Articles by Steve Yablonski

At Tuesday night’s school board meeting, Superintendent Bill Crist presented a “smoother” version of his 2013-14 spending plan. Under the state’s “smoothing” plan, the district can defer for the 2013-14 school year Employee Retirement System contributions of $738,000. That allows the district to reduce the tax rate and not have to consider as many staff reductions. The board will vote on the tentative budget on April 24.

Residents of the villages of Sandy Creek and Lacona are being advised by the Oswego County Health Department to boil all water used for drinking and cooking due to a water main break in the municipal water system. Officials said the water system lost pressure this morning, April 9, increasing the chances that untreated water and harmful microbes could enter the system.

At its meeting Monday night, the Common Council approved a new labor agreement with the Service Employees International Union, Local 200-United. The old pact expired on Dec. 31, 2010. The council authorized Mayor Tom Gillen to enter into a six-year extension agreement, effective Jan. 1, 2011, and expiring on Dec. 31, 2016.

She started out with the county in 1972, 41 years ago. But she is best known in her role as executive director of the Youth Bureau for the past 25 years. “I can’t imagine not coming to work. I absolutely love what I do,” she said recently.

On Thursday at 5:40 p.m., sheriff’s deputies charged a 15-year-old boy residing in the city of Oswego with Juvenile Delinquency for acts, which if committed by an adult, would have constituted the crimes of Rape, First Degree, a class B felony; Criminal Sex Act, First Degree, a class B felony; and Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a class A misdemeanor.