Wednesday is the first day of school for many Southern Tier students.

Most of the local school districts begin classes for K-12 students Wednesday, with the exception of a few that begin on Thursday.

Teachers were busy Tuesday in their beginning of the year meetings with administrators and their department members.

As the school year begins, police are reminding motorists to make sure to stop for school buses, both in the morning and afternoon. Also, make sure to watch your speed while traveling through school zones.

Pennsylvania students started back last week.

Village of Owego trustees are expected to discuss a plan Tuesday night to construct a sewage compost facility on the south side of the village.

The planning board said no to a village request to use eight acres of land next to the wastewater plant off Route 17. The compost facility would convert extra sewage to sludge, a substance used for gardening and landscaping.

The village believes it would help make space, especially during the winter months.

Trustees could vote to re-zone the land as industrial Tuesday, or elect to purchase land to create the compost facility.

Neighbors along Route 434 have opposed the village’s plans.

Trustees are also expected to discuss whether or not they will use a grant they received for work at the historic Evergreen Cemetery.

The village board meeting begins at 7pm at the DPW building on Elm Street.

Binghamton Police are still looking for the man who robbed a convenience store in the city early Sunday morning.

Police say the man entered the Xtra Mart on Court Street around 12:30am. He showed a knife to the clerk and demanded money.

The man fled on foot after receiving an undisclosed amount of cash. He was last seen running eastbound on Court Street.

The robber is described as a white man in his 30s, around 5 foot 8 inches tall and 200 pounds.

Anyone with information is asked to call Binghamton Police at 772-7080.

Police have made an arrest in connection with another armed robbery that was reported Sunday.

49-year-old Salvatore Neglia is accused of robbing a pedestrian with a pellet gun around 3:30am. It happened at the corner of Main and Edwards Streets.

Police recovered the stolen cash and credit cards from Neglia. He is now charged with robbery.

The owner of a Watkins Glen marina was killed in a boating accident over the weekend.

Dive teams recovered the body of 44-year-old Donald Roberts, Jr. Sunday on Seneca Lake. Roberts owned the Glen Harbor Marina.

He was on the water Saturday with his mechanic, 34-year-old Frank Carson. The two were testing a speed boat that had just come back from performance tuning in Lake George.

According to police, the boat was going between 70 and 80 miles per hour when it suddenly veered hard to the right. The two men, who were not wearing life vests, were ejected.

Carson was rescued and is now recovering at home.

An Elmira teen has died from injuries he sustained in a hit-and-run accident last week.

Police say 18-year-old Timothy Olson was struck on Tuesday night while skateboarding near Elmira Free Academy. He passed away from his injuries on Friday.

Witnesses told police the driver of the car never slowed down after hitting Olson. They are still looking for a gold or tan-colored sporty sedan with front-end damage.

The 2010 high school football season begins Friday night on WEBO.

The Owego Indians will host Section 4’s newest powerhouse, the Corning Hawks at Christy J. Valvo Stadium.

The Indians are coming off back-to-back 4-5 seasons. Their Class B division includes Johnson City, Dryden and Waverly this year.

They face a tough test with Corning, which was formed when East and West merged in June, making them the biggest school in Section 4’s Class AA. The Trojans and Vikings were the two best teams in Class A last year.

Coverage of Friday’s game will begin at 6:45 on 1330AM, 107.9FM and on this website (Click on the Listen Live Button).

This is our fifth year broadcasting Owego football on WEBO.

Three different events will be held in the Southern Tier this weekend to mark the end of the summer.

Rudin’s Olde Tyme Farm Days begin today on Gaskill Road in Owego.

Central New York’s largest farm heritage festival will run through Sunday. Several events are planned including two concerts: Bucky Moon tonight and Susie McEntire tomorrow.

Visit www.rudindays.com for a full schedule.

Also starting today is the Johnson City Field Days.

Food, fun and amusement rides will be going at Northside Park through Monday night. The Field Days will run from 6 to 11pm Friday as well as noon to 11 on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Admission is free.

Nichols will hold their annual Old Home Day on Monday.

The event includes a parade in the morning.

Just a programming note, the WEBO offices will be closed on Monday in observance of Labor Day.

The WEBO Morning Show and local news will return on Tuesday.

Police are considering a Bradford County woman’s death suspicious.

The body of 49-year-old Patricia Hoagland of Towanda was found at the Lamoka Swimming Area in Franklin Township on Thursday.

Pennsylvania State Police suspect foul play. No other details have been released.

Anyone with information about Hoagland is asked to call state police at 570-265-2186.

A Binghamton University professor has been arrested for falsifying business records.

Seshu Desu has been charged with a felony. BU officials say his arrest comes after an audit revealed he had been lying to officials about travel receipts and reimbursements for several years.

Desu is the Executive Director of the Center for Autonomous Solar Power at the university and a former dean of the Thomas J. Watson school of Engineering and Applied Science.

New York State University Police are continuing to investigate the case and say more charges are pending.

The university has reassigned Desu while they conduct their own investigation.

It was an amazing scene in Ithaca Thursday when a dump truck went off the road, rolled over two vehicles and slammed into a building.

Police say the truck was carrying a load of gravel down East State Street towards the Commons around 3:30pm. The driver lost control, sending the dump truck through traffic, over the two cars and into the side of the Community School of Music and Arts.

Only the driver of the dump truck was injured, although police do not believe his injuries are life-threatening. It took 20 minutes to get him out of the busted cab.

The Music and Arts building was evacuated. Only its façade was damaged.

Police are still investigating what caused the driver to lose control.

The search continues today for an Elmira Heights man who was last seen on Tuesday.

48-year-old Randy Nichols is a husband, father and grandfather. Nichols left his home on Tuesday, saying he was going to meet up with his mother, but he never did. He was also supposed to work that night, but did not show for his shift. Family and friends say it is not like him to disappear.

Randy’s wife says the man is mentally stable and did not seem to be acting any different on Tuesday. Randy Nichols was last seen wearing dark blue jeans, a light grey t-shirt and black sneakers. If you have any information, call Elmira Heights police at 607-733-6580.

A court hearing to discuss the code violations in the NYPenn Trade Center was adjourned Wednesday.

Attorneys for the owners of the former Johnson City High School asked for the court date to be postponed. The building is facing many long-standing code violations, including a non-working boiler and a defective sprinkler system. Southside Storage has been given two weeks to fix all the problems or else the building will be shut down.

