App NEWS

Haircuts Are Phase 2

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Broome County’s Executive Jason Garnar said if the region continues to fulfill the reopening criteria set by the state, it could see Phase 2 on May 29th.

App NEWS

Owego Awarded $10 Million From State Fund To Revitalize Downtowns

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VESTAL, NY (WSKG) — Owego was awarded $10 million dollars as part of New York state’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative, or DRI. Owego is in Tioga County. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the various projects. They are meant to boost the local economy by attracting new businesses while strengthening existing ones, repair infrastructure, enhance recreational opportunities, and address the demand for affordable housing. The money will go toward 17 projects.

Hear Here! | Compassion Harp

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Sometimes music helps people communicate when they can’t use words. Jayne Demakos of Compassion Harp is a therapeutic harpist. Every weekend, she visits a nursing home to play for the people facing both physical or emotional challenges. 

In this segment, we tag along on one of her visits.

Arts

Hear Here! | Chocolate Music

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In this bonus episode of ‘Hear Here!’ listen as WSKG’s Sam Goodyear talks about how music can be used to intrigue and build anticipation in an original piece he calls ‘Chocolate Music’.

Arts

Hear Here! | Let’s Listen Together

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This episode is all about sharing and listening. Moms, Dads and their kids share music they like. They talk about why they like it, and how it makes them feel. We also meet therapeutic harpist Jayne Demakos who plays for people living in a nursing home. 

This episode was produced by Dan Davis. Sarah Gager is the Executive Producer.

Arts

Hear Here! | Biddle De Bop

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How is voice used in jazz? We’ll learn about improvisations, other vocal techniques, and listen to some big band singing. We will also hear from Catherine Gale, an Ithaca, NY based jazz singer and teacher. Biddle De Bop was produced by Celia Clarke and edited by Gabe Altieri. Additional editing support comes from Monica Sandreczki.

Arts

Hear Here! | A One-Woman Show?

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During a tech rehearsal of the theatre piece “Bitter Banquet” we will hear from Ithaca-based composer/performer Annie Lewandowski who is at home with both classical music and rock.  We will learn about the journey from composition to performance, and how many people it takes to present a “one-woman” show. A One-Woman Show? was produced by Bill Snyder and edited by Monica Sandreczki. Additional support comes from Nancy Coddington.

Education

Hear Here! | LOL

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Some people think that classical music is lifeless and boring. They might be in for some surprises during this episode of Hear Here! Classical music can be amusing, funny, or just plain wacky, like the soundtrack of a crazy cartoon. We will discover how music can actually make us laugh. LOL was produced by Sam Goodyear and edited by Gabe Altieri.

Arts

Hear Here! | Can’t Never Did Nothing

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Come along as singer-songwriter Joe Crookston explores the world of music, sound and songwriting! What kind of sound do various instruments make? How do stories and sounds then turn into songs? Let’s find out together! Can’t Never Did Nothing was produced by Crystal Sarakas and edited by Gabe Altieri.

News

Trade Unwanted Guns For Groceries

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On Saturday morning, people can trade their guns for groceries. Between 9AM and noon, anyone can bring in unwanted, working firearms to Binghamton’s American Civic Association in exchange for a gift certificate.

Elections

24 Women Filed For Congressional Primaries in Pennsylvania

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More women than ever are running for Congress nationwide, according to a recent report from the Associated Press. That number is also staggering in Pennsylvania, a state with no female representatives in congress. In fact, the state has had few women in its congressional history. Adelina Lancianese reports.

ACA Shooting Nine Years Ago Today

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“It’s one of the challenges of the human spirit – developing a positive outlook in the face of the fact that we’re all going to die and birth is a fatal disease,” said David Marsland, whose wife was killed in the attack. “It’s a question of how you live as opposed to how you die.

Education

Hear Here! | Found Sound

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Traditional instruments are not necessary to make music! In this episode: an orchestra who plays vegetables, a professor who builds instruments using found objects, and a pioneer of early electronic music, Delia Derbyshire, who would record a seemingly simple sound and then manipulate that tape to create complex music. Plus, WSKG staffers compose a song, but their only instruments are things they can find on their desks! (Produced by Sarah Gager)

Feeling inspired? Check out these activities for at-home or classroom!

classical music

Hear Here! | Birdsong: The Story and Music of Hikari Oe

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Hikari Oe is a contemporary Japanese composer, known for his charming short pieces for piano, flute, and violin. He was born with autism. It was the songs of birds that awakened him to the larger world and led to his development as a musician. Narrated by two young performers, Birdsong tells the story of Hikari Oe’s spiritual and professional triumph. (Produced by Sam Goodyear)

Classroom Discussion Prompts (Post-Listen)

~Where was Hikari Oe born?

