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Includes reports from Yates County Sheriff's Office, Penn Yan Police Department, and New York State Police. These reports do not indicate guilt, only that someone has been charged with an offence. The term "arrested" does not always mean someone was held in jail.

STREET FIGHT IN DUNDEE - At 6 p.m. Sept 8, Yates County Sheriff Deputies responded to Washington St. in Dundee for the report of an ongoing physical altercation occurring in the roadway. ERIK B. HOYT, 26, of Dundee, allegedly subjected two village residents to unwanted physical contact by shoving one and spitting in the face of another while holding a child in his arms. Hoyt was arrested for Endangering the Welfare of a Child, 2nd degree Harassment, and Disorderly Conduct. He was taken to the Yates County Jail to await arraignment.

JESSE B. GARLICK, 41, of Cohocton, was arrested Sept. 4 by New York State Troopers on a warrant from Jerusalem Town Court charging him with 2nd degree Criminal Contempt, stemming from an incident that occurred in Oct. 2023. He was transferred to the custody to Yates County Sheriff's Deputies and held in the Yates County Jail to await arraignment.

MEGAN E. TURKER, 37, of Branchport, was arrested Sept. 2 by Yates County Deputies who observed her at a business in Penn Yan knowing she was wanted on warrant out of Jerusalem Town Court for 2nd degree Aggravated Harassment and 2nd degree Harassment. Turker was taken to the Yates County Jail to await arraignment.

JOSIAS XOLOMINQUIZ, 38, of Penn Yan, was arrested Sept. 2 by Penn Yan Police after he was seen driving through a red light. Failing field sobriety tests, he was taken to the Yates County Jail for a chemical breath test which revealed his blood alcohol level to be .27%. Xolominquiz was charged with Aggravated DWI with a .18% BAC or Greater, Common Law DWI, Passing a Red Light, and insufficient Turn Signal, and was released with appearance tickets for Penn Yan Village Court.

RICHARD E. INGRAHM JR., 48, of Prattsburgh, was arrested Sept. 1 by Penn Yan Police following a complaint from Yates County DSS that a juvenile under the age of 18 received a tattoo from him Aug. 3 at his tattoo shop where he failed to check the age or ID of the juvenile. Ingrahm admitted to police that he completed the tattoo on the juvenile, and turned himself in to police. He was issued an appearance ticket for 2nd degree Unlawfully Dealing with a Child and will answer in village court later.

MATTHEW A. KRAUTWURST, 31, of Rochester, was arrested Aug. 31 by Yates County Sheriff Deputies after a stop on North Vine Valley Road in Middlesex for speeding. Failing field sobriety tests, he was taken to the Yates County Jail for a chemical test. Krautwurst was charged with Common Law DWI, DWI with a .08% BAC or Greater, and Speeding in a 55 mph Zone. He was released with appearance tickets for Middlesex Town Court later.

JADE S. SMITH, 26, of Bluff Point, was arrested at 12:17 a.m. Aug. 30 by Yates County Deputies after she was seen driving at a high rate of speed on Rte. 14A and led Deputies on a pursuit reaching speeds over double the posted speed limit. She continued to flee and was eventually stopped on Ferguson Corners Road where she was taken into custody. Smith was charged with 3rd degree Unlawfully Fleeing a Police Officer, 3rd degree Aggravated Unlicensed Operation, Reckless Driving, four counts of Speeding, Failure to Comply with a Lawful Order, Failure to Keep Right, Movign from Lane Unsafely, and No Turn Signal. She was processed at the Yates County Public Safety Building and released with appearance tickets for Benton Town Court.

TWO-CAR CRASH - At 10:10 a.m. Aug. 28, Yates County Sheriff's Deputies and first responders were called to 10 S. Main Street in Rushville for a two-car crash with possible entrapment. It was determined EARL F. GORTON, 97, Rushville was attempting to make a U-turn from a parking spot and was struck by ROBERT F. YERKES, 69, of Penn Yan, who was uninjured. Gorton was treated on scene by EMS for minor cuts, and was issued a ticket for moving from lane unsafely.

