WLIU: New York Statewide News (2009-11-24)

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Latest New York news, sports, business and entertainment:

POLITICAL CORRUPTION-TRIAL
Ex-NY politician's corruption trial wrapping up

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - The corruption case of former state Senate
leader Joseph Bruno is with the jury, which will return Tuesday
morning to begin deliberations.
That follows closing arguments Monday and U.S. District Judge
Gary Sharpe's instructions on the eight fraud charges.
Bruno attorney Abbey David Lowell (LOW-ell) told a jury Monday
in his closing argument that the corruption case against the
Republican amounts to an indictment in search of an actual crime.
Earlier, prosecutor William Pericak (PAIR-uh-sek) argued that
Bruno schemed to exploit his political position to enrich himself.
Outside the federal courtroom in Albany, Bruno called the
prosecution's closing argument a distortion of the facts. Bruno
insists he broke no laws.

STATE JANITORS-ARRESTED
IG: Managers ignored complaints about janitor

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Three state janitorial supervisors have been
placed on administrative leave after an investigation into drug use
by employees and other problems at the office complex next to the
Capitol.
New York Inspector General Joseph Fisch says Office of General
Services managers Thomas Casey, William Liston and Dennis Williams
didn't address complaints against a janitor charged in the
so-called "man cave" case.
Cleaning crew supervisor Louis Marciano and Gary Pivoda admitted
earlier this month to using a secret hideaway to goof off and do
drugs on the job. The two outfitted a room at the Empire State
Plaza with couches and a television, then used the room to sleep
and watch TV.
Casey, Liston and Williams were placed on leave Monday. Efforts
to contact them were unsuccessful.

SCHUMER-UPSTATE
Sen. Schumer tours western NY today

PERRY, N.Y. (AP) - Sen. Chuck Schumer will be in western New
York today to support a train station, a sports clothing company
and dairy farmers.
Schumer is urging CSX and the state transportation department to
quickly approve plans for a train station in Lyons in Wayne County.
He's also calling on Adidas to keep manufacturing the NBA's
game-day jerseys at the American Classic Outfitters facility in
Perry, 35 miles southwest of Rochester. The company has threatened
to move the operation overseas, putting more than 100 jobs in Perry
in jeopardy.
Schumer will also be in Batavia urging Agriculture Secretary Tom
Vilsack to expedite the distribution of the resources provided by
congress to help dairy farmers through the unprecedented dairy
crisis.

BOOSTER SEATS
New booster seat law takes effect today

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - A new state law goes into effect today
requiring that children under age 8 must be in a booster seat while
riding in a car.
This adds a year to the existing child-restraint law, which
allowed kids to graduate to an adult seatbelt on their seventh
birthday.
Under the new law, all children must be in a booster seat until
they're 8 years old or are at least 4-foot-9.
The reason for the change is that the shoulder harness in a
car's safety restraint system often hugs the neck of a child rather
than going across the chest like it's supposed to. This can lead to
serious injury or death.
New York joins 21 other states that require booster seats up to
age 8. Any driver who does not properly secure a child can be
pulled over and can face a fine up to $100 and three points on the
driving record.

FALLS-PLANT
NY manufacturer reopens idle plant

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (AP) - A newly reopened Niagara Falls
manufacturing plant will use hydropower to make products for the
solar industry.
New York City-based Globe Specialty Metals says it hired 138
people after spending $27 million on upgrades to the silicon plant
it acquired in 2006.
The New York Power Authority aided the reopening by approving a
40-megawatt allocation of low-cost hydropower. Globe also is in
line for about $25 million in state Empire Development Zone
benefits over 10 years.
State leaders hope to attract solar panel manufacturers to New
York by offering reduced rates on the in-demand purified silicon
the Niagara Falls plant will produce.
Globe eventually hopes to employ 500 people in Niagara Falls.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-11-24-09 0331EST