Hear Here! Teaser

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Hear Here! is a music appreciation podcast for kids (K-5)! In this 5 episode season, we’ll explore different genres of music and the various ways music affects our lives.

mlk

A Day of Service: Celebrating MLK Day

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Every third Monday of January, the nation celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birth and service of racial and economic equality. This year, the holiday falls on what would have been King’s 89th birthday. MLK Day was first observed in 1986, and, in 1994, Senator and civil rights leader John Lewis of Georgia sponsored the King Holiday and Service Act, making the holiday one to encourage people to volunteer in their communities. The Corporation for National and Community Service says the holiday : “[…] calls for Americans from all walks of life to work together to provide solutions to our most pressing national problems. The MLK Day of Service empowers individuals, strengthens communities, bridges barriers, creates solutions to social problems, and moves us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a ‘Beloved Community.'”

The All for Good website has a list of volunteer opportunities.

Education

New York Awards $400K For Farm-To-School Projects In Finger Lakes, Southern Tier

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Education groups in the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes will share $400,000 to use for farm-to-school projects. Among the awardees: Broome-Tioga BOCES, Sidney Central School District and the Cornell Cooperative Extensions serving Steuben and Seneca counties. The Farm-to-School program, funded through the FY 2017-2018 state budget and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Block Program, is meant to connect kindergarten through grade 12 schools with local farms.

The governor proposed an expansion to this program in his 2018 State of the State Address and announced the awards last week.

Education

If Expanded, Farm-To-School Plan Would Offer Students Healthy Meals, Farmers A Diverse Market

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As part of his 2018 State of the State address, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is proposing to double the funding for a program that connects schools with local farmers, Farm-to-School. The state currently spends $750,000 on the program, and Cuomo wants to increase that to $1.5 million. The money can go toward capital costs for transporting and storing food, supporting training, and to hiring farm-to-school coordinators. One incentive under the proposal: The state will reimburse districts a quarter per meal if they get 30 percent of the ingredients from New York farms. That’s compared to the six cents they get now. “It really helps [farmers] diversify their business.

Broome Legislature

Broome Legislature Approves Funding For Addiction Treatment Center

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In front of a standing room only crowd, the Broome County Legislature voted to accept New York state funding for an addiction treatment center on Wednesday. The nearly $2.7 million comes through the state’s Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services, or OASAS. The facility will be located at the former Broome County Developmental Center in Binghamton. It’s expected to be hold 50 beds for supervised withdrawal and stabilization. Syracuse Behavioral Healthcare will provide services.

Cuomo Criticizes Reporter Over Question On Sexual Assault Policy For State Government

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Listen to the excerpt on sexual assault policy from the Q&A. At a Q&A with reporters Wednesday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo criticized public radio reporter, Karen DeWitt, saying she’s minimizing the issue of sexual assault by asking him what he’d do to address it in state government. Back in November, a woman accused the former head of the state’s economic development agency – Sam Hoyt – of sexually assaulting her. She also said the Cuomo administration knew about it, but didn’t do anything. Cuomo’s lawyer says they investigated it.

News
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Halloween Safety Can Keep Your Pets From Getting Tricked

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It’s Halloween and pet owners are making sure their cats and dogs stay safe. Sheryl and her owner Katie Kanazawich live on Binghamton’s West Side. Sheryl is a Plott Hound mix who is excitable and sweet, and loves to dress up. “When you bring [her clothes] out, she knows they’re hers, she wags her tail and gets excited to wear it,” Katie said. Sheryl has holiday themed shirts and an airplane costume.

