790 WTNY Headlines

In a year where announcements of not running for office are as big news as those saying the opposite, Darrel Aubertine says no thanks. The former state legislator has publicly come out this morning in stating he will not be running for Congress, that according to several local reports. Aubertine has been mentioned as a possible candidate ever since Democratic Congressman Bill Owens announced he would not be seeking another term. The Cape Vincent resident currently works for the State Comptroller's Office. That leaves Aaron Wolf as the only declared Democratic candidate. There are several candidates on the Republican side, with the two big candidates in that party being Matt Doheny and Elise Stefanik. Many feel the GOP nomination will come down to those two.

12:26 PM

Another round of crow hazing is set for tonight here in the City of Watertown. Crews from Loomacres Wildlife management will be back at it again, trying to disperse the crows that are causing a nuisance. Limited hazing is planned for tonight. The public is once again being asked to report where the crows are. That can be done online through: http://www.airportwildlife.com/crows.php. You can also call toll free at 1-800-243-1462.

11:04 AM

A bid by a Ft. Drum soldier to have murder charges against him thrown out have failed. Gary McKenzie is charged with second degree murder in connection to the death last July of his girlfriend's son in Gouverneur. Seven month old Braylin Chambers died of apparent brain injuries. McKenzie allegedly threw the baby to the floor, causing the injuries. McKenzie's attorney filed a motion to have the charges thrown out. St. Lawrence County Judge Jermone Richards dismissed the motion, stating there there is enough evidence in the case to back up the charge and move it to trial. McKenzie is also charged with second degree manslaughter, reckless assault of a child, and endangering the welfare of a child.

11:04 AM

Governor Andrew Cuomo is launching what he calls a "no excuses" push to cut property taxes for millions of New Yorkers. He says his initiative which includes a website would provide two-billion-dollars in property tax relief for homeowners. Cuomo wants to freeze those taxes for two years and give rebates to homeowners who earn 500-thousand-dollars or less and live in communities that stay within a two-percent cap on property taxes. He also wants to create a so-called "circuit breaker" that would provide tax relief based on a family's ability to pay. Cuomo says these measures could be implemented easily if more local governments would share services.

11:03 AM

Time Warner is raising cable television and Internet rates by more than six-percent. The company says the rising cost of programming is the reason for the rate increase, especially local broadcast channels. So in addition to the rate hike, Time Warner is also adding a broadcast TV fee of two-dollars and 25-cents a month. The higher prices will take effect in the billing cycle that begins March 19.

11:02 AM

A new poll indicates that New York voters are divided on whether implementation of Common Core education standards should be delayed. The Siena College poll shows that half of those surveyed believe there should be a two year moratorium on use of the new standards. However, 38-percent feel the state should continue to implement Common Core as quickly as possible. More than a third of those polled believe the standards are too demanding, while 24-percent to not believe they are demanding enough.

11:02 AM

A hero's welcome is planned tomorrow in Oneida County for U.S. Olympic luge bronze medalist Erin Hamlin. She is expected to land in Syracuse tomorrow afternoon, then will head towards her hometown of Remsen, where a parade in her honor will immediately be held. The parade will start in Verona and run through the streets of Remsen, concluding with a ceremony at the Remsen Junior-Senior High School. Hamlin became the first U.S. luger to win a medal in singles competition.

11:01 AM

The man accused of sexually assaulting a cow on a Herkimer County farm is resigning his job with a Connecticut school district. Reid Fontaine had been working for the Farmington Public Schools near Hartford for the last several months as an IT network specialist. Officials there say Fontaine had no contact with students, and only maintained the district's information technology infrastructure. Fontaine and another man were allegedly captured on video surveillance at a Herkimer farm engaging in sexual contact with cows

11:01 AM

Geddes Supervisor Manny Falcone says Governor Andrew Cuomo is not offering to revise the NY Safe Act. Falcone met with Cuomo in his Capitol office for close to two hours yesterday, a follow up to their discussion on guns at a local event earlier this year. Falcone says the governor is open to keeping the conversation going, and is willing to have future meetings on the issue. The tough new gun laws have caused anger among many New York gun owners who were opposed to the bans on assault rifles and high capacity ammunition magazines.

11:00 AM

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