Sheriff Ordway Accused of Inappropriate Advances/Harassment:

Last week, Steuben County Sheriff Deputy Jen Reed received a $100,000 settlement against the sheriff’s department for alleged sexual harassment, and The Evening Tribune has now broken a story that Deputy Jen Reed’s attorney says that Sheriff Joel Ordway is accused of making advances towards Deputy Reed at a hotel near Utica in 2010.  In the article, the Ithaca-based attorney for Deputy Reed, also alleges that while Ordway apologized both that night back in 2010, and the next morning as well, that he was allegedly unfair to her in the workplace after that alleged incident.  In response, Ordway told The Corning Leader that he “had no comment on a two-year-old allegation which was not part of her filed claim.”

Fire in Bradford Damages Home:

No injuries are being reported in a fire that kicked off around 2pm yesterday at a residence on Sleve Road in Bradford.  Officials believe that the fire started in the chimney of the two-story home, and while small, spread quickly.  The most significant damage was toward the rear of the house’s east side.  Firefighters from several companies battled yesterday’s blustery conditions to extinguish the blaze.  The exact cause of the fire hasn’t been determined.

Alcohol a Factor in Hit and Run:

The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office is reporting a hit and run accident that occurred on State Highway 20A in Geneseo.  They report that a vehicle being driven by a resident of Hunt was traveling east and attempting to make a right turn into the Livingston Country Club when a vehicle attempting to pass her on the right struck her.  After the collision witnesses saw the vehicle flee the scene and one witness followed until it crashed into some trees in the area of North Road.  22-year-old Andrew Jackson of Canandaigua was subsequently arrested and charged with Driving While Intoxicated and Unlawful Possession of Marihuana.  He was issued Uniform Traffic Tickets for Failure to Keep Right, Speed Not Reasonable, Failure to Maintain Laneway, Leaving the Scene of a Property Damage Accident, Unsafe Passing, and Passing on the Right.

Bath Village Board Meeting Recap:

There’s a new law in place in the Village of Bath.  Local Law # 2 is the Property Tax Cap Override. The law allows the Board to override the tax limit established in Governor Cuomo’s 2% cap law. The lawmakers hope they won’t have to use it… but they do want to keep that option open as budget planning is now under way for the new fiscal year.  Also, a moratorium has been passed on fracking for natural gas in the Village. Now, it does not prevent fracking, but it gives officials time determine the impact of what the fracking industry will do to the infrastructure and how they can protect the Village. Other town’s have either approved or are considering a moratorium as natural gas fracking gets closer to New York State. A public hearing will be held March 19th at 5:30pm, required before the law can be adopted.

First Arena Could Avoid Foreclosure:

The embattled First Arena may finally be able to avoid foreclosure.  After not paying taxes for three years and being hit with a foreclosure order by Chemung County Last week, Elmira Downtown Arena LLC Owner, Mostafa Afr, has finally written a check to pay off all the back taxes and fees he was responsible for.  He owed over $136,000.  The check is expected to be delivered to Chemung County either today or tomorrow.  If the check hadn’t been written, the county would have gained ownership of the arena.

Special Meeting Announced for Prattsburgh Town Board:

The Town Board of Prattsburgh will hold a special meeting on Monday, February 27^th at 7pm at the Prattsburgh Town Hall in order to develop an agenda of topics that need to be discussed with Ecogen.

Historical Society Sets Flood of ’72 Discussion:

The Steuben County Historical Society will host a panel discussion on the Flood of ’72 on March 2^nd at the Bath Fire Hall.  The event will be free and open to the public.  Gary Waldo will discuss efforts to restore the area’s roads; Virginia Wright will talk about the effort to save the Corning Museum of Glass’ Research Library and Lorraine Loomis-Konig will reflect on her experiences as a teenage recovery worker.  Also, local historian Kirk House will show photos of the region during and after the flood, and copies of his new book – which is about the flood – will be on sale.

