AM 1480 WLEA News

July 20, 2026

FROM THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE: Governor Kathy Hochul today held a roundtable with state, business and local leaders from Western New York to highlight her Executive Order that creates the nation’s first moratorium on new hyperscale data centers, establishing the strongest standards for data center development and creating a blueprint to support localities. The Governor is temporarily pausing State environmental permits for up to one year in order to build a nation-leading regulatory framework that protects ratepayers, the environment, the energy grid and communities across the state. “Here in New York, we will not burden our communities with rising utility costs and have them put their hard-earned taxpayer dollars toward massive data centers that aren’t ready to prioritize their future,” Governor Hochul said. “This first-in-the-nation statewide moratorium is putting the success of those who call New York home first, and we are developing a framework to ensure our communities don’t feel — and have to pay for — the environmental impacts to support these projects.”

Participants of today’s roundtable included:

Krista Atkinson, Executive Administrator, Tonawanda Chamber of Commerce
Melisa Dettbarn, Teacher, Kenmore, Tonawanda School District
Ted Kusio, Retired Digital Designer
Kate Powers, Former Professor
Frank Laurendi, Retired Construction Engineer
State Senator Jeremy J. Zellner
Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes
Assemblymember William Conrad
Deputy County Executive Lisa Chimera, Erie County
Mayor Michael Ferguson, Fredonia
John Flynn, Town Supervisor, Town of Tonawanda
Mayor Austin Tylec, City of North Tonawanda
Mayor Patrick Mang, Village of Kenmore

New York State is experiencing unprecedented growth in demand for data center development driven by artificial intelligence and other computing operations. The increase in demand has led to proposals across the state for the construction and operation of data centers that could require massive amounts of energy and water to run and cool thousands of computer servers.

Earlier this year, the Governor directed the Department of Public Service (DPS) to begin the Energize NY proceeding, which will require data centers to either pay more for their energy or supply their own, allowing the state to keep energy more affordable for New Yorkers. As part of that proceeding, the Governor is now also directing DPS to develop a Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) for data centers to ensure new data centers coming online are being held to consistent standards. During the development of this GEIS, which will take up to a year, a moratorium will be in place and the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will not issue any discretionary permits not already deemed complete. The state will use the GEIS to assess the potential environmental impacts of the construction and operation of data centers in the state, including their effect on energy demand, water use and quality, and air quality. Once the State finalizes these standards, the moratorium will be lifted, allowing new data center projects to proceed as long as they follow state, zoning code and other local approvals.

The Governor also directed Empire State Development (ESD) to issue a Community Investment Framework (CIF) within 60 days, which will provide clear guidance to local entities to help them negotiate community benefits as part of any large-scale data center deal, including local infrastructure improvements, child care investments, and direct financial support for their community. The CIF will also establish frameworks that provide organized labor a seat at the table and prioritize prevailing wage standards and project labor agreements for data center construction, local hiring, apprenticeships and workforce development to maximize economic benefits. This framework will additionally include a formula to help communities assess where to begin investment negotiations. An outline of the CIF is currently available on ESD’s website, and the public is encouraged to submit feedback.

Additionally, the Governor is directing DPS to consider creating a New York Grid Acceleration Fund to require data centers to invest in the state’s aging grid infrastructure and energy needs so all New Yorkers benefit from responsible development. The fund could support the procurement of new clean energy supply and establishment of an insurance pool to which developers may need to contribute to protect against speculative large loads that create uncertainty and increase costs. DPS will also consider approaches to require data centers to fund new clean electric generation dedicated to their operations, including but not limited to customer-sited distributed energy resources and battery storage.

Finally, Governor Hochul is pursuing legislation to repeal sales tax exemptions for massive data centers across the state.

July 21, 2026

Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand continued her series of statewide press conferences — including in Poughkeepsie and Rochester – to address the crushing impact of rising grocery and household goods prices on working families. The push follows a recent Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index report showing headline inflation surged to 4.2%, the sharpest 12-month increase since April 2023. “Donald Trump’s policies are making basic necessities unaffordable for hardworking New Yorkers,” said Senator Gillibrand. “He promised to tackle rising costs, but instead he’s made everything worse. Prices on groceries, gas, and essentials have skyrocketed here at home, as he pours taxpayers dollars into a forever war abroad. I will continue to demand accountability and fight for all Americans being crushed by these unsustainable costs.”

The spike in costs is hitting New Yorkers directly at the checkout counter, with the prices of staple items like fruits and vegetables climbing 6.1%, and nonalcoholic beverages up 5.8%. With average wage growth lagging significantly behind, working families are experiencing a severe gap in purchasing power, driving consumer confidence down as basic monthly expenses outpace paychecks. Gillibrand blamed the rising costs directly on Trump’s ongoing war in Iran. She reiterated her commitment to curbing military actions abroad to shift the focus back to Americans struggling at home.

