SPECIAL EDITION: Wednesday, May 4th
#BREAKING: Sheriff Tim Luce and law enforcement officials give update on incident at Loves Travel Shop in Tyre, Seneca County.
Editor’s Note: Instead of our regular Morning Edition, which finds its way to readers’ inboxes during the first half of the day — this Special Edition — is being pushed out due to an important update on a breaking news story. FingerLakes1.com is there for readers, viewers, and listeners 24 hours a day, all year long. When news happens in the Finger Lakes region or Upstate New York — we will be there.
NEW: Attempted aggravated murder charges filed in Seneca County
Seneca County law enforcement officials gathered at a press conference on Wednesday one day after a violent incident at a truck stop in the town of Tyre.
It was an isolated incident, which posed no threat to public safety after the fact, Sheriff Tim Luce said. But, the imprint of the incident left its mark on first responders who were called to the scene.
Watch the press conference with local law enforcement officials below.
Are proposed state PFAS regulations a ‘grand leap forward’ or an example of ‘excessive regulatory caution’?
New York is poised to take what one senior state official called “a grand leap forward” in regulating 23 PFAS-class chemicals in all public drinking water systems by early Fall. An advisory panel on Monday urged the state Department of Health to set enforceable maximum contamination limits of 10 parts per trillion (ppt) on four PFAS compounds, while requiring public notification when 19 other variants combined exceed limits of 30-100 ppt.
Attorney General James calls for full cancelation of federal student loan debt
New York Attorney General Letitia James led a multistate coalition of eight attorneys general in urging U.S. President Joe Biden to fully cancel federal student debt owed by every federal student loan borrower in the country. In a letter to President Biden, Attorney General James and the coalition stress that immediate relief is needed for borrowers struggling with the unmanageable burden of student loan debt.
Odor issues, signage, and comprehensive plan included in Seneca Falls Town Board meeting
During this week’s Seneca Falls Town Board Meeting, the Town opened with an acknowledgment of the sewer and gas smell on Route 414. Town Supervisor Mike Ferrara said the Water and Sewer department had been up there most of the day and is still trying to diagnose the issue. The Town has been in contact with Seneca Meadows, but the Town was still investigating the matter last night. For the time being, SMI will be halting leachate from entering the treatment system.
New York to allocate $2.6 million to Holocaust survivors
According to the Governor’s Office, about 40% of New York state’s nearly 40,000 Holocaust survivors live in poverty. At a news conference announcing the funding, Hochul said the money would be distributed to nearly thirty organizations who will provide social services to survivors.
Hochul signs bill adding women’s health care expert to state panel
The bill names an additional appointed member to the Public Health and Health Planning Council to represent those who provide health services to women. “As the fundamental right to abortion is in jeopardy at the Supreme Court, it is more important than ever before that we take steps here in New York to ensure equitable access to women’s reproductive health,” Governor Hochul said.
Drunk driver in fatal Canandaigua hit-and-run sentenced to 2-6 years in prison
The man who admitted to driving the vehicle that struck-and-killed a person in a wheelchair last year in Canandaigua will spend at least two years in prison. Todd Smith pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter, leaving the scene of an accident, and driving while intoxicated in February.
Geneva City Council to consider alternative to invalidated Police Review Board
The panel will consist of members of the council and members of the public. The resolution to offer the new panel will be introduced by Ward 4 City Councilor Ken Camera. The committee would make recommendations to the council and City Manager “so they may better perform oversight of police operations and management for the citizens of Geneva.” Camera hopes some of the councilors who voted against appealing Supreme Court Justice Craig Doran’s ruling against the panel will support the new committee.
Governor Kathy Hochul names Congressman Anthony Delgado Lt. Governor
He replaces Brian Benjamin, who resigned last month after being indicted on federal corruption charges. Benjamin will also remove his name from the Democratic primary ballot after a Hochul-sponsored bill was passed by the state legislature allowing him to do so. At a news conference Tuesday, the Governor said “But this is an exciting day, the culmination of a challenging, difficult couple of weeks, not just for me, but for New York. And I deeply believe that the people of the State of New York deserve to have absolute confidence in their elected officials.