Many of the small business owners who rent space in the building are already moving out, convinced that the issues won’t be resolved.

A new court date has not been set. Southside Storage filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last year.

The case of a Broome County Sheriff’s Deputy who is accused of exposing himself will go before a jury.

33-year-old John Goodwin is facing two counts of public lewdness. Investigators say the married father or two acted in an indecent manner in the front window of his house, in full view of his neighbors.

The incident happened in October of last year.

Goodwin is a deputy in the highway patrol division. He has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the trial.

A pre-trial hearing was held Wednesday in the Kirkwood Town Court. No date has been set for the trial to begin.

Former professional baseball players and golfers will team up Thursday to raise money for local charities.

The 9th annual Jim “Mudcat” Grant All-Star Golf Tournament will be held at the Links at Hiawatha Landing in Apalachin. 32 celebrities will tee it up, including the 75-year-old Grant and the other members of the “Black Aces,” African-American pitchers who won at least 20 games in one season.

All money raised from the tournament will go to the Broome County Urban League, the Binghamton Boys and Girls Club, Broome County Catholic Charities and CHOW.

The Village of Owego Planning Board has said no to a village request to re-zone land in order to create a Sewage Compost Facility.

The village’s Waste and Water Facility wants to use eight acres to build the facility next to its building off Route 17. The compost facility would convert extra sewage to sludge, a substance used for gardening and landscaping.

The village believes it would help make space, especially during the winter months.

The issue will go before the Village Board next week. Trustees could vote to re-zone the land as industrial or elect to purchase land to create the compost facility.

The village board will meet at the DPW building on Elm Street at 7pm Tuesday.

It’s official. The EPA will hold hearings on hydrofracking at the Forum Theatre in Binghamton this month.

The EPA will hold four hearings over two days, Sept. 13 and 15. The hearings will run from noon to 4pm and from 6 to 10pm both days.

Thousands of people are expected to show up for the two-day event. Washington Street will be closed for rallies and protests. Binghamton Police will provide security.

County officials say the meeting will cost anywhere between $23,000 to $28,000, but the EPA is picking up the tab. They are also covering the cost of Binghamton Police.

Broome County owns the Forum Theatre.

18 people were left homeless after a fire at a Binghamton apartment building Tuesday.

Around 4pm, city firefighters were called to 44 Griswold Street. Chief Dan Thomas says they found heavy fire in the first floor of the building but were able to knock it down relatively quickly.

All of the building’s residents made it out safely, but two of them were treated for smoke inhalation.

Chief Thomas believes the fire started in a first floor kitchen. An exact cause is under investigation.

The nine adults and nine children who lived in the building are receiving help from the Red Cross.

New laws took effect today for teen drivers in New York State.

Drivers that are 18 and under can now only have one non-family passenger in their car. Another law will force all new drivers under the age of 19 to complete a state-approved driver education course and 50 hours of supervised driving before receiving their permanent license.

State officials hope the stricter laws will make sure teen drivers receive the experience they need before driving on their own.

16 and 17-year-old drivers were blamed for 20 percent of the state’s total motor vehicle accidents last year. They only make up 12 percent of the state’s driver population.

A big shoe that was made by Endicott Johnson workers in the 1930s has been returned to the area.

Local EJ workers made the 250-pound shoe as a promotional gimmick. It was found this year in a warehouse at the Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum in Orlando, FL.

Ithaca Police Lt. Vincent Monticello and cobbler Ed Volpicelli were instrumental in bringing the shoe back to the area. Monticello discovered the steel-frame, leather lace-up shoe and Volpicelli restored it over two days with an old leather jacket and two cans of shoe polish.

The EJ shoe will be unveiled sometime in October at the Goodwill Theatre in Johnson City. It will also be included in the village’s Columbus Day Parade.

The NYPenn Trade Center is just weeks away from being shut down for code violations.

Johnson City has given building owner Southside Storage until Sept. 15 to fix several problems at the site. The building has been without heat or hot water since the boiler quit working in February. Another problem is the sprinkler system, which the fire department says is not working properly.

Southside Storage has a village court date Wednesday to talk about those and other code infractions.

The former Johnson City High School re-opened as the NYPenn Trade Center 20 years ago with the aim to be a hub for new businesses.

It has gone downhill since Southside Storage took over. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last November and the number of tenants at the building has dwindled from 70 to just over 20.

Broome County’s Executive says they are close to securing a hearing on natural gas drilling.

Specific contract details are still being ironed out, but Barbara Fiala says the EPA will hold a hearing on hydrofracking at the Forum Theater. The date of the hearing is being withheld as the Environmental Protection Agency works out security issues with Binghamton Police.

The EPA had previously said they hoped to hold the meeting in mid-September.

The public hearing was originally scheduled at Binghamton University this month, but was moved to Syracuse and then finally postponed. Both those for and against drilling have been pushing to hold the meeting locally.

The Vestal Town Board is considering a proposal that would provide health insurance coverage to adult children of employees.

Right now, children of employees receive coverage up to age 21, but only if they are enrolled in college. Town officials say a handful of employees have children who are 18 or 19 that are currently not covered by the town’s health insurance.

Their new proposal would cover all children of employees up to the age of 26. It is modeled after the Federal Health Care Reform Act, which will mandate coverage for those up to the age of 26 by April 1st of next year.

Providing the extra coverage would of course increase the costs of health insurance in the Vestal budget. The town board says they will revisit the proposal at a work session on Sept. 13.

The search is back on for Binghamton University’s next president.

Classes began at BU Monday. Now that the school year is officially underway, the search committee says it will begin actively reviewing applicants, relying on faculty from across the country to recommend suitable candidates.

The committee hopes to pare down the field to about a dozen applicants this fall and then conduct off-site interviews. They want to have the college’s next president in place by the end of the year.

Peter Magrath is serving as interim president until a permanent replacement is named.

A Bradford County speech pathologist has been accused of cheating Medicaid out of more than $360,000.

Peter Ferrulli appeared in court Monday for a preliminary hearing. He is charged with 114 total counts of Medicaid Fraud. Investigators say Ferrulli admitted to billing Medicaid for appointments that patients canceled, appointments he canceled and even times when he was on vacations and cruises.