July 20, 2026

FROM STATE SENATOR GEORGE BORRELLO: Another day, another death behind bars in New York. This time it’s Attica, where an inmate is dead after a multi-person fight reportedly involving two rival groups. Sadly, this isn’t a surprise. It’s exactly the kind of chaos we’ve been seeing for years under Governor Hochul’s watch.
“Since the HALT Act went into effect, inmate-on-staff assaults have jumped 51 percent and inmate-on-inmate assaults have skyrocketed 139 percent. This April alone, three inmates in North Country facilities lost their lives in the span of a single week, reportedly at the hands of fellow inmates. Now Attica joins that grim list.
“Even the HALT Act Committee, made up of stakeholders from across the correctional system and created specifically to evaluate the law, recognized the problems it has caused. The recommendations would restore discipline and accountability inside the prisons and give staff clearer authority to respond to serious and repeat misconduct, among other things.
“None of the recommendations are radical ideas. They’re the product of a committee the Hochul administration created as part of an agreement to end the February 2025 prison strike. And yet the Governor and legislative Democrats have ignored these recommendations for months while the death toll climbs.
“It’s telling that so many of my Democratic colleagues have gone silent as this violence piles up. There is a growing wing of their own party that doesn’t want the HALT Act fixed; it wants the whole system gone. The New York City prison abolitionist movement is expanding. Even NYC’s current Mayor once called the entire carceral system ‘an unreformable public health hazard.’ Governor Hochul needs the support of that wing of her party to survive politically, and it shows. As she ignores the HALT Act Committee’s recommendations and lets this dumpster fire burn instead of putting it out, she looks less like a leader and more like a hostage to the most radical voices on the left. New Yorkers are paying for that with their lives, and correction officers, staff and inmates alike have become collateral damage as Democrats let law and order collapse around them.”

July 17, 2026

FROM CONGRESSMAN NICK LANGWORTHY: “Americans should not be forced to breathe hazardous air year after year because Canada refuses to properly manage its forests. This is no longer a one-time emergency—it’s becoming an annual public health crisis. That is unacceptable. I am reaching out to Members of Parliament and the Canadian Ambassador to demand answers about the devastating impact Canada’s forest management failures are having on Western New York, the Southern Tier, and communities across the United States. Millions of Americans are paying the price for policies they had no role in creating. We can all accept that nature is unpredictable. But repeated failures to reduce wildfire risk and manage forests responsibly are a policy choice. The United States cannot continue accepting dangerous air quality every summer as the new normal.

“Canada must take meaningful action to prevent these catastrophic wildfires and protect both Canadians and Americans. If it refuses to do so, there should be consequences. Our citizens should not be forced to suffer because another nation’s government failed to do its job.”

July 17, 2026

Steuben County Sheriff Jim Allard says, coming up in Bath on Saturday August 1, the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office is
hosting a one-day New York State Boaters Safety Course. The class will be held from 8:00am to 5:00pm at the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office, on Rumsey Street Ext in Bath . You must be at least 10 years old to attend and must pass a written test at the end of the session. Seating for the class is limited to 30 persons and pre-registration is required. There is no charge for the course. New York State however charges a fee of $10 for the boater’s certificate which does not expire.

July 16, 2026

FROM CONGRESSWOMAN CLAUDIA TENNEY: “For years, Hochul and NY Democrats allowed taxpayer dollars to disappear into a broken system with some of the nation’s worst error and recovery rates. @POTUS is right to step in, stop the money from flowing, and DEMAND answers.”

Click here for video, to see Tenney talking about New York State’s financial state.

TENNEY ALSO DEFENDS PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR GOING TO WAR WITH IRAN: “Iran cannot be allowed to hold the world hostage. First, it sought leverage through a nuclear weapon. Now, it is weaponizing the Strait of Hormuz. @POTUS is right to keep degrading Iran’s offensive capabilities until the threat is gone.”

Click here to see video of Tenney, on Fox.

July 16, 2026

FROM ST JAMES HOSPITAL: “Please be advised that the Medical Office Building (MOB) landlord has scheduled routine parking lot maintenance, including crack sealing and striping, beginning:
Saturday, July 18, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. through Monday, July 20, 2026, at 5:00 a.m.
During this time, portions of the MOB parking lot will be closed as the work progresses.
To minimize the impact on patients and staff, we have requested that the contractor complete the work from left to right, beginning near the ATM and Maple City Bank. This will allow Saturday morning Laboratory patients to park closer to the building. Please note that we anticipate this area will be closed by approximately 12:00 p.m. on Saturday as the work continues.
“🚨Parking Instructions

“Patients and Employees: Parking will not be available in the section extending from the left side of the lot (ATM/Maple City Bank) over to the designated Hospital parking lot section (blue area on the attached map).

