Our journalism made a difference last year. These stories brought awareness, change
In the past year, residents of Corning and Steuben County have banded together, partnered against injustice and fought to make sure their voices were heard.
Our reporters at The Leader and the-leader.com, as well as our USA TODAY Network New York colleagues, have highlighted high school champions, dug deep through court records to publish investigative reports, and told firsthand stories about topics that matter most in the community.
Here are some of the stories that made a difference in 2023, told by Corning journalists and our New York State Team:
New neighborhood being built in Corning
It’s not every year that a new neighborhood springs up from scratch. That was the case on Corning’s Northside in 2023, though, as a few dozen new homes were erected on the vacant site that formerly housed Northside Blodgett school. Built by developer Reidman Homes, the long-anticipated development battled through years of delays as Northside Place finally got off the ground in 2023. We were there as the first two-to-three bedroom, build-to-rent homes were rented out, sharing that rental prices start at nearly $3,000 a month. City officials called the construction of new homes a good addition to the city’s aging housing stock. More will come on the market in 2024.
Read the story: These Northside Place homes are available for rent: How much it will cost
Addison rocked by investigation, arrest of former clerk-treasurer
Addison was thrown into turmoil for much of 2023 as the Steuben County village’s finances were investigated by the New York State Comptroller’s Office. The early part of the year featured contentious board meetings and the election of a new mayor who resigned 10 days after being sworn into office. The other shoe dropped in November when longtime village clerk-treasurer Ursula Stone was charged with stealing some $1.1 million in public funds.
The Leader informed readers about the turmoil in local government throughout the year, and detailed how the investigation alleged the theft of public money occurred over nearly two decades. A follow-up report detailed the impact to the local tax base and how Addison has changed village policies to prevent future abuses of public funds.
Read more: Former Addison village clerk stole more than $1 million over 19 years, comptroller says
Corning man recalls POW experience in Vietnam
2023 marked 50 years since Corning resident Moe Newcomb was a POW in Vietnam. He remembers every moment. Reporter Jeff Smith profiled Newcomb’s harrowing experience during the Vietnam War. The Painted Post graduate was 27 when he started flying missions in North Vietnam. He was shot down on his 82nd mission in 1967 and spent years in captivity until his release in 1973. “It was a sight you couldn’t believe and never forget,” Newcomb recalled in Smith’s detailed profile.
Read the story: It's been 50 years since Moe Newcomb was a POW in Vietnam. He remembers every moment.
Iconic Glen Motor Inn reopens after extensive renovations
The Glen Motor Inn overlooking Seneca Lake has been a destination for visitors to the Finger Lakes for generations. The Inn was a popular landing spot for famous race car drivers and celebrities during trips to Watkins Glen International. “You could go there and see George Harrison in there with Jimmy Stewart. And every racer was there,” recalled one resident. The Inn reopened in 2023 under new ownership and with a new name, The Hotel Laurel at Seneca. The property received nearly $2 million in renovations detailed in our profile of the Inn’s past, present and future.
Read the story: This historic NY inn, where Hollywood stars mingled with racing elite, has a new look
Community profiles, from ‘Hannabill Lecter’ to holiday volunteers
Not every story was a heavy hitter in 2023. We also took time to profile some of the people who make the area a great place to live and raise a family. Jeff Smith gave readers a behind the scenes look into how an army of volunteers hand out hundreds of free Thanksgiving meals each year, detailing what motivates the volunteers and how the meals impact recipients. A similar effort was underway on Christmas.
This fall, meanwhile, we profiled Corning-Painted Post Principal Frank Barber, aka “Hannabill Lecter” on Buffalo Bills gamedays. Barber’s alter ego continued to attract cameras during national television broadcasts of Bills games, and social media buzz. We gave readers a glimpse of the man behind the mask, and how he has used the notoriety for a good cause.
Read the story: Hannabill Lecter ensemble hailed as 'art'. Meet the Corning Bills fan behind the mask
Business booms in Bath
Business boomed at the Steuben County seat in Bath throughout 2023. We profiled a number of development projects that came online or got underway in Bath over the course of the year, starting with the new Amazon distribution center at the former Mercury Aircraft building. In October, LP Building Solutions debuted its new multimillion-dollar, 90,000-square-foot prefinished home siding manufacturing facility on a long vacant 75-acre plot off state Route 54. The company revived an old rail system with plans to hire more than 60 employees in Bath.
