ALBION – A Foodlink distribution that was cancelled on Monday morning in Albion has been rescheduled for Thursday (Feb. 12) beginning at 12:30 p.m.
Community Action of Orleans & Genesee helps run the distribution with community volunteers. Vehicles can park at 165 South Main St., the lot next to Dubby’s Tailgate, and wait to receive a box of food.
Return to topThe Department of Motor Vehicles state-wide will be shutting down at 2 p.m. on Friday and upgrade and modernize their aging technology systems.
The DMVs expect to reopen on Wednesday morning after the Presidents Day weekend. The upgrades are the first segment of a new, modernized system to give customers better and more streamlined service, and to help DMV staff serve New Yorkers more efficiently, the state DMV said.
During this time, the state DMV will migrate about 30 million records to the new system and complete the transition to bring the first phase of the upgrade online. No DMV transactions will be able to be completed during this period, including through the state DMV website, and no one will be available to answer phones.
“With one consolidated, state-of-the-art system, we will be replacing hundreds of software applications, some of which date back to the days of Nelson Rockefeller,” said DMV Commissioner and Chair of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee Mark J.F. Schroeder. “I truly believe it will give our staff the ability to serve New Yorkers better, faster, and more comprehensively than ever before.”
The DMV’s new modernized system will enable employees to process transactions effectively and efficiently in one secure platform rather than moving between outdated systems, further supporting the agency’s goal of one trip to an office and done, Schroeder said.
The new system will also bring additional online transactions, making it easier for New Yorkers to do what they need on their own time and from the comfort of their own homes. And it will help the agency implement future technology enhancements faster and more seamlessly.
In Orleans County, the DMV will close at 12:30 p.m. on Friday. Customers who are in line by 12:30 p.m. will be served. However, all DMV operations cease at 2 p.m. The office will remain closed on Monday and Tuesday.
“February tends to be a slower time of year for DMV offices across the state so this is the best time to implement the system but we understand this can still be an inconvenience for residents,” said Nadine Hanlon, the Orleans County clerk.
Return to topPress Release, NYS Association of Counties
New York’s counties are approaching a fiscal reckoning driven by looming federal cost shifts. That is the warning that the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) is set to deliver in testimony before the Joint Legislative Budget Hearing on Local and General Government later today.
In written testimony submitted in advance of the hearing, NYSAC urged the State to act decisively to protect local governments and property taxpayers from unprecedented federal policy changes set to take effect beginning in October 2026—most notably deep cuts in federal support for administering the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the imposition of steep error-rate penalties.
“New York’s counties are facing a fiscal reckoning,” said Stephen Acquario, executive director of the New York State Association of Counties. “Recent federal actions threaten to shift billions of dollars in new costs onto local governments and local taxpayers. Counties are not here to complain—we are here to partner—but without strong state action, these cost shifts will fall squarely on local property taxpayers and put essential services at risk.”
The testimony highlighted the central role counties play as the delivery system for nearly every state and federal program that touches New Yorkers’ daily lives, from public safety and public health to human services, infrastructure, and care for the most vulnerable residents.
NYSAC expressed support for several components of the Executive Budget, including the continuation of the cap on local Medicaid costs, which they emphasized remains the foundation of county fiscal stability, saving counties and New York City billions of dollars annually.
At the same time, counties stressed that holding the line on state cost shifts alone will not be enough to offset the unprecedented federal changes bearing down on local budgets—particularly in SNAP administration, where counties could face hundreds of millions of dollars annually in new costs and potential benefit error-rate penalties totaling more than $1 billion statewide.
“Counties are being asked to absorb federal decisions that we did not make and cannot control,” said NYSAC President Phil Church. “If the State does not step in as a partner, these costs will translate directly into higher property taxes or painful cuts to core services that communities depend on. Protecting affordability for New Yorkers means protecting counties from these federal actions.”
