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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.

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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.

On Monday at approximately 3:50 PM, officers from the Elmira Police Department responded to area of W. Hudson St. and Fulton St. for a report of shots fired. Witnesses reported hearing several gunshots and reported seeing a light blue or gray colored vehicle fleeing the area. Witnesses reported to officers that two males were standing near a residence on the southwest corner of the intersection when a light blue vehicle exited the roadway and drove onto the grass. Witnesses reported hearing gunshots and the two males fled the area. The vehicle struck a street sign and a fence before fleeing south on Harmon St. It has not been determined whom may have been firing a weapon. The vehicle involved sustained significant damage. The vehicle was found parked near the intersection of Broadway and Balsam St. and three males were observed near the vehicle. When they observed officers in the area, all fled on foot. Three separate foot pursuits ensued and all subjects were taken into custody after several minutes. A quantity of narcotics and two loaded handguns were recovered. As a result of this investigation, two people have been charged with Criminal Possession of a Weapon 2nd, a class C violent felony offense. One is a 17-year-old male and the other is 19 year old Shavrice A Brooks. Both are Elmira residents. The driver of the vehicle has been identified as 21 year old Rahmel N McKnight from Elmira. McKnight was released. The 17-year-old and Shavrice Brooks have both been arraigned and held. Brooks The Elmira Police Department was assisted by the Chemung County Sheriff’s Office and the New York State Police. 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.

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Starting with a defiant tone as he addressed the people of New York state this morning at 11:45 am, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that he will resign in fourteen days. Cuomo continues to say his intentions were misunderstood, and that his instinct is to stay and fight. However, citing the potential for a prolonged process and political rancor, he said his resignation is what's best for the state. "This situation by its current trajectory will generate months of political and legal controversy. That is what is going to happen. That is how the political wind is blowing. It will consume government. It will cost taxpayers millions of dollars," he said. "New York tough means New York loving, and I love New York, and I love you. I would never want to be unhelpful in any way." Cuomo went on to list his accomplishments as governor, and praised the people of New York for their response to the pandemic. He also apologized to his own daughters saying, "...your Dad made a mistake." Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul will take over as acting governor of New York State. Hochul, 62, will be the state's first female governor.

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Cuomo continues to deny the allegations are true: Source

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NEW YORK – The independent investigators appointed by New York Attorney General Letitia James, led by Joon H. Kim and Anne L. Clark has released their report into the multiple allegations of sexual harassment by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. After nearly five months, the investigators concluded that Governor Cuomo did sexually harass multiple women, including former and current state employees, by engaging in unwanted groping, kissing, and hugging, and making inappropriate comments. Further, the governor and his senior staff took actions to retaliate against at least one former employee for coming forward with her story. Finally, the Executive Chamber fostered a “toxic” workplace that enabled “harassment to occur and created a hostile work environment.” The investigators find that Governor Cuomo’s actions and those of the Executive Chamber violated multiple state and federal laws, as well as the Executive Chamber’s own written policies. The investigation was conducted after, on March 1, 2021, the Executive Chamber made a referral, pursuant to New York Executive Law Section 63(8), for Attorney General James to select independent lawyers to investigate “allegations of and circumstances surrounding sexual harassment claims made against the governor.” Kim and Clark were chosen to lead the investigation on March 8, 2021. “This is a sad day for New York because independent investigators have concluded that Governor Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women and, in doing so, broke the law,” said Attorney General James. “I am grateful to all the women who came forward to tell their stories in painstaking detail, enabling investigators to get to the truth. No man, no matter how powerful, can be allowed to harass women or violate our human rights laws, period.” Starting in December 2020, multiple women came forward with allegations that Governor Cuomo sexually harassed them. Over the course of the investigation, the investigators interviewed 179 individuals. Those interviewed included complainants, current and former members of the Executive Chamber, State Troopers, additional state employees, and others who interacted regularly with the governor. More than 74,000 documents, emails, texts, and pictures were also reviewed as evidence during the investigation. Backed up by corroborating evidence and credible witnesses, the investigators detail multiple current or former New York state employees or women outside state service who were the targets of harassing conduct on the part of the governor. As part of the investigation, Governor Cuomo also sat with the interviewers and answered questions under oath. While the governor denied the most serious allegations, the investigators found that he did so by offering “blanket denials” or that he had a “lack of recollection as to specific incidents.” The investigators also found that the governor’s recollection “stood in stark contrast to the strength, specificity, and corroboration of the complainants’ recollections, as well as the reports of many other individuals who offered observations and experiences of the governor’s conduct.” Additionally, the investigators found that the Executive Chamber was “rife with fear and intimidation” that not only “enabled the above-described instances of harassment to occur,” but also “created a hostile work environment overall.” Further, Governor Cuomo, himself, and the Executive Chamber engaged in “retaliatory” behavior by “intend[ing] to discredit and disparage” a former employee that came forward with her story of harassment. The investigation found that Governor Cuomo’s sexual harassment of multiple women and his and the Executive Chamber’s retaliation against a former employee for coming forward with her claims of sexual harassment violated multiple state and federal laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the New York State Human Rights Law, and 42 U.S. Code § 1983, in addition to the Executive Chamber’s own equal employment policies. Jennifer Kennedy Park, Abena Mainoo, and Rahul Mukhi from the law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP were all deputized, in addition to Joon H. Kim — as Special Deputies to the First Deputy Attorney General to conduct the investigation and issue this report. Yannick Grant from the law firm Vladeck, Raskin & Clark, P.C. was deputized,in addition to Anne L. Clark, as a Special Deputy to the First Deputy Attorney General to conduct the investigation and issue this report. A number of other attorneys from both Cleary Gottlieb and Vladeck were appointed as Special Assistants to the First Deputy Attorney General to assist with the investigation. The complete report can be read HERE.

