The western New York community of Batavia and Cortland in Central New York are the final two winners of Governor Andrew Cuomo's downtown redevelopment prize.
The Democratic governor announced late last week that the two cities will each receive $10-million to further efforts to make their downtowns more attractive to residents, business owners and visitors. Now in its second year, the Downtown Revitalization Initiative contest awards $10- million each to the 10 regional communities that submitted the best revitalization plans.
More than 100 communities around the state entered the contest. The winners already announced this year included Olean in Cattaraugus County. Jamestown won one of last year's awards.
Police in Eastern New York say a car going 166 miles per hour slammed into the back of another vehicle moments later, though both drivers escaped injury.
Police in the Dutchess County town of Red Hook tell the Kingston Daily Freeman that an officer was driving on Route 9G last Wednesday night when he was passed by a 2004 Audi traveling at 140 mph. Police say the Audi driver then accelerated to 166 mph.
Authorities say a short time later the car rear-ended a Jeep. Police say they don't know how fast the Audi was going when it crashed. Police say the 27-year-old man from nearby Staatsburg who was driving the Audi was ticketed for reckless driving, unlawfully fleeing a police officer and several traffic infractions.
Legislation geared towards making human service agencies that help with early childhood development in lower-income families more efficient, and cuts red tape, has been approved in Congress.
That from local Congressman Tom Reed, who says the House of Representatives approved his proposed "Standard Data Act" last week. Reed says the Act requires consistant data requirements being used across key human service programs.
The Corning Republican says it should knock down some of those bureaucratic "silos". Reed says, with the approval the Standard Data Act will be part of the federal "Maternal Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program." He says similar measures have helping improve efficiency in other programs, such as the nation's Welfare Program.
Reed says the idea is to improve services and service delivery. He says this will hopefully end the need to re-enter data when other agency services are used. Reed says the Senate version of the Standard Data Act is similar so not much work would have to be done to reconcile the measure, so it can be approved and signed by the President.
Two people from Dunkirk are jailed without bail for allegedly trafficking crack-cocaine, and being found with a stolen gun, during a raid in the city late last week.
Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force agents and Dunkirk Police Department, executed a search warrant on the upstairs apartment at 632 Deer Street about 6:40 AM Friday. Task force members say they found and arrested 31 year-old Ontario Eldridge and 27 year-old Katelyn Smith inside.
They had a warrant for Eldridge on one count each of third-degree Criminal Possession and Sale of a Controlled Substance. The warrant stemmed from a months long investigation by the Task Force and alleges the sale of crack cocaine. Task Force agents also say they found a marijuana grow operation, packaging materials and a stolen handgun. With that, Eldridge was also charged with third-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
Smith also faces several charges, including fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and unlawfully growing marijuana. If you see or know about illegal drug activity in your area contact the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force at 1-800-344-8702.
A former county Democratic Party chairman from Buffalo has been charged again with bribing a judge.
An eight-count federal indictment unsealed Friday includes charges similar to those brought against Steven Pigeon in state court last year.
Prosecutors say the former Erie County Democratic Party chairman got former state Supreme Court Judge John Michalek's relatives political jobs in 2012 and 2013 in exchange for favorable decisions and to control who Michalek would appoint to a paid court receivership. Michalek pleaded guilty last year. Pigeon pleaded not guilty in federal court last Friday.
Chautauqua County's top-elected official believes he and the legislature will be able to deliver at least a "break-even" budget for 2018 once it's in place.
That from Executive Vince Horrigan after the Audit and Control Committee last week drew up recommendations that would cut the tax rate from his proposal by 13-cents per thousand full-value. Horrigan says he is "optimistic at least that they can whip-out that 10-cent per thousand tax increase.
Horrigan adds that he thought they were going to have a "flat" tax in the 2018 Budget. However he says the county was then hit by the $715,000 bill from the state Office of Children and Family Services for Juvenile Detention Services. They had expected a $340,000 bill. He says another concern going forward is getting the NRG Plant in Dunkirk repowered, and fully back on the tax roles.
The Audit and Control Committee will meet again on October 19th to finalize their proposed changes to the budget. Horrigan made his coments for this past weekend's "Community Spotlight" program on the Media One Group stations.
A Canadian startup company whose invention lets dairy farmers check the quality of milk from individual cows is getting $1 million to set up shop in Buffalo.
SomaDetect is the grand prize winner of the fourth annual 43North competition. The New York state-sponsored contest is meant to bring economic development to western New York by awarding cash and incubator space to winners who pitch ideas from all over the world. SomaDetect's sensor technology allows farmers to detect illness in cows or impurities in milk.
The company was established in Fredericton, New Brunswick, but must operate in Buffalo for at least a year. The runner-up company, Squire, received $650,000 during Thursday night's awards.
The New York City company's app allows users to book and pay for haircuts at participating barbershops.
