Hits: 0
Hits: 464
PRESIDENTIAL, CONGRESSIONAL, STATE & LOCAL PRIMARIES – JUNE 23
Voting in Person
If you wish to vote by absentee ballot here is what you need to know:
Requesting an Absentee Ballot Application
Filling out and Filing the Absentee Ballot Application
Voting by Absentee Ballot and Important Deadlines
Voter Registration Deadlines for the June 23 Primary Elections
Board of Elections Contact Information:
Hits: 144
AMID ONGOING COVID-19 PANDEMIC, GOVERNOR CUOMO ANNOUNCES FIFTH REGION HITS BENCHMARK TO BEGIN REOPENING MAY 15TH
Central New York Joins North Country, Finger Lakes, Southern Tier and Mohawk Valley Regions, Which Have Met the Seven Metrics Required to Begin Reopening After NYS on Pause Orders Expire on May 15th
Business Guidance for Phase One of the State’s Reopening Plan is Available Here
Initial $3 Million in Grants Available to Businesses to Manufacture Emergency Medical Supplies and Equipment
Announces President Trump has Expedited $3.9 Billion in Funding for the MTA at the Request of the Governor
Confirms 2,390 Additional Coronavirus Cases in New York State – Bringing Statewide Total to 343,051; New Cases in 45 Counties
Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that as of today, Central New York has met all seven metrics required to begin phase one of the state’s regional phased reopening plan when NYS on PAUSE orders expire on May 15th, joining the North Country, Finger Lakes, Southern Tier and Mohawk Valley Regions.
If the trend continues, these five regions can begin opening businesses for phase one, which includes construction; manufacturing and wholesale supply chain; retail for curbside pickup and drop-off or in-store pickup; and agriculture, forestry and fishing. Business guidance for phase one of the state’s reopening plan is available here. A guide to the state’s “NY Forward Reopening” Plan is available here. The state’s regional monitoring dashboard is available here.
The Governor also announced an initial $3 million in grants are available to businesses to manufacture emergency medical supplies and equipment. Companies interested in growing or starting a medical supply business should go to www.esd.ny.gov.
Governor Cuomo also announced that President Trump has expedited $3.9 billion in funding for the MTA at the request of the Governor.
“All the arrows are pointed in the right direction and now the question becomes focused on reopening – people have to get back to work and the state needs an economy – but we have to make sure we don’t reopen too soon,” Governor Cuomo said. “We are doing this in a calibrated way and monitoring the data, facts and metrics every single day and using the lessons we’ve learned from others who have already gone through this. And right now, based on our criteria we have five regions that are poised to reopen beginning tomorrow, and as they start to reopen certain businesses we will continue to monitor the level of activity and make sure it doesn’t create a second wave of this virus.”
Finally, the Governor confirmed 2,390 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 343,051 confirmed cases in New York State. Of the 343,051 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows (MIDHUDSON REGION COUNTIES IN BOLD FACE):
| County | Total Positive | New Positive |
| Albany | 1,509 | 15 |
| Allegany | 44 | 0 |
| Broome | 383 | 1 |
| Cattaraugus | 64 | 3 |
| Cayuga | 60 | 0 |
| Chautauqua | 44 | 1 |
| Chemung | 132 | 0 |
| Chenango | 112 | 0 |
| Clinton | 81 | 3 |
| Columbia | 327 | 9 |
| Cortland | 33 | 2 |
| Delaware | 67 | 1 |
| Dutchess | 3,474 | 45 |
| Erie | 4,671 | 65 |
| Essex | 32 | 0 |
| Franklin | 17 | 0 |
| Fulton | 144 | 4 |
| Genesee | 175 | 1 |
| Greene | 207 | 1 |
| Hamilton | 5 | 0 |
| Herkimer | 86 | 2 |
| Jefferson | 69 | 1 |
| Lewis | 12 | 1 |
| Livingston | 106 | 3 |
| Madison | 255 | 2 |
| Monroe | 2,019 | 60 |
| Montgomery | 69 | 1 |
| Nassau | 38,743 | 156 |
| Niagara | 710 | 20 |
| NYC | 188,545 | 1,295 |
| Oneida | 698 | 12 |
| Onondaga | 1,423 | 28 |
| Ontario | 129 | 20 |
| Orange | 9,771 | 78 |
| Orleans | 145 | 3 |
| Oswego | 78 | 2 |
| Otsego | 67 | 0 |
| Putnam | 1,115 | 7 |
| Rensselaer | 423 | 3 |
| Rockland | 12,596 | 53 |