Ferrulli owns Spectrum Therapeutic Services in Wysox. He was arrested this month and is being held in the Bradford County Jail in lieu of $200,000 bail.

Each of the fraud counts carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.

A construction worker at Binghamton University was hurt in a fall this morning.

Shortly after 8am, school officials say the man was working on one of the new dorms at the campus, the Bingham Building 2, when he lost his footing on the roof and fell several feet before his safety harness engaged. BU spokesman Ryan Yarosh says the harness spared the man from serious injuries.

The unidentified worker, from Apple Roofing in Syracuse, was transported to Binghamton General Hospital for evaluation. Meanwhile, work has resumed on the five-story dorm building.

Bingham 2 is next door to Delaware Hall, where six workers from Apple Roofing were injured in a scaffolding collapse on June 2.

The dorm project is scheduled for completion in 2013.

State Police say alcohol was a factor in the crash that killed two people early Sunday in Owego, including a recent graduate from Owego Free Academy.

Troopers say 20-year-old Kari Bensley of Owego lost control of her vehicle around a sharp curve on the Montrose Turnpike just before 3am Sunday. The car went off the road, into a ditch and hit a tree.

Bensley was not injured, but her two passengers were killed in the crash: 23-year-old David Ammerman and 18-year-old Viviana Pena. Both were OFA graduates, including Pena who just received her diploma in June. State Police say neither of them was wearing their seatbelt.

Bensley’s birthday was Saturday, according to her Facebook page. She is now facing multiple charges, including DWI and two counts of vehicular homicide.

Over 10,000 people attended the annual Chris Thater Memorial Races this weekend in Binghamton.

Organizers say the 27th annual event was a success, with over 1,200 people competing in bicycle races and a 5K run. The races included both professional and amateur cycling events. There were also a few different musical groups, vendors, health clinics and demonstrations at Recreation Park as part of the festival.

The event is held each year to change the behaviors and attitudes about drunk driving. It is named for Chris Thater, who was killed by a drunk driver 27 years ago.

Organizers say the event continues to grow every year.

Five people were injured in a two-vehicle crash on the Vestal Parkway Sunday.

Just after 7pm, Vestal Police say a car was struck in the drivers’ side after running a red light on Murray Hill Road.

Four people were taken to Wilson Hospital while one was taken to Lourdes. Police have not identified any of the people involved, nor have they released any injury information.

The accident took around an hour to clear. Police are still investigating.

Revolutionary War re-enactors were at the Newtown Battlefield in Elmira this weekend.

This was the 231st anniversary of the 1779 battle between the Continental Army and the Indian tribes that inhabited the area. Organizers of the re-enactment say the battle at Newtown was the largest of the war’s Sullivan Campaign.

Generals Sullivan and Clinton were ordered by General Washington to march across the state, burning any Indian villages they encountered along the way. Several of the Continental soldiers involved came back to live in our area, including James McMaster, the first permanent settler of Owego.

Over 300 re-enactors took part in the three-day event.

The Village of Candor has received a state grant to help study dissolution.

The village will receive $50,000 to study the impacts of dissolving into the Town of Candor. They will form an official dissolution committee, which will work to get the study done sometime in December.

Residents will vote on whether or not to dissolve in March.

Besides village government, Candor also has a two-person police force and a volunteer fire department.

The push for dissolution has been going on in Candor for the last few years. They are the first in Tioga County to officially study dissolution.

Former University of South Florida football coach Jim Leavitt is in Owego.

Coach Leavitt met with the Owego Free Academy coaching staff for a few hours Thursday before helping out with the varsity and JV teams during a practice at night.

“Oh, it was great,” he told WEBO. “I just miss coaching, I want to coach so bad. I came in and we talked about building programs. Then we got into defense, which is my background. We also started some things in kicking, but we had to get out of there because we had to start practice. The coaches were great, when I came [out on the field], every one of the players came up and said hi, and their attitude was super, their focus was there and they worked real hard. I thought they did a great job.”

Coach Leavitt spent the last 14 years at USF after a stint as co-defensive coordinator at Kansas State with current Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops.

Owego coach Steve Virkler says he was happy to have Coach Leavitt in town.

“I think it was a great experience for all of us that were involved; from the coaching staff to the kids to the community being able to come out and meet [Coach Leavitt],” Virkler told WEBO. “It’s not every day we get to be able to have a big-time Div. I coach come and spend one-on-one time with us. We certainly appreciate him giving up his time to come up and meet with us."

Coach Leavitt will help out with Friday morning's practice before addressing the players at their annual team picnic. He will then speak to parents and community members from 12:15 to 2pm at the OAMS Auditorium. All members of the public are invited.

Owego begins their season with a scrimmage at home against Tioga Saturday at 10am. Their first regular season game is next Friday.

It’s officially back to school time for Binghamton University students.

Thursday was move-in day for freshmen. Thousands of first-year students and their families flooded the Vestal campus. Traffic was heavy as students unloaded their cars and moved into their new dorm rooms.

Resident assistants and other upperclassmen were on hand to help.

The rest of the upperclassmen return to campus Friday. Sports teams have already been practicing for the last three weeks.

Classes begin at Binghamton University on Monday.

New York’s former chief judge has recommended that criminal charges be considered against Gov. David Paterson.

Judith Kaye says the governor misled investigators about his intention to pay for tickets to last year's World Series at Yankee Stadium.

Judge Kaye’s findings back up a report first issued by the state's public integrity commission, which found that Paterson only paid for tickets used by his son and his son's friend after questions were raised by the media. Staff members ultimately paid for two other tickets.

The governor said his presence at the game was official business, so he was entitled to his seat.

The decision on whether or not to charge Gov. Paterson with perjury is now up to Albany County District Attorney David Soares. He says the matter is under consideration.

The 27th annual Chris Thater Memorial Races will be held this weekend in Binghamton.

More than 10,000 people are expected to participate in the festivities at Rec Park, including nearly 1,200 cyclists. Besides the cycling races, there is also a 5K run and a music festival, all held to change the behaviors and attitudes about drunk driving.

It is held in memory of Chris Thater, who was killed by a drunk driver. Since his death, drunk driving crashes in Broome County have been reduced by nearly 20 a year to only two last year.

This weekend’s events are all free and open to the public. For a full schedule of events, visit www.bcstopdwi.com.