News
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Imperium3 Plans Move Into Old IBM Site

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Manufacturing will return to the vacant IBM site in Endicott. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday that lithium ion batteries will be made on the Huron Campus.    Joining in the consortium of three companies locating in Endicott is C4V. When New York held its first ever 76West Clean Energy Competition, C4V’s new battery storage technology earned a $500,000 prize.  Within five years, Dr. Shalilesh Upreti, president of C4V, said they will hire and train 232 employees. “Because there is no manufacturing as high scale like this today in the US, we have been bringing folks from overseas—especially from Japan and Korea—for the training purpose,” Upreti said.

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New Head Appointed For Broome County’s Public Nursing Home

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Consultants have recommended closing Willow Point Nursing Home in Vestal, New York, but now it’s close to having another permanent director. Broome County Executive Jason Garner appointed Ryan LaClair on Tuesday. LaClair was most recently at the Country Manor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Carthage. In his time at that facility, he improved the quality to a five-star rating based on the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Quality Measures. Willow Point has been without a permanent leader for four months now. The county-run nursing home had a budget in the red for years.

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In The 1920s, Binghamton Was NYS Headquarters For KKK

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The Binghamton area is often associated with the letters “IBM” but what about “KKK”? In the 1920s, Binghamton was the New York State headquarters for the Ku Klux Klan. While a student at Binghamton University, Jay Rubin began researching the topic. He wrote the book The Forgotten Kapital: The KKK in Binghamton 1923-1928. He spoke with WSKG’s Sarah Gager. Interview highlights

On the 1920s version of the Ku Klux Klan:

Jay Rubin: The Klan of the 1920s sought to be a national organization.

News

Chronic Wasting Disease Still A Threat In NY, Despite Few Cases

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  The carcass of a deer being tested for disease at the necropsy lab Cornell University. Dr. Elizabeth Buckles can tell by looking at this deer that it did not die from Chronic Wasting Disease. Deer infected become emaciated. Credit Sarah Gager / WSKG News At the Cornell University diagnostics lab, a brain sample is being taken from the corpse of a deer. This is where deer are tested for Chronic Wasting Disease, or CWD. This deer was acting dazed, walking in circles in a resident’s backyard.

News
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This Huge Plant Can Cause Burns, Blindness

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    Giant Hogweed is an invasive plant that can be dangerous to your health and the environment. New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation has a hotline to call if you think you see the plant. The state even has a Giant Hogweed Control Crew.   Alexander Wyatt is on the crew. On a recent trip to Candor, NY, he and a partner cleared younger, smaller plants from a residence.

News
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Out Late Tonight? You Can Grab An Uber

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Ride-hailing apps are authorized to operate in upstate New York starting today. Apps like Lyft and Uber had been bound to the New York City area until now. James Pontez in Ithaca said he thinks it will be a popular job among college students. It gives them another option for temporary work. “I mean, I’m sure some people don’t always want to deliver pizza,” he explained, “Sometimes they’d rather pick up a person.”

News
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How They Voted On ACA Repeal And Replace: Southern Tier Edition

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   The House of Representatives passed a bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act Thursday. The count was 217 to 213.  As for the local Congressional delegation, here’s how they voted:  Yes Republican Tom Reed (NY-23rd) Republican Claudia Tenney (NY-22nd) Republican John Faso (NY-19) No Republican John Katko (NY-24).Interview highlights: On Congressman Reed: Bret Jaspers: He voted ‘Yes’ to this bill. That wasn’t much of a surprise because he’s close to the leadership of the House, he’s close to President Trump. Here’s what he told reporters earlier this week. Tom Reed: I do believe the language is protective of the pre-existing condition especially coming from New York State. And knowing what New York State will do when it comes to the ability to have health care regulations in place for our residents.

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Some NYS Taxpayers Eligible For Free E-Filing Help

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New Yorkers making less than $64,000 a year can receive free help filing taxes electronically. The state tax department is holding some day-long events where trained assistants help people file online. James Gazzale, a spokesperson for the New York State Tax Department, said 92 percent of residents file electronically, and this program offers help navigating the state’s website. “The tax department program allows the [taxpayers] themselves to input all their information and educate themselves on how to file a return,” Gazzale explained, “so they’re more comfortable doing it in the future.” The state’s filing software, and a list of where and when you can get free help, is on their website.

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Mercy House Turns One

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A year ago, Mercy House in Endicott opened its doors to terminally ill patients of the Southern Tier. Since the former St. Casimir’s Church was converted into Mercy House, over a hundred people have called it home. Linda Cerra is the executive director of Mercy House. She said their services are free and the operation is successful because of donations from the community. “We learned there’s a need for Mercy House in the community,” she explained.

