Government
Proposed constitutional amendment would ensure abortion rights in New York
|
In 1970, after New York became the first state to legalize abortion, an estimated 200,000 women came from other states to have the procedure here.
App NEWS
Gillibrand, Stefanik weigh in on baby formula shortage “national emergency”
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“This is a national emergency. Babies have become sick and have died. We need access to high-quality formula and we need to do it immediately,” Gillibrand said.
Health
Are your allergies particularly bad right now? You’re not alone
|
“We’ve had less time with things being frozen. So we’re having a longer growing season.”
App NEWS
New York health commissioner: Coronavirus ‘doesn’t get tired’
|
“I can only speculate that people are tired of this, I’m tired of it, but the virus, unfortunately, doesn’t get tired.”
Health
Health care worker shortage, behavioral health resources top concerns for hospital execs in PA
|
“Demand on frontline workers has been extraordinary.”
Health
Spring brings a renewed question: Is it allergies or COVID-19?
|
While some symptoms like sinus or upper respiratory issues can be the same with allergies and COVID-19, there are also some distinct differences.
Health
New York researchers call injury and death in the workplace ‘an epidemic hidden in plain sight’
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The study shows an estimated 7,000 deaths a year due to occupational disease.
Government
Governor directs $35-million to aid New York’s abortion providers
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The governor says $10 million dollars will also be available to increase security protections for clinics.
abortion
Attorney General James backs fund to aid women from other states who seek abortion in New York
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James said it’s even more urgent after the leaked draft opinion suggesting the U.S. Supreme Court will overturn Roe v. Wade.
Government
As 988 hotline goes live in Pennsylvania, crisis centers need workers
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Experts raise staffing, funding and infrastructure concerns as the official launch approaches.
Government
Advocates for medical aid in dying seek momentum for bill
|
“We watched our daughter suffer. It was horrible. And she asked and asked and asked for medical aid in dying.”
Gillibrand: Some Supreme Court justices ‘lied’ about Roe v. Wade during confirmation hearings
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New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said some Supreme Court justices lied during confirmation hearings about whether they would overturn Roe v. Wade.
The decision protects the right to an abortion up to 24 weeks into pregnancy. A recently leaked draft of an opinion appears to throw out the landmark case.
But Gillibrand said several Supreme Court justices, including Justice Alito, who authored the draft opinion, stated during their confirmation hearings that they would not overturn Roe v. Wade. “Every single one of them said they would not undermine a settled precedent, every single one of them said under oath, that they would actually preserve Roe,” Gillibrand said. “So the fact that they all lied, is shocking.”
Gillibrand said the U.S. House of Representatives oversight committee should hold hearings on the issue, and review testimony made by justices. “I hope we have hearings, because I don’t know how you can accept Supreme Court justices who lied in order to be confirmed,” Gillibrand said.
Hochul will ask feds for funding for out-of-state patients seeking abortion, if Roe v. Wade is overturned
|
If conservative judges on the U.S. Supreme Court follow through with a draft opinion leaked earlier this week striking down abortion rights, then as many as 26 states may also outlaw the procedure.
App NEWS
Legislation would protect New York abortion providers who serve patients from other states
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New York lawmakers and abortion-rights supporters hope to push three bills through the state Legislature that aim to protect health care practitioners who provide abortions for patients from out of state.
Crime and Justice
Governor warns abortion rights opponents: Don’t mess with New York
|
“You don’t want to mess with the state of New York. And I assure you that this is fight you will not win.”
Crime and Justice
PA already restricts abortion restrictions, but that could change
|
GOP Gubernatorial candidates strongly support keeping or expanding abortion restrictions, while legislative leaders aren’t ruling out bills to do that.
abortion
Binghamton protesters rally for abortion rights: ‘I’m angry, I’m horrified, but I’m not surprised’
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More than 50 protesters rallied in downtown Binghamton Tuesday in support of abortion rights.
DEC
Malfunctioning sewer line overwhelms damaged treatment plant
|
Environmental regulator issues violation notice to the Village of Johnson City.
Health
Babies who get antibiotics get less protection from common childhood vaccines
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Vaccine protectiveness waned by 6% to 20% each time antibiotics were prescribed, resulting in vulnerability to diseases like whooping cough and pneumonia.
App NEWS
Ithaca officials consider city-approved homeless encampment
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According to the proposal, the Ithaca Dedicated Encampment Site would house up to 50 residents experiencing homelessness.
