News Briefs: June 25, 2026

Brew-to-Brew 5K Planned

SIDNEY—The Wakeman Coffee Company and Muddy River Farm Brewery will host their second annual Sidney Brew-to-Brew 5K walk and run at 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 19. Participants will progress from the coffee house to the brewery and receive a token for a drink at each location. Post-race festivities include live music, cornhole, local vendors and a shirt tie-dye station. Registration is $35.00 per person through September 12, rising to $40.00 on September 13 and $45.00 on race day. All proceeds will benefit Uplift Collective, a Sidney-based nonprofit that supports children and families facing significant health issues. Register at runsignup.com/Race/NY/Sidney/SidneyBrewToBrew5K. For more information or to volunteer, contact sidneyb2b5k@gmail.com.

Poetry Group To Meet Aug. 11

COOPERSTOWN—Village Verses, Cooperstown’s new multi-generational gathering of poetry enthusiasts, will meet in the Elementary School Library from 5-6 p.m. on Tuesday, August 11. The August theme will be “Bridging Generations,” focusing on poems for adults and children to share. There will be tips on memorizing and reciting poetry. All are welcome.

HoF Traveling Exhibit Opens

GREENVILLE, SC—The Upcountry History Museum will host the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s traveling “Picturing America’s Pastime” baseball photography exhibit from June 27 through January 24. Fans can view 51 framed selections from the Hall of Fame’s collection of a quarter-million historic images. The display will travel to the Huntington, West Virginia Museum of Art from October 2027 to February 2028 and to the Louisville Slugger Museum from March to May of 2028.

Foothills Awarded State Grant

ONEONTA—The New York State Council on the Arts awarded Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center a $324,000.00 grant to complete soundproofing the venue and add four dressing rooms. The project will eliminate scheduling conflicts caused by sound bleeding and insufficient preparation space.

Fleming To Perform at FPACC

ONEONTA—Guggenheim dance artist Maureen Fleming will host an educational performance and call-to-action, “AXIS MUNDI: In the Pipeline Blast Zone,” at Pumpkin Hollow Arts Center, 1157 Frank Briggs Road in Oneonta, from 8-10 p.m. on Sunday, July 5. Fleming combines surreal movement, poetry, and visuals and will perform at a venue within the 800-foot “blast zone” of the proposed fracked gas Constitution Pipeline. Following the performance, Anne Marie Garti, founding member of Stop the Pipeline and of counsel at the Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic, will discuss how the pipeline will attract artificial intelligence data centers and polluting heavy industries to the area without improving local gas supply. Admission is by donation, with all proceeds supporting Stop the Pipeline. Visit qrco.de/axismundi for more information.

Bass Tournament Returns

RICHFIELD SPRINGS—Richfield Springs Community Center’s annual Bass Tournament will return to the Canadarago Boat Launch at 135 Dennison Road on Saturday, July 18. Registration is from 5:30-7 a.m., with fishing from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and a free lunch following the weigh-in. Cash prizes total $1,000.00. For more information or to register, contact (315) 749-3286 or bill@richfieldzone.org.

Museum To Dedicate Plaque

ONEONTA—The Swart-Wilcox House Museum, Oneonta Chapter DAR and Oneonta America250 Committee will dedicate a Lawrence Swart DAR plaque at 4 p.m. on Friday, July 3. The ceremony will take place at the museum on Wilcox Avenue in Oneonta.

Tyler Clark Found Guilty

UNADILLA—An Otsego County jury found Tyler J. Clark, 34, of Unadilla, guilty of rape in the second degree, criminal sexual act in the second degree, and course of sexual conduct against a child in the second degree on June 18. The jury, consisting of nine men and three women, deliberated for two hours after a four-day trial before Hon. Michael F. Getman found Clark guilty of engaging in oral sexual conduct and sexual intercourse with a person less than 15 years old and of engaging in two or more acts of sexual conduct with a child less than 13 years old. Clark’s sentencing is scheduled for 1 p.m. on August 10.

Elks To Host July Dinners

ONEONTA—The Oneonta Elks will host community dinners on Wednesday, July 8 and 22, offering roast beef dinners and spaghetti plates, respectively. The cost is $15.00 to eat in or $17.00 to take out, with no charge for veterans. Call (607) 432-1312 to make a reservation.

Next Contradance is July 3rd

MILFORD—Otsego Dance Society will hold its next contradance at Beaver Valley Campsites, 138 Towers Road, from 7-10 p.m. on Friday, July 3. The band will be Quicksilver and the caller will be Ted Crane. There will be a brief introductory session for beginners at 6:45. Suggested donation is $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for students 13 and up.