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Here’s What You Need To Know About April The Giraffe

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The latest internet sensation, April the Giraffe, is expecting a calf. It will be her fourth. The 15-year old giraffe is drawing a lot of attention to the Animal Adventure Zoo in Harpursville, NY. The Stream

A video stream from her pen at the zoo went live on Wednesday, and as of this writing, has over 75,000 current viewers. Vice even wrote about the stream saying, “You can watch one of the world’s goofiest mammals pop out a baby and be distracted briefly from the growing hellscape that is our current world.”

Music

New York Met Unveils 2017-18 Opera Season

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WSKG Public Media will again present the New York Metropolitan Opera’s 87th consecutive Saturday Matinee Radio Broadcast season.  These live broadcasts commonly begin in early afternoon on WSKG Radio. It kicks off on December 2, 2017 with a live broadcast of Verdi’s Requiem and continues through the May 5 matinee of Roméo et Juliette. The broadcast season will once again be heard live over the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network. Mary Jo Heath returns for her third season as host and Ira Siff returns for his 11th season as commentator for the broadcasts, which feature a range of dynamic intermission features, live backstage interviews with artists, and the ever-popular Opera Quiz. The Metropolitan Opera’s full 2017-18 season will feature 220 performances of 26 works, including two Met premieres.

Dear Future President… Sincerely, Tiger Ventures School

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Letters to the Next President is a nationwide, non-partisan writing project which allows us a little insight into what’s on the minds of America’s young people. 8th and 9th graders at Tiger Ventures school in Endicott recorded their letters. These are some of their questions and concerns for the next president. Read more letters from the students at Tiger Ventures here.

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Women To March In The Southern Tier, Too

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Hundreds of thousands of people are headed to D.C. for the inauguration and for the Women’s March on Washington. WSKG caught up with one group in the Southern Tier and Northern Pennsylvania as they prepared for the voyage. Twin Tiers to D.C. is what the group is calling themselves. Last weekend, they got ready for the march by making posters with phrases like “We’ll show you nasty.”
Angela Button’s poster says, “Feminism: back by popular demand.” She’s a student in Corning and was at President Obama’s inauguration in 2012. “That was really inspiring at that point,” she said, “so this is a cool experience to go back to D.C. kind of in a different light to say, “No, we’re not going to stop.

0235fa2a-ef26-430f-90aa-71778493ddc3

Binghamton School District Seeks New Leader After Trying Year

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Binghamton City School District’s superintendent was dismissed last March. There have been a couple of interim superintendents since then, but now the district is searching for a more permanent leader. David Hawley is the president of the Binghamton School Board. He spoke with WSKG’s Sarah Gager about the search, which he says will conclude with a selection in the Spring. Interview highlights:

What is the new superintendent stepping into?

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Lupardo On Seniors, Parking Garage Safety And Childcare

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Lawmakers returned to Albany for the 2017 legislative session. Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo represents the 123rd district, which includes the city of Binghamton and the towns of Vestal and Union. She joined us to discuss the session and her new role as Chair of the Committee on Aging. Interview highlights:

What do you want to get done in your new role? Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo: Being someone who is over 60 myself and having gone throw the death of my parents, I’m sensitive to a couple of big things: making sure that those individuals who need services and programs have those available, but also, as people are living longer and healthier lives and want to stay more active, that we’re paying attention to that, too.

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How Art Can Help Us Recall Emotional Memories

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Memories come back to us through emotional experiences. That’s how Christina Muscatello, founder of the Memory Maker Project, thinks of it. She explained it like this: you hear a song and it makes you feel something. Then, you think back to your middle school dance, and the first time you slow danced. “You would have never had a moment to access that memory without having that emotional tie,” Muscatello said.

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No Paperwork, Just Lunch: This Bill Could Change How Schools Feed Students

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For decades, free and reduced priced school meals have been a source of healthy food for low-income kids. Last school year, over a million New York children qualified for free or reduced meals. WSKG’s Sarah Gager and Gabe Altieri discuss a bill currently in Congress that could change how schools feed students. It’s a bill that reauthorizes the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. Interview Highlights

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act has been up for reauthorization since last year. Currently, it’s running in the format that passed in 2012 while lawmakers work out an updated version. There are two different versions in the House and Senate.

