News Briefs: May 9, 2025

ADK Announces May Hikes

ONEONTA—The Susquehanna Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club has released its hiking schedule for May. Next up, Jim and Carolyn Austin, (607) 437-5734, will lead an outing at Glimmerglass State Park on May 13. A longer Saturday hike at Landis Arboretum in Esperance will be held on May 17, and requires pre-registration at susqadk.org. Jenny Grimes and Tam Rutenber, (607) 434-4766, will lead a hike at Gilbert Lake State Park on May 20. Ed Overby will present on his travels to the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Caldera and Olduvai Gorge at the monthly potluck and club meeting on Wednesday, May 21. Roberta Austin, (607) 435-1319, will lead a trip at Windswept Acres in Delancey on May 27.

Math, Science Teaching Scholarships Available

ALBANY—The New York State Higher Education Services Corporation announced that applications are open for the Math and Science Teaching Incentive Program for the 2025-26 academic year. The program offers substantial scholarships to full-time undergraduate and graduate students who commit to teaching math or science in grades 7-12 in New York. Applications are due by May 13; visit https://www.hesc.ny.gov/find-aid/nys-grants-scholarships/nys-math-and-science-teaching-incentive-program for eligibility guidelines or to apply.

HESC is also accepting applications for the NYS STEM Incentive program through August 15 and for the NYS Masters in Education Teacher Incentive Scholarship through May 16. Program and application information may be found, respectively, at https://www.hesc.ny.gov/find-aid/nys-grants-scholarships/nys-science-technology-engineering-and-mathematics-stem-incentive and https://www.hesc.ny.gov/find-aid/nys-grants-scholarships/nys-math-and-science-teaching-incentive-program.

Feral Fest 2025 Announced

ONEONTA—Friends of the Feral TNR-Otsego, an organization that controls feral cat populations and improves their quality of life by sterilizing and releasing them, will hold its Feral Fest 2025 fundraiser at Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center from 1-6:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 17. Admission is $5.00, or $25.00 for admission and a commemorative sampling glass. There will be beer, wine and spirits tasting from 1-4 p.m., food donated by local businesses, live local entertainment, a cash bar, and raffles. All proceeds support feral cat population management. To purchase tickets or make a donation, visit friendsoftheferaltnr.org.

Price Chopper Collects More than 18,000 Meal Donations

SCHENECTADY—Customers at all 129 Price Chopper and Market 32 locations purchased and donated more than 18,500 pre-packaged food bags during the company’s food drive from March 30 to April 20. The $10.00 bags include PICS brand items in high demand at local food banks and pantries, including pasta, peanut butter and canned tuna. In total, more than 111,500 items were distributed to community organizations to support friends and neighbors in need. For more information, visit pricechopper.com.

Report: New York Preschooling Progress Uneven

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ—The National Institute for Early Education Research released its annual State of Preschool Yearbook, a report that evaluates states’ preschool access, funding and quality. New York rose from ninth to seventh place in the nation in preschool access for 3-year-olds, but fell from eighth to ninth place in access for 4-year-olds. Nineteen percent of the state’s 3-year-olds and 56 percent of its 4-year-olds were served by state-funded pre-K in the 2023-24 school year. The nationwide enrollment figures are eight percent and 37 percent, respectively. That school year set national records for state-funded preschool enrollment and spending, but increases are highly skewed by the rapid progress of a small number of states, with quality remaining highly uneven.

New York preschools enrolled nearly 159,000 children, an increase of 3,400 year-over-year. It spent about $940 million, in addition to nearly $59 million in federal support, an annual increase of six percent, adjusted for inflation. Total spending per child reached $6,285.00, an inflation-adjusted increase of $215.00. The state met seven of 10 NIEER quality standards benchmarks, which evaluate teacher qualifications, class sizes, early learning standards and program assessments. Only Alabama, Hawaii, Michigan, Mississippi and Rhode Island met all 10.