Lavender Season Underway

SHARON SPRINGS—Slate Hill Lavender Farm, 342 Slate Hill Road in Sharon Springs, is open for fresh lavender season through July 19. U-Pick lavender is available from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, for $10.00 per bunch. The season will also feature special events, including evening dinners, art classes and photography sessions. For more information or a complete calendar, visit slatehill-lavenderfarm.com/pages/visit.

Parade Registration Is Open

ONEONTA—The Oneonta 4th of July Parade will kick off at noon on the 4th. Businesses, organizations, clubs and community groups are encouraged to participate. To register, visit form.jotform.com/241614612489156.

Book Sale Ends on Sunday

COOPERSTOWN—Friends of the Village Library of Cooperstown will wrap up the organization’s annual Summer Book Sale with a bag sale from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, June 27 and 28. Those interested can fill any size of bag with books for only $5.00. The sale is on the Fair Street side of the Village Hall. All proceeds support library programming.

Fenimore Announces Exhibits

COOPERSTOWN—The Fenimore Art Museum’s Linda McCartney retrospective, “From the Light,” will display the celebrated photographer and musician’s work through September 7. “In Nature’s Studio: Two Centuries of American Landscape Painting,” will run for the same dates. The Fenimore will host its first 21+ trivia night from 7-9 p.m. on Friday, June 26. The Food for Thought program, offering a buffet lunch and guided tour of exhibitions, will explore “In Nature’s Studio” from 12:30-1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 1. For a complete calendar or to register, visit fenimoreartmuseum.org/calendar-a-4.

Import Restrictions Imposed

ALBANY—The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets announced new import restrictions for all domestic animals entering the state following the detection of New World screwworms in Texas and New Mexico. This parasite poses a serious threat to pets and livestock and can be fatal if not treated quickly. Livestock producers and pet owners are urged to watch for draining or expanding wounds and maggots or eggs, especially on the belly, nose, and ears, and practice careful biosecurity measures. Suspected NWS infections should be reported to (518) 457-3502. For more information, visit aphis.usda.gov/animals/animal-health/livestock-and-poultry-disease/stop-screwworm.

Jacob VanHouten Honored

COOPERSTOWN—Dr. Jacob VanHouten, MD, PhD, MPH, MS, associate chief medical information officer at Bassett Healthcare Network, was recently elected as a Fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine. The honor recognizes his service and skill in preventive medicine.

Gardening Workshop Slated

COOPERSTOWN—Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners will lead a Square Foot Gardening workshop at the CCESO Grow Garden, 123 Lake Street in Cooperstown, at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, June 29. The program is free but registration is required in advance; visit cceschoharie-otsego.org for more information or to sign up.

Hawkeyes Track Season Ends

WEBSTER—Cooperstown track sprinter Jameson Gable finished his high-school career with sixth place in the Class C 100m dash at the state championships on Friday and Saturday, June 12 and 13. He had a time of 11.21 seconds in the final. Gable will run for the University of Rochester next year. The 4x100m relay team of Theo Spinosa, Gable, Joey DeSanno and Sonam Gymnaso finished eighth in 43.85 seconds.

Sentz Places in Championships

CHURCHVILLE—Cooperstown junior Brayden Sentz tied for 12th place in the state golf championships on Sunday and Monday, June 7 and 8. He shot a minus-3 68 on the par-71 course on Sunday but suffered a plus-7 78 on Monday. This was his third straight year in the state tournament.

Gas Prices Continue To Slide

UTICA—The average price of gas in New York State fell a further 13 cents per gallon over the week ending Monday, June 22, AAA Northeast announced. Petroleum and gas prices have declined steadily for over a month as prospects for a peace deal between the United States and Iran solidified. Last week’s announcement of a preliminary arrangement drove crude prices to the $75.00-80.00 range by Friday, the lowest level since early March and nearly $30.00 below the mid-April peak. U.S. crude inventories fell by 17.2 million barrels last week to their lowest point since 1985 due to higher exports to nations more directly impacted by the blockade. Domestic gasoline inventories are also six percent below the five-year average despite refineries reaching their highest output in nearly a year. Gasoline and oil exports remain about 20 and 23 percent higher than last year, respectively, and disruptions from the conflict could take months to work their way through the supply chain even if the peace holds. New York’s current price is 37 cents lower than a month ago and $1.03 higher than this time last year. To view the full report, visit gasprices.aaa.com.