In addition to immediate federal challenges, the testimony called for reforms to long-standing systems that continue to strain county budgets, including Raise the Age reimbursement, competency restoration under CPL § 730, Safety Net cost sharing, delayed Early Intervention payments owed to counties, and staffing challenges driven by outdated workforce rules.
NYSAC also urged the Legislature to make strategic investments in emergency medical services planning, public health programs, farmland protection, procurement modernization, and infrastructure initiatives that strengthen local economies and community resilience.
“The state-county partnership has never been more critical,” Acquario added. “Counties stand ready with solutions, experience, and a deep commitment to serving New Yorkers—but we cannot navigate this moment alone. The final Enacted Budget must reflect a shared responsibility to protect taxpayers and preserve the services people rely on in every corner of the state.”
Return to topMEDINA – Families who purchased “Hometown Hero” banners for the first time in 2023 may now take them home to keep.
Mary Woodruff, who originated and runs the banner program in Medina, will be at the conference room at the village clerk’s office on Park Avenue from 9 a.m. top 4:30 p.m. on Thursday for family and friends who want to pick up their veteran’s banner.
Those who wish to have banners mailed to them may contact Woodruff at (585) 798-4438 or by e-mailing mbwoodruff16@gmail.com.
Information on purchasing a banner for spring and summer 2026 will be forthcoming in an article on Orleans Hub in the near future.
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Ryan Armstrong
ALBION – The driver of a U-Haul truck that plunged into the Erie canal, leading to death of his passenger, pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter in Orleans County Court this morning.
Ryan A. Armstrong, 43, admitted to reckless conduct that resulted in the death of Reginald Russell, 56, on Sept. 2.
That day Armstrong was driver a U-Haul truck in a high-speed chase that ended in the Erie Canal in the Town of Murray, east of Holley and Bennetts Corners Road.
Armstrong is accused of stealing items from the Walgreens in Brockport at about 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 2. He and his passenger were putting merchandise in a U-Haul truck when law enforcement were called, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office after Armstrong’s arrest.
Monroe County Sheriff’s deputies and Brockport police officers attempted to stop the vehicle once it was on the move but Armstrong refused, leading law enforcement on a pursuit throughout the west side of Monroe County and into Orleans County.
Armstrong eventually drove onto the Erie Canal path in the Town of Murray and suddenly veered the vehicle into the canal.
“Were you aware that your conduct could result in someone’s death?” Orleans County Court Judge Sanford Church asked Armstrong in court today.
“Yes sir,” he responded.
The judge said the charge of second-degree manslaughter is a C felony where someone’s gross deviation of what a normal person would do results in another person’s death.
Judge Church asked Armstrong if he wanted to plead guilty to the charge, noting his conduct in a high-speed chase and driving into the canal.
Armstrong responded yes, and will face up to 4 to 8 years in state prison when he is sentenced at 9:30 a.m. on April 15. The charge would normally have a maximum of 7 ½ to 15 years in state prison. Armstrong has served three previous prison sentences for other felonies.
He has been in the Orleans County Jail since his arrest with bail at $100,000 cash, $200,000 insurance bond or $500,000 partially secured bond at 10 percent.
Russell was seen exiting the U-Haul on Sept. 2 but went under in the murky water and drown.
Two of Reginald Russell’s siblings attended the court appearance today. Astin Benton said his older brother is deeply missed by his family.
“He was a loving brother, a loving uncle and a caring father,” Benton said.
He would like to see Armstrong get the maximum sentence on April 15, and would have preferred even more time than in the plea agreement.
“My brother was free spirited,” Benton said. “He was the oldest brother and he left bigger shoes that I can’t fit or wear.”
Photo by Tom Rivers: Astin Benton shows the back of a sweatshirt showing his older brother, Reggie Russell at far right, with his family members.
Press Release, Albion and Medina Central School Districts
ALBION/MEDINA – It was over 130 years ago when the Albion and Medina high school football rivalry first ignited. Now, a new era is set to begin on a united front.
