36 year old James Brower of Norwich appeared in court this morning in Norwich, he is charged with 1st degree murder, for the murder of 11 year Jacelyn O’Connor of Morris Sunday in Norwich. Chenango County District Attorney Joseph McBride stated that the autopsy revealed that the cause of death was Asphyxiation by smothering, after Brower allegedly raped the girl in his residence. Brower was returned to the Chenango County jail without bail, pending a further court action next Tuesday.
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State Senator Jim Seward and Assemblyman Cliff Crouch renewed their objection to the recent closure of the New York s State Division of Veterans’ Affairs office in Sidney, Assemblyman Crouch told WCDO news that, with the assistance of the Town of Sidney, they have reached agreement with the Tri-Town Regional Hospital to provide office space at no cost:

(Crouch 8-3-17)

The previous Veterans Affairs satellite office in the Sidney Civic Center had been open 2 days per week; the office was closed earlier this year following the sale of the Civic Center to a private developer. A final decision regarding the Hospital offer should be made shortly.
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The Town of Sidney announced that they have acquired the former Mang Insurance – Mirabito Holdings building 44 Grand Street in Downtown Sidney. Sidney Town Supervisor Gene Pigford explains:

(Gene Pigford 8-3-17)

The Town offices were previously located at the Sidney Civic Center and in Tri Town Regional Hospital, the Civic Center was sold to a private developer with plans for Senior housing, the Hospital building is being targeted by Bassett Hospital for expansion of services, forcing the town to seek one central location.
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Governor Cuomo announced that 850 solar projects have been installed or are in development in communities across New York State through the second round of locally organized “Solarize” campaigns. The Solarize program is part of the State’s Clean Energy Standard, which requires that 50% of the electricity should come from renewable sources by 2030. In the Southern Tier there are 30 solar projects either completed or are being planned.
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State Police arrested 39-year-old Kareem Buckley of Hempstead Long Island, after troopers observed a BMW speeding on State Route 17, in the town of Hancock Tuesday. Buckley and his passenger 39 year old Vernon McDaniel of queens did not have valid driving licenses, a vehicle search resulted in the discovery & seizure of 14 pounds of marihuana. Buckley was arrested for Criminal Possession of Marihuana & traffic violations; he was arraigned and was remanded to the Delaware County jail on $50,000 cash bail or $100,000 bond. McDaniel was arrested for Unlawful possession of Marihuana and was issued a ticket to the town of Hancock court on a later date.
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The Binghamton Rumble Ponies announced that the Eastern League has selected Binghamton to host the 2020 All-Star Game at NYSEG Stadium. The multi-day event will feature the top prospects in the Eastern League Additional information about the events comprising Binghamton’s 2020 Eastern League All-Star Game will be made available at a later date. Binghamton hosted the Double-A All-Star Game in 1994, but has never hosted the Eastern League classic.
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U.S. Senator Charles Schumer addressed a tick-borne threat; known as the Lone Star tick leaves patients unable to eat red meat without a severe allergic reaction. He said tick-borne illnesses, including Lyme disease are being “neglected” by the National Institutes of Health.
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Governor Cuomo announced that over $5.2 million dollars in wages and interest were returned to 2,285 workers state wide through June as a result of prevailing wage enforcement efforts by the State Department of Labor. In addition, more than $307,560 in civil penalties has been assessed against employers who violated prevailing wage law and 34 individuals or business entities have been barred with doing business with New York State since the beginning of the year. In the Southern Tier, over $390,000 was recovered for 188 workers who were not paid in full.
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State Police are conducting a week-long enforcement initiative to crack down on speeding and aggressive drivers across the state. The “Speed Week” campaign runs through next Tuesday, Speeding is listed as a contributing factor in nearly 1/3rd of all fatal crashes in the State. During Speed Week, Troopers will be using both marked State Police vehicles and concealed identity traffic enforcement vehicles as part of the operation.
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The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a Board of Education Meeting today in the District Conference Room at 6:30 PM. The business portion of the meeting will start at 7:00 PM.