Former University of South Florida football coach Jim Leavitt is in Owego for the next two days.

Coach Leavitt started the football program at USF in 1997. He led the Bulls to many successes, including a No. 2 national ranking in 2007. After meeting with Owego’s football coaches Thursday afternoon, Coach Leavitt will observe both the varsity and JV teams practice tonight from 7 to 9:15 under the lights at Christy J. Valvo Stadium. The practice is open to the public.

Coach Leavitt will then observe Friday morning’s practice before addressing the players at their annual team picnic. He will then speak to parents and community members from 12:15 to 2pm at the OAMS Auditorium. His message will be about preparing student-athletes to compete in athletics at college and recruiting.

You will hear from Coach Leavitt on Friday’s WEBO Morning Show. We hope to have him as a special guest at 8:10.

Officials from IBM and the state met Wednesday in Endicott to talk about the progress they have made in cleaning up contamination at a former dry cleaning site.

IBM says 70 percent of the contamination at the former Ideal Dry Cleaners site on North Street in Endicott has been cleaned up since 2004. The Department of Environmental Conservation now hopes to have 80 percent of the contamination cleared by 2014. DEC officials say it gets tougher as you get closer to the cleanup goal.

IBM purchased the North Street property in 1985. So far, they have paid nearly $4 million in cleanup costs.

The Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park held their annual Feast with the Beasts Wednesday.

Over 300 people attended the 19th annual event, which raises money for the non-profit zoo. Attendees were given the chance to sample some foods and wine from the area and also get a tour of the zoo.

Organizers hope to have raised more than $14,000. All of it will support general projects around the property, like those through the winter while the zoo is closed for the season.

The Binghamton Zoo opened in 1875, making it the fifth oldest in the country, behind only Philadelphia, Chicago, Cincinnati and Buffalo.

Upstate Shredding has been named the fastest growing privately held scrap metal processing company in the country.

The designation, in this month’s issue of Inc. Magazine, comes after the company experienced 186 percent growth from 2006 through 2009. Upstate’s revenue grew from $70.2 million to $201.3 million over the three-year period.

Upstate Shredding has two facilities in Owego and one each in Binghamton and Ithaca. Since 2006 it has acquired scrap metal companies in Syracuse and Jamestown and this month signed a letter of intent to acquire a scrap metal company based in Liberty, NY. In addition, the company is in the process of acquiring a new facility in Scranton, PA.

Teachers in the Vestal School District have a new contract.

After going more than a year without an agreement, the teachers’ union and the school board have agreed on a new, three-year deal. It is retroactive, giving teachers a 2.9 percent salary increase for last year and a 3.3 percent hike for this year. The 2011-12 school year increase will be negotiated next summer.

Vestal’s 370 teachers will have to pay a little more for health insurance as part of the new deal.

District leaders blame the economy for why negotiations took as long as they did. They believe the total teacher payroll will stay around $20 million per year after eliminating 41 positions in their budget for this school year.

Officials from IBM and the state will hold an open meeting Wednesday night to discuss cleanup efforts at a former dry cleaning site in Endicott.

IBM officials will meet with members of the state’s health and environmental conservation departments from 7 to 9pm in the large lecture hall at Union-Endicott High School on Main Street in Endicott.

The DEC says cleanup is nearly complete at the former Ideal Dry Cleaners site on North Street in Endicott. They have proposed a “no further action remedy,” saying its soil has been sufficiently cleaned of contamination. They will continue monitoring the site to make sure.

IBM purchased the property in 1985. They have paid nearly $4 million in cleanup costs.

The driver of a tractor-trailer was killed Tuesday night when his truck rolled over and struck a stone wall head-on.

Around 8pm, the Broome County Sheriff’s Office says a 25-year-old from Illinois was driving his rig westbound on Route 7 in the Town of Colesville. Just off a downhill stretch before Belden Manor Drive, he lost control going around a turn. Deputies say the tractor-trailer rolled over and slid on its side head-on into a railroad overpass.

The truck was carrying hundreds of cases of soda, which spilled all over the road. The stretch of Route 7 was closed for several hours for cleanup.

The Sheriff’s Office says it appears that the crash was caused by a combination of unsafe speed and a wet, slippery road.

The overpass was not damaged in the collision.

The Environmental Protection Agency says no decision has been made on where they will hold a hearing to discuss the effects of hydrofracking in natural gas drilling.

EPA officials met with Broome County and City of Binghamton leaders for more than an hour Tuesday. All the parties involved expect an announcement to be made soon.

Broome leaders have proposed two county-owned sites for the hearing, the Arena and the Forum. The EPA’s meeting was originally planned for Binghamton University but moved to Syracuse and called off due to security concerns.

Broome Executive Barbara Fiala announced last week that the EPA was looking at a two-day hearing on Sept. 13 and 14 at the Forum, but federal officials say nothing has been decided.

Both those for and against natural gas drilling say they hope the EPA will hold the hearing in Broome County, closer to the area that will be the most affected by natural gas drilling.

The new FEMA flood maps are causing some insurance headaches for residents of local municipalities.

That is especially true in Nichols, where 95 percent of the village is now considered to be in a flood plain. Every homeowner who is in a flood plain is required to purchase flood insurance, which can be costly.

Nichols is at the forefront of a movement to ask FEMA to accept the Army Corps of Engineers’ inspections instead of using independent surveys, which would lower insurance costs.

Senator Charles Schumer has joined the charge, saying it is important that only the people who really need flood insurance are required to purchase it.

FEMA says it is working with local officials to determine if their maps need to change.

The Cornell Cooperative Extension has announced the details for the ninth annual Taste of Tioga.

This year’s event will be held on Friday, Sept. 17 from 5:30 to 8pm at the Owego Treadway Inn. It will feature high quality food grown and prepared in Tioga County.

Attendees will get to sample gourmet style dishes including soups, salads, main courses and desserts. More than 10 local restaurants will provide a tantalizing selection of foods. You can try them all for just $30 per person.

This year’s event will also include a wine and beer tasting for $5.

Tickets are for sale at Cornell Cooperative Extension, from the Owego Treadway Inn, or at the door.  Tables of 10 may be reserved with prepaid tickets.

For more information visit our website www.tasteoftioga.com or call the Cornell Cooperative Extension at 687-4020.

Broome Community College is back in session.

