Another Busy News Week! Did You See These Local Stories?

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 November 18, 2024, from WNBF's Bob Joseph, Don Morgan, and the Townsquare Media staff.

Binghamton Commission Recommends End to Water Fluoridation

(Bob Joseph)
A Binghamton commission has voted to recommend that city council put a stop to the practice of adding fluoride to the public water supply. A sharply divided Commission for Conservation of the Environment voted in favor of ending the long-time water fluoridation practice. The vote was five to four. The city has been fluoridating its water supply since 1964 in an effort to reduce tooth decay. Commission member Richard Jannaccio said a panel committee has been discussing the health concerns some have expressed about adding fluoride to the water. A Binghamton commission has voted to recommend that city council put a stop to the practice of adding fluoride to the public water supply. A sharply divided Commission for Conservation of the Environment voted in favor of ending the long-time water fluoridation practice. The vote was five to four.

Premium Audio Amplified: Bose Corporation Acquires McIntosh Labs

(Don Morgan)
On November 19th, the Bose Corporation, another audio company that makes superior audio products, announced in a website press release that it had acquired the McIntosh Group which includes McIntosh Laboratory and Sonus faber. Bose purchased McIntosh from Highlander Partners, L.P., which is a private investment firm in Dallas, Texas.McIntosh is located on Conklin Avenue, Binghamton. Sonus faber is a luxury designer and Italian manufacturer of handcrafted speakers, and other high-end audio equipment, based in Vicenza, Italy. The Bose press release notes that financial and other terms of the transaction are confidential.

Man Dies After Being Struck By Car on Route 363 in Binghamton

(Bob Joseph)
Authorities say a man was fatally injured when he was hit by a vehicle while trying to cross a busy Binghamton highway. According to city police, the incident occurred on Route 363 at Frederick Street around 6:50 p.m. Monday. When police and fire medics arrived, the man who was struck by the car was found in the roadway. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators determined the 39-year-old man was attempting to walk a bicycle across the highway. He was crossing Route 363 although oncoming traffic had a green light.

Partnership Renewed With Indigo Sports For Ely Park Golf Course

(Don Morgan)
The City of Binghamton is extending the contract with Indigo Sports for the operation of the Ely Park Golf Course according to an announcement on Tuesday (November 19) by Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham. The city has owned the course since it was built in 1933. The contract extension goes through 2028. In the announcement, Mayor Kraham noted that since Indigo Sports took over management in 2021, annual rounds at Ely Park are up by more than 51 percent. In addition, Ely Park hosted over 32,000 rounds of golf in 2024, an increase of just under 11 percent over last year. In 2023, 115 membership passes were purchased. This year, that number increased to 218.

Binghamton Man Accused of Firing Shots on City Street

(Bob Joseph)
One person has been charged after Binghamton police investigated two reports of possible gunshots during a one-hour period. Authorities said 28-year-old Dajai Gonzalez of Binghamton was taken into custody late Monday afternoon on Lyida Street in the First Ward. Police had received several calls reporting shots fired in the area of 6 Lydia Street around 5:15 p.m. Officers determined there had been a domestic dispute in the street involving a man and a woman. The man fired a handgun into the air. Police discovered the man also had violated a valid order of protection.

Implications Of Social Security Fairness Act For Public Sector Employees 

(Don Morgan)
Wednesday (November 20), during a press conference, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand urged the Senate to pass the Social Security Fairness Act, bipartisan legislation.If passed, this would increase Social Security benefits for police officers, firefighters, teachers, and other government employees. Currently, the law reduced Social Security benefits for workers who receive pensions based on earnings from employment that is not covered by Social Security and its payroll tax. According to Senator Gillibrand, the Social Security Fairness Act would reduce Social Security benefits for roughly 2.5 million Americans,  including over 35,000 New York State and Local Government Employees, teachers, firefighters, and police officers.

Garnar: Golf Tournament at Risk Without Prompt En-Joie Upgrade 

(Bob Joseph)
Broome County Executive Jason Garnar says the future of Dick's Sporting Goods Open in Endicott is in danger unless action is taken soon to fix En-Joie Golf Club's irrigation system. Garnar released the results of an engineering study on Tuesday that outlined the steps needed to replace the system. The county executive said "if it doesn't get replaced very, very soon, we will lose the entire golf course and one of the most well-known PGA tournaments" in the state. The village of Endicott owns the golf course, which has been operated by the county since 2006. Garnar said the county-commissioned report from the Ramboll engineering firm estimated it could cost about $8 million to replace the irrigation system. He said the county would pay for the work if the village turned over the ownership of En-Joie.

New Major Change Coming for New York Regents Exams

(Don Morgan)
According to the website Gothamist, this month (November 2024) the New York State Department of Education proposed a plan that would mean students in the Empire State would no longer have to pass Regents Exams to earn their high school diplomas.  If approved by the Board of Regents, this proposal would begin with the 2027-2028 school year.

Binghamton Riverside Homeless Encampment Site Cleared

(Bob Joseph)
Police officers and public works crews cleared out an area where homeless people had been staying along the Susquehanna River in Binghamton. The encampment was one of several located around the city. The move to clear the site behind a concrete floodwall on Conklin Avenue on the South Side came after small fires had been reported in the area in recent days. Police and public works department vehicles, including garbage trucks, showed up at the encampment between the State Street bridge and the Washington Street pedestrian bridge Thursday morning.

Big Binghamton Airport Transformation Project Continues

(Bob Joseph)
A $54 million modernization project is moving forward at the Greater Binghamton Airport. Dozens of workers with various contractors are busy every day at the Town of Maine facility. Broome County aviation commissioner Mark Heefner said construction at the airport started in September of last year. Speaking on WNBF Radio's Binghamton Now program, Heefner said 65 to 85 people are working on the project each day. New jet bridges have been delivered to the site and are expected to be tied into the building within a few weeks. The commissioner said the departure lounge is expected to be completed in January. The full airport project "is on track for a full opening" next spring.

Get our free mobile app