New York
Related: About this forumUpstate New York News Thread Aug 25.
Inspector general faults NYRA's ex-CEO, host of others
Report confirms preliminary findings that payout miscues result of system
By James M. Odato
Albany
In a long-awaited report that spreads blame broadly among the New York Racing Association's current and former officers and board members as well as consultants and state regulators, the state inspector general has found that $7.4 million in fees improperly taken by NYRA from horse racing bets was the result of many people failing to perform their duties and the former head of NYRA being derelict of his.
Twenty-eight months after being asked by the state's Franchise Oversight Board to investigate the 15 months that NYRA improperly overcharged bettors, Inspector General Catherine Leahy Scott described the episode as an inexcusable subversion of public trust.
http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Inspector-general-faults-NYRA-s-ex-CEO-host-of-5709738.php
As a reminder very local upstate news will be placed in this thread with at least a paragraph or two unless the article is very short or if I can't find out who exactly wrote it.
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hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Kenneth C. Crowe II
Troy
Two key city economic development organizations will have a new chairman after going for six months with the top posts empty.
Kevin O'Bryan, a retired banker, is expected to be confirmed as chairman of the Troy Industrial Development Authority when the City Council meets Sept. 4.
With the IDA appointment comes the chairmanship of the Troy Local Development Corp. Both positions are unpaid.
http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Retired-banker-to-lead-Troy-IDA-5709353.php
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Jim Krencik jkrencik@batavianews.com
ALBION — Orleans County legislators are moving away from a policy that showed the costs of state mandates and selected local services on county tax bills.
According to the agenda for the Legislature’s 4:30 p.m. Wednesday meeting, the county will set a Sept. 24 public hearing to repeal the Local Law No. 4 of 2011.
The 2011 local law added what legislators described as “Truth in Taxation” by putting a personalized connection to the costs for Medicaid, social welfare and legal defense programs.
http://www.thedailynewsonline.com/news/article_e7f27b64-2c06-11e4-8fe3-0019bb2963f4.html
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Julie Sherwood
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that $47.8 million in federal dollars will go to strengthen 20 bridges that cross water and are vulnerable to foundation erosion in statewide.
None of the bridges getting funds is in Ontario, Yates, Wayne or Monroe counties, but the list of 20 includes some in the Finger Lakes and Southern Tier regions. More bridges will be added to the list as applications are reviewed and approved, according to the governor.
- See more at: http://m.mpnnow.com/article/20140825/NEWS/140829789#sthash.xxbP1aNO.dpuf
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Megan Brockett
A statewide crusade against texting while driving spurred law enforcement agencies in the Southern Tier and across New York state to hand out record numbers of tickets last year for texting behind the wheel.
Broome, Steuben and Cayuga counties were among the 26 counties in the state where texting-while-driving tickets more than doubled from 2012 to 2013, according to data from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. Law enforcement officers in Broome County wrote 356 texting-related tickets last year, up from 168 in 2012. In Cayuga County, the 238 tickets given out in 2013 marked a 129 percent increase.
http://www.stargazette.com/story/news/local/2014/08/23/texting-text-cell-phone/14442573/
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)US&J Editorial Board
For the second time in less than a year, the state comptroller’s office is red-flagging the City of Lockport’s poor accounting and budgeting practices. Again not having raised enough revenue to cover the cost of operations in FY 2014, unless administration borrows money or guts payroll, the city will be out of cash in September, the comptroller warned in a bluntly worded mid-week report.
One supposes that if Lockport is out of cash, it will not be able to pay the roughly 220 people who make the city “work,” from public safety officers and utility systems operators to streets and parks workers, clerks and administrators of the various departments with which residents and businesses interact as necessary.
http://www.lockportjournal.com/opinion/article_949d1a56-2bce-11e4-96c6-0019bb2963f4.html?mode=jqm
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)D&C
Rochester and the Finger Lakes draw a lot of guests and tourists — as do other recreational regions upstate, like the Adirondacks — in part owing to their many freshwater lakes. Unfortunately, those popular bodies of water also attract no small number of uninvited visitors in the form of invasive species. While local lake advocates must continue their yeoman’s work as a frontline defense, in-the-pipeline state and federal measures that would help control the spread of invasive species deserve front-burner attention.
Once established, invasive species of both plant and animal variety are not only harmful to a lake’s ecosystem, they can have a negative economic impact. Remember, the Rochester/Finger Lakes region generates some $2.6 billion in traveler spending, according to a 2010 statewide study, of which more than a third goes into Monroe County cash registers. Boating, fishing and other lake-related activities are part of the local allure.
