P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 1-16-14

28-year-old Jennifer Morris of east branch has been remanded to the Delaware county jail for violating the terms of probation for falsely reporting an incident last year.  Morris is accused of getting onto a social media site with a cell phone last week, she was arrested last year for claiming that there was a bomb at the Walton Central School last September.

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On the 1-year anniversary of the passing of the New York safe act, gun control groups and Democratic Lawmakers said that the state should not stop at the law passed last year.  State legislators against Illegal Guns-NY said that they want legislation that additional safety of gun storage for those with children, requires all semi-automatic handguns that puts a code on each spent shell casing, called micro-stamping, and limit buyers to 1 handgun purchase a month.  Republicans that control the state senate are unlikely to support those proposals.

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U.S. Senator Charles Schumer said that the federal funding for low income heating assistance would increase by $169 million dollars in the coming fiscal year, to a total of 3.4 billion dollars.  Schumer said had called on the appropriators to raise the funding following the extreme low temperatures earlier this month.  New York families whose income are 150% of the federal poverty level or lower are eligible, more information is available at otda.ny.gov.

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13% of New York schools face some degree of fiscal distress with several having significant financial problems, according to a report from state comptroller tom DiNapoli, who warned that schools are dealing with budget deficits, limited revenue and depleted reserve funds.  The report showed that the struggles were worse among upstate schools, it can found at osc.state.ny.us.

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New York’s senators reported that 33.7 million dollars for the national stream gauge network is included in appropriations before congress.  Senators Schumer & Gillibrand said the 6 million dollar increase in funding would help strengthen gauges in upstate counties that provide flood warnings during severe weather.  The senators said that the money would help the US Geological survey keep existing gauges online and allow the ISGS to add more gauges in the high-risk flood zones in the upstate regions.

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SUNY Delhi has received national recognition for their online nursing program.  The 2014 edition of US News & World report, SUNY Delhi is at the top of the list for the best bachelor’s program, the program started 5 years ago when enrollment was projected to be around 50 students, the number has risen to 750.  SUNY Delhi was also recently approved for the 1st graduate program for a master’s in science for nursing.

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A.M. NEWS FRIDAY 1-17-14

A presentation on New York shale gas potential will be held later today at The Foothills Performing Arts Center at 24 Market Street, Oneonta.  A number of experts in the field will speak at tonight’s forum, which will begin at 7:00 PM, it is free & open to the public.

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State Senator Jim Seward will be in Delaware County today for the weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of Sidney.  Seward will highlight his top priorities for the new legislative session, the meeting will begin at 12:00 Noon at Saint Lukes Church at 139 West Main Street in Sidney.

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UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital in Norwich is expanding hours for UHS Primary Care, after taking on new primary care providers. A Saturday morning convenience clinic is expected to open January 18th at 4 Newton Avenue in Norwich, with hours from 9:00 AM to Noon. The clinic will serve both pediatric and adult patients by appointment. UHS Primary Care practices will also expand office hours in some locations to allow earlier morning and later evening appointments.

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The “Oneonta area for public information” will be holding a 2nd forum in Oneonta tomorrow,  as parents, administrators & Teachers have concerns about a series of new programs & tests for students & teachers, that have been implemented over the last couple of years.  Danielle Boudet  is the Founder of the group:

 

(Danielle Boudet 1-17-14)

 

The forum will be held at 2:00 PM Saturday at the Oneonta High School auditorium, and all  are welcome to attend.

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The Cancer Services Program of Delaware, Otsego and Schoharie counties will offer free health screenings to women 40 and older who are uninsured.  Bassett Cancer Institute’s mobile screening coach will be in Sidney on Wednesday, February 12th at 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Price Chopper in Sidney.  appointments can be made at 1-888-345-0225.

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A.M. NEWS THURSDAY 1-16-14

State Senator Jim Seward is calling for the passage of the
“NY Jobs for Heroes Program” to support service-connected disabled veteran owned small businesses.  Seward commented about the bill:

 

(Seward 1-16-14)

 
The legislation mirrors a successful federal program used in 40 other states. The senate has repeatedly passed the bill since its introduction in 2007, and Governor Cuomo offered his support for the concept during his recent State of the State address.

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THE CHENANGO COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE ARRESTED 59-YEAR-OLD Michele Brazee of NEW BERLIN FOR DWI, following a 1-car ACCIDENT IN THE TOWN OF NEW BERLIN on January 11th.  Deputies responded to the report of a vehicle striking a house, Brazee is accused of driving while intoxicated when she went off the road and struck a house about 200 feet from the roadway.  BRAZEE was found to be driving with a BAC of twice the legal limit; she was processed, and released to a sober 3rd party, pending future court action.

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P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 1-15-14

A group from the Circle Drive Alliance Church in Sidney, will be holding fundraisers so that 13 of them can go to Peru, to assist with Children who are stuck living at a garbage dump.  Mission Director Megan Owens explains:

 

(Megan Owens 1-15-14)

 

Owens said that the trip would be for 10 days at the end of July into early August, the next fundraiser would be a Pie Auction on January 24th at the Circle Drive Alliance Church at 6:30 PM; more information is available at 437-5799.

