WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today questioned United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer during a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on the Administration’s 2026 Trade Policy Agenda, highlighting Canada’s refusal to substantively engage on longstanding trade barriers harming Upstate New York producers.
During the hearing, Congresswoman Tenney highlighted Canadian actions that are devastating NY-24 producers, including Canadian restrictions and prohibitions on the export of dairy, wine and bulk produce.
These issues are all highlighted in the National Trade Estimate Report as foreign trade barriers harming the U.S.-Canada relationship. These policies, Tenney emphasized, are placing Upstate New York farmers and producers at a competitive disadvantage despite repeated U.S. efforts to resolve these issues through negotiation.
As Ambassador Greer stated “I think we’re kind of at the end of our rope… there are two countries that have retaliated economically against the United States in the past year: The People’s Republic of China and Canada. So that’s kind of the company they’re running in.”
“Upstate New York farmers and producers are some of the best in the world, but they are not getting a fair shot,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “Canada continues to block our dairy, our wine, and our produce while expecting free and open access to our markets. That is not how a fair trade relationship works. I hear from these producers every day, and they are frustrated because of Canada’s discriminatory treatment and refusal to engage on these issues meaningfully and substantively. We need to hold Canada accountable, strengthen USMCA, and make sure our farmers and businesses can compete and win in the international marketplace.”
Press Release, Orleans County Planning & Development Department
MEDINA – Orleans County celebrated Earth Day today by opening registration for its Annual Paint Collection Event, which will be held on Saturday, May 30th at the GCC Campus in Medina.
This event is done in partnership with Niagara County and is open to residents of both Orleans and Niagara counties. Registration is required.
“Earth Day reminds us that protecting our planet starts with everyday choices like reusing what we can and recycling what we can’t, and that is what this paint collection event is all about,” said Corey Winters, Orleans County Director of Planning and Development, which organizes the event. “Last year, hundreds of people participated, helping us keep paint cans out of our landfills. We hope for an even better turnout this year.”
Orleans County works in collaboration with paint-recycling company GreenSheen to collect the paint. Resident and businesses are welcome to bring oil-based, acrylic and latex paint, urethanes, varnishes, shellacs, lacquers, primers and clear coatings to be recycled at no cost.
“As I say every year, as everyone begins spring cleaning, this is a great opportunity to get those old paint cans out of your basement, garage and shed, and ensure they are properly recycled,” said Winters.
WHAT: Free Community Paint Collection Event
WHEN: Saturday, May 30, 2026 from 9am to 1pm.
WHERE: GCC Medina Campus Center, 11470 Maple Ridge Rd. Medina, NY 14103.
Registration for this event can be done at https://circular.eco/event/medina26. Staff will be on hand to unload vehicles so drivers can stay in their vehicles. Those with any questions about the event should call the Orleans County Planning and Development Department at 585.589.3198.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 22 April 2026 at 1:16 pm
ALBION – A former Lyndonville man was sentenced to 1 ½ years in state prison today by Orleans County Court Judge Sanford Church.
Carl Ostrander, 42, on Jan. 21 pleaded guilty to first degree attempted sexual abuse that occurred in the town of Yates.
The female victim, who was under 13 when Ostrander touched her in her private parts, spoke during the sentencing and said Ostrander has ruined her mental health and self esteem.
“You are more dangerous than you appear on paper,” she said. “I want everyone in the court to know that.”
She asked Judge Church to impose the maximum sentence. Ostrander was charged for sexual misdemeanor crimes against two other underage girls but those charges were dismissed after he was declared mentally incompetent. However, he was later deemed fit to stand trial and he faced the felony charge.
His attorney, Jeffrey Mallaber, said Ostrander suffered a traumatic brain injury in his youth that is a contributing factor in the case.
Judge Church said a TBI shouldn’t be blamed for Ostrander’s actions, which the judge said were intentional acts.
Ostrander, who recently moved to Lockport, did not speak during his sentencing today.
