Government

Among the Earth Day events on Tuesday,  the unveiling of Rochester's new electric vehicle charging stations. The stations are part of a state-wide infrastructure to enhance driving ranges for electric cars. The project is partially funded by the “Charge New York initiative.”

There are now 24 charging  stations around Rochester, all free for use for the next year. Customers will need to sign up for a ChargePoint account and receive an access card in order to use the stations.

A new poll finds that Governor Cuomo is still feeling the fallout from the demise of his Moreland Commission, a  panel that was investigating corruption in the legislature. Cuomo disbanded the commission as part of the state budget deal.

After nine years, Monroe County Democratic Committee Chair Joe Morelle says he won't seek re-election to the post this fall.

He says he needs to focus on his growing responsibilities as Majority Leader in the Assembly, and  as chair of the Democratic Assembly Campaign Committee.

Morelle, at a Tuesday news conference, says he made the decision with a "heavy heart."

A new poll finds Governor Cuomo in a double digit lead against his Republican opponent for the fall elections. But the survey finds that ratio changes, if a progressive third party candidate emerges.

Rochester officials have picked the names to be used for a new street and plaza created as part of the Midtown Rising development.

Mayor Lovely Warren and a city committee have decided on “Midtown Commons” for the new open space; and “Andrew Langston Way”  for the new street.  They were chosen from among 328 suggestions submitted to City Hall.

Senator Chuck Schumer says a rule from the Food and Drug Administration will hurt New York brewers and farmers alike.

It would prevent brewers from selling or donating a by-product from the brewing process called "spent grain" without implement costly health safety measures.

Farmers use the grain to feed their livestock.

He says the rule is part of the Food Safety Modernization Act, and is designed to prevent food-borne illnesses in humans and animals.

Governor Cuomo and the legislature approved a plan in the state budget to encourage local governments and schools to merge and share services over the next few years, in an attempt to lower property taxes.  But according to a study by school administrators, attempts at school district mergers in recent years have failed, partly because the public doesn’t want them.

What happens to so-called spent grain? It's a natural byproduct of the brewing process. One New York Senator hopes to stop a new federal rule that would control its use.

Makers of specialty beers often sell or donate what's left of the grains used in the brewing process to feed farm animals. One business, C-B Craft Brewers in Honeoye, recently spent money on a new system so it could sell spent grain to nearby dairy farms.

Senator Charles Schumer says a proposed rule from the FDA could prevent these sales, increasing costs to farmers, and sending the grain to landfills.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP)  Motorists who repeatedly speed through New York state toll booths without paying would see their vehicle registrations suspended under legislation being considered by state lawmakers. 

Under current law, toll evaders are contacted by a collection agency and only face registration suspensions if they commit multiple violations within the same locality _ and then only after an order from a court or tribunal. 

Documents obtained by a group opposed to hydrofracking show that the Cuomo Administration’s is conducting a thorough and comprehensive health study on the controversial natural gas drilling process. The Finger Lakes based organization is wondering, why then, the review has been conducted almost entirely in secret.