January 26, 2022
CANISTEO, NY – The Canisteo GOP caucus has nominated Canisteo Village Trustee Mike Delaney to run for re-election.
They also nominated David Robinson to run for the Grant Seaman seat on the village board in Canisteo, Seaman is not running again.
ALMOND-Clair F. Almeter, 101 years young, died Monday evening (January 24, 2022) at his home, following a brief illness.
Born in West Almond on December 4, 1920, he was the son of Jacob & Mary (Schwab) Almeter.
Clair grew up on Jersey Hill in West Almond and, along with his 9 siblings, would walk nearly two miles to the one-room schoolhouse near their family farm.
For several years, Clair worked on the Almeter Dairy Farm and for about 15 years was employed at the former Erie Railroad primarily working in the Freight House. For many years, he was employed as a plumber in the maintenance department at Alfred University. He retired at the age of 65.
Clair was a 70 year communicant of St. Brendan’s Church of Almond. He had a deep appreciation of nature and loved taking long walks in the woods and bird watching. Clair was a hunter & fisherman and enjoyed working in his vegetable garden and flower garden.
He was married on May 16, 1946 to the former Mildred Alice George who died February 25, 2004. Clair was also preceded in death by his son, Kenneth Clair Almeter who died April 22, 2021; 5 brothers; 4 sisters.
Surviving are his daughter, Patricia “Pat” (Bill) Childs of Wellsville; his daughter-in-law, Paulette Almeter of Almond; 4 grandchildren, Cary (Eileen) Childs, Lisa (Damon) Flick, Amy (Tom) Mingle and Jodie Carlin; 6 great-grandchildren; many nieces & nephews.
The family of Clair F. Almeter will receive friends on Thursday (Today) from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM at the Dagon Funeral Home, 38 Church St., Hornell, NY. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday at 11:30 AM at St. Brendan’s Church of Almond with burial in Woodlawn Cemetery, Almond, NY.
Clair’s family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in his name be made to either St. Brendan’s Church, 11 South Main St., Almond, NY 14804 or to the Almond Fire Department, 1 Marvin Lane, Almond, NY 14804 or to the Almond Public Library, 42 North Main St., Almond, NY 14804. Memorial forms will be available at the Dagon Funeral Home.
To leave an online condolence or share a memory, visit www.dagonfuneralhome.com.
January 26, 2022
NORTH HORNELL, NY – Mayor John Falci says, he is not running again. Falci says, he wants to thank the people of North Hornell for their support over the many years. John Falci has been on the village board since the early 1990s, taking over for the late mayor, Steve Terry in 2005. Falci says, it’s time to step down from the everyday work, and that he will miss the job and the wonderful people he’s had an opportunity to work with.
Nominated by the GOP Caucus in North Hornell are Republican Joe Ingalls, the current deputy mayor, and trustee candidates Pete DiRaimondo, and Elise McCollum. Democrat Richie Head is not running again. Democrats nominated, at their caucus, Brian Friedland to run as a trustee as on the Democrat side.
So there are three trustee candidates running for two village trustee seats.
January 26, 2022
CORNING, NY – From Corning Police:
On January 24, 2022, at about 5:15pm members of the Corning Police Department responded to a 911 dispatched report of a stolen vehicle. Uniformed members responded and learned that a man had pulled up to a Baker Street business and was actively unloading items from his car. His car’s engine was running and the keys to his vehicle were still in the vehicle. While the vehicle’s owner was walking back towards his car, he observed an individual calmly walk over to the vehicle and get behind the wheel. The vehicle’s owner ran to the vehicle and entered it on the passenger’s side in an attempt to prevent his vehicle from being stolen. The individual ignored his commands to stop, and instead accelerated the vehicle during a brief struggle with the owner. Based on the robber’s actions, the vehicle’s owner was dragged a short distance. The vehicle fled the area. The owner of the vehicle sustained minor injuries.
The Corning Police Department is asking anyone with information about this robbery to call the Corning Police Department at (607) 962-0340, extension 1500, and call 911 if anyone sees the stolen vehicle, a 2021 gray Hyundai Elantra with New York State registration plate # DGE7242.
