Author: Brian O'Neil

October 16, 2026

Steuben County Habitat for Humanity is going to be opening a store on Magee Road, between Hornell and Canisteo. This is the second Habitat For Humanity store here in Steuben County, the other Habitat for Humanity store is in Corning. Officials say that the new Hornell location will help the organization expand its services throughout Western Steuben County. Donations will be accepted at the Magee Road site on Monday, October 19, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Accepted items include furniture, appliances, lighting, household items, clothing, and building materials. Donated items will be offered for sale to the public when the Hornell Habitat for Humanity Store opens, likely in late 2026 or early 2027. For a complete list of accepted items, visit www.HabitatSteuben.org. Additional donation days will be announced in the coming weeks.

October 16, 2026

The water issues in Bell Haven has been a problem, which has been going on for years. Bell Haven is a hamlet which is located partly in Hornellsville and partly in the Town of Canisteo. There are about 30 households in Bell Haven. Years ago, Belle Haven residents got there water from the Village of Canisteo’s reservoir. Then they switched to having well water for Bell Haven. Unfortunately, that has not worked out for Bell Haven, reportedly because of old water lines having problems. At one point the state decided that if Canisteo Village Hall is to provide water to Bell Haven, then Canisteo has to start up a water district. Last year, there was a referendum on Hornellsville annexing the Canisteo part, of Bell Haven and Hornellsville starting a water district but the Bell Haven voters rejected that idea. The latest there is, some Bell Haven residents now want there to be another referendum. They are hoping that with more information, voters will decide that there should be a water district and will vote yes, with a second referendum.

Officials also say that while most of the Bell Haven residents do get water, many say that the situation needs improvement.

October 16, 2026

On the WYSL/WLEA Next Steps show yesterday, Chris Olix from the Canisteo Historical Society spoke about how he is raising money to restore and finish a Civil War era/Union Soldier monument at the Hope Cemetery in Hornell. The monument was being built in 1890 and was never finished. On the Next Steps Show, Olix explained the options he’s looking at, to get the names of local Civil War veterans on the monument.

To listen to the Thursday, October 15, 2026 podcast of the Next Steps Show, click here.

To make a donation or find out more, call Chris Olix at 607 425 6545.

October 16, 2026

Arkport Central School Superintendent Peter Reynolds tells WLEA News that Arkport Central is currently in the final planning stages of an $11, 000,000 capital project. He says Arkport is hoping to commence work during this school year, likely sometime in 2027 in the March-June time frame. Major areas of work include roof top units for our Performing Arts Center, the library, locker rooms, and main electric service into the school building. Also, Superintendent Reynolds says expect the project to take approximately 15 months from breaking ground to close out, which has us anticipating completing the Arkport Central Capital Project in the late fall of 2028, assuming all things go according to plan.

October 16, 2026

FROM STEUBEN COUNTY SPOKESMAN EDDIE VANSTINE: The leaves are changing, fall is here, and winter weather will soon be arriving across Steuben County. As the County Department of Public Works prepares for another winter season, motorists are reminded to slow down, use caution and, most importantly, give snowplows plenty of room to safely do their jobs. Steuben County covers a large geographic area, with hundreds of miles of roads connecting residents to their homes, schools, workplaces, medical appointments, hospitals and essential services. When winter weather arrives, the people behind the wheel of those snowplows play a critical role in keeping our communities moving. “Our operators are the heart and soul of keeping Steuben County moving during the winter months,” said Commissioner of Public Works Eric Rose. “They are out there in some of the most challenging weather conditions, and we ask everyone to do their part by slowing down, being patient and giving our crews the space they need to work safely.”

When You See a Snowplow, Give It Room
Snowplows are large vehicles that require additional room to maneuver, stop and safely clear snow and ice.
Motorists should remember:

• Stay well behind the plow. Do not follow closely. Snow, ice, salt and other materials can be thrown from the plow and reduce visibility.
• Do not pass a snowplow unless it is clearly safe and legal to do so. Passing can be especially dangerous when the plow is clearing snow and may need to move or shift lanes.
• Give oncoming snowplows plenty of space. A plow may be wider than it appears, and snow coming off the blade can temporarily obstruct your view.
• Be patient. Roads may not be completely clear while crews are actively plowing. The safest approach is to allow crews time to do their work.
• Slow down and increase following distance. Winter roads can be slippery even after they have been treated.
• Never drive distracted. Keep your attention on the road and on changing weather and traffic conditions.
• Avoid driving during severe weather when possible. Every vehicle off the road gives plow crews and emergency responders more room to work.
Motorists should also remember that a freshly plowed roadway can quickly become covered again during periods of heavy or continuous snowfall. Drivers should plan extra travel time and adjust their speed to the conditions.
The County Department of Public Works encourages residents to prepare for winter before the first snow arrives. Check your vehicle, make sure your tires are ready for winter conditions, allow extra time for travel and remember that safe winter travel is a shared responsibility.

