WEOS-FM (Geneva, NY)

Updated plans to expand the ICE detention facility at Batavia now describe a $17 million soft-sided or tent project — all or part of which is to house women.

The handling of an alleged rape case at Cornell University is creating calls for action in Albany. Gov. Kathy Hochul has appointed Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor to investigate a 2024 case where a woman said she was drugged and raped by several men at a Cornell University fraternity house.

Federal authorities say a former Afghan interpreter for the U.S. military has admitted he falsified records to obtain a visa and come to Rochester. With his plea and conviction, Dilbar Gul Dilbar faces possible deportation, according to a plea agreement filed this week in U.S. District Court. The fate of his wife and five children was not immediately clear.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday said she has appointed New York Attorney General Letitia James as a special prosecutor to investigate the alleged rape case at a Cornell University frat house, noting the lack of prosecution by the Tompkins County District Attorney had “undercut” her faith in the office.

Questions and criticisms about the handling of an alleged 2024 rape case at Cornell University have led to calls for action in Albany. Lawmakers in both chambers are eyeing changes to close loopholes and strengthen enforcement against perpetrators and institutions once the session begins in January. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie announced Wednesday that he’s tasked a group of lawmakers with drafting recommendations by the end of the year.

Four years ago, Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado was heralded as New York’s first lieutenant governor with Latino roots. But Delgado, who identifies as Afro-Latino, is not seeking re-election. And when he leaves office at year’s end, it could leave the Empire State’s Hispanic community back in a familiar place. No Latino or Latina has otherwise held statewide office, nor been elected mayor of New York City.

When an evaluation showed that her son Matthew had developmental delays, Kailey Yeager and her husband tried to get him the early intervention services he needed — specifically, occupational therapy. But they had to wait 10 months until he could enroll. It shouldn't have been difficult, Yeager said. Her son had a right to the services under federal law, but there was a shortage of providers. "Unfortunately, it's a problem too many families face," Yeager said.

A grainy newspaper photograph captures a moment that local leaders say encapsulates a youth-led movement for disability rights in Rochester. Sixty years later, leadership at the Center for Disability Rights wants to commemorate it. In the image published in the former Times-Union, a group of picketers hold signs outside a Republican convention at the Rochester Community War Memorial, now known as the Blue Cross Arena. “Governor Rockefeller says educate the handicapped.

Two new polls on the race for governor were released as campaigning gets into high gear. The Quinnipiac poll showed Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul with a solid lead over her Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman. She’s up 58% to 39%, among likely voters. But Siena’s survey of likely voters shows the race is getting a bit tighter. Hochul’s at 50%, and Blakeman’s at 41%.

President Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada has disrupted billions of dollars in economic activity, affecting everything from automobiles to Crown Royal whiskey. And the tariffs are even complicating business at New York's first farm cidery. Nine Pin Ciderworks in North Albany uses 3.3 million pounds of apples each year to make around 150,000 gallons of cider. Almost all of the apples come from an orchard in Kinderhook, about 21 miles away.