President Trump signed Congressman Anthony Brindisi’s Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2019 to preserve critical VA housing and travel programs set to expire at the end of September. Brindisi’s legislation makes technical corrections to VA statute and extends key programs for a 2-year extension of authority to fund financial assistance for supportive services for very low-income Veteran families in permanent housing, plus 1 year extensions of the VA’s authority to temporarily expand payments and allowances for travel in connection with Veterans receiving care from vet centers.

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U.S. Senator Charles Schumer, & Congressmen Paul Tonko and Antonio Delgado held a press conference today to unveil plans on limousine safety; 1 day after the NTSB released their findings regarding the October 6th 2018 limousine crash that killed 20 in Schoharie County.  The NTSB report recommendations are to require lap/shoulder belts for each passenger in a seated position on all new vehicles modified to be used as limousines. The NTSB also said that the Schoharie crash was not survivable for the limousine driver; limousine Owner Nauman Hussein is facing 20 counts of 2nd degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.

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Governor Cuomo announced that new state figures show the number of new HIV diagnoses has dropped to an all-time low since the peak of the epidemic in the 80’s.   New York had 2,481 new HIV diagnoses last year, which was a 28% drop from 2014.  32,000 New Yorkers filled at least 1 prescription of pre-exposure prophylaxis last year, up 32% from the year before

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The Otsego County Board of Representatives approved a resolution urging the State Parole board to deny parole for David Dart, who was convicted of murdering Gillian Gibbons in the lower level for the Oneonta Municipal Parking Garage in 1989.  The resolution also supports a bill co-sponsored by state Senator Jim Seward, to allow the parole board to decide to hold hearings every 5 years, instead of every 2 years for those convicted of the most violent offenses

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The 17th Annual Sidney Alumni Sports Hall of Fame Induction weekend will start Friday with a ceremony at halftime of the Sidney Windsor Football game, followed by a Saturday Dinner at the Sidney Elks Lodge, Hall of Fame Committee Chairman Greg Davie told WCDO who is being inducted:

(Greg Davie 10-3-19)

Tickets for the Saturday Dinner are still available at 643-5728.

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The New York Apple Association predicted that New York Apple farmers will produce between 31 & 34 million bushels this year.  New York is the 2nd largest producer of apples nationwide, 2nd to Washington State; more information is available at applesfromny.com.

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State Police investigated a tar Truck Fire on Calder Hill Road in Otego Sunday.  Otego Firefighters put the fire out quickly, the unidentified driver escaped without injury & no tickets will be issued.

SUNY Oneonta University Police believe that the reported threat of violence on campus Wednesday afternoon was the result of a cyber-crime and posed no actual danger.  A New York City crisis hotline contacted SUNY Oneonta to share a chat message allegedly from a student of the college, that indicated that the caller intended to shoot people on campus, officials deemed the threat to be credible and issued a shelter-in-place directive at 5:30 PM, it was dropped at 6:15 after a student reported to Oneonta Police that her phone had been hacked & she was working with the college’s IT staff to correct it.  University Police are investigating the incident along with Oneonta Police, Otsego County law enforcement officials, State Police, New York City Police and the FBI.

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The Leadership Chenango Kick-off Dinner will be held at the Northeast Classic Car Museum, at 24 Rexford Street, in Norwich.   Commerce Chenango CEO Steve Craig explains the purpose of the 6 month program:

(Steve Craig 10-3-19)

The Keynote Speaker will be John Mitchell, Former President & CEO, of I.L. Richer Company; the event begins at 5:00.

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UHS Chenango Memorial will receive a $100,000 campaign gift from the Chenango Memorial Hospital Auxiliary.  The commitment of $100,000 will be paid over 5 years; the capital campaign will support construction of a new Emergency Room and Walk-In Center, as well as strategic investments in Diagnostic Imaging and infrastructure to support the growth of future services.