WCDO Radio News

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is optimistic the Senate will vote in January on her bill to change the military’s approach to sexual assault cases. Gillibrand failed to get a Senate vote this year on her proposal, which would give military attorneys the authority to decide whether to prosecute sexual assault cases and other serious crimes in the armed forces. She had offered the proposal as an amendment to an annual fiscal 2014 National Defense Authorization Act, which is expected to win approval in the House this week and the Senate next week.

New York lawmakers who pledged to go without salaries during the 16-day partial government shutdown in October never missed a paycheck. All members of Congress were paid on their usual salary schedules because of the timing of their pay periods. Most of New York’s 27 House members and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, made no pledge to forgo their pay during the shutdown.

A $1.1 million federal grant will bring new pavement to Greater Binghamton Airport’s west apron. U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, and Rep. Richard Hanna announced the $1.1 million dollar grant from the federal Department of Transportation. The 168,000-square-foot asphalt apron is separate from the runways and taxiways. There, aircraft load and unload, and are boarded, parked and refueled. The pavement currently shows signs of distress and requires rehabilitation.

US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand introduced a bill that would require the USDA to maintain adequate staffing and increase testing at the facilities that produce beef, pork, and poultry products. The bill also would require the agency to improve standards to protect against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.  More information is available at gillibrand.senate.gov.

In an effort to promote economic growth, community leaders in Delaware County are proposing a new project at SUNY Delhi to create more business opportunities by recycling waste water. The project would take waste water from the Delhi Waste Water Treatment facility and recycle it through an irrigation system on campus golf course. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand joined campus and community leaders earlier this week in support of the project. Leaders hope Gillibrand will go to bat for them, as about half of the funding for the $2 million plan is still needed and the project is eligible for federal grants. Construction is anticipated to begin next spring.

Hartwick College hosted U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand for a press conference earlier this afternoon. Gillibrand discussed her proposal to increase access to rural broadband by creating a new grant component to the current Broadband Loan Program, for private sector providers and state and local government,s to acquire funding and resources to deliver high-speed Internet to businesses and families to 1.1 million rural New Yorkers who do not have broadband internet access.

New York State will be participating in a pilot program created by the USDA to test if it is cost effective to incorporate Greek yogurt into school lunch programs.  U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand & Congressman Richard Hanna worked with the USDA, Chobani & other yogurt manufacturers to create the pilot program, 3 other states will be participating in the program: Tennessee, Idaho, and Arizona.  The pilot program is only for the 2013-2014 school year. New York leads the country in Greek yogurt production.

PM NEWS 7-12-13

State University of New York Chancellor Nancy Zimpher today announced the launch of Phase II of SUNY Works, the system’s cooperative education and internship initiative. Eighteen campuses across the state are now expanding their icooperative education opportunities. Campuses launching SUNY Works as part of Phase II include UAlbany, SUNY Buffalo State, SUNY Oneonta and  Broome community college. Campus faculty will work with local employers to develop college courses that integrate classroom instruction and on-the-job work experience. For more information go to sunyworks@suny.edu.

Eliot Spitzer has met the deadline to file thousands of petition signatures for his bid to revive his political career by running for New York City comptroller. Spitzer said over 27,000 signatures were submitted to the city Board of Elections just after 10:30 p.m. last night, ahead of a midnight deadline. It came just four days after the tarnished ex-governor launched his campaign.

Statewide tourist spending rose 6.2 percent to $57.3 billion in 2012. Every region in the state saw growth in 2012 from the previous year, with the most dramatic increases in New York City and Long Island. The Central New York region, which includes much the Southern Tier, saw a 5 percent increase in 2012, when it brought in $1.9 billion according to Empire State development.

Oneonta Troopers arrested 17 year old Rob Shackelton of Coliersville for petit larceny following a complaint from the Walmart in the Town of Oneonta. hackelton was issued an Appearance Ticket for Town of Oneonta Court July 16

US senator Kirsten Gillibrand made an appeal to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano in support of a major disaster declaration for parts of the Mohawk Valley, Southern Tier and North Country affected by storms and floods earlier this month. Gillibrand is requesting approval of the state’s request for the President to declare a major disaster, including FEMA assistance, for Chenango, Delaware, Herkimer, Madison, Oneida, and Otsego counties

Otsego county deputies arrested a Sidney man for selling heroin in Oneonta in July of 2012. 35 year old Ian Lee Borowski was charged with third degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. He was arraigned and sent to the Otsego county jail on $20,000 bail. He faces up to 12 years in prison if convicted due to a previous felony conviction

Assemblyman Cliff Crouch will host another informational forum, Saturday, July 20, about the NY SAFE Act, at the Walton Central School. Crouch will be joined by Delaware County Sheriff Tom Mills and Delaware County Clerk Sharon O’Dell.

The city of Norwich will be receiving a 4 million dollar loan and $1 million grant from the USDA’s Rural Development Program to for building a new water treatment plant.  Norwich’s treatment plant has been in operation for more than a century, the funding came through a joint effort from US Senators Schumer & Gillibrand and Congressman Richard Hanna.

US Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer announced that the village of Morris has received a Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant for $2,475,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Loan and Grant Program.  The funding will be for the construction of a new water storage tank, replace old water mains and install water meters.  The old water tank was well over 100 hundred years old.

US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand & Congressman Richard Hanna announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture finalized a Commercial Item Description for Greek yogurt that will allow for the purchases of Greek Yogurt for federally funded school breakfast and lunch programs.  New York is the top Greek yogurt producing state in the nation, passing California by more than 15% in 2012, more than 8000 New Yorkers are now employed by companies like Chobani in Chenango county, 90% of the milk used by Chobani comes from New York Dairy farms.

US Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced that more than $215,000 worth of federal funding would keep the area rain & river gauges online.  Federal budget cuts threatened to cut off funds for the gauges, which have become a useful tool for area forecasters and emergency management agencies to keep an eye on potential flooding.  The funding is money has now been set-aside for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to continue the program.

U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, and area Congressman Chris Gibson & the Tick-Borne Disease Alliance are hosting a forum at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City Monday to build support in the fight against tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease.   The event will be streamed live at 10:30 am Monday at tbdalliance.org and weill.cornell.edu/tickborne.