anxiety
As new school year begins, some counselors are concerned about students’ mental health
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“We had kids that came to ninth grade who hadn’t been in school for two years. So they didn’t develop the social skills that they needed.”
App NEWS
Protestors gather as Cayuga Nation police arrest 3 more Halftown critics
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All three detainees are related to a woman whose home was demolished last month on orders from the tribe’s controversial leader, Clint Halftown. The detainees are outspoken critics of Halftown.
albany
Lea Webb wins Democratic primary in 52nd state Senate District
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Webb, a former Binghamton council member, defeated Ithaca lawyer and political action committee founder Leslie Danks Burke by over 20 points.
App NEWS
Activists continue to occupy demolished Cayuga Nation home in protest of tribe leader Clint Halftown
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A banner on one of the tents reads “Halftown Must Go.” It’s a reference to a dispute between a faction of Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ and the tribe’s de facto leader.
App NEWS
More violence, surprise demolitions on Cayuga tribal lands as leadership dispute continues
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One Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ’ family said they believe the surprise demolition of their grandmother’s home was an act of retaliation for their past criticism of Halftown.
App NEWS
Switching sides? New York voters have just 1 week to change political parties before August primary
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Registered voters have until August 11 to change their party affiliation for the upcoming congressional and state Senate primaries.
abortion
Tompkins County Legislature recap: Police staffing, free TCAT, Starbucks condemnation
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There was a lot on the docket during the most recent meeting of the Tompkins County Legislature, plus some debate not tied to any specific motions. Here’s a recap.
App NEWS
Ithaca increases police signing bonus, again
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The police department’s sign on bonus for lateral transfer hires has grown significantly since it was introduced last November in the city budget.
Uncategorized
Binghamton school district reconsiders closing elementary school
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The district is now considering renovating the aging schools and keep them all open.
all electric building act
Ithaca will help property owners swap natural gas appliances for electric
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The city launched the program as part of the Ithaca Green New Deal initiative, which aims to completely eliminate the city’s net carbon emissions by 2030.
Affordable Housing
Progressive state Senate candidates talk housing, reparations at Ithaca town hall
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Leslie Danks Burke and Lea Webb are competing for the Democratic nomination in the race for New York’s 52nd State Senate District, which covers Ithaca and Binghamton.
App NEWS
Ithaca adopts first police reforms based on Reimagining Public Safety report
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“People like me have been hearing the word ‘wait’ for as long as we can remember,” Alderperson Phoebe Brown said. “It is imperative that we move on.”
App NEWS
New York adopts laws to set higher energy efficiency requirements, promote renewable energy
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The laws set standard wages for renewable energy jobs, set higher energy efficiency standards and incentivize thermal energy infrastructure and research.
Bathroom Bill
Can a Lancaster school district restrict how trans athletes play sports?
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A school district in Lancaster County is considering a policy to bar transgender students from competing in teams that correspond to their gender.
App NEWS
Ithaca school board will continue hybrid option for public meetings
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Some Ithaca residents say not all parents are able to come to the meetings in person. They say that cuts them out of the decision making process.
abuse of power
Ithaca replaces elementary principal despite protests from parents, teachers
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District athletic director Samantha Little will replace Liddy Coyle and serve as interim principal at Northeast Elementary School.
alderperson
Cornell student Tiffany Chen Kumar wins primary in Ithaca Common Council race
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Kumar ran as part of the progressive “Solidarity Slate.” She won more than 70% of the vote, ousting incumbent and fellow Cornell undergrad, Patrick Mehler.
App NEWS
Abortion ruling may affect where high school students choose to attend college
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“[The ruling], especially, is making me not want to go far away from here,” said 11th grader Samantha Kager. “Especially if I can’t have free choice of what I want to do with my own body.”
abortion
Ithaca could become a “sanctuary city” for people prosecuted for abortion
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The city’s Common Council plans to vote next week on an ordinance that would make it more difficult for other states to investigate abortions in Ithaca.
alderpersons
Ithaca Common Council urges Starbucks to reopen recently unionized store
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The resolution passed committee on a four-to-one vote. The full council will vote on the resolution on July 6th.
airport
High gas prices could affect local budgets in the Southern Tier
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“We run 24/7, we have cars on all the time.”
after school
In Elmira, young engineers, and their robots, prepare for Juneteenth
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“In order to really encourage STEM education, we need to focus and start early.”
App NEWS
Ithaca parents, teachers concerned over elementary school principal’s absence
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Students, parents and teachers rallied outside an Ithaca elementary school Tuesday morning. Parents and teachers say the school’s principal has been absent for two weeks now, and the school district won’t tell them why.