App NEWS
New York farmers vigilant as avian flu spreads
|
The virus is spread through bird droppings, especially from migratory waterfowl like ducks and geese.
After 4 years without an ambulance, Stamford residents push for more reliable service
|
“We had one call, [the dispatcher called] 23 agencies, and no ambulance was available. To the point where the dispatcher called the house back and said, ‘We’ve got nothing. You have to find your own way to the hospital.’”
Air Force
Cornell particle accelerator facility expands, new military funding rolls in
|
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.
Government
Hochul says rising spread of COVID-19 subvariants in NY is not cause for panic
|
Gov. Kathy Hochul said Wednesday that new variants of COVID-19 are spreading in New York, but there’s no reason to be alarmed.
Addiction
NY counties receive their first opioid settlement payouts
|
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
Geneseo faculty say an experiment using ultraviolet light to kill COVID-19 damaged their eyes
|
UVC radiation has been used for decades as a disinfectant, but the FDA says its effectiveness in killing SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is unknown. What is known is that direct exposure to UVC lamps can cause eye injuries and skin burns.
App NEWS
Some lawmakers argue $3 raise for home care workers is not enough
|
“What was being asked for wasn’t the moon. It was what was needed.”
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
Broome County COVID-19 cases are rising again
|
A month ago, the county was reporting 20 to 40 daily positive cases. Now, county officials say they’re seeing around 100 cases a day.
Government
Advocates continue call for more funding for New York’s upstate hospitals
|
“The cost of labor and the fact we can’t find people continues to be a problem.”
Health
Expect another bad tick season this year
|
Once the thermometer reaches about 45 degrees the ticks begin to emerge and latch on to humans or pets, anything that provides them a blood meal.
Government
New York governor provides eligibility details for 2nd COVID-19 booster shots
|
“Providers statewide, including at the state’s mass vaccination sites, are ready to administer second booster doses for eligible New Yorkers.”
Government
Nursing home minimum staffing law takes effect in New York
|
The law creates minimum staffing ratios and requires that nursing home residents get at least 3.5 hours per day of direct nursing care.
Education
Cornell study shines light on COVID-19 population shifts
|
More than half of New York’s counties lost population due to more people moving out than moving in since that last census.
Aging
Tompkins County wants to hire home health aides to address backlog of elder care needs
|
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.
App NEWS
NY attorney general: It’s time to start enforcing nursing home reform laws
|
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.
Health
Pennsylvania Medical marijuana director says retail prices are not decreasing with wholesale prices
|
Outgoing director John Collins says prices are a ‘red flag’
App NEWS
Broome County Legislature approves contentious Willow Point contract
|
“There is no transparency here, with this contract.”
App NEWS
Broome County Legislature to vote on controversial Willow Point contract this week
|
Under the proposed contract, Centers for Care would be first in line to buy the Willow Point Nursing Home, if Broome County decides to sell it.
Nurses in Pennsylvania waited months to get licenses to work during historic staffing shortage
|
Wait times for nurses were among the longest in much of the U.S.
App NEWS
Sewer plant cleanup to take months as it struggles with pollution levels
|
“This is an emergency. Please, people need to act like it’s an emergency.”
Fair Pay for Home Care
NY bill would raise pay for home care workers
|
“Up to 100,000 people in the state that are actively seeking home health care cannot get it, because we do not have the supply of workforce in the state.”
Featured in Category
New York’s school mask mandate ends Wednesday, remaining COVID restrictions under review
|
New York’s mask mandate for schools will end on Wednesday, March 2, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Sunday.
Health
More than one in four registered nurse positions went vacant, recent survey reports
|
The need for doctors, nurses and other workers poses challenges for hospitals.
Al Paniccia
Sewage plant board declares ‘emergency’ after wastewater floods facility
|
An emergency declaration passed by the sewage board allows it to make purchases and sign contracts outside normal procedures.
Education
Poll finds New Yorkers divided over mask mandates
|
When you look at just the opinions of parents who have children in kindergarten through high school, they are more closely divided.
anti-mask
Chenango Forks school board will scrap mask mandate as soon as legally possible
|
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.
Government
New legislation meant to cut the cost of insulin for New Yorkers
|
Senator Schumer said The Affordable Insulin Now Act is being met with bipartisan support and he anticipates it will pass within the next several months.
Health
Effort underway to get health coverage for New York immigrants
|
“When everyone in our community is healthy, our state will be healthy, and our nation will be healthy.”
