Village Election Day is Wednesday,  March 18 

Voting is 12-Noon until 9pm.  Bath Village Mayor Mike Sweet and Bath Village trustees Melonie Coots and Jim Spencer are all running on the Republican line.  

In Hammondsport, Democrats Jason McCloud and Deborah Lynch are running for two open village trustee seats.  Voting in Hammondsport is at the Fred and Harriet Taylor Library. 

In Savona, Village Trustee Democrat Jessica Stevens is seeking reelection and Democrat Duane Basch is also running for the Chris McCann trustee seat.  They say that McCann is not seeking reelection. Voting is at Savona Village Hall. 

In Cohocton, the two village trustee candidates are Kathryn Gray and Matthew McCarthy and there are two seats up, in Cohocton.   Voting is at the Village Hall.  

In Wayland, you vote at the Wayland Village Hall and there’s a trustee race between David Pragle and David Stevens.  Also in Wayland, Melonie Coley is running unopposed. 

In Addison, voting is at the Community Center.  The candidates running in Addison are Lorne Hults and Richard Cilino.  

In Painted Post, Mayor Ralph Foster is running again.  In Painted Post you vote at the Village Hall.   

In Avoca, there are no races.  However, Avoca is having a special election day on May 1 for a village trustee’s race.

 

School Started A Little Bit Later Than Usual Today

Many local schools began after a two hour delay this morning.  That is because of the snow/sleet.  

In other news, Friday, March 21, is a half-day for students at the VEW School in Bath.  That’s because of parent-teacher conferences. 

Also, local schools are giving students the day off on Monday of next week – March 30, that’s because there’s a school superintendents day next Monday. 

 

Bath Police Charge Two Suspects After Fatal O.D.

 

 

Accusations Of Welfare Fraud Around Steuben County

Steuben County Sheriff Jim Allard reports that on March 2, 2026, Investigators of the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office arrested Abagale Croft, age 27, of West First Street, Corning, New York. It is alleged that on 8/6/25, 10/17/25 and 12/13/25, Ms. Croft offered a false instrument for filing to the Steuben County Department of Social Services and received benefits from the Steuben County Department of Social Services that she was not eligible to receive. Ms. Croft is charged with Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a class E Felony. Ms. Croft was released on an Appearance Ticket to return to the Village of Bath Court.

Sheriff Allard thanks the Steuben County Department of Social Services Fraud and Legal Affairs Unit, and the District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in this investigation.

Sheriff Jim Allard also reports that on March 4, 2026, Investigators of the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office arrested Shane Fox, age 46, Bath, New York. It is alleged that from 8/23/25 to 8/24/25, Mr. Fox used another person’s EBT card to purchase items without permission. Mr. Fox is charged with Petit Larceny and Misuse of Food Stamps. Mr. Fox was released on an Appearance Ticket to appear in the Village of Bath Court.

Sheriff Allard thanks the Steuben County Department of Social Services Fraud and Legal Affairs Unit, and the District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in this investigation.

 

Sheriff Allard's Monthly Newsletter

Tis a grand and fine day in Steuben County on this, Saint Patrick’s Day.  Although we had tree seasons in tree hours last evening, our County is a sure glorious beauty!  On this Saint Patrick’s Day, may the road rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back.  May the sun shine warm upon your face, the rains fall soft upon your fields, and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand.

Our agency reorganization continues, with Sergeant Matt Sorge chosen to be promoted to Lieutenant on April 8th.  Matt has run our Civil Division for the past 14 years and is recognized around the state for his professionalism and attention to detail.  He has successfully managed the Civil Division Office, Civil Division Accreditation, School Resource Deputy program, Sex Offender Registry, Car Seat Technician program and Bicycle Patrol for our agency.  I have every confidence that he is up to the challenge of Patrol Lieutenant.  Next up is Patrol Sergeant interviews, and we are fortunate to have many qualified candidates to choose from. 

February was a hard month for our neighbors at 911.  Deputy Director Nick Snyder left this world as a young man with a bright future.  His brothers and sisters at both 911 and the Atlanta Hatch Hose Fire Company will miss him greatly.  He was a great public safety partner and the loss of his leadership will be felt in our county.   

February brought another busy month for our agency.  We swore in a new SRO for the Corning Painted Post District, retired Deputy Michelle Weldon.  Sergeant Sorge and Deputy Butler taught another Boater Safety Course.  In the Corrections Division, the part time Basic Academy concluded their classroom portion and transitioned to defensive tactics. The full time Basic Academy began on February 24th and have so far completed their initial PT exam along with classroom courses in Ethics in Law Enforcement, Special Needs Inmates, Sexual Misconduct, First Aid/CPR, Legal Issues, Stress Management and Essential Services. They have also begun their daily Defensive Tactics training. There are 5 cadets from Steuben County, Corrections Officers Campbell, Cupp, Derby, Maddux and Pruden.  One cadet is from Schuyler County, CO Cook.  Sergeants Erskine, Gardiner, Valentine and Waight completed the DCJS Principled Policing Course.  Lieutenant Thompson and Sergeant Valentine completed the Fire Safety Inspections for Correctional Facilities course.  Major Sutton and Captain Mills completed the Guardian Leadership Course.  Deputies Schafer and Henry completed the DCJS Defensive Tactics Instructor Course.  Deputy McCoy attended the CPASS School Resource Officer Conference.  Deputy Saltsman completed the Property and Evidence Room Manager training. 

Captain Mills was interviewed and featured in a case study as an example of efficient jail management and operations using technology.  Sheriff Allard attended the National Sheriff’s Association Conference and met with DEA Administrator Terry Cole to discuss trends in narcotics in the Southern Tier.  Sheriff Allard issued the NYS Sheriff’s Institute Civil Deputy of the Year Award to Chief Civil Deputy Jesse Genter of the Broome County Sheriff’s Office.  Sheriff Allard also delivered the keynote address at the Hornell Lincoln Day Dinner and was interviewed on “Frankly Speaking” and “The Pulse” with Mayor Buckley. 

           

All of our deputies and officers performed in an outstanding fashion, and we received multiple commendations from the public regarding their outstanding performance. 

We continue to pray for our first responder colleagues and deployed military across the globe, as well as their families.  We also pray for the victims of mass casualty events and state sponsored aggression.  Thank you for supporting the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office in these challenging times and stay safe!

Steuben County Sheriff Jim Allard