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New York’s new restrictions on ammunition sales took effect today, requiring all sellers to register with state police and buyers to appear in person to get bullets. It’s part of the New York Safe Act law passed a year ago by Governor Cuomo & the legislature.  The law requires transactions to take place in person & it even includes Internet sales, which will require the face-to-face involvement of a New York-licensed seller. The law will also require retailers to record sales and do background checks on buyers as required now for gun sales once a state database is operating.

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State police arrested 33-year-old Lamar Jones of Laurens for 3rd degree assault.  The arrest resulted from a dispute at the Valley View Trailer Park on County Road 11 in Laurens, where Jones is accused of punching & injuring an unidentified victim.  Jones was arraigned in the Town of Laurens Court and remanded to the Otsego County Jail in lieu of $1,000 cash bail.  An order of protection was issued by the court

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Thousands took to the State Capitol Tuesday to call on Governor Cuomo to increase school aid. They want Cuomo to increase school aid by $1.9 billion, which they say will not only address equality issues for smaller schools but also support Pre-K classes.

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The Chenango County Sheriff’s Department arrested a 14 Year old Oxford Youth for 1st degree Sexual Abuse & 1st degree Criminal Sexual Act 1st Degree.   The unidentified youth was charged for allegedly subjecting a child under the age of 11 to sexual contact. The youth was issued a juvenile appearance ticket and released to reappear at Chenango County Probation Department.

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New Yorkers have contributed more than $51 million for worthy causes through check-offs on their personal income tax forms, but these funds often sit unused, according to a report issued today by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. More than $14 million has accumulated in 6 check-off funds, with nearly 90% of that for health-related causes including breast cancer, prostate cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.  DiNapoli’s report found that spending from the 6 dedicated funds with accumulated balances has declined in the last 5 years; a copy of the report is available at visit osc.state.ny.us.

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Consumer confidence fell in every region of the state during the last three months of 2013 according to Siena College. New York City consumers expressed the most optimism heading into 2014, while the Binghamton region showed the most pessimism. Every region of the state showed a decline over the fourth quarter of 2013 compared to 2012, while each portion of the state outside of Long Island dipped from the 3rd quarter to the 4th quarter of last year.

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The Cancer Services Program of Delaware, Otsego and Schoharie counties will offer free health screenings to women 40 and older who are uninsured. The Bassett Cancer Institute’s mobile screening coach will be available Wednesday, February 19th from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM Walton Family Planning, 130 North Street, Walton.  Appointments can be made at 1-888-345-0225 for your appointment.

 

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A.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 1-15-14

The “Oneonta Area for Public Education” will be holding their 2nd forum this Saturday in Oneonta, as Parents, Administrators & Teachers have concerns about a series of new Programs & Tests for students, that were implemented over the last couple of years.  Danielle Boudet of Morris is the founder of the group:

 

(Danielle Boudet 1-15-14)

 

The next forum will be held Saturday at 2:00 PM at the Oneonta High School Auditorium.

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The Sidney Landowners Coalition announced that Acting Supreme Court Justice John Lambert has ruled to invalidate the Town of Sidney’s  1 year Gas Drilling Moratorium.  The Law was approved by only 3 of the 5 member Town Board, attorneys for the coalition argued that their decision required a super majority vote of 4 or 5 members, as the County planning Board disapproved the law, and the protest petition from the owners of more than 20% of the town land was presented to the Town Board.  The Sidney Town Board is allowed to appeal the decision.

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Commerce Chenango will hold their next “Business After Hours” Program today, with Preferred Mutual Insurance Company.  The event will take place at 1 Preferred Way in New Berlin between 5:00 and 7:00 PM.

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P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 1-14-14

The murder trial of 33-year-old Michael Buck is scheduled to begin July 7th in Otsego County Court. Buck is alleged to have killed his father, 64-year-old Joe Buck in an incident September 21st in their Middlefield home. Buck received a bullet wound to his face, and Police reported that 2 handguns were involved in the incident. Buck is charged with 2nd degree murder, 1st degree criminal assault, criminal use of a firearm and 2 counts of 3rd degree criminal weapons possession

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62-year-old Barry Renert faces an Otsego county grand jury today, for the alleged attack on Cooperstown shopkeeper Vincent Carfagno, at the “7th Inning Stretch” on December 23rd.  Renert was charged with 2nd degree burglary after he was returned to New York, following his capture in Richmond Virginia.  Renert is being held in the Otsego county jail on $500,00 cash bail or $1 Million dollars bond.

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Governor Cuomo said New York hopes to pick the developers and sites for 4 upstate casinos, and he hopes to get the process going shortly:

 

(Cuomo 1-14-14)

 

Cuomo said that the state Gaming Commission will pick the five-member siting board that will put out requests for proposals on the upstate casinos, the 4 casinos would be placed in the Southern Tier, the Albany area and in the Catskills.

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Governor Cuomo has signed a bill to establish a new state license for providers of applied behavior analysis services to individuals with autism spectrum disorder. The new law will help individuals and families find quality providers that have met stringent academic and training requirements, while also ensuring State regulation and continuing oversight of these providers, who work closely with a vulnerable population.