Students began the fall semester Monday at the college in Dickinson.

Sophomores at the two-year school say they are ready for their final year at BCC.

Broome’s student population has continued to grow since it first opened in 1946.

Off-campus classes are held at the Tioga County Office Building in Owego. The school also offers a myriad of online courses to students.

Binghamton leaders have begun their work on the city’s budget for next year.

Mayor Matt Ryan met with the city council Monday night. Ryan says while it will be another tight fiscal year, the city is in a much better position going into this year’s budget than it was last year.

Among other cuts, Binghamton laid off eight firefighters and closed one of their stations in last year’s budget.

One of the biggest expenses this year is an increase of nearly $2 million in pension costs. To make up for that increase, Mayor Ryan is asking all departments to cut their budgets by an extra five percent.

Another budget development session will be held next Monday at City Hall.

Guthrie Healthcare Systems wants to construct a new pediatric medical office building in Sayre.

GHS wants to construct the building on property it owns along North Elmer Avenue, adjacent to the Sayre House.

The county planning commission has already approved the land development plan. It now goes to the Sayre Borough for review.

Guthrie has not yet announced when they plan to begin construction or how many individuals would be employed at the new building.

Two people from Florida who are accused of passing counterfeit money in Big Flats are now facing federal charges.

36-year-old Jennifer Lee Reilly and 39-year-old Matthew Bressman – both from Lakeland, FL – have been charged with manufacturing, possessing and distributing counterfeit currency.

State Police arrested Reilly after they say she tried to pass a counterfeit $100 bill at the Arnot Mall last week. They believe the two were making the money in a motel room in Big Flats.

State Police turned their investigation over to the US Secret Service.

Both Reilly and Bressman are being held in the Chemung County Jail. They will be arraigned on the federal charges in Rochester Tuesday.

The Tioga County Courthouse is back open for business Monday.

The historic building was shut down on Aug. 13 after a piece of molding fell from the ceiling in the main courtroom. An inspection by engineers discovered dry rot on two massive beams in the attic.

County workers were busy with a temporary fix on Friday, working to install a column from the basement to the attic for extra support. Public Works Commissioner Ken Del Bianco says a more permanent repair will have to be done soon inside the 140-year-old building, at a cost of around $50,000.

The Tioga County Courthouse was built between 1871 and 1873.

Police are asking for the public’s help to find the man who robbed a Vestal convenience store Sunday night.

Vestal Police say a man entered the Manley’s Mighty Mart on Route 26 around 9pm, threatened that he had a weapon and demanded money from the clerk. After receiving an undisclosed amount of cash, the man fled on foot.

He was last seen running northbound on Route 26. Police believe he may have ducked into the woods. They searched the area with K9 units but did not find any trace of the man.

He is described as a white male, around six-foot-tall with a thin build. During the robbery, the man wore a dark-colored DG sweatshirt with a fur-lined hood, tan pants, white sneakers and a black, curly wig.

Vestal police ask anyone with information to contact them at 745-2111.

The annual Garlic Festival returned to the American Civic Association in Binghamton this weekend.

The festival was called off last year after 14 people were shot and killed at the ACA in April. Organizers say this year’s garlic festival is not only to promote the culture of the many immigrant communities that they represent, but also to help the community continue healing and moving forward from last year’s tragedy.

Hundreds of people sampled all things garlic on Saturday and Sunday, including garlic ice cream.

The Garlic Festival is one of the largest annual fundraisers for the American Civic Association. The ACA is located at 131 Front Street in Binghamton.

Volunteers helped the Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse plant a fruit Orchard in Conklin Sunday.

In all, 35 fruit trees were planted. CHOW will give the fruit they produce to community members in need in an effort to promote healthy eating. Over 70 volunteers showed up to plant the trees, despite heavy rains.

The trees were donated by Edy's Fruit Bars and the Fruit Trees Planting Foundation.

CHOW’s Conklin Orchard is one of 25 nationwide participating in the Communities Take Root Program.

The trees will start providing fruit next year.

Shangri-La II Motor Speedway will welcome back the Race of Champions Modifieds on Sunday.

The premier paved track modified series in New York State will race a special 100-lap feature under the lights at Shangri-La II in a race that was postponed from Aug. 1.

Also racing Sunday at the “Concrete Castle” will be the ASA Late Models and Street Stocks. Pit gates open at 1pm and grandstand gates open at 3pm. The first races begin at 4pm.

Join WEBO as we broadcast live from Shangri-La II from 4 to 6pm Sunday. Our broadcast will prepare you for the RoC feature, which is expected to begin around 6pm at Shangri-La II, on Skyline Drive in Tioga Center.

For more information on Sunday’s races, visit www.shangrila-2.com.

Tioga Opportunities will hold their Senior Health Fair and Expo Friday at the Owego Treadway.

Over 40 vendors will be on hand from 10am to 1pm, featuring all different types of long-term health care organizations and plenty of good information that seniors can use. The event will also offer door prize giveaways every 15 minutes and other raffles. Admission is free.

The health fair is held each year by the Department of Aging. Aging Services Coordinator Joe Lojpersberger says while it is a fun event, it is also very important for seniors.

“There are so many different organizations that can help [seniors],” he told WEBO. “We try to attract all of them at this venue to help with all types of needs.”

WEBO’s Dave Radigan will broadcast live from the health fair today from 10am to noon.

The Tioga County Courthouse should be back open for business on Monday.

The historic building was shut down last Friday after a piece of molding fell from the ceiling in the main courtroom. An inspection by engineers discovered dry rot on two massive beams in the attic.

Tioga County lawmakers met Thursday and decided to go ahead with a temporary repair, which is to run a column from the basement to the attic for extra support. That should be done today. Public Works Commissioner Ken Del Bianco says it will cost under $10,000 and should last up to a year.

Del Bianco says a more permanent repair will have to be done soon inside the 140-year-old building, at a cost of around $50,000.

Courthouse employees have been working out of the Court Annex or county office building since last Friday.

New York gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo made three different campaign stops in the Southern Tier Thursday.

At each one – Ithaca, Penn Yan and Montour Falls – the Democrat was met with protestors who had one clear message: no hydrofracking.

Cuomo stumped his “Drive for a New New York” campaign, including property tax reform, making New York the Empire State again and cleaning up Albany.

