Read About These Southern Tier New York News Items

Every week, we recap some essential local news we reported on 1290 AM/92.1 FM WNBF, our Townsquare Media Binghamton sister radio stations on-air, our websites, and social media platforms.

Catch up on local and regional news items in a short recap we reported on for the week of March 3, 2025, from WNBF's Bob Joseph, Don Morgan, and the Townsquare Media staff.

For the complete story from each article, simply click on the headline.

Two Women Sustain Gunshot Wounds in Binghamton Dispute

(Bob Joseph)
A Binghamton woman faces felony charges following a disturbance in which two people sustained gunshot wounds. Police officers were sent to 82 Park Avenue on the city's South Side after people called 911 to report a shooting. The incident occurred shortly after 6:30 a.m. Sunday. When police arrived, they found two women with gunshot wounds to their legs. According to a detective bureau news release, the suspect in the shooting is 19-year-old Tansiym Jennings of Binghamton. She was taken into custody at the scene. Police recovered a 9mm handgun that apparently was used in the incident. Detectives determined that during the altercation, a 52-year-old woman sustained a gunshot to her leg. The projectile went through her leg before grazing a 35-year-old woman who also was in the apartment.

Funding To Expand Hours Of Binghamton Warming Center

(Don Morgan)
On March 3rd, 2025, an announcement was made that $81,000 has been earmarked to expand the hours of a local warming center and to support local homelessness prevention services according to Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham. The funding was approved by the Binghamton City Council at a special business meeting on Feb. 21, 2025. According to Mayor Kraham's announcement, approximately $49,000  will go to the Addiction Center of Broome County to expand the hours of the organization’s emergency shelter and warming center. The UP Comfort Center, located at the United Presbyterian Church of Binghamton at 42 Chenango St., has 42 beds for people who need assistance.

Another Broome County Store Reveals Plans to Close

(Bob Joseph)
Several stores in Broome County have closed or announced plans to go out of business since the end of the holiday shopping season just over two months ago. The latest retailer to announce it is preparing to leave its building is a discount store on Main Street in downtown Johnson City. The retailer opened at the site of a former Dollar General store at 222 Main Street last March. The liquidation shop was owned by two brothers - Sami Alwarrad and Hasan Warrad. They told WNBF News that they had operated a similar business in Brooklyn for many years.

Grant Program For Uninhabitable Broome County Rental Properties

(Don Morgan)
March 4, 2025, City of Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham, Broome County Land Bank Executive Director Jessica Haas, Broome County Executive Jason Garnar, Land Bank Board Members, and other officials met to announce a new vacant rental program. According to the announcement, the Broome County Land Bank with assistance from the New York State Homes and Community Renewal, is implementing a new Vacant Rental Program designed to assist Broome County mom-and-pop style landlords with necessary repairs to uninhabitable and/or unmarketable rental units.

Binghamton Police Investigate Robbery at Massage Parlor

(Bob Joseph)
Police were sent to Love Song Spa at 24 Emma Street in the city's First Ward around 10 p.m. Saturday to investigate a possible shooting and an armed robbery. Officers learned four men had entered the business and demanded cash. One suspect displayed what appeared to be a handgun. A worker struggled with the men during the incident. She sustained a sprained ankle. Officers searched the neighborhood for a few men who were believed to have been involved in the incident. She was treated at a hospital and released. The suspects left the massage parlor with some money. Police did not say how much was taken.

Broome County New York Sheriff's Weekly Arrest Report Released

(Don Morgan)
The Broome County Sheriff's Office released its latest weekly arrest blotter on March 4, 2025. These arrests and charges from the Broome County Sheriff's Office do not reflect all the department's activity for the week. All persons are considered innocent unless proven guilty in court. All arrests and charges are open and ongoing investigations through local law enforcement agencies including the Broome County Sheriff's Office, Broome County Special Investigations Unit Task Force, or other law enforcement agencies. Click on the headline above for the report.

BC Transit Bus Hits Woman on Main Street in Binghamton

(Bob Joseph)
A pedestrian sustained possible head and back injuries when she was struck by a bus at a busy downtown Binghamton intersection. The incident occurred around 2:50 p.m. Wednesday at Main and Front Streets. Police and witnesses said a BC Transit bus hit the woman as she was walking north across Main Street. A video recording from a camera mounted at the intersection apparently showed the bus had the right-of-way at the time. But a witness told WNBF News she believed the woman who was in the crosswalk at the time had the right-of-way. The 74-year-old woman who was using a cane as she walked told bystanders she had recently had a hip replacement procedure. The woman was taken by Superior ambulance to Wilson Medical Center in Johnson City. Her injuries were not believed to be serious.

Broome County New York Launches Small Community Fund Grant Program

(Don Morgan)
On March 5, 2025, the Broome County Department of Planning & Economic Development announced the 2025 Small Community Fund Grant Program. In 2024, 32 projects were awarded grants. For 2025, $650,000 has been earmarked for Broome County community improvement projects. These grants are available to Broome County municipalities, non-profits, and local economic development entities working on projects that complement the county’s comprehensive plan. According to the Broome County Department of Planning & Economic Development, the Small Community Fund was created in 2018. Over 150 projects have been supported throughout Broome County.

Blighted Binghamton Stow Manufacturing Buildings to Be Demolished

(Bob Joseph)
The owners of what may be the most prominent massive eyesore in Binghamton are planning to clear the site. Thousands of people pass by the abandoned buildings at the former Stow Manufacturing complex near the Brandywine Highway interchange for Interstate 81. The owners have received permission from the Binghamton Commission on Architecture and Urban Design to remove the crumbling structures that remain on the property of Frederick and Montgomery Streets. During a Broome County Land Bank meeting, a representative of Nelson Holdings said the plan is to create a "flat slab of land" for redevelopment. He said the goal would be to provide "a clean slate, a blank canvas" for the site.

Binghamton University Study Shows Butterfly Population Decrease

(Don Morgan)
According to recent research from Binghamton University, the population of butterflies across the United States has decreased since 2000. The results of the report from Binghamton University were published on the Science.org website. According to the study, between 2000 and 2020, butterfly abundance fell by 22%. Science.org noted in the article that one of the most common butterflies found in the U.S. is the American lady. Unfortunately, over that 20-year span, this species and most others' numbers have declined. Eliza Grames, who is an Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences and co-author of the study noted in the Binghamton University article - “This was the most comprehensive analysis of butterflies in the U.S. and at such a big spatial scale.”

Binghamton Firefighters Search Masonic Temple After Blaze Erupts

(Bob Joseph)
A fire broke out in the abandoned Masonic Temple building on Main Street in Binghamton. The blaze in the massive century-old structure one block west of Binghamton High School was reported around 3:15 p.m. Friday. When police arrived at the scene, officers reported smoke was coming from the rear section of the building's first floor along Murray Street. Firefighters entering the building were warned to exercise caution because sections of the structure were compromised. They conducted a complete search of the six-story building after a report that a woman was heard screaming for help. Firefighters eventually located a woman on the fifth floor. She was not injured. Initial reports from the scene indicated the smoky blaze appeared to have been confined to a pile of debris on the first floor of the structure.

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