Government

On a chilly spring morning, city officials and staff joined members of the Rochester Red Wings to announce a new format for the annual Clean Sweep program.

Originally six separate events, then four, now it's a one-day all-city event, originating at Frontier Field on May 3rd.

Volunteers will gather at 8am that morning and head out to various work sites throughout the city.

Then they'll return to the ball park, where they'll be entitled to free admission to a Red Wings game, and a voucher for a hot dog and a drink.

Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren had to be hospitalized Wednesday night due to symptoms related to the flu. That according to a statement released by City Hall on Thursday morning.

A spokesperson says she was taken to Strong Hospital by ambulance, but is doing ok now. The 36 year old Warren was expected to be released from the hospital on Thursday and then spend the Easter Weekend with her family. But she was still in the hospital early Friday morning, listed in satisfactory condition.

More than 3 and a half million dollars will go to repurpose the historic Eastman Dental Dispensary for affordable housing in Rochester.

The money comes from more than $95 million in tax credits and low-interest loans from the state for more than 2 thousand units.

In a statement, Governor Andrew Cuomo calls the New York State Homes and Community Renewal funding a public-private partnership that will leverage more than 435 million dollars in grants, loans, and private resources.

The Monroe County project is one of 37 across the state.

There's word this morning that Basil Paterson, the father of former Governor David Paterson has died.  Newsday says he died Wednesday night at the age of 87.

Eleven more men have graduated from Monroe County's Fatherhood Connection program at the Open Door Mission.

Monroe County's Fatherhood Initiative Coordinator, Reggie Cox, is a father of ten children and runs the program.

He says around the country, 24-million children wake up each day in a fatherless home.

He says the program teaches men about the important role they play in their children's lives, and help them with personal development and parenting skills.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP)  A trial-level judge in Albany has ruled that New York's new gun law does not violate the Second Amendment. 

The decision announced Wednesday from state Supreme Court Justice Thomas McNamara also rejected legal claims that the gun law was improperly pushed through the legislature by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. 

Cuomo issued a ``message of necessity'' that allowed lawmakers to vote on the measure without the usual waiting period for the consideration of bills. The law bans high-capacity magazines and many semi-automatic firearms. 

We dig into the future of campaign finance in New York and the United States. From McCutcheon to the recent failed attempt by Governor Cuomo to broaden publicly funded campaigns, we follow the money. What's the argument for putting tax dollars into political campaigns? What's the argument against it? Brian Sampson of Unshackle Upstate joins us  studio to explain why his organization lobbied against publicly funded campaigns. Susan Lerner of Common Cause NY joins us to elaborate on why her organization favors more public participation.

National environmental groups are trying to focus the spotlight on Governor Andrew Cuomo, over the issue of the growing international oil distribution center, located just blocks from the State Capitol, at the Port of Albany.   

A small band of demonstrators chanted and held signs to protest a confluence of events that has turned upstate New York into a major center for oil distribution.

County Executive Maggie Brooks is proposing the County of Monroe Industrial Management Agency, or COMIDA, consider two resolutions regarding the stalled Medley Centre project in Irondequoit.

The first resolution would rescind the payment-in-lieu-of-taxes, or PILOT agreement, effective May 2nd, if the developer doesn't pay his bill in full on the first of the month.

The second proposal would authorize COMIDA to join with the Monroe County Law Department to prepare legal action to hold the developer accountable for all monies owed, including PILOT and milestone payments.

Teresa DeLone explained to the New York State Senate Heroin and Opioid Addiction Task Force that sometimes when her heroin addicted son ended up in jail she was relieved.

She felt he was safer there than on the street scoring heroin.

Tuesday was the second of 12 public forums held by the panel across the state.

Parents, legal and medical professionals gave testimony and recommendations for the best way to deal with a statewide explosion in heroin abuse.