| Saratoga | 415 | 5 |
| Schenectady | 597 | 10 |
| Schoharie | 47 | 0 |
| Schuyler | 8 | 0 |
| Seneca | 49 | 0 |
| St. Lawrence | 192 | 0 |
| Steuben | 230 | 0 |
| Suffolk | 37,544 | 239 |
| Sullivan | 1,168 | 33 |
| Tioga | 108 | 0 |
| Tompkins | 136 | 0 |
| Ulster | 1,495 | 14 |
| Warren | 227 | 4 |
| Washington | 215 | 1 |
| Wayne | 89 | 5 |
| Westchester | 31,792 | 181 |
| Wyoming | 77 | 0 |
| Yates | 22 | 0 |
Hits: 124
WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. From a White Plains CitizeNetReporter. May 14, 2020:
A resident of Battle Hill informs WPCNR that
“Battle Hill was hit hard last night 5-13-20. Larcenies from UNLOCKED vehicles. Many neighbors have (surveillance) cameras so that is helping police. Please lock your car doors at night! Police are asking if you were targeted last night please call 4226111 non-emergency WPPD.”
WPCNR is awaiting details from the White Plains Police.
The White Plains Police have this observation on their website:
There have been recent car larcenies from unlocked vehicles in private driveways within our city and our neighboring jurisdictions. This has become not only a local crime issue, but one that extends throughout the country.
The White Plains Police actively seek to detect, deter and arrest persons involved in these crimes. For all the police effort, the single most effective way to not become a victim of this crime is to lock all the doors of your vehicles. It is as simple as that.
Please help the Police Department fight crime. – Lock your cars and do your honest best to safeguard all of your belongings in and around your residence.
Hits: 107
New York State now has over 340,661 positive cases. The total number tested in Westchester is 115,572; the number of people who have tested positive in the county is 31,611. The county currently estimates the number of active cases in the county to be 2,985. There are currently 498 Westchester Residents hospitalized in Westchester County. The cumulative number of positive cases in White Plains is 1671 with 147 of those estimated to be active- 4 of which are new cases today (Wednesday).
Today it was announced that on Friday 4 of the 10 New York State economic development regions will be permitted to enter phase 1 of reopening. The regions impacted are North Country, Finger Lakes, Southern Tier and Mohawk Valley. We are in the Mid Hudson region which is currently meeting 5 of the 7 metrics required to begin the reopening process. The two metrics we are not meeting are moving in the right direction.
As a reminder, individuals with symptoms of COVID-19 which include fever, cough and congestion can walk in to be tested at White Plains Hospital Emergency Department. Testing is also available at urgent care facilities such as City MD at the corner of Maple and Mamaroneck and Forme on Broadway near Main St. or contact your health care provider.
There will be food distributions in White Plains on Friday, one at George Washington Elementary School from 11am until noon,sponsored by the GWPTA, and two city run distributions at Delfino Park and Battle Hill Firehouse both at 2pm. If you are in need of food assistance please email feedingwp@whiteplainsny.gov. If you are in need of a mask please email maskwp@whiteplainsny.gov. If you would like to help please email volunteer@whiteplainsny.gov. Our next call will be Friday until then..
Remember we are standing together by staying apart!
Hits: 112
WPCNR QUILL & EYESHADE. From the NYS Comptroller’s Office. May 14, 2020:
Local sales tax collections dropped 24.4 percent in April compared to April 2019, leaving many of New York’s local governments grappling with shortfalls, according to State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. Sales tax collections totaled $1.02 billion in April.
Plummeting sales tax collections were widespread, leaving counties, cities and some other local governments short by about $327 million compared to last year. White Plains experienced a 20.1% decline in April.
Although the first quarter of 2020 was relatively strong, March sales tax collections had already begun to show the impact of the COVID-19 shutdown–a decrease of 3.7 percent statewide with the largest declines downstate.