In a statement released a short time ago, Chemung County Executive Christopher Moss released results of an informal survey of county residents on the use of American Rescue Act funds. Additionally, Moss released his own proposed uses for the funding. “As the County Executive, I believe we should use the American Rescue Plan funding to leverage our ability to recoup revenue losses due to the pandemic while at the same time implementing projects that will enhance the many services and activities that County residents and visitors to our County have become accustomed to," he wrote. "It’s important to remember that Chemung County has an exhaustive list of capital project needs that will need to be completed in the coming years. ARP funding can assist with some of these future projects as well as projects that had to be postponed or delayed due to the pandemic. Our plan will also give us the opportunity to assist not-for-profit agencies, private business, municipalities, agricultural, tourism and the Chemung County Nursing Facility." Moss wrote that multiple meetings and conversations have been held with officials from the City of Elmira, County Legislative representatives, business leaders and others prior to the submission of this plan to the County Legislature. Survey results indicate overwhelming support for funds to be used to help farmers as well as local small business owners drastically affected by the pandemic as well as strong support for projects such as a new building at the county fairgrounds to host a year round farmer's market and banquet hall. However, survey respondents showed less support for utilizing funds at First Arena and Dunn Field. Moss's recommendations include county infrastructure projects as well as capital improvements to county properties such as the county fairgrounds, Park Station, Harris Hill, and more. He also recommends a grant program for municipalities that are currently without or are underserved by broadband internet availability; the lack of which was a source of difficulty for many rural families in the county. "While there is further work to conduct on the logistical implementation of this plan I believe its content meets the overall goal of the American Rescue Plan which is to not only replace lost revenue, but also to stimulate the local economy by creating a variety of projects and initiatives to address the negative impacts of the pandemic. Unfortunately, we’re not in the position to fund every project and idea that was submitted and it’s important to keep in mind that the funding Chemung County received is approximately 7.5% of the County’s overall operating budget." To see the county executives full proposal, CLICK HERE

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo ordered state landmarks to be lit yellow, blue and red on Sunday, August 1st to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the MTV Network. "MTV is a cornerstone of pop culture and New York is proud to be home to this powerhouse network," Governor Cuomo said. "Creating genres and platforms that today seem commonplace, MTV paved the way for a new level of media expression and appreciation. The network has also made unprecedented contributions in the political world with their campaigns geared toward inspiring young people to vote. We congratulate them on 40 years of people around the world demanding 'I want my MTV.'" MTV was founded on August 1, 1981 in New York City with the launch of the first ever music video, "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles. In its history, MTV has brought celebrities and culture to NYC's Time Square via Total Request Live and the network created the genre of reality television with The Real World in New York. MTV has also prospered a commitment to civic engagement through their multiple campaigns encouraging young viewers to vote such as Rock the Vote, Choose or Lose and Vote Early. Today, MTV reaches 180 countries and 1.4 billion people. Landmarks that were lit include: · One World Trade Center · Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge · Kosciuszko Bridge · The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building · State Education Building · Alfred E. Smith State Office Building · State Fairgrounds - Main Gate · Grand Central Terminal - Pershing Square Viaduct · Albany International Airport Gateway · MTA LIRR - East End Gateway at Penn Station Chris McCarthy, President and CEO, MTV Entertainment Group said, "MTV was born on August 1st, 1981 in New York City with the spirit of youth and the energy of the city - to this day, with a reach of more than 1.4 billion people in 180 countries - our global headquarters is still based here; we are New York strong. We are inspired by the artists, dreamers and people of New York and are honored to be recognized by Governor Cuomo. Thank you, Governor, and thank you New York - here's to another 40 years together."

Police are investigating yet another shooting incident that took place this morning in the City of Elmira. According to police, at approximately 10:55 AM, officers responded to the 1300 block of Grand Central Av. for a report of shots fired. Witnesses reported hearing several gunshots near the intersection of Grand Central Av. and Norton St. Witnesses told police that a person was walking south on Grand Central Avenue on the west side of the street. A red vehicle, unknown make and model, pulled up and someone in the vehicle began to fire shots at the person on the sidewalk, who then ran through a vacant lot while shots continued to be fired at him. The vehicle then fled the area. Evidence of the shooting was located on scene, including both a shed and a garage that had been struck by a bullet. Numerous people, including two small children, were outside in the vicinity when this shooting took place, however there was no indication that anyone was struck by gunfire. The Elmira Police Department was assisted at the scene by the New York State Police and Chemung County Sheriff’s Office. 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. For more news and conversation about the Twin Tiers and beyond, click here!