“🚨Urgent Care Patients: Please park in the Hospital Main Entrance circle or in the designated blue parking area shown on the attached map.- We will put signs up to help with instructions and post social media updates.

“🚨MOB Staff: MOB employees have approval to park in the rear of the Medical Office Building throughout the maintenance period.

“Please allow yourself additional time for parking and use caution when traveling through the area, following all posted signs and directions from the contractor. Thank you for your patience, flexibility, and cooperation while this routine maintenance is completed.”

July 16, 2026

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), the top Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee, released the following statement following unanimous Senate passage of the Older Americans Act (OAA) Reauthorization Act, which she reintroduced in 2025:

“The OAA has been a lifeline for American seniors since its passage over half a century ago, and I am proud to have successfully led the charge for its reauthorization in the Senate. This lifesaving legislation will help our nation’s older adults age with dignity by supporting programs that provide nutrition assistance, meal deliveries, transportation services, caregiver support, long-term care, and more. We owe it to seniors to strengthen and continue funding these programs, and I am proud to see this legislation pass the Senate with unanimous support. The House must take up and pass this legislation immediately.”

The OAA Reauthorization Act renews funding for the OAA and strengthens services for American seniors. The OAA has provided vital nutrition, social, and health services to millions of seniors since its passage in 1965. Last reauthorized in 2020, the OAA expired in the 118th Congress.

Specifically, this year’s OAA Reauthorization Act reauthorizes the following programs through fiscal year 2030:

the national eldercare locator service;
regional aging and disability resource centers;
grants to support counseling and assistance on pensions and other retirement benefits;
grants to support home-delivered nutrition services like Meals on Wheels;
programs to facilitate the delivery of supportive services to tribal organizations; and
programs to prevent elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

The bill also modifies existing programs for older individuals to promote innovation and flexibility, strengthen program integrity, and better support family caregivers and direct care workers.

July 16, 2026

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today announced that her bipartisan Essential Caregivers Act advanced through the House Committee on Ways and Means, bringing the legislation one step closer to ensuring residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities are never again isolated from their loved ones during a public health emergency.

The Essential Caregivers Act guarantees residents of long-term care facilities the right to in-person access to a designated essential caregiver, even when visitation is otherwise restricted during an emergency. The legislation responds directly to the devastating isolation experienced by seniors and individuals with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, when families were prevented from providing caretaking, advocacy, and emotional support. It also directs the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to establish clear, uniform safety guidelines so essential caregivers can continue providing care while protecting residents and staff.

Click here to watch Congresswoman Tenney’s remarks during today’s House Ways and Means Committee markup.

“Families know their loved ones best, and they should never again be shut out of the care process,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “During COVID, too many seniors and residents with disabilities were left without the family members who helped feed them, comfort them, advocate for them, and recognize when something was wrong. Advancing this bipartisan bill through the Ways and Means Committee brings us one step closer to protecting patients, preserving dignity, and ensuring no resident is forced to experience a future crisis in isolation from their loved ones.”

“Family caregivers are an essential part of our health care system, especially for seniors who rely on their loved ones for support, advocacy, and companionship,” said Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08). “The COVID-19 pandemic showed the devastating consequences when seniors in nursing homes are cut off from the people who care for them most. The Essential Caregivers Act ensures that, even during an emergency, nursing home residents have access to a trusted caregiver who can provide critical assistance and help protect their well-being. I appreciate Representative Tenney for her leadership in standing up for seniors and their families.”

July 15, 2026

North Hornell Fire Chief Mike Robbins, is hoping to change the way things work at the North Hornel Fire Dept. Robbins has been working to start a fire district for the Village of North Hornell. According to Robbins, this would make it so the Village of North Hornell and the parts of the Town of Hornellsville, would no longer be responsible for any liability related to fire protection or have to make the fire department part of annual budgets. “There will be no more contracts between municipalities,” it said in a flyer Robbins passed out last night. “This will ensure financial planning that only involves the fire department to ensure fire protection for our area for the future.”

Robbins also notes, that if there is a fire district, there would be a series of meetings: joint meetings, public hearings and possibly a public referendum. He says that the big advantage of having a fire district is, fire departments can get more funding in order to purchase new equipment. He also says, there will likely be more fire districts in the area, because of the increasing cost of fire fighter equipment.

