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The Binghamton Senators, in conjunction with the American Hockey League, announced today the full 2014-15 regular season schedule, which will see the B-Sens open their season against the Worcester Sharks in front of their home crowd, at the Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena on Saturday, October 11th at 7:05 p.m. More information is available at bsens.com
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The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a Board of Education Meeting today in the District Conference Room at 6:30 PM. The business portion of the meeting will start at 7:00 PM.
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Governor Cuomo kicked off his re-election bid yesterday, touting his record on taxes, the economy and social issues. Cuomo offered a list of accomplishments during his first term, citing an improving upstate economy, ending the gridlock at the state Capitol and pushing progressive ideas that he said makes New York a leader in the nation. Cuomo got a higher minimum wage and the lowest middle-class income taxes since 1953. He said will push for better rights for immigrants and public financing of campaigns, as well as expanding infrastructure projects if re-elected. Cuomo faces Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino in November.
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State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said he wants lawmakers to accelerate increases to the minimum wage and pass the Dream Act before adjourning their session next month. Silver said he doesn’t want to wait until next year to pass the Dream Act, which would extend state financial aid to students in the country illegally. Silver also supports raising the $8-per-hour minimum age to $9 at the end of this year, with automatic increases tied to inflation. Currently, the wage is set to go to $9 at the end of 2015. Silver said he also supports implementing a broad public financing law for statewide campaigns
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Congressman Chris Gibson has authored “ The Vector-Borne Disease Research Transparency and Accountability Act of 2014” to update guidelines on treating tick borne illnesses, which will lead to insurance companies paying for treatments:
(Gibson 5-23-14)
Gibson said that early indications are that the bill has support in both houses of congress & in the White House. Gibson was in Sidney today to speak to the Sidney Rotary Club.
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The State DEC has adopted a 10-year black bear management plan, which includes several proposed hunting rule changes, following thousands of public comments. DEC Commissioner Joe Martens said that the strategies outlined in the Plan seek to achieve and maintain bear population levels that are acceptable to the public while providing sustainable opportunity for New York’s big game hunters, and to also minimize human-bear conflicts. The final Black Bear Management Plan is available atwww.dec.ny.gov/animals/7215.html.
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The Pathfinder Village Board of Directors announces plans to build a new $1.2 million community healthcare center in Edmeston. Last month, the Pathfinder board approved building a 3,800 sq. ft. facility, named as the “DR. WILLIAM F. STRECK COMMUNITY HEALTH CLINIC” it will be located on State Route 80; it was named to recognize Dr. Streck’s contributions during his tenure with Bassett Healthcare and Pathfinder Village. Construction is expected to begin in May 2015. More information is available at pathfindervillage.org.
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The 7th Annual Dan Elwood Memorial 5k Run/1 Mile Walk to benefit Hospice will be held at the General Clinton Park, Bainbridge, NY at 9:00 AM on Saturday. Day of race registration is $22 and will take place from 7:30 – 8:30 AM at General Clinton Park next to the pavilion. The 5k run will pass by the Elwood family home on Dingman Hill where Dan grew up. The 1-mile walk will take place on the new walking trail around Clinton Park. More information can be found at 967-8888 or 967-7373.
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(Tom Czernicki 2-18-14)
Czernicki said that they were able to get a roof on the new structure before the winter hit, so this rough winter did not slow them down. There are currently over 150 people working on the Amphenol project on Delaware Avenue.
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The increased use of heroin continues to be a major problem locally and throughout the state, as emergency rooms continue to see increasing numbers of overdoses. Dave Ramsey of the Alcohol & Drug Abuse Council of Delaware County told WCDO News that the I-stop Program has cut down on people “Doctor Shopping” for painkillers; the next option for addicts has become heroin:
(Dave Ramsey 2-18-14)
Ramsey said that those who have a heroin problem, or who has a loved one with that addiction, they can contact ADAC at 746-8300.
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Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 59-year-old David Mokay of Meridale on 1 count of endangering the Welfare of a Child and 1 count of Criminal Obstruction of Breathing or Circulation following a Domestic Incident. Mokay was arraigned in Town of Meredith Court and was remanded to Delaware County Correctional Facility on $1,500 cash bail or $3,000 bail bond. Mokay is to reappear at Meredith Court on March 5th.
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A new Quinnipiac University poll shows that 88% Of the 1,488 New York voters surveyed, support the legalization of marijuana for medicinal use, only 9% were opposed. The legalization of marijuana for recreational use was supported 57-39%. The poll was conducted between February 6th & February 10th, with a margin of error of +/-2.5 percentage points.
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New York transportation officials are setting up public hearings to discuss options for high-speed passenger rail service between New York City and Niagara Falls has been the long time goal of industry leaders, elected officials and transit advocates. The public meetings will be held between March 4th and 14th in Albany, Syracuse, Buffalo, Rochester, Utica & Poughkeepsie.
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Governor Cuomo announced that all 112 New York Works accelerated bridge projects have been completed and open to motorists. The opening of the Western Gateway Bridge in Schenectady County marks the final finished project, the program allotted $212 million to address bridge replacement or rehabilitation on 112 bridges, $687 million was allocated for 9 projects that were delayed due to budget constraints. More than 2,000 miles of pavement were replaced in 2012 as part of the program.
