Charter Communications, the parent company of Spectrum cable, was ordered by New York regulators Thursday to pay a $2 million fine for not building out its cable network and expanding high-speed internet service as they promised at the time of their Time Warner cable takeover in 2016. The Public Service Commission also threatened to revoke its approval of the merger if Charter doesn’t agree to the penalty.
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State lawmakers on Wednesday passed a bill to toughen New York’s child sex trafficking laws. The new law would punish anyone over the age of 21 who intentionally promotes or profits from the prostitution of minors with a felony sex trafficking charge, facing up to 25 years behind bars. Currently, prosecutors have to prove minors were forced or coerced into the sex trade to secure a trafficking conviction.
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Governor Cuomo announced a $150 billion infrastructure plan for the next 5 years, starting in 2020. the capital projects would rebuild transportation and mass transit systems, construct affordable housing, build new school buildings for 21st century learning, create new environmental and park facilities, support sustainable energy projects & possibly generate 675,000 jobs.
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Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 37 year old Jarred Cutting of Masonville for 8 counts of Criminal Contempt, for allegedly violating a court order of protection. He was arraigned at the Town of Delhi Court, and was released upon his own recognizance and scheduled to appear before the Town of Delhi Court at a later date.
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The Chenango County Industrial Development agency announced that for the first time in 12 years, commercial freight was shipped on the Utica mainline railroad tracks through Chenango County. Train traffic was halted by washouts from the 2006 floods. The first train consisted of a locomotive pulling 2 flat cars carrying steel beams from the Bull Moose Tube Company of Elkhart Indiana; they were being shipped to Di Highway Sign 7 Structure Company in New York Mills Wednesday.
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Governor Cuomo announced that New York is now home to 1,005 craft beverage manufacturers operating in 60 counties across the state. New York now ranks 2nd in craft distillers, 3rd in breweries, and 4th for the total number of wineries. The Southern Tier led the state with a 600% increase in the number of hard cider producers & has the 2nd most offsite tasting rooms in the state at 18.
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The Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce is holding another Job Fair today will be held at the SUNY Broome Ice center. Dozens of area businesses are participating and hundreds of job seekers are expected to attend. The Job Fair runs from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
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The 2018 Chenango County Dairy Day celebration will be Saturday at the Chenango County Fairgrounds. The day will begin at 10:30AM with a parade in the City of Norwich leading to the Fairgrounds, beginning at the CWS parking lot and proceeding down Maydole Street to the Fair grounds.
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The City of Oneonta will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, at 7:00 pm at Council Chambers, City Hall, 258 Main Street, Oneonta, for public comments on the City’s community development needs, and to discuss the possible submission of one or more Community Development Block Grant applications for the 2018 program year. The City is currently considering a grant application for $230,000 for Nick’s Diner on Chestnut Street that will result in the creation of 15.5 full time equivalent jobs.
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After decades of allegations of corruption & ineffectiveness surrounding New York’s Economic Development programs, The Assembly Minority Conference called for immediate Assembly action on bills aimed at improving the transparency and effectiveness of those programs, Assemblyman Cliff Crouch commented:

(Cliff Crouch 6-13-18)

1 Assembly bill seeks to provide stronger oversight of taxpayer-funded programs, enact penalties for missing reporting deadlines, as well as require a comprehensive review of economic development programs and the tax code, and prohibit political contributions to appointing authorities. It also calls for the creation of an Advisory Committee made up of the comptroller, the attorney general and the director of the Division of the Budget.
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There will be a Federal Primary Election on Tuesday, June 26th; Polls will be open from 12:00 Noon to 9:00 PM. Those registered in the Democratic Party will chose a candidate for the 19th congressional district race, as will the Women’s Equality Party. June 19th is the last day an absentee ballot application may be mailed to the Board of Elections. June 25th is the last day to apply in person for an absentee ballot and the last day to mail a completed ballot to the Board of Elections. June 26th is the last day for a ballot to be delivered by agent to the Board of Elections. More information is available at 832-5321 Voters can view sample ballots at the Board of Elections website: co.delaware.ny.us.
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