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Jason Garnar Says He’ll Get To Work As Broome Co. Executive-Elect

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Broome County has a new executive. Democrat Jason Garnar beat incumbent Republican Debbie Preston by almost a thousand votes, but Republicans still won a majority of the county’s legislative seats. Garnar said party collaboration is key in addressing the issues affecting the county. “If we’re going to move Broome County in the right direction, we’re going to need to work together and end this partisan bickering,” he said. “This is the local level.

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Binghamton University’s TIER Talks: Our Political System On Life Support

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This election cycle has revealed America’s discontent with government, and, increasingly, winning primary elections means candidates must creep further away from center, appealing to voters on the extremes. For Binghamton University’s TIER Talks: Our Political System on Life Support, we explore the health of our political system through a series of lectures. David Schultz, professor of political science at Hamline University, discusses polarization in politics. Matthew Kerbel, professor and chair of political science at Villanova University, shows us how traditional and online media are used in politics today. Dr. Jean W. Harris, professor of political science and women’s studies at University of Scranton, gives her talk on career politicians.

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Why High Lead Readings Are Always Possible

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Troubles with water quality have raised concerns over contamination across the country. Just last month, nine drinking sources in Ithaca came back with high lead levels. There are a couple of reasons there is lead still present in some of our faucets. Lead was an inexpensive resource often used to build houses for cheap in the mid 1900s. It became less acceptable over time because of its harmful health effects, but even with restrictions on new construction, old pipes weren’t always changed out.

70fd18d4-10f5-42fc-95b7-a86b4f6cf3ec

Fat Cat Comics Turns 40

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Twenty years ago, Lin and Brian Sean Perry took their wedding photo in front of their family’s comic book store in Johnson City. Both the Perrys and the store marked their anniversaries last week. In a celebration at the store on Saturday, the Perrys showed off the photo. In it, the whole wedding party is in dresses and tuxedos, posed below bold print that reads Fat Cat Comics. “We’ve been married half as long as the store’s been around,” Sean said (Perry goes by his middle name). On Saturday, he came to the store to celebrate the it’s 40th anniversary.

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How Southern Tier Farmers Fought To Hold The Union Line

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Many books and movies have been written about Lieutenant Colonel Joshua Chamberlain and his valiant success at Little Roundtop, but very little has been said about the right end the line where Colonel Ireland was with his regiment. Today, they’re getting a little time in the sun. The 137th New York and their leader Colonel David Ireland held down the right side of the line on Culp’s Hill. Culp’s Hill is actually two hills sloping down into a ditch or a swale. On the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg, General Lee and the Confederate army attempted to get around the Union line.

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Canvas In Curious Condition Launches Investigation At Binghamton University

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Sometimes a thing’s value is in its story rather than the thing itself. That might be the case for a remarkable painting now at Binghamton University. On a recent visit to a storage room behind the museum, called “The Vault,” paintings both large and small covered the walls. There were shelves and cabinets obscuring the other side of the room, so the exact size of the room wasn’t clear. To the left was what looked like a big black window.

Arts

Canvas In Curious Condition Launches Investigation At Binghamton University

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Sometimes a thing’s value is in its story rather than the thing itself. That might be the case for a remarkable painting now at Binghamton University. On a recent visit to a storage room behind the museum, called “The Vault,” paintings both large and small covered the walls. There were shelves and cabinets obscuring the other side of the room, so the exact size of the room wasn’t clear. To the left was what looked like a big black window.

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Deadline To Register To Vote In Congressional Primaries Is Friday

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To have a say in the upcoming Congressional primaries, New Yorkers will need to register to vote by Friday. That won’t help all voters. All primaries in New York State are closed. That means in order to vote people registering will need to declare a party. That’s been a big deal to New York voters this election season.

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Tom Libous Dies

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ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) – A longtime New York state senator who helped lead its Republican majority before his conviction last year for lying to the FBI has died. Tom Libous, who was 63, died Tuesday after a prolonged battle with cancer. His death was announced in a statement from his family. Libous lost his seat as the Senate’s deputy majority leader after being convicted in July. Prosecutors say he lied to agents asking how his son Matthew got a $150,000-a-year law firm job.