Fatal Rochester Fire Deemed “Unusual:”

Authorities are investigating a fire that swept through a multifamily home early Saturday morning in Rochester and killed four people, all children or teenagers.  Rochester Fire Chief John Caufield told The Democrat and Chronicle that firefighters were on the scene quickly but that they were withdrawn from the home when it became apparent that there wasn’t any way to search for people trapped on the upper floor of the home without sacrificing the lives of rescue personnel.  Caufield added that firefighters were able to rescue four individuals were taken to a local hospital.  The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but the circumstances have been labeled as “unusual.”

Authorities Warn Against Tax Scams:

The Steuben County Sheriff’s Office is reminding the public to be vigilant this tax season of possible scams.  The Sheriff’s Office says that is not uncommon for malicious actors to try to scam citizens during this time of year with phony e-mails and phone calls.  If contacted by phone, authorities say, ask for the caller’s name and a callback number.  And if you file a paper return, be aware that the IRS and third-party tax providers don’t typically make contact via e-mail.  If you do receive an email you should contact the IRS or your tax provider directly.  Overall, the Sheriff’s Office recommends that you: do not click links in e-mails, open attachments or give out personnel information without first verifying the other party’s identity.

Arbor Housing Offering Section 502 Loans:

Arbor Housing and Development is now offering loan packaging for interested participates applying for mortgage financing through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Section 502 Home Loan Program.  Section 502 provides financing to low and very low-income persons who cannot obtain credit from other sources.  Section 502 funds may be used to buy, build, rehabilitate, improve, or relocate an eligible family dwelling.  For more information or an application, contact Arbor Housing and Development.  (607) 562 – 2477, EXT. 213 or (800) 421 – 1220.

Watkins Glen Hotel to Recreate Titanic’s Last Meal:

If you’ve ever wondered what it was like to dine aboard the Titantic, you’ll get your chance on April 15^th at the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel.  The hotel is reportedly planning an 8-course banquet that will recreate the last meal served aboard the Titanic.  The banquet will feature wines from Glenora Wine Cellars along with tunes from the era by a local pianist.  Seating is limited to 250; tickets are $99 and are available by sending checks to the Schuyler County Historical Society.  To learn more about the weekend-long Titanic Festival visit: http://www.rose-maryslegacy.com/TitanicFestival2012.

Public Workshop for Town/Village of Bath and Village of Savona Economic Development:

The Town and Village of Bath and the Village of Savona are working to identify strategic developments that will take advantage of the communitys’ four interchanges on I-86 and there will be a public workshop to solicit ideas and opinions of residents and stakeholders on Wednesday, March 7^th at 6pm at the Saint Thomas Church Parish in Bath.  For more information, contact John Stranges, Chairman of the Town and Village of Bath and Village of Savona Economic Development Committee.  (607) 776 – 5994.

Gas Drilling Forum to be Held March 7^th:

A public forum on issues raised by recent plans to sell municipal water for gas drilling in Pennsylvania will be held on March 7^th at 7pm at the Bath Fire Hall.  Among the speakers will be a geologist from Corning, an attorney from Hammondsport, and a member of the Alfred Village Board and the Program on Corporations, Law and Democracy.  The program will conclude with an open question and answer period. 

Hammondsport Announces Logo Contest:

The Hammondsport Chamber of Commerce, along with the Palettes of Keuka Committee, has announced a design competition to create the “Coolest Small Town” official logo – which Hammondsport will use in its advertising, signage, and commemorative merchandise.  The winner will receive a cash prize of $250.  The Hammondsport Chamber will be accepting submissions for the logo design through 2pm March 30^th.  Those interested should try to capture the essence of what makes Hammondsport “cool,” and should keep in mind that in a town with “wine, wings, and water,” the possibilities are endless.  Submissions may be made through email at info@hammondsport.org, or be dropped off at the Chamber on Sheather Street in Hammondsport.  The winner will be announced on April 3^rd.

