Lawmakers passed budget bills late into the night Friday, finishing off a 168 billion dollar State spending plan, local State Senator Jim Seward comments:
(Seward 4-2-18)
Seward said that the budget also tackles the sexual harassment issue with tougher penalties, and deals with a 4.4 billion dollar deficit.
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Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 34 year old Gary Scofield of the Walton for Criminal Obstruction of Breathing, & Endangering the Welfare of a Child, following an investigation of a domestic incident in Walton. Scofield allegedly applied pressure to the neck of another person during the domestic incident, in the presence of a child less than the age of 17. Scofield was arraigned & was remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $2000 cash bail or $4000 in bond.
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The trial of Jeremy Coates began today in Chenango County Court, Coates is accused of murdering disabled Veteran David Green, by blunt force trauma to the head, in green’s Oxford home in September 2016. Melissa Crispell pleaded guilty last May to 1st degree robbery for her involvement in the crime.
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Governor Cuomo announced the passage of the bill Saturday to prevent gun violence. According to the law, New York citizens convicted of domestic abuse must turn in their rifles, shotguns, and other firearms. The original law only barred abusers from owning pistols or revolvers. Statistics show that perpetrators of domestic violence accounted for about 54% of mass shootings between 2009 and 2016.
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State Police, Johnson City Police & the Broome County District Attorney’s Office are investigating the fatal shooting of 46 year old Erika Smith Cunningham of Binghamton, and the injuring of 2 other people, at 92 Crocker Avenue in Johnson City around 6:30 Sunday morning. Anyone with information related to the shooting should call the Johnson City Police Department at 798-9318.
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State Police reported that several people were killed in a house fire at 2753 State Route 145 in East Durham today. Several Fire departments responded, the road has been closed off & the fire is under investigation, more information will be released pending family notification.
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A Public Scoping Session for the preparation of an environmental impact statement for the Oneonta Rail Yards Project will be conducted on Wednesday at 6:30 pm at Riverside Elementary School in Oneonta, and on Thursday at 6:30 PM at Greater Plains Elementary School. Oneonta City officials are planning to redevelop the railyards for future use & add jobs to the local economy.
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Governor Cuomo and top lawmakers struck a deal late Friday on a $168 billion state budget, bypassing a possible government shutdown.
(Cuomo 4-2-18)
The budget closes a $4.4 billion deficit and it gives employers the option to shift to a payroll tax, to protect employees from the federal tax changes.
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25 year old Joshua Underwood pleaded guilty to 1st-degree manslaughter for the death of Mark Morrison; he was sentenced to 20 years in prison in Otsego County Court on Friday. Underwood called 911 on January 1st 2017 and reported that he had killed Morrison in his Main Street Oneonta apartment; he also tried to set fire to the apartment unsuccessfully to cover up the murder.
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23 year old Kevin Perry of Laurens is facing 2 counts of 1st-degree murder and 2 counts of 2nd-degree murder for the December 12th shooting death of his parents in their Laurens Trailer. Perry was scheduled to go before a judge for a pre-trial conference on Friday, he was presented with a plea deal in exchange for a 25-year prison sentence, Perry is expected to announce his decision on the plea offer at a later date.
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Julian Vancourt-Weis faces charges of attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of a weapon, in connection with an attack on his girlfriend in her Oneonta Apartment December 8th, on Friday he was offered a plea deal in Otsego County Court. Prosecutors offered him a 15 year sentence in exchange for pleading guilty to assault; a decision is expected at a later date.
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