Food and Farms
COVID Vaccine Pop-up Sites Come To New York Farms
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Some farm workers are hesitant to get the vaccine because they are wary of interacting with the government.
Regents Ask New York Schools To Develop Comprehensive Diversity Policies
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“We also believe that in this moment, we must ensure coherent opportunities for all students to actively participate in a lifetime of civic engagement and social justice activism.”
Arts & Culture
Couples Navigate New York’s Rules For Weddings
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New York now allows the resumption of weddings. But wedding planners have a list of COVID-19 safety measures to follow.
Food and Farms
Pandemic Creates ‘Perfect storm’ For Eating Disorders, But Treatment Could Be Hours Away
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Some adolescents with eating disorders require an extended stay in a residential treatment program where they and their families learn how to manage their daily meals and lives.
Health
What To Know If You Get COVID Inoculation And A Mammogram
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Experts are urging women to separate their routine annual mammogram and any scheduled COVID-19 vaccination by several weeks.
Health
There’s A Safe Way To Get A 2nd COVID Vaccine Dose Following A Rare Allergic Reaction
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True allergic reactions to vaccinations are extremely rare, but two New York women did experience this after receiving their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Allergists were able to safely administer their second vaccine doses by following a special procedure.
Health
Three-Quarters Of New Yorkers Plan To Get COVID Vaccine
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“New York, and America have more to do in terms of educating the people about the vaccine and doing a campaign to encourage New Yorkers and Americans to get the vaccine.”
New York Employers Could Mandate COVID-19 Vaccine, According To Updated Federal Guidelines
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“I don’t think an anti-vaxxer would have a good claim if they were fired for refusing to take a vaccine.”
App NEWS
Critics Condemn Collins’ Presidential Pardon; Former Colleague Defends It
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Collins’ former colleague, Rep. Tom Reed, said Trump had the right to grant Collins’ pardon.
App NEWS
Some Workers Don’t Want The COVID-19 Vaccine, But Employers Could Mandate It
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U.S. employers will be able to require their employees to get a COVID-19 vaccine unless the employee has reasonable medical or religious objections.
Health
Online Sessions On Pandemic, Post-Election And Pre-Holidays Stress
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“I want to be able to disagree with one another, to speak our truth. But I want to do it in a way that I don’t feel contempt or feel tempted to dehumanize the other person.”
Crime and Justice
Protesters Report Menstrual Changes After Tear Gas Exposure
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In fact, there is scant research on the potential effects of tear gas exposure and reproductive health in general.
News
National Women’s Hall of Fame Opens New Headquarters
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“It did take ten years to get this building to a habitable state and put in the exhibits, so this is a big, long-term, lots of people doing a lot of work celebration. So we wanted it to happen this year.”
Cuomo Comments About Coronavirus Testing Confuse School Leaders
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“Districts must have a plan in place for testing related to symptomatic or exposed individuals, whether in school or through the local health department.”
Education
Special Olympics Athletes Switch To Virtual Competitions
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The coronavirus pandemic has affected the Special Olympics athletes and competitions.
Featured in Category
Forest Schools: An Alternative To In-Classroom Or Remote Learning
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The Walden Project is an example of an outdoor independent learning program that is a possible alternative for immunocompromised students or others who can’t or don’t want to return to a traditional classroom setting during the coronavirus pandemic.
App NEWS
Families Say Group Home Residents Suffer Because New York Failed To Act
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Jerri Lynn Sparks says her 22-year-old son, Jared, and thousands of other New Yorkers with disabilities are suffering because the state has adopted “one-size-fits-all” coronavirus restrictions for group homes.
App NEWS
More Harm Than Good? Reporter’s Family Struggles With Nursing Home Visitation Rules
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Do the benefits of a ban on nursing home visits to protect residents from COVID-19 outweigh the risks of isolation?
Health
For Some People, Trauma Symptoms Won’t Surface Until After The Pandemic
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Licensed marriage and family therapist Tonya Girard on why some people might not feel the full effects of the crisis until months after it ends.
Health
Virtual Comfort: How Patients And Families Stay Connected In The Age Of Coronavirus
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“As soon as he saw her face on that iPad, you could see relief in him immediately. She said, ‘Sing with me, Bob’, and he started singing and I literally started crying right there.”
Health
How A Hospital Chaplain Comforts COVID-19 Patients And Their Families
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“Why do we need a pandemic to be this supportive to each other? Maybe we can carry some of this kindness going forward.”
Health
Poll Gauges How Life Has Changed For New Yorkers During Pandemic
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“When you add all of those people together, you get up to 95 percent of New Yorkers affected acutely, really, on a day-to-day basis.”