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/opinion/editorials/2014/08/25/inhibit-invasive-species/14519873/
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)S. Alexander Gerould
When building inspectors and assessors went into the former Dunlop building, they didn’t like what they saw.
City’s Assessor David Williams said the first thing he noticed about the structure at 2214 Whitesboro St., was the gaping holes on each floor of the building. He also noticed portions of the building’s heating systems and radiators had been removed.
There also was a white substance on some of the building’s piping, which had been cut, Williams said.
- See more at: http://m.uticaod.com/article/20140824/NEWS/140829797#sthash.wlaSlkvu.dpuf
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)WHITNEY RANDOLPH
LOWVILLE –– Lewis County Public Transportation is looking at a deficit of roughly $52,000 for 2014, according to preliminary estimates.
Sara Freda, planner with the Lewis County Department of Economic Development and Planning, spoke Thursday to the county Legislature’s Economic Development Committee about the overall ridership data for the county’s public transportation system.
So far this year, approximately 21,000 passengers have been estimated to use the transportation service, most of them Arc clients.
The county is reimbursed by the state according to mileage and ridership. The county received 40.5 cents per passenger and 69 cents per mile.
http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20140825/NEWS04/140829318
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Susan Schulman
Antoine M. Thompson speaks passionately about helping Buffalo’s East Side, declaring that more of the Buffalo Billion needs to help the city’s poorest neighborhoods.
His focus on money, in fact, permeates much of this talk, making clear that – when it comes to improving city schools, city housing, and access to jobs and services – money matters.
But Thompson also has faced his own money troubles in recent years.
The state Assembly candidate owed the federal government $56,289 in back taxes as of the end of 2013, according to records on file with the Erie County Clerk’s office. In 2012, Thompson was also $7,820 behind in child-support payments, New York State records show.
http://www.buffalonews.com/city-region/buffalo-politics/antoine-thompson-repaying-56289-in-back-taxes-20140823
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)WNYT Staff
John Halacy will spend the next four years in prison, following his conviction on a second degree rape.
http://wnyt.com/article/stories/s3541996.shtml?cat=10114&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Jessica Riley
ALBANY – The boyfriend who helped a nurse steal identities from patients at Albany Med will spend up to 15 years in prison.
http://wnyt.com/article/stories/s3541993.shtml?cat=10114&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)WNYT Staff
New York State’s inspector general says horse race bettors were overcharged more than $7 million because of widespread failures by the group that runs three New York thoroughbred tracks.
http://wnyt.com/article/stories/s3541938.shtml?cat=10114&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Cathleen F. Crowley
Bethlehem
The State Police returned to 18 Paxwood Drive for the second time this month to retrieve more material left behind by a deceased doctor who collected a variety of medical substances during his decades-long career as an infectious disease specialist.
Police and hazardous-material teams were initially called to the home on Aug. 8 when family members came across substances they could not identify as they were cleaning out the home. Specialists in hazmat suits and air tanks removed the material.
http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Hazmat-team-returned-to-Bethlehem-home-5701275.php
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Cathleen F. Crowley
Guilderland
Under pressure from Altamont residents, the Guilderland Board of Education voted to sweep aside five money-saving options put forward by a consultant.
The building capacity study released by the school district in June proposed five scenarios to save money, four of which involved closing Altamont Elementary School.
http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Guilderland-takes-focus-off-closing-Altamont-5701399.php
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)By The Associated Press
A Hasidic Jewish village has mounted a legal challenge seeking to halt a casino proposed for Orange County in upstate New York, arguing that officials in nearby communities failed to consider the environmental impacts of the project when they signed on in support.
http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-Top-Stories-c-2014-08-25-88976.113122-Hasidic-village-sues-to-block-Orange-County-casino.html
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Jon Campbell
Major clothing retailer Gap Inc. will expand its facility in Fishkill, Dutchess County, as part of a deal that will grant it $12 million in state tax breaks.
The Poughkeepsie Journal’s Craig Wolf has more:
Gap, Inc. plans to add 1,200 jobs over five years at its Fishkill distribution center, according to an application for assistance from the Dutchess County Industrial Development Agency.
http://polhudson.lohudblogs.com/2014/08/25/gap-inc-gets-state-tax-break-to-expand-in-dutchess-county/
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)By W.T. ECKERT
CANTON — An Ogdensburg man who had misdemeanor charges against him in connection to manufacturing methamphetamine dismissed in June by a St. Lawrence County Court judge is now seeking to have a felony charge also dismissed in that case.