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Delaware County Economic Development announced that several successful Delaware County projects; will receive funding through the state’s  Consolidated Funding Applications. Greene Lumber’s electric capacity enhancements, the redevelopment of the former Wissahickon facility, and the Village of Walton’s Main Street Revitalization Program are all receiving funding, through the program, which allows for applicants to seek funding from several agencies by completing one application.  More information is available at the County’s Economic Development website at www.dcecodev.com or by calling 746-8595.

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Beginning this month, a new law is in effect regarding screening infants for Congenital Heart Defects.  The law stipulates that all newborns will be screened; the test only involves a small sensor on the baby’s foot to measure the amount of oxygen in the blood.

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Governor Cuomo today announced nearly $21 million would be available for New York’s dairy farmers by helping them to produce renewable energy and improve their business operations. The funding will help dairy farmers convert farm waste to energy and develop individualized business and environmental plans to reduce operating costs and increase profitability. The funding for these efforts stem from recommendations made at the Yogurt Summit in 2012.  Funding for the Dairy Acceleration Program will be increased by $850,000, in addition to the $1 million announced by the Governor this past August. More information is available at  ansci.cornell.edu.

 

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A.M. NEWS TUESDAY 1-14-14

State police announced that the autopsy on 29 year old Christopher Gonzalez showed that he died from Hypothermia.  Gonzalez was wanted by police for questioning into last week’s burglaries at Mayhood’s Sporting Goods in Norwich.  State police also said that all of the guns stolen from Maywood’s have been retrieved.  Police are ruling Gonzalez’s death as accidental, his girlfriend, 25 year old Brandy Bousson of Norwich is being held in the Chenango county Jail on 3rd degree burglary charges for her alleged part in the Mayhood’s case.

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NY State of Health released demographic enrollment data on the more than 230,000 New Yorkers who enrolled in health plans through December 24th for those whose coverage started this month.  The statistics show that close to half of enrollees were previously uninsured, enrollment occurred in every county in the state and across all health plans, and a mix of age groups.  The open enrollment period for individuals runs through March 31st.

 

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P.M. NEWS MONDAY 1-13-14

New York State may adopt a medical marijuana program this year, where the drug could be administered in a pilot program through 20 hospitals.  Governor Cuomo commented during the state of the state address last week:

 

(Cuomo 1-13-14)

 

State senator Tom Libous of Binghamton disagrees with the initial proposal:

 

(Libous 1-13-14)

 

The Democratic led state assembly has passed medical marijuana bills in the past; it has always failed to pass in the Republican controlled state senate.

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The state Legislature starts its 2014 session in earnest this week. Lawmakers return to Albany today and tomorrow for session days. The Republican-dominated coalition in charge of the Senate will issue a report on hearings lawmakers held across the state on New York’s regulatory climate. Democrats in control of the Assembly have already introduced legislation to speed implementation of a $9 an hour minimum wage by the end of the year, a full year ahead of schedule.

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Delaware County Deputies arrested 41-year-old Michelle Wright of Margaretville for 2 counts of 4th degree Grand Larceny, Criminal possession of stolen property, & Criminal impersonation.  Wright was arraigned and was remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $500 cash bail.  Wright is accused of using a credit card that did not belong to her and charged in excess of $1,000 dollars on that card.  She is due back in the Town of Roxbury Court on January 15th.

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Shortly after 11:30 am the Norwich Fire Department responded to a fire alarm activation at the DCMO BOCES Chenango campus. Norwich units arrived on scene and found the building evacuated with no smoke or flames showing, firefighters found a small fire in a bathroom that was quickly put out.

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Governor Cuomo has nominated Richard Ball as the next Commissioner of the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.  Ball operates a farm & retail business in Schoharie County, he faces state senate approval prior to taking the position. Ball replaces Darrel Aubertine, who had been the commissioner since 2011.

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Governor Cuomo signed legislation that authorizes local municipalities to adopt their own laws regulating or licensing pet dealers. The “Puppy Mill” Bill was passed by the legislature at the tail end of the 2013 session, previously, state law blocked local governments from enacting their own pet dealer laws. The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets will continue to enforce existing state laws pertaining to animal care by pet dealers.

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New York State’s 64-campus university system is undertaking a virtual expansion, adding new online degree programs, and enhancing academic and technical support for students taking classes via computer. The State University of New York goes live Tuesday with eight new online degree programs at six campuses and plans to add more in September. SUNY currently offers more than 12,000 courses and 150-degree programs online. For more information go to opensuny.org.

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New York would have the toughest texting-while-driving penalties in the nation under a proposal by Governor Cuomo. The governor pitched a law that would suspend the driver’s license for 1 year, for those under age 21 caught texting while driving. Currently, there is a 6-month suspension for teens caught texting while driving.  Cuomo also proposed revoking licenses for 5 years, for drivers with 2 drunk-driving convictions in a 3-year period and full revocation of driver’s licenses for those with 3 convictions. Currently, 2 DWI’s within 10 years leads to a minimum 1-year suspension.

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