P.M. NEWS FRIDAY 2-13-26
Payton Gendron of Conklin appeared in court today seeking to have his federal trial moved from Buffalo to New York City. Gendron murdered 10 people in a Buffalo area TOPS supermarket in 2022, Gendron is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole from his State trial, he still faces a federal trial in which prosecutors are pursuing the death penalty. Also, Gendron’s parents have reached settlements with the attorneys representing the victims families & the survivors, The gun shop, Vintage Firearms formerly of Endicott, settled lawsuits for selling the AR-15 to Gendron that was used in the murders, Means LLC settled a lawsuit for falsely advertised about magazine locks used by Gendron, claiming that they complied with New York State Gun laws.
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59 year old Brian Gill of Andes, pleaded guilty to social security fraud in US District Court, Gill admitted that between January 2021 and November 2023, he was collecting social security disability benefits, while managing and engaging in physical labor for a tree services company he owned and operated. Sentencing is scheduled for May 21, Gill faces a maximum sentence of 5 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000. As part of his plea deal, Gill agreed to pay restitution for the funds he fraudulently collected to the Social Security Administration.
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The 33rd Chenango Blues Festival in Norwich, NY on August 21st and 22nd as well as the Free Thursday show in East Park on August 20th. This year’s Headliner will be Booker T. Jones, Tickets are available at chenango bluesfest.org.
A.M. NEWS Friday 2-13-26
Patrick Shea plead guilty to manslaughter and arson, he set a fire to keep warm inside a vacant structure at 1 Main Street in Binghamton on February 12, 2025, the fire led to the death of Binghamton Firefighter J.R. Gaudet, who died when the building collapsed on him. Shea is expected to serve 7 years in prison as part of a plea bargain arrangement.
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The State Department of Motor Vehicles will launch a new technology system, All DMV offices will close at 2:00 PM today, with online and phone services also unavailable during the transition. DMV operations are expected to fully resume on Wednesday.
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Blood Supplies are still very low after a challenging winter and an active Flu season, Meg Rossman of the American Red Cross urges people to make & keep their blood donation appointments, and they have sweetened the deal this month:
(Meg Rossman 2-12-26)
A Blood Drive is being held in Sidney today from 11 am. – 4 pm., at the Sidney High School, book an appointment to give blood or platelets now by using the Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.
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The Winter Living Celebration will be held at the Rogers Center in Sherburne Saturday, featuring horse drawn sleigh rides, cross cut saw demonstration, and cross county skiing and snowshoeing from 11am to 3 pm. More information about this & other events can be found at friendsofrogers.org.
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State DEC announced the 2026 dates for Free Fishing Days in New York, where the requirement for a freshwater fishing license is waived. The next Free Fishing days will be this weekend February 14–15, as well as on June 27–28, September 26 for National Hunting and Fishing Day, and November 11 for Veterans Day. More information is available at the dec.ny.gov/regulatory/permits-licenses/sporting-and-use/sporting/decals.
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A 2026 Candidates Forum will be held in Franklin Saturday at 3:00 PM, by Franklin Forward at 574 Main Street Franklin. Candidates scheduled to attend include 51st state senate candidate Michele Frazier and Assembly candidates Janet Tweed, Mary Finneran & Thomas Boomhower.
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Today is the last day to register for a new Grief Support group called “GRIEF-SHARE” which will meet weekly on Monday evenings beginning at 5:30 at the Sidney Methodist Church on Liberty Street. The session will run from February 16th through May 11th, call 607-563-1921 or send an email: SIDNEY U M C 4@ GMAIL.COM.
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