Category: Home Page Headlines

September 18, 2026

FROM STEUBEN COUNTY LEGISLATIVE CHAIRWOMAN KELLY FITZPATRICK: “As the Chair of the Legislature, I have the opportunity to participate in and oversee its many departments and operations. I am working diligently to look more closely at how things work and to identify how the County can do better for the people we serve. County government is tasked with providing services to residents, many of which are mandated by the laws of State of New York. We have hardworking staff that give the County the ability to provide these services every day. With the various changes and challenges coming at us from different levels of government, we will need to be more creative in providing needed and mandated services. We are more than capable and are ready to meet these challenges.

“How are we going to accomplish this? Working through our committee structure, we will continue to identify actions we can take to improve service delivery. This work includes looking for ways to expand public transportation. We need to continue to expand access to high-speed internet. Housing is a priority and we must continue to search for, advocate for and support housing options in our communities.
The current trend within our State and our County is showing a decline in our population. Our tool to help address this is continued investment in tourism, which brings visitors to our area. People can see how beautiful it is here and learn that Steuben County is a great place to live. Our business investment has been substantial and is supported by our strong industrial development agencies.

“Many localities are working to improve their downtown business districts. We encourage this investment and support those local business owners that take on the risk of opening a small business. The opportunity to shine comes from our ability to adapt to an ever-changing world . We accept this challenge and pledge our commitment to work together for a better Steuben County.”

September 18, 2026

September 18, 2026
By Hornell Deputy Mayor Jessica Cleveland

The City of Hornell is excited to announce the arrival of six new buses to the Hornell Area Transit (HAT) fleet. The buses were recently with communications and radio equipment and currently in service.

The buses were obtained through the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) 5311 Rural Transit Formula Grant, covering 90% of the $858,790 total cost, with the remaining 10% funded through New York State’s Accelerated Transit Capital (ATC) grant, ensuring no additional cost to local taxpayers.

Deputy Mayor Jessica Cleveland noted her enthusiasm for the buses to go into service, stating, “It’s a long road between the application for the buses, which was completed in November of 2022, to receiving these buses almost four years later. With awaiting the award, completing the procurement process, and the manufacturing of the buses, it’s been quite a journey to get here and we are so excited for these buses to go into service.”

These new buses are Ford E-450s capable of transporting 16 passengers and 2 wheelchairs and are each equipped with a lift rated up to 1,000 lbs. ensuring easy access for anyone with mobility challenges and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

HAT currently has 16 buses in its fleet, and with the receipt of these buses, six will be retired after racking up many miles and exceeding their useful life. HAT provides dedicated routes several times daily to Almond, Alfred, Bath, and Canisteo, and also offers Dial-A-Ride service within the City of Hornell and parts of the Village of North Hornell and Town of Hornellsville.

Transit Supervisor Kimberly Courtney stated her excitement, “Our bus service provides safe, reliable transportation to our community. Whether you want to save gas money getting to work, have difficulty accessing a regular vehicle due to mobility needs, or don’t have a personal vehicle, HAT provides a way to get around Hornell and the surrounding area. We are so excited for these buses to go into service, providing a comfortable, dependable experience for our riders and our drivers.”

Mayor John Buckley stated his appreciation, “We are thankful to our partners at the federal and state levels for the funds for these buses. HAT provides an integral service to our community, and acquiring these buses, with no additional cost to the local taxpayer, is a huge benefit for our community.”

For route information or schedules, visit HAT online at www.hatrides.com or call the office at 607-324-7910. HAT is also looking for drivers to join its team. If you are interested in driving for HAT and becoming part of the team that helps keep our community moving, contact HAT for more information.

September 18, 2026

FROM GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL: ”Our goal is to make sure your energy bills do not exceed six percent of your income. How’s that sound? Yes. Is that good? So we’re going to make sure you sign up for this. We’re able to expand this program, our Energy Assistance Program, affordability program. So we’re going to expand to 2.5 million more New Yorkers, and the income thresholds are higher. This is going to help you shave off the cost of your energy bills, utility bills every single month. Now, that’s separate from what we’re doing this past week. I announced that next week, check your mailboxes because we’re mailing out a billion dollars worth of checks to help with utility bills going to 8.2 million New Yorkers, many here in Western New York, and that’s going to be up to $200 a person. So check’s going to be in the mail, plus sign up for this program. And I want to thank our Department of Public Service here and our entire team who’s working to get the word out so we can expand these programs to focus on driving down utility costs for our residents across the state. So, how’s that sound, everybody? We’ll hand out some information and help, we can help you sign up right here, right?”

September 18, 2026

FROM GOV. HOCHUL: “I’m honored to earn the support of the New York Working Families Party alongside my running mate Adrienne Adams. Together, we’re standing up to Trump’s reckless ICE, protecting New Yorkers’ rights, and lowering costs across our state. I look forward to continuing to work with New York Working Families Party to build a more affordable, safer New York that uplifts all of our families.”