The judge gave him the maximum sentence as part of a plea agreement. Ostrander also will be on post-release supervision for 10 years and will be on the sex offender registry. The judge also issued an order of protection for the victim who spoke in court today.
In other cases in County Court today,
• A Medina man was sentenced to 1 ½ to 3 years of additional time in state prison for attempted assault, an E felony, to two jail corrections officers.
Patrick Casanova, 32, is currently serving a 2- to 4-year sentence in state prison at Five Points Correctional facility in Romulus, Seneca County. His earliest release date is listed as May 27, 2027.
The judge issued orders of protections for the two corrections officers who were injured.
Casanova disputed in court that he harmed the officers. He said he doesn’t plan on returning to Orleans County in the future because local law enforcement seems determined to put him in jail or prison.
Casanova is currently in prison after pleading guilty in 2023 to second-degree assault. He admitted to punching a woman in the face, which fractured her orbital bone and damaged her sinus.
• Richard Neal, 36, of Medina pleaded guilty to felony driving while intoxicated. He was charged by State Police on Aug. 25 after allegedly driving a motorcycle on Route 31 in Ridgeway while intoxicated and without a license. He registered a BAC of 0.10 percent, just above the legal limit of 0.08 percent. He has a previous DWI conviction on may 29, 2025 in the City of Batavia.
Neal faces a possible split sentence of a maximum of six months in the county jail plus five years of probation when he is sentenced on July 1.
Photo by Tom Rivers: Fire trucks with the Albion Joint Fire District drive in the Strawberry Festival Parade on June 14, 2025.
Press Release, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced New York’s Volunteer Firefighter Training Stipend program is expanding to offset costs for five additional training courses available to volunteer firefighters.
New York State created the program to strengthen the volunteer fire service and address recruitment and retention challenges by offsetting the costs of required training that individuals need to become a firefighter. This expansion will help reduce obstacles preventing volunteer firefighters from advancing their careers. Since 2023, more than 4,000 volunteer firefighters have successfully completed training through the program.
“Since taking office, I’ve been laser-focused on making New York safer and more affordable. By expanding the Volunteer Firefighter Training Stipend program, we’re doing both – cutting costs for those who serve while enhancing their lifesaving skills,” Governor Hochul said. “This program makes critical training more accessible, allowing our volunteers to grow in their careers without sacrificing their ability to provide for their families. I’m proud to invest in our volunteer firefighters who put their lives on the line to keep New Yorkers safe.”
The new stipend-eligible courses and course equivalencies are:
Firefighter Survival: Self Rescue: This course teaches firefighters how to rescue themselves if they become trapped or compromised during a fire incident. Stipend Amount: $250
Firefighter Assist and Search Team, and Rapid Intervention Crew: These courses are designed to train firefighters in the critical skills needed to rescue fellow firefighters who are trapped or in distress during an incident. Stipend Amount: $350
Fire and Emergency Services Instructor 1, Fire Officer II, and Firefighter 2: These courses are advanced leadership and instructor development programs. They aim to enhance the leadership capabilities of fire department members and improve their effectiveness in incident command roles, ultimately contributing to the safety of firefighters. Stipend Amount: $500
These five courses build on the catalog of trainings that are already stipend-eligible: Basic Wildland Fire Suppression ($250) Basic Exterior Firefighting Operations ($750), Fire Officer 1 ($1,000) and Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus/Interior Firefighting Operations ($1,250). Since the inception of the stipend program, completion of the Basic Exterior Firefighting Operations, and Interior Firefighting Operations courses have increased by 20 percent and completion of the Fire Officer I course has risen 35 percent.
New York State Homeland Security and Emergency Services Acting Commissioner Terry O’Leary said, “New York’s volunteer firefighters are critical parts of the fabric of communities statewide and they put their lives on the line every time they answer a call to protect those communities. As New York continues to face challenges with volunteer recruitment, the stipend program has resulted in marked increases in class completions, which has brought additional firefighters to departments across the state. Thanks to the leadership and support of Governor Hochul, this stipend program expansion will continue to help volunteer departments recruit and retain members, keeping themselves and their communities safe.”
