The Sidney Chamber of Commerce and Utica School of Commerce will hold an Open House on today from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at their New Sidney Location at Tri Town Regional Hospital. This event is open to Sidney Chamber of Commerce members, directors and the public. USC will have classes starting on June 16th.
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26-year-old Michael Golotty of Elmira, pleaded guilty to 3rd degree arson in Chenango County Court, for the fire that destroyed storage units in Norwich last November, which housed donations for Toys for Tots. Gulotty was sentenced to 5 to 10 years in state prison, as well as restitution to the victims to be paid in installments after his release.
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Former Otsego County Chamber of Commerce President Rob Robinson pleaded guilty in Otsego County Court to 1st degree scheming to defraud. Robinson was arrested & fired in 2011, following charges of insurance fraud, grand larceny & falsifying business records, for an insurance scheme that enrolled more than 400 downstate residents in an MVP Health Care Insurance program offered by the Otsego Chamber. The sentence includes a 3-year conditional discharge & a $2,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for July 28th.
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The Chenango county sheriffs department arrested a Town of Unadilla resident and a Town of New Berlin resident for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance and Unlawful Possession of Marihuana. Deputies arrested 28-year-old Jason Lindroth and 28 year old Antonio Felice following an investigation into a suspicious vehicle. Deputies found that Lindroth and Felice were both in possession of heroin, prescription pills, hypodermic needles, and marihuana, they were arraigned in the Town of Oxford Court and were remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility on cash bail.
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The New York State Fair was named America’s 4th-best state fair by Yahoo! Travel, beat only by Texas, California and Ohio. The news comes just a few weeks after Hopper.com ranked the Fair as the No. 1 State Fair. An independent survey, conducted at the conclusion of the 2013 Fair, fairgoers cited food as the #1 reason for visiting every year. Last year, the Fair introduced Taste NY Wine and Cheese seminars to engage fairgoers about the various wines and cheeses that are made in New York
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As state lawmakers wrap up the current legislative session, there are still a few items on the Governor’s agenda that might not get acted on this year. Assemblyman Cliff Crouch said that the proposal to increase the state’ minimum wage again is another unnecessary cost to business:
(Crouch 6-9-14)
Crouch said that the bill would probably only pass one of the 2 houses, which should kill it off for this year.
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The State Public Service Commission is seeking comment on a request by Time Warner Cable and Comcast Corporation to transfer certain Time Warner Cable telephone systems, cable systems, franchises and assets to Comcast. Under the proposal, Comcast will retain all of Time Warner Cable’s existing assets in New York State. The Commission will use its new regulatory powers to conduct an investigation into the proposed merger to determine whether the transaction is in the best interest of the customers. More information is available at dps.ny.gov.
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The New York State Gaming Commission reported that the Lottery sales for 2013-2014 totaled $9.2 billion, a profit of $3.1 billion for education, & a 4.2% increase over previous year, the 14th consecutive year of Lottery revenue growth. Total sales rose $292.2 million; All Lottery profits go to funding education in the State.
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There have been several black bear sightings in the Southern Tier, with reports of bears climbing trees & rummaging near homes. The DEC reports that you can prevent bears from visiting by removing bird feeders, not leaving food or garbage outside, don’t feed pets outside and don’t run refrigerators outside. More information is at dec.ny.gov