Your Southern Tier Local New Recap For Week Of August 21

Every week (usually on Monday afternoon) I recap some of the essential local news we reported on 1290 AM/92.1 FM WNBF and our Townsquare Media Binghamton sister radio stations on-air and on our websites and social media platforms.

It's our way of informing you of some of the more important local news stories you may have missed over the week. Below are some of the local, regional, or state news items in a short recap that we reported on for the week of August 21st, 2023 from various agencies and news reporting from WNBF's Bob Joseph. For the complete article, click on the headline.

Tex Mex Coming to Downtown Binghamton
(Bob Joseph)

A vacant space on Court Street in downtown Binghamton will be occupied soon by a new Tex-Mex fusion restaurant. Iron Agave is expected to open in November at the 60 Court Street site of the former Dos Rios Cantina. The new eatery is being developed by the the group that has operated Food & Fire BBQ Taphouse in Johnson City for nearly a decade.

Owego Free Academy Working on New Mascot Name
(Bob Joseph)

An Owego Free Academy student committee has been working on the process of selecting a replacement for the "Indians" nickname. That name no longer may be used because of a ban approved by the state Board of Regents in April. The student panel reviewed many potential mascot names submitted by members of the school community. The committee set up a final online poll with three possible new mascot names: Mustangs, Ospreys and River Hawks.

Endicott 'Z' Pool Opens After Incident
(Bob Joseph)

A village of Endicott swimming pool that was shut down after three people skirmished with a lifeguard is back in operation. An employee at the "Z Pool" at the North Side Park was injured in the July 30 incident. Two teenagers and a Binghamton man face felony charges in connection with the attack.

New Chenango Forks Bridge Opening Delayed
(Bob Joseph)

Electronic message boards had advised drivers that the new bridge over the Chenango River would open on August 28. But the signs have been changed. They now indicate the 470-foot-long bridge is scheduled to go into operation the following week. The new bridge has 11-foot-wide travel lanes and five-foot-wide shoulders in each direction to accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists.

New Johnson City Village Offices Now Open
(Bob Joseph)

Village departments have been moved from a former bank building at 243 Main Street to a site at 60 Lester Avenue. The complex had been home to Country Valley Industries for decades. The six-acre Lester Avenue property had been purchased by Great Eastern Hemp in 2019. The company ultimately abandoned its plan to set up a hemp processing facility at the site. The village used the eminent domain process to acquire the property. It paid about $2.6 million for the site in December 2021.

Binghamton Digital Newspaper Edition Rate Hike
(Bob Joseph)

The Binghamton Gannett outlet has advised Pressconnects subscribers who have been paying $12.99 a month that their rate will go up by seven dollars. Single copy prices of the Press & Sun-Bulletin have been increased dramatically in recent years. The Sunday print newspaper now costs $4.50 and the daily paper is $3.50.

Endicott Resident Arrested For Threats To Congresswoman
(Bob Joseph)

An Endicott man who was taken into custody by the FBI in a pre-dawn raid at his North Side residence is heading to prison for threatening Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. According to an affidavit, the resident left seven threatening voicemail messages for Taylor Greene at her Washington congressional office on March 3 and 4, 2022.