SHAE E. O'DONNEL, 31, of Rochester, and CHRISTOPHER J. BERARDI, 28, of Fairport, were cited by PYPD for Open Container by Penn Yan Police after they were seen in possession of alcohol on a public street. They were issued appearance tickets for village court and released.

BETTY L. WOODSIDE, 70, of Penn Yan, was arrested by PYPD following a complaint of stolen medication at a residential apartment complex. Aug. 21, she allegedly entered another person's apartment and stole 18 pills of hydrocodone. The resident witnessed her taking the pills and reported she had also dropped two pills on the kitchen floor while stealing them. Woodside was charged with Petit Larceny, processed at PYPD and released with an appearance ticket for village court later.

MICHAEL A. HULLINGS JR. (no age given) of Penn Yan, was arrested by Penn Yan Police on a warrant issued out of Yates County Supreme Court for Violation of Probation. He was taken into custody without incident and taken to the county jail to await his appearance in Supreme Court.

DOUGLAS G. THAYER, 73, of Hammondsport, was ticketed by Penn Yan Police for driving with a license that was suspended for Failure to Pay NYS Taxes. He was released with an appearance ticket for village court later.

PAVING IN PENN YAN
The Village of Penn Yan DPW will be paving the following streets, tentatively scheduled for the end of September into early October.
- Rosewood Dr.- Court St.- Violet Ave.- Davis St.- Highland Dr.- Youngs St.- Howard St.- Grace St.- Florence Ave.- Wagener Court
Traffic may be interrupted and/or closed to one lane during construction and traffic control devices will be placed as needed. More details will be provided once we have them. If you have questions, please contact the DPW office at 315-279-6535.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand recently announced $59,115,204 in federal funding to modernize facilities and strengthen airfield safety at 26 airports across N.Y. State, including Penn Yan Airport.
This federal funding was granted through the Federal Aviation Administration's Airport Improvement Program to help fund projects that address safety, capacity, and security at New York's airports. The projects include constructing and expanding terminals, rehabilitating taxiways, and modernizing airport signage.
"From big cities like Buffalo and Syracuse to our rural communities in the North Country, Upstate N.Y.'s regional airports are gateways for commerce, tourism and travel for residents. It is essential that they have the resources they need to deliver a safe and comfortable experience to all travelers, which is why I am proud to delivering a whopping $59+ million for airports across the Empire State to help our airports of all sizes reach new heights," said Schumer. "This $59+ million federal investment in new terminals, taxiways, safety, and other critical infrastructure upgrades will help airports soar. I fought hard to bolster the Airport Improvement Program in the FAA reauthorization this past year because I know this program is the main federal lifeline for these airports and today's investment will help our local economies take off!" Gillibrand added, "New York's airports welcome millions of travelers each year, and it is vital that they have up-to-date infrastructure needed for passengers to travel safely. This nearly $60 million in federal funding will bring much-needed safety and infrastructure improvements to airports across New York State. I am excited to announce this funding and will continue fighting to bring vital modernization efforts and improvements to airports across N.Y. State."
Among the local and regional airports to benefit are:

Penn Yan Airport  

Taxiway Expansion - $1,582,277

Frederick Douglass Rochester International Airport 

Terminal Reconstruction - $2,930,917
New Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Vehicle - $1,070,997

Elmira Corning Regional Airport  

Runway Rehabilitation and Lighting - $949,577

Ithaca Tompkins International Airport  

New Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Vehicle - $2,090,070
Taxiway Rehabilitation and Construction - $401,692
Runway Signage and Lighting - $187,537

