New York Farm Bureau will hold their 59th State Annual Meeting today & tomorrow at the Desmond Hotel in Albany. Delegates from 52 county Farm Bureaus will gather to debate and vote on public policy resolutions, there will be educational opportunities for members, recognition of distinguished leaders past and present, a benefit auction for the NYFB Foundation for Agricultural Education and special remarks from agricultural leaders. Elections will also be held for state director positions.
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Businesses in New York have benefited from the economic recovery, but workers in the state have not benefited as much, according to a Fiscal Policy Institute study. The report states that New York businesses saw profits rise by an average of 61-percent between 2001 and 2013. But workers in the state saw wages increase less than half as much, just 29 percent, in the same time period.
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The fourth Cal Harris’ fourth murder trial is expected to begin March 28, and the trial will be moved from the Schoharie County Court to the state Supreme Court in Schoharie County. Judge Richard Mott was assigned to the case in a decision by the state’s Third Judicial District. The 3rd trial was presided over by Schoharie County judge George Bartlett, it ended in a mistrial, and Harris was convicted twice in Tioga County Court for murdering his estranged wife Michelle around September 11th 2001.
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The anti-bullying “Sweethearts & Heroes” presentation with professional MMA fighter and Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Tom Murphy will be presented to Oxford Academy Middle school students Wednesday. Beginning at 12:15 & again at 1:40 PM. Oxford Middle School principal Kathleen Hansen explains:

(Kathleen Hansen 12-8-15)

Principal Hansen also said that Broome County Area Native Rick Yarosh will gives a message about overcoming adversity and turning a negative situation into a positive one, Yarosh is familiar to many area residents, he is a retired sergeant with the U.S. Army from Windsor, who was injured in Iraq with burns over most of his body, more information is available at sweetheartsandheroes.org or on their facebook page.
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area performer & music teacher Dana LaCroix has been volunteering with the Garden Groove Project in Binghamton where urban children learning about gardening and growing food. LaCroix decided to get her music students involved in a project to raise money for the Garden Groove Project, she told WCDO news ABOUT IT:

(Dana LaCroix 12-8-15)

LaCroix also said that the The Garden Groove Kids will perform at the Oneonta Boys and Girls Club Christmas Party, at 70 River Street, Oneonta this Saturday, December 12th, at 1:00 pm. The event is organized by First Night Oneonta, where download cards will be on sale to help raise funds for this project. more information is available at GardenGroove.org.
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Area Resident Gene Schmidt is coordinating the 3rd Christmas Community Dinner on Christmas Day at the Sacred Heart Parish Center on Liberty Street in Sidney, for anyone interested. Schmidt said that so need volunteers & donations:

(Gene Schmidt 11-8-15)

Schmidt said that last year theyserved about 250 dinners on Christmas day.
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Governor Cuomo announced the launch of the Employee Training Incentive Program, that will incentivize employers to provide skills training for their employees that upgrades, retrains or improves the productivity of their workforce, by providing tax credits to help offset the cost of training. Tax credits will be awarded for costs associated with eligible training programs for current and new employees or for internship programs for current students, recent graduates, and recent members of the armed forces, and are issued after training is completed. The Application can be accessed at apps.cio.ny.gov.
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New York Farm Bureau members along with the Food Bank Association of New York State announced today that 11.6 million pounds of food and farm products have been donated by New York Farm Bureau members this year through the month of November. That translates to nearly 10 million meals being provided to New Yorkers in need. And with a month to go in the donation effort, the large number is expected to climb. In addition, the New York Farm Bureau Young Farmers Committee gave a $200 contribution today to the Food Bank Association of New York State.