Category: Local News

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.

June 30, 2026

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD), made a statement following a decision by Judge Jeannette Vargas, U.S. District Court Judge for the Southern District of New York, to vacate the Trump administration’s September 30, 2025 decision to freeze billions in federal funding for the Gateway Hudson Tunnel project:  “Today, the courts delivered another victory for New Yorkers and sent a clear message to the Trump administration: Stop treating New Yorkers as political pawns,” said Senator Gillibrand. “For too long, this administration has played political games with our infrastructure, using New Yorkers and our hardworking union workers as collateral. It must end today.” 

June 30, 2026

June 29, 2026

There are a couple of court dates coming up in Allegany County Court.  Julia Groff of Bolivar’s defense attorney will appear in court without her, for a no appearance check date.  That will be tomorrow, June 30 at 1:45pm.  That’s said to be happening at the request of Groff’s lawyer.  Groff is charged for allegedly stabbing two state troopers, both in the head.  That was in May of 2025.  The troopers were seriously injured. 

Also, Scot Thompson is to appear on July 8, for a pretrial conference.  Scot Thompmson is accused of allegedly shooting and killing his brothers Mark and David during an argument while at a hunting cabin in the Allegany County Town of Allen, on November 23, 2024.  

June 29, 2026

The Hornell Fire Department reports that there were two fires on Sunday.  The first fire was a car fire on Canisteo Street in Hornell, not far from the electric company’s substation.  “The car was fully engulfed when it’s arrived,” said Hornell Fire Chief Frank Brzowski.  “A nearby power pole was scorched and that was close to a building.  That building was evacuated and  there was no damage to the building.  The fire was extinguished thanks to a quick response from the fire department.  The fire is under investigation.  The car and the electric pole suffered damage but there was no damage to the building.  Also, there were no injuries.”

The second fire that firefighters had to deal with was at the Ben Weitsman facility.  That fire was called shortly after 2:00pm Sunday.  “Original reports were that the structure was on fire,” Brzowski stated.  “However, the fire was actually in the rubbish pile in the back of the Weitsman facility, where they keep scrap cars and metal.   When the first units arrived, that fire was burning fiercely.  “We called for mutual aid from South Hornell and North Hornell fire departments due to the fact that the fire was an impingement to residents nearby,” Brzowski said.  “We wanted to make sure the fire was contained.  So we had protection units on both sides for any embers or sparks going towards those residences.  That fire was gotten under control quickly by the first arriving units.  We were there for quite some time, doing overhaul, just due to the amount of scrap and metal and debris that was in there.  We had to sift through it to get it all put out.  The fire was contained in about 90 minutes.  Units returned to service about two hours after that.  We’re not sure what caused that fire and it’s still under investigation, because there was so much product and debris and rubbish in there.  We were back there this morning, looking things over,” Brzowski stated.    There were no injuries in that fire.

June 29, 2026

June 29, 2026

FROM HORNELL CITY HALL:  City offices will close at noon on Thursday, July 2, 2026 and will be closed on Friday, July 3, 2026, in observance of Independence Day. City Hall reopens on Monday, July 6, 2026.  The Hornell Compost Waste Facility will be closed Thursday, July 2, 2026 through Saturday, July 4, 2026. The Facility will re-open Sunday July 5, 2026.  There are no Hornell Area Transit bus runs on Friday, July 3, 2026.

June 29, 2026

Yates-Seneca-Southern Cayuga-Onondaga-Steuben-Schuyler-Chemung-Tompkins-Madison-Southern Oneida-Cortland-Chenango-Tioga-Broome-
Including the cities of Watkins Glen, Penn Yan, Syracuse, Rome,Binghamton, Hamilton, Owego, Elmira, Utica, Auburn, Waverly,
Corning, Ithaca, Norwich, Cortland, Oneida, Seneca Falls, and Hornell

1201 PM EDT Mon Jun 29 2026

...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON TO 8 PM EDT TUESDAY......EXTREME HEAT WATCH IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH
FRIDAY EVENING...

* WHAT...For the Heat Advisory, heat index values up to 97 expected.  For the Extreme Heat Watch, dangerously hot conditions with heat
  index values up to 105 possible.  * WHERE...Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga,
  Schuyler, Seneca, Southern Cayuga, Southern Oneida, Steuben,
  Tioga, Tompkins, and Yates Counties.

* WHEN...For the Heat Advisory, from noon to 8 PM EDT Tuesday. For the Extreme Heat Watch, from Wednesday morning through Friday
  evening.

* IMPACTS...Heat related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat and high humidity events. Hot temperatures and high
  humidity may cause heat illnesses.  

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...The hottest temperatures will be in urban valley locations during the mid to late afternoon period.