Photos by Tom Rivers: A road is plowed in Mount Albion on Wednesday, where the historic cemetery remains popular for walkers despite the bitter cold temperatures.

It is going to be brutally cold this weekend. The National Weather Service has issued an extreme cold watch for Orleans County and Western New York from late Friday night (1 a.m. Saturday) until 10 a.m. on Sunday.

There will be dangerously cold wind chills as low as 25 below zero with the coldest wind chills late Friday night through Saturday, the Weather Service said. Those wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 15 minutes.

Today is forecast for a high of 22 with an overnight low of 13, followed by a high of 27 on Friday. The temperature then drops to 0 on Friday night with a high near 8 on Saturday with the overnight low of 1 on Saturday night.

The highs will then be 13 on Sunday, 24 on Monday and 28 on Tuesday.

The graves at the companion veterans’ section are covered in snow at Mount Albion Cemetery on Wednesday.

‘Keep What You Have Earned’ legislative package includes largest Middle-Class tax cut in NY history

Press Release, NYS Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt

Provided photo: State Sen. Rob Ortt speaks today at a news conference in Albany when the Republican Conference unveiled a plan for tax relief to all New Yorkers.

ALBANY – Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt and other members of the Senate Republican Conference have proposed a “Keep What You Have Earned” legislative package that, if passed, would deliver real tax relief to all New Yorkers.

One of the key proposals, S.9110 introduced by Senator Steve Rhoads, would deliver $37 billion in state income tax relief to New Yorkers, the largest middle-class tax cut in New York State history.

Over a ten-year period, the proposal would eliminate state personal income tax on the first $50,000 of income for single filers and the first $100,000 for joint filers. New Yorkers that file jointly would see an estimated savings of up to $6,000 once fully phased in. This applies to all New Yorkers, not just those falling at or below a certain threshold.

“The average New York family is barely getting by, and that’s the main reason so many people have been fleeing this state,” said Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt. “We lead the nation in outmigration and taxes, and that’s nothing to be proud of. Instead of ignoring these important issues and increasing taxes and state spending, the Senate Republican conference is offering a realistic approach to save New York and make life more affordable.”

Keep What You’ve Earned Legislative Package includes:

• S.9110 (Rhoads) – “The Taxpayer Rescue Plan” is aimed at providing much needed tax relief to hardworking New Yorkers. Eliminate state personal income tax on first $50,000 for single filers and $100,000 for married filing jointly. Lower the tax rate to 4% for single filers up to $250,000 and $500,000 for married filing jointly. This proposal would provide a personal income tax cut for all New Yorkers. Any single filer making $50,000 or less and couples making $100,000 or less would no longer pay any state income tax. The proposal provides $37 billion in tax relief to New York residents over its 10-year implementation without having to cut funding from vital state programs as its cost would be absorbed through natural growth of the economy.
• S.1296 (Borrello) – Establishes an annual spending growth cap on the State Budget that limits the growth of state operating funds spending.
• S.1308 (Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick) – Requires a two-thirds vote from each house of the State Legislature to impose or extend taxes a two-thirds vote from local legislative bodies to impose or extend local taxes, and a two-thirds vote from local legislative bodies requesting an imposition or extension of taxes by the state legislature.
• S.1487 (O’Mara) – Reduces the amount small businesses and farms must pay in taxes by increasing the corporate tax threshold from $390,000 to $500,000 and lowering the rate to 2.5%. Expands the small business exemption to all PIT businesses regardless of whether they have employees, increases the threshold to $500,000, increases the exemption to 15%, and increases the exemption to 20% for farmers.
• S.3914 (Martins) – No state income tax on overtime.
• S.5519 (Ashby) – Reduce the property tax burden on homeowners by providing for a ten-year state takeover of the local share of Medicaid for local governments subject to the two percent property tax cap.
• S.8489 (Weber) – Freezes real property taxes for three years to provide relief to New York homeowners.
• S.587 (Martins) – No state income tax on tips.

This package 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.

Josefino Paz not allowed at school after charged with 3 misdemeanors

Josefino Paz

ALBION – An English as a Second Language teacher at Albion Central School been charged with forcible touching, endangering the welfare of a child and sexual abuse in the third degree.

Josefino Paz, 58, of Brockport surrendered at the Orleans County Jail today following a criminal investigation conducted by the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Chris Bourke said.

The alleged incident involved a juvenile victim and occurred within the Town of Albion, the sheriff said.

“Due to the age of the victim, no identifying information will be released,” Bourke said.

The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office coordinated this investigation with Albion School District officials, School Resource Deputy Ashliegh Stornelli, and Sheriff’s Investigators Kevin Colonna and Devon Pahuta.

Upon becoming aware of this incident, Albion School officials removed Paz from any access to the school district property.

Paz was processed at the Orleans County Jail and held pending CAP court arraignment for the charges, which are all misdemeanors. A temporary order of protection has been issued. Additional court proceedings are pending, Bourke said.

Anyone with additional information related to this investigation is encouraged to contact the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office at 585-589-5527.

In a message sent to parents of Albion students, District Superintendent Mickey Edwards said Paz was placed on administrative leave last week when the district was told he may have been involved in a criminal incident.