Syracuse Hancock International Airport  

Taxiway Rehabilitation and Signage - $9,575,869

Buffalo Niagara International Airport  

Runway Rehabilitation and Signage Reconstruction - $15,913,680

Gastroenterologist Blessing Rees, MD, MPH has recently joined UR Medicine Finger Lakes Health. Dr. Rees will be practicing at Finger Lakes Gastroenterology, joining the team of Dr. Angel Diaz, Dr. Henry LeGuyader, Dr. Anjanet Perez-Colon, Dr. Christopher Walker, Sarah DiSanto, FNP-C, Staci Hooker, FNP-C, Melissa Sherman, FNP-C, and Brandee Burley PA-C. She is an active medical staff member at Geneva General and Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hospitals.
Dr. Rees is board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. She completed her fellowship in Gastroenterology and Hepatology as well as her residency in Internal Medicine at McGaw Medical Center/Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois.
She attended medical school at University of North Carolina, School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, N.C. She also holds a Master of Public Health in Global Health from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts.
Dr. Rees's professional and society memberships include: Associate Member, American Gastroenterology Association Associate Member, American College of Gastroenterology.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Rees at Finger Lakes Gastroenterology, 1150 Rte. 5 & 20 in Geneva, please call 315-787-5310. For more information visit www.flhealth.org.

FINGER LAKES – The Alzheimer's Association is inviting Finger Lakes residents to join the fight to end Alzheimer's by participating in the Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's on Saturday, Sept. 21 at Watkins Glen International. Registration opens at 4 p.m., with opening ceremonies at 5:15 p.m. and the Walk at 5:30 p.m.
"This is a pivotal moment in the fight against Alzheimer's. There are now treatments that change the course of the disease," says Julie DeMersman, director of development for the Rochester & Finger Lakes Region Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. "We hope that everyone in the community can join us to help the Alzheimer's Association raise awareness and funds for families facing the disease today, take more steps toward treatments and finally end this disease."
The Walk is personal for Kamala Keeley, the Walk's co-chair. "Although this walk is so important in terms of helping members of our community impacted by Alzheimer's, it became much more personal to me after having lost my Uncle Jay to a dementia-related illness earlier this year," she says. "We're walking in his honor and to support all of those impacted by this viciously degenerative disease. "
On walk day, participants honor those affected by Alzheimer's with the poignant Promise Garden ceremony – a mission-focused experience that signifies our solidarity in the fight against the disease. During the ceremony, walkers will carry flowers of various colors, each color representing their personal connection to the disease.
Nearly 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease – a leading cause of death in the United States. Additionally, more than 11 million family members and friends provide care to people living with Alzheimer's and other dementias. In New York State, there are more than 426,5000 people living with the disease and 543,000 caregivers.
The funds raised through the Walk to End Alzheimer's ensure the programs and services provided by the Alzheimer's Association are free to all who need them, in addition to funding the research and advocacy efforts which have resulted in new treatments for people living in the early stage.
To register and receive the latest updates on this year's Walk to End Alzheimer's in Watkins Glen, visit act.alz.org/WatkinsGlen.
The Walk to End Alzheimer's is the world's largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer's care, support and research. Since 1989, the Alzheimer's Association mobilized millions of Americans in the Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk; now the Alzheimer's Association is continuing to lead the way with Walk to End Alzheimer's. Together, we can end Alzheimer's.

The Alzheimer's Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer's care, support and research. Its mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer's and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Visit www.alz.org or call 800-272-3900.

