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On Wednesday, September 22nd, 2021, in the span of just over three hours, officers from the Elmira Police Department responded to two separate reports of shots fired in the 400 block of Mackey Pl. The first shooting took place at approximately 7:42 PM and the second shooting took place at approximately 11:03 PM. Officers interviewed people in the area of the shootings. In the first shooting, a vehicle was seen traveling west on Mackey Pl. As this vehicle passed the 400 block of Mackey Pl., approaching West Av., several shots were fired at this vehicle. The vehicle then turned north on West Av. and left the area. Shortly after the shots were fired, three people ran west on Mackey Pl. towards West Av. One person ran north and the other two ran south. It is unknown if these people were involved in the shooting. Numerous shell casings were recovered from the scene. No injuries were reported during this shooting. The second shooting took place at approximately 11:03 PM. Officers again responded to the 400 block of Mackey Pl. for a report of multiple gunshots. did locate evidence at the scene that indicated shots had been fired. Officers were unable to determine what, if anything, was struck by gunfire. Witnesses only reported hearing gunshots, but did not observe anyone shooting. No injuries were reported during this shooting. Neither of these shootings appear to be random acts of violence. The investigations into these shootings is ongoing. If anyone was present in the area and witnessed either of these shootings, or has any information related to these shootings, they are encouraged to contact the Elmira Police Department at (607)737-5626, or the tip line at (607)271-HALT.

From now on all reports of shots fired in the City of Elmira will be posted here.

Read more here. What do you think? Is it time for reboots to pass out of style or would you be interested in this one?

