Category: Local News

June 30, 2026

FROM STEUBEN COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES:  

June 30, 2026

FROM STEUBEN COUNTY NY FIREWIRE:  The time has come to turn off this page. It has become increasingly difficult to personally post incidents as they happen, even with help from moderators. When i started this page i never would have thought that it would grow to 17 thousand followers! I’m sure you’re aware but there is a separate account that automatically posts when an incident happens, although you really have to decipher what the auto translation is trying to say, if you haven’t, follow them to stay up to date on what your local first responders are working on. Thank you to all the followers that grew this page! Please don’t let this be your last weekend with all 10 fingers! Happy 4th.

June 30, 2026

By Steuben County Spokesman Ed Van Stine

The Steuben County Legislature has officially proclaimed July 2026 as R.E.D. Friday Month, reaffirming the County’s unwavering support for the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces who are currently deployed around the world.

The proclamation, issued by Legislature Chair Kelly H. Fitzpatrick on behalf of the Steuben County Legislature, encourages county employees, veterans, businesses, community organizations, and residents to wear red every Friday throughout the month of July as a visible show of appreciation and solidarity with deployed service members.

R.E.D. stands for “Remember Everyone Deployed.” The campaign serves as a simple yet powerful reminder that those serving far from home are not forgotten and that their sacrifices—and those of their families—are deeply appreciated.

“R.E.D. Friday is about unity, gratitude, and honoring the selfless commitment of the men and women who protect our freedoms,” said Chair Kelly H. Fitzpatrick. “By wearing red each Friday, we send a clear message to our deployed military personnel that Steuben County stands with them and remembers their service.”

According to the proclamation, the United States maintains approximately 1.3 million active-duty military personnel, with nearly 200,000 stationed overseas. These figures do not include troops serving in contingency operations, temporary deployments, or aboard naval vessels. Military deployments often place significant emotional and physical burdens on service members and their families, making community support especially meaningful.

June 30, 2026

By Steamers GM Paul Welker

The Hornell Steamers erupted for 19 runs and pounded out 17 hits, overwhelming the Dansville Gliders 19-2 at Maple City Park. The victory improved the Steamers to 12-8-1 on the season.  Hornell wasted little time taking control, scoring five runs in the opening inning. Markus Brehm (Finger Lakes CC/St. Bonaventure) led off with a triple before John Greenwood (North Park) drove him home with an RBI single. Luke Manders (Kalamazoo) added an RBI single, and Taylor Joseph (North Park) capped the inning with a three-run home run to give the Steamers a commanding 5-0 lead.  After Dansville cut the deficit to 5-2 in the top of the third, Hornell responded with one of its biggest offensive innings of the season. Rylan Stokes (McMurry) delivered a two-run single before Brehm launched a towering grand slam over the left field fence, stretching the lead to 11-2.

The Steamers put the game completely out of reach in the fourth, erupting for seven more runs highlighted by Nolan Winthrop’s (Pomona Pitzer) two-run double and RBI hits from Greenwood and Manders.  Brehm enjoyed a monster afternoon, finishing 2-for-4 with a triple, a grand slam, five RBIs, three runs scored, and a stolen base. Joseph added a three-run homer and finished with three RBIs, while Greenwood went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Manders was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBIs, and Stokes collected two hits and two RBIs.  Winthrop drove in two runs, while Michael Duncan (Eastern Mennonite) added two hits, two runs, and an RBI as Hornell’s lineup produced hits from every starter.

On the mound, Micah Marvin (Arkport) earned the win after allowing two runs on five hits while striking out five over four innings. Ethan Davenport (Alfred State) was dominant in relief, striking out six of the 10 batters he faced over three scoreless innings to seal the victory.  Hornell finished with 17 hits, including two home runs, and scored in five different innings as the offense posted its highest run total of the season. The Steamers also took advantage of three Dansville errors while limiting the Gliders to seven hits in the seven-inning contest.  Hornell plays their final cross-divisional doubleheader tomorrow at Watertown. First pitch is at 5 p.m.

June 30 ,2026

FROM REP. CLAUDIA TENNEY:  Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today joined House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson (PA-15) and a bipartisan group of lawmakers in introducing the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act, legislation to modernize the H-2A agricultural guest worker program, reduce unnecessary bureaucracy, provide greater certainty for farmers, and help ensure America’s producers have access to the workforce they need to keep the nation’s food supply strong.

