The Binghamton Court Building was evacuated this morning following a bomb threat. Police & their Canine units were called in shortly after the threat was called in at about 9:00 AM, everyone was allowed back in at about 10:00 AM. The investigation into the source of the bomb threat is continuing.
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A public hearing will be held in Oneonta on March 14th regarding the Town of Oneonta possibly starting their own Volunteer fire department to replace a paid agreement with the City of Oneonta Fire Department. The hearing will be held on march 14th at 6:00 PM at the Elm Park Methodist Church in Oneonta.
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State Police arrested 60 year old Brian Lewis of Gilbertsville for DWI and other traffic violations, after troopers responded to a 1 vehicle rollover crash on Copes Corners Road in the Town of Butternuts. Trropers accuse Lewis of driving while intoxicated when he crashed his vehicle causing it to rollover. His passenger received a hand laceration, and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. Lewis refused to submit to a breath test to determine his blood alcohol content. He was released after arraignment at the Town of Butternuts Court.
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Victims of child sexual abuse in New York say that the political power of the Catholic Church & other institutions is preventing lawmakers from passing a law that would relax one of the nation’s tightest statutes of limitations on filing criminal charges & Lawsuits. One bill would create a 1-year window for lawsuits otherwise barred by the current statutes; opponents claim that provision would cause catastrophic financial harm for institutions that work with children. Governor Cuomo said that he supports the idea of making it easier for child sexual abuse victims to sue.
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3 state run ski resorts are pledging to generate 100% of their energy from renewable resources by 2030. Cuomo is seeking to have the state generate half of its energy form renewable resources like wind & solar by 2030, about 28 million dollars is earmarked for upgrades at Belleayre, Gore & Whiteface in the near future.
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Health care providers are urging lawmakers this week for increased support for community-based services to help uninsured patients. More than 900 community health care supporters were in Albany Monday lobbying for Lawmakers to designate $20 million dollars for clinics that serve about 2 million uninsured New Yorkers in high poverty areas annually.
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Governor Cuomo last week pinned the blame on the state’s high property taxes on the excessive levels of local Governments and is seeking more cooperation & consolidation among municipalities. Local assemblyman Cliff Crouch previously served as the Chenango County Chair of the Board of Supervisors, and said that the Governor’s statement was unwarranted:

(Crouch 3-7-17)

Crouch said that the property taxes have gone up as the state has given less money to counties but continued to pile on costly mandates without sufficient compensation.
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The Next General Clinton Canoe Regatta Meeting will be tonight at the Highway 7 Bar and Grill in Bainbridge. At 6:30 PM the Race Committee Meeting will begin, then at 7:30 PM, the Regular meeting will begin.
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The Oneonta Common Council will hold their next regular meeting tonight. The meeting will begin at 7:00 PM at Oneonta City Hall.
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Last Wednesday, members of the Oneonta Police Department Patrol Division conducted a traffic stop which resulted in the arrest of a passenger in the vehicle. 48 year old Vickie Tolbert of Oneonta was charged with Criminal Contempt & criminal Possession of a controlled substance. Police seized 20 bags of Heroin & 1 gram of Cocaine. Tolbert was held at the city of Oneonta Police Department pending arraignment in the city of Oneonta Court.
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New York State Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs announced that a former employee of Springbrook in Sidney was arrested on charges that she drove an agency vehicle erratically while texting on her phone, jeopardizing the safety of a passenger. 30 year old Christi Swartwout of Sidney is charged with Endangering the Welfare of an Incompetent Person, following an August 2016 incident in which Swartwout was transporting an individual with developmental disabilities when she was observed driving erratically, nearly colliding with other cars. Swartwout was terminated from her position as a Health Care Assistant, she was arraigned in Oneonta City Court and was released on her own recognizance. She is scheduled to reappear in court on March 21.
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State lawmakers are examining the rash of hate crimes across the state. State Senate Democrats are proposing increasing penalties for graffiti on religious properties & desecration of cemeteries. Governor Cuomo is calling for $25 Million Dollars to help religious schools step up security.
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State lawmakers continue to examine proposals in the executive budget plan. The State Assembly is holding hearings on a plan to charge consumers as much as 7.6 Billion dollars over 12 years to bail out 3 aging nuclear power plants. State Senate Democrats are expected to release a college affordability plan shortly; the budget plan is due Aprils 1st.
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