September 18, 2026

Nassau County Executive and gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman issued a harsh warning as Kathy Hochul officially accepted the Working Families Party ballot line: “Stop calling it the Working Families Party. Look at what they actually stand for—it’s the Socialist Party, and their agenda is a direct threat to our state’s survival. They are fighting for crippling tax hikes, defunding police, empty jails, the total destruction of local suburban zoning, and inheritance taxes hitting middle-class estates at just $250,000. We already know Kathy Hochul doesn’t stand with ‘working families’ after hiking their taxes and utility bills to the highest in the nation and making this state unaffordable. Kathy Hochul has opened the door to socialism in New York, and on November 4th, you have the chance to slam it shut—or watch the floodgates open.”

September 18, 2026

FROM REP. NICK LANGWORTHY: Congressman Nick Langworthy has announced that the House of Representatives passed his Northern Border Security Enhancement and Review Act (H.R. 5517), advancing bipartisan legislation to ensure the United States regularly evaluates evolving threats along the northern border and maintains a strategy capable of addressing them. The bill passed today by voice vote. The legislation requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to regularly assess threats along the northern border, update its northern border strategy as needed and provide Congress with the information necessary to conduct effective oversight. It also requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations to establish performance measures for its efforts to secure the northern border between ports of entry. “Protecting our northern border is just as important to our homeland security as the southern border, and we cannot afford to take it for granted,” said Congressman Langworthy. “For too long, the northern border has not received the sustained attention it deserves, even as the threats facing our communities continue to evolve. This bipartisan legislation ensures we are regularly assessing those threats, updating our strategy and giving Congress the information it needs to hold the Department of Homeland Security accountable. I’m proud that the House has passed this common-sense bill, and I’ll continue working to make sure our national security is protected, particularly for our border communities like right here in Western New York.”

The United States shares more than 5,500 miles of border with Canada, spanning some of the most diverse and challenging terrain in the country. In recent years, Border Patrol apprehensions between ports of entry along the northern border increased from 916 in Fiscal Year 2021 to more than 23,000 in Fiscal Year 2024. In Western New York, the need for continued vigilance is particularly important. The Government Accountability Office reported that Border Patrol was involved in 170 drug-seizure events in the Buffalo Sector during Fiscal Year 2024, nearly double the number recorded the previous year. He concluded, “Americans deserve to know that the men and women responsible for protecting them have the tools, information and strategy necessary to meet the threats of today and prepare for the threats of tomorrow. We have made progress, but this is no time for complacency.”

H.R. 5517 was considered by the House Committee on Homeland Security in June, where it received bipartisan support. The legislation now advances to the Senate for consideration.

September 18, 2026

FROM THE ALLEGANY COUNTY DEMOCRATS: Aaron Gies, the Democratic and Working Families Party Candidate for NY’s 23rd Congressional District—covering Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, and Tioga Counties and parts of Schuyler, Steuben, Erie, and Niagara Counties—is holding a town hall meeting in Alfred, NY, on Wednesday, September 23, at 6pm. The event is part of the campaign’s tour of 100 in-person town hall meetings across the vast district. It will take place on the second floor of the Village Hall Theater in Alfred at 7 W. University St. The space is accessible.
Questions will be taken from the audience following a short statement by the candidate. The event is free, and all are welcome to attend.
Aaron Gies is challenging incumbent Nick Langworthy in the upcoming midterm elections. Gies is a college professor and nonprofit organization leader living in Olean, NY. His campaign focuses on supporting a good, affordable life for the people in this district. Learn more aT www.aaronforny23.com

September 17, 2026

FROM THE NYS DOT: Upcoming Overnight Road Closure Along State Route 36 in North Hornell.

The New York State Department of Transportation is advising motorists that State Route 36 between Adsit Street and Bethesda Drive in the Village of North Hornell, Steuben County, will be closed to traffic between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. on Monday, September 21, and Monday, September 28, to accommodate bridge work for a previously announced project. Motorists should follow the posted detour using Adsit Street, Seneca Street and Bethesda Drive. Motorists should anticipate travel delays during this time and are advised to seek alternate routes if necessary. Construction activities are weather dependent and subject to change based on conditions. Motorists are urged to slow down and drive responsibly in work zones. Fines are doubled for speeding in a work zone. Convictions of two or more speeding violations in a work zone could result in the suspension of an individual’s driver license.

Lives are on the line; slow down and move over for highway workers!

September 17, 2026

FROM U.S. SENATOR KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND: “New Yorkers are already feeling the pain of President Trump’s economy at the grocery store, the gas pump, and the pharmacy. Now, as temperatures begin to drop, they’re getting hit again: this time at the thermostat. Fuel prices are soaring because of President Trump’s war with Iran, and New Yorkers need help heating their homes as temperatures drop. I’m calling on the Trump administration to immediately release LIHEAP funding to help low-income New Yorkers afford their energy bills.” Last week, the price of crude oil rose to $100 per barrel for the first time since July—a direct result of President Trump’s war with Iran. That has driven up the average cost of heating oil in New York up to $6.14 per gallon, which is a 66% increase from this time last year. At the same time, President Trump’s administration has yet to release the LIHEAP funding that helps New Yorkers heat their homes in the fall and winter, which was appropriated by Congress in the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027 earlier this month. Under this bill, New York is slated to receive an estimated $360 million in LIHEAP funds.