App NEWS
One week after the racist shooting in Buffalo, here’s what we know
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Last week’s racist mass shooting in a Buffalo supermarket left ten people dead and three wounded. Here’s what WSKG has learned in the days since the attack.
App NEWS
Last minute changes, errors plague Ithaca’s school board elections
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Some voters said they were turned away from the polls because they followed an earlier, incorrect polling place assignment.
App NEWS
Ithaca will require employers to disclose pay range in job postings
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Alderperson Jorge Defendini said the law will help workers advocate for more equitable pay.
App NEWS
Ithaca alderperson seeks ethics investigation into former Mayor Svante Myrick
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Alderperson Cynthia Brock said she’s working with the Tompkins County Ethics Board to open an investigation into the former mayor.
Air Force
Cornell particle accelerator facility expands, new military funding rolls in
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Cornell University is expanding a massive underground research facility. A partnership with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory is developing new lightweight materials for use in military aircraft.
Addiction
NY counties receive their first opioid settlement payouts
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The Southern Tier region will receive about $4.8 million from the settlement in 2022. The initial payout on Tuesday totaled about $759,000 for the region.
App NEWS
State auditors, school psychologists: NY schools don’t have enough mental health staff
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“We are starting to see shortages in especially our rural areas. Positions for school psychologists left open year after year with no one to fill them.”
App NEWS
Tompkins County district attorney: Ithaca’s police reform working group refused his input
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Van Houten said the Reimaging Public Safety working group lacked full understanding of Ithaca’s existing criminal justice system when it authored the report.
Abolish Police
Misconceptions, strong opinions abound in public discussion of Ithaca’s police reform proposals
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“A number of comments and emails that we received recently made me feel like I was living in some alternate universe,” said Alderperson Ducson Nguyen.
App NEWS
Ithaca’s Black community weighs in on police reform plan
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“We’re talking about reimagining public safety. And we’re still hiring more [armed] officers,” said Common Council member Phoebe Brown.
App NEWS
Hochul wants to change New York’s bail reform law, again. What does that mean for the Southern Tier?
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Data analysis suggests the Southern Tier saw a slight increase in racial equity since bail reform was first passed, but also more re-arrests.
Aging
Tompkins County wants to hire home health aides to address backlog of elder care needs
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The jobs come with benefits and pay is higher than what many private home health agencies offer. But the county hasn’t gotten many applicants yet.
bail reform
Teens arrested on gun charges could be tried as adults under Hochul’s proposal
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It’s not yet clear if Hochul’s proposals will become a part of the upcoming budget, though she has backing from some moderate Democrats and many Republicans.
App NEWS
NY attorney general: It’s time to start enforcing nursing home reform laws
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Just as the reforms were about to go into effect, Gov. Kathy Hochul put them on hold, citing an ongoing shortage of health care workers.
App NEWS
An ice fishing lesson for our changing climate
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As warmer temperatures return to the Southern Tier, it’s a sign that ice fishing season is wrapping up. WSKG’s Megan Zerez went out to learn about the sport.
affirmative action
Students, faculty rally behind Binghamton professor censured for ‘progressive stacking’ policy
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Some students and professors at Binghamton University held a rally last week in support of sociology professor Ana Maria Candela, who came under fire recently for an affirmative action policy on her syllabus.
Crime and Justice
Ithaca police reform report proposes 5 new unarmed responders, but little change to current force
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The proposed Department of Community Safety would oversee the current police force, as well as a new division of five unarmed responders.
App NEWS
Reed open to deploying US troops in Ukraine
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Southern Tier Rep. Tom Reed said he wants more humanitarian and military aid for Ukraine, which could include a deployment of American troops.
anti-mask
Chenango Forks school board will scrap mask mandate as soon as legally possible
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The school board at Chenango Forks Central School District voted unanimously to end the district’s mask requirements as soon as the statewide mandate is lifted.
App NEWS
New York’s newly drawn 24th Congressional District raises concerns
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The proposed new district includes many of the counties on the shores of Lake Ontario from Niagara to the North Country, but excludes Rochester and Syracuse.
Affordable Housing
Svante Myrick reflects on 10 years as Ithaca’s mayor
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Former Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick gained a reputation as a rising star in progressive politics since he was elected at age 24. He stepped down as mayor this past weekend.
App NEWS
Federal, state aid helped many NY schools relieve fiscal stress in 2021
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School districts got a big lifeline during the pandemic — an influx of federal COVID aid and more state aid.
