Father And Son Charged After An Alleged Domestic Incident In The Town Of Cameron on Saturday

From Steuben Co Sheriff Jim Allard: 

Steuben County Sheriff Jim Allard reports that on April 5, 2025, Deputies of the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office arrested Dakota J.L. Barber, age 22, and Herbert L. Barber, age 48, both of Upper Swale Road, Cameron, New York, following a reported altercation and assault in Cameron. It is alleged that both Mr. Barbers struck and kicked another person causing serious physical injury. The victim was transported to a local medical facility for treatment. Mr. Dakota Barber was charged with Assault in the Second Degree, a class D Felony. Mr. Herbert Barber was charged with Assault in the Second Degree, a class D Felony and Resisting Arrest. Both Mr. Barbers were arraigned in the Centralized Arraignment Court and released.

 

Sheriff Allard: We Need More Deputies In Steuben County

Sheriff Jim Allard put out a request yesterday, for the county to consider hiring 13 additional deputies, a chief deputy, and two new sgts, over a five year period, at a cost of $3,000,000 dollars, over that five years.  The sheriff says, crime is up, there are less law enforcement officers and steuben county is a very large place.  Allard also says, there are less full time police departments around, and that he frequently is asked by town officials, to assign more deputies to patrol an area.

 

The County Is Making Plans On How To Replace Steuben County Sheriff's Investigator Don Lewis, Who Took A Job As Bath Police Chief Last Month

Hornell, Corning and Bath might be getting together on a joint agreement on fire investigations.  This is a topic which was discussed at the Steuben County Public Safety and Corrections meeting on Monday.  Officials say , the new Bath Police Chief Don Lewis, was the long time county sheriff’s department fire investigator and the county needs to find a way to replace Lewis as fire investigator.  That’s according to SteubenCounty Public Safety Director Tim Marshall.

 

Gillibrand And Tenney, Their Finger Lakes Legislation

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney is and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand are both working on bills to make the Finger Lakes a national heritage area.  Getting a region named as a national heritage area is said to help with tourism.  “Home to beautiful landscapes, rich history, and thriving small businesses, the Finger Lakes are a national treasure,” said Senator Gillibrand. “In recognition of all that this area has to offer, I’m leading the push to designate the region as a National Heritage Area. This designation will promote tourism, create jobs, conserve natural resources, and make sure local communities have what they need to thrive for years to come. I am proud to introduce this bill alongside my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, and I am committed to getting it signed into law.”

 