For nearly 40 years, the H-2A program has remained largely unchanged despite the evolving needs of American agriculture. As labor shortages continue to challenge farms across the country, producers face increasing difficulty finding enough workers to plant and harvest crops, care for livestock, and maintain safe, reliable food production. The Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act would modernize the program by expanding eligibility for temporary agricultural work, including making dairy farms eligible for H-2A, creating a streamlined online application system, simplifying program requirements, and codifying recent reforms to provide greater wage stability and certainty for farmers.

“Farmers across New York and our nation work tirelessly to feed America, but too many are struggling to find the workforce they need to keep their operations running,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “Our outdated H-2A program has created unnecessary costs, delays, and uncertainty that hurt family farms and drive up food prices. For too long, critical industries like dairy have been locked out of the H-2A program. The Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act delivers commonsense reforms that modernize the program, cut red tape, provide greater certainty for producers, and help strengthen our food supply. Importantly, this bill does not open the door for amnesty and preserves H-2A as a temporary labor program for our nation’s agricultural producers who cannot find American workers. Supporting American agriculture means ensuring our farmers have the tools they need to succeed. This legislation is an important step toward protecting our farms, our economy, and our nation’s food security.”

June 30, 2026

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) has sent a letter to New York Governor Kathy Hochul urging her administration to immediately apply for funding through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s State Border Security Reinforcement Fund (SBSRF), following reports that New York’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services does not intend to apply for the available federal funding.  The SBSRF, authorized by Congress and administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), provides nearly $10 billion to help states strengthen border security and equip state and local law enforcement. New York has until July 6, 2026, to apply for the funding, which could help law enforcement detect illicit drugs, combat human trafficking, apprehend illegal aliens, and strengthen public safety along the U.S.-Canada border. Tenney warned that failing to apply would deny New York law enforcement access to critical federal resources while placing additional financial burdens on local agencies already carrying out border security missions. She urged Governor Hochul to reverse course and submit a complete application before the deadline.

“Governor Hochul’s refusal to pursue available federal border security funding puts politics ahead of public safety,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “New York shares the longest international border of any state, and the dedicated men and women protecting our northern border deserve every available resource to stop illegal immigration, human trafficking, and the flow of dangerous drugs into our communities. President Trump and Republicans in Congress secured this funding to strengthen border security and support local law enforcement. There is no excuse for refusing resources that would help keep New Yorkers safe. I urge Governor Hochul to reverse course immediately and apply before the July 6 deadline so our law enforcement officers have the tools they need to keep our communities safe.”  

Wayne County Sheriff Rob Milby stressed that local law enforcement cannot afford to leave these resources on the table and urged the state to pursue the available funding.  “Wayne County is just one of 12 counties that have an international border with Canada. There are state routes that have access to the ports of entry in New York, which are numerous. Border Patrol, the RCMP, and the Canada Border Services Agency are hard at work to detect criminal enterprise at our borders, but cannot do it alone,” said Wayne County Sheriff Rob Milby. “Agencies across this state see the effects of what does make it across the border. We are the ones that have to knock on the doors of parents to notify them of their children’s overdoses. This funding would allow our offices to receive the training and equipment that we need to enforce the issues that are occurring at our borders. Those issues include drug smuggling, weapons smuggling, and human trafficking. In an effort to protect the citizens of our county to the best of our abilities, we need to take advantage of any grant funding that is offered to our communities. Anything less than that would be irresponsible. Law enforcement must work together at all levels in order to properly protect our communities.”

June 30, 2026

“Last night, the House passed the Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act (KIDS Act) with strong bipartisan support. As a father of two, I know parents—not Big Tech—should be in the driver’s seat when it comes to protecting our kids online. Families deserve real tools to shield children from online predators, addictive algorithms, scams, dangerous and illegal products, explicit content, and the emerging risks posed by AI. This bill gives parents more control, strengthens privacy protections for children, updates outdated online safety laws, and holds Big Tech accountable for putting profits ahead of our kids’ well-being. Our children deserve a safer internet, and tonight the House took an important step toward making that happen. Now it’s time for the Senate to follow suit.” 

June 30, 2026

FROM ASSEMBLYMAN PHIL PALMESANO:  A Legislative Resolution sponsored by State Senator Tom O’Mara (R,C-Big Flats), Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R,C-Corning), and Assemblyman Chris Friend (R,C-Big Flats), highlighting the 10th Anniversary of the founding of the Corning Rugby Club was recently presented to the club’s founder and head coach and pays tribute to the Club for bringing together “student-athletes  from more  than 10 school districts throughout the Southern Tier region, creating a unique community-based athletic program that unites players from diverse backgrounds through teamwork, sportsmanship, leadership, and shared commitment to the values of  rugby.”  Palmesano, whose son and daughter played for the Club, recently presented the resolution (K15071/J02329) to Head Coach Bob McGee, one of the club’s founders, at the club’s annual end of season athletic banquet (see attached photo).

