A Voice from the Eastern Door
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 128
Lyons, Neb. Center for Rural Affairs policy associate Anna Johnson said America stands to suffer as a result of President Trump’s 2019 budget, released this on February12, by the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) and the office of Management and Budget (OMB). “The President has proposed again to eliminate or shrink many programs that serve rural America, including those supporting rural businesses, cooperatives, and housing,” said Johnson. “The President is also calling for an investment of $50 billion in rural infrastructure, but thi...
NY & MN AG’s Sue Trump Administration for Unlawful Funding Cuts to Basic Health Program New York Attorney General Schneiderman and Governor Cuomo announced a lawsuit against the Trump administration for its abrupt and unlawful cutoff of more than $1 billion in federal funding for New York’s Essential Plan, which provides critical health care to over 700,000 low-income New Yorkers. The Essential Plan, which is New York’s Basic Health Program (BHP), is a state-run health insurance program for low-income New Yorkers created under the Affor...
(December 31, 2017) Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the second increase toward a statewide $15 per hour minimum wage and the launch of the nation's strongest paid family leave policy started with the New Year. Paid Family Leave On January 1, 2018, New York State began the strongest, most progressive and most comprehensive paid family leave policy in the nation. New Yorkers will be allowed to take job-protected paid time off to bond with a new child, care for a loved one with a serious health...
(November 14, 2017) The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) announced the grand opening of the North Country’s first youth clubhouse, Horizons Clubhouse in Massena, to help combat adolescent substance use disorder. The new clubhouse, which is operated by Seaway Valley Council for Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention, will provide a place for young people ages 12-17 in recovery or at risk for addiction to develop social skills that promote long-term health, wellness, and a drug-free lifestyle. The c...
(October 31, 2017) Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today launched the New York Green Business program to formally recognize New York businesses operating sustainably and celebrate businesses that are implementing projects that go above and beyond relevant State laws and regulations to preserve and enhance New York’s environment. NYGB members will benefit from the ability to market themselves as environmental leaders, receiving formal State recognition for their achievements, priority access to technical assistance and experts at the Pollution P...
(July 13, 2017) Without an ecosystem of science-business partnerships to bring a new technology to the market, good science generated in the laboratory seldom sees the light of day as a commercial product. Because of key partnerships, however, Clarkson University Professor/GE Chair in Oil and Gas Systems David Mitlin's work on agricultural-derived carbons is an example of new science being translated into a potential commercial product. Mitlin has been active for years creating new materials wit...
(March 29, 2017) Two new institutions of higher education have applied for and received research permits under the State’s Industrial Hemp Agricultural Pilot program. Binghamton University and SUNY Sullivan are now authorized participants of the pilot program. Up to ten research permits may be issued to universities and private farms to grow and research the crop as an agricultural commodity. The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets oversees the authorization of universities and farms to grow and research industrial hemp. A...
NEW LEGISLATION ALLOWS NEW YORKERS TO BE BURIED WITH THEIR PETS IN THE SAME CEMETERY (9/26/2016) Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation allowing New Yorkers to be buried with their pets at not-for-profit cemeteries. “For many New Yorkers, their pets are members of the family,” Governor Cuomo said. “This legislation will roll back this unnecessary regulation and give cemeteries the option to honor the last wishes of pet lovers across New York.” The bill (S.2582/A.2647) will allow humans to be buried with their cremated pet with the cemeter...
GOVERNOR CUOMO SIGNS FIRST-IN-THE-NATION LEGISLATION TO COMBAT CITIZENS UNITED (8/24/16) Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed first-in-the-nation legislation (S.8160/A.10742) to curb the power of independent expenditure campaigns unleashed by the 2010 Supreme Court case Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission. The legislation also takes significant steps to strengthen disclosure requirements for political consultants and lobbyists who provide services to sitting elected officials or candidates for elected office by requiring them to...
