New apartments on the market in Pulaski are the latest development aimed at reducing New York's housing shortage.
Selkirk Landing consists of 44 affordable homes for families and seniors, along with 20 homes with supportive services to house adults who have been homeless.
A Rural Housing Coalition of New York report found most rural towns have vacancy rates twice their urban counterparts.
Marion Naramore, executive director of the Oswego Housing Development Council, described a lukewarm initial response to Selkirk Landing in 2019.
"When people hear that anything new is coming into their community -- and it's not business, it's apartments -- sometimes they get a little upset," Naramore observed. "And we wanted to present it as best as we could that it would be for the better of the community."
Another challenge was beginning work just as the COVID-19 pandemic began. But Naramore noted getting people together and bringing materials to the site were obstacles quickly overcome.
An Associated General Contractors of America survey found 74% of contractors saw New York projects halted or postponed by the pandemic.
One issue plaguing rural New York is the aging housing stock. The Rural Housing Coalition of New York said about one-third of homes were built prior to 1940. Naramore pointed out other issues factored into the need for constructing these apartments.
"After looking at everything in the surrounding area of Oswego County and looking at incomes, and looking up what has been built around the area, there hasn't really been much housing going up," Naramore acknowledged.
Oswego County's Opportunities Inc. noted housing is a critical need in the area, particularly affordable housing. The agency's most recent report found around 35% of Oswego County residents live in households with incomes below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level.

As National Rail Safety Month comes to a close, experts in New York and across the country stressed there is more to do beyond June. The Federal Railroad Administration reports there have been 18 rail-related accidents in the last year throughout New York, attributed to a variety of factors. Several recent incidents are getting companies to shape up their safety plans.

Child well-being in New York has fluctuated over the last year, a recent annual report finds.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids Count Data Book found that New York's child health rank increased, although it lost ground in family and community and child economic well-being.

Child advocates have said they feel some newly implemented state initiatives will help bolster some of these rankings. However, Dia Bryant, executive director of the Education Trust of New York, said there are places the state needs to make up lost ground.

In less than a week there will be a contested primary for mayor of Geneva. A pair of familiar faces to City Council will be going head-to-head to see who represents Democrats in the general election. Last week we sat down with Councilor Jan Regan, who received support of the Democratic Committee. Today, we talk with the incumbent, Mayor Steve Valentino, about his re-election campaign, which starts in this primary contest.

In less than a week there will be a contested primary for Seneca Falls Town Supervisor. The ballot will feature two well-known names. Last week we sat down with incumbent Mike Ferrara, who is being challenged by Frank Schmitter. Today we sat down with Schmitter to discuss the issues he sees as most important during this cycle.

On this edition of Finger Lakes Today environmental reporter Peter Mantius gives an update on a pair of local stories that garnered a lot of attention this week. The first involves a court ruling by Judge Doyle, and the second involves something less-commonly known - sewer sludge. He breaks it all down in this conversation with FingerLakes1.com's Josh Durso.

Why does Supervisor Mike Ferrara want to run for a second term in Seneca Falls? While many view the continued operation of Seneca Meadows Landfill as the biggest issue facing the Town - there are a host of others, which Ferrara considers incomplete. This week, he was in the FingerLakes1.com Studio discussing the reasons he's running for re-election.

In order for Ferrara to make it to the general election, though, he will first have to secure the Republican nomination. That will come at the result of a primary happening June 27. Frank Schmitter was not formally endorsed by the local Republican Committee. However, he secured enough petitions to force a primary.

This week we begin our series talking with candidates running in upcoming primaries across the Finger Lakes. First up is Jan Regan, who currently represents Ward 3 on Geneva City Council, and is seeking the Democratic nomination for mayor. While she won support of the Democratic Committee, incumbent Steve Valentino picked up enough signatures during the petition process to force a primary. Regan sat down with us to talk about her campaign, the issues she feels are most important, and how she would represent Democrats in the general if selected.

Editor's Note: We've spoken with Mayor Valentino and are awaiting final confirmation on date/time for his conversation. We expect that to take place next week. Stay tuned to FingerLakes1.com for updates.

Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbL7Hk8-bVw

As smoke from Canadian wildfires blankets New York and much of the East Coast, it's causing a wide range of health effects - and not just for people. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the effects can be as minor as eye and respiratory-tract irritation, but worsening to asthma and even causing heart failure. And humans aren't the only ones feeling the effects of smoky skies - wildlife is compromised through loss of habitat, food and water sources. Corina Newsome, a conservation scientist with the National Wildlife Federation, noted that climate change could make this a regular occurrence. (contd.)

The New York State Senate has passed the HEAT Act, which now goes to the Assembly.

The legislation aims to phase out gas-line extension allowances, which would reduce the use of natural gas in the state. It would also allow the Public Service Commission the authority to keep utility companies in line with the state's climate laws.

Robin Wilt, a town council member in Brighton, said the equity component in the bill is needed. It would protect low- to moderate-income customers from bearing energy burdens greater than a certain percentage of their income.

She thinks it would also help communities disproportionately affected by climate change.