Your Morning Edition for Saturday, April 26th presented by DiSanto Propane!
We have the latest for you in today's morning newsletter! Check it out here before you head out for the weekend in the Finger Lakes!
NYS DOT ramps up efforts to protect road crews
As roadwork season begins, New York State DOT Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez emphasized the urgent need for driver caution to protect highway workers. Speaking during National Work Zone Awareness Week, she cited alarming statistics: 322 work zone intrusions last year caused two deaths and 138 injuries.
Finger Lakes Forecast: Cooler today and tomorrow.
The Finger Lakes will see scattered showers today and tonight with breezy conditions and highs near 60. Sunday will bring clearing skies after a slight morning shower chance, followed by sunny, warmer weather Monday before rain chances return Tuesday afternoon. The mid-to-late week forecast features a mix of sun and clouds with showers likely Thursday night into Friday.
Fast 5: What’s happening in the Finger Lakes?
Auburn’s Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) is preparing for a busy spring and summer, focusing on beautification projects, public art installations, and a full slate of community events, according to Interim Executive Director Jesse Klein. Appearing on Beyond the Front Page with Guy Cosentino, Klein detailed BID’s ongoing initiatives to maintain and promote the downtown district, which spans about a square mile from James Street to John Street and from Seward Park to Tompkins Trust.
A fast-moving fire on the roof of a former industrial building in Auburn was brought under control within minutes Friday afternoon, fire officials said. The Auburn Fire Department responded at 3:11 p.m. to 151 Orchard Street, the site of the former Bombardier Transportation facility, after Cayuga County 911 received reports of smoke and fire near a transformer. Crews arrived within two minutes to find light smoke and a small fire on the roofline of an attached building on the north side.
A tractor fire in a Rushville field Thursday afternoon destroyed a piece of equipment but was quickly contained before spreading, authorities said. Yates County deputies, along with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Middlesex Fire Department, and Rushville Fire Department, responded at 12:26 p.m. to the scene off South Main Street. They found a John Deere tractor fully involved in flames, belonging to Keith Clark, 68, of Rushville.
The Victor Zoning Board of Appeals on April 21 approved three key applications, including a garage setback variance, a sprinkler waiver for a storage building, and a variance for a subdivision entrance sign with lighting. During the meeting at Victor Town Hall, the board first reviewed the application of property owner Harriff for an area variance at 7600 North Road. The next Victor Zoning Board of Appeals meeting is scheduled for May 19, 2025.
An appeals court has upheld the 2022 conviction of Kristina Page, who admitted to sexually assaulting a 5-year-old boy in Auburn, according to the Cayuga County District Attorney’s Office. Page, 38, is serving an eight-year prison sentence plus 10 years of post-release supervision. Chief Assistant District Attorney Christopher T. Valdina defended the case on appeal. Page’s crimes were linked to a broader federal child pornography case involving her boyfriend, Devin Nau, who received a 50-year prison sentence.
INSIDE GOVERNMENT: Auburn police chief talks new role, crime, and recruitment challenges