NEW LEGISLATION REQUIRES RESEARCH ANIMALS TO BE OFFERED FOR ADOPTION IN NEW YORK (August 16, 2016) Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed legislation requiring cats and dogs used for research by higher education institutions be offered for adoption through private placement or shelter organizations. “This is a humane law that, for these animals, provides the opportunity for a new lease on life,” Governor Cuomo said. “Dogs and cats are like members of the family for many New Yorkers and this action will allow for more four-legged friends to be...
Through an adaptive reuse of Damon Hall, Snell Hall and Congdon Hall on Clarkson University’s historic downtown campus in Potsdam, N.Y., the proposed plan aims to bring nearly $37 million in investment, more than 100 jobs, and tax revenue to the Village of Potsdam. The Plan envisions the development of a living, working, and learning community that retains and attracts residents, businesses, students, and visitors that want to be part of a place where nature and culture reinforce one another. The Plan envisions a mixed-use environment of c...
GOVERNOR CUOMO SIGNS “PETER FALK’S LAW” LEGISLATION ESTABLISHING END OF LIFE NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS (July 21, 2016) Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed “Peter Falk’s Law,” legislation that requires guidelines for end of life notices and visitation rights regarding incapacitated individuals subject of legal guardianship proceedings. The bill (A.3461-C/S.5154-C), requires the court order appointing a guardian to oversee the care of an incapacitated person to identify all individuals who are entitled to notice of a person’s death, funera...
Keystone I Pipeline Spill Numbers Increased Freeman, SD – On Saturday, April 2nd, TransCanada announced that an oil leak was detected by a South Dakota landowner on its Keystone I pipeline. The foreign corporation initially stated that only 4.5 barrels, approximately 187 gallons, of oil appeared to have spilled. Those numbers have now changed. TransCanada estimates that about 16,800 gallons of oil has now leaked from the Keystone pipeline into a field in South Dakota. This estimate has been reported to the National Response Centre and the P...
GRAND JURY INDICTS MAN IN ACCIDENT SCENE ASSAULT CASE On Monday, a St. Lawrence County grand jury indicted Bryan McDonald, the Border Patrol agent who, while off duty, allegedly attacked a couple who had stopped to help at the scene of his wife’s fatal accident on December 4, 2015. McDonald, a 35 year old Lyon Mountain man, was indicted on two counts of felony assault for allegedly hitting and kicking 65 year old Carol LaDue and punching her 66 year old husband, Richard, in the face. The incident occurred shortly after McDonald’s wife, 33 yea...
REPORT FINDS HIGH LEVELS OF LEAD IN DRINKING WATER AT ALCOA EAST IN MASSENA, CANTON MOBILE HOME COMMUNITY Reprinted from Northcountrynow.com (Friday, March 18, 2016) A USA Today investigative report has identified three water systems in St. Lawrence County with high levels of lead. The story says water systems at Alcoa East measure at 23.4 to 25.8 parts per billion and at Boyden Brook Mobile Home Community measures at 76 PPB. A third property only identified as “Snell Complex” came in at 16.5 PPB. The Environmental Protection Agency says wat...
COLUMBIA CARE OPENS PLATTSBURGH MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY NEW YORK, Jan. 25, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Columbia Care LLC’s second dispensary in New York state, located at 345 Cornelia Street in Plattsburgh, opened to qualifying patients on Tuesday, January 26, 2016. The opening is a major milestone in the implementation of the State’s Compassionate Care Act, which was enacted to provide access to medical marijuana products to patients who are suffering from a number of debilitating and, in many cases, terminal qualifying conditions. As one of...
Carter Opens All Military Occupations, Positions to Women By Cheryl Pellerin DoD News, Defense Media Activity WASHINGTON, December 3, 2015 — Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced today that beginning in January 2016, all military occupations and positions will be open to women, without exception. For the first time in U.S. military history, as long as they qualify and meet specific standards, the secretary said women will be able to contribute to the Defense Department mission with no barriers at all in their way. “They’ll be allowed to drive...