Additionally, a local fire training stipend may be authorized for the completion of any state Office of Fire Prevention and Control (OFPC) training course or equivalent, as determined by OFPC, up to $500. Courses must have been completed on or after August 31, 2023, and applicants must be a member in good standing as determined by their department. Stipend applications must be submitted to OFPC-Stipend@dhses.ny.gov.
Additional information on the stipend program can be found on the DHSES website.
Press Release, Orleans County Emergency Management Office
KNOWLESVILLE – Orleans County Emergency Management has teamed up with the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Citizens to host a Citizens Preparedness Training Event from 9 to 10:30 a.m. on May 23 at Cornell Cooperative Extension, 12690 NY 31 in Albion.
The purpose of the training is to teach people how to prepare for disaster or emergency situations. The course includes information about the types of risks and hazards people face. It teaches how to develop individual and household plans.
The training also encourages all to think about and save needed emergency supplies. Learning how to help yourself and others in advance will help you react faster when facing a crisis. Each family that attends will be given a free preparedness kit.
During Earth Week, Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that an additional $30 million is now available for consumers to use towards the purchase or lease of an electric vehicle (EV) in New York State.
This announcement reinforces the State’s commitment to improve access to zero-emission electric vehicles and enhance affordability — while helping to reduce vehicle pollution and provide cleaner air in New York communities.
“As the federal administration continues to roll back support for clean air and electric vehicles, New York State is leaning in to prioritize benefits that reduce consumer out-of-pocket costs while reducing harmful emissions,” Governor Hochul said. “At a time when gas prices at the pump have soared in the wake of the war with Iran, electric vehicles will help make driving more affordable for New Yorkers.”
This funding is available through the Drive Clean Rebate Program, administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), which provides consumers with a point-of-sale rebate at the time of vehicle purchase or lease from a participating dealership. The amount ranges from $500 to $2,000 off of the manufacturer suggested retail price (MSRP) of a battery-powered EV or plug-in hybrid, with a higher rebate available for longer-range EVs.
NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “NYSERDA is proud to partner with dealerships statewide on the Drive Clean Rebate to lower EV costs for New York drivers and their families. Newer models cover impressive distances of over 200 miles, are quiet, comfortable and a solid option for car buyers who are looking to lower costs now — especially in this current economic landscape.”
NYSERDA compared the price of gasoline with electricity rates, and results show that New Yorkers can save from 40 percent to almost 70 percent annually by driving an electric car or SUV. For example, instead of paying well over $4.00 per gallon at the gas pump, an EV driver would pay as little as $1.33 for an equivalent amount of electricity.
New York State Automobile Dealers Association President Bob Vancavage said, “Thanks to Governor Hochul, we continue to take action to get more EVs on the road in New York State, which is especially important during the current volatility of gasoline prices. On behalf of NYSADA’s nearly 1,000 dealers across New York we are appreciative of the State’s continual efforts to clean our environment.”
Since its launch in 2017, Drive Clean Rebate program has issued over 228,000 rebates to consumers, contributing to approximately 324,000 EVs on the road statewide. More than 60 EV models are covered and new models are added to the program every year. Over the last five years, an average of more than 20 new models were added to the eligible vehicle list every year.
Consumers can use NYSERDA’s EV Calculator for Passenger Vehicles to run side-by-side comparisons of electric vehicle models, including the vehicle range, price after incentives and other specifications. The calculator also factors in electricity rates and driving habits to generate tailored results and provides recommendations for EV charging equipment and when to charge for optimal savings. NYSERDA also provides consumers with fuel market data through the Weekly Transportation Fuels Dashboard.
