P.M. NEWS MONDAY 12-26-22

Erie County Officials announced this morning that the death toll form the Christmas weekend snowstorm in the Buffalo region, has killed 36 people so far. 400 National Guard members have been sent to Buffalo to assist in the rescue & clean up, after 4 feet of snow fell, several miles of the New York State Thruway were closed in Western New York.

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More than 1,900 New Yorkers are set to receive benefits as part of the final round of payments from the state’s historic Excluded Workers Fund. Nearly $30 million will be sent before the end of the year. In total, more than 130,000 EWF applications have been approved and, minus administrative costs, the entirety of the $2.1 billion fund will soon be distributed to eligible New Yorkers. More information is available at dol.ny.gov.

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Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation that will protect consumers from scammers by requiring businesses give notice of potential scams when selling gift cards. The new Legislation amends the general business law to require that retailers selling gift cards also post a notice cautioning customers of gift card scams and providing information on what to do if they believe they may be a victim of such a scam.

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Attorney General Letitia James cautioned consumers and businesses of price gouging of children’s painkillers and fever reducers as demand increases for those medications due to this year’s “tripledemic” of COVID-19, RSV, and the flu. The Attorney General is aware of reports of children’s medication being sold online and in stores at prices two or three times their retail value. New Yorkers should report potential concerns about price gouging to the Attorney General’s Office by filing a complaint online or calling 1-800-771-7755.

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A new law requires telemarketers to give customers the option to be added to their do-not-call list immediately after the telemarketer says their name and company. The new law passed in the Legislature this year and was signed by Governor Hochul, it goes into effect on March 6th of 2023.

A.M. NEWS MONDAY 12-26-22

Oneonta Fire Department responded Sunday afternoon at about 12:30 PM, to a full involved Trailer fire at 24 Oneida Street. Oneonta was assisted by fire fighters from West Oneonta, Worcester, Franklin, Otego, Laurens & Milford Fire Departments, more details are expected to be released shortly.

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