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Environmental, health and consumer advocacy groups are pushing back against plans by the Cuomo administration to restructure how pesticides are tracked. 38 groups protested a proposal that rolls back a requirement that commercial applicators report where pesticides are used. It would replace that with a new reporting requirement that collects pesticide data at the point of sale. Environmental Advocates say the changes impede the public’s right-to-know about the use of toxic chemicals. DEC Commissioner Joe Martens said the intent is to make the data more usable and accessible.
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(Bradd Vickers 1-30-14)
Vickers said that the Farm Bill moves onto the US Senate, where it is expected to pass shortly.
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State DEC Commissioner Joe Martens said yesterday that his agency has no plans to issue permits for Hydraulic Fracturing for shale gas in the 2014-15 fiscal year. Lawmakers asked Martens at a legislative budget hearing Wednesday if the Governor’s executive budget proposal allocates any money for regulating hydraulic fracturing, which was stopped by moratorium in 2008, Martens responded that no money was allocated. The decision has been slowed down by state Health Commissioner Nirav Shah of possible health issues relating to the process, Governor Cuomo set The DEC budget at the same level as last year.
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The Walton Central School District Board of Education will hold a community budget forum on February 6th, at 6:30 pm at the Walton High School cafeteria. The forum will begin with a brief presentation, followed by attendees meeting in smaller groups, those wishing to attend & participate must RSVP at 865-4116, extension 6130.
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Governor Cuomo announced an executive order directing several State agencies to do review of safety procedures and emergency response preparedness related to railroad shipments of crude oil from North Dakota, following accidents in North Dakota and Quebec. The Executive Order directs the agencies to report to the Governor no later than April 30th.
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Free energy assessments are available for eligible property owners in Broome, Chenango and Otsego counties. The assessments are funded through NYSERDA’s Home Performance with Energy Star grant. The program offers free energy assessments by Building Performance Institute-accredited contractors. After the assessment, the program helps homeowners through the process of financing their home improvements with grants, up to $5,000 for a single-family home and up to $10,000 for a two- to four-family building. For more information call 723-0110.
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New York ranked as the third largest producer of milk nationally last year for the first time since 2009 due to the state’s booming yogurt industry. In 2012, milk production rose 2.2 percent in the state while nationally there was only a 0.4 percent growth. That same year, the state produced 695 million pounds of yogurt, nearly triple the amount in 2009, and was the number one producer of yogurt in the country. The dairy industry is the state’s leading agriculture sector. The state is also the largest producer of cream and cottage cheese in the country.
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US Senator Charles Schumer said the agreement on the farm bill includes a measure to help New York’s maple syrup producers. Schumer said a measure in the bill would provide federal grants of up to $20 million annually to states that create programs to encourage private landowners to open up their trees to maple tapping. There are more than 280 million maple trees with syrup-tapping potential in New York, less than 1 percent of them are tapped. Schumer’s legislation also would also provide grants to states for marketing and research.
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(Scott Kurkoski 2-14-13)
Kurkoski noted that the state of Ohio finished their process in 8 months, while New York State has already taken 4 ½ years to complete the process.
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State troopers in Norwich arrested 27-year-old Heather McShane of Norwich for Driving While Intoxicated with a BAC of .16%. The arrest resulted from a motor vehicle accident on State Highway 8 in New Berlin; McShane was issued tickets returnable to the Town of New Berlin Court on February 20th.
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State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Comptroller Tom DiNapoli announced that former state Senator Shirley Huntley has pleaded guilty to Tampering with Physical Evidence, for falsifying evidence in an effort to obstruct the investigation into the theft of a grant she sponsored for a sham non-profit entity, the Parent Workshop. Huntley & 1 other person pocketed approximately $29,950, from the scam; she faces 18-24 month prison sentence plus 5 years probation in exchange for her felony guilty plea.
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The Unatego United Group will hold a rally on Thursday, February 28th at 7pm at the Otego Elementary School. The group is working on another letter writing campaign to lawmakers, regarding the state’s school aid formula.
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The Sidney town board will hold their next regular meeting this evening. The meeting gets underway at 7:00 PM the meeting will be held in the first floor boardroom of the Sidney civic center.
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19th district Congressman Chris Gibson announced that he has joined with a bipartisan group to introduce H.R. 610, which would establish a federal Tick-Borne Diseases Advisory Committee. Under the legislation, the Advisory Committee would be tasked with enhancing communication among federal agencies, medical professionals, and patients/patient advocates and to ensure that a broad spectrum of scientific viewpoints is represented in public health policy decisions.
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Price Chopper Supermarkets is issuing a voluntary recall on its Price Chopper Bakery Fresh bagels and muffins containing raisins. The products are being recalled due to the presence of naturally occurring foreign matter in the raisins that does not meet the Price Chopper standards. The affected products were produced and purchased between December 14th 2012 and February 8th 2013. Customers who have any of the affected product should return it to their local Price Chopper for a full refund.
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The New York State Public Service Commission authorized the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to increase the maximum incentive amount from $400,000 currently available up to $1 million per installation for the on-site wind program to help boost program participation. In 2010, the Commission established budgets and targets through 2015 for the Renewable Portfolio Standard program to encourage self-generation technologies, Copies of the action are available at dps.ny.gov
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