App NEWS
Another Coronavirus Complication: A Severe Shortage Of Blood Donations
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The Red Cross is asking all healthy and eligible adults to consider scheduling an appointment to donate blood.
Government
Shelter Manager Fears Ban On Pet Shop Sales Would Put More Animals At Risk
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“They’re not providing the boots on the ground to inspect these places regularly nor to enforce the regulations that we already have on the books.”
App NEWS
The Power Of Curiosity: Why We Lose It And How To Develop It
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“I think the internet is to blame, actually, for a lot of us losing our curiosity mojo.”
News
Top Secret For Years, Kodak-Designed Space-Age Spy Camera Comes Home
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“It’s something we designed and built in Rochester, and this one didn’t fly in space, but 48 others exactly like it did.”
App NEWS
Helping Homeless Pets Through Better Training
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“We’re definitely helping to prevent some rehoming events, for sure. We often get calls from people who are at the end of their rope; they don’t know where to turn next with their pet.”
Education
Dyslexia Can Present Challenges, Opportunities
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Dyslexia, a language processing disorder affecting anywhere from 5% to 20% of the population, can be seen as both a challenge and an opportunity to develop creative life skills.
Government
After Decades-Long Fight For Access To Birth Certificates, New York Adoptees Say It’s A Monumental Day
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On Wednesday, New York became the 10th state allowing adoptees unrestricted access to their original birth certificates, a change that adopted people are calling monumental in their decades-long fight for the right to their birth records.
Health
Parents, Want Your Teens To Get More Sleep? You Have The Power
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“There are a whole host of things that limit teen sleep, from school start times, screen time, homework, socializing, even their work schedules.”
Environment
Wegmans Plastic Bag Ban Starts January 27
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Wegmans debuted the no-plastic policy at its Corning and Ithaca stores and called the pilot program successful.
Environment
Climate Activists Push New York For Tougher Vehicle Emissions Goals
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They’re delivering petitions to Albany this week, signed by more than 7,000 residents across the state who say they want New York to reduce vehicle emissions by 55 percent by 2035.
App NEWS
How Much Are New Yorkers Spending On Holiday Gifts And What Does It Say About Their Finances?
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If the latest poll from Siena College is any indication, New Yorkers are feeling a bit better about their personal finances than they did a year ago.
App NEWS
Scholar: ‘Hard To Know’ If Buffalo Diocese Will Recover From Clergy Sex Abuse Crisis
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“You pull on one thread with this, and the next thing you know, you’re looking at all kinds of dots that are being connected across the country where the investigator is now being investigated. That’s quite shocking.”
App NEWS
More Former Paperboys Say A Rochester Newspaper Supervisor Sexually Abused Them
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Five more paperboys have come forward to say they were sexually abused by a supervisor when they worked for the Democrat and Chronicle in the 1980s.
App NEWS
New York’s Older Smoking Age Now In Effect
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“Tobacco is the number one cause of preventable death and disease, and stopping kids from beginning this dangerous addiction will really help save lives.”
App NEWS
40% Of Upstate Adults Don’t Get Enough Sleep; Survey Adds Time Change Won’t Help
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“Getting an extra hour of sleep … that is great, initially, but our body actually thinks we’re an hour behind, and it leads us to think we’re not getting enough sleep or getting too much sleep, and we feel jet-lagged.”
Arts
‘Reproduction On The Reservation’: The History Of Forcing Sterilization Upon Native American women
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University of Rochester assistant professor of history Brianna Theobald explores the history of the forced sterilization of Native American women. She says the federal government subsidized doctors to perform these procedures in the 1970s.
App NEWS
A Rochester Newspaper Faces Sexual Abuse Lawsuit From Former Paperboy
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – A former Brighton resident is suing the Democrat and Chronicle and its parent company, Gannett, claiming he was sexually abused by a supervisor when he was a paperboy. Rick Bates said he was 11 years old when the alleged incidents started in the early 1980s. “I’m filing a suit against Gannett to hold them accountable for the conditions they created that left me and other paperboys alone,” he said. “We got up and worked for them at 5 in the morning and made them money, and they left us alone with a predator.” Bates said he delivered newspapers in Brighton around the apartment complex on Eastbrooke Lane where he lived with his mother and an older brother.
Education
Stronger Student-Adult Relationships Mean A Lower Rate Of Suicide Attempts In High Schools
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A recent study, partly conducted in rural high schools in western New York and the Finger Lakes region, looks at the influence of student-adult relationships on the rate of suicide attempts in high schools.