Ed VanStine: NYS Cannot Afford Electric School Buses

As New York moves forward with its ambitious mandate to require electric school buses by 2035, it is clear that this is a financial gamble that risks devastating local school districts, particularly in rural areas. While the intention to reduce emissions and embrace clean energy is noble, the practical realities of this mandate—especially the costs, technology limitations, and infrastructure challenges—make it a burdensome, unfeasible plan. It’s time to hit the brakes on this mandate before it drives local school districts into financial ruin.
The Eye-Watering Costs
Let’s begin with the numbers. The cost of a single electric school bus can easily exceed $400,000—a stark contrast to the roughly $100,000 price tag of a traditional diesel bus. For districts across the state, including rural areas already facing tight budgets, this represents a massive financial burden. When you factor in the thousands of buses required to replace New York’s current fleet, we are talking about a price tag of between $8 billion and $15.25 billion—and that’s just for the buses themselves.
This doesn’t even take into account the costs of charging infrastructure, facility upgrades, and the electric grid improvements required to support these buses. According to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), even with federal and state funding, local school districts will be left with a staggering share of these costs, which will inevitably be passed on to local taxpayers. School districts simply don’t have the budget to shoulder this kind of financial burden. The state is forcing districts to make huge, unfunded investments without providing adequate financial support or infrastructure.
The Infrastructure Deficit
Electric buses are not just expensive—they require a completely different infrastructure to function properly. The charging stations alone could cost millions of dollars to install. For rural school districts, where infrastructure is already lacking, the costs to build out a comprehensive charging network could run into the billions. These districts already struggle with outdated facilities and limited resources. Expecting them to develop the necessary charging infrastructure without significant state support is not just impractical—it’s nearly impossible.
The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) has warned that transitioning to electric buses could place undue stress on the state’s already overburdened electric grid, especially in rural areas that are more susceptible to power outages. The grid wasn’t designed to handle this level of demand, and unless significant investments are made to modernize the system, the shift to electric buses could exacerbate existing energy reliability problems.
Furthermore, battery charging times are a key issue. A standard electric school bus can take 8-12 hours to fully charge, depending on the power supply. That’s a huge logistical problem when you have a fleet of buses that need to be ready for morning pick-up and afternoon drop-off. Rural districts, where distances between schools and charging stations are longer, are particularly vulnerable to these inefficiencies.
The Technology Isn’t Ready
Electric school buses, while promising, are not yet reliable enough for widespread use, particularly in rural districts. According to the American School Bus Council, while electric buses have been successfully used in some urban areas, rural school districts face unique challenges. Long routes, steep terrain, and harsh winters all present serious issues for electric buses, which are known to have reduced battery life in cold temperatures.
In many rural areas, school buses drive 60-100 miles per day, with frequent stops along the way. During colder months, electric buses can experience a 40% reduction in range—a substantial issue when these buses need to cover large, remote areas. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that, while electric vehicle battery technology has improved, it is still far from the point where it can consistently meet the needs of rural school routes without running the risk of running out of power mid-route.
Moreover, the safety and reliability of electric buses have yet to be proven in real-world, widespread applications. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has not yet conducted comprehensive reviews of electric school buses, and concerns about their ability to meet the stringent safety standards of traditional buses remain unanswered. Given the untested nature of this technology, pushing districts into adopting electric buses before they’re fully ready puts our children at risk.
A Strain on Rural Taxpayers
The most pressing concern, however, is the impact this mandate will have on local taxpayers. As Assemblyman Phil Palmesano has pointed out, this mandate represents a classic case of an unfunded mandate—a policy imposed by the state without the necessary funding to implement it. The cost to implement this mandate will fall on local school districts, which will be forced to raise property taxes to cover the additional costs. For rural areas already struggling with high taxes and low resources, this could be the breaking point.
Palmesano has also highlighted the disparity between how state agencies and school districts are treated under this mandate. While school districts are required to transition their fleets by 2035, the state itself won’t be required to fully convert its own heavy-duty vehicle fleet until 2040—five years after schools are mandated to comply. This raises serious questions about the fairness of the mandate. If the state recognizes that it will take time for its own fleet to make the transition, why should school districts be forced to lead the charge?
The Need for a Rational Approach
The state’s push for electric school buses, while well-intentioned, is nothing more than a costly experiment that hasn’t been properly vetted. We need a cost, feasibility, and safety analysis before moving forward. The state should not be forcing local districts to take on a massive financial burden for a technology that is not yet ready to be deployed on a wide scale.
Instead of rushing into a full-scale mandate, the state should allow districts to choose when and how they adopt electric school buses based on their specific needs and resources. Rural districts, in particular, should have the option to delay adoption until the technology is proven and the infrastructure is in place to support it. The state should lead by example, fully transitioning its own fleet first, and only then should local districts be asked to follow suit.
It’s time to reconsider this mandate. The economic, logistical, and technological challenges are too great to ignore. Forcing rural districts to make this transition prematurely will only lead to chaos, increased costs, and unnecessary risks. We need to slow down, conduct thorough research, and ensure that any transition to electric school buses is done in a way that is financially viable and technologically sound—not based on political ambition.
It’s time for Albany to pump the brakes on this electric school bus mandate. The children of New York deserve better than to be used as guinea pigs for an unproven, financially reckless plan.