The report noted significant uncertainty about the effects of the Trump Administration’s proposed cuts to the federal departments of Education and Health and Human Services. Cuts to federal aid could potentially deprive more than 32,000 New York 3- and 4-year-olds of access to Head Start programs. To view the full report, visit nieer.org.

UVA Unveils Long COVID Research

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA—New research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine revealed insights on the immune systems of COVID-19 survivors, particularly those with persistent breathing issues. The study showed that these patients have distinct immune changes that link to the severity of their lung damage, potentially opening new pathways to targeted treatment. Researchers were struck by the wide diversity of immune patterns and underlying pathways of long COVID pathology, even in patients with the same symptoms.

“Long COVID is complex, with a variety of potential underlying causes. For this reason, understanding the immune response in patients with lung disease has been especially difficult,” said UVA Health’s Judith A. Woodfolk, MBChB, PhD, part of the Department of Medicine’s Division of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology. “Our findings reveal crucial differences in the blood that reflect the extent of lung damage. By analyzing many different immune measures, we can pinpoint potential targets that may not only predict who might experience worse outcomes but also help guide more tailored and effective treatments in the future.”

The study, which used innovative machine learning technology to study long-term changes in patients’ T cells, has been published in the scientific journal “Nature Immunology.” Woodfolk receives financial support for unrelated research from Regeneron, and the other researchers declared no potential conflict of interest. More medical research updates from UVA may be found at makingofmedicine.virginia.edu.

Onondaga Health Warns of Ocular Syphilis

SYRACUSE—Onondaga County Health Department issued a public warning on a potential increase in cases of ocular syphilis, an eye condition that can occur at any stage of syphilis infection and may cause serious, permanent vision loss if untreated. Syphilis rates are increasing across the county and the country. Early symptoms include vision changes, eye pain, redness, light sensitivity, floaters or spots in vision, and uveitis (inflammation inside the eye). Healthcare providers should watch for and report these symptoms to increase the chances of early detection and successful treatment. The public is urged to practice safe sex and undergo regular STI and HIV testing. The full public alert may be viewed at https://healthnews.ongov.net/ocular-syphilis-cases-5-1-25/. Otsego County Public Health Director Heidi Bond said in an e-mail on Friday, May 2 that no such spike in cases of ocular syphilis have been recorded here in Otsego County.

SUNY Launches Healthcare Educator Scholarship

ALBANY—SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. announced the launch of the SUNY Healthcare Educator Scholarship pilot program, intended to expand the state’s future capacity to train a robust nursing workforce. The scholarship will cover up to $20,000.00 each year in tuition and fees and an additional $5,000.00 annual stipend for about 35 students each year. Eligible students must pursue a master’s degree in nursing and commit to a three-year faculty position at a SUNY associate-level nursing program. For more information or to apply, visit https://www.suny.edu/health/scholarship/.

NYSEG Reminds Customers of Routine Safety Inspections

BINGHAMTON—New York State Electric and Gas and Rochester Gas and Electric reminded customers about granting access to their homes for federal- and state-mandated natural gas meter safety inspections. About 20,000 indoor meters across NYSEG’s service area are due for 10-minute inspections this year. Employees and qualified contractors will visit residential areas Monday through Saturday, and will identify themselves with yellow or green identification badges. Customers should always confirm their identity before permitting them access to their home. The companies may also contact residents by phone to schedule inspections. For more information, visit https://www.nyseg.com/safety/naturalgassafety/gassafetyinspections.

Gas Prices Steady Despite Demand Uptick

UTICA—New York State’s average price of a gallon of gas increased by a cent to $3.10 during the week ending Monday, May 5, AAA Northeast announced. This is four cents lower than a month ago and 63 cents lower than this date last year. Nationwide demand increased after several months below their annual average, and domestic inventories declined by 4 million barrels to about 225 million. However, a significant increase in production in OPEC+ nations has driven crude oil prices to a four-year low, holding gas prices in check. For more information, visit gasprices.aaa.com.