Education
As the COVID-19 pandemic drags on, the substitute teacher shortage in Pennsylvania gets worse
|
The challenge in finding instructors can be even greater for rural school districts.
Uncategorized
Broome County executive lays out plans for 2022
|
“As we continue to come out of this pandemic, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to not just get back to normal, but truly transform our county.”
Uncategorized
Binghamton-Johnson City sewage treatment plant flooded following incident
|
Plant officials say the new facility is still processing sewage and residents should be unaffected.
Food and Farms
PA farmers dealing with stress, mental health issues have a new resource for help
|
A federal grant funds the ‘AgriSafe Helpline’ effort.
App NEWS
Broome County Legislature to vote on consulting contract for Willow Point Nursing Home
|
The proposed agreement between Broome County and Centers for Care, a large health care company, has some legislators concerned.
Health
Diabetes cases, especially in children, up significantly since the pandemic began
|
“I’m a nurse and I didn’t see it. I didn’t see diabetes, because we don’t have it in our family and that’s what you automatically think.”
At Broome County Public Library, those struggling with mental health can find peer support
|
The library is piloting a peer counseling program focused on mental health.
Anti-mask protest
Protestors rally against school mask mandates in Binghamton
|
Protestors gathered in front of Binghamton’s state office building, calling for an end to mask mandates in schools.
Government
Proposed PA budget would help nurses, provide mental health services
|
Advocates are hopeful to see needed funds during Gov. Tom Wolf’s final year in office.
App NEWS
Health board hears pleas for metrics behind school mask mandate
|
“If you vote yes and extend the emergency order and keep our kids in masks, you can go to bed at night considering yourselves child abusers.”
Addiction Center of Broome County
Dozens of drug overdoses reported in Binghamton
|
There have been nearly 50 overdoses since this year began, more than half in the past two weeks.
App NEWS
COVID-weary states call on National Guard members to get EMT training and deploy to nursing homes
|
As the pandemic continues to strain the nation’s health care workforce, the National Guard has increasingly been called on to bridge the gaps.
App NEWS
Hochul lifts mask mandate for businesses; says it could end for schools by early March
|
The statewide mask mandate will end Thursday.
Government
New York health commissioner says no decision yet on ending school mask mandate
|
“There has been no decision made on a date on which the mask mandate in schools will end.”
Government
HIV/AIDS Providers ask New York’s governor to reverse Cuomo-era change
|
“This could force the shuttering of food pantries and the closure of AIDS clinics statewide.”
Government
Governor hints mask mandate may end soon
|
“I’m going to continue to head in that direction. We are hoping to get to that. That is our goal. But I am going to continue looking at the metrics.”
Government
GOP wants new health commissioner to Review COVID-19 in nursing homes
|
“Those families never received an apology. No one’s ever been held accountable. They were told ‘who cares’ by the last governor.”
App NEWS
Local health care providers weigh in on changes to monoclonal antibody treatment guidelines
|
The Food and Drug Administration recently limited certain monoclonal antibody drugs used to treat COVID patients, because they don’t seem to be effective against the omicron variant.
App NEWS
Governor Tom Wolf, PA Democrats outline a proposal for $1.7 billion in pandemic funds
|
The plan includes spending money on workers and a property tax subsidy for lower-income homeowners and renters.
App NEWS
Broome County COVID cases continue to decrease
|
Broome County is still reporting hundreds of positive COVID-19 cases each week, but numbers have continued to fall.
App NEWS
New York’s mask mandate not expected to end anytime soon
|
“We’re not taking our foot off the gas when it comes to fighting the pandemic,.”
Government
Soldiers with New York’s National Guard train to become EMTs
|
“The graduates will be able to assist anywhere we need them in a medical capacity will be available starting in early February.”
App NEWS
Hochul says New York’s health care workforce needs to grow by 20%
|
Governor Kathy Hochul said New York’s health care workforce was short-handed before the pandemic, and now it’s even worse.
App NEWS
Activists allege mistreatment of women, pregnant people in Broome County jail
|
The activists say women and pregnant people at the jail are being denied access to medications, nutrition and medical care and subjected to voyeurism from the guards.
Government
Republican budget chiefs want Pennsylvania’s plethora of pandemic-era cash used ‘judiciously’
|
The House and Senate’s top GOP budget negotiators say the state’s $7.76 billion in extra relief and tax money can’t be stretched too thin.