Mark A. Brossoit, 51, of 821 Main St., is charged with third-degree unlawful manufacturing of methamphetamine, a class D felony.
http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20140825/NEWS05/140829311?utm_source=RmY8XK&utm_medium=redirect&utm_campaign=wdt.me&utm_content=http%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FWZhGv54wiS
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — Westchester County Airport officials are looking for different ways to keep planes and birds away from each other.
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/08/25/westchester-county-airport-looks-for-nonlethal-solutions-to-bird-strikes/
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)TWC News Staff
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A Buffalo bar manager now faces murder charges in connection with an alleged beating that took place this spring.
Jeffrey Basil is now facing charges of second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter and tampering with physical evidence in the death of William Sager Jr.
- See more at: http://buffalo.twcnews.com/content/news/763771/buffalo-bar-manager-now-charged-with-murder/#sthash.CPz5UjFT.dpuf
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Rebecca Vogt
CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. -- A teen accused in a fatal hit and run accident over the weekend was arraigned on felony charges in the town of Cheektowaga court Monday morning. - See more at: http://buffalo.twcnews.com/content/news/763754/teen-arraigned-in-cheektowaga-fatal-hit-and-run/#sthash.xorIjXb4.dpuf
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)TWC News Staff
BUFFALO, N.Y.-- We're learning more details from Buffalo police about a reported hostage situation yesterday that led to a SWAT team raiding an empty home in the city.
Police said they got a call about a man with a gun inside a Riverside Avenue home around 4 p.m. Sunday.
- See more at: http://buffalo.twcnews.com/content/news/763636/buffalo-police-continue-to-investigate-swat-situation-on-riverside-avenue/#sthash.Nhkf9hyN.dpuf
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Madeleine Rivera
Civil unrest continues to plague Ukraine, far from the perfect backdrop for an Independence Day celebration. Yet, thousands of miles away, a Ukrainian group found a reason to gather.
"I feel like I'm united with the people because my thoughts are with my brothers and sisters in Ukraine," said Stephanie Karpishka.
- See more at: http://albany.twcnews.com/content/news/763631/local-ukrainians-celebrate-23rd-independence-day-despite-turmoil-abroad/#sthash.vMEFVLdD.dpuf
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Web Staff
NASSAU, N.Y. -- For a young man in Nassau, a wheel-chair van could change his life. And, according to doctors, that's a life he's lucky to have.
"He had a stroke within the first trimester of my pregnancy,” said Eileen White, Keith's mother.
When Keith White was born, his parents were told he had 24 hours to live. Saturday, he celebrated his 22nd birthday.
- See more at: http://albany.twcnews.com/content/news/763560/wheels-for-keith-fundraiser-to-help-man-with-profound-developmental-disability/#sthash.xv2ZTpzb.dpuf
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Douglass Dowty
Syracuse, NY -- A $6.4 million deal to sell a half-dozen Upstate Five Guys Burgers and Fries restaurants has imploded, leading to a lawsuit in Onondaga County Supreme Court.
Clearburger Inc., of DeWitt, holds licenses for six current locations and up to four future ones. Its owners thought they had a deal to sell the assets to a Maryland man.
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2014/08/deal_to_sell_six_five_guys_burgers_for_64_million_implodes_leading_to_lawsuit.html
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Web Staff
NEW PALTZ, N.Y. -- The scene in New Paltz Sunday, seemingly a stark contrast from the clashes between police and protesters in Ferguson, Missouri.
But 1,000 miles away, people in New Paltz standing in solidarity with protesters in the Saint Louis suburb.
"You don't shoot an unarmed person six times, you just don't," said rally organizer Stana Weisburd.
- See more at: http://hudsonvalley.twcnews.com/content/news/763574/protesters-in-new-paltz-hold-rally-in-solidarity-for-michael-brown/#sthash.fcOPcFje.dpuf
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Glenn Coin
Syracuse, N.Y. -- The state health department plans to study how much mercury and other toxic chemicals are being consumed by refugees and others who eat fish from Onondaga Lake.
A notice in today's Federal Register says the state will take blood and urine samples from two groups to determine their exposure to a variety of chemicals:
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2014/08/onondaga_lake_refugees_centers_for_disease_control_mercury_pcbs.html
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Tanja Rekhi
TROY, N.Y. -- The search continues for a man reported missing Monday afternoon in the gorge just off Congress Street in Troy.
First responders are waiting for State Police scuba divers to search for the missing man.
- See more at: http://albany.twcnews.com/content/news/763780/divers-continue-searching-water-in-troy-for-possible-drowning-victim/#sthash.FcwLqwl7.dpuf