Both the Albion CSD and Medina CSD Board of Education voted this week to combine the school’s football programs in preparation for the 2026 fall football season. At the Feb. 9 Albion CSD Board of Education meeting, the Board voted unanimously in favor of merging the programs. At the Feb. 10 Medina meeting, the Board subsequently followed suit.
This decision follows suit of approximately 90 high schools in Section V and VI who currently participate in merged football programs. These mergers were prompted by similar challenges including declining school enrollment and declining extracurricular participation trends. These challenges affect the school’s ability to maintain a safe, competitive, and developmentally appropriate program for student-athletes.
“The best interests of our students need to always remain top of mind,” said John Kast, Albion Board of Education vice president. “Both schools are familiar with the power of community and we believe that bringing our communities together to work toward the same goal will only make us stronger.”
“As leaders in the community, we have a duty and responsibility to make decisions based on what is best for our students,” said Donnell Holloway, Medina Board of Education member. “Coming together and putting the rivalry aside is a win for our students as well as our community.”
The teams will be combined at all three levels, modified, junior varsity and varsity. Teams need to have a minimum of 16 players. The projected participation for 2026 with a merged team includes 35 at modified, 40 at junior varsity and 29 at varsity.
“We are looking forward to providing a safe and competitive program for our student-athletes,” said Eric Valley, Medina athletic director and varsity football coach. “We hope to foster an exciting environment where school pride, comradery and lifelong friendships can flourish.”
The merger has been an ongoing discussion, becoming more urgent as the section VI deadline approached this month. Both schools were already forced to eliminate their JV programs and have continuously struggled to field full practices. They have already worked collaboratively to host joint practices on multiple occasions last season.
“Like many schools, we have been facing a tiring uphill battle,” said Mickey Edwards, Albion CSD superintendent and alum of Albion’s football program. “We are optimistic that this decision will help ensure long-term program sustainability and offer higher-calibre opportunities.”
Finalized branding including the team name, logo and colors will be shared at a later date. Details on what division the teams will play in are not yet confirmed. The schools are planning for a 5-year agreement, giving the new program time to develop and a better chance of success.
Each school will host two games at all levels, including their own homecoming. Sectional playoff games will alternate between schools. Practices will be split as evenly as possible between the two districts. Each district will be responsible for hiring coaches to represent their district and each level will have coaches from each district.
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Photo by Tom Rivers: Mollie Mark, assistant principal at Medina Junior-Senior High School, goes over data on student discipline that shows a drop in referrals since students have been banned from using their cell phones during the school day.
MEDINA – It was just over a year ago when the Medina Junior-Senior High School implemented a “bell to bell” cell phone ban in the school.
Medina started the new policy in January 2025, the beginning of the second semester. The district was ahead of the state which imposed its own state-wide cell phone ban in schools beginning in September at the start of the new school year.
Medina has seen a drop in student discipline referrals since instituting the new cell phone policy, and students report they are better able to focus on their studies. The hallways and cafeteria also are much noisier, which is a good sign that students are talking and laughing with their classmates rather than scrolling on their phones, said Mollie Mark, the school’s assistant principal.
She and Michael Cavanaugh, the junior-senior high principal, presented data to the Board of Education on Tuesday about student discipline and phone violations.
Discipline Data – first semester from September to January
Phone violations
The school policy sets the following discipline for students who violate the cell phone policy:
• First Offense – Student delivers device to the main office and may pick it up at the end of the day.
• Second Offense – Student delivers device to the main office and is held for parent pick-up.
• Third Offense – Student delivers device to the main office and is held for parent pick up. A conference is then held and a contract is put into place with the parent/guardian.
Cavanaugh told the board there has been a “transformative change” in the school building since the new policy started. Students have to keep all devices silenced and in their lockers for the duration of the school day – from 7:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. That includes cell phones, earbuds/headphones, tablets and smartwatches. (The only exceptions to this policy are with a note provided by a medical doctor and the approval of school administration.)
Cavanaugh interviewed students on video about the policy change and showed their responses.
“People are interacting more with each other rather than sitting on their phone,” one male student said.