Health
App Aims To End Isolation And Educate Parents Whose Children Have Fetal Alcohol Disorders
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Common parenting strategies like taking things away, time out, or even praise and reinforcement don’t work as well as they do with typically developing kids, so the app walks parents and caretakers through alternatives.
Crime and Justice
Postal Feature Might Protect Mail From ‘Porch Pirates’
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For people concerned about “porch pirates” walking off with their packages, the U.S. Postal Service offers a free service to help customers keep track of their mail.
App NEWS
New Yorkers’ Views on Patriotism, Socialism, And Talking Politics In The Age Of Division
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – As the United States gets ready to celebrate Independence Day, nearly three-quarters of New Yorkers say they consider themselves patriotic and 80 percent say they are at least somewhat, if not very, proud to be an American. Those findings are from a survey just released by the Siena College Research Institute (SRI). SRI director Don Levy says certain New Yorkers are more likely to express patriotic sentiments than others. “Ninety-one percent, so virtually every single Republican says, ‘Yes, I’m patriotic,'” Levy explained. “Democrats are at a little bit lower rate, 71 percent. One group that has a little bit of trouble indicating that they feel patriotic is African Americans; only 49 percent of African Americans say they’re patriotic.
age discrimination
Ageism Is Most Socially Acceptable Prejudice — But Comes At A Cost
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – According to the World Health Organization, the most social acceptable prejudice in the world is ageism. Cornell University gerontologist Karl Pillemer said you don’t have to look hard to find it. “I can give you an easy example,” he said. “If you look at the presidential race, no one is comfortable using racist or sexist humor among the candidates, but they are very comfortable using ageist humor around the older candidates, and it is invariably asked if candidates are too old to serve.” One of the most fascinating — and sobering — findings to emerge from research is how damaging our own ageist attitudes are.
App NEWS
New Sexual Harassment Standards Surprise Many New York Employers
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New York’s standards for making harassment claims now surpass those required at the federal level and in many states. The new law says only claims that are “trivial or petty” would not be considered viable.
App NEWS
SUNY Conference Addresses College Student Hunger
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“They’re used to access to food from school. And then, of course, when you get to college — especially when you live on a campus — you’re expected to pay for those meals.”
Health
Pets Can Get Lyme Disease And Other Tick-Borne Illnesses, Too
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“Most commonly if a pet develops signs of Lyme disease, it’s malaise, fever, joint pain. They just feel kind of like a dishrag.”
agriculture
If You Spot A Swarm, Here’s What You Can Do To Help Honeybees
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“If a beekeeper is able to take a honeybee swarm, they can care for them and manage them if they need it, instead of having these colonies kind of inhabit people’s homes.”
App NEWS
Proposal Would Give Full Income Tax Exemption To Volunteer Firefighters, EMS
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“They are on the front lines of not only dangerous fires, but also situations involving crime, drug overdoses, and other perilous situations.”
Government
New York Adoptees Call Access To Birth Certificates A Basic Right
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“Why should we be treated any differently than anyone else?” asked Annette O’Connell, spokesperson for the New York Adoptee Rights Coalition.
App NEWS
Consumer Sentiment Remains Strong In New York
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More than half of New Yorkers say they’re better off financially than they were a year ago.
Education
When Sarcasm In The Classroom Builds Bridges
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The key to making sarcasm work is for the teacher to understand the culture and language practices of their students and to never use sarcasm to shame or humiliate.
Health
Advice On Avoiding Tick-Borne Illnesses This Spring
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Experts say there are at least 17 different tick species found in New York state. Some people and animals that are bitten by an infected tick can get any of a number of illnesses, including Lyme disease.
App NEWS
Backlog Of Repairs Mounts At Women’s Rights National Historical Park In Seneca Falls
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According to the National Park Service, the Women’s Rights National Historical Park has a backlog of $5.3 million in maintenance and repairs as of fiscal year 2018.
binghamton
Survivor Of Childhood Sexual Assault Continues Quest To Pass Erin’s Law In New York State
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The proposed law would also mandate instruction for parents, guardians and school personel on how to recognize the signs of child sexual abuse and how to respond.
animal rights
New York Proposal Would Ban Puppy Sales At Pet Stores
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New York could become the third state to ban the sale of certain animals in pet stores.
Government
Alzheimer’s Advocates Push New York Lawmakers For More Funds, Promotion Of Early Diagnosis
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Advocates from the Finger Lakes-Rochester region joined others from around the state in Albany to ask state lawmakers to increase funding for services helping people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
Government
How Will New York’s New “Red Flag” Law Work?