Meanwhile, a homegrown company, T&R Environmental, is expanding with new jobs on Industrial Park Road. Bath’s housing stock also received a boost with a $21 million adaptive reuse of the former Dana Lyon School building creating 49 apartments.
Read the story: LP's new Bath facility, rail upgrades mark investment in Steuben County's future
Corning man sentenced for murder of 26-year-old Keli Collins
“Justice for Keli Collins” was a rallying cry in Corning following the August 2022 murder of 26-year-old Keli Collins at her Walter Smith Terrace apartment in Corning. In May 2023, Steuben County Judge Philip Roche sentenced Brett R. Heffner, 28, of Corning, to 25 years to life after he pleaded guilty in March to second-degree murder.
The sentence will hopefully provide at least some sense of justice and closure for Collins' family, said Steuben County District Attorney Brooks Baker. The Leader previously profiled the mother of two, who was remembered as the “kindest and most forgiving person.”
More: 'You can never get justice': Corning man who confessed to murdering Keli Collins sentenced
New York's latest fracking proposal promises cleaner method. How experts rated it
The Southern Tier is no stranger to the fracking debate. When a new company approached landowners with the idea for a net-negative emissions way to drill into the Marcellus and Utica shales, the reception was not a quiet one. The proposal involved using carbon dioxide instead of water to extract gas. Local politicians reached out to the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) with questions about the potential impact, and environmental activists called for an even tighter crackdown on drilling in New York.
Read the story: New York's latest fracking proposal promises cleaner method. How experts rated it
A $345 utility bill became $68,000 as NYSEG, RG&E confront billing fiasco. What happened?
Utility billing issues plagued New Yorkers all over the state in early 2023, with hundreds saying they were being inaccurately billed, sometimes by exorbitant amounts, wrote New York State Team and local reporters Tom Zambito, Patrick Harney and Chris Potter.
A call for readers to tell us about their billing experiences brought in 118 comments, one of which was from Carl Popp, of Poughkeepsie, who told us he religiously read his own meter to keep from being overbilled after bad experiences in the past.
We followed up with Popp, featuring him in a how-to story. Popp later wrote in an email: “I hope (the story) will help all the other people with high estimated bills and enlighten them on what they can do themselves to lessen the problem.”
Read the story: A $345 utility bill became $68,000 as NYSEG, RG&E confront billing fiasco. What happened?
Some NY hospitals nixed medical debt lawsuits. Others sued 1,600 patients for $9M
A USA TODAY Network investigation by New York State Team reporter David Robinson found a group of 17 hospitals and health systems sued about 1,600 New Yorkers to collect medical debts totaling $9 million since early 2022, despite a push to end the controversial practice.
When questioned about the lawsuits listed in court records, some hospital systems denied they filed lawsuits or pointed to the charity care they deliver each year. Others said they were phasing out the practice of suing patients over medical debt.
One health system, WMC Health, also appeared to have halted its debt lawsuits following the USA TODAY Network reporting in 2019 on its connections to a debt-collection law firm under federal investigation.
Read the story: Some NY hospitals nixed medical debt lawsuits. Others sued 1,600 patients for $9M
Changing of the guard at Watkins Glen International
The internationally-renowned road course in Watkins Glen has new leadership entering 2024. Andrew Legare broke the news that veteran track president Michael Printup intended to retire. Printup oversaw $56 million of capital improvement projects during his tenure, which included seven consecutive NASCAR sellouts and popular concerts and wine festivals.
In December, longtime Corning Inc. executive Dawn Burlew, a native of nearby Erin, was named the racetrack's first woman president. Burlew said she will aim to rev up The Glen’s status as an economic driver for the region.
More: Erin native Dawn Burlew named first woman president of Watkins Glen International
Have a story tip in 2024? Email events@the-leader.com.
This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: The Leader stories that made an impact in Corning, beyond in 2023
