Your Morning Edition for Thursday, August 15th presented by DiSanto Propane!

DEC tells Greenidge it must shut down, former RPD officer gets weekends in jail for attack on Ontario Co. teen, DA sued in Canandaigua, and Canisteo residents frustrated after being left out of aid.

DEC tells Greenidge Generation it will be illegal to operate Dresden power plant after September 9th: What happens now?

The state Department of Environmental Conservation has notified Greenidge Generation that it will be “unlawful to operate” its Dresden power plant after Sept. 9 and that the company should prepare to close its facility.

HOW DID THE COMPANY GET HERE?

• That’s the day the company’s Title V air emission permit finally expires, and the last day it has to ask a state court for an injunction to block enforcement.

• The company, which operates a Bitcoin mining facility at the Dresden plant, has suffered a series of setbacks in recent weeks, and its common stock dipped to an all-time low of $1.75 in trading on Wednesday.

• Strapped for cash, Greenidge announced Aug. 1, a $20 million stock purchase agreement with an affiliate of B. Riley Financial that allows Greenidge to issue new common shares to be sold to B. Riley. The deal dilutes the earning potential of existing shareholders, who responded by driving the stock down by 35 percent so far this month.

• On Monday, shares of B.Riley suffered a one-day decline of 52 percent after the company’s chairman, Bryant Riley, told investors on a conference call that he had received subpoenas in an investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

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FLX Forecast: What to expect today?

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Fast 5: What’s happening in the Finger Lakes?

1. WEEKENDS IN JAIL: A former Rochester Police officer was sentenced Wednesday to 10 weekends in jail and 10 years of probation after pleading guilty to raping a 13-year-old girl in South Bristol. Shawn Jordan, who admitted to the crime earlier this year, faced Ontario County Judge Kristina Karle as the victim’s mother pleaded for a harsher sentence. Despite the emotional appeal, the judge upheld the plea agreement.

2. CHARGES FILED: A Corning man was arrested Tuesday after he allegedly struck a two-year-old child with his vehicle while backing out of a driveway, according to local police. The incident occurred around 12:30 p.m. on Relihan Boulevard. Police say the child was behind the vehicle when the driver, Zachary J. Whitney, 20, began to reverse, hitting the toddler. The child was airlifted to Strong Memorial Hospital.

3. NO HELP AVAILABLE: Residents of Canisteo are expressing frustration after discovering they do not qualify for the emergency cash funding promised by Gov. Kathy Hochul following devastating floods caused by the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby. Residents were initially told they could receive up to $50,000 in aid after their homes were destroyed by the floods. However, they now say they are ineligible due to undisclosed stipulations, leaving them devastated.

4. DISTRICT ATTORNEY SUED: An Ontario County sheriff’s deputy has filed a lawsuit against District Attorney James B. Ritts, accusing him of falsely claiming that the deputy submitted inaccurate reports in two separate incidents. Deputy Brian Larkin’s lawsuit stems from a Brady/Giglio letter that Ritts has been sending to defense attorneys in cases involving Larkin. The letter alleges that Larkin’s reports on incidents in June and July 2023 “differ materially” from bodycam footage, according to court documents.

5. NOT SO FAST: Less than two weeks after announcing a controversial surcharge on winning bets in several states, DraftKings reversed its decision amid industry backlash and customer outrage. The proposed surcharge, revealed by CEO Jason Robins on August 1, aimed to offset high tax rates in states like New York and Illinois. However, the plan was quickly met with criticism on social media, and major competitors like FanDuel and BetRivers publicly declined to follow suit.

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INSIDE THE FLX: Kershaw Park recovery, Canandaigua’s new three-way stop, and pickleball updates with Mayor Palumbo

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MORE LOCAL HEADLINES: What Else Is Happening?

• Marion man faces felony DWI charges after traffic stop

• Rochester man taken into custody in Lyons for missing multiple court dates there, deputies say

• Texas truck driver cited after crash injures 72-year-old in West Bloomfield

• Auburn man charged with DWI and drug possession after Fleming crash

• Newark man charged with grand larceny after stealing $1,400 from del Lago patron

• Cornell study reveals potential therapy for menopausal weight gain and disease

• Former postal worker pleads guilty to workers’ compensation fraud

• Hornell schools enforce strict cell phone ban for new school year: Devices even banned during non-instructional time

• Teachers’ union raises concerns over New York’s potential revisions to Foundation Aid formula

• Cornell researchers explore rhubarb as next big thing in craft beer

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AROUND THE US & WORLD: Beyond the Finger Lakes

• Harris leads Trump in perceived honesty and discipline, poll shows

• Arizona and Missouri join five other states in putting abortion rights on the ballot in November

• Gaza cease-fire talks resume amid deepening stalemate

• Ukraine claims major gains as cross-border incursion into Russia intensifies

• Inflation eases, but weaker job market raises new concerns

• Walz defends military record amid GOP attacks at first solo campaign event

• Texas oil regulator faces heat as zombie wells resurface

• Mars to acquire Cheez-It and Pringles maker Kellanova in $36 billion deal