App NEWS
New York Democratic gubernatorial candidate wants to ban some cryptocurrency mining
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Williams said he’s not against cryptocurrency mining altogether, but wants companies to reevaluate their mining process so it doesn’t use as much electricity.
App NEWS
Ithaca Tenants Union rallies outside City Court for ‘Right to Renew Leases’ bill
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Dozens of tenants’ rights activists gathered outside Ithaca City Court Thursday to call for the city to pass a “Right to Renew Leases” bill.
App NEWS
Community reacts to racist video posted by Bainbridge-Guilford High School, SUNY ESF students
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Parents of biracial students at Bainbridge-Guilford High School said their children regularly experience racist bullying and the video was not a one-off incident.
App NEWS
COVID positivity rate in Tompkins County continues decline as college students return
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Some Ithaca residents say they worry about another potential spike in the county’s COVID-19 positivity rate. So far, that increase hasn’t materialized.
Counties struggle to find enough supplies for school test-to-stay programs
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“We’re kind of hoping, and we’re being promised that these test kits — over the counter test kits and antigen test kits — are going to become more readily available.”
App NEWS
Broome County legislators vote along party lines to adopt new redistricting map
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Broome County legislators voted along party lines Tuesday night to adopt a new legislative district map, favored by Republicans. Last week, many residents voiced their concerns about the map in a public hearing.
App NEWS
Broome County Legislature tables redistricting vote after public opposition to proposed map
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The Broome County Legislature postponed adopting a new map of the county’s 15 legislative districts, Thursday night, following a public hearing. The map would allow many Republican incumbents to keep their current seats.
App NEWS
Binghamton High School unveils new security measures in response to uptick in student misconduct
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Students at Binghamton High School returned to class last week to a few changes.
App NEWS
Binghamton High School student shot in altercation near school
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A student at Binghamton High School was shot Thursday morning in an altercation near school grounds, according to a statement released by the Binghamton City School District.
Southern Tier school leaders say fighting, bullying, vandalism increasing among students
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Even though students are back in person again, school leaders say 18 months of remote learning has taken a toll on students’ social and emotional development.
Addiction
Republicans say NY bail reform reduces access to rehabilitation programs. Experts say it’s not that simple.
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New York’s bail reform law does not allocate any additional funds for treatment centers and similar programs, which has been a bipartisan critique of the 2019 policy.
App NEWS
‘Gangsta night’ theme at Windsor High School basketball game draws backlash, discussion
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White students at the game imitated certain Black stereotypes, donning durags, chains and low-hanging pants. Others appear to be flashing gang signs.
App NEWS
Otsego County adds security after threats to health department
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The board agreed to look into a plan to provide additional security at the building that houses the health department. Currently, visitors to the building must pass through a metal detector and a security guard.
App NEWS
Binghamton High School goes remote after fights, vandalism
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Students at Binghamton High School will move to remote learning and it’s not because of COVID-19. The shift online is in reaction to recent behavior issues among students.
App NEWS
Binghamton High School evacuated after small fire in bathroom
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Students at Binghamton High School were evacuated Wednesday morning after a small fire was discovered in a restroom.
App NEWS
Ithaca pilot program provides guaranteed income for some caregivers
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The City of Ithaca will soon begin a guaranteed income pilot program. It’s intended for lower and middle-income residents who are primary caregivers.
App NEWS
NY Assembly’s Higher Education Committee chair calls on SUNY chancellor to resign
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Last week, investigators released emails and text messages from Malatras mocking Lindsey Boylan, an ex-aide to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, after she called the work environment toxic in 2019.
Even with lots of testing, detecting variants takes time
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Across the state about one in every seven positive COVID-19 tests is sent to a lab to be screened for variants. But some counties, like Tompkins, are able to screen nearly all of their tests.
App NEWS
Report: Ithaca’s police staffing levels ‘sufficient’ to handle calls
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The findings are contrary to messaging from the Ithaca Police Department and its labor union, the Ithaca Police Benevolent Association.
Cooperatively owned broadband project in Dryden delayed by supply chain issues
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“We actually intended to be working currently, like this fall. But because of supply chain issues, fiber is one of the things that was hit particularly hard.”
Students protesting racial harassment met with counterprotestors, hate speech
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A group of students at Greene High School in Chenango County have held protests and walkouts against racial, sexual and homophobic harassment by other students.
App NEWS
As police reform stalls, Ithaca restores 2 previously eliminated officer positions
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The moderate increase to the police budget comes as Ithaca, like many other municipalities in the region, struggles to fill its existing vacancies.