The April figures show shrinking revenues for local governments throughout the state.
Every county in every region of the state saw a large drop in April collections. New York City experienced a 23.1 percent decline, amounting to $141.8 million in lost revenues for a single month. Unknown at this time is how collections are impacted by consumers’ growing reliance on e-commerce shopping for products that are now subject to State and local sales taxes.
The least severe, though still substantial decline in sales tax collections occurred in the Mid-Hudson Region (-21.5 percent).
The Capital District had the most severe decline (-28.8 percent).
Outside of New York City, the state’s 57 counties had a decrease in collections of $159.5 million compared to April 2019.
In addition, 17 cities (not including New York City) impose their own general sales tax. April collections were down $5.7 million in April in aggregate compared to April 2019. Nearly every city saw large losses ranging from a decline of 20.1 percent in White Plains to a decrease of over 37 percent in Gloversville. A few cities tax only specific goods or services. Most cities, towns and villages and some school districts also rely on sales tax revenues to support their operations, through sharing agreements with their counties.
Hits: 2
WPCNR WEDNESDAY GOVERNOR ANDREW M. CUOMO CORONAVIRUS BRIEFING. By John F. Bailey:
Governor Andrew Cuomo reported Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker briefed Health Commissioners across the country Tuesday night on what New York State has found out about the Inflamed Blood Vessel disease that the state has discovered in 102 children of ages 1 to 18.
Dr. Zucker will also go online in a webinar with healthcare providers to discuss the disease tomorrow.
The Governor said in the video that 60% of the 102 tested positive for the COVID-19 virus and 40% for the COVID anti bodies, and 14% of the 60% were positive for both covid-19 and the antibodies.
Of the 60%, 71% were admitted to ICUs. 19% were put on ventilators, and 43% were still hospitalized as of yesterday, demonstrating the serious nature of how this derivation from coronavirus has been affecting young persons, all of whom have tested positive for the corona virus, and some of whom have been found to have antibodies. As I understand the meaning of this is that the antibodies may or may not make corona virus positive children (who did not contract the COVID virus) immune to getting the new condition , the inflammation of the blood vessels condition.
There is no indication of how many children across the state have tested positive for coronavirus in various locations, though infection rate of children was estimated at 1% on testing results.
The Governor reported 14 other states: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington and Washington, D.C. have reported cases of this new affliction. The Inflammation of Blood Vessels condition has been reported in Spain, France, England, Italy and Switzerland. The Governor said the Department of Health is discussing the new condition with these countries.
The governor said in the video sequence at the top of this page that the new infection may be being contracted by children as a side effect of being corona positive, but not actually coming down with coronavirus (within two weeks or at all). The upshot is that the Governor has directed hospitals to test all children with these systems for corona virus positive condition.
He is having hospitals identify previous corona virus positive children who have not gotten the corona virus (but may get the new infection 5 to 6 weeks after quarantined), to screen for the blood vessel affliction that has infected children of all ages and ethnicity in the first 102 reported cases of the new threat.
The Governor said it was important for parents to have any child exposed to a COVID-19 positive patient, relative or friend to be tested for the corona virus., if they are seeing any of the symptoms the governor goes over in the video, to see a physician as soon as possible.
New York continues steady on the numbers of new cases and hospitalizations.
The Governor said the new cases of hospitalizations were “a little bit up” but not so much that they broke the average rate of new infection streak of lowering new cases.
The Governor stated there were 166 deaths from the Coronavirus Tuesday, 122 in hospitals, 44 in Nursing Homes.
He announced 12 new counties hospitals were cleared to begin scheduling elective surgery again.
The Governor said antibody testing of all essential workers had been completed and all transit, police/fire, EMS, medial personnel, and Department of Corrections employees had been tested and all corona virus cases were virtually half the infection rate of the general public. Again, the governor held up a mask, and said “PPE’s work.”
He announced the North Country Region was opening up..
In discussing his call for government reimbursement to states, he noted that Representative Nita Lowey had introduced a bill to repeat the State & Local Tax law point out how much revenue New York and Massachusetts had lost in revenues by this legislation enacted by the Trump Administration.