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New York’s so-called “red flag” law takes effect in about six months. It authorizes teachers, school administrators, and others to petition a court for the removal of guns from individuals who they believe pose a serious threat to themselves or others.
binghamton
Schumer Calls For Reauthorization Of Funding For Some Finger Lakes Attractions
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Senator Chuck Schumer was in the Finger Lakes region Monday, urging members of the House to reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Schumer says it provides critical funding that protects water resources and historical sites in every county across the U.S.
Education
School And Workplace Safety Training Emphasizes Restorative Approach
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A security expert says restorative practices can be used to identify and help individuals who may pose a safety risk in schools or the workplace.
Health
Program Provides Free Cancer Screenings For Uninsured Finger Lakes Residents
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A long time program that provides free cancer screening has expanded, and is holding some screenings this coming weekend.
binghamton
Shelters Offer Emergency Care For Animals In Extreme Cold
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With wind chills as low as 25 below zero in the next couple of days, local advocates for animals are worried about pets who are normally kept outdoors.
Government
Local Elections Officials Gear Up For Sweeping Changes In New York’s Voting Laws
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Local elections officials say it’s a bit overwhelming to consider all the changes that have to take place to implement New York’s new voting laws.
Education
Hearing Preservation Should Be Part Of Music Education
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Studies suggest musicians are four times more likely than others to experience hearing loss due to their repeated exposure to loud, prolonged rehearsals and performances.
binghamton
Attorney Foresees Pricier Divorces And More Litigation Thanks To New Tax Law
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The new federal tax law means big changes for divorcing couples in 2019.
Crime and Justice
Pending New York Law Would Close Loophole In Mandated Reporting Of Child Abuse
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Governor Andrew Cuomo could decide this week whether to sign or veto legislation that would require private schools to report suspected child abuse.
Education
Should Civics Education Be A Higher Priority In New York?
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Nearly 70 percent of school board members across New York State who responded to a recent survey think civic readiness should be a high school graduation requirement.
News
Facial Recognition Technology Is A New Tool In Locating Lost Pets
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Lost pets might find their way home sooner, thanks to new facial recognition technology.
News
Online Tool Tracks Impacts Of Climate Change By County
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Cornell University is offering a new, interactive, online tool to help people track climate change in their own counties.
Arts & Culture
Music Modernization Act Brings Artist Compensation Into The Digital Age
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – The Music Modernization Act was signed into law by President Trump on Thursday. The legislation updates the way music is licensed and songwriters are compensated in the digital age.
Health
Pregnant Women Should Not Skip Flu Vaccine, Doctors Warn
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – A recent CDC report says less than half of pregnant women in the U.S. got a flu vaccine during the last flu season.
Health
People Reach For CBD To Treat Pain, Other Symptoms
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Local health care practitioners say they’re seeing an increased interest in a product often touted as a source of relief for everything from arthritis to depression.
Education
New York Toughens Law Requiring School Bus Drivers To Be Tested For Drugs And Alcohol
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – New York State is strengthening its law requiring school bus drivers to submit to random drug and alcohol screening.
binghamton
Start Kids On School Sleep Schedule Now, Experts Say
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – With a few weeks left before the start of a new school year, sleep experts say now is the time to get kids back on an earlier sleep schedule.
History
Recent Discovery Highlights Frederick Douglass, The Businessman
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Local scholars say a recent discovery found among the personal artifacts of Frederick Douglass broadens our understanding of the famed abolitionist.
Arts & Culture
An Homage To Humor: National Comedy Center Opens In Jamestown
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – What some may have once written off as a pipe dream is about to get real for a small western New York city.
Food and Farms
Trade, Not Aid, Say New York Farmers
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Farmers in the Rochester-Finger Lakes region are nervous about President Trump’s so-called trade wars.
Education
Health Disparities Put Deaf Community At Risk
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Deaf individuals are up to seven times as likely as their hearing peers to have heart disease, high blood pressure, and strokes.
Energy
Schuyler County Reverses Position On Propane Storage Project
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ROCHESTER, NY (WSKG) – Already facing opposition from local municipalities and hundreds of businesses and property owners, a Houston company’s plans to store propane and natural gas in abandoned salt mines on the shore of Seneca Lake has been dealt another blow.
Government
New York State Establishes Team To Investigate Sexual Abuse Of People With Special Needs
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Reports of sexual abuse of individuals with disabilities in New York State funded and licensed facilities will now be investigated by a newly created response team.
Environment
Trash Incinerator Opponents Increase Pressure On New York Lawmakers
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Opponents of a proposed Finger Lakes waste-to-energy facility are increasing pressure on the New York State Legislature to pass legislation to ban the operation before the end of the legislative session next week.