App NEWS
COVID positivity rate in Tompkins County continues decline as college students return
|
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.
Crime and Justice
New York’s mask mandate is still in effect after another legal decision
|
The request will be reconsidered Friday by a panel of judges from the court, and could ultimately be reversed.
App NEWS
New York judge overturns governor’s mask mandate
|
The mandate “is a law that was promulgated and enacted unlawfully by an executive branch state agency, and therefore void and unenforceable.”
Health
Poison Center says keep at-home COVID tests away from kids
|
“If they were to take a taste of it accidentally, not a problem, could be a little bit irritating, but not a real big issue.
App NEWS
State bills designed to provide better mental health care for New York mothers
|
“Our maternal mental health conditions are largely underreported, and symptoms often go unaddressed.”
Counties struggle to find enough supplies for school test-to-stay programs
|
“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.”
Health
Holidays plus omicron result in largest blood shortage in a decade
|
“Blood donor turnout has really plummeted because of the variant that has affected this region and across the country.”
App NEWS
With low temperatures, home heating fires become more common
|
Heating equipment is the second-largest cause of home fires nationally. They tend to occur in winter as people try to get the chill out of their homes.
Health
Want to know where COVID-19 will spread? Ask people if they plan to follow guidelines, researchers say
|
A nationwide survey sheds light on how self-reporting can predict infection rates.
App NEWS
People who are blind face multiple barriers to COVID-19 testing
|
The National Federation of the Blind says inaccessibility is keeping millions of Americans from proactively protecting their own health.
App NEWS
Southern Tier counties open online portals for reporting at-home COVID tests
|
Residents can use their county’s online portal to report at-home COVID-19 test results, and access isolation order paperwork to provide to their employer.
App NEWS
NY county health departments no longer required to do COVID contact tracing
|
“The big change for New Yorkers is that if you test positive, you should no longer expect a call from your health department.”
Government
New York announces new nursing home visitation rules
|
“Ideally, every visitor would be vaccinated and boosted, but we don’t have the authority to create that restriction.”
App NEWS
Binghamton High School unveils new security measures in response to uptick in student misconduct
|
Students at Binghamton High School returned to class last week to a few changes.
App NEWS
Food benefits doubled as Greater Good Grocery celebrates one-year anniversary
|
“We want this for people especially with the food prices raising,” said General Manager Kinya Middleton. “This will definitely stretch someone’s budget.”
App NEWS
Broome County has over 4,000 active COVID cases, but hospitalizations remain steady
|
Broome County continues to see record numbers of COVID-19 cases, with 3,250 new cases in the past week. But County Executive Jason Garnar says for now, hospitalizations don’t seem to be increasing at the same rate.
Antigen tests
Broome County distributes over 10,000 at-home COVID tests
|
Thousands of cars lined the streets leading into Otsiningo Park on Wednesday. County officials had set up a drive-thru site to distribute 10,000 at-home COVID tests.
App NEWS
SUNY campuses to open COVID testing sites this week
|
Campuses across New York state will begin hosting free COVID testing for the general public this week.
Schumer pushes federal government to prioritize New York for COVID pill distribution
|
Schumer said New York’s current allocation of anti-viral drugs used to treat COVID-19 will not be enough to meet current needs.
Uncategorized
Air ambulance blood transfusion bill signed into law
|
A New York bill allowing air ambulances to carry blood for emergency transfusion was signed into law last week. Local officials say the measure is a crucial step toward saving lives.
Algal Blooms
2021 environment in review: Another year of harmful algal blooms
|
Cayuga Lake has struggled with harmful algal blooms or HABs in recent years, but in 2021 unseasonably warm temperatures and heavy rainfall may have extended their prevalence late into the year.
App NEWS
Broome County sees record number of active COVID-19 cases
|
“The next month will likely be the most difficult month that we’ve ever seen in the pandemic.”
Health
‘January surge’ coming says Hochul during North Country tour
|
Gov. Kathy Hochul said New Yorkers should prepare for a “January surge” in COVID-19 cases.
App NEWS
You have an at-home COVID-19 test. What do you do if it’s positive?
|
As the new variant spreads, rapid at-home COVID tests are becoming more important in the fight against the virus.
App NEWS
Hochul ‘unwavering’ in students returning to school amid COVID-19 surge
|
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she’s committed to seeing students return to school next week as planned, as state health officials are pushing for more children to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Southern Tier school leaders say fighting, bullying, vandalism increasing among students
|
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.