Other students said the school atmosphere is much more calmer.
“Everyone gets along better,” the male student said.
Students aren’t recording each other or posting on social media about other students during the school day, reducing a lot of anxiety among students.
“It’s easier to pay attention in class,” another male student said. “It’s less stressful.”
A female high school student said she is better able to focus on her classwork and made the honor for the first two marking periods this school year.
“It’s less stressful because I’m not constantly checking the phone,” she said.
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This graphic was presented by Medina football coach and athletic director Eric Valley as the possible name and colors of the new Albion and Medina football program.
MEDINA – The Medina Mustangs and Albion Purple Eagles will be joining forces on the football field this fall after more than a century as bitter rivals.
The Medina Board of Education this evening approved a five-year agreement with Albion on a merged football program. The Albion Board of Education approved the merger on Monday.
Both school districts will pay 50 percent of the program costs the first two years, and then the funding shares will be based on the percentage of each district’s student participation among the players in the program in years 3 to 5.
Both schools have declining numbers of students playing football. They haven’t been able to field junior varsity teams, and Medina nearly went to 8-man football last season before going back to 11-man football just before the start of the season.
Eric Valley, Medina’s varsity head coach and the district’s athletic director, said the two schools have held joint practices in recent years. He remembers talking with Albion coaches in those practices, saying the two programs worked well together.
Valley is expected to lead the new merged program. He would like the team to be called the “O.C. Rivals” with gray, black and maroon in the colors. The logo could have two shovels, representing the two communities that began to flourish after the digging of the Erie Canal two centuries ago.
Valley said the merged team will likely be a Class B school. He is projecting the two schools will have 29 players for varsity, 40 for JV, and 35 for modified. That is enough to have a competitive program with a focus on student safety, he said. Medina and Albion needed to play some kids up a level when they may not have been ready due to a shortage of players.
The teams will alternate practicing at each school after every week. Both schools are expected to host two home games.
“We’re pretty optimistic,” Valley said after a unanimous vote from the Medina Board of Education. “We think we have a good core of kids and both schools have beautiful facilities. ”
Valley said five of the six coaches will be back from Medina’s team. He knows at least one will return from Albion.
The football program will be hosting an informational meeting at 6 p.m. this Thursday in Albion for players and parents and will soon be doing one in Medina.
He wants to form the staff for the program and advise players on off-season workouts.
He is pleased the two schools have joined forces and football will continue for Albion and Medina.
“Some people don’t like change but the alternative was no football,” he said.
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This is a photo of a print out of a rendering of the proposed Dollar General store in Albion on East Avenue across from the high school.
ALBION – The Village of Albion Planning Board will take comments from the public about the site plan for a new Dollar General on Route 31 across from the high school.
The public hearing will be 5 p.m. on Thursday at the Village Office, 35-37 East Bank St.
The Broadway Group LLC from Huntsville Ala. is seeking to build the new store at 327 East Ave. The company is proposing a single-story 10,566-square-foot building with parking, storm water management, lighting, landscaping and connection to public utilities.
The 1.12-acre site is owned by Chris Kinter, the village’s code enforcement officer. Kinter has recused himself from the application and review.
The Broadway Group plans to demolish the existing structure, a former auto garage and vehicle maintenance facility. The site is currently used to park school buses.
The village Zoning Board of Appeals on Sept. 9 approved a variance for the project, allowing Dollar General to have 35 parking spaces instead of the 53 required for a store that size. Albion’s zoning calls for one parking space for every 200 square feet of a retail store.
The Broadway Group said having 35 parking spaces will allow for more green space on the site.
Return to topPress Release, Orleans County Youth Bureau
ALBION – The Orleans County Youth Bureau today announced that nominations are now open for its 44th Annual Youth Recognition Awards. The purpose of these awards is to recognize those youth who have performed outstanding service for our community and/or have assumed an extraordinary role within their families by helping to support themselves.