The Drive Clean Rebate complements New York State’s efforts to provide easy access to electric vehicle chargers. Currently, the state has more than 19,000 public chargers installed statewide — more public chargers than any other state except for California — and thousands more semi-public charging stations at workplaces and multifamily buildings across the state.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 21 April 2026 at 1:24 pm
Provided photos: Left to right, Eric Seppala, Center Director, and David Berry, president of the VFW Auxiliary, students Alphonzo Snow, Arletys Arrigo and Sienna Jack, who holding their certificates; and Job Corps Operations Director JT Thomas.
MEDINA – The Iroquois Job Corps in recent years has made it an annual mission to support the VFW Post in Medina on Veterans’ Day.
To show their appreciation, Medina VFW Auxiliary president David Berry today presented the Job Corps with certificates honoring the services provided by the Iroquois Job Corps students.
Annually, students from Job Corps make and bring Veterans’ Day cards to the VFW for veterans. Volunteers from Job Corps pass out the cards, help set up tables for the free lunch for veterans and their families, serve lunch and then assist with clean-up, according to JT Thomas, operations director at the Job Corps.
David Berry, president of the Medina VFW Auxiliary, presents a certificate to Alfonzo Snow, honoring him for the service he provided to veterans on Veteran’s Day.
This year on Veterans’ Day, the sidewalks were covered with snow and student Alphonzo Snow quickly volunteered to shovel all of the sidewalks around the building leading up to the doors, so veterans and patrons would not fall. Besides their volunteering efforts, students that day donated a patriotic bench the carpentry students had made for the VFW.
Berry, Thomas and Center Director Eric Seppala are planning some community service opportunities which will have more students from Iroquois Job Corps working with the Medina VFW Auxiliary to help with local clean-up projects around Medina.
The carpentry students at Iroquois Job Corps also built, and donated a patriotic bench to the Medina VFW Veterans on Veteran’s Day. Veterans from left are Tom Snyder, Eric Delano, Jim Freas, Louis Chraston, Pat Little and Mike Harmer.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 April 2026 at 12:02 pm
The following face felony drug charges, from left: Raymond Austin, Cassandra McGuire, Justin Colburn and Jeremy Hucknall.
BARRE – Four people are facing felony charges and two others have been arrested on misdemeanors after an investigation into the sale and distribution of crack cocaine in the Town of Barre.
The Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force on April 15 executed a search warrant at 13913 W. Lee Road. Police seized a quantity of crack cocaine packaged for sale, drug paraphernalia, numerous long guns and $1,270, the Task Force stated in a news release.
The following four people – Raymond Austin, Cassandra McGuire, Justin Colburn and Jeremy Hucknall – were each charged with one count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the third degree, intent to sell (Class B felony), one count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the fourth degree (Class C felony) and three counts of Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia in the second degree (Class A misdemeanors).
Austin, 40, and McGuire, 35, live at 13913 W. Lee Rd. Colburn, 38, lives on Caroline Street in Albion and Hucknall, 39, lives on Maple Ridge Road in Medina.
Austin and McGuire also were both charged with one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon 4th (Class A misdemeanor). Austin also was arrested on a bench warrant from the Albion Town Court.
In addition, two others – Preston Stone III, 60, and Tina Stone, 57 – were arrested on one count of Criminal Nuisance in the second degree (Class A misdemeanor). They both live at 13913 W. Lee Rd.
Tina Stone was also charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the seventh degree (Class A misdemeanor).
All six of the defendants were issued appearance tickets to the Town of Barre Justice Court on May 21 at 6 p.m.
Assisting in the investigation were Orleans County District Attorney Susan Howard, the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office (K-9, Drone Unit, Road Patrol and Investigations), Niagara County Drug Task Force and the New York State Department of Corrections Office of Special Investigations.