January 26, 2022
HORNELL, NY – From Hornell Police:
The Hornell Police Department’s ongoing investigation into the flow of narcotics into the City of Hornell led to the arrest of five people from the Rochester area yesterday. At about 3:00pm Tuesday afternoon, Hornell Police intercepted a vehicle in the Hornell Plaza and found the occupants to be in possession of a quantity of Fentanyl and Cocaine destined for distribution in the City of Hornell.
Arrested for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree (Class B Felony) were: Michael M. Brown age 40 of Rochester NY; Quinjavis D. Lewis age 30 of Rochester NY; Jared A. Perry age 28 of Rochester NY; Kafaya A. Sweet age 27 of Rochester NY; and Tessa A. Smith age 31 of Bloomfield NY.
Ms. Smith was also arrested on 10 counts of Criminal Possession of Stolen property in the Fourth Degree (Class E Felony) for possessing credit cards reported stolen in Ontario County. Mr. Perry and Mr. Lewis were also found to be under New York State Parole supervision at the time of the arrest. The Parole Department was advised of the case and further charges are expected.
All defendants were transferred to Steuben County Jail and are awaiting arraignment.
The investigation was led by Sgt./ Inv. Tom Aini. Assisting in the investigation and arrest were Hornell Police Officers Chief T.J. Murray, Brett Flaitz, Mike Hoyt, J.R. Emo, Steve Hanrahan, Ian Hamilton, Tim Thurston, Seth Blanchard and K-9 Snitch.
Leah’s Place builds foundation for future
By Jasmine Willis
WAYLAND, NY — It will be a sheltering place for women and children who have suffered from domestic abuse and sex trafficking.
Leah’s Place has entered its next phase in the process of becoming an official nonprofit organization. Leah’s Place Founder, Jessica Levinson sat down with this local reporter to discuss the future of a life-changing project several years in the making.
“We have now selected a legal team to represent us in our journey to become a nonprofit organization. We are now raising fund for our legal fees. We have a Facebook page up now, and a link to our PayPal account for donations,” she said.
Leah’s Place needs to raise $3,500 to become an official nonprofit organization and began its mission to provide care for survivors of sex trafficking and domestic abuse.
Every year millions of women, men and children fall victim to sex trafficking worldwide, and due to fear of their captors, language barriers, or fear of law enforcement this has remained one of the most hidden and darkest crimes. It is no longer something that can be whispered about behind closed doors but has reached into our backyards.
Levinson, of Atlanta NY, is looking to shine light on sex trafficking survivors who need a place to rebuild after the trauma of being forced into a commercial sex act. She is a survivor herself and recalls her own journey into healing. It took a faith-based community to pull her out of the darkness. Levinson is hoping to pay it forward with helping others like herself know there is a place for them to go.
“We went from having two people on our team in 2018 to having eight people join our group in 2021. We are hoping to be fully operational by 2023. This depends on how long it takes for us to work with Child Family Services and Child Protective Services to make sure we can serve children. This will include our license to provide foster care,” she said.
Sex traffickers target vulnerable people by preying on their situations. They target and recruit victims by appearing to be a friend or potential romantic partner. According to Department of Homeland Security, It can happen in any community and victims can be any age, race, gender, or nationality. Traffickers might use violence, manipulation, or false promises of well-paying jobs or romantic relationships to lure victims into trafficking situations.
To donate to Leah’s Place or to learn how to get involved visit https://www.facebook.com/safespacessafefamilies or send them a message at leahsplace2020@gmail.com
Levinson’s vision for the organization is that it will began providing care for about three family units at a time. This means three moms with up to two children each at any given time.
“I would like to see our population stay small so that our program participants can receive the attention and level of support that at risk groups require,” she said. “We have selected a mission statement that widens our umbrella so that we can reach out to women that need respite from oppressive situations. This will provide help for not only sex trafficking survivors that need intervention, but at risk moms so that we can prevent trafficking.”
The starting point for this program will be mothers over the age of 18. The hope is to have a service for the youth once the program has gained its footing.