October 15, 2026

Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) issued the following statement after postal inspectors intercepted a suspicious piece of mail addressed to Senator Gillibrand’s New York City office:

“This afternoon, a suspicious piece of mail was sent to my New York City office and was safely intercepted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. I am deeply grateful to the postal inspectors for protecting my staff.”

October 15, 2026

FROM STEUBEN COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY BROOKS BAKER: On March 30, 2025, 42 year old Walter Golden of Arkport is alleged to have intentionally caused serious physical injury to two people by means of a dangerous instrument – leading to two counts of Assault in the First Degree being lodged against him by the New York State Police. An indictment alleges he intentionally ran down a husband and wife walking in the Pine Knoll Trailer Park – causing serious physical injuries to both of them – both suffered severely broken limbs requiring hospitalization and surgical repair.

Defendant is being represented by Attorney Dan McGill, Deputy District Attorney Joan Merry is trying the case for the People before Judge Christopher Tunney in Steuben County Court – a jury was selected on Tuesday, opening statements and proof began Wednesday. The trial will continue through the week.

October 15, 2026
By Alfred State Spokesperson Paul Welker

The Alfred State community gathered to celebrate the successful launch of the SUNY ASAP (Advancing Succes in Associate Pathways) and ACE (Advancing Completion through Engagement) programs. The programs are designed to provide students with the support they need to finish their degrees on time.

“Alfred State College has a long history of supporting student success both in and outside the classroom,” commented Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Carrie Cokely. “Through these programs we are able to provide not only financial support for students, but also academic workshops, individualized advising and coaching, engagement opportunities, and career coaching to ensure that students thrive both as students and in employment following graduation.”
Since launching the program in June, Alfred State has 150 students enrolled. 73% are in the ASAP program (54% are pursuing degrees in the School of Applied Technology) and 27% are in ACE. 47% of the students are first generation college students.

First-year criminal justice major Zion Gardner-Cruz (Queens, NY) is finding his potential through his involvement in the ACE program. He credits ASAP|ACE Director Charles Infurna and Academic Advisor Meagan Fawley with guiding him into the program.

“Growing up, I was always told that I had amazing potential. As I move through the school year, I realize that ACE is helping me become the best student I can be. ACE can help you get on track; it gives you a community of people who are looking out for you and there are plenty of fun events and opportunities to get involved.”

Dr. Jennifer Bashant, SUNY’s Director for ASAP and ACE, shared that these programs serve over 10,000 students across the system this year. She also commented that eleven different states have replicated this program.

“At the heart of SUNY’s mission is a deep commitment to student success and programs like ASAP and ACE are helping us realize that commitment in life-changing ways. The ASAP|ACE model, which aligns perfectly with Chancellor (John) King’s vision for student success, is a proven rigorously evaluated model that increases retention and completion due to the wraparound supports that it provides to students. It is real people, real lives, and real futures being transformed.”

Alfred State is one of ten new schools that launched these programs this year and joined forty-four campuses across SUNY that offer this opportunity for students.

New York State Senator George Borrello and New York State Assemblyman Joe Sempolinski attended the celebration and shared their excitement and support for the program.

“These programs are key to making sure that little problems don’t become big problems and that students are given the support to meet their needs,” added Borrello. “This program is about ensuring that someone can have success. Support like this is key to creating more success stories.”

“Programs like this are such a smart use of resources,” commented Sempolinski. “When a student comes to Alfred State, they’re making an investment in themselves, the state is making an investment in them, and we want to make sure that it’s a successful endeavor. We want to make sure that everybody that wants to have that opportunity is given the help and support they need to live to their highest potential.”

Cokely concluded, “We are grateful to our colleagues at SUNY and to our state elected officials for advocating for the expansion of these programs to our campus.”

Learn more about the ASAP|ACE programs at Alfred State.