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New Bereavement Center Offers Recovery Support After Overdose Deaths

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People seeking bereavement counseling in the Southern Tier now have another option. Lourdes Hospice was already offering bereavement counseling, but had no space dedicated to it. Most of the employees were out in the field, and places to meet clients became harder to find. In the new Vestal facility, Lourdes has space for group counseling, family sessions, and has a playroom for children who are grieving. The room allows a lot of natural light to shine down on a small white table where kids can draw.

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Poll Finds Clinton Ahead with Key Voters

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A new poll finds that Bernie Sanders has narrowed the gap with Hillary Clinton in the New York Presidential primary race, but Clinton leads in key voting regions. The Siena college poll finds that 52% of Democrats would vote for Hillary Clinton, and 42% for Bernie Sanders. Clinton is ahead in voter rich New York City and surrounding suburbs. The two are even in upstate, but that represents just around one quarter of total Democratic voters. Siena’s Steve Greenberg says there’s also an age divide between the two candidates’ supporters. Clinton is ahead with older voters, while Sanders leads with younger voters.

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Sanders Supporters Feel The Bern In Binghamton

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For the first time in 16 years, a presidential candidate visited the greater Binghamton area. The Floyd L. Maines Arena in downtown Binghamton reached capacity as thousands gathered to hear Bernie Sanders speak. Some traveled from Ithaca and Oneonta and even Scranton, Pennsylvania. Jake Meiseles was wearing a Cornell University sweater. He and his friends drove in from Ithaca the night before and woke up early to secure their spot, but he said they still weren’t the first ones there.

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Special Education Teacher Follows Olympic Dream

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New York’s Southern Tier will be represented this weekend at the Olympic trials for men’s wrestling. Enock Francois is a sixth grade special education teacher at Spencer-Van Etten Middle School in Tioga and Chemung Counties. He also trains with Cornell University’s Division I team. Before training there, Francois’ plans almost crumbled when the International Olympic Committee temporarily voted wrestling out of the games. He says he was ready to move on. “When you’re getting something you love stripped away from you, it’s disheartening, but there’s more to life than that.

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Nerdcore Rapper Sammus Makes Definitive Statement With New Single: ‘I Am A Human Being’

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Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo is a PhD student at Cornell University, but she’s also a producer and nerdcore rapper. She calls herself Sammus. In her new single 1080p, she shows her fans that there is no distance between these two aspects of her life. There are a couple video game references sprinkled into the song, but the focus is on the rapper’s personal journey to good mental health.

Music

Nerdcore Rapper Sammus Makes Definitive Statement With New Single: 'I Am A Human Being'

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By day, she’s Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo a PhD student at Cornell University. By other time of day, she’s producer and nerdcore rapper Sammus. In her new single 1080p, she shows her fans that there is no distance between these two aspects of her life. There are a couple video game references sprinkled into the song, but the focus is on the rapper’s personal journey to good mental health. Sammus performs at the Sacred Root Kava Lounge in Ithaca on March 15th.

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Mercy House Brings New Purpose To Old Church

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Cheers came as the ribbon was cut and people filed into the newly opened Mercy House in Endicott. Mercy House now inhabits the old St. Casimir’s Church. It retains some of it’s old features like the stained glass and the heavy timber beams, but now it houses ten rooms for people who are terminally ill to call home. The shelter will provide spiritual care and Lourdes Hospital will make visits provide hospice care.

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Drug Intervention And Prevention Programs Seek Money From New York State

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Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo is seeking an increase in funding for addiction prevention programs in the upcoming New York state budget. In a letter to Governor Cuomo, Lupardo focuses on two Binghamton programs that she says have worked in the past. The Student Assistance Program, or SAP, is a school-based program from Lourdes Hospital that puts certified prevention counselors into schools. Jill Alford-Hammitt is the program manager. She says before money dried up, they had counseling programs in 10 school districts and today, they’re in only four.

BU Graduate Assistants Protest For Equal Pay

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Binghamton University’s incoming graduate and teaching assistants are being offered more money than those who currently work at the university. Current students rallied on campus Friday to protest the change. Katie Lacy is the co-president of the anthropology graduate organization. She says it costs money to pay for professional development in academia. If she uses her stipend on one conference, she might not be able to pay for a second.