Evidence shows that, yes, masks prevent COVID-19 – and surgical masks are the way to go What type of mask is best? Brais Seara/Moment via Getty Images by Laura (Layla) H. Kwong, University of California, Berkeley Do masks work? And if so, should you reach for an N95, a surgical mask, a cloth mask or a gaiter? Over the past year and a half, researchers have produced a lot of laboratory, model-based and observational evidence on the effectiveness of masks. For many people it has understandably been hard to keep track of what works and what doesn’t. I’m an assistant professor of environmental health sciences. I, too, have wondered about the answers to these questions, and earlier this year I led a study that examined the research about which materials are best. Recently, I was part of the largest randomized controlled trial to date testing the effectiveness of mask-wearing. The study has yet to be peer reviewed but has been well received by the medical community. What we found provides gold-standard evidence that confirms previous research: Wearing masks, particularly surgical masks, prevents COVID-19. Laboratory studies help scientists understand the physics of masks and spread. Lab and observational studies People have been using masks to protect themselves from contracting diseases since the Manchurian outbreak of plague in 1910. During the coronavirus pandemic, the focus has been on masks as a way of preventing infected persons from contaminating the air around them – called source control. Recent laboratory evidence supports this idea. In April 2020, researchers showed that people infected with a coronavirus – but not SARS-CoV-2 – exhaled less coronavirus RNA into the air around them if they wore a mask. A number of additional laboratory studies have also supported the efficacy of masks. Out in the real world, many epidemiologists have examined the impact of masking and mask policies to see if masks help slow the spread of COVID-19. One observational study – meaning it was not a controlled study with people wearing or not wearing masks – published in late 2020 looked at demographics, testing, lockdowns and mask-wearing in 196 countries. The researchers found that after controlling for other factors, countries with cultural norms or policies that supported mask-wearing saw weekly per capita coronavirus mortality increase 16% during outbreaks, compared with a 62% weekly increase in countries without mask-wearing norms. Researchers gave surgical masks to adults in 200 villages in Bangladesh to test whether they reduce COVID-19. Innovations for Poverty Action, CC BY-ND Large-scale randomized mask-wearing Laboratory, observational and modeling studies, have consistently supported the value of many types of masks. But these approaches are not as strong as large-scale randomized controlled trials among the general public, which compare groups after the intervention has been implemented in some randomly selected groups and not implemented in comparison groups. One such study done in Denmark in early 2020 was inconclusive, but it was relatively small and relied on participants to self-report mask-wearing. From November 2020 to April 2021, my colleagues Jason Abaluck, Ahmed Mushfiq Mobarak, Stephen P. Luby, Ashley Styczynski and I – in close collaboration with partners in the Bangladeshi government and the research nonprofit Innovations for Poverty Action – conducted a large-scale randomized controlled trial on masking in Bangladesh. Our goals were to learn the best ways to increase mask-wearing without a mandate, understand the effect of mask-wearing on COVID-19, and compare cloth masks and surgical masks. The study involved 341,126 adults in 600 villages in rural Bangladesh. In 300 villages we did not promote masks, and people continued wearing masks, or not, as they had before. In 200 villages we promoted the use of surgical masks, and in 100 villages we promoted cloth masks, testing a number of different outreach strategies in each group. Over the course of eight weeks, our team distributed free masks to each adult in the mask groups at their homes, provided information about the risks of COVID-19 and the value of mask-wearing. We also worked with community and religious leaders to model and promote mask-wearing and hired staff to walk around the village and politely ask people who were not wearing a mask to put one on. Plainclothes staff recorded whether people wore masks properly over their mouth and nose, improperly or not at all. Both five weeks and nine weeks after starting the study, we collected data from all adults on symptoms of COVID-19 during the study period. If a person reported any symptoms of COVID-19, we took and tested a blood sample for evidence of infection. Based on current evidence, many places across the U.S. have some form of mask requirements. AP Photo/LM Otero Mask-wearing reduced COVID-19 The first question my colleagues and I needed to answer was whether our efforts led to increased mask-wearing. Mask usage more than tripled, from 13% in the group that wasn’t given masks to 42% in the group that was. Interestingly, physical distancing also increased by 5% in the villages where we promoted masks. In the 300 villages where we distributed any type of mask, we saw a 9% reduction in COVID-19 compared with villages where we did not promote masks. Because of the small number of villages where we promoted cloth masks, we were not able to tell whether cloth or surgical masks were better at reducing COVID-19. We did have a large enough sample size to determine that in villages where we distributed surgical masks, COVID-19 fell by 12%. In those villages COVID-19 fell by 35% for people 60 years and older and 23% for people 50-60 years old. When looking at COVID-19-like symptoms we found that both surgical and cloth masks resulted in a 12% reduction. The body of evidence supports masks Before this study there was a lack of gold-standard evidence on the effectiveness of masks to reduce COVID-19 in daily life. Our study provides strong real-world evidence that surgical masks reduce COVID-19, particularly for older adults who face higher rates of death and disability if they get infected. Policymakers and public health officials now have evidence from laboratories, models, observations and real-world trials that support mask-wearing to reduce respiratory diseases, including COVID-19. Given that COVID-19 can so easily spread from person to person, if more people wear masks the benefits increase. So next time you are wondering if you should wear a mask, the answer is yes. Cloth masks are likely better than nothing, but high-quality surgical masks or masks with even higher filtration efficiency and better fit – such as KF94s, KN95s and N95s – are the most effective at preventing COVID-19. Laura (Layla) H. Kwong, Assistant Professor of Environmental Health Sciences, University of California, Berkeley This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

This was announced by the Towanda Area School District on Sept. 20: According to the districts Facebook page there have been 11 students who tested positive and/or symptomatic in the last seven days.