October 15, 2026

FROM SENATOR SCHUMER’S OFFICE: U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer today announced $1,400,000 through the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) for Chemung County’s Sewer Improvement for Economic Growth project. This federal investment will support the development of 4,500 linear feet of sewer main to expand system capacity, improve reliability, and support new industrial and commercial growth in the Village of Horseheads and Chemung County. “I’m proud to deliver $1.4 million from my Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law to improve wastewater infrastructure in Chemung County. This new investment builds on millions I’ve previously secured by helping develop thousands of feet of sewer main to expand system capacity and support new economic growth in Horseheads and the entire county,” said Senator Schumer. “I will never stop fighting to secure infrastructure investments, support business and economic growth, and keep Upstate New Yorkers safe and healthy.”
Schumer explained these federal funds will help complete critical wastewater infrastructure improvements at the Southern Tier Logistics Business Park in the Village of Horseheads, ensuring reliable, resilient, and environmentally compliant sewer service for current and future employers. The project includes constructing and rehabilitating sewer mains, installing new manholes, building a modern pump station, and restoring abandoned lines to support the site’s redevelopment from a former military depot into a competitive manufacturing, warehousing, and logistics hub. These enhancements will expand sewer capacity, strengthen business park readiness for advanced industry investment, and support economic growth throughout the Southern Tier. Construction is expected to take three years.

Schumer has a long history of supporting water system improvements in Chemung County. In 2024, he delivered an unprecedented $200 million in federal funding for water system improvements to modernize and expand the Milton Street Wastewater Treatment Plant and support the County’s ongoing efforts to install new equipment, increase treatment capacity to stop sewer overflows, and construct cost-effective wastewater improvements to ensure the facility’s compliance with federal and state requirements. In addition, Schumer delivered $1 million to consolidate two wastewater treatment plants, Milton Street and Lake Street, into a single, regional treatment facility in the fiscal year 2023 federal budget.
In 2021, Schumer negotiated and secured $1 billion for the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Law, to be dispersed over five years, starting with $200 million in fiscal year 2022. This significant boost in funding has been used to support economic development, infrastructure, workforce, and other community development projects as well as programs intended to improve the quality of life, stimulate business growth, and create good-paying job opportunities in local communities like those in the Southern Tier and Western New York.

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is an economic development partnership agency of the federal government and 13 state governments, focusing on 423 counties across the Appalachian Region. ARC’s mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community, capacity, and strengthen economic growth in Appalachia. New York State receives an allocation of resources from the ARC each year to fund area development in NYS’s 14-county Appalachian Region. The New York counties are represented by one of three Local Development Districts: Southern Tier West (STW) based in Salamanca, NY and comprised of Allegany, Cattaraugus, and Chautauqua counties; Southern Tier Central (STC) based in Corning, NY and comprised of Chemung, Schuyler, and Steuben counties; and Southern Tier 8 in Binghamton, NY and comprised of Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Schoharie, Tioga, and Tompkins counties.

FROM REP. LANGWORTHY’S OFFICE: Congressman Nick Langworthy today announced that Chemung County has been awarded a $1.4 million grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) to improve wastewater infrastructure at the Southern Tier Logistics Business Park in the Village of Horseheads. Combined with $1.4 million in state funding, the project represents a total investment of $2.8 million in critical infrastructure to support future business and industrial growth. The project will fund the construction and rehabilitation of approximately 4,500 linear feet of sewer main, installation of new manholes, construction of a modern pump station and restoration of abandoned sewer lines. These improvements will expand system capacity, improve reliability and ensure the business park can provide dependable, environmentally compliant wastewater service for current and future employers. The upgrades will help prepare the former military depot site for redevelopment as a manufacturing, warehousing and logistics hub, strengthening its ability to attract new investment and support economic growth throughout Chemung County and the Southern Tier. Construction is expected to take three years, after which the Chemung County Sewer District will own and maintain the upgraded system. “This significant $1.4 million investment will make critical sewer improvements that are necessary for the Southern Tier Logistics Business Park to continue the redevelopment of the former Holding Point military depot. We can’t expect to attract jobs and economic development if we don’t have the public infrastructure to support the growth and that’s why I’ve been so focused on securing federal dollars to help position projects like this one. By helping prepare this property for development, we are paving the way for new private investments in manufacturing, warehousing, and logistics to strengthen the Southern Tier’s long-term economic future.”

October 15, 2026

FROM THE GIES FOR CONGRESS CAMPAIGN: Democratic congressional candidate in NY-23 Aaron Gies raised over $350,000 during the latest quarterly fundraising period, outraising Republican Congressman Nick Langworthy, who raised just over $295,000. This fundraising period marks a significant milestone in New York’s 23rd Congressional District, with Gies raising more in a single reporting period than Langworthy has ever reported raising throughout his lifelong political career. The fundraising totals also reveal a sharp contrast in the sources of the campaigns’ financial support. More than 95% of Gies’s fundraising came from individual contributors, compared with 33% for Langworthy. “The people who punch the clock, pay the bills, and keep this district running have more power than Langworthy’s downstate corporate interests,” said Aaron Gies. “Our campaign is proving that working people can stand up to the special interests that have dominated Washington for far too long.”