Further arrests and charges are pending in this investigation, the Task Force said.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 April 2026 at 10:21 am
Foundations will be asked to support GO Barn!, which has been approved for $7.8 million state grant
Rendering by Red Green Design: The three-story GO Barn! building would have the look of a barn, with the silo having an elevator and stairs to access the three floors. GO Art! said the facility would boost arts programs, agricultural education and entrepreneurial initiatives.
KNOWLESVILLE – The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council is working on applications to foundations to back a new building at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds, a project that could top $20 million.
Go Art! is seeking to build the Go Barn! at the fairgrounds. It was awarded a $7,793,000 state grant in May 2025.
Gregory Hallock, the Go Art! executive director, said he is seeking $15 million more from other foundations.
“We’re applying for grants like you wouldn’t believe,” he said Friday during a celebration when Go Art! presented $165,685 in state funding to local artists and cultural programs in Orleans County.
GO Art! is proposing the new building at the fairgrounds to serve as a dynamic hub for arts, culture and community engagement in Orleans County, including: a multipurpose arts and cultural center inspired by the historic Wells Barn design; a dedicated space for fiber arts, workshops and artisan programming; and a greenhouse, designed to grow plants for fabric dyeing and art creation.
“It is happening,” Hallock said about the ambitious project. “We are still working on it. We’re raising money.”
Photos by Tom Rivers: Gregory Hallock, executive director for the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council, speaks during Friday’s award presentation to artists and organizations in Orleans County. GO Art! presented $165,685 in grants for projects and programs in Orleans County. The awards celebration was held at GO Art!’s historic building at 201 East Main St. in Batavia.
The building is planned for the west end of the fairgrounds near Taylor Hill Road. The fairgrounds is an ideal location for the cultural center, located between Medina and Albion, Hallock said.
The building would have flexible or adaptable space that could be used for many things. Hallock and Go Art! envision two art galleries, artist studios and a residence where artists could bunk instead of driving home in the wee hours of the night. Hallock would like to the building to be used for many art forms – culinary, folk, horticultural, literary, visual, muli-media and more.
The facility would be accessible and inclusive to all community members, Hallock said. The GO Barn! would have hands-on programs in arts, agriculture and sustainability that would provide workforce readiness. Hallock said GO Art! wants to partner with local schools and organizations in “fostering a lifelong learning environment.”
The Go Art! website says $14,960 has been donated towards the project so far. Click here for more information on how to support Go Art!
Linda Knipe, the Go Art! board president, praised Hallock for securing several grants for arts and cultural programs in both Orleans and Genesee counties.
“Gregory has been a prolific grantwriter, and he is good at it,” she said.
Knipe would like to diversify the funding for GO Art! and be less reliant on grants. She welcomes sponsorships and donations to assist the local arts council.
“We are seeking more contributors,” she said. “We can use everyone in the two counties to really talk up GO Art! and get people to support us.”
Linda Knipe, GO Art! board president, said the organization has been successful securing grants for programs in Genesee and Orleans counties. She urged the community to support GO Art! through sponsorships and donations.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 21 April 2026 at 8:21 am
Arts organization says requests exceeded $385K allotment for 2 counties
Photos by Tom Rivers: Rob Klino, president of the Friends of Boxwood Cemetery, accepts a grant from the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts on Friday. The funding supports a Boxwood at Night program on Oct. 3 that includes light displays, musicians and portrayers dressed in period costumes. The grant was among several presented by Jodi Fisher (center), the program director and Statewide Community Regrant co-coordinator for GO Art! Orleans County Legislator Skip Draper, right, represented State Sen. Rob Ortt and gave certificates to the grantees. Go Art! administers the funds as a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts. It was developed in 1977 to ensure that the state’s cultural funding would reach every part of the New York State.
BATAVIA – The Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council presented $165,685 to artists and organizations in Orleans County on Friday, funding that will go to concerts, arts programs and other projects boosting cultural life in the county.
GO Art! presented funding awards on Saturday to Genesee County artists and organizations. Altogether the two counties for the second straight year received $385,000.