Former NYS Assemblyman Silver Sentenced Sheldon Silver, one of the most feared politicians for decades in New York State, was found guilty on Monday of federal corruption charges, ending a trial that was the capstone of the government’s efforts to expose the seamy culture of influence-peddling in Albany. The verdict was a quick and unceremonious end for Mr. Silver, who, during his more than two decades as the State Assembly speaker, displayed a Teflon-like quality in deflecting questions about his outside income. Mr. Silver, 71, a Manhattan Dem...
MMH AGAIN DEBATES PRIVATIZATION By Andy Gardner After months of silence on the debate over whether or not to privatize Massena Memorial Hospital, MMH officials on Nov. 6 announced they would once again seek town approval to pursue private, nonprofit status. The hospital is now town-owned, meaning the Town Council needs to give a majority vote before they can change their corporate structure. If they privatize, MMH CEO Robert Wolleben says it could lead to job creation, but union officials are skeptical. When asked if such a vote would...
CUOMO ANNOUNCES ESTABLISHMENT OF $10 MILLION LOW-INTEREST LOAN FUND FOR EXPANDING NORTH COUNTRY BUSINESSES Southern Portion of Akwesasne also eligible Albany, NY (August 28, 2014) Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the establishment of the North Country Economic Development Fund to provide low-cost loans to businesses expanding their facilities and creating or retaining jobs in the North Country. The $10 million fund results from a long-term power contract between the New York Power Authority and Alcoa. At a meeting Thursday, the Board of...
ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY GETS MORE SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS At least three new sets of surveillance cameras have been installed in St. Lawrence County over the summer according to channel 7 News. The cameras, or "plate readers," are part of a larger surveillance system funded by federal Homeland Security and state grants. They are designed different than others that have been installed in places like Heuvelton, or in the Hermon-DeKalb area and the locations were not publicized. The weather-resistant...
NEW LAW EXPANDS THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPORTING SUSPECTED CHILD ABUSE Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation adding school coaches to the field of professionals required to report suspected abuse to authorities. This bill, (S.4751B/ A.421C) will also require coaches who currently hold or apply for a temporary coaching license or professional coaching certificate to complete two hours of training regarding the identification and reporting of child abuse and maltreatment. The law had previously been unclear on whether individuals in these...
GOVERNOR CUOMO SIGNS LEGISLATION CREATING STRICTER PENALTIES FOR DRIVERS WITH MULTIPLE DWI OFFENSES Drivers with multiple DWIs in a newly-extended time frame now face a felony charge. The legislation is called Vince’s Law, an amendment to current law that extends the time frame in which multiple DWIs can be considered to automatically invoke a felony. Named after Vincent Russo, who died after being struck head-on by a driver with multiple DWIs, Vincent’s Law aims to keep repeat offenders off the road. In Mr. Russo’s case, the offending drive...
CLINTON COUNTY PASSES FRACKING WASTE BAN The Clinton County Legislature has approved a law banning the sale, transport, storage and disposal of fracking and other waste. The new Clinton County law applies to hydraulic fracturing, natural gas, and oil waste materials. It bans the application of such waste on any road or property. It cannot be brought into or used in any wastewater treatment facilities or solid waste management facility in the county. It also bars all sales, acquisition, storage, handling, treatment and/or processing of the...
SENATORS TO NYPA: GET BACK TO THE TABLE State Senators Patty Ritchie, Joe Griffo and George Maziarz, the Chair of the State Senate’s Energy Committee, joined together to call on the New York Power Authority to get back to the table, after NYPA abruptly ended talks on benefits to local communities impacted by the sprawling St. Lawrence-FDR power dam. “The shoreline communities sacrificed so much to make the St. Lawrence Power Project possible, and the impact is still being felt today,” said Senator Ritchie. “The Power Authority needs to reach a...