Southern Tier advocates, elected officials react to supervised drug-injection sites in New York City
|
Some people in the Southern Tier say supervised drug-injection sites can save lives. Others say it enables drug use.
App NEWS
Broome County officials warn of rising COVID-19 cases, encourage limited holiday gatherings
|
Given the spike in COVID-19 cases, county officials are advising residents to make sure they stay safe during holiday gatherings.
Education
Pandemic prompts cancellation of January high school Regents exams
|
“Once again, the January Regents exams cannot be safely, equitably and fairly administered across the state.”
Government
State health commissioner tests positive, as New York’s COVID-19 cases set record
|
“Of course she is vaccinated and boosted, so this would be a breakthrough case, but she is feeling fine.”
Crime and Justice
Opioid settlement: Here’s how much money PA counties would see
|
Counties will have broad authority to decide where the money goes.
App NEWS
Hochul in Broome County promises more COVID-19 testing, mask enforcement, hospital staffing
|
The governor gave updates on the current mask mandate, hospital capacity and testing, in the midst of a surge in COVID-19 cases across the state.
Featured in Category
NYS health commissioner says COVID-19 is increasing at rates never before documented
|
Concerns about the spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus are growing, as the more contagious strain is beginning to take hold in New York.
Addiction
Republicans say NY bail reform reduces access to rehabilitation programs. Experts say it’s not that simple.
|
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.
Government
Hochul: ‘rough ride’ ahead amid COVID-19 surge in New York
|
For New Yorkers experiencing so-called “COVID fatigue,” a sense of hopelessness as the pandemic wears on, there’s more bad news: there’s no end in sight.
App NEWS
Otsego County adds security after threats to health department
|
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
Broome County opens mass vaccination site in Johnson City
|
“We are racing against the clock now. It’s important that when people want to get vaccinated or they want to get boosted, that they can do that immediately.”
Government
Union calls on New York to better fund public teaching hospitals
|
“People were seeing their colleagues right across the street getting recognized for what they had been doing in the pandemic. And the state is saying ‘sorry, we can’t do that for you,.”
App NEWS
County governments grapple with enforcing NY mask mandate
|
Since the statewide mask mandate was announced last week, New York’s counties have grappled with how to implement it. Certain counties have embraced the mandate. Others have refused to carry it out.
App NEWS
Advocates call on New York lawmakers to reinstate disability advocacy office
|
“These services which we need to live and thrive and achieve our greatest potential can be very confusing.”
Ag and Markets
Hemp processor licensing begins again after months of delays
|
Hemp processing licenses are once again moving forward with New York state certification, after some were delayed for months following the overhaul of the state’s cannabis law, earlier this year.
Uncategorized
Cornell University goes online, cancels activities after COVID-19 outbreak
|
Tompkins County currently has more than 1,100 active COVID-19 cases. The vast majority of them, nearly 900, can be attributed to Cornell University students. But the county only has nine hospitalizations.
Government
New York Governor defends her mask mandate
|
“We have to get a point of rational discussion about this, and it’s not about scoring political points or getting headlines to call out the governor on an issue.”
App NEWS
New York’s COVID-19 mask mandate draws blowback
|
“I’m going to monitor what’s going on in the various counties, but I’m not attempting to be heavy-handed.”
Government
As mask mandate goes into effect, many local governments say they can’t, or won’t, enforce it
|
“We don’t have the staff…they have Covid overload. We don’t want to send the sheriff’s out after anybody, we don’t want to send probation after anybody.”
Addiction
NY comptroller audit finds drug treatment programs overdue for recertification
|
“Some of these programs will be going on for years without the kind of review that they should be having.”
App NEWS
New York to implement indoor mask mandate for public places
|
Facing a winter surge in COVID-19 infections, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Friday that masks will be required in all indoor public places unless the businesses or venues implement a vaccine requirement.
App NEWS
Ithaca pilot program provides guaranteed income for some caregivers
|
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
First case of Omicron detected in Broome County
|
A total of 12 cases have been detected in New York state so far. Nineteen states across the U.S. have reported cases of Omicron.
allan gandelman
Wet summer leaves cannabis farmers concerned about climate impacts
|
“The plants literally drowned and died because the roots couldn’t get any oxygen.”