This year’s funding allowed for an increase in the maximum awards, up from $5,000 to $7,500. The program also allowed for restoration of a mural for the first time. Arthur Barnes, an artist from Millville, will use a grant to give a major facelift to his iconic mural in the Medina Canal Basin of two mules pulling a packet boat. That mural is at least 25 years old.
Gregory Hallock, executive director for GO Art!, said the two counties together receive the largest amount of funding outside of Manhattan in the State Council of the Art’s regrant program. The Statewide Community Regrant Program (SCR) was developed in 1977 to ensure that the state’s cultural funding would reach every part of the New York State.
Hallcok said there were more applications in the two counties this year, and the $471,955 in requests topped the amount available. That should help GO Art! when it applies for funding next time. GO Art! can show the state there is more demand in the two counties than the existing funding levels.
The $385,000 in both 2025 and 2026 is above the $336,000 in grants for artists and community events that celebrate the arts in 2024. That was up from $210,000 in 2023, and well above the $70,000 that was available for the two counties back in 2019.
Lyndonville Lions Club leaders David Godfrey and Lynne Johnson accept the grant for a summer concert organized by the Lions Club. The grants were presented by Jodi Fisher and Orleans County Legislator Skip Draper.
GO Art! distributes the funds on a 60-40 split between Genesee and Orleans, with Genesee getting about 60 percent based on its larger population. In the 2020 Census, Genesee had 58,388 residents compared to 40,343 in Orleans County.
Hallock said he hopes the state will continue to boost the funding for the program in 2027.
“I don’t know what will happen next year,” he said at Friday’s grant award celebration. “We’ve been on a steady increase and hopefully that will continue.”
He praised Jodi Fisher, the program director and Statewide Community Regrant co-coordinator, for her extra work in assisting the many applicants through the grant process.
Linda Knipe, GO Art! board president, also said Hallock has been very successful in applying for grants to boost arts and cultural programs in the two counties.
Kendall Town Board members David Gaudioso, center, and Barb Flow, left, accept the grant for the Town of Kendall to add murals on the south side of the Town Hall.
The grant recipients in Orleans County include:
• Lee-Whedon Memorial Library – Finally Fridays! Concert series during winter
• Yates Community Library – More Than Just Books concert series
• Brandi Zavitz – For the Love of Dogs Mural II at the Medina Dog Park
• Lyndonville Lions Club – I Hear the Music concert
• Village of Holley – Village of Holley Canal Series and festivals
• Arthur Barnes for restoration of a mural of two mules pulling packet boat in Medina Canal Basin
John Grillo, the Village of Albion recreation director, accepted three grants for programs in the community, including a summer concert series on Wednesdays at Bullard Park, a July 3rd Independence Day celebration at Bullard, and the Albion Summer Festival on Aug. 1 at Bullard which will feature six bands.
• Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum which is adding music to nightly light show at the Oak Orchard Lighthouse
• Greater Albion Community Recreation and Events – Albion Summer Festival featuring Rock the Park
• Village of Albion – Village of Albion Summer Concert Series
• Friends of Boxwood Cemetery – Boxwood at Night, “See the Cemetery In a New Light” on Oct. 3
• Albion – July 3rd, Independence Day Celebration
• Sheyanza Basheer – Brush & Giggles arts program at Lyndonville Central School
• Tegan Leach – Sharing the wonder of fiber arts, workshops at Hoag Library
• Laura Jackett – Art in library workshops
Brandi Zavitz receives a grant to expand a mural at the Medina Dog Park. She created a mural last year that is 32 feet long. She painted portraits of 69 dogs, 3 cats and Orly the Ox (the county’s bicentennial mascot). The mural will get bigger this year with 50 more dog portraits to be added.
