Your Southern Tier New York News Update For The Week Of February 12

Every Monday, 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.

Get our free mobile app

Catch up here on local, regional, or state news items in a short recap we reported on for the week of February 12th, 2024, from various agencies and news reporting from WNBF's Bob Joseph, Don Morgan, and the Townsquare Media staff. For the complete article (if available), click on the headline.

Binghamton Police Take Man Into Custody After West Side Standoff

(Bob Joseph)
Police officers and SWAT team members surrounded a Binghamton building after a man armed with a gun barricaded himself inside. The incident started around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at 30 Edwards Street on the city's West Side. Binghamton police chief Joseph Zikuski said residents of an apartment in the building had been allowing a man to stay with them. But they said the man "started to act crazy, pulled a gun on them, threatened to shoot them and their dog." Zikuski told WNBF News the residents ran from the building and called the police. He said as it turned out, the special investigations unit had obtained a warrant for the apartment.

End Of An Era: Horns True Value Store In Sayre, PA, Closing

(Don Morgan)
In Sayre, Pennsylvania, there will be one less place to get hardware and supplies. According to a report from My Twin Tiers.com, Horn's True Value Store, located at 503 North Keystone Avenue in Sayre, is set to close sooner. The hardware store has been a fixture in the Valley area for 112 years. According to the report, the hardware store was closed on February 12th to prepare for a liquidation and retirement sale to begin on February 15th through February 21st.

Video Shows Chenango Bridge Crash of Stolen Car Driven by Teen

(Bob Joseph)
A 15-year-old town of Dickinson boy faces felony charges for allegedly stealing a vehicle that slammed into a car and a pickup truck during a police chase in Chenango Bridge. The Broome County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday afternoon released a dashcam video showing the high-speed pursuit of a 2017 Kia Sorento. Sheriff Fred Akshar said the vehicle had been left running and unlocked by a resident on Kirkwood Avenue in Port Dickinson last Friday morning. The car was reported stolen around 8:10 a.m.

Avelo Airlines Flights To Return From Binghamton To Orlando

(Don Morgan)
Avelo Airlines noted that they would be working with the Greater Binghamton Airport on timing and schedule to return the route for mid-summer. The airline has now officially announced the return of flights to Orlando, Florida. There will be summer schedule day changes for arrivals and departures from the winter/spring schedule for the Binghamton to Orlando, Florida flights. Instead of flights occurring on Wednesdays and Saturdays, flights beginning June 6th through September 2nd will instead occur on Thursdays and Sundays.

"Irreplaceable" Items Stolen from Binghamton Church Recovered

(Bob Joseph)
A downtown Binghamton resident has been accused of stealing many valuable items from a Court Street church. Authorities said 53-year-old Randy Ives of Rutherford Street was arrested in connection with a break-in at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. He has been charged with third-degree burglary. According to Binghamton police detectives, the break-in at the church located at 214 Court Street was reported last Friday. Police officers determined someone had entered the building through a second-floor window. Several religious articles of high value were taken in the burglary. Detectives executed a search warrant at the suspect's residence. They believe all of the items stolen from the church have been recovered.

Smash & Grab Thefts Reported At Otsiningo Park In Binghamton

(Don Morgan)
Theft from vehicles has become an issue recently at Otsiningo Park in Binghamton. According to the Broome County Sheriff's Office and Broome County Security a series of what they describe as 'smash and grab' has been occurring at the Broome County park. As many as eight break-ins have occurred during daylight hours between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. from vehicles owned by Otsiningo Park visitors over several recent weeks.

Binghamton May Get Tough on Illegal Off-Road Vehicle Drivers

(Bob Joseph)
The city of Binghamton could start cracking down on people who illegally operate dirt bikes and all-terrain vehicles on neighborhood streets. Mayor Jared Kraham on Thursday said he's proposing a law to impose fines of up to $1,000 for those who drive off-road vehicles on Binghamton streets. In a news release, Kraham said city residents "have voiced their frustrations with the excessive noise and public safety concerns" caused by the illegal use of such vehicles.

Increasing Transparency: New York's New Credit Card Surcharge

(Don Morgan)
In December 2023, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul a law designed for greater consumer protections and more transparency when it comes to credit card surcharges.According to the Governor's website, this law is designed to limit credit card surcharges to the amount charged to the business by the credit card company, and require businesses to post before checkout, the total price of an item or service inclusive of the credit card surcharge or a two-tiered pricing option, which requires the credit card price to be posted alongside the cash price.

Death Investigation: Binghamton Man's Body Found on City Highway

(Bob Joseph)
Binghamton police are investigating the death of a person whose body was discovered laying in a city roadway. Authorities said police were advised around 2:45 a.m. Saturday a man's body was located in the westbound lane of Route 363 at the Exchange Street overpass. The man, who was a Binghamton resident, was pronounced dead at the scene. Detective Lieutenant Matthew Hodnik said Route 363 was closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic for about five-and-a-half hours.

What Kind of Spring Are Forecasters Predicting for 2024 in New York?

(Don Morgan)
AccuWeather notes that the eastern part of the U.S. may experience a stormy pattern from late February to the beginning of March. As for the second half of March, Paul Pastelok,  AccuWeather Veteran Meteorologist and Long-Range Forecaster notes that the eastern U.S. may experience "a warmup in the second half of March across the eastern U.S." Pastelok adds that there could be some additional chances for snow across the interior Northeast into April, and that would be good news for ski resorts, but the odds for meaningful snow accumulation look to be low after mid-March.

Big Construction Projects Underway at Binghamton Baseball Stadium

(Bob Joseph)
Workers are busy at Mirabito Stadium in downtown Binghamton with a couple of major projects that must be completed by the start of the baseball season in early April. Binghamton Rumble Ponies owner David Sobotka said activity at the ballpark "has really accelerated over the last few weeks." Sobotka told WNBF News on Friday that the biggest project now underway will address some drainage problems in the stadium and on the field. Heavy equipment is being used to dig holes so temporary water storage tanks can be installed. The tanks will capture water that would otherwise remain on the field and in the area of the dugouts.