Trout Season Begins — And the Rest of Your April 2 State and Local News

Don Perkins reports...

Trout Season Begins in NYS

You may see a number of cars parked along side of local trout streams today. Trout season began yesterday. Stocking of streams and lakes began in mid march. Governor Andrew Cuomo has released a warning for anglers planning to fish their favorite spot in the central new york and southern tier regions. Last fall’s flooding may have changed things a bit, making areas that were shallow much deeper, or different conditions altogether. Anglers report success with worms and corn.

School Jobs May Still Be Lost

School administrators say the new state budget may not prevent them from having to make hard decisions about facilities, staff and programs. School districts thought the budget cuts would be bigger, and have already been planning measures to deal with the shortfall, which many superintendents say will still have to be addressed.

NYS Makes Budget Deadline for Second Straight Year

New York State starts a new fiscal year today and, for the second time in a row, with an on-time budget. Governor Andrew Cuomo says this particular spending plan is more than a budget in his view. Cuomo says the reform adds money for schools, limits state spending, and controls deficits for future years.

A number of school administrators disagree, however. Districts in the central New York region will still have to tighten their belts with consolidations, closings and other budget-cutting measures. While the cuts in state spending were not as bad as school administrators expected, the state aid they are getting still comes up about a $1 million short on average. New York’s budget was finished on Friday afternoon. It totals $132.6 billion.

Albany Working Again, Says Seward

In his comments on final approval of the 2012-2013state budget, state senator James Seward said a finished budget on time for the 2nd consecutive year is proof that Albany has started to work again. Seward says not only the process has been better this year, but also the product.

Seward says the fiscally responsible budget cuts spending, closes a 2 billion dollar budget gap without raising taxes, rebuilds the state’s infrastructure, and gives more aid to needy school districts.

For the 2nd consecutive year a state budget agreement has been reached before the April 1st deadline. State senator James Seward in his comments on the budget said it proves that state government is back on track once again. The budget includes a restraint on spending, no new taxes, funding for roads, bridges and infrastructure , more aid to poor school districts, and relief from state mandates such as medicaid. The legislature passed the 2012-2013 state budget Friday, two days before the April 1st deadline.

Criminals Take Advantage of Insurance Loophole

New York State assemblyman David Weprin is warning motorists about an increase in an insurance scam where criminals crash into other people’s cars on purpose. There’s a loophole in New York’s no-fault car insurance rules that requires anyone in an auto accident to be paid up to $50,000 in medical bills within the first 30 days after an accident.

Insurance companies cannot take back the benefits under current law if they find the accident was staged or injuries were faked.

Criminals are using the loophole to create a rash of intentional car crashes to collect. Weprin, who is from the downstate region wants to get the state insurance law changed to make staged accidents a stand-alone crime.

A bill called “Alice’s Law” has already passed the senate. Weprin says auto insurance fraud costs New York drivers about a billion dollars in higher insurance rates over the last 5 years.

Sports

College Baseball

The Oneonta State baseball team got a solid, eight-inning performance from senior Chris Tyson in a 5-1 win at home versus Oswego Friday in the opening game of a weekend series with the Lakers. Then on Saturday, O- State held off a late inning rally to take game 2 of a SUNYAC doubleheader 5-4.

Women’s College Lacrosse

An early deficit was too much to overcome on Saturday as Hartwick fell short in its Empire 8 Conference opener at Utica College, 10-6. The Hawks fall to 4-4 overall while the Pioneers improve to 4-2. The Hawks surrendered the first four goals of the game but battled the Pioneers 6-6 the rest of the way. ’Wick pulled to within two at halftime. Trailing by five in the second half, they were able to trim the deficit to three deep into the period but could get no closer.

Meanwhile, Oneonta State defeated visiting Buffalo State Sunday 18-9 to remain undefeated on the season. Oneonta (7-0/1-0 SUNYAC) never trailed in the game en route to equaling the program's best start ever to a season, matching the 7-0 start of the 2003 team.

Hartwick Water Polo

The Hartwick women’s water polo team ended the weekend a perfect 4-0 as they swept both of their games at the Roadrunner Invitational on Sunday. The Hawks defeated Santa Clara 12-8 in the first game. In the second game, the Hawks squeaked by the host Roadrunners 13-11 in overtime. Hartwick’s record now stands at 23-8. They will return to the east coast to face Princeton on Friday night at 7 p.m.