Leah’s Place got its name from a tragic event that shook the community to its core. Leah Clark,6, of Wayland was killed in a car accident on Sept, 14, 2020. Dinky Doo Petting Zoo and Pony Rides Too provided a dedication ceremony on Nov. 8, 2020 for the memory of this small child. Clark had a passion for animals and children. She would visit the zoo all of the time with her family. Levinson felt a connection to this child when her own daughter came home from school sad that she lost her best friend. She wanted to think of a way to honor this small child’s memory. From that came the birth of spreading love, kindness, and compassion to others. Dinky Doo Petting Zoo and Pony Rides Too teamed up with Levinson to provide a safe haven for children to come and feel a connection to the animals. It provided life lessons and programs for anyone who felt they needed a healing journey. From the ashes of a tragedy came hope.
“This kind of safe house is definitely needed. Sex trafficking is a grey area that not a lot of people know about. We are unique because no one else is doing what we are doing in the county,” Levinson said. “There is more evidence out there now sex trafficking and what it does to our society. There are studies done now from Loyola University on the health and outcome of survivors. Survivors have a whole range of human emotions to deal with once they get out, and we need to help them work on their lives beyond victimization. They have survived something significant. We call them survivors instead of victims to give them some dignity as human beings.”
Levinson said she wants to be a hub for change in the community. She wants to be a green light to serve and heal others through intense Bible Studies, animal therapy, and creating a safe place to go.
Levinson said sex trafficking impacts the entire society.
“Sex trafficking a destructive force on a human life. People who survive have a negative force on everyone around them. That negative force comes from everything that person suffered,” she said. “Once it is finished Leah’s Place will be our sex trafficking survivor outreach safe house. We will never disclose the address to the public for the safety of our survivors. We want to make a better life for our survivors.”
Levinson wants to break the cycle of generational abuse to prevent sex trafficking from gaining a foothold in our communities.
“I will take any women and child from anywhere I am allowed too. I foresee our program being limited to the parameters of New York State residents,” she said.
Levinson is working with Dinky Doo Petting Zoo and Pony Rides Too to provide a place for animal therapy. She is hoping to offer this as a service to those who are in the program. Animal therapy proved to be a great help to her and others who have been impacted by this trauma.
“I would like to offer the animal therapy to these women and children. I understand the benefits to help rebuild the traumatic brain. People who grew up neglected and not knowing that loving touch have a need for this therapy. Animal therapy provides a touch from a place of pure love,” she said. “I pray this will all come together in time. If we are blessed to grow once, we become a nonprofit organization I hope to provide a service for the youth. I feel they are particularly vulnerable and need more intensive care. I think if we start with adult women, we can break that generational trauma. I want us to do work with the family that will help maintain unity.”
Levinson added it took her a decade to foster that care and healing in her own journey. She doesn’t want to rush the process for these women. She feels the healing will take at least eight to 10 years. Levinson wants to leave these women better than she found them. She wants them to have the confidence they need to go out into the world knowing they have a community of support.
The mission statement of Leah’s Place is “Building bridges to freedom and healing from oppressive situations for women and children.”
January 25, 2022
BATH, NY – Steuben County Buildings and Grounds Director Eric Rose has been appointed as the new county Public Works Commissioner. The appointment was made unanimously Monday by the county Legislature during its regular session.
First hired in June 2014, Rose oversaw the recent extensive renovations to the County Office Building campus and will fill the position left vacant by the recent retirement of former Public Works Commissioner Vince Spagnoletti. The county road system is among the longest in the state, with more than 678 miles spread out over the 1,408 square-foot county. It is responsible for 331 bridges longer than 20 feet.
The Public Works Department also includes the Solid Waste and Recycling Division, which includes transfer stations and a landfill set to add a new cell this year. Several of the department’s highway shops are slated this year for repairs and maintenance as well. “I really appreciate this appointment, and I’m excited to get started,” Rose said. “There is great support and knowledge in this department, and I know I can rely on that. “Vince Spagnoletti was a true master at this job and he left us in good shape.”
January 25, 2022
Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand joined 18 of her Senate colleagues in urging the Biden administration to require Medicare to pay for rapid COVID tests. The letter follows the administration’s recent guidance requiring private insurance companies to cover the cost of up to 8 rapid over-the-counter COVID tests per month. Extending this requirement to Medicare would ensure that an additional 61 million Americans enrolled in Medicare and Medicare Advantage, including those at highest risk of severe illness, have equal access to testing amidst a surge in COVID cases and hospitalizations across the country.
