Governor Cuomo has directed state agencies, including the Department of Transportation, to suspend all non-emergency construction that would result in lane closures or traffic delays over the Labor Day holiday weekend.   The actions are part of the State’s ‘Drivers First’ initiative, launched in 2012, which prioritizes the convenience of motorists to ensure that traffic disruptions are as minimal as possible to drivers at highway and bridge projects across the state.  The Governor’s directive is in effect until Tuesday, September 2 at 6:00am. Motorists can call 511 or check www.511ny.org for the latest traffic information.

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The state Department of Transportation gave an update on the Prospect Mountain construction project. Crews are working around the Chenango Street Bridge. By the end of the bridge construction, there will be more than 50 arches helping create the bridge. Chenango Street near the Chenango Street Bridge will be open at noon on Saturday. The bridge is expected to be completed by early 2015. A big detour in the project right now is the detour around the I-81 north ramp, which is currently closed and is scheduled to re-open by November 1^st.

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The State Education Department released the state-mandated teacher and principal evaluation results. The release of evaluation data enables New Yorkers to see, for the first time, the results of their schools’ teacher and principal evaluations. The law establishing the teacher evaluation system in New York mandates that each teacher gets a rating between 1 and 100. To view the results of your schools’ teacher and principal evaluations visit data.nysed.gov.

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BIRTHRIGHT IN SIDNEY WILL SPONSOR AND HOLD A CHICKEN BBQ TOMORROW FROM 11:00 AM TILL GONE IN THE VIDEO ENTERTAINMENT PARKING LOT ON MAIN STREET IN SIDNEY. HALVES $6. SERVICES OF BIRTHRIGHT OF SIDNEY ARE FREE AND CONFIDENTIAL, SERVING: CHENANGO, DELAWARE AND OTSEGO COUNTIES AND SURROUNDING AREAS

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September is National Preparedness Month. The Red Cross will participate in a Community Preparedness Fair on Friday, Sept. 5 from noon to 4 p.m. at SERVPRO, 134 Conklin Ave. in Binghamton. The fair will consist of preparedness tools, car seat checks with the Broome County Sheriff’s Office, a State Police seat belt convincer, and a healthy neighborhood program to help improve quality of life. The Red Cross will also hold a blood drive at the fair from 11 to 4

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State Police arrested 40-year-old Edward Bryden of Sidney Center for 2^nd degree Menacing.  The arrest resulted from a dispute complaint at a residence on Center Street; troopers accuse Bryden of repeatedly engaging in conduct that caused fear to the victim.  Bryden was arraigned in the Sidney Town Court and released on his own recognizance.  The court issued an order of protection against Bryden.