He did not address natural gas drilling. When asked, Cuomo would only say that drilling could have a big impact on economic development and should only move forward if it can be done safely.

A volunteer has been accused of taking nearly $1,000 from a youth cheerleading group in Pennsylvania.

State Police say 29-year-old Brandi Bellows took over $925 from the Valley Youth Cheerleading group over the past year. While serving as the organization’s treasurer, investigators say she made various withdrawals from their bank account to pay for car payments, tires, gas and even a satellite television bill.

Bellows was the sole person responsible for the group’s finances, according to state police. The money she allegedly stole was received from youth registrations and a fundraiser.

Bellows, of Columbia Crossroads, is charged with misdemeanor theft.

A Senior Health Fair and Expo will be held Friday at the Owego Treadway.

The event is hosted by the Tioga Opportunities Department of Aging where Joe Lojpersberger is the Aging Services Coordinator.

“We’ve got 40-plus vendors that will be there from all different types of long-term care health organizations, lots of good information that seniors can use,” he told WEBO.

The health fair will run from 10am to 1pm, featuring all the vendors that Joe mentioned plus door prize giveaways every 15 minutes and other raffles. Admission is free.

Lojpersberger says the health fair is a fun event, but it is also important for seniors.

“There are so many different organizations that can help [seniors],” he told WEBO. “We try to attract all of them at this venue to help with all types of needs.”

WEBO’s Dave Radigan will broadcast live from the health fair Friday from 10am to noon.

Binghamton’s City Council has made sure that they are consulted before anything is hung or installed on city property.

Council members approved a measure Wednesday to give them the authority to regulate the use of public space by private groups. Specifically, the new law will prohibit private groups from posting signs on the exterior wall of city hall after May of next year.

The new law comes after Mayor Matt Ryan allowed a controversial “Cost of War” sign to go up on City Hall in June and July. Council members thought they should have been consulted before the mayor gave approval for the sign.

Also Wednesday, council members approved an agreement to share an assistant police chief with the Village of Johnson City. The two municipalities will split the cost, saving both of them money.

Binghamton and Johnson City already share Police Chief Joe Zikuski.

A Chenango County manufacturing company is looking to hire.

Raymond Corporation in Greene wants to hire 100 new employees in the next two months. They made the announcement with state Labor Commissioner Colleen Gardner Wednesday.

The lift-truck manufacturer will use two state incentives to hire the new employees. The first is the Hire Act tax credit – which will give them savings on social security taxes – and the state’s on-the-job training program – which gives employers up to $5,000 for every trainee they recruit.

Just last year, the company faced consolidation, but Raymond officials say they are happy to report that business is looking up.

For more information, visit www.raymondcorp.com.

Former girls’ soccer coach Gerald Koch was sentenced to 10 years in prison Wednesday.

The 49-year-old from Brackney, PA was convicted in Binghamton’s federal court of enticing a 16-year-old player to engage in sexual activity with him through text messages. Koch was the girls’ soccer coach at Blue Ridge High School and also coached a private team in Binghamton.

Before he was sentenced, an emotional Koch said he wanted to apologize to friends and family, many of whom sent letters in his support to Federal Judge Thomas McAvoy.

Koch received the minimum sentence. Three other federal counts were thrown out when he agreed to a plea bargain.

Tioga Downs is expanding their hours of operation.

The Nichols racino will now open at 9am each day, an hour earlier than before. They will offer a breakfast menu from 9 to 11 at the Coasters Sports Bar.

The casino will also stay open an hour later on Fridays and Saturdays, closing now at 3am.

Tioga Downs officials say the longer hours were made possible by state legislation.

A gunshot was fired in Binghamton this morning.

City police say a woman was confronted by a man armed with a handgun on Clinton Street around 4:30. The man ordered her to the ground, but the woman refused, electing instead to run west on Clinton Street.

She claims to have heard a gunshot but does not know if it was directed at her. A shell casing was found at the scene. No one was injured.

The shooter is described as 5 feet, 6 inches tall with a medium build and wearing a beige hooded sweatshirt with jeans.

If you see anyone matching the description, please call Binghamton Police at 772-7080.

The Tioga County Courthouse is closed for safety reasons.

The historic building was shut down on Friday after dry rot was discovered on a truss in the attic. No one is allowed in the building until at least this Friday.

Construction crews are working to fix the problem and the county legislature will hold a special meeting Thursday to declare an emergency for structural repairs in the attic.

Courthouse workers have either been moved to the Court Annex building across the street or the county office building.

The Tioga County Courthouse was built between 1871 and 1873, according to the county’s tourism site. It has recently been undergoing work to update its façade and windows.

Johnson City has a new curfew for youth.

The new measure – passed Tuesday night – says that those 17 and younger can’t be outside between 10pm and 6am each day. It replaces an old curfew that was no longer enforced.

Village leaders say they are happy with the new law, which holds parents and guardians accountable for their children. If a child is caught out after curfew, the parents or guardians could face legal repercussions.

There are exceptions to the curfew, like after-school activities, employment and others.

The village plans to post signs at area parks to notify residents about the new curfew.

Binghamton wants to know what it will take to get people back downtown.

With the help of Binghamton University, the city posed that question to more than 3,000 people as part of an online study.

The results were presented back to city leaders Tuesday. The study found that people would be more apt to go downtown for events, a wider variety of restaurants and more retail options.

The city is hoping the research findings can be used to convince business owners to invest downtown.

Tioga County’s Family Fun Event will be held Wednesday at Marvin Park in Owego.

The second annual event is free to attend. It will run from 2 to 7pm featuring several activities and giveaways throughout the day.

The first 500 Tioga County school-aged children will receive a bookbag filled with school supplies.

Food and drink will be available for $1 a piece.

The Family Fun Event is sponsored by Tioga Opportunities, the county’s Public Health Department and the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tioga County.

Binghamton’s Treasurer has been arrested for grand larceny.

The Broome County District Attorney’s Office charged Patricia Schwartz on Tuesday, according to a release from the city. Schwartz has also been terminated from the treasurer’s office and Charles Pearsall has been appointed as acting City Treasurer.

The city says employees in the Finance and Treasurer’s Office first noticed inconsistencies with Schwartz’s record keeping two weeks ago. After an internal investigation, the case was turned over to the DA’s office. No details were provided.

Schwartz was appointed as treasurer in 2008.