Penn Yan Teen Arrested on Rape Charge:

A 19 year old Penn Yan man has been arrested on rape charges. Village Police arrested Shane Mervis after he allegedly forcibly raped a 15 year old girl last week. Mervis was also charged with endangering the welfare of a child. Following his arraignment, Mervis was sent to Yates County Jail in lieu of bail.


Bath Man Arrested on Child Porn Charges:

Kurt Harahus of Bath has been arrested for allegedly sharing child pornography over the Internet for the last 10 years.  Federal agents allegedly found him in possession of hundreds of digital files of child pornography and he later admitted that he had been sharing child pornography over the Internet.  Some of the images, both still and video files, show children as young as 2 engaging in sexual activity with adult men.  A criminal complaint against Harahus was filed on Monday in U.S. District Court.  Specific charges haven’t yet been released.


Officials Back DNA Databank Expansion:

Local law enforcement leaders and the head of the New York State Police were in attendance in Elmira yesterday in support of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to expand the state’s DNA databank, saying it will help solve more crimes and exonerate the wrongly imprisoned.  The proposal would require adults convicted of any felony or penal law misdemeanor to provide a DNA sample for the databank.  Currently, only those convicted of penal law felonies and 36 misdemeanors are required to contribute.  The expansion would not include youthful offenders or those involved in Family Court and DNA would be required at the time of conviction, not arrest.  The New York State Police Superintendent said, “Most criminals start out committing lesser, precursor crimes not previously included in the databank… Today’s shoplifter may be tomorrow’s murderer.”  According to John Zick of The Corning Leader since the databank was expected in 2006 DNA has linked petit larceny convicts to 51 murders, 222 sexual assaults, 117 robberies and 407 burglaries.  The databank has also linked those convicted of second-degree trespass to 30 homicides, 110 sexual assaults and 121 burglaries.


Wayne Bans Fracking:

The Town of Wayne officially enacted a moratorium on natural gas drilling Tuesday night, becoming the first municipality in Steuben County to pass a temporary ban on hydrofracking.  The Wayne Town Supervisor said, “This is not so much pro-fracking or anti-fracking, our primary purpose is to review our land use agreement and make sure we’re protected.”  Currently the villages of Bath and Hammondsport and the towns of Fremont, Pulteney and Urbana are also studying drafts of moratorium resolution.


Hammondsport to Hold Coolest Small Town Parade:

The village of Hammondsport is currently cooking up a parade to celebrate its standing as the co-Coolest Small Town in America.  The parade – reportedly being slated for May or June – may actually be just one part of a bigger festival that will reflect the support and beauty of the area surrounding Hammondsport, according to Village Mayor Emery Cummings.


Hilfiger Clothing to Go on Sale in Big Flats:

Fashion devotees from the Elmira-Corning area have long been wondering where they could get their hands on the rock-and-roll inspired clothing from Andy Hilfiger’s recently launched Andrew Charles clothing line.  Andy, the younger brother of fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger, launched the line this past fall and it has been available at 200 Macy’s department stores around the country – but not the Macy’s at the Arnot Mall.   Thankfully, Andy is aware of this and is willing to help.  “The line isn’t available in the Macy’s at the Arnot Mall,” he told The Star Gazette.  “So I’m bringing the clothes up to give my hometown a chance to get the product at rock-bottom prices.”  The clothing will be sold at cost at Tag’s in Big Flats from 10am to 8pm Saturday and Sunday.  There will also be a performance by Andy’s band the X Brothers on Saturday after the sale.


Living Healthy Steuben Offered at Dormann Library:

The Steuben Rural Health Network will feature, “Living Healthy Steuben,” at the Dormann Library in Bath beginning Wednesday, February 29th.  The six week workshop will assist adults and their caregivers in better managing their chronic health conditions.  The sessions will be held weekly from 1 to 3:30pm, refreshments and door prizes will be offered.  For more information party on February 22nd at the Dormann Library.  Contact the Steuben Rural Health Network for more details.