App NEWS
Report: Southern Tier hospitals placed hundreds of liens on patients’ homes
|
“The first tenet in medicine is to do no harm. Suing people, filing liens on their homes, ruining their credit… that’s doing harm.”
App NEWS
Three more confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in New York state; all three are from NYC
|
“We knew the Omicron variant was coming and we expect to see more cases. But let me be clear: We are not defenseless.”
Even with lots of testing, detecting variants takes time
|
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.
Broome County hospitals may limit non-essential surgeries as staff shortages continue to strain system
|
The National Guard will be deployed to fill staffing shortages at Willow Point Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Vestal.
Government
Governor: New York’s first omicron case is ‘not cause for alarm’
|
“I’m not prepared to shut down schools or the economy at this time. That would be considered an overreaction.”
binghamton
North Side Binghamton grocery store expands food benefits for shoppers
|
“Forty-five percent of the people that shop here at the Greater Good grocery are on SNAP benefits. This will benefit a whole ton of people on the North Side of Binghamton.”
Government
COVID-19 pandemic enters race for New York governor
|
“Sadly, New York has been making the same mistakes over and over again on COVID.”
App NEWS
Binghamton youth programs get state funding for gun violence prevention
|
The Binghamton City School District is expecting to hire two youth advocates to work in their high school and middle schools with funding recently awarded to the city for gun violence prevention.
Crime and Justice
PA supreme court temporarily reinstates school mask mandate
|
The court will hear arguments Dec. 8 in order to make a final decision.
App NEWS
Southern Tier still without mass vaccination site
|
Despite an increase in COVID-19 cases, fairly low vaccination rates and widespread booster rollout, the Southern Tier still has no state-run mass vaccination site.
Government
New York Governor watching Omicron Variant but holding off on new mandates
|
Hochul predicts a surge in the infection rate over the next few days.
Health
Experts warn about high COVID-19 transmission through winter
|
“So we know people are not wearing masks, and we know people are gathering and we know people are in close quarters.”
Government
COVID-19 killed at least 40 military veterans at VA nursing homes in Pa.
|
Newly-public data shows outbreaks among staff and residents throughout the pandemic.
App NEWS
Despite criticism, Hochul declines to take statewide action to quell COVID-19 spikes
|
COVID-19 rates are spiking in many parts of upstate New York. So far, local governments have been left to manage the spread of the disease on their own. Now, some county leaders are looking to the state, and Gov. Kathy Hochul, for more help.
App NEWS
Willow Point Nursing Home closes another unit due to staffing shortages
|
Staffing shortages at Broome County’s Willow Point Nursing Home have forced officials to declare a state of emergency.
App NEWS
Broome County officials encourage booster shots as COVID-19 cases spike
|
Broome County continues to see a spike in COVID-19 cases, with 138 new cases announced on Friday. The county currently has over 900 active cases, and a 7% positivity rate.
Government
PCR COVID test to be eliminated for crossing U.S.-Canada border
|
The big issue for the Northern Border is the expensive and time-consuming requirement for a PCR COVID-19 test for Americans or Canadians to enter Canada.
App NEWS
State funds won’t be used to cover Binghamton-Johnson City sewage plant legal fees
|
The City of Binghamton and Johnson City will not receive state funds to cover legal fees associated with settling disputes with contractors for the Binghamton-Johnson City Joint Sewage Treatment Plant restoration and rehabilitation project.
Government
U.S., Canada agree to restart NEXUS applications
|
“There has never been a problem at the United States and Canadian border. We are deeply dependent on each other for our economic viability.”
App NEWS
New York expands booster shots as virus rate rises
|
Much of the rest of upstate New York has a positivity rate of 5% or more, higher than it was in the fall of 2020.
App NEWS
How one Steuben County family deals with the emotional aftermath of flooding
|
“Now every time we see it rain, or flood warning, we get scared and we flee our house.”
911 Response Time
Otsego County ambulance service will help support volunteer emergency squads
|
“It’s not because the volunteers aren’t trying, they’re doing the very best they can. But the number of volunteers are dwindling.”
Government
New York’s mass vaccination sites now administering vaccines to 5-to-11 year olds
|
“I’m directing our state mass vaccination sites to open their doors to the youngest and most recently eligible New Yorkers.”
App NEWS
Broome County sees spike in COVID-19 cases
|
County officials attributed the rise in cases to residents socializing over Halloween weekend.
App NEWS
New community health clinic in Elmira will provide preventative care
|
“We want to help offer these necessary health screenings to members of the community so that we can begin to address these various health and social needs, because they’re not separate, they’re actually connected.”