“Right now, millions of New Yorkers enrolled in Medicare can’t get coverage for rapid COVID tests,” said Senator Gillibrand. “As cities and towns across the state continue to battle the Omicron variant, we must ensure that everyone has free and easy access to testing – not just those with private insurance. I urge the Biden administration to immediately expand its guidance to require Medicare to cover the cost of over-the-counter COVID tests for all beneficiaries.”
The letter was also signed by Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jack Reed (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Bob Casey (D-PA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Angus King (I-ME), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Mark Warner (D-VA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).
The full text of the letter can be found here or below:
Dear Secretary Becerra and Administrator Brooks-LaSure:
Thank you for all your work to increase access to free COVID-19 tests around the country, including your recent guidance requiring most insurance companies to cover the cost of up to eight over-the-counter at-home tests per person per month. We strongly encourage you to extend coverage to Medicare, ensuring access for the 61 million Americans enrolled in the program.
Along with vaccination, the widespread availability of free tests will help us defeat this pandemic. That is why we strongly support the Administration’s work over the past year to increase the testing supply and lower costs. A year ago, there were no at-home rapid tests on the market. Today, there are hundreds of millions being distributed around the US, including the Administration’s purchase of 500 million tests with funding included in the American Rescue Plan, and the planned purchase of 500 million more.
Required coverage of testing ordered by a physician, expansion of free testing sites through pharmacies and community health centers, and free at-home rapid tests available through COVIDTests.gov or 1-800-232-0233 are big steps forward, including for seniors. Recent CMS guidance requiring coverage of eight over-the-counter at-home tests per person per month will significantly expand access to millions of Americans with commercial health insurance. However, those enrolled in original Medicare and private Medicare Advantage plans do not have this same access. Seniors and people with disabilities enrolled in Medicare are at the highest risk of severe illness from COVID-19, and people over 65 account for nearly three-quarters of all deaths from the virus. The current policy leaves them on the hook for potentially significant out-of-pocket costs.
We share your commitment to making sure Medicare enrollees receive the highest quality health care, including access to free at-home rapid COVID-19 testing, and look forward to working with you to address this issue.
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January 25, 2022
A state supreme court judge has ruled that Governor Kathy Hochul’s mask mandate is unconstitutional.
The judge said that because the emergency powers were not in effect when the mask mandate was issued, the governor did not have the right to impose the mask mandate.
After the state judge ruled against the mask mandate, the governor put out a statement saying that she strongly disagree with this ruling, and she is pursuing every option to reverse this immediately.
Click here for more from Fox News.
From Canisteo-Greenwood School Superintendent Tom Crook:
Good morning, late yesterday the Supreme Court of Nassau County ruled that the mask mandate imposed by the NYS Department of Health is unconstitutional and was reported all over the news. This is the opposite of a recent ruling in the Albany County Supreme Court which upheld the mask mandate. In a message from the State Department of Education (NYSED), it is their understanding that the NYS Department of Health will appeal the decision first thing this morning, which will result in an automatic stay that will restore the mask mandate until such time as an appellate court can issue a further ruling. Therefore, schools must continue to follow the mask rule.
NYSED oversees the Canisteo-Greenwood Central School District and we must follow their direction until we are told otherwise. Our attorney has advised us that we follow NYSED’s direction to continue to follow the mask rule until it is fought out in court.
I understand your frustration and it is heartbreaking to think that our kids and staff are once again caught in the middle of these flip-flop court decisions. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, this is extremely complicated and I ask that you remain patient with us until we hear more from the state today.
If you have any concerns or questions, please reach out to me personally at tcrook@cgcsd.org.
Yours in service,
Tom
January 25, 2022
LIVINGSTON COUNTY, NY – Livingston County Sheriff Tom Dougherty reports that there was a murder yesterday in the Town of Caldonia. A 64 year old man was shot and killed, allegedly by his roommate.
Sheriff Dougherty says, the suspect is Steven Adams, 56, and the roommate who was killed, was Dale Ryerse.
The sheriff says that the two roommates had reportedly been fighting throughout the day.
Adams is charged with 2nd degree murder and tampering with evidence.