While conducting interviews with positive COVID-19 cases in the county, Tioga County Public Health has found that many have attended work or school while they were symptomatic. If you are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, including minor symptoms like a runny nose, headache, or sore throat, stay home and contact your health care provider. When people go to school while symptomatic, it results in other students, teachers, and school staff needing to quarantine. The Public Health Department asks that you do not let your children go to school while they are sick. When parents or children expose others to the virus, they are putting them at risk and cause an inconvenience to many other families in your school district when children need to be excluded from school. COVID-19 case breakdown in Tioga County from September 8, 2021 – September 14, 2021: New Cases: 123 Unvaccinated: 59 Vaccinated: 43 Children Under 12: 14 Unknown Vaccination Status: 7 Hospitalizations: 3 Deaths: 0 Current Actives Cases: 143 Vaccination status is self-reported by the positive case or their parent/guardian during the case investigation. Tioga County Public health says several factors may affect one’s protection against COVID-19 including which vaccine they received, how long it has been since they were vaccinated, and what precautions they are taking to protect themselves from COVID-19. The COVID-19 vaccine offers protection against severe illness, hospitalization, and death. At this time, if you are exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 and you are fully vaccinated, you do not need to quarantine as long as you remain symptom free. Lisa McCafferty, Public Health Director reminds those with underlying health conditions to “...take care of yourself due to cases we are seeing in our community. Protect yourself by practicing social distancing, wear a mask while in public areas, and get vaccinated if you have not done so yet.”

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a multi-agency plan to address the school bus driver shortage affecting schools across the state. The plan includes short-term steps to remove barriers and recruit traditional and non-traditional Commercial Driver's License holders, expand CDL testing opportunities, and enhance processes all designed to get more drivers into school buses. Additionally, New York State is launching outreach to more than 550,000 CDL license holders in New York State. The longer term steps include changes to address the training and licensing of drivers, as well as broader recruitment into the bus driver profession. "Our schools and public health officials have moved mountains to ensure our children receive an in-person education this year, and we are leaving no stone unturned to make sure schools have adequate bus service to bring students to school and back," Governor Hochul said. "While the shortage of school bus drivers is not unique to New York State, I have directed state agencies to utilize creative approaches and use every tool at their disposal to help districts affected by the bus driver shortage, so we can bring in as many qualified bus drivers as possible as quickly as possible." Governor Hochul directed state agencies to utilize a multi-organizational recruitment effort to persuade CDL drivers to become school bus drivers. Interested drivers will be surveyed and their information then shared with local school districts who are seeking drivers. The schools can work through these lists to recruit interested drivers in their area. In addition, the state will target currently unemployed drivers through the Department of Labor. The state will also work with partners in law enforcement, firefighters, military and other organizations that have trained drivers in order to find more individuals interested in becoming school bus drivers. Those who are interested in obtaining a Commercial Driver's License can find information here. Additionally, DMV is enhancing and expediting the process for CDL completion by removing the 14-day waiting period between the permit test and the road tests. Through enhanced cooperation with county-run DMVs the state will also help to increase capacity to administer written exams and road tests. The State is opening up new CDL Driver Testing sites by partnering with SUNY, the Thruway Authority, New York Racing Association, and the Office of General Services to use large lots on their various sites for the road test. For school staff who currently hold a CDL, the State will set up expedited testing to obtain a permit to drive vans and buses temporarily. The State is continuing conversations with stakeholders to identify longer term strategies that will help to recruit and retain school bus drivers. This includes looking at alternative licensing entities and expanded partnerships with other state agencies to help train and recruit drivers. The State encourages schools to pursue creative and innovative ways to offer a wide array of benefits for school bus drivers that were previously not considered. This includes signing and retention bonuses, expansion of benefits to the drivers, and other options to recruit drivers in a nationally competitive market. Schools can use federal funds to provide these benefits. Many school districts receive a significant percentage of these funds in reimbursement from the state and are in a position to offer more competitive pay without absorbing the full cost at the local level.

Our region is full of seriously talented musicians, many that have made the experience of living here unique. Think about some of them a moment: "Mr. Polka", Joe Cavallaro, Pat Kane and so many more. They've provided the soundtrack to life in the Twin Tiers over the decades. So let's take a listen to some of the areas best musicians, past and present. Who would you recommend someone going to see live or listening to?

You know what you were doing when the 9/11 attacks happened. People remember where they were when Kennedy was assassinated. Everyone can tell you where they were when something big happened in our nation's history. And more often than not, those events were tragic and traumatic. But what about the big events that happened to you, in your life? You know, those personal events that, while perhaps not noteworthy of the world history books, are things you will never forget and remember fondly? Your first pet. Your first car. Your first concert. You get the picture. Let's hear your own personal, "I remember when..."