“Each year we look to highlight the young people in our community who are committed to serving others, whether it’s through volunteer efforts or assuming tremendous responsibility within their own families, said Kelly Kiebala, Director of the Orleans County Youth Bureau. “By honoring the hard work of our award winners, hopefully we can inspire others to follow their lead.”
Anyone is welcome to nominate a candidate, but nominations from family members must be accompanied by a supporting recommendation from a non-family member. Nominees must reside in an Orleans County school district and be a minimum of 14 years of age and under the age of 21 before June 30.
In addition to the youth recognition awards, the Youth Bureau is also accepting nominations for the Helen Brinsmaid Award, given to an Orleans County youth-serving professional, in a paid position, whose work surpasses normal expectations, and the Eileen Heye Adult Volunteer Recognition Award, presented to an adult who serves the youth of Orleans County in a volunteer setting.
“Young people need mentors and positive role models and we have been very fortunate to honor some tremendous individuals over the years who did a remarkable job with our young people,” said Kiebala. “If you know someone who is making a difference working with our youth, please consider nominating them.”
All nomination forms can be found at the Youth Bureau webpage (click here). Nominations must be submitted to the Youth Bureau by March 15.
For information about the awards, contact the Youth Bureau at 585-589-2767 or email OrleansCountyYouthBureau@OrleanscountyNY.gov.
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Chart information from NYS Department of Motor Vehicles.
Press Release, NYS Department of Motor Vehicles
ALBANY – The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles is reminding motorists that beginning Monday, February 16, some of the most serious traffic violations will have increased point values.
These changes will strengthen the state’s ability to keep persistently dangerous drivers off the roads and protect everyone else who drives, rides, walks, or bikes in communities across the state.
In addition to the updated points, these regulations adjust the time frame in which DMV can take administrative action against a persistent violator, going from an 18-month look back to a 24-month look back.
Many existing point assignments, such as the five points for any violation involving a mobile phone or portable electronic device while driving, or zero points for equipment violations, will remain as they are, with no additional changes.
“These updated regulations will have no impact on drivers who follow the rules of the road, but they will have a big impact on dangerous drivers and repeat offenders whose poor choices always put other drivers, passengers, and pedestrians at risk,” said NYS DMV Commissioner and Chair of the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee Mark J.F. Schroeder. “Our job is to make sure that New York’s roads are safe for everyone, and if someone chooses to be reckless and unsafe, they do not deserve to be behind the wheel, period.”
The changes were first announced as proposed regulatory amendments in September 2023, following Governor Kathy Hochul’s 2023 State of the State proposal to get high-risk and dangerous drivers off New York’s roads. They went through the State Administrative Procedure Act (SAPA) process, including multiple postings in the State Register and public comment periods. A prior regulatory change, which allows for permanent license denial for anyone with four alcohol- or drug-related convictions or incidents became enforceable in January 2025.
Return to topALBION – The Albion Board of Education on Monday evening gave unanimous approval to a merger of its football program with Medina.
The two schools are gridiron rivals going back more than a century. But programs have declining student participation, putting both programs at risk of being able to field teams.
Medina’s Board of Education is scheduled to vote on the merger during a 6:30 p.m. meeting today.
Albion didn’t discuss potential names and uniform colors for the merged team or length of the contract. They details will be worked out in the coming months, said Chris Kinter, a member of the Albion Board of Education.
The two districts need to decide this month if there is a merged program to give Section 6 time to work out the classifications and schedule for the fall football season.
The agreement on Medina’s agenda for today calls for a five-year agreement between the two schools with the team to be called the “Orleans Rivals.”
The schools are to split the costs 50-50 for the first two years for modified, junior varsity and varsity. (Both schools didn’t field JV teams this past year due to a shortage of players.) After two years the costs will be based on percentages of student participation from each district. That percentage cost will then be updated annually.
Student-athletes from Medina and Albion who seek to participate in the football program must try out, according to the agreement. No student will be guaranteed a position on the team or playing time.