In other news, Hornellsville Town Supervisor Dan Broughton tells WLEA News that the Hornellsville Town Board has purchased seven tablets (the total cost: $1200). Broughton said that this was done, as a money-saver, as the cost of paper was expensive for the Hornellsville Town Board.

July 15, 2026

Governor Kathy Hochul today warned New Yorkers that smoke from wildfires in Canada and high temperatures will create unhealthy air conditions in New York. The smoke, which will be visible, is set to cross into the western part of the state in the early morning before moving across the rest of the state throughout the day.

“Distant wildfires have impacted New York State in recent years, and this week unfortunately will be no different with expected hazy skies and poor air quality,” Governor Hochul said. “We are now closely tracking these conditions and I strongly encourage New Yorkers to stay informed and take appropriate precautions to stay safe. Sensitive groups should take particular caution.”

New York State issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for fine particulate matter for today, July 15, 2026, for the Eastern Lake Ontario, Central New York and Western New York counties due to the impact of smoke from wildfires in Canada. While the western regions are expected to see the greatest impact, there will likely be spikes of poor air quality throughout the state. There is the potential for visible smoke and hazy skies across the state and New Yorkers may see temporary spikes in smoke-related pollution.

The New York Department of Environmental Conservation and the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services will be closely monitoring conditions to make any necessary changes to advisories. New York residents and visitors are reminded to include air quality awareness in their daily warm weather routines.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) provides daily air quality forecasts to ensure air quality information is available at New Yorkers’ fingertips. While New York State has some of the nation’s most stringent air quality regulations to reduce air pollution and protect public health and the environment, there are certain days that ozone or particulate matter can impact air quality.

Using data collected from more than 50 sites across the state, DEC and Department of Health (DOH) issue Air Quality Health Advisories when DEC meteorologists predict levels of pollution, either ozone or PM2.5, are expected to exceed an Air Quality Index (AQI) value of 100. The AQI was created as an easy way to correlate levels of different pollutants to one scale, with a higher AQI value indicating a greater health concern. 

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, “Air quality conditions, including elevated heat levels and impacts from Canadian wildfires, have resulted in conditions that may make certain activities difficult in the coming days for members of sensitive groups. Along with our partners at the Department of Health, DEC urges New Yorkers and visitors to follow Governor Hochul’s call to protect themselves and their families and reduce their exposure to air pollution. Stay up to date with trusted sources and Be Air Aware.”

New York State Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald said, “Given the heightened air pollution levels we are seeing in parts of the state, the New York State Department of Health recommends that New Yorkers limit strenuous outdoor activity to reduce the risk of adverse health effects. People who are especially sensitive to the effects of elevated levels of pollutants, including the very young and those with pre-existing respiratory problems such as heart disease or asthma, should avoid spending time outdoors, if possible. Those who experience symptoms or have symptoms that worsen should consider consulting their personal physician.”

New Yorkers are encouraged to check airnow.gov for accurate information on air quality forecasts and conditions. Information about exposure to smoke from fires can be found on DOH’s website.

AQI Health Guidelines – AQI health guidelines are associated with recommendations to protect impacted populations.

0-50: Good – Air quality is considered satisfactory and air pollution poses little or no risk.
51-100: Moderate – Air quality is acceptable. However, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are usually sensitive to air pollution.
101-150: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups – Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is not likely to be affected. Sensitive groups include people with asthma, heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teenagers, minority populations, and outdoor workers.
151-200: Unhealthy – Everyone may begin to experience health effects. Members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.
201-300: Very Unhealthy – Health alert. Everyone may experience more serious health effects.
301-500: Hazardous – Health warnings of emergency conditions. The entire population is more likely to be affected.

An Air Quality Health Advisory for PM2.5 was issued for July 15 for Eastern Lake Ontario, Central New York and Western New York counties. The advisory remains in effect through 11:59 p.m.

Eastern Lake Ontario includes northern Cayuga, Jefferson, Monroe, Oswego and Wayne counties; Central New York includes Allegany, Broome, southern Cayuga, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, southern Herkimer, Livingston, Madison, Onondaga, Oneida, Ontario, Otsego, Tioga, Tompkins, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben and Yates counties; and Western New York, which includes Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming counties.

The AQI is forecasted to exceed 100, and in some areas, could go above 150 momentarily. When the AQI is above 100, air quality may be unhealthy for sensitive groups, including children, teens, older adults, people with heart or lung disease, and outdoor workers. An AQI above 150 means the air is unhealthy for everyone. We urge everyone, especially those in sensitive groups, to check their local AQI and take precautions as needed.