Health
Survey Aims To Uncover Health Barriers In Finger Lakes Region
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – County health officials and a regional health planning agency are encouraging residents of the 9-county Finger Lakes region to share their personal health stories.
Government
Bella’s Law Would Strengthen New York Penalties For Animal Abuse
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – New York is one of only 13 states where animal cruelty laws are not part of the penal code. That would change under a bill being considered in the state legislature.
Food and Farms
New York Beekeepers Fear Sting Of Proposed State Regulations
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Some local beekeepers are concerned about a bill making its way through the New York Legislature. It would require all beekeepers both commercial and hobbyist, to register with the state.
Environment
Environmental Advocates Applaud Bipartisan Support For Carbon Fee And Dividend
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – The Citizens’ Climate Lobby is making progress in its efforts to get federal legislation introduced to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Health
National Demand Prompts Expansion At New York-Based Veterans Crisis Line
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Increasing demand means another expansion for the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL). The Canandaigua-based facility is looking to hire another 30 to 50 people.
Education
Women Commencement Speakers Are On The Rise This Graduation Season
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – For the 2018 spring commencement season, nearly 60% of speakers at the 25 schools with the largest endowments are women.
Environment
The Stink Bug Meets Its Match
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Maybe you’ve seen it in your home; the oval-shaped brown marmorated stink bug. It’s hard shell looks like a shield. It gets its name from the strong scent it releases as a defense against predators. Some compare it to the aroma of cilantro.
Health
How Do Your Daily Habits Compare To The Average New Yorker?
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – A new poll from Siena College glimpses into the lives of New Yorkers for a look at their daily habits. It paints a picture of a sleep deprived population attached to its digital devices.
Energy
Study Shows Exposure To Fracking Chemicals Impairs Immune System In Mice
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – University of Rochester researchers say a new study offers some clues about the potential affects of groundwater contaminated by fracking chemicals on the immune system.
Economy
New York’s Dairy Industry Paying Price For Immigration Policies, Advocate Says
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Current U.S. immigration policies pose an economic threat to New York’s struggling dairy industry, according to the director of a farmworker program at Cornell University.
Education
Proms Prompt Police Crackdown Near New York’s High Schools
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – All this week, state and local law enforcement will increase patrols near high schools as part of a statewide campaign to limit the impacts of impaired and distracted driving as prom and graduation season approach.
Health
Poll Confirms Perceived Stigma Surrounding Drug Addiction
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – A recent poll illustrates the stigma surrounding drug addiction. More than three-quarters of New Yorkers who responded to a Siena College survey about the opioid crisis say the moral failings of those who are addicted is a contributing factor in the epidemic.
Crime and Justice
New York Measure Toughens Gun Control For Domestic Abusers
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Advocates for survivors of domestic violence and supporters of stricter gun control are applauding passage of a new measure included in the new budget for New York State.
Government
New York Senate Wants Study Of Lyme Disease And Mental Health
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXX() – A proposal in the New York State Senate is calling for more research into Lyme disease. Sponsors of the legislation want the state to conduct an impact study to consider how Lyme and other tick-borne diseases may be connected to mental health problems in individuals infected with the illness
Government
Omnibus Bill Funds Tracking Devices For Vulnerable Children
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – The same night a wake was held for a Rochester teen with autism who died after walking away from his school unnoticed, a federal measure to pay for tracking devices for vulnerable children and adults passed in both houses of Congress.
Government
NYS Makes It Easier For Hospitals To Open Detox Beds But It’s Not Clear If They’ll Do So
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) In an effort to increase access to addiction treatment services in the wake of the opioid crisis, the New York State Health Department is giving hospitals an opportunity to add more in-patient detox beds.
Featured in Category
Why Do Great Apes Have Heart Disease? Seneca Park Zoo Participates In National Research Rroject
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI)When an orangutan at the Seneca Park Zoo recently had an echocardiogram, there was both a veterinarian and a cardiologist who normally treats humans at his side.
environment
Finger Lakes Residents Ask Governor To Reject Proposed Trash Incinerator Project
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ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – In the ongoing debate over a proposed waste to energy facility at the Seneca Army Depot, a group of residents and business owners who are opposed to the project traveled to Albany Tuesday to call on Governor Andrew Cuomo to reject it.
Government
Poll Shows Support For Child Victims Act, Early Voting, Recreational Marijuana
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ROCHESTER (WXXI, AP) – A new poll finds Governor Andrew Cuomo’s favorability and re-election ratings falling just a month after a survey of registered New York state voters gave the Democrat some of the highest ratings during his two terms.