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Photos by Tom Rivers: Village Trustee Deborah Padoleski, left, led the effort to declare the ladder truck as surplus to begin the process of possibility selling the equipment before it is put into service. Trustee Jess Marciano, right, voted to not declare the truck surplus.
MEDINA – The majority of the Medina Village Board voted on Monday to declare a new ladder truck surplus to start the process of possibility selling the truck and backing off plans for a new addition of the fire hall.
Trustee Deborah Padoleski introduced the resolution to declare the truck surplus, and that was seconded by Trustee Mark Prawel. They were joined by Trustee Scott Bieliski in voting to declare it surplus, with Trustee Jess Marciano and Mayor Marguerite Sherman in favor of keeping the new $1.7 million truck.
The truck has been delivered to Medina and is currently being kept in the compost facility on North Gravel Road near Boxwood Cemetery. The current fire hall is too small for the new ladder truck. The previous truck from 1996 was 10 feet, 4 inches in height and could barely fit in the fire hall bay, which has a height of 10 feet, 6 inches. The new truck is about 13 feet in height.
A representative from Pierce Manufacturing is in Medina for three days this week to train median firefighters on the new truck. That started on Monday and continues to Wednesday.
Captain Michael Young of the Medina Fire Department urges the Village Board to keep the ladder truck, saying it offers many benefits for fighting fires and responding to emergencies. He said upgrades to the fire hall have been put off for decades.
The board agreed to allow the training to be complete, but the three board members in favor of selling the don’t want the truck to be lettered saying, “Medina Fire Department.”
The training is an estimated $4,000 to $6,000 and is part of the contract with Pierce, said Fire Chief Steve Cooley. The detailing also is an estimated $6,300 and is included in the contract.
Trustee Bieliski said it doesn’t make sense to have the lettering done if the truck will be sold to another department.
He wants to see what the truck will command in the market. Medina paid $1.7 million for it, and now quint trucks with 100-foot-long ladders are going for $2.5 million.
The village could make a profit on the sale and those proceeds could go to buying a used ladder truck that would fit in the existing fire hall, Bieliski said during Monday’s Village Board meeting.
Village Attorney Matt Brooks said he has tried to research a similar situation, where a village has bought a new piece of equipment only to turn around and declare it surplus. He hasn’t found a similar example.
The village may need to do a referendum to sell the ladder truck. It may face tax issues if it makes a profit. It will need a sign-off from its lender, the US Department of Agriculture. Brooks said there may be other issues to check as well.
Declaring an item surplus is usually done when the item is “superfluous or unusable,” Brooks said.
The new ladder trucks obviously isn’t unusable, and he said it may be a stretch to say it’s superfluous especially when the village could then buy a used ladder truck.
“Does it fit the definition of surplus,” he said. “It might.”
Padoleski, who is retired as Medina’s village clerk, said she checked with Rural Development, a branch of the USDA, and the agency is fine with the truck being declared surplus and Medina paying off the 20-year loan right away.
Mayor Sherman said she wants to convene a meeting with Rural Development, the village’s financial advisor and the village attorney about the next steps and ramifications.
Sherman said she and Bieliski and Fire Chief Cooley have looked up used ladder trucks and they are expensive, well over $1 million with some at $1.7 million.
And Captain Michael Young of the Medina FD said the used trucks don’t fit in the existing fire hall, either.
Padoleski and Bieliski said the need for a addition on the fire hall is a big factor in why they want to declare the truck surplus and move to sell it. The expense to village taxpayers isn’t just the truck, but the addition as well.
They said the truck at $1.7 million and a million-dollar-plus addition will turn into about a $4 million expense with interest to be paid over 20 years.
“it’s not just the matter of the truck,” Padoleski said. “We have nowhere to put it. It’s the truck and the building.”
Captain Michael Young of the Medina Fire Department said the current fire hall was built for the Department of Public Works in the 1930s, with the fire department moving its base of operations there in the 1950s.