Binghamton Police are investigating an armed robbery that took place overnight.

Police were called to the Bagel Factory on Glenwood Avenue just before 3 this morning for reports of a robbery.

Scanner reports indicate a man entered the business near the Foundry Plaza armed with a handgun and put an employee in a cooler. He then took cash and fled the scene.

The MO and description both fit the man who is allegedly responsible for several robberies in the area since October.

Police have not yet confirmed any details, but they do say they are investigating a robbery on Glenwood Avenue.

Progressive Dental wants to expand its Endwell office.

Dr. Sonny Spera wants to build a $300,000 addition on his Hooper Road building, which he says will provide a larger practice and more office space. To do so, the property needs to be rezoned as commercial.

Some neighbors questioned the project during a hearing at the Town of Union Office Building on Monday night. They are concerned about the expansion’s impact on traffic in the area and their property values.

Dr. Spera says a larger office would benefit the area and be more convenient for his patients. He says they have purchased a house next door to his office building, which would be demolished to make room for the addition.

The town’s zoning board is considering Progressive’s request.

The Village of Owego will now fine homeowners who allow garbage to pile up on their property.

Trustees passed a “solid waste” law Monday, which will allow the village to fine offenders $100 for each violation. That amount could be increased weekly for repeat offenders.

The code enforcement department will be responsible for enforcing the law.

Also at Monday’s meeting, the Department of Public Works received the go ahead to resurface Dean Street and some village sidewalks at a cost of $70,000, which was budgeted as part of their three-year plan. Superintendent Jeff Soules says he hopes to start both projects within the next few weeks.

A Vestal teen is facing charges after police say he crashed his car in Tioga County while driving drunk.

19-year-old Thomas Pilling was arrested after a crash on Glen Mary Drive in the Town of Tioga. Police say he had open alcohol containers in his car, along with marijuana. He was not injured.

The teen’s blood alcohol level was measured at more than twice the legal limit. He received several tickets and will appear in court Wednesday.

Convicted drunk drivers in New York State are now required to have ignition interlock systems installed in any vehicle they own.

The second part of Leandra’s Law went into effect Sunday. The ignition interlock system forces drivers to show they haven’t been drinking by passing a breathalyzer test before the car will start.

The systems cost about $1,000 each and are paid for by the vehicle owners. They have security settings like a camera or a fingerprint reader to make sure that those convicted of driving drunk are not receiving help to do it again.

Leandra’s Law is named for an 11-year-old girl who died in a car crash on her way to a sleepover.

Elmira Police believe two shootings over the weekend could be related.

They both happened early Sunday. Around 3am, police say a 20-year-old man was shot in the arm on Spaulding Street. About an hour and a half later, a 19-year-old man was shot in the face and arm on Sly Street.

Neither victim was identified. They were both treated at Elmira hospitals.

Witnesses say the shooter in both incidents was a black man wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt. Police believe the shootings are related, but they are still investigating.

Anyone with information about either shooting is asked to call police at 271-HALT.

Binghamton Police are also investigating a weekend shooting.

Chief Joe Zikuski says a person was shot in the leg at a residence on Susquehanna Street around 5am Sunday.

However, neither the victim nor any witnesses are cooperating with police. Chief Zikuski says this is the second time in the past few months that someone has been shot at 153 Susquehanna Street.

The owner of the property was charged in connection with the last incident. Zikuski says he expects charges to be levied after Sunday’s shooting.

Several people were displaced after a Sunday morning fire at an apartment building in Endicott.

Flames were reported at a 106 South Nanticoke Avenue around 6:30am in one of the ground floor apartments. By the time firefighters arrived, it had spread to several apartments in the back of the building. A few apartments were left with heavy smoke and fire damage.

Everyone made it out safely except for one man who punched his way through a glass window to escape. He was treated at the scene for minor cuts to his arm.

Between 25 and 30 people live in the apartment building. The Red Cross is helping displaced residents find temporary housing.

The cause is still under investigation, but fire officials at the scene say they think it was sparked by faulty electrical wiring.

The economy is improving in Chemung County.

The county has now been ranked as the best in the state in housing price gains. The average price of a home sold in the county during the second quarter of 2009 was $85,000. That increased by 16 percent, or $14,000, in the second quarter of this year. That is also good for fourth best in the nation.

Chemung is also first in the state for sales tax growth and in the renting of hotel and apartment rooms. County Executive Tom Santulli says he expects the good news to continue with 2,000 new jobs coming to the area in the next few months.

Some of the economic growth in Chemung can be traced to natural gas drilling in nearby Pennsylvania.

Local leaders say they are hard at work trying to make sure the Environmental Protection Agency holds a much-anticipated meeting to discuss natural gas drilling in Broome County.

The meeting was originally scheduled for Binghamton University this week, then moved to Syracuse, then postponed due to security concerns.

Now, the EPA says they next hope to hold the meeting in September at an undetermined location.

County Executive Barbara Fiala says she wants it to be held at the Broome County Arena. However, she is waiting to hear back from the EPA to start planning for the event, which could be attended by as many as 8,000 people.

The EPA will not comment on a location, saying only that discussions are ongoing. Their three previous natural gas drilling hearings have been held at hotels in Denver, Fort Worth and Canonsburg, PA.

Part of Interstate 81 in Binghamton was closed for a few hours Thursday after a tractor-trailer crash.

33-year-old Anthony Barnett of Tennessee was driving his empty tanker truck northbound when he says it began to jackknife. When he tried to make a correction, the truck hit the guardrail and broke through, destroying a 100-foot section of the safety rail.

The truck then came to rest across all three lanes of traffic. Barnett was unhurt in the crash, which closed I-81 for three hours at Exit 3. Traffic was routed down Broad Avenue.

Police say weather conditions caused the crash as the highway was wet from Thursday’s rain.

Barnett was not ticketed. The stretch of I-81 was reopened around 3pm.

Candy will no longer be thrown into the crowd during parades in Endicott.

Village trustees have enacted the ban to hopefully prevent kids from getting hurt by moving vehicles. While no incidents have been reported, village leaders say they have seen too many close calls at recent parades of kids running into the street to grab candy.

Anyone who wants to throw candy into the crowd will now be forced to distribute it by hand.

No fines or penalties will be levied against violators, but organizers will be held responsible for informing participants about the ban on throwing candy.