Edwards said the investigation from the Sheriff’s Deartment has not found any misconduct from Paz that occurred on the school campus. The district’s attorneys are also conducting an internal investigation, Edwards said.

“The safety of Albion CSD students is always and remains a top priority,” Edwards wrote in his message. “Discussions related to student safety can be difficult to navigate with children but are important to have. District counselors and social workers, as well as Orleans County mental health counselors, are available to students and families who would like additional support processing this or any other challenging safety issue.”

Press Release, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and U.S. Representatives Steve Cohen (D-TN-9), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA-10), and Deborah Ross (D-NC-2) introduced legislation to help prevent deadly truck underride crashes.

An underride crash occurs when a car slides under a large truck, such as a semi-trailer, during an accident. When these crashes happen, a car’s safety features are rendered useless because most of the car slides under the trailer and the trailer undercarriage crashes straight through the windows and into the passengers. The passengers in the car often suffer severe head and neck injuries, including decapitation. These accidents are frequently fatal, even at low speeds.

Studies and pilot programs show that a simple barrier attached to the lower area of a truck, called an “underride guard,” would help prevent a car from sliding underneath a truck in an accident. Under current federal law, unlike the rear of a truck, underride guards are not required to be on the sides or front of trucks. The Stop Underrides Act 2.0 would expand on current restrictions by instructing rulemaking to require side underride guards on new trucks, improving data collection, and directing additional research on underride crashes.

“Truck underride guards are one of the best and easiest solutions for protecting passengers during collisions with large trucks,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The Stop Underrides Act 2.0 is commonsense legislation that will protect passengers and make our roads safer. I look forward to working across the aisle to get this passed.”

Specifically, this bill would:

• Require the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to finalize rulemaking requiring side underride guards on commercial trucks.
• Restart the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Advisory Committee on Underride Protection, to provide recommendations for how to reduce underride crashes and severe injuries and fatalities caused by underrides.
• Require the DOT to publish a website making underrides research accessible to researchers, industry, and advocates.
• Instruct the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a study on the prevalence of underride incidents, including those involving the fronts of large trucks.
• Instruct the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study of the implementation of NHTSA’s 2022 rear underride rule and provide suggestions to better improve the rule.
• Instruct NHTSA to review its Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and correct crashes in the database that should have been classified as an underride but were not.
• Instruct NHTSA to create free, on-demand web-based training for state and local law enforcement to better identify and document underride crashes.

In the Senate, the Stop Underrides Act 2.0 is cosponsored by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

This bill is supported by the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, America Walks, AnnaLeah & Mary for Truck Safety, Cascade Bicycle Club, Casey Feldman Foundation, Center for Auto Safety, EndDistractedDriving.org, Families for Safe Streets, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, League of American Bicyclists, Institute for Safer Trucking, Kids and Car Safety, Ride Illinois, Ride of Silence, Road Safe America, Sylvia Bingham Fund, Safe Routes Partnership, Stop Underrides, and Truck Safety Coalition.

Counties don’t want to be hit by federal cuts and cost shifts, especially with SNAP

Press Release, NYS Association of Counties

ALBANY – County leaders and officials from across New York State convened at the State Capitol on Tuesday for the New York State Association of Counties’ annual County Advocacy Day, meeting with state legislative leaders to advance shared priorities impacting counties and the communities they serve.

County officials held meetings with the Senate and Assembly leadership, including the Chairs of the Assembly and Senate Committees on Local Government, as well as numerous state legislators representing NYSAC member counties. Discussions focused on counties’ legislative concerns and NYSAC’s 2026 Legislative Program priorities and county-specific concerns affecting residents statewide.

“Counties are where state policy meets real life,” said NYSAC President and Oswego County Administrator Phil Church. “Counties are in Albany to ensure that our partners at the state level understand what we need to continue providing the essential services New Yorkers rely on while also protecting local taxpayers.”

During the meetings, county leaders emphasized the importance of infrastructure investment, government modernization and efficiency, workforce expansion, and systems reforms to keep New York affordable while maintaining essential services.

A central focus of this year’s advocacy was the need to hold counties harmless from the impact of federal funding cuts and cost shifts, particularly proposed changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that could significantly increase local administrative costs and compliance burdens.

“When federal actions shift costs or impose new requirements, counties are often left to manage the consequences,” said NYSAC President Phil Church. “We’re urging the state to work with counties to protect local taxpayers and preserve the vital services that keep our communities strong.”

NYSAC Executive Director Stephen Acquario underscored the bipartisan and statewide nature of the advocacy effort.

“County leaders from around the state came to Albany speaking with one unified voice,” Acquario said. “Strong state–county partnerships are essential to maintaining the services and programs that residents rely on every day, from public safety and infrastructure to health and human services.”

County Advocacy Day highlighted the role counties play as the primary implementers of state and federal policy, often with limited flexibility and significant fiscal exposure. NYSAC leaders stressed that proactive collaboration with counties can help the state achieve policy goals more effectively while keeping communities affordable and resilient.

NYSAC will continue working with state leaders throughout the legislative session to advance solutions that strengthen counties, protect taxpayers, and ensure local governments have the tools they need to succeed.