DRESDEN - Greenidge Generation is challenging the N.Y. State Department of Environmental Conservation's (DEC) decision to deny their air permit renewal, claiming the agency overstepped its authority.
In their Article 78 petition filed Aug. 15 in the State Supreme Court of Yates County, Greenidge alleges that the DEC used an improper and incomplete analysis, which they argue does not align with the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, or CLCPA. The company also contends that under the CLCPA and state law, the DEC does not have exclusive authority over electric-generating facilities. They argue that the DEC has overstepped its bounds, encroaching on the roles of the state Public Service Commission and the New York Independent System Operator.
"When we are in front of courts of law and out of politically biased and ad hoc DEC processes, the facts actually matter and the courts continue to recognize our facility meets the letter and intent of state and federal laws," said Dale Irwin, President of Greenidge Generation.
"This is an important case for Upstate New York: for working locals who've waited far too long for the type of high-tech, high-paying career opportunities we continue to create, for local businesses and unions we partner with, and for the local communities that benefit from the significant share of county tax revenue we are generating. We are proving this region can create future-focused jobs and economic activity while meeting the state's ambitious climate goals."
The legal action comes after DEC's regional director, Dereth Glance, upheld the agency's decision to deny the permit, citing the need to adhere to greenhouse gas emissions limits set by the CLCPA.
Earthjustice is a nonprofit environmental law organization. Mandy DeRoche, Deputy Managing Attorney of the Clean Energy Program at Earthjustice calls the lawsuit a "last ditch effort" by Greenidge to continue Bitcoin mining on Seneca Lake.
"Greenidge Generation is operating in violation of the CLCPA, as stated by the DEC three times now, and should not be permitted to increase climate and local air pollution, as we try so hard to decrease GHG emissions in New York State. We are advocating on behalf of our clients, and we strongly oppose Greenidge's continued attempts to pollute the Finger Lakes and the climate – and their broader attempts to gut the DEC's authority."
Greenidge provided the following information on its stance:
• DEC exceeded its jurisdiction while employing an improper and incomplete analysis that is inconsistent with the language and intent of the CLCPA.
• Under the CLCPA and relevant NY State law, DEC does not have sole authority over electric generating facilities, and DEC usurped the roles of the New York State Public Service Commission and the New York Independent System Operator.
1. DEC violated the supremacy clause, by ignoring the requirements of NYISO's federally approved deactivation process for existing generating facilities, which ensures reliability and resiliency studies are conducted before deactivation.
2. The CLCPA requires that the New York State Public Service Commission (not DEC) adopt regulations establishing a program to meet a target of seventy percent of statewide electrical generation from renewable sources by 2030, and a target of zero GHG emissions for statewide electrical demand by 2040.
3. The Climate Action Council, designed to guide agency implementation of CLCPA mandates, established "any retirement and/or repurposing of existing fossil fuel generation must be done in coordination with the [NYS]PSC, the NYISO planning process"
4. The Climate Action Council concluded that the application of CLCPA to electric generating facilities cannot occur in a vacuum, which is what DEC did here as the New York State Public Service Commission (NYSPSC) and the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) were not consulted in this process in any form.
5. In fact, when Greenidge requested to halt power generating operations for maintenance, the request was denied by NYISO due to risks to system reliability and NYISO has requested, on multiple occasions, that Greenidge increase power supply or deliver full load to the grid. Greenidge has complied with those requests.
• DEC asserts that CLCPA authorizes the Department, in its complete and sole discretion, to deny Greenidge's and any other party's permit application if the facility at issue will have any GHG emissions – which is true as to almost every single facility for which an air permit is requested – regardless of any justification or alternatives/mitigation considerations, and in spite of all other regulatory and statutory requirements having been met.
• The CLCPA does not invite the Department or any other state agency to make its own subjective ad hoc value judgements regarding the purported "purpose" of a project or facility or what economic activity in New York State is needed, desirable, or worthy.
• Contrary to DEC's attempt to anoint itself as New York State's arbiter of economy-wide climate issues, the CLCPA instead created the Climate Action Council, a 22-member appointed body, with the mission to prepare a Scoping Plan with extensive public involvement to serve as the roadmap to achieve the State's clean energy and climate goals.
• During the internal DEC appeals process, DEC's own Administrative Law Judge advanced three issues for adjudication in the appeals process, and the Administrative Law Judge sought to hold hearings on all three matters.o DEC then overruled its own Administrative Law Judge and summarily ended the appeals process, without affording Greenidge an adjudicatory hearing.
• The Denial rests upon the Department's determination that its issuance of the renewed permit would be inconsistent with the Statewide GHG limits in 2030 and 2050 – despite the fact that the permit would expire prior to 2030.
• DEC deprived Greenidge of the right to include in its application information the Department now says is required by applying the CLCPA using standards and criteria not identified to Greenidge until (or even after) the Denial, and then by denying Greenidge an adjudicatory hearing.