Finger Lakes Today

Today we continue our series previewing local elections across the Finger Lakes by talking with one of the candidates running for Canandaigua City Supervisor. While most city-bound elected offices involve representing City Council, Canandaigua and Geneva's city supervisors have a different responsibility: Representing voters on the County's Board of Supervisors. Rich Russell has been servi...

Today we continue our series previewing local elections across the Finger Lakes by shining the spotlight on Canandaigua. Erich Dittmar is seeking re-election to Canandaigua City Council this November, and he says his motivation is simple: Make Canandaigua a better place for everyone. While major flooding in his ward made headlines over the summer - an array of issues remain priorities as he looks...

Today we continue our series previewing local elections by catching up with one of the candidates running for Bristol Town Board. Nancy Napurski says she's running because of an eagerness to learn more about town government, as well as her strength and experience in the communications world. Napurski talked about that experience, and ways she believes the town can more effectively communicate...

Today we continue our series previewing local elections by catching up with one of the candidates running for West Bloomfield Town Board. Vincent Salvati joined us via Zoom to discuss his campaign last week, and what he hears from residents and business owners as the biggest issues. Among them -- identity -- which he believes West Bloomfield can work on quickly without having a negative impact on...

Today we continue our series spotlighting local candidates running for office across the Finger Lakes. Tim Lattimore is running for mayor in Auburn. The longtime public servant has held an array of offices and titles in Auburn and Cayuga County, several of which were elected. And this year, he says his campaign for mayor is about building the city for growth. That means better preparing it for you...

Today we continue our series previewing local, contested elections across the Finger Lakes as we sit down with one of the candidates for Cayuga County Clerk. Earlier this year longtime Clerk Sue Dwyer announced that she would not seek re-election. That has since set into motion a competitive race for the job. Kristine Lytle joined us via Zoom to discuss her candidacy, the most-important issues she...

Today we continue our series previewing local, contested elections across the Finger Lakes as we sit down with one of the candidates running for Canandaigua City Council. Guy Turchetti has lived in the city since the early 1990s, and says Canandaigua is poised for success. He says thats in part due to solid leadership on city council over the last several years. However, he says it will require co...

Today we continue our series previewing local, contested elections across the Finger Lakes as we sit down with one of the candidates running for Geneva City Council. James Petropolous says he wants to help the city be better, through civil government that works for its staff and residents. He joined us via Zoom this week to discuss his campaign and goals if elected.

AARP New York is  calling on  Gov. Kathy Hochul to reject a proposed utility rate hike. New York State Electric and Gas, and Rochester Gas and Electric are proposing a  62% electric delivery rate increase  for customers. Both utilities said the increase would be used to help pay for climate change initiatives. Experts estimate the increase would force customers to pay $900 over the duration of the...

Today we continue our series previewing local, contested elections across the Finger Lakes as we sit down with Geneva Mayor Steve Valentino. The Democrat was endorsed by Republicans ahead of a contested primary in June, in which he was defeated by Jan Regan, who joined us last week in-studio for a conversation about her campaign and the issues in the city. Valentino says he's drawing from expe...

Today we continue our series previewing local, contested elections across the Finger Lakes as we sit down with Michael Mills. He's running for Canandaigua City Council and says he entered the race to drive economic development, protect the city and region's natural resources, and increase collaboration between local governments. He joined us via Zoom for an interview ahead of Election Day...

Today we continue our series spotlighting elections for local office across the Finger Lakes as one of the candidates seeking to represent voters in the city of Geneva joined us in-studio. RJ Rapoza is in the midst of a competitive campaign for Geneva City Council in Ward 4. He talked about his desire for a city council that's more unified and effective, as well as policies that he thinks can...

What makes a good prosecutor? That question is central to the debate happening in Seneca County about who should lead the District Attorney's office moving forward. On Monday, we caught up with John Nabinger, an attorney with decades of experience, who is running for DA. He talked about his experience, the core reasons he's running, and how he feels the office can be bettered for county re...

On this edition of FLX Today we continue our spotlight of local elections with one of the candidates running for Canandaigua City Council. John Nagle-Caraluzzo is running to represent voters in Ward 3, and hopes to bring a fresh perspective to city government. He has an optimistic view of the city's trajectory, but says some things can be changed to make it even better for families and communi...

The state of New York has taken steps to ensure its building decarbonization plan is on track, but more work needs to be done. Earlier this year, the state implemented an  all-electric buildings law , which prohibits installation of fossil-fuel systems in new buildings. The law takes effect for small buildings in 2026, and in 2029 for large buildings. Deb Peck Kelleher, deputy director of the Alli...

Jim Kennedy was appointed by Geneva City Council to fill a vacancy last September on the Ontario County Board of Supervisors representing Wards 1 and 2. He called it some of the most invigorating work he's done in his career, and has spent countless hours talking with neighbors and community members about how the county can work better for city residents. He's running for a full-term this...

Today we continue our series previewing local, contested races across the Finger Lakes region, as we sit down with Jean Chrisman, who is running for Ontario County Clerk. She touts more than two-and-a-half decades of experience, and aims to bring trust and confidence back to the county clerk's office. She says residents need an advocate who understands the systems the clerk has to work within...

A  recent poll  found more than half of Hispanic college students considered leaving in the last year. A Lumina Foundation-Gallup poll showed one in four Hispanic students frequently or occasionally feel discriminated against in post-high school programs. In New York,  50% of Latino students  left 2-year programs, with only a quarter of students graduating in 2021. Courtney Brown, vice president o...

On this edition of FLX Today we're joined by Jan Regan, who is running for Geneva Mayor against incumbent Steve Valentino.

A  new report  found raking and bagging leaves could be doing a disservice to your yard or garden. A National Wildlife Federation survey showed most people know throwing away their fall leaves is not ideal but they often do it anyway. Leaves on a lawn can serve as mulch. They keep the soil moist, suppress weeds, and cover roots to protect them in the winter. Jim Bitner, executive director of the N...

Sean Buck is running for Canandaigua City Council. It's his third run for office, and over the last six years being involved in the community -- he says many lessons have been learned. Today we sit down with him to talk about his campaign, what good development in the city looks like, and how to protect the long-term health of Canandaigua Lake -- one of the city's greatest assets. When he&...

James 'Jim' Basile is running for another term as a legislator in Cayuga County District #1. The longtime public servant recently appeared on FLX Today to discuss his long list of goals for the next four years. He'll appear on the Conservative Party line on the ballot; and says Cayuga County is well-positioned after the last two years of effort by the legislature-at-large. Among his to...

New Yorkers are preparing for an impending government shutdown. State officials are worried about how it could impact the work  state agencies have been doing for migrants. Meanwhile, residents are concerned about how a shutdown could affect federal benefits they receive. Make the Road Action held a press conference this week urging U.S. Rep. Anthony D'Esposito - R-Island Park - to stand up to...

Liz Yockel wants every resident in Ontario County to feel served by the clerks office. Whether it's DMV, property records, or anything in-between - when she began her campaign for Ontario County Clerk the goals centered around responsible improvement of services. On this edition of FLX Today we continue conversations with local candidates for elected office by learning more about Yockel, who i...

Fall is here and that means its prime time to get out to the Montezuma Audubon Center in Savannah, Wayne County. The center has an array of events coming up, including conservation/volunteer opportunities on September 27 and September 30, as well as a youth pheasant hunt with multiple spots still open (as of publishing). We caught up with Chris Lajewski, Director at the Montezuma Audubon Center, t...