Archive: News

Washington, DC - U.S. Representatives Tom Reed (NY-23), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), Max Rose (NY-11), and Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1) announced that Twitter suspended content affiliated with Foreign Terrorist Organizations, including Hamas and Hezbollah, from its platform.  Twitter's action follows the bipartisan group's October 22, 2019, letter demanding the company stop blatantly violating U.S. law, to immediately change their policy, and to remove all content from Foreign Terrorist Organizations and affiliated profiles, including Hamas and Hezbollah, by November 1st.

"This is a win for America, our allies in the Middle East, and freedom around the world. There is no fair reason to allow terrorist organizations to use Twitter to spread their hate and threaten the people we care about around the globe," said Reed (NY-23).

One of the problems with fire engines is that their diesel engines often have to be running inside the bays.  That poses a health problem for firefighters as they perform maintenance and checks on the large trucks.  Lansing Deputy Fire Chief Brad George presented two types of filtering systems to the Fire Commissioners Tuesday.  One would be installed in the fire station bays, with hoses running from the bay ceiling that clamp onto the exhaust pipes of trucks. The other installs on the trucks themselves to be come an in-line piece of the exhaust systems.

"They're two totally different systems" George said. "The one is the Plymovent system, the one where the actual hose and the fan and the exhaust and all that.  The Ward No Smoke is a filter system that actually goes on the diesel exhaust."

Yesterday Governor Andrew M. Cuomo urged New Yorkers to prepare for difficult driving conditions and colder temperatures in the coming days as a storm system is forecasted to impact the state beginning Thursday. Rain and rain changing to snow are forecasted along with colder temperatures that, combined with advancing precipitation, may cause difficult travel in some spots. Higher elevations and lake effect areas could see up to six inches of snow, while lower elevations may only see an inch or less of snow and/or slush. Drivers should expect slippery conditions on roadways and travel with extreme caution. All New Yorkers are urged to practice safe behavior and heed any emergency orders from local officials.

"This storm is projected to create dangerous road conditions in many areas across the state, and we are going to provide all the necessary resources and work with local authorities to respond to any public safety concerns," Cuomo said. "I am urging drivers to be extra cautious and stay off the roads if possible to allow response vehicles to do their work quickly and effectively."

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation (S.1668/A.4915) Tuesday requiring that death certificates in cases of opioid overdose specify which opioid was involved in the death, if known. This new law requires that information be recorded so that more data will be available to better address the opioid crisis.

"New York has taken the most aggressive actions to combat the opioid crisis of any other state in the country," Cuomo said. "This commonsense law will go a great length to ensure we have the most accurate information to be able to stop this public health scourge once and for all."

When Governor Andrew Cuomo came to Lansing in May of 2018 to announce that New York State would be contributing $14.25 million, the airport was looking at a $24.7 million expansion and modernization project.  Early this year U.S. Senator Charles Schumer secured a $10 million grant, which seemed to fully fund the project.  Today the total stands at about $34 million, which means the airport has to come up with another $10 million.  Airport Manager Mike Hall says that none of the project cost will come from local (County) taxes.  Instead, a fee charged to the people who fly commercially will pay the additional money.

"We are allowed under a program called Passenger Facility Charges to charge the traveling public $4 a person," Hall says. "Not a huge amount of money in the grand scheme of things, but it adds up every hundred thousand people. The good news about this is it's a fee. A fee is a sort of a tax, but it's a tax on the people that are using the facility. It's a user fee, which is easier to justify than a County tax, countywide general income tax. I don't know how many people in the County travel by air, but it's no majority of them."

These results are unofficial, because mailed-in votes have yet to be counted.  Tonight's results include those voters who participated in early voting as well as those who went to the polls on Election Day (November 5th).  The official results will be announced approximately two weeks from now.  See more details in this Friday's Lansing Star.

