State Police received a report of a robbery at the Express Mart at 16 North Road in Windsor. A male suspect handed a note to a clerks demanding money, 2 clerks retreated to the rear of the store and the suspect fled the scene. On Sunday, Police arrested 29-year-old Brandon Birch of Harpursville for Attempted Robbery; Birch was also arrested on an active parole warrant as Birch for violating the conditions of his parole from a conviction for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance. Birch was arraigned and was remanded to the Broome County Jail without bail.
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State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman today announced that 47 states and the District of Columbia have reached a $18.5 million settlement with the Target Corporation to resolve the states’ investigation into the retail company’s 2013 data breach, which affected more than 41 million customer payment card accounts and exposed contact information for more than 60 million customers. The agreement represents the largest multistate data breach settlement achieved to date and will bring $635,224.33 to New York State. Details are available at ag.ny.gov.
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State Police have issued an AMBER Alert for a child abduction in Cattaraugus County this morning. 12-year-old McKenzie Wilson was abducted at about 5:00 AM in Lyndon by 18-year-old Joshua Monette and 16-year-old John Harvey, they are believed to be armed with handguns, & are driving a stolen red Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck heading east, with New York license number CXA 5836. McKenzie Wilson is a White female, is about 12 years old, with straight, blonde hair and blue eyes, about 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs about 100 pounds. The suspect Monette is a White male, approximately 18 years old with short, black hair and brown eyes, approximately 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighs about 140 pounds, Harvey is a White male, approximately 16 years old with brown hair. Anyone with any information is asked to call (866) NYS-AMBER or 911.
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The Greater Afton Chamber of Commerce has announced their winners of the Citizen of the Year & Business of the Year, President John Hinman comments:

(John Hinman 5-23-17)

Hinman said that the event would be held Sunday June 4th at the Fireman’s building at the Afton Fairgrounds, from 3:00 to 5:00 PM.
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The Village of Sidney’s Memorial Day Parade will have a different route this year. Officials with the Sidney American Legion said that the parade would form at the Downtown Great American Parking lot; they will leave at 9:00 AM, & will march to the Sidney Bridge & Library for a ceremony & then continue down River Street to the Veterans Memorial Park to lay another wreath.
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Chenango County Officials announced that sometime this afternoon, State Highway 12 south of Sherburne will be closed for up to one hour. This closure will be related to the movement of an oversized/overweight load, and the need to reinforce a bridge for weight distribution just south of the village. Officials said that they were unsure of the exact time for the closure.

The city of Oneonta is getting ready for a large downtown makeover, after winning 10 million dollars last year through the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, Mayor Gary Herzig comments:

(Gary Herzig 5-23-17)

The winning projects include The Westcott Lot Development on Main Street, a Fund for Small Business Revolving Loans and Sign Grants, the plan to improve Housing, the development of a New Transit Hub and a Parking Garage Renovation, plus a Muller Plaza Passageway, a Water Street Boardwalk, as well as Market Street and South Main Street Improvements, and for marketing of the Downtown region.
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Lawmakers are debating whether to add Electronic Cigarettes to the state’s ban on smoking in workplaces, bars & restaurants. The state Assembly has already endorsed the idea; a similar bill has been introduced in the State Senate. New York banned indoor smoking in 2003, in 2012 state lawmakers voted to ban the sale of e-cigarettes to anyone under the age of 18.
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Farm Workers are expected to rally in Albany today for the right to unionize. State law currently prohibits farm workers from being able to organize, which workers say leads to harsh conditions & poor treatment; they are urging lawmakers to repeal the law.
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