A bi-national agency has adopted a controversial new plan to regulate water levels in Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River: 16 years after it started developing it. And one federal representative is already vowing to fight it. The International Joint Commission announced this afternoon that it approved Plan 2014, albeit an amended version. The […]
Jeremy Moule
Covers county government and whatever else comes my way. Greyhound dad; vegetarian; attempted photographer with a love for film and fixer; sometimes cyclist.
Posted inNews & Opinion
Finger Lakes region gets $80.5 million for priority projects
The Finger Lakes region will get $80.5 million in state funding to support key industries, economic and community development projects, and anti-poverty programs. The state held its annual Regional Economic Development Councils awards ceremony – sometimes called the state’s economic development Hunger Games – this afternoon. The Finger Lakes council’s plan was named a top […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Rochester builds on bike successes
Imagine taking a relaxed, pleasant bike ride on one of Rochester’s moderately busy streets — coexisting peacefully with cars and enjoying the scenery. But then the lane just ends at an intersection or in a spot where the roadway narrows. Suddenly, you’re forced into the street. “To the casual observer, you’re riding along and you […]
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This is why you can’t just dump Judge Astacio
Rochester City Court Justice Leticia Astacio has eight years left on her first term – eight years too long, according to much of the public. But judges have lengthy terms for good reason. Astacio was convicted of misdemeanor driving while intoxicated earlier this year and received a conditional discharge. She was back in court recently […]
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Conflict over construction at Sibley
Renovations are often disruptive, no matter the scale. So some sort of conflict between WinnCompanies and Monroe Community College’s Damon City Campus may have been inevitable. Winn owns and is renovating the Sibley Building downtown for housing and a high-tech incubator; MCC is a tenant in the building. The Monroe Community College Faculty Association sent […]
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Rochester plans local action on climate
This year has been one long string of bad news for the climate. Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels passed an undesirable threshold, arctic sea ice melted at record levels, average global temperature records were repeatedly beaten, and a quarter of the Great Barrier Reef’s coral died during a massive bleaching event. This is what manmade climate […]
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Warren, Gillibrand, faith leaders denounce hate incidents
The country is in a difficult place. A divisive election dominated by the contemptuous language of President-elect Donald Trump left much of the country with raw nerves. But the outcome was downright frightening to marginalized groups, particularly immigrants, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, and many women. And in the immediate aftermath of the election, those […]
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Dinolfo budget leaves tax rate unchanged
County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo’s first budget proposal is about what was expected: the $1.2 billion plan keeps the county tax rate flat at $8.99 per $1,000 of assessed property value. When Dinolfo ran for county exec last year, she promised to freeze the rate — a practice also followed by her predecessor, Maggie Brooks. That […]
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Slaughter, Schumer brace for war
Anytime Democrats or Republicans get whupped in a big national election, the pundits and chattering classes inevitably pose some existential questions: What went wrong? Does the party have a future? What is it? The 2016 presidential campaign was so ugly that reporters and TV talking heads are autopsying both parties. But there’s a different, practical […]
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New wind, old fights
New York leads in wind development in the Northeast, but still trails 12 other states in the country, including California, Illinois, Oregon, and Washington. Texas is eating everybody’s lunch. A burst of new wind projects could push New York higher in the rankings; emphasis on “could.” Plenty of state wind-farm proposals have died due to […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Webster preps solar laws
New York has experienced tremendous growth in solar power over the last several years. Between 2011 and the end of 2015, the number of solar installations — from small residential systems to larger projects — grew from 249 to 1,284 in the Finger Lakes region, according to data from the New York State Energy Research […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Somebody save us from 2016
In Donald Trump, we have a presidential candidate who’s gone off the rails, between casual dismissal of his own remarks about sexual assault and offensive characterizations of Mexicans, Muslims, women, and plenty of other people and groups. Locally, a white supremacist group is tossing fliers saying that we need to make Rochester greater by making […]