SUPERVISOR (4 Year Term)

Michael Koplinka-Loehr (DEM, LL1)	1,527	48.58%
Edward J. LaVigne (REP, IND)	1,613	51.32%

TOWN COUNCILPERSON (4 YEAR TERM)
(The TWO with the most votes are elected)

Andra Benson (DEM, LL1)	1,703	27.69%
Judy Drake (REP, IND)	1,478	24.03%
Bronwyn Losey (DEM, LL1)	1,571	25.54%
Jeffrey Otto Norman (REP, IND)	1,397	22.71%

TOWN CLERK (4 Year Term)

Debbie Munson (REP, IND)

2,291

99.13%

HIGHWAY SUPERINTENDENT (4 Year Term)

Charlie C. Purcell (REP, IND)

2,240

99.29%

TOWN JUSTICE (4 Year Term)

John C. Howell (REP, IND)

2,218

99.02%

Yesterday was the last day the Cayuga Power Plant was to generate electricity.  In a letter to the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) and New York Independent System Operator (ISO) a Cayuga Operating Company official notified the state authorities that Unit 1 would be mothballed on October 31.

The company is in the process of moving its business from a supplier of electricity to a data center.  At a public information meeting last June company officials explained they hope to repurpose the Lansing coal-fired power plant into what will eventually be a 100 megawatt data center at its north-west Lansing site.  COC had applied for an initial allotment of 25MW, and was allotted 2MW of that at the beginning of October.  The company hopes to use that as a stepping stone to acquire a large enough allotment to begin work on the data center.

The Tompkins County Legislature invited comment on the County's 2020 Tentative Budget and the 2020-2024 Capital Program Tuesday but received no public comments about the budget package.

Only one person attended the hearing. Laura Krauss, of Danby, a member of Leadership Tompkins, told legislators she was there to observe, as someone who is interested in getting more people engaged with their local government.

$18 million was awarded to 28 projects under the first round of the Buildings of Excellence Competition which recognizes and supports the design, construction and operation of low-carbon emitting multifamily buildings. Two local projects were included among the recipients. Ithaca's Perdita Flats, was awarded $70,560, and in Trumansburg $932,280 was awarded to the Village Grove project that is being developed by Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services.

"Reducing harmful emissions from buildings is critically important to our carbon neutral future and a vital part of New York's aggressive strategy to curb the impacts of climate change and stimulate green economic development," Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said. "New York State is leading the nation through purposeful and strategic action and these replicable award-winning projects are at the core of reducing our carbon footprint and propelling the transition to low-carbon structures in communities across the state."

The Village of Lansing Planning Board got an informal first look Monday at what may become its first zero annual energy cost development.  Solar Home Factory President and CEO RyanWallace gave a presentation on plans for what he is calling Ithaca Solar Village, that he hopes to build on a property nestled between Northwood and Dart Drives and Warren Road. Wallace said that energy costs for the homes will be "completely net zero".

"Probably the most unique feature of the homes is that they are completely net-zero, meaning that at the end of the year you've produced enough energy to cover the amount of energy you've used for lighting and heating and air conditioning,"Wallace said. "We won't even bring natural gas onto the property.  These homes are not off-grid homes.  They're connected to water and sewer, and connected to NYSEG.  But they use net-metering so the credit you generate during the summer, especially during the days, can be used in the evenings and in winter."

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced Wednesday that New York is one of 24 states that have been awarded a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to support ongoing work to reduce maternal mortality rates and address racial disparities. The Governor also announced the members of his recently formed NYS Maternal Mortality Review Board, which was created to review the cause of each maternal death in the state and make recommendations to the Department of Health on strategies for preventing future deaths and improving overall health outcomes.

"All women should have access to quality health care especially before, during and after childbirth - and we've enlisted the best and the brightest to continue our important work to help ensure that happens," Cuomo said. "This award will help New York address this national crisis by supporting the efforts of the experts we've enlisted on our Maternal Mortality Review Board."

Senator Pam Helming announced Wednesday that legislation she supported to increase benefits for families of police officers and career firefighters killed in the line of duty, was signed into law. This important legislation has long been a priority for law enforcement groups and the New York State Professional Fire Fighters Association.

"Our police officers and firefighters are heroes in every sense of the word. They leave their homes each and everyday, not knowing what challenges or dangers they will face. Their families provide them with critical support which allows them to take on these demanding jobs. Both they and their families deserve our respect and appreciation. Those who serve and protect us and their families need to know that we as a state stand behind them and appreciate all that they do. This legislation achieves that goal and I am proud to have been able to work with local first responders to get it signed into law." Helming said.