Get Caught Up On Recent Southern Tier New York News

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 31, 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.

New York State Troopers Assist In Removing Animals From Farm

(Don Morgan)
On May 16, 2024, New York State Police arrested four people in connection with a case of over one hundred neglected animals at a farm on Clark Lane and Pig Farm Lane in New Berlin. The four persons were charged with felonies and misdemeanors under the Agriculture and Markets Law. Over two dozen animals were located deceased, and an additional 107 neglected animals were removed, including horses, swine, cattle, sheep, goats, a llama, dogs, and cats, according to the report from the New York State Police Troop C headquarters in Sidney, New York. New York State Police, along with the Susquehanna SPCA, removed several animals from the properties located on Clark Lane and Pig Farm Lane in the town of New Berlin on March 28, 2025.

Binghamton Building to Be Transformed Into Convenience Store

(Bob Joseph)
Broome County property records show the property at 235 Main Street was sold by Andrew Shuman for $480,000. The deal was finalized last week. Tony Singh has received permission from the Binghamton planning commission to develop a gas station and convenience store on the site. Some neighbors expressed concern about the vehicle fueling facility because of potential safety and environmental issues. They also said they were worried that crowds of people might congregate at the new business. The site actually had been used for an Esso gasoline station from 1942 to 1977. Binghamton Fluorescent moved to the location in 1981. Part of the old service station remains intact in what had been the store's office area.

Local Community Initiatives For Child Abuse Prevention Month

(Don Morgan)
The Family Violence Prevention Council is celebrating 40 years of providing education, resources, and support to professionals and community members, advocating for policy changes, developing local protocols, and playing a key role in numerous statewide initiatives focused on protecting children, elders, and families. According to the council, throughout April, several opportunities to engage the community in child abuse prevention efforts will occur. Some of the initiatives will include Kindergarten Kits for Families, where over 2,250 families registering a first-time student in local schools will receive prevention materials focused on childhood health, community resources, and wellness tools.

Consol's Family Kitchen in Endicott Acquired by Another Eatery

(Bob Joseph)
Consol's Family Kitchen on Oak Hill Avenue has been acquired by the nearby Concordia Restaurant, which opened less than two years ago. The announcement was made in an online post late Monday. According to the brief statement, the Concordia has outgrown its current location on Odell Avenue on Endicott's North Side. Plans call for the Concordia to relocate to the Consol's site at the corner of Oak Hill Avenue and Watson Boulevard. The Concordia is to remain open at its current location during the transition, which is expected to take several months to complete. Consol's Family Kitchen will be open only for takeout service while the space is being transformed for the Concordia.

Latest Broome County, New York Sheriff Department Arrests

(Don Morgan)
The Broome County Sheriff's Office just released its latest weekly arrest report on April 2, 2025. 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. For the list of arrests, click the headline above.

Debate Erupts Over Binghamton Neighborhood Gas Station Proposal

(Bob Joseph)
Some Binghamton and town of Dickinson residents are fighting a plan to add a vehicle fueling station to a small neighborhood convenience store in the city's First Ward. The operators of EZ Food Mart at 333 Prospect Street want permission to install gas pumps at the store, which has been open for more than a decade. The shop is owned by KSJD LLC of Vestal. It's located on an oddly-shaped parcel between Tracy Street and Glenwood Avenue. The site is three blocks north of a Speedway convenience store and gas station. There are houses on both side streets next door to the EZ Food Mart. Concerns are being expressed about health, traffic, environmental, and safety issues that may be posed by the proposed fueling station.

Plans for Wendy's, Jimmy John's, Circle K at Binghamton Site

(Bob Joseph)
A former NYSEG property on Court Street in Binghamton may soon be redeveloped with a major chain convenience store and two fast-food restaurants. Briad Development is seeking permission for the project that would include Broome County's first Circle K convenience store. Plans also call for the construction of a vehicle fueling station, along with drive-thru Wendy's and Jimmy John's operations. Circle K operates 28 convenience stores in New York state, but the company has no locations in the Binghamton area. In an email, Mayor Jared Kraham told WNBF News the city's planning department has had discussions with the project developers over the past several months.

Results Of Broome County Sheriff's Crime-Fighting Initiative

(Don Morgan)
Results of the first quarter of the targeted public safety and crime response initiative project have been released. Fred Akshar, Broome County Sheriff, released the results today (April 2, 2025) from the  Broome County Sheriff’s Office Strategic Response Group. During the first quarter, from January 1st to April 1st, 2025, the Broome County Sheriff’s Office Strategic Response Group targeted various zones in Broome County. Among the zones targeted were those coinciding with the nationally recognized Gun Involved Violence Elimination initiative.

Binghamton Man Who Killed Cheri Lindsey Will Remain in Prison

(Bob Joseph)
76-year-old James Wales - who was convicted of murder in the 1984 killing of a Binghamton girl - has again been denied parole. Wales was found guilty of three felony charges for sexually assaulting and killing 12-year-old Cheri Lindsey in his home on the city's North Side. He was sentenced to 33 years to life after he was found guilty of two counts of murder and one count of rape. The Broome County District Attorney's Office on Friday afternoon announced the state parole board had rejected a bid by Wales to be released. It was the fifth time he had been denied parole.

Scam Calls Impersonating Broome County New York Law Enforcement

(Don Morgan)
The latest area scam announced by the Broome County Sheriff's Office is that persons are once again impersonating detectives and deputies and contacting Broome County residents to solicit money and gift cards. As a reminder, never provide credit card or other payment information over the phone to anyone claiming to be law enforcement. Just recently, the Broome County Sheriff’s Office reported that they have received several reports from residents who received phone calls from individuals pretending to be BCSO detectives or deputies. The callers are informing persons who answer the call that they had missed their court appearances and are threatened with warrants for arrest or thousands of dollars in fines.

"Soft Opening" for Long-Awaited Owego Aldi Store

(Bob Joseph)
After nearly a decade of planning, discount grocery chain Aldi has finally opened a store in Tioga County. The newly-constructed store is located on the site of the iconic Owego Treadway Inn conference center at 1150 Route 17C. The location is just west of an exit from Interstate 86. The old Treadway event venue was demolished less than a year ago. Construction of the new store building started last summer. Although a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the grand opening of the store is scheduled for Thursday morning, the first customers were able to begin shopping Wednesday afternoon. Aldi had unveiled plans for a town of Owego store in 2017. The company sought permission to build on the site of the Scoville-Meno car dealership west of where the new store eventually was constructed.

New Psychiatric Beds Open In New York, Including Binghamton

(Don Morgan)
On Thursday, April 3rd, 2025, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul's office announced that 125 new beds have opened at state-operated psychiatric centers over the past four months, boosting New York’s capacity to provide intermediate-level care to individuals living with mental illness. The new beds represent over a third of the capacity added at state psychiatric centers since Governor Hochul took office in 2022. The New York State Office of Mental Health has added 125 beds over six centers throughout the state, including 25 beds at the Greater Binghamton Psychiatric Center.

Johnson City Ready to Tackle Empty Downtown Storefronts

(Bob Joseph)
A new effort to improve the appearance of vacant properties in Johnson City is about to get underway. Village officials are moving to get owners of empty storefronts to clean up their act. Mayor Martin Meaney said he expects enforcement of a new Johnson City local law requiring basic maintenance of vacant commercial properties to start soon. Village residents and business owners frequently complain about unsightly downtown storefronts that result in a blighted look. The recently approved Johnson City measure will require commercial property owners to register with the village. They'll have to provide appropriate contact information and meet some basic insurance requirements. Properties covered under the local law must be re-registered every six months.

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