The Daily Star, Oneonta, NY - otsego county news, delaware county news, oneonta news, oneonta sports

Local News

February 12, 2011

4-year-old left on bus for hours

A 4-year-old Oneonta pre-kindergartner was left for hours Friday morning on a Birnie Bus, which should have taken him to Head Start at the State University College at Oneonta, officials said. He is in good condition, school and police officials said.

The boy, whose name was withheld by police because of his age, was found by a Birnie employee at 1:45 p.m. when the bus was being readied for the afternoon run, Oneonta Police Chief Joseph Redmond said. The bus had been parked outside since 9:18 a.m., he said.

The Oneonta City School District is the lead agency for state Universal Pre-Kindergarten funding in Oneonta, including Head Start, school Superintendent Michael Shea said.

It contracts with Birnie Bus Services in Oneonta for all district transportation business.

The matter is still being investigated, including a review of the bus video to see if any offense was committed, Redmond said.

The boy was transported by fire department ambulance to A.O. Fox Memorial Hospital in Oneonta for evaluation, where he was met by his parents, he said.

Shea said he responded immediately when contacted by the company about 2 p.m. He was glad the student was in good condition, he said.

"Birnie Bus has provided excellent service over the years, but I'm disappointed with the latest event," he said.

He said he expects the company to deal with it in an appropriate manner.

He is monitoring the situation, but did not say what measures should be taken because it involves company personnel, he said. He will meet with company officials again Monday to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Two calls to Birnie Bus for comment were not returned Friday afternoon.

Text Only
Local News
  • Judge upholds Dryden gas drilling ban

    COOPERSTOWN - Advocates for home rule in setting energy policy won the first round of a major battle with the natural gas industry Tuesday when state Supreme Court Judge Phillip Rumsey upheld the town of Dryden's law that zones out drilling operations.

  • Oneonta council OKs hiring of 5 officers

    ONEONTA _ The Common Council on Tuesday approved the hiring of five police officers, but not without dissent.

  • Woman held at knifepoint

    COBLESKILL -- Village police, after a tense standoff, rescued a woman who was being held at knifepoint Sunday night by a 23-year-old local man, authorities said Tuesday.

  • Proposed gas pipeline could run through Schoharie, Delaware

    COOPERSTOWN -- Cabot Oil & Gas Corp., one of the companies involved in hydrofracking operations in Pennsylvania, announced Tuesday that it is teaming up with a second company to run a large-diameter natural gas pipeline to Schoharie County from Susquehanna County, Pa.

  • Crime briefs

    A Springfield man was sentenced Feb. 15 in Otsego County Court, following a guilty plea last month on a burglary case, court officials said.

  • 'Land Ethic' documentary to be screened Friday

    A free screening open to the public of the documentary film "Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time" will be at 7 p.m. Friday in the Instructional Resource Center on West Dormitory Road at SUNY Oneonta.

  • Owner: Softball camp will open again this summer

    COOPERSTOWN -- The owner of the Diamond Dreams of Cooperstown softball camp, which has been enmeshed in court battle initiated by its neighbors, said Tuesday he is confident the business will open again this summer despite a recent legal setback.

  • Teen receives Eagle Scout rank with ramp project

    Nathan Curtin of Sidney Center is certain he would not have attained the rank of Eagle Scout with BSA Troop 99 of Sidney if it had not been for his parents _ and the parents of fellow scouts.

    1 Photo
  • Water quality meeting set

    The Otsego County Water Quality Coordinating Committee meeting scheduled for Thursday will feature presentations by area businesses with expertise in water quality improvement and protection projects, a media release announced Thursday.

  • Tuesday, February 21, 2012
  • Schumer: Flood relief held up

    SCHOHARIE -- The federal spigot for disaster aid that could spark sorely needed business growth has become gummed up by congressional inaction, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-NY, said Monday.

    1 Photo
  • Local artist to show Gettysburg images in exhibit

    A local artist will share images of Gettysburg in an exhibition at the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown starting this spring.

    2 Photos
  • Court: Town exceeded authority in granting permit to baseball camp

    COOPERSTOWN -- A youth baseball camp has been caught off base -- with a state appellate court ruling that officials in a Herkimer County town exceeded their authority when they issued it a building permit.

  • Fly Creek man sues over road abandonment

    COOPERSTOWN -- A Fly Creek resident who has obtained a building permit for his property off Honey Joe Road in the town of Otsego has initiated a lawsuit against the municipality after local officials declared the street abandoned.

  • Monday, February 20, 2012
  • Polar Bear Jump leaps to record donations this year

    There may have been fewer people than in the past few years taking the ultimate plunge into icy-cold water Saturday during the Goodyear Polar Bear Jump, but more money was raised than ever.

    1 Photo
  • Teen honored for giving students reality check on tobacco

    Samantha Johnson at 17 already has award-winning experience fighting for a cause: Just say no to tobacco and smoking.

  • Supermarkets to again support annual food drive

    Two supermarkets again will support the annual 6th Ward Athletic Club Ani P. Colone Food Drive, which starts Wednesday, organizers said.

  • News Briefs

    Internship fair to be Wednesday A new internship coordinator at the State University College at Oneonta in collaboration with Hartwick College will present a "Summer Opportunities Fair" from 1 to 4 p.m. Wednesday in the Hunt Union Ballroom at SUNY Oneonta.

  • Winning regional O.M. teams advance to state competition

    Students from across the region met in Sidney Center on Saturday to compete in the Region 13 Odyssey of the Mind tournament.

  • Saturday, February 18, 2012
  • Area drivers face rising gas prices

    Gasoline prices are on the rise again, making motorists dig deeper into their pockets to pay the total on the pump.

  • On the Bright Side: Cornell helps area school's project come to fruition

    Students at Roxbury Central School are on their way to becoming self-sufficient locavores, at least when they're at school.

Additional Content
Join the Debate
Helium
Additional Resources
CNHI News Service
Poll

Will the economy continue to improve in 2012?

Yes
No
     View Results