Bath Police Stop-DWI Campaign Starts Next Week

The Village of Bath Police Department will be taking part in a statewide STOP DWI St Patrick's Day High Visibility Campaign.  The statewide STOP DWI St Patrick's Day High Visibility Campaign starts March 13 and runs through March 18.

Spaghetti Dinner In Addison Next Month 

 

Catholic Charities Job Fair Is Going On Today

Assemblyman Phil Palmesano: We Need More Funding For Upstate Roads, Streets And Highways 

At the state capital in Albany on Wednesday, dozens of highway employees attended a rally about getting more funding from the state, for road, street, highway and bridge repairs. Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R, Corning) addresses this, in this video.

 

Senator Schumer: Big Flats Social Security Office Might Close Because Of DOGE Cuts In Washington  DC

After ‘DOGE’ placed the Big Flats Social Security Administration office on a list of leases to be terminated, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today demanded answers for the thousands of Southern Tier seniors and families who rely on this office for their hard-earned Social Security checks and administrative assistance. This comes as the new administration has proposed massive cuts —more than 7,000 people— in the Social Security Administration across the country, which would radically diminish service, responsiveness and timeliness of benefit delivery and processing.

“The Big Flats Social Security office is the only location in Chemung County, and with no clarity about the future of the office’s over a dozen employees or assurances about continuity of operations for the Southern Tier local residents deserve answers and – above all – they deserve an open office that continues to provide vital in-person services,” said Schumer.

“Social Security allows seniors in New York and across the country to retire in dignity and provides vital support for those who become disabled, and tens of millions of seniors, families, and children depend on these hard-earned benefits. Closing the Big Flats Social Security office could result in untenable reductions in local staff, and will make it harder for New Yorkers to get the benefits they are owed and deserve,” said Senator Schumer. “Social Security is a lifeline and we can’t have it cut. That’s why I’m demanding answers on why this office was listed for closure and to ensure Southern Tier residents can access their hard-earned Social Security benefits uninterrupted.”

“The potential closure of our local Social Security office would have a significant impact on Chemung County’s older and most vulnerable adults, many of whom rely on in-person services and have limited access to transportation,” said Chemung County Dept. of Aging & Long Term Care Director Beth Stranges. “This decision would create unnecessary barriers, increasing the already lengthy wait times and reducing access to the vital resources that our most vulnerable residents, which include our friends, neighbors, parents, grandparents, and many children, depend on. We must continue to advocate to keep access to these essential services within our county to ensure all older adults receive the access to support they need without added hardship.”

“The lack of information from this Administration on the closing of the Big Flats Office is frightening. Our employees show up to work each day looking to help their community and provide these much-needed services, now they have been left in the dark,” said Shawn Halloran AFGE Local President 3342. “Closing this office can have devasting impacts on the workforce and the ability to provide assistance to local residents. This entire situation has been cruel and stressful.”

Schumer said this follows the alarming pattern of abrupt SSA office closures across New York State. Last month, the White Plains office was placed on a list of office spaces for potential sale, and earlier this week, the Poughkeepsie office was placed on a similar list as well. Local Social Security offices offer a full range of Social Security services, including applying for new or replacement Social Security cards, applying for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits, making changes to your benefits information and more. In rural communities like Chemung County, having local access to their hard earned benefits is crucial for Southern Tier seniors and their families.

Social Security has been a crucial piece of the social safety net since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the law creating it in 1935, and it was designed to be self-sufficient. It has a dedicated revenue source from payroll taxes, which workers split with their employers. In a letter to Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration LeLand Dudek, Schumer demanded answers about the sudden closures across New York State and the future of the SSA office in Big Flats. Schumer expressed concerns that these sudden closures mean tens of millions of Americans who depend on Social Security could be in serious trouble.

Amid Elon Musk’s comments that Social Security is a scam and a “ponzi scheme,” Schumer warned that Americans’ social security payments are under attack by ’ Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. DOGE’s online “wall of receipts” lists office leases that it plans to cancel, including Social Security Administration offices in New York. This is the second federal office in the Southern Tier affected after job cuts were issued by DOGE at the Bath Veterans Affairs facility.

 

GOP House Members Continue To Support Prison Guards

Republican Congresswoman Claudia Tenney and Congressman Nick Langworthy and other House Republicans from New York State, signed a resolution in support of corrections officers.  Also, Republican Congressman Nick Langworthy’s sent a letter to Democrat Governor Kathy Hochul, asking her to stop being so hard on prison guards. 

 

Senator Gillibrand: Update On Bird Flu

As avian flu rages across the country and drives up the cost of eggs, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand held a virtual press conference calling on the Trump administration to take action to develop and approve a vaccine for poultry and contain the outbreak.

Bird flu has been found in 44 of New York’s 62 counties and has forced farmers to cull more than 150 million birds around the country, including 100,000 at one farm on Long Island alone. A new strain of the disease has been found in cattle; its spread would be devastating to New York’s dairy farmers and could pose a serious threat to human health if the strain continues to evolve.

Nevertheless, the Trump administration has stopped releasing crucial data on the spread of bird flu and has fired federal workers responsible for tracking cases and managing the federal response. Gillibrand is calling on the administration to take action to address the outbreak and support the development and approval of a vaccine to bring down egg prices, reduce the need to depopulate flocks, and safeguard public health. 

“Avian flu is decimating bird populations, and the subsequent shortage of egg-laying hens is making eggs unaffordable for working New Yorkers,” said Senator Gillibrand. “President Trump must act now to contain this outbreak. I am urging him to do everything in his power to prioritize the development of a vaccine to inoculate chickens against avian flu and fulfill his campaign promise to bring down grocery prices. I am alarmed that the administration limited the data shared with the scientific community and am urging full transparency. This deadly disease requires a whole of government response to be enacted immediately.”