Oswego County News Now

11/26/2025

The Monday Madness League started out like any other night this week at Lighthouse Lanes as bowlers arrived and started warming up for their respective games.

Then members of the Oswego Women’s Bowling Hall of Fame started to arrive, many adorned in their signature maroon jackets, and a request for a brief pause in the pregame routines came across the speakers.

The group was on hand to recognize 2016 inductee Courtney Radick for bowling a 300 game, the 11th of her career, and another 700-plus series during league play two weeks prior.

OSWEGO — The Monday Madness League started out like any other night this week at Lighthouse Lanes as bowlers arrived and started warming up for their respective games.

11/26/2025

In an attempt to reduce chronic absenteeism, the Mexico High School next school year will change the way its school day is organized.

Pending a final decision by school district administrators, class time may be reduced from 63 minutes to 40 minutes with a permanent daily schedule of class content instead of rotating classes each day.

“At this time, we are in the process of exploring options for high school scheduling that aligns with our district commitment,” said Mexico Academy Principal Christopher Soluri on Monday. “The specifics haven’t been finalized, and we have not yet presented information to our staff or students.”

Some students showed up at the board of education meeting Thursday night to protest any planned changes. The board, however, will not decide on the schedule. That is an administrative decision, Soluri said.

MEXICO — In an attempt to reduce chronic absenteeism, the Mexico High School next school year will change the way its school day is organized.

11/26/2025

After the turkey is settled and relatives have returned home on Thursday, comes the biggest shopping day of the year: Black Friday.

Black Friday is a great venture for large chains that can offer major discounts on plenty of items.

But what about the small local businesses?

Saturday the small businesses of Oswego County will get their chance to draw in local customers and engage the community with Small Business Saturday.

OSWEGO — After the turkey is settled and relatives have returned home on Thursday, comes the biggest shopping day of the year: Black Friday.

11/26/2025

The city of Oswego has revoked a homeowner’s permission to use public space, ordering him to remove a wheelchair ramp he built because it says he refused to sign a waiver and pay a fee.

The Oswego Common Council voted 7-0 at its Monday meeting on a resolution to revoke the use of public space it previously granted to Anthony Schmitt for 65 E. Oneida St.

No one on the council spoke about the resolution before the vote Monday, but City Attorney Kevin Caraccioli discussed the issue at length at the council’s Nov. 17 Physical Services Committee before the committee voted to move the resolution to the full council.

“This is an unfortunate request that I present tonight,” he said at the Nov. 17 meeting.

Caraccioli said Schmitt has a family member with health issues who uses a wheelchair and built a ramp at his single-family house at 65 E. Oneida St. Schmitt built a wooden ramp that goes from his porch to the sidewalk and hinges like a drawbridge and flips up and out of the way.

A city code enforcement officer visited after the ramp was built and pointed out that from the front of the porch to the sidewalk is actually public space, Caraccioli said, and a small portion of the ramp interferes with the sidewalk, representing a tripping hazard to passersby.

OSWEGO — The city of Oswego has revoked a homeowner’s permission to use public space, ordering him to remove a wheelchair ramp he built because it says he refused to

11/25/2025

⚽️ Athlete of the Week: Sponsored by Colloca Estate Winery

Meet Michael Farnham, a Phoenix boys soccer player. Michael was recently selected as the Onondaga High School League Liberty 3 Division Player of the Year as voted on by league coaches. The senior defender finished with seven goals and one assist to help lead the Firebirds to the first outright league title in team history, their first Section III playoff win in nine years and their highest win total since 2015.

Hear and read his story tomorrow.

Congratulations, Michael!

11/25/2025

James A. Dowd, who currently serves Pathfinder Bank as president and chief executive officer, will be the keynote speaker at SUNY Oswego’s commencement ceremony Dec. 13.

The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. in the Marano Campus Center’s Deborah F. Stanley Arena and Convocation Hall.

OSWEGO — James A. Dowd, who currently serves Pathfinder Bank as president and chief executive officer, will be the keynote speaker at SUNY Oswego’s commencement ceremony Dec. 13.

11/25/2025

The Fulton Common Council has called a special meeting for Tuesday night, a week after a regular meeting that mostly dealt with 2026 budgetary items.

As the council grapples to balance next year’s budget, it faces the prospect of increased fees, increased tax rates or reductions in services, or a combination of them.

The regular common council meeting last week opened with 11 public hearings that concerned fee increases for 2026, and other budgetary items.

Before the council discussed the agenda items last week, Council President Audrey Avery made an announcement concerning DPW Commissioner CJ Smith.

“This evening, Commissioner Smith met with the council and the mayor,” said Avery. “And he did go back and sharpen his pencil quite a bit. So this evening we will be voting (to reject) the water, garbage and baseline (water rate).”

FULTON — The Fulton Common Council has called a special meeting for tonight, a week after a regular meeting that mostly dealt with 2026 budgetary items.

11/25/2025

A Fulton man is accused of sexually assaulting a girl early Friday morning before fleeing and later leading police officers on a brief chase, the New York State Police said.

Emmanuel J. Dunbar, 39, was charged with first-degree r**e and second-degree r**e, both felonies. He was also charged with second-degree unlawful imprisonment, endangering the welfare of a child, criminal possession of a controlled substance and two counts of criminal possession of a narcotic drug, all misdemeanors.

State police said a girl left her home in the town of Mexico early Friday morning. When a family member noticed, they checked a nearby area the girl was known to frequent, state police said, though they did not say where that was.

State police said a vehicle was parked nearby and the family member called out for the girl while approaching the vehicle, which then drove away. The girl was located moments later and reported having been forcibly sexually assaulted, state police said.

MEXICO — A Fulton man is accused of sexually assaulting a girl early Friday morning before fleeing and later leading police officers on a brief chase, the New York State

11/24/2025

Andre Mendez is proving that he has what it takes to go the distance in his blossoming boxing career.

The 20-year-old Oswego native and resident recently collected a pair of monumental victories — beating the top-ranked amateur American and Canadian boxers in his weight class within a three-day span.

Mendez, who has trained locally