WSKG (https://wskg.org/broome-county-community-garden-group-gets-new-york-grant-to-expand/)

DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos tours a VINES garden in Endicott. (Vaughn Golden/WSKG)

New York state officials presented Volunteers Improving Neighborhood Environments (VINES) with a grant to help the organization expand its programs, which includes addressing food insecurity in the Tri-Cities area.

VINES facilitates over 20 community gardens in Broome County. Since its formation in 2007, the organization has also expanded into other areas including a farm-share program and education opportunities.

Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos visited a garden in Endicott Tuesday to present the $100,000 grant.

“We hope to keep VINES growing, because VINES is doing incredible work here in the Southern Tier and we want to continue that and be able to showcase them as a leader,” Seggos said.

VINES Executive Director Amelia LoDolce said the funding will be used to build more community gardens and support a program where residents can get free lead-testing kits to ensure soils at home aren’t contaminated before planting a garden.

The funding for the grant is part of $3.1 million being allocated for projects meant to address food insecurity, especially in poorer areas. The funding comes from the state’s Environmental Protection Fund.

Seggos also commented on the ongoing violation of environmental permits by the Binghamton Johnson City Joint Sewage Treatment Plant. The facility has been exceeding permitted levels of several contaminants going into the Susquehanna River, after a malfunction hindered its treatment process earlier this year.

Seggos said the DEC is still aware of the violation, but is more focused on ensuring the facility can restore its operations.

“Supply chain impacted some of what they were hoping to accomplish this summer, some of the HVAC work, some of the piping, the electronics,” Seggos said. “We have a pretty decent degree of patience with them, understanding the position that they were in and how quickly they tried to pivot.”

According to a report presented at a meeting of the board overseeing the plan earlier this year, the facility released more than double its permitted value of phosphorus into the river in July and more than triple its permitted value of nitrogen in June.

WRVO - Voters in New York’s new 22nd Congressional District have not had the chance to see the Republican candidates go head-to-head on the issues. At this point in the race, candidate Steve Wells has declined several invitations to debate his opponent Brandon Williams, including on WRVO’s Campbell Conversations.

WSKG - The FBI and the Pennsylvania legislature remain tight-lipped about subpoenas that agency handed out to several Republican lawmakers last week. Neither has revealed who got a subpoena or why.

WXXI - Homeless students in grade schools across New York state may see extra support over the next few years. State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa announced on Wednesday that 27 school districts have been awarded about $7 million dollars in federal grants to help students without permanent homes.

WSKG - Over 100 criminal justice and progressive groups have written a letter to Governor Kathy Hochul, asking her to appoint a new chief judge who has represented the most vulnerable people in society and looked out for defendants’ rights. Among those people who signed the letter, are criminal justice advocates, environmental groups, mental health organizations, and tenants’ rights groups say the Court of Appeals has become more conservative under outgoing Chief Judge Janet DiFiore.

Lea Webb is running as one of two Democrats seeking the party’s nomination in the newly drawn 52nd state Senate District. The district encompasses Tompkins, Cortland and the western portion of Broome County including the City of Binghamton.

WSKG connects you to local and global news and the arts online, on the radio, and on TV. NPR and PBS affiliate.

CONTACT US email: WSKGcomment@wskg.org

address: 601 Gates Road Suite 4, Vestal, NY 13850-2288

Full Frequency Information Listed Here

89.3fm   Binghamton 91.1fm   Corning, Elmira 88.7fm   Hornell 90.9fm   Ithaca 89.9fm   Odessa 91.7fm    Oneonta 90.5fm   Watkins Glen

91.5    Binghamton 105.9  Cooperstown 90.7    Corning 88.1    Greene, Norwich 92.1     Ithaca

Binghamton 46.1 Broadcast TV 7 Time Warner Cable 1221 Time Warner Digital Cable

Elmira 30.1 Broadcast TV 8 Time Warner Cable 1221 Time Warner Digital Cable

Oneonta, Cooperstown 8 Time Warner Cable 1221 Time Warner Digital Cable

Hornell 1221 Time Warner Digital Cable

Built with the Largo WordPress Theme from the Institute for Nonprofit News.