In the “Q. & A” with reporters from the North County region at Jefferson College, the governor said he could not put a handle on how many employees would be cut from the prisons, until he saw the Washington “in process” relief bill.
Hits: 118
WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. From NY Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and NJ Governor Larry Hogan. May 13, 2020:
National Governors Association Chair Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and NGA Vice Chair New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo issued the following statement:
“As Congress reconvenes, delivering urgent state fiscal relief must be a top priority. Each day that Congress fails to act, states are being forced to make cuts that will devastate the essential services the American people rely on and destroy the economic recovery before it even gets off the ground.
“With widespread bipartisan agreement on the need for this assistance, we cannot afford a partisan process that turns this urgent relief into another political football. This is not a red state and blue state crisis. This is a red white and blue pandemic. The coronavirus is apolitical. It does not attack Democrats or Republicans. It attacks Americans.
“The nation’s governors are counting on our leaders in Washington to come together, put partisanship aside, and to get this done for the American people. This is why the National Governors Association continues to call for the passage of critical priorities that will help states and territories lead us through this pandemic response and get America moving again: $500 billion in fiscal support for state budgetary shortfalls resulting from the pandemic, enhanced FMAP funding to provide healthcare to our most vulnerable, and 100 percent federal cost share for FEMA response and recovery efforts.”
Hits: 117
GILLIBRAND ANNOUNCES LEGISLATION TO INVEST $4 BILLION TO CLOSE GROWING EDUCATION GAP AMIDST CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Monday, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced legislation to invest $4 billion in educational funding in the next relief package to ensure students have access to technology and broadband in order to continue their education during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Research shows the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the “homework gap” experienced by an estimated 12 million students who lack reliable internet access at home. This problem particularly affects students in rural and urban areas, as well as lower-income students and students of color.
Before the pandemic, roughly 70 percent of educators assigned schoolwork that required internet access but, as schools have closed, remote learning is now required for the majority of students.
The Senate’s Emergency Educational Connections Act of 2020 would provide $4 billion in funding to ensure that all K-12 students have adequate home internet connectivity in order to continue their education during the coronavirus pandemic.
“This funding is critical to closing the learning gap and ensuring that every student can succeed during this crisis,” said Senator Gillibrand. “The coronavirus pandemic has forced students to continue their education from home, yet millions across the country lack reliable internet access and are unable to complete their homework. Far too often these are the students already at risk of falling behind. We must fight to close the pervasive digital gap in our country so that every student – no matter their socioeconomic status or zip code – can receive a quality education. I’m proud to work with my colleagues on this bill and will continue fighting for this critical funding in the next relief package.”
Research shows the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the “homework gap” experienced by the estimated 12 million students who lack reliable internet access at home.
A recent poll from the Education Trust of New York found that about 40 percent of families in New York State do not have access to an internet connected device or do not have access to reliable high speed internet at home.
And, at the start of the pandemic in New York City, there were at least 300,000 students in need of an internet-connected device in order to continue learning from home.
With schools expected to remain closed beyond the current school year, the Emergency Educational Connections Act of 2020 would address these inequalities and prevent students from falling further behind by ensuring they are connected.
Hits: 161
Would you like to become a part of the COVID-19 Contact Tracing Initiative? New York State is now searching for volunteers to fill three types of jobs: Contact Tracers, Team Supervisors and Community Support Specialists. Visit this website to apply today.
· Contact Tracers are responsible for reaching out to the contacts of anyone diagnosed with COVID-19 to assess symptoms, ensure quarantine compliance and determine social support needs.
· Team Supervisors lead a team of 20 Contact Tracers, and one Community Support Specialist who are working remotely, using digital tools.
· Community Support Specialists work with the team and the local health departments to address the physical/mental health, and social/human service needs of each family, especially for those who are in isolation or under quarantine.
New York State plans to hire a team of 6,400 to 17,000 staff, to support the New York State Department of Health and local health departments in performing contact tracing in communities across the state. The final number of staff will also depend on the projected total number of COVID-19 cases.
More information about how to apply to be a part of the NYS Contact Tracing Team can be found on the Westchester County Health Department Coronavirus Page. Visit the New York State website to find out more about how you can help.