Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, the Department of Agriculture and Markets in conjunction with the Department of Environmental Conservation is launching the Dairy Acceleration Program (DAP) and making available $1 million in funding to help dairy farmers develop individualized business and environmental plans. To be eligible for DAP a dairy cattle farm must have complete financial records. Preference will be given to farms with under 300 cows. DAP funding will cover 80 percent of a project’s cost. Payments may include: up to $5,000 per farm to write a business plan or develop a combination of a business and facility growth plan; and up to $4,500 to update an existing Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP) or $6,000 to develop a new one. Other legislation recently approved by the governor supports farmers in their efforts to reduce their energy bills with the installation of clean energy projects such as solar and fuel cells. Specifically, legislation approved by Governor Cuomo increases from 25 kilowatts to 100 kilowatts the maximum electricity generation for the solar electric systems eligible for net metering without the need to move them to a commercial meter.
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Gov. Cuomo will greet President Obama in Buffalo on Thursday as the president kicks off a two-day tour through New York and Pennsylvania to talk about jobs and the middle class. Cuomo will send Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy to the New York State Fair on Thursday, the first day of the fair. Cuomo said he will also visit the fair later during its 12-day run. Traditionally, the governor opens the fair on the first day, which is also known as “Governor’s Day.” Gov. Cuomo will avoid a potentially dicey political conflict by not joining President Obama to other parts of upstate New York roiled over the state’s ban on hydraulic fracturing for natural gas. Obama supports the technology. Parts of central New York and the Southern Tier are on the gas-rich Marcellus Shale formation, where energy companies want to drill. Obama’s two-day bus tour will begin Thursday and hit the University at Buffalo, followed by stops in Syracuse, Binghamton and northeastern Pennsylvania. The governor has postponed a decision on whether to allow fracking in New York. Cuomo says he’s waiting for a study by state health department.
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New York state lost more personal income from people leaving the state in the 2000s than any other state. The Tax Foundation calculated that New York had a net loss of $45.6 billion in personal income from 2000 to 2010. The foundation tracks moves of people within and between states. States that gained the most income in the last decade are Florida, Arizona and Texas.
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The state Senate Finance Committee have scheduled five statewide public hearings on how New York’s tax policies can be changed to reduce the burden on taxpayers and to help businesses create more jobs. Public hearings are scheduled for Albany, Syracuse, Buffalo, Mineola and New York City. The Business Council of New York State; National Federation of Independent Business; Unshackle Upstate; the State Economic Development Council; The Tax Foundation and New York Farm Bureau will participate.
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A Chenango County man was arrested for selling cocaine in the town of Oneonta in January. 37 year Michael John Hunt of West Edmeston is charged with third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. Hunt was arrested after an investigation by deputies with assistance from Oneonta Police. Hunt was arraigned in Otsego County Court and sent to Otsego jail on $20,000 bail.
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The Village of Bainbridge Board of Trustees will hold a public hearing tonight at 6:30 in the Village Clerk’s Office, 33 West Main St., Bainbridge. The purpose of the public hearing will be to receive comments, concerning the submission of an application, to the State Office of Community Renewal, for funding under the federal Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Program for 2013. The public is welcome.
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Advocates of a bill to legalize sparklers in New York have released polling data that shows two thirds of voters surveyed support the measure. The poll was done by the United States Fireworks Safety Commission. The bill, which passed both the Senate and Assembly, and is in a holding pattern until it’s sent to Gov. Cuomo for review, would legalize the sale of sparklers near New Year’s and the Fourth of July in New York State.
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The Bainbridge-Guilford School Board will hold a special meeting on Thursday, August 22nd at 6:30pm in the district conference room. They will move into executive session to discuss several personnel items and they may convene in open session to approve the items.
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Lyme disease is about 10 times more common than previously reported. The CDC said as many as 300,000 Americans are diagnosed with Lyme disease each year. It’s a bacteria transmitted through the bites of infected deer ticks. Symptoms include a fever, headache and fatigue and sometimes a rash that looks like a bull’s-eye centered on the tick bite. Most people recover with antibiotics. If left untreated, the infection can cause arthritis and more severe problems. The majority of Lyme disease reports have come from the northeast, including New York. For more information go to cdc.gov
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The Otsego County Conservation Association is seeking nominations for it’s annual “Conservationist of the Year” award. The award is given to individuals, organizations or businesses that have made a positive difference in environmental protection, preservation or education in Otsego County. Nominations must be submitted by October 4th. To obtain a nomination form, call 547-4488 or email admin@occa info dot org.