Endicott hosts four large parades during the year, including the Union-Endicott Homecoming Parade, a Holiday Parade and events for both Memorial and Veterans Day.

Three Tioga County teens are facing felony marijuana charges.

State Police and Tioga County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested the three Thursday while investigating scrap metal larcenies. The three – 18-year-olds Justin Reese and Zach Mitchell, both of Lockwood, and 17-year-old Timothy Parkhurst of Spencer – were found parked near a dumpster in the East Spencer Road Trailer Park.

The teens were found with nine marijuana plants.

They were all arraigned in Nichols Town Court and sent to the Tioga County Jail in lieu of $500 bail.

PKB Design of Owego will open their new Vestal store Saturday.

PKB is partnering with American Home, a new furniture retailer, for the pilot franchise in the former Ethan Allan site next to the Town Square Plaza.

The 15,000 square-foot store will sell furniture, bedding and custom window treatments.

A grand opening celebration will be held from 10am to noon Saturday with giveaways, family entertainment and more.

Binghamton officials say they are open to the idea of putting a dog park in an abandoned part of Cheri Lindsey Park.

City officials are asking local residents to take the lead and design the dog park as part of the city’s “Design Your Park Competition.” They believe the fenced-in former BMX track at the park would make a perfect area for dogs to run around.

It would be the first dog park in Broome County. The city will hold an informational meeting at 11am Saturday at Cheri Lindsey Park.

The Town of Union is also talking about putting a dog park in. They are hoping to set aside an area for dogs in Choconut Creek Park. The county is currently looking at flood plain regulations to decide if a fence can be built to house the dogs at the park.

The body of a Cortland County man was found in the Tioughnioga River on Wednesday.

It was identified as 53-year-old Peter Radcliff of Marathon. State Police say he was last seen in the area around 2am Wednesday. They have ruled his drowning accidental.

Radcliff’s body was discovered by a passerby near the Main Street Bridge in Marathon just after 10am. It was removed from the river and sent to Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton for an autopsy.

Local school districts are waiting to hear how much money they will receive from federal legislation that was passed on Tuesday.

Senator Charles Schumer’s office says the Education Jobs Bill will provide $9.2 million to Broome County and $2.6 million to Tioga County to help school districts save teaching jobs.

New York’s Department of Education will decide how much each district will receive and how it can be spent.

Vestal Superintendent Mark Roach is one of those waiting to hear from the state. His district cut 41 positions for the 2010-2011 school year. Six people lost their jobs while the other 35 were cut through attrition.

Roach does not believe the money will make an immediate impact on their staff, since the start of the school year is just a few weeks away.

The New York State Department of Labor has launched a new website for job seekers.

The state’s new Job Bank is available at www.laborny.jobs. It provides free services to both job seekers and businesses. Job seekers can post resumes and search for job openings while businesses can post job openings and view resumes in search of qualified candidates.

There are currently over 84,000 jobs listed on the site.

The website urges all out-of-work New Yorkers to register, post their resumes and let the Labor Department become their personal job search agent.

The site can also be found by going to the Labor Department’s homepage at www.labor.ny.gov.

A Steuben County man was shot in the leg during a domestic dispute on Tuesday night.

Around 10, State Police say David Magee of Bath drove to Joshua Wakeman’s house in Bradford, NY. When he arrived, investigators say Magee smashed the front windows of Wakeman’s car. Wakeman then confronted the man, shooting him once in the leg.

He called 911 and admitted to the shooting, saying it was self-defense.

Magee was airlifted to Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre. His condition has not been released.

Wakeman was charged with assault and taken to the Steuben County Jail without bail.

State Police say they are still investigating the incident. They declined to release the reason for the fight, but neighbors say Magee found out that his wife was having an affair with Wakeman.

The Town of Barton is preparing to become one of the first municipalities to stand up in support of natural gas drilling.

Council members have directed the town attorney to draft a resolution stating that they are in favor of gas drilling moving forward in New York State. The resolution will be brought to a vote at their Sept. 13 meeting.

Town Supervisor Leon “Dick” Cary says they are confident that the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation is ready to make sure drilling goes on safely.

The town is in line to benefit financially if and when natural gas drilling moves forward. If council members pass their resolution, Barton could become the first municipality in either Broome of Tioga County to come out completely in favor of drilling.

The Sept. 13 meeting will begin at 6:30pm at the town hall on Route 17C.

One day after moving a gas drilling hearing to Syracuse, the EPA has now postponed the meeting due to security concerns.

It was scheduled to take place Thursday in Syracuse, but the EPA says Onondaga County leaders told them that they didn’t have enough time to make the proper security arrangements.

8,000 people were expected to attend Thursday.

The EPA says they will look to hold the hearing somewhere in upstate New York next month.

People on both sides of the issue hope it will be held somewhere closer than Syracuse.

Tioga County legislators rejected two early retirement plans for county employees Tuesday.

Legislative Chairman Dale Weston says there was no guarantee that the plans would actually save the county any money.

New York State was offering municipalities the option of early retirement plans to hopefully reduce its personnel costs. Weston says the retirements might have saved money in the short-term, but the costs to hire people to replace the retirees would catch up over time.

Legislators voted 7-0 to defeat the measure Tuesday.

In other county news, Tuesday’s meeting was the first without Legislator Will Oberbeck, who resigned his District 7 seat at the beginning of the month. Edward Hollenbeck of Newark Valley was appointed to fill out his term. The district covers the towns of Candor, Newark Valley, Berkshire, and Richford.

The City of Binghamton has been granted more time to pay back the $4 million they owe the federal government for the Regency Hotel.

The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development – or HUD – wanted all the money this month, but Mayor Matt Ryan says they have been able to work out a payment plan.

The city has twice sold the property, but both times the company who bought the hotel has declared bankruptcy, forcing the city to reclaim it. Ryan says they are still working to find another buyer for the property.

He says some firms are interested, but no agreements have been made.

The Tioga County Health Department is warning residents about a possible whooping cough outbreak.

Five cases of the highly contagious disease have been reported across the county over the last two weeks.

Whooping cough is characterized by severe coughing spells. It is very contagious for children, especially infants.

The health department is urging all parents to make sure their children are vaccinated against the whooping cough. Also, if your child is sick, please keep them home. For more information, call the health department at 687-8600 or your primary care provider.