Regional News Briefs: September 22, 2026

Human Trafficking Subject of Conference

JOHNSON CITY—The Southern Tier Human Trafficking Task Force will host a free community awareness conference, “Predators, Grooming, and Exploitation: What Every Community Should Know about Human Trafficking,” on Saturday, November 14 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The event will be held at United with Christ Church, 1025 Robinson Hill Road, Johnson City. The conference will feature an experienced group of presenters and community partners representing a range of agencies and organizations involved in prevention, investigation, victim services, and community education. Participating organizations include the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services, New York State Department of Labor, Broome County District Attorney’s Office, Crime Victims Assistance Center, FBI Task Force and The Potter’s Hands Foundation. The program will also include a powerful survivor testimony, providing an important first-hand perspective on the realities and impact of human trafficking, organizers said. The STHTTF brings together law enforcement agencies, government organizations, service providers, advocates, and community partners committed to increasing awareness, prevention through education and collaboration, supporting victims and survivors, and strengthening the community response to trafficking and exploitation. Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Tioga and Tompkins counties are represented on the STHTTF.

NYS Among Top 10 in Student Loan Debt

NEW YORK STATE—New York has the ninth-highest student loan debt in the U.S. at $6,060.00 per person, according to a new study from the digital personal finance company Achieve. Georgia has the highest student loan debt of any state, averaging $7,120.00 per person, 30.4 percent above the national average. Maryland ranks second at $6,830.00, while New Jersey places third at $6,540.00 and is one of only four states where student debt increased over the year. The U.S. average fell by 1.8 percent, from $5,560.00 to $5,460.00 per person, with student loan debt declining in 43 states. According to the report, student loan debt has fallen across most of the U.S. over the past year, but residents in some states are still carrying thousands of dollars more than the national average. Achieve analyzed data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to reveal where student loan debt per person is highest. The study compared balances in Q4 2024 and Q4 2025 before ranking the states according to the latest figures. Each state was also compared with the Q4 2025 national average of $5,460.00. The 10 states with the highest student loan debt are Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Massachusetts (tied), Mississippi (tied), South Carolina (tied), Virginia, New York and Louisiana. Wyoming has the lowest student loan debt of any state, averaging just $3,180.00 per person. That is 41.8 percent below the national average, or $2,280.00 less than the typical U.S. figure. Wyoming also recorded the biggest percentage decline anywhere in the country, with balances falling by $350.00, or 9.9 percent.

Crisis Line Will Serve LGBTQIA+ Youth, Young Adults

ALBANY—The New York State Office of Mental Health announced the availability of $1.8 million on Monday, September 21 to establish a dedicated crisis lifeline to support New York’s LGBTQIA+ youth and young adults and to train crisis counselors to be responsive to the needs of individuals in this community. The proposed crisis line will fill a critical gap for young people in New York’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning, intersex, and asexual community, after the federal government removed the “press 3” option for 988 in July 2025, officials said. Prior to being shuttered, this specialized service had been used by between 50,000 and 60,000 young people per month nationwide. OMH is providing $1.2 million annually over five years for an existing qualified organization that operates a 24/7 crisis service for LGBTQIA+ youth and young adults, allowing the state to expand access to specialized services while benefiting from established clinical expertise. The funding opportunity also includes a one-time award of $600,000.00 to train hundreds of local crisis counselors who answer 988 calls to handle the needs and concerns specific to young people in the LGBTQIA+ community. Look for “MH263037—Health-led Community Behavioral Health Crisis Response Pilots Round 2” on https://omh.ny.gov to learn more.