In a joint statement, O’Mara, Palmesano, and Friend said, “We appreciate this opportunity to congratulate and pay tribute to the Corning Rugby Club for their outstanding success over the past decade building and growing one of this region’s finest athletic organizations. It has become one of the premier rugby programs locally, statewide, and nationally. We welcomed this chance to recognize and honor the dedication, excellence, hard work, and success of the Corning Rugby Club in providing opportunities for young athletes across this region for the past ten years. The Club has represented inspiring stories, created lasting memories for everyone involved, and will always be a source of enormous pride to the team’s coaches and players, their families and friends, the community at large, and our entire region.”

The resolution notes that the Corning Rotary Club was founded in early 2016 by McGee and Corning-Painted Post High School student Jack Kahabka, and a host of volunteer coaches and supporters. It was the Southern Tier’s first youth rugby program.

“Corning Rugby Club has continued to be a competitive force over its 10 seasons, with its high school boys team qualifying for the RugbyNY state playoffs in every season, the only team in Upstate New York to accomplish that feat during the time period,” the Resolution states. “Corning Rugby has engaged nearly 300 student athletes across its boys, girls, and middle school programs during its first decade, providing meaningful athletic opportunities, skill development, and leadership experiences to youth throughout the Southern Tier. Corning Rugby Club created the first opportunities in the region for female student-athletes to compete in the sport; the program has grown rapidly in popularity, becoming one of the premier programs in New York State and the East Coast; The Corning Rugby Club’s girls program captured the RugbyNY High School Girls State Championship in 2023 and 2025, and the boys program earned third-place finishes at the RugbyNY State Championships in 2017, 2019, and 2022; this tradition of success is a testament to the club’s commitment to high-level athletic performance.”

Head Coach Bob McGee, Director of Rugby for the Corning Rugby Club, said, “On behalf of everyone associated with Corning Rugby, we are deeply honored to receive this proclamation from our state legislators recognizing our club’s 10th anniversary. This recognition celebrates not only our accomplishments on the field, but also the hundreds of players, families, coaches, volunteers, and community supporters who have helped build Corning Rugby into a special organization over the past decade.”

June 30, 2026

FROM SENATOR CHUCK SCHUMER: “Despite Trump’s best efforts to bully them, the Supreme Court just reaffirmed that if you are born in America, you belong in America.  For 250 years, America has been a nation made stronger by immigrants. The framers of the Fourteenth Amendment wove that value into our Constitution, affirming that those born on American soil are citizens.  No matter how much President Trump tries to steal citizenship from people that the Constitution has said have earned it and reverse the grand American tradition of welcoming newcomers to our nation, the Supreme Court confirmed today that those born in America are American.

FROM SENATOR KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND: “Today, the Supreme Court did what the Constitution has demanded for more than 150 years: it affirmed that children born on American soil are American citizens. This is a victory for the rule of law, for the Fourteenth Amendment, and for hundreds of thousands of families across New York and this country.  The president tried to rewrite the Constitution with the stroke of a pen. The Court told him he could not.  Had this order taken effect, children born in our hospitals, in our communities, and on our soil could have been denied the basic recognition of their citizenship in the only country they have ever known. The principle the Court upheld today is simple and it is sacred.  This is a sound rejection of this administration’s lawless overreach, and it should serve as a reminder that our system of checks and balances still holds. But the fight to protect immigrant families and the rule of law is far from over. I will keep fighting in the Senate and alongside New Yorkers to defend the Constitution and the values that make this country worth believing in.”

June 30, 2026

FROM THE US ATTORNEYS OFFICE:  U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Octavio Smith, 47, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with depredation of government property, which carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison.  According to the criminal complaint, in November 2022, Smith threw a brick at a window of the FBI Buffalo Field Office and was immediately detained by on-site security personnel. When Buffalo Police officers arrived, Smith stated that he wanted to talk to the FBI and that he did this to “get the FBI’s attention.” Smith was taken into custody and told FBI agents “I’m a threat.” He was charged with depredation of government property, which was ultimately dismissed with prejudice.  On June 25, 2026, Smith again was observed throwing a brick at a window of the FBI Building and was detained. He was initially arrested by Buffalo Police officers and charged with mischief.

Smith made an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr.  and was detained.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas A.C. Penrose. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Allen D. Davis II, and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Erika Shields.  The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.