“Langworthy’s corporate bailout cannot match the power of everyday working people,” Gies continued. “People are tired of doing everything right and falling further and further behind. They want a representative who answers to them, not corporate interests.” Gies, a teacher and nonprofit leader, has built his campaign around making a good life more affordable, strengthening rural communities, and making government more transparent and accountable. He is in the middle of a 100 Town Hall tour in 99 days while Langworthy has yet to hold a single in-person town hall. The latest fundraising results suggest significant momentum for the Gies campaign as it challenges the incumbent in a district spanning Western New York and the Southern Tier.

October 15, 2026

Congresswomen Claudia Tenney (NY-24) and Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03) today introduced the bipartisan Internet Reach and Access Now (IRAN) Act to strengthen U.S. efforts to help the Iranian people access the open internet, communicate securely, and overcome the Iranian regime’s censorship, surveillance, and internet shutdowns.


Additional cosponsors of the legislation include Representatives Virginia Foxx (NC-5), Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27), Dave Min (CA-47), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1), Mike Lawler (NY-17), Ilhan Omar (MN-5), Stephanie Bice (OK-5), Brad Schneider (IL-10), Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11), Jake Auchincloss (MA-4), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), James Walkinshaw (VA-11), and André Carson (IN-7).


Iran remains one of the world’s most restrictive digital environments, with the regime routinely restricting internet access to suppress dissent, conceal human rights abuses, and isolate the Iranian people. The IRAN Act strengthens the U.S. internet freedom strategy for Iran by requiring regular reviews, implementation assessments, and congressional reporting, while evaluating emerging technologies such as VPNs, decentralized and peer to peer networks, and direct to cell satellite communications. The legislation also seeks to expand cybersecurity training and secure digital tools for journalists, human rights defenders, and other civil society actors, and directs greater coordination among federal agencies to help ensure U.S. sanctions and export controls do not unintentionally hinder access to open internet technologies.


“The Iranian regime knows that access to information is a threat to its grip on power, which is why it relies on censorship, surveillance, and internet blackouts to silence the Iranian people,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “The United States should stand with the courageous Iranians demanding basic freedoms by helping them stay connected to one another and the outside world. The bipartisan IRAN Act strengthens our internet freedom strategy, supports secure technologies that can overcome the regime’s censorship, and improves coordination across our government so these efforts deliver real results. The Iranian people deserve the ability to communicate freely, access independent information, and expose the regime’s brutality to the world.”


“Freedom of expression and access to unrestricted information are fundamental human rights. The Islamic Republic regularly shuts down or restricts internet access while committing mass atrocities,” said Congresswoman Ansari. “President Trump has said ‘help is on the way’ for the Iranian people. Ensuring unrestricted internet access would actually help people immediately. I’m proud to introduce the IRAN Act, a bipartisan, noncontroversial, and not militarily invasive bill that would do just that.”


This legislation is supported by the Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA): “The Iranian regime has repeatedly demonstrated its willingness to shut down the internet to isolate the Iranian people and facilitate the violent suppression of dissent, as we saw during the January 2026 crackdown on protesters. The revised IRAN Act strengthens the U.S. response by improving coordination across the federal government, ensuring our internet freedom strategy keeps pace with emerging technologies, and helping preserve access to satellite communications over Iran. Helping ordinary Iranians stay connected, access independent information, and communicate with the outside world not only supports their democratic aspirations, but also advances broader U.S. national security interests by promoting the free flow of information and greater transparency. PAAIA thanks Representatives Claudia Tenney and Yassamin Ansari for their bipartisan leadership and encourages all Members of Congress to support and help pass this important legislation.” – PAAI

October 14, 2026

32 year old Julia Groff of the Allegany County Town of Bolivar is the suspect who is accused of allegedly stabbing two State Police Officers, both of them in the head, at a gas station in Bolivar on May 17, 2025. State Trooper Jacob Klock was stabbed just above the eye. Trooper Michael Rich was stabbed in the side of the head. Groff was charged with two counts of attempted 2nd degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault of a police officer and numerous other charges. According to Allegany County District Attorney Pete Degnan, Julia Groff’s trial is slated to start on November 30 in Allegany County Court. Her defense attorneys are Marty Anderson and JIm Cole. Groff is still in Allegany County Jail in Belmont, without bail. Neither of the injured troopers have returned to work yet, due to their injuries.