“With temperatures beginning to drop and fuel prices continuing to rise, Senator Gillibrand sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. demanding that the administration immediately release this funding.”

See the letter below:

Dear Secretary Kennedy,

Seven months into President Trump’s disastrous war of choice in Iran, the United States has reached an inflection point. New Yorkers have had to endure months of rising costs for necessities, everything from gasoline to groceries. And last week, global markets crossed another grim milestone. Due to this administration’s poor leadership, the price of crude oil once again rose to $100 per barrel for the first time since July—up 40 percent since President Trump brought us into war.

New Yorkers are already feeling the pain at the pump, grocery store, and pharmacy. But the rising price of crude oil is particularly concerning at this time of year. As New York prepares for the cold fall and winter months, the inflated price of oil will push home heating costs to
significant highs. As of September 14, the average cost of heating oil in New York is $6.14 per gallon, which is a 66.0 percent increase from this time last year.2 These costs will be felt most acutely by New York’s seniors, who are already struggling to afford the necessities of life and
who will see their budgets stretched even thinner due to the rising price of home heating oil.

Your Department is responsible for administering the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), the essential federal program that aids seniors and low-income households with their energy and heating bills. LIHEAP provides direct financial assistance to help these households afford their bills during the coldest months of the year. As costs continue to rise across the board, this program will be a vital lifeline to help New Yorkers make ends meet.

Earlier this month, Congress passed the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027 into law.3 This law provides continuing funding for essential programs like LIHEAP, which has now been made available to the Department of Health and Human Services for distribution. In light of the alarming rise in global oil prices prompted by this administration’s war in Iran, I urge you to immediately release the LIHEAP funding provided under this law so that states like New York can prepare for the coming fall and winter months. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

Sincerely,
Kirsten Gillibrand
United States Senator

1 Oil Hits $100 a Barrel as Turmoil Intensifies in Middle East – The New York Times
2 https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/Energy-Prices/Home-Heating-Oil/Average-Home-Heating-Oil-Prices
3 PL 119-103

September 17, 2026
By Steuben Co Spokesman Eddie VanStine

Steuben County has officially proclaimed September 20-26, 2026, as Sheriffs’ Week in Steuben County, recognizing the history, dedication and vital public service provided by Sheriff Allard and the members of the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office. The proclamation, signed by Steuben County Legislature Chair Kelly H. Fitzpatrick, recognizes the longstanding role of the Office of Sheriff as one of the original constitutional offices established to serve the people of New York State and Steuben County. Throughout its history, the Office of Sheriff has evolved while maintaining its essential role in the community and criminal justice system. Today, the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office operates as a modern, professional full-service law enforcement and corrections agency, staffed by highly trained police officers and correctional officers and supported by advanced technology and current law enforcement practices. The proclamation also recognizes that the responsibilities of the Sheriff’s Office extend well beyond traditional law enforcement and corrections. The office provides security in the courts, serves and executes civil process for the courts, and provides a broad range of services to the community.

Sheriffs’ Week will be observed throughout Steuben County from September 20 through September 26, 2026.

September 17, 2026

Town of Erwin IDA Announces Inaugural Fall & Flight Community DaysNew community event will celebrate aviation, local connections, family-friendly activities, and giveaways on September 26 PAINTED POST, N.Y. – The Town of Erwin Industrial Development Agency (IDA) is pleased to announce the inaugural Fall & Flight Community Days, a family-friendly community celebration taking place on Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Corning-Painted Post Airport, Costa Drive, Painted Post, NY 14870. As the first event of its kind hosted by the Town of Erwin IDA, Fall & Flight Community Days was created to showcase the Corning-Painted Post Airport as a valuable regional asset while bringing residents, families, local organizations, and businesses together for an afternoon of fun, learning, and community engagement. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore the airport, learn about aviation, connect with local organizations, enjoy family-friendly activities and giveaways, and experience firsthand the important role the airport plays in supporting economic development and connectivity. “Fall & Flight Community Days is an opportunity to introduce our community to one of the region’s important transportation assets in a welcoming and engaging way,” said Kristen Brewer, CEO of the Town of Erwin Industrial Development Agency and Planning Director for the Town of Erwin. “We are excited to offer a day filled with educational experiences, family-friendly activities, and giveaways while showcasing the airport’s importance to our economy and quality of life. We hope this event becomes a tradition that brings our community together for years to come.” The Corning-Painted Post Airport has long been an important resource for corporate and private aviation, supporting regional commerce and development. The new Fall & Flight Community Days event aims to increase public awareness of the airport’s impact while creating a memorable annual tradition for the community. Admission to Fall & Flight Community Days is free and open to the public.