14 people were taken into custody in Broome County Wednesday on a variety of drug trafficking charges.  Arraignments began in US District court in Binghamton yesterday, Federal Prosecutors announced that all of those taken into custody were members of the Bloods Street Gang, & were known as “MacBallers.”  Prosecutors accuse the arrested as being part of a large drug trafficking ring that operated out of New York City and into the Southern tier, distributing large quantities of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana since 2009.

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A report of a missing Cooperstown woman had a favorable outcome this morning.  34-year-old Megan Hartmann of Cooperstown & Denver Colorado is a SUNY Oneonta graduate student, she was reported missing Monday, she has been found safe in Myrtle Beach South Carolina, according to the Cooperstown Police Department.   The Otsego County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the investigation

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Lawmakers are continuing to work on the state budget, as the deadline approaches early next week.  Assemblyman Bill Magee is on the conference committee negotiating the Agricultural portion, which has some glaring omissions:

(Magee 3-27-14)

Magee continues to chair the assembly Agriculture committee, the state budget deadline in April 1st.

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The Otsego County sheriff’s department arrested 24-year-old Kristen Rudnitsky of Oneonta for allegedly stealing & selling a vehicle last year.  The investigation alleges that Rudnitsky forged the owner’s name on DMV documents and sold the vehicle to a Binghamton resident.  Rudnitsky was already in the Otsego County Jail on drug charges, she was arraigned in town of Oneonta Court & was returned to the County Jail, faces action on the new charges in April.

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Bassett Healthcare Network announced that Dr. Vance Brown or Portland Maine has been selected as President and Chief Executive Officer, starting July 1st.  Dr. Brown will replace Doctor William Streck, who is retiring this year after 30 years at Bassett.  Dr. Brown comes to Bassett from Maine Health in Portland, where he has been Chief Medical Officer since 2008.

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State Police arrested 31-year-old Jason Barnhart of Bloomville on charges of DWI & reckless driving.  Barnhart is accused of driving while intoxicated on state route 10 through Delaware county, at speeds around 100 miles an hour, and for throwing a beer can out of his vehicle.  Barnhart will appear in Kortright town court on April 15th to answer the charges.

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New York State is getting more than $28 million from the federal government to fund fish and wildlife conservation and recreation projects. That’s the state’s share of the nearly $1.1 billion in excise tax revenues, paid by sportsmen and sportswomen, that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will distribute to state fish and wildlife agencies nationwide. The Fish and Wildlife Service allocates the funds to all 50 states, through two programs funded by excise taxes, generated by the sale of sporting firearms, ammunition, archery equipment, fishing equipment and tackle, and fuel taxes on motorboats and small engines.

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Girls on the Run of Central New York will host their 2nd Annual Guys Night Out at Brewery Ommegang on Saturday, April 5 from 6 to 9:30 p.m. This guys-only event is designed to create awareness of the program and to raise funds to support the nonprofit organization that provides a transformational learning program for girls in 3rd-8th grade to unleash confidence through accomplishment while establishing a lifetime appreciation of health and fitness.  More information is available at girlsontheruncny.org.

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