App NEWS
Southern Tier schools roll out COVID-19 vaccine clinics for younger kids
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The lower-dose Pfizer vaccine has arrived at health departments and pediatricians’ offices across the region.
App NEWS
Voter turnout was low in 2021 election, even for an off-year
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In Broome and Tompkins counties, only about 27% of people registered to vote actually cast a ballot.
App NEWS
Bomb threats reported at Cornell University, other Ivy League schools
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A bomb threat at Cornell University on Sunday led to the evacuation of four buildings on the Ithaca campus.
absentee ballot
New York’s voter access proposals fared poorly in Southern Tier districts
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“I would suspect that this is an example of the people who scheduled those initiatives choosing the wrong election to put those initiatives on the ballot.”
5-11
Vaccines for younger kids are on the horizon, getting hesitant parents on board may be a challenge
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“They’ll have an argument with the parent right in front of you where the parent says no and the child says yes.”
1199 SEIU
As Union Contract Negotiations Stall, Staffing Levels At Ithaca Nursing Home Suffer
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Longtime nurse Lolita McComb came to work early to support her picketing coworkers. But when she clocks into her night shift at 3:00 PM, she said it is likely she will be the only nurse on a floor with 41 patients.
Education
Even With Federal COVID Relief Dollars, Schools Still Face Hiring Difficulties
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Many school district leaders have a dilemma — they have all this federal money, but they can’t use it to hire the teachers and staff they need.
App NEWS
SUNY Union Workers Can Still Opt Out of COVID-19 Vaccine For Now
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Workers who are represented by one of 14 collective bargaining contracts can still opt for weekly testing in lieu of a vaccine.
App NEWS
Cornell University Requires All Employees To Receive COVID-19 Vaccine
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Employees must get fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by December 8th or face termination.
Education
Increased Pay Could Help Resolve Shortage Of School Bus Drivers
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“That position has never been funded to the degree that it should be.”
App NEWS
Vestal Hills Elementary School Back Open After Carbon Monoxide Evacuation
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Late Wednesday afternoon, the district identified the issue as a regulator on the secondary boiler.
App NEWS
School Districts Are Still Trying To Secure Enough COVID Tests For Students
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“I’d love to be able to [test] our whole school, but you’re talking, you know, 5000 tests a week. We do not have that capacity.”
App NEWS
College Back-To-School Testing Suggests More Breakthrough Cases In Tompkins County
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“When you have such a highly vaccinated population, we do know the breakthrough cases are possible.”
App NEWS
As School Starts, Districts Grapple With Testing Requirements
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“If those people can’t get tested and those people don’t get vaccinated, then they’re not going to be able to go to school and that is going to cause major problems for schools to be able to be reopened.”
Education
20 Years Later: Teaching 9/11 In Schools
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“I want them to know that it’s personal for so many of us.”
Education
Remembering A Very Different First Day Of School in 2011
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“I was like, ‘oh my gosh, oh my gosh, what do I do?'”
Amid Uncertainty, New Teachers Look Forward To Upcoming School Year
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“I think everybody is a little bit nervous about where we’re going from here.”
Harmful Algae Blooms
Runoff From Tropical Storm Fred Could Feed Harmful Algal Blooms in Finger Lake Watersheds
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“We had a lot of big storms, a lot of rain during July and so that could have caused nutrients to essentially enter the lake and help facilitate these blooms.”
Amid Teacher Shortage, School Districts Look For Help Close To Home
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“I want to go to a place where, you know, I feel like at home.”
App NEWS
Activists Commemorate Black August, Say Police Reforms Not Enough
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Organizers say the governor’s executive order to reform police last year didn’t go far enough in curbing discriminatory policing against Black New Yorkers.
App NEWS
School Starts In A Month, But No Word Yet On Masks Or Vaccine Requirements
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“We want to be responsive and we want to stay on top of things, but I would not want it to be way out in front of this before more information comes.”
App NEWS
Local Private Colleges Mixed On Vaccination Requirements For Employees
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Only some of the region’s private colleges have implemented vaccine requirements for both employees and students.
App NEWS
Flood Recovery Efforts Continue In Otsego County
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“We’re starting to see it more and more. The weather patterns, I think are changing.”
App NEWS
SUNY Trustees Name New President For Oneonta Campus
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Alberto José Cardelle will replace Dr. Barbara Jean Morris, who stepped down in October 2020 after SUNY Oneonta became a hotspot for COVID-19 cases.
air show
Army Golden Knights Glad To Be Back In The Sky At Binghamton Airshow
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“Last year we had a lot of downtime, literally.”