Your Morning Edition for Sunday, Feb. 18th presented by Canandaigua Dentistry!

Let's get you caught up with the biggest headlines from around the Finger Lakes, and all of this weekend's local sports action!

Each morning we bring you the biggest stories of the day — highlighted by the latest from the FL1 Studios. Our goal is to get you updated-and-out-the-door in under 90 seconds. Tap the button below to share this with a friend, family member, or colleague who isn’t subscribed!

---

Daily Debrief: What’s trending Finger Lakes?

1. The entirety of New York State could finally see a shift in alcohol-to-go- sales, thanks to an effort by Gov. Hochul and lawmakers to make a pandemic-era rule permanent. She’s pushing for legalization of the rule, which would allow restaurants to sell alcohol to folks on the go. That said, not everyone is on-board with the change. [Read More]

2. A bowling alley in Auburn announced on Facebook this week that it’s shutting down. Falcon Lanes closed for good after that Facebook post went online. Owners cited cost of doing business as a cause for the shut down. [Read More]

---

ICYMI: Casella sues Town of Thurston to kill local law banning the spread of sewage sludge on fields

A unit of Casella Waste Systems Inc. filed suit late yesterday against the Town of Thurston to try to block enforcement of a new local law that bans the spread of municipal sewage sludge on certain Steuben County fields. The Vermont-based company that operates landfills and composting facilities across New York and New England alleges that Thurston’s law violates the state’s Right to Farm law as well as state solid waste policy. The suit asks a Steuben County Supreme Court judge to invalidate the law and prevent it from being enforced.

---

3. We’re learning more about the layoffs Corning Inc. announced a couple weeks ago. A WARN notice filed with the state indicates that 107 jobs will be cut in Painted Post due to the closure of a production line at its Erwin Plant. [Read More]

4. Several departments were called to a building fire over the weekend in the town of Sennett. According to first responders — the fire was on County House Road within the Sennett Fire District. A three-story commercial building caught fire, and is now under investigation. Scroll down if you’d like to see two photos from the scene. [Read More]

5. And finally, in the case that keeps on going — Gage Ashley, the 26-year-old facing murder charges in Auburn — has turned down a plea deal. His original conviction was overturned in May 2023 by an appeals court because of an improperly constituted grand jury. It’s all connected to the 2019 shooting death of Joshua Poole. Had Ashley taken the deal — he would’ve spent 21 years to life in prison. [Read More]

---

---

FL1 Sports: Scores and insight from the world of local sports!

2024 Section V boys & girls basketball sectional brackets

Check out the brackets from each of the 16 tournaments being conducted across all the classifications of Section V as area high school teams compete for a Sectional Championship. The brackets that appear below will be updated as the tournament progresses.

---

What else is happening in the Finger Lakes?

Sunrise over Lake Ontario

Photo by Sue Snyder.

---

More headlines from around FL1

• Syracuse’s second-half comeback falls short in road loss at Georgia Tech (full coverage)

• Final cleanup phase for Geneva foundry site set for this year

• #1 Hobart skates past Spartans 8-1

• Cornell claims 26th Ivy League title with shootout victory over Yale

• Steuben County conflict: Manager, Sheriff locked in legal standoff after video posted

• Cornell remains unbeaten at home, rallies past Dartmouth

• Canandaigua family create cake snow sculpture

• RG&E will host customer service event in collaboration with Goodwill

• Geneva will host Upstate Seafood Summit