Government
New York’s mental health workforce “on life support,” asks state to release funds
|
“I think we failed our mental health community in the last few years, in many ways, I really do. We have so much more work to do.”
App NEWS
Southern Tier schools roll out COVID-19 vaccine clinics for younger kids
|
The lower-dose Pfizer vaccine has arrived at health departments and pediatricians’ offices across the region.
Education
New York governor offers public college scholarship drawing for vaccinated kids
|
“We will be selecting 50 names of children who will be receiving a full ride to a SUNY or CUNY institution.”
App NEWS
COVID-19 fueled the nursing shortage but also inspired a new generation of nurses
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While the stresses of the pandemic led some nurses to quit or retire, others are getting ready to step in.
Health
Canadians visiting the US must get tested to return home
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Just like foreign travelers, Canadians will need to show a negative COVID-19 test at the border to re-enter their country.
App NEWS
Steuben County adopts ‘Test to Stay’ policies in schools
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The measure would allow students to take a rapid test every day for a week, rather than quarantine, after potential exposure to COVID.
Health
Broome County officials prepare for federal vaccine mandate
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“You could probably assume that we have the same type of vaccination rate that the rest of Broome county does. So about a third of our sixteen to seventeen hundred employees are probably not vaccinated.”
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.”
Education
Quarantining students is an educational nightmare. Is it still worth it?
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“We’re all just trying to get through a global pandemic. But definitely, they need some [additional] instruction when they get back.”
App NEWS
PA Legislation aims to prevent drug overdose deaths and diseases with ‘syringe services programs’
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Such programs already operate in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Scranton.
App NEWS
A third of Tompkins County hospitalizations were breakthrough cases
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“The data clearly shows that we have a vulnerable population in our seniors, even if they’re vaccinated. So the rest of us need to do everything possible to help protect them.”
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
Vaccine Mandate for Schools Not Needed, Hochul Says, But Still on the Table
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“I want to empower parents and schools to do the right things first but if we’re not seeing adequate compliance…I will have no choice.”
App NEWS
Medicaid Home Health Program Allows People To Hire Their Own Aides
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“If you’re disabled, and you don’t get to speak for yourself, then you lose your voice.”
App NEWS
Gov. Hochul Lauds Unveiled BU Nursing Facility, Receives Booster Shot
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While plans for the new Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences facility pre-date the pandemic by several years, its opening comes at a time when many hospitals face nursing shortages.
Government
New York Medical Marijuana Patients Could Grow Up To Six Plants
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The regulations follow guidelines set by the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, which allows three mature plants and three immature plants per person.
Government
PA’s On The Brink Of Regulating Recovery Homes For The First Time
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The Wolf administration could implement new oversight of recovery homes by mid-2022, though challenges could cause delays.
App NEWS
Poll: We’re Not Where We Thought We’d Be In The Pandemic By Now
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“This is something that’s with us every single day. It affects our relationships, it affects our behavior, and it will continue to for quite some time.”
App NEWS
With Spotlight On Black Maternal Health Crisis, Efforts Underway To Eliminate Disparities
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“We’re at higher risk of these issues by virtue of seeking health care in a system that does not serve us.”
Education
Inside A PA Middle School Where Everyone Wears Masks, And It’s Not Really An Issue
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Educators say there’s a clear choice: Limit the spread of the virus, or risk going back to online and hybrid learning.
App NEWS
Broome Hospitalizations Increasing, County Officials Say
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“Your community, your neighbors, are working in those ERs around the clock, and they are tired, and they are getting really taxed.”
Addie Jenne
Public Weighs Greenidge Air Permits At DEC Hearings
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The IBEW’s now outspoken support of Greenidge indicates that opponents may face a broader front in their efforts to pass legislation implementing a moratorium on cryptocurrency mining.
addiction treatment
New York Attorney General Announces Opioid Settlement Funds For Southern Tier
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“It’s important, again, that we use these funds to provide lifesaving drugs, and lifesaving treatment.”
Government
New York Governor Apologizes To The Relatives Of Nursing Home Residents Killed By COVID
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“I apologized for the pain that those poor families had to endure. It was a very emotional meeting.”
App NEWS
New York’s Attorney General Defends $4.5 Billion Opioid Settlement With Sackler Family
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“At the end of the day, it was getting resources to counties that were struggling each and every day.”
