Bidding has been opened up for a casino in the Southern Tier by the state Gaming Commission. The commission chose only 3 casino bids instead of 4 in December, bypassing the Southern Tier entirely, in favor of a casino to be placed in Seneca County, about 85 mile north of the region. Governor Cuomo requested that the commission re-open the bidding process for a southern tier casino; Tioga Downs in Nichols would be considered a front-runner for that southern tier casino.
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State Police arrested 54-year-old Scott Wade of Binghamton in connection with 2 bank robberies that occurred on November 14, 2012 and November 28, 2012 at the First Niagara Bank, in Conklin. Wade has been indicted by a Broome County Grand Jury on 2 counts of 3rd degree Robbery; he was arraigned in Broome County Court & was remanded to the Broome County Jail without bail.
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The Governor and the legislative leaders are in the midst of ongoing budget discussions, which have intensified as the budget deadline approaches. Governor Cuomo repeated that ethics reform is a top priority and that he wouldn’t sign a budget without ethics reform legislation included. The Assembly leadership agreed with the Governor’s ethics package, the state senate has not yet agreed with the Governor’s plans for ethics reform. The push for the reforms followed yet another arrest of a top-level state lawmaker, when Sheldon Silver was arrested in February on federal corruption charges.
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State Senator Jim Seward announced senate passage of a legislation that targets criminals who stage auto accidents & fake injuries in order to collect on false insurance claims.

(Seward 3-24-15)

The bill is named after Alice Ross of Queens, who died in a staged accident in 2003; Assemblyman David Weprin of Queens sponsors the bill in the state assembly.
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The Cooperstown girl’s basketball team won their 1st New York state Class c title in school history last Sunday in Albany, by defeating Northern Adirondack 61-34. The team was welcomed back into town with a Main Street Parade, Lady Hawkeye’s Head Coach Mike Niles comments:

(Mike Niles 3-24-15)

Cooperstown graduates only 1 senior from this year’s team that finished with a record of 25-1. The full interview of Coach Niles with WCDO Sports Director Nate Lull can be heard at WCDOSPORTS.COM.
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The Upstate New York rock group Orleans will perform at the Chevy Court at the New York State Fair at 2:00 PM on Friday, August 28th. Officials said that former members of the Southern Rock Band Little Feat would join Orleans. Orleans was formed in Woodstock in 1972, and had major hits in the 70’s with “Dance With Me,” “Love Takes Time,” and “Still the One”. The Fair has previously announced Chevy Court shows with Everclear & Rick Springfield on August 27th, The Oak Ridge Boys, September 1st & Meghan Trainor on September 3rd.
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