State Police arrested 22-year-old Joel Ramos for unlawfully fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle & other traffic violations and 19-year-old Joenrique Torres, both from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for tampering with physical evidence. The arrests occurred after a pursuit that started when a Chevy HHR failed to stop for speeding and continued southbound on State Route 12 in the Village of Oxford, with Ramos driving at speeds up to 105 miles per hour. Torres is accused of throwing drug paraphernalia out of the car. The pursuit ended after Broome County Sheriff Deputies deployed stop sticks at the Broome and Chenango county line on State Route 12. Ramos and Torres were arraigned in the Town of Oxford court and were remanded to the Chenango County jail on $5,000 cash bail or $20,000 property bond pending court action in the Town of Oxford today. The investigation is continuing & additional charges are pending.
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Firefighters in Walton, Delhi & Trout Creek responded to a fire at about 3:50 this morning on the 2nd floor of 22 Benton Avenue in Walton today. 66-year-old Phillip Kurt was found deceased on the 2nd floor by firefighters, the cause of the fire is under investigation.
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Congressman Chris Gibson announced that he filed a statewide candidate committee this morning at the New York State Board of Elections to explore running for Governor in 2018. The formation of this exploratory committee comes after a year of travel around New York State, attending events in 41 of New York’s 62 counties in the last year. Gibson has set up a new website at gibsonforny.com.
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Governor Cuomo today announced $35.3 million in grants for capital projects at higher education institutions across the state. This funding is from the Higher Education Capital Matching Grant Program, which provides matching grants to private colleges and universities for the construction, rehabilitation or repair of classrooms, laboratories and other facilities. The program requires grantees to match approximately three dollars for every dollar provided by New York State. Locally, Hartwick College will get $500,000 for Renovation of the Anderson Center for the Arts.
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The Sidney Rotary Club will be hosting a heroin-substance abuse awareness night Wednesday night at the Sidney high school. Sidney Rotarian Lorraine Keckeisen is one of the events organizers:

(Lorraine Keckeisen 2-8-16)

Registration is requested at 561-7712 or chaynes@sidneycsd.org. In addition to the raffles & door prizes, those in attendance can hear about the increasing problem of heroin & Opioid addiction in the region from substance abuse experts, Law enforcement officials & one woman has battled substance abuse.
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Governor Cuomo delivered remarks at Chief Judge Janet DiFiore’s swearing-in ceremony at the New York State Court of Appeals in Albany. Chief Judge DiFiore was nominated by Governor Cuomo in December and confirmed by the Senate in January, she is the 2nd female chief judge of the State Highest Court.
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Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 23-year-old Christopher Kern of Walton New York, for aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, unlicensed operator, operating a motor vehicle with defective breaks, operating a motor vehicle with an open container of an alcoholic beverage inside. Deputies say this arrest was a result of a one-car motor vehicle accident in the Town of Hamden, Kern was released on traffic tickets returnable to Hamden Town Court at a later date.

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State Police updated details about the Otsego County 911 call Thursday Morning at Stericycle in Oneonta. 68-year-old John Murphy of Oneonta had attempted to walk between a tractor-trailer and a loading dock, unaware that the vehicle was backing up, and was fatally struck. Otsego County Coroner Terry Knapp ruled the cause of death was severe trauma. The investigation is continuing.
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The Broome County Sheriff’s Office arrested 35-year-old Qulon Cooper of Johnson City Saturday afternoon. Deputies found Cooper to be in possession marijuana, Hydrocodone pills and over 100 packets of heroin. Cooper was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of marijuana, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and a window tint violation. Cooper was arraigned & was taken to the Broome County Jail without bail, pending county court action.
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Governor Cuomo today announced a series of comprehensive regulations to prevent the practice of so-called lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender “conversion therapy,” Governor Cuomo commented at an event in new York City over the weekend:

(Cuomo 2-8-16)

Multi-agency regulations announced today, ban public and private health care insurers from covering the practice in New York State, and also prohibit various mental health facilities across the state from conducting the practice on minors.
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