• Shabeeha Raushad – Colors of Lake Alice, a children’s book
• Town of Kendall for murals on south side of Town Hall
• Valerie Collins – “Keepers of the Land,” paintings of family farmers to be displayed at Hoag
• Hoag Library of the Swan Library Association – 2026 Hoag Music Series
• Mary Jo Whitman for mural “Holley is Home” on Heath building in Village of Holley
• E-YAH-Pah-Hah Wind Quintet – Classical music series in Albion including 2 commissioned pieces
Sheyanza Basheer received funding for “Brush & Giggles,” an arts program at Lyndonville Central School.
• Community Free Library in Holley for art program
• Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County – blacksmith demonstrations and the AppleJack Band at county fair
• Friends of Orleans County Marine Park – Popup and jam, a marketplace at the Marien Park with music and vendors on Sept. 12
• Friends of Orleans County Marine Park – artist Terri Wood is creating a fisherman selfie sign for fishermen to pose with their catch
• Orleans County Tourism – restoration of Charlie the Chinook, a 13-foot-long fiberglass fish that will remolded and repainted
• Orleans County Chamber of Commerce, Barre Betterment Committee – 2026 Barre Betterment Committee public events
• Judd Sunshine – Erie Canal Songwriting Project at Medina Central School
• Janet Klossner – leading classes on “All Things Fiber”
Robert Batt, executive director of the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Orleans County, accepts a grant to fund blacksmith demonstrations and a performance by the AppleJack Band at this summer’s Orleans County 4-H Fair.
HOLLEY – Citizens’ Climate Lobby will host a meeting in Holley on Monday, May 4, from 6 to 7 p.m.
The meeting at the Community Free Library is open to the public. The library is located at 86 Public Square. For information about the Holley meeting, contact robertdotjohnson@rochester.rr.com.
Attendees will discuss how they feel about climate change. We will discuss climate change, causes and effects of climate change, actions people can take to address climate change by advancing our policy agenda in the Congress and personal actions, too.
We welcome anyone who is serious about solving climate change as a volunteer. We work with members of Congress across the political spectrum to find common ground on climate change action.
Citizens’ Climate Lobby is a national nonprofit organization with local chapters across the country. The group has been the primary catalyst for the energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. To learn more about our work, visit citizensclimatelobby.org.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 20 April 2026 at 6:51 pm
Parents, caregivers also welcome for child seat safety check on April 25
ALBION – The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office will again be participating in the National Prescription Drug Tack Back Day on Saturday.
People are welcome to dispose of unwanted prescriptions drugs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Public Safety Building, 13925 Route 31 in Albion.
The Sheriff’s Office also on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. will be offering a Child Passenger Safety Seat Check Point Event at Public Safety Building.
According to data, vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children between the ages of 1 to 13, Sheriff Chris Bourke said.
Preventative measures, such as proper installation of car seats, booster seats and seat belts can reduce the likelihood of death and injuries. Informing and instructing parents and caregivers on child passenger safety and proper installation of car seats is critical to saving young lives, he said.
The Sheriff’s Office will have passenger safety technicians will inspect car seats and booster seats to ensure that a child is in the appropriate seat for their size and age.
Press Release, Orleans County Sheriff Chris Bourke
ALBION – The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of multiple individuals following a series of investigations conducted in conjunction with the Department of Social Services into alleged public assistance fraud.
As a result of these investigations, several subjects were charged with offenses including Welfare Fraud, Petit Larceny, Grand Larceny, Criminal use of a public benefit card and Offering a False Instrument for Filing.
The following were charged: Anne Bennett, Lawrence Worsley, Bobbie Taylor, Caitlyn Dehond, Anthony Gross, Stella Gresham, Billie Doxey, Jason Walsh, Shunieka Williams and Edward Ladue III.
It is alleged that the individuals collectively received $35,468.69 in public assistance benefits to which they were not entitled.
All subjects were issued appearance tickets and are scheduled to appear in the Town of Albion Court at a later date.
The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office will continue to work closely with the Department of Social Services to investigate and prosecute fraud-related offenses.