The entrance to the fire hall is on a pitch. Young said there aren’t used ladder trucks on the market that would fit in the fire hall. Medina’s 30-year-old truck was shorter and wider to allow the two inches of clearance. But most other ladder trucks are longer and would need at least 5 inches of clearance, he said.
The addition to the fire hall has been sought by the department since before the contract to buy the ladder truck was approved by the board in March 2023. The board at the time thought there would be enough time to work out an addition and also address deficiencies in the existing fire hall.
Mayor Sherman also said the costs of fire trucks were rapidly escalating and the board wanted to lock in a price. Since then the costs for similar ladder trucks have climbed about $800,000 to $2.5 million.
But the costs were high, an estimated $6 million. The board then scaled down the scope of the project to a one-bay addition at just over $1 million. The board – which has three new members in the past two years – has been unable to reach a consensus.
Bieliski said the village taxes are too high for many residents and businesses, and a 20-year commitment to a new ladder truck and addition doesn’t make sense for overtaxed property owners.
He said Medina is the only village in Orleans County with a paid fire department. He said there are many other needs in the village from water, sewer, streets and sidewalks.
“I don’t think this purchase was being a smart consumer,” Bieliski said about the ladder truck. “I think we have to think about Medina. We don’t have to be the leaders when it’s on the backs of the people of Medina.”
He said declaring the truck surplus puts the truck on “pause” and gives the village more time to look at other options.
If the village would take $300,000 to $400,000 loss on selling the new truck, Bieliski said he wouldn’t support that.
But he thinks there is buyer that would allow medina to make a profit that could go towards a quality used truck.
“Buying a new truck and new building is 100 percent wrong to do to the taxpayers,” he said.
The new ladder truck needs to some additional outfitting and could be ready to go into service around April 1. But Bieliski said he wants to hold off on putting the truck into service to maximize its value to a potential buyer.
Mayor Sherman said the difficulties with ladder truck and all the negative publicity have been “embarrassing” for the village.
She is hopeful the fire department will ultimately end up with a ladder truck, whether the new one or a good used truck, that is safe and allows them to serve the community.
Sherman said she continues to look for funding for the addition. She wanted to pursue a $1 million grant through the state’s Community Development Block Grant program, but couldn’t get a majority of the board to approve that application.
Return to topPress Release, NYS Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt
Photo courtesy of NYS Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt: Rob Ortt and Republican state senators in Albany on Monday presented a plan to reduce energy costs.
ALBANY – Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt along with Senator Mario Mattera, Senator Tom O’Mara, Senator Steve Chan, and members of the Senate Republican Conference today unveiled a package of legislation aimed at addressing New York’s outrageous energy costs and offsetting the effects of costly energy mandates out of Albany.
The legislative package, “Affordable Energy, Not Albany Mandates,” is part of the Senate Republican Conference’s broader 2026 legislative agenda entitled “Save New York,” a plan to improve affordability, enhance public safety, and build a stronger New York for today and future generations.
Several proposals in the legislative package would deliver immediate financial relief to New Yorkers by lowering utility bills.
“Just last week a newspaper article highlighted how more than 400,000 customers have had their gas or power cut because they can’t afford to pay their bills – numbers that are much higher than during the great recession,” said Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt. “This is completely unacceptable, and a direct result of Albany Democrats’ out-of-touch Green New Scam policies. The New York State legislature must start acting on behalf of all of our constituents, instead of passing feel-good policies that do nothing to save the planet and only serve to please radical environmentalists, while making the rest of the state suffer.”
New Yorkers are currently weathering some of the highest energy rates in the nation. Residential electricity rates in New York are 50% higher than the national average and rose 7.6% in the past year, faster than the national average. Since New York Democrats passed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), electricity rates in New York have increased 45% – leading New Yorkers to pay 30-40% higher rates than our neighbors in Pennsylvania.
Among the goals of the legislative package are to provide immediate ratepayer relief, increase cost transparency, and repeal costly mandates:
Immediate Ratepayer Relief
Cost Transparency
Repeal Green Energy Mandates