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Behind The Rich History Of Upstate Farms

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New York state has long been a center for agriculture. and, tonight, WSKG premieres a new documentary that celebrates upstate’s farming history. The movie is called Harvest. Brian Frey directed the film, and he says he misses the presence of farmers in popular culture.

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Lourdes Hospital In Binghamton To Sponsor A Day Of Free Health Services

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Lourdes hospital in Binghamton is sponsoring a day of free medical services tomorrow. The idea for this kind of one-day free clinic — called Medical Mission at Home — originated in Tennessee. The idea is to reach people in need who don’t often visit the hospital or care center. Sister Marilyn Perkins heads up Lourdes’ activities to provide services to the disadvantaged. She says there is a need for health care in the community.

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Scholar: Plant-Based Diet Improves Health Of People And Environment

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Dr. T. Colin Campbell is known for his book The China Study, where he looked at the effect of a plant-based diet on long-term health. He’s also Professor Emeritus at Cornell, and featured in the new film PlantPure Nation. The film asks why the United States is spending almost 4 trillion dollars annually on healthcare.

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WSKG’s Summer Playlist

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Throughout the summer we highlighted regional bands in the series we call WSKG’s Summer Playlist. SECOND DAM-05/15/15

Second Dam is a 6-piece eclectic indie band out of Ithaca College’s music program. VOODOO HIGHWAY-05/21/15

Voodoo Highway is a rocking band with an expansive view of what ‘blues’ means. PILGRIMS-05/28/15

Pilgrims is a garage rock noisemaking duo out of Elmira. BRIAN!-06/02/15

Brian! with an exclamation point is a 3-piece band out of Ithaca featuring the bassoon.

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Local Boxer Sharkey Lost His Friend And Then His Desire to Fight

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Welterweight boxers Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao will meet tomorrow for what’s being called “The Fight of the Century”. But it was less than a century ago,on June 21, 1932, in Madison Square Garden, that a Binghamton native won the heavyweight title. Director of WSKG’s history department, Brian Frey, recounts the life of Jack Sharkey.

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They Call Me “Cool Fool”: A George Haley Story

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To conclude our series highlighting historical black residence of our region we discuss the life of Bath, NY native Lt. Col. George J. Haley. Haley volunteered in WWII as a fighter pilot with the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African-American military aviators in the U.S. armed forces. He fought in multiple wars, flying over 90 missions in WWII alone. More history from the Twin Tiers can be found here.

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From Slavery To Citizenship: The Story Of John W. Jones

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We continue our series that highlights notable black residents of the Southern Tier with John W. Jones. (If you missed the first installment, click here.)

Shane Johnson of WSKG’s history department writes: “Between the summers of 1864 and 1865, nearly 3,000 Confederate prisoners died at the Civil War prison camp in Elmira, New York. The monumental task of burying the dead fell upon Jones, a former runaway slave.” Shane has more on this epic here.

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How Oscar Barton’s Drum Embodies Owego Civil War History

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For Black History Month, we are highlight notable black residents of the Southern Tier, starting with Oscar Barton. Barton was from Owego and, in 1863, he enlisted in the Union Army as a drummer. For two years, he carried his drum across the South as a member of the 26th United States Colored Troops. Barton’s drum is now on display at the Tioga County Historical Society Museum.

Quality Childcare And Early Education Offer Economic Boost

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A shortage of quality childcare and early childhood education are increasingly seen as a drag on New York’s economy.  Too often, parents must choose between a paycheck and a safe, secure and enlightening place for their kids.  And businesses can suffer when they can’t find and keep the workers they need.  In late August, a summit on affordable, quality childcare and early childhood education was conducted WSKG’s Vestal studios. It including a panel discussion involving business executives, activists, educators, and government leaders. Hosted by Charles Compton of WSKG News, they concluded early childhood education and affordable childcare are not optional.

Broome Repairs Flood-Prone Facility That Stores Voting Machines

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The warehouse where Broome County stores its electronic voting machines has experienced several flooding incidents within the last two years. County Executive Debbie Preston announced plans to move the voting machines from sites in Vestal to the former Ramp Industries building on Floral Avenue in Binghamton in 2012. The decision was presented as a cost-saving measure. The minority leader of the Broome County legislature, Jason Garnar, says he found out about flooding that has occurred at the site since then from county workers.