Watching the news most nights, especially on the weekends, viewers will notice a trend. A local story, maybe two, followed by a quick preview of the weather forecast, commercial. Then return, state or national news story ( mostly national ), weather, sports, weather wrap up, done. Opening a newspaper, there will be perhaps a local story or two, a few reprinted press releases, and then national news from a larger news organization such as USA Today. Comics, a couple obits, and done. Barely enough to line a bird cage with, and across the board various city newspapers are barely distinguishable from the other. It's easy enough to blame the internet, particularly social media. But there's still enough going on in the region for some investigative journalism and news stories that aren't entirely time sensitive. It's difficult to distinguish which has driven the model over the past decade, consumer demands or the never ending search for ways to cut increase revenue ( at the cost of community identity, investigation, and quality of news stories). Why is there no "Letters To The Editor"? Because social media comments, often some of the most repugnant, drive online presence which drives ad clicks and revenue. Why no more "Candidate Profiles" each election cycle? This is perhaps the laziest of cuts, as the candidates themselves do the brunt of the work by providing the content in the form of their responses. Why so much national news on the local evening news, especially when the national news, the very same stories sometimes, is coming up right after? What happened to journalism? What effect does the lack of it have on the community? Will we ever see a return of in-depth local news reporting in some form or another?

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As reported by NBC news, a New York hospital has announced they will put a "pause" on delivering babies in their facility due to a large number of staff resigning rather than get vaccinated for COVID. Meanwhile, a group of seventeen healthcare workers plan to challenge the mandate on grounds of religious exemption. In 2009, an attempt to make the H1N1 vaccine mandatory for health care workers was halted on the grounds there wasn't enough vaccine, ( the legal challenge by a group of nurses doesn't appear to have been resolved after. ) This opens up a lot of questions. What are your thoughts on not only vaccinations being mandated by the state, but also the potential for a mass resignation by health care workers across the country? Does this mandate differ from mandatory TB testing for example? Do healthcare workers who resign guilty of abandoning their patients and their needs? What do you think?

Since New York State legalized marijuana, it seems like everywhere you go the smell of someone toking is wafting on the air. And apparently it was an issue at this year's New York State Fair. Some believe that the legalization was too hastily rolled out without thought to the ramifications of allowing smoking marijuana as common as a Marlboro, including how to determine if someone is under the influence while driving, work related issues and more. What do you think? Could it be problematic or is it already an issue?

For a long time now I've been trying to come up with ways to be a competitive part of bringing you the news on a daily basis. However despite my belief there's a serious lack of real journalism in our area, I know that it's more than one person can handle. So going forward, rather than relying heavily on re-printing press releases from area agencies ( like every one else does ) the focus will shift to more thoughtful discussion about topics in a broader sense. It occurred to me that the "Covid" thread on the previous site worked really well for continued conversation as things progressed in the early months of 2020. I think we can do that more, with better and more interesting results. Additionally, we'll continue to collaborate with websites that allow opinion pieces and other writing to be shared. Again, these seem to generate more interest and make this site standout. We'll continue to feature writing from local writers, perhaps the only place you can find that! And we'll continue to offer a glimpse into our area's rich history in the galleries section. As always, this site is about more than one person, so anyone with ideas should feel free to contact me. I can't promise everything will work, but we'll give it a shot if able! Thanks, Chris

This morning at approximately 2:40 AM, officers from the Elmira Police Department responded to the 800 block of Walnut St. for a report of shots fired. Witnesses reported hearing several gunshots. When officer arrived, they began to interview witnesses and look for evidence. Officers located a residence that had numerous bullet holes. Contact was made at the residence and officers found that nobody was injured as a result of the shots. Numerous shell casings were recovered at the scene The investigation revealed that more than one shooter approached the residence and multiple shots were fired. The shooters then fled the area on foot. It is believed that this house was intentionally targeted. The investigation into this shooting is ongoing. If anyone was present in the area and witnessed this shooting, or has any information related to this shooting, they are encouraged to contact the Elmira Police Department at (607)737-5626, or the tip line at (607)271-HALT.

