News

Councilors took the community development director to task Monday night for a lack of communication and other issues in the wake of a state audit. Communication between the Common Council and the Community Development Office, “quarterly reports, monthly reports, expenditures and those types of things have all kind of fallen through as far as we haven’t really gotten them, we haven’t seen them come through,” according to Council Vice President Eric VanBuren. A recent audit done by the state raised a couple red flags – both with Community Development, he added.

Inmate hospital cost controls were not billed accurately 90 percent of the time for Oswego and seven other counties according to the state comptroller’s audit released Sunday (Oct. 5), and counties are not billing for federal money resulting in a loss of $46,352 in reimbursements. Meanwhile, NYS Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s audit lauded Oswego and Chautauqua counties for “negotiated outpatient hospital service rate discounts with local hospitals and providers, ranging from 5 percent to 50 percent.”

The Oswego Fire Department will be busy this week installing free smoke alarms as they take part in Fire Prevention Week. The theme this year for Fire Prevention Week is “Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives.” Oswego Firefighters are reminding the public that a smoke alarm should be installed in every bedroom, outside every sleeping area, and on every level of your home.

UPDATE: Oswego winner breaks his own state record.
As Mother Nature’s rain ended Saturday afternoon, Karl Haist’s reign was just beginning. Haist, of Clarence Center, NY, won the 2014 edition of the Annual CNY Great Pumpkin Festival with an entry tipping the scales at 1,725.5 pounds. Not only is it the Oswego top pumpkin, but it’s also the new New York State record. “I’m kind of surprised. I knew it was real big but I didn’t think it was this heavy,” Haist told Oswego County Today. “It feels good to have the state record, too!”