Early this morning, at approximately 3:10 AM, officers from the Elmira Police Department responded to the 400 block of Linden Place for a report of shots fired. Witnesses reported hearing several gunshots. When police arrived, they began to interview witnesses and look for evidence. Officers located a residence that had numerous bullet holes. Contact was made at the residence and officers found that one person had sustained a gunshot wound and had been transported to a local hospital for treatment. This person was interviewed and was able to provide police with a description of at least one of the suspects. Police believe that this residence was specifically targeted. The investigation revealed that a vehicle dropped off two individuals who approached the residence. One went onto the porch and the other stayed in the yard. Soon after several shots were fired towards the residence. The vehicle pulled up and both subjects ran back to the vehicle. The vehicle, which had been reported stolen, was found abandoned a short time in the 200 block of Harmon Street. The investigation into this shooting is ongoing. If anyone was present in the area and witnessed this shooting, or has any information related to this shooting, they are encouraged to contact the Elmira Police Department at (607)737-5626, or the tip line at (607)271-HALT.

Elmira Police are asking for the public's help as they investigate an explosion that occurred early this morning. Police say around 1:20 this morning, the Chemung County Communications Center received several 911 calls from various location reporting hearing loud bangs, others reported hearing multiple gun shots. The source of these noises were being reported generally in the area of the Southside of Elmira. An Elmira Police Officer also reported hearing these loud “bangs”. Officers were then called to an address in the 500 block of Herrick Street where a subject approached officers reporting a backpack had been “blown up” near his residence. The investigation lead officers to a backpack located in a front yard which clearly had damage consistent with an explosion with items scattered about the yard. Several homemade type pipe bombs were seen inside this bag. Officers immediately evacuated nearby residents and a perimeter was established. A New York State Trooper and Bomb detection K9 unit was summoned to the scene. Upon his arrival the backpack was checked by this K9 and handler which revealed more suspicious packaging, materials and substances inside the backpack. These suspicious items and materials were collected by the bomb technician as they were deemed hazardous. According to Elmira Police no one was injured as a result of the explosion and it is believed the intended target was known to the subjects responsible. At this time it is not believed this is a random act and the public is not in immediate danger. The Elmira Police Department is asking anyone with information or that may have witnessed this incident to call 607-737-5626 or anonymously to 607-271- HALT. The Elmira Police Department was assisted by the NY State Police.

Early this morning, Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law a new moratorium on COVID-related residential and commercial evictions for New York State which is in effect until January 15, 2022. Under the new law, all protections of the Tenant Safe Harbor Act for residential tenants who are suffering financial hardship as a result of the pandemic will remain in place, along with new protections on commercial evictions. "The pandemic has created unimaginable anxiety for families and business owners who have lost income and are struggling to pay the rent every month," Governor Hochul said. "To help remedy the Supreme Court's heartless decisions striking down the New York and the Biden administration's moratoriums on evictions, we are enacting a new moratorium on residential and commercial evictions and extending the protections of New York's Safe Harbor Act to January 15. These steps will alleviate the crisis facing vulnerable New Yorkers who are suffering through no fault of their own." Governor Hochul urges New Yorkers who are struggling to pay their rent to apply for assistance through the state's Emergency Rental Assistance Program, or ERAP. Applicants to this program are automatically protected from eviction while their application is pending and will receive a year of eviction protections if they qualify for assistance. The application is available here. As of August 31, more than $1.2 billion in funding has either been obligated or distributed through ERAP, including more than $300 million in direct payments to more than 23,000 landlords. The new law will permit anyone who resides in a locality that opted out of the state's program to administer their own rental assistance program, to apply to the state program when local funds are exhausted. People applying directly to their local programs will now also automatically benefit from the state's more expansive eviction protections. The law also creates a $25 million fund to provide legal services to tenants facing eviction proceedings and to help them maintain housing stability in areas of the state where access to free legal assistance for such services is not available. The law establishes a new $250 million Supplemental Emergency Rental Assistance program to serve additional households and to better support landlords. Through this program, $125 million will be made available to provide assistance to households with income that exceeds 80% of Area Median Income (AMI), and up to 120% of AMI. Additionally, $125 million will be made available for assistance to landlords whose tenants refuse to participate or have vacated the residence with arrears. Under New York's enacted moratorium, tenants must submit a hardship declaration, or a document explaining the source of the hardship, to prevent an eviction proceeding from moving forward. Landlords who believe that their tenant has not suffered a financial hardship will now be permitted to request a hearing in court. Landlords can also evict tenants that are creating safety or health hazards for other tenants, intentionally damaging property, and where a tenant did not submit a hardship declaration. The legislation places a moratorium on residential foreclosure proceedings so that homeowners and small landlords who own 10 or fewer residential dwellings can file hardship declarations with their mortgage lender, other foreclosing party, or a court that would prevent a foreclosure. The legislation's moratorium on commercial evictions and commercial foreclosure proceedings apply to small businesses with 100 or fewer employees that demonstrate a financial hardship. Tenants must submit a hardship declaration, or a document explaining the source of the hardship, to prevent evictions.

See the rest of the article here.

Jason Brown was the highest-paid Center in NFL history, but he walked away from a 35 million dollar contract with the St. Louis Rams. Why? He felt God's call to become a farmer. This story explores his journey of learning to farm, finding the land and growing & harvesting over 100,000 pounds of vegetables - as well as the many extraordinary events which made it all possible.

This is an excellent article well worth your time. Click here to read the rest.

On her first day in office, Governor Kathy Hochul announced a new, comprehensive plan to help ensure a safe, productive return to schools this fall in the midst of rising COVID-19 numbers fueled by the Delta variant. As part of this plan, Governor Hochul has directed the New York State Department of Health to institute a universal mask requirement in all schools, public and private, as determined necessary at the discretion of the Commissioner. The Department of Health will issue the requirement through regulatory action established by the Public Health and Health Planning Council. Governor Hochul will also pursue options to mandate vaccines for school employees or require weekly testing in the absence of vaccines, and will continue to work with the Department of Health, education stakeholders and the Legislature on establishing the mandate. "As Governor, my priorities are now the priorities of the people of New York - and right now that means fighting the Delta variant," Governor Kathy Hochul said. "My number one priority is getting children back to school and protecting the environment so they can learn safely. I am immediately directing the Department of Health to institute universal masking for anyone entering our schools, and we are launching a Back to School COVID-19 testing program to make testing for students and staff widely available and convenient. We are also working to require vaccinations for all school personnel with an option to test out weekly, and we are going to accomplish all of this by working in partnership with all levels of government." To help ensure testing is available to students as they return to school, Governor Hochul is using $335 million in federal funds to launch a new COVID-19 Testing in Schools Program in partnership with local health departments and BOCES in New York State outside of New York City. In addition, New York City has received $225 million directly to initiate a COVID-19 Testing in Schools Program there, for a total of $585 million in federal funding in New York State to support these programs. Governor Hochul also launched an additional back-to-school COVID-19 testing program in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Rite Aid and BioReference to make testing more widely available for New York State public school students before the start of the 2021-2022 school year. Testing appointments will be available to New York students in grades K-12 at the 115 Rite Aid drive-through locations. Students are required to pre-register online and schedule a time slot for testing. Students aged 17 and under must have parental or legal guardian consent and be accompanied by a guardian at time of testing in the drive- through. Digital results will be delivered to parents for students to bring to school. COVID-19 testing is voluntary and will be provided at no cost to the student's family nor to the school district. In addition to these new testing programs, New York State has available more than 4.3 million child-sized clothed face masks, about 10 million adult-sized clothed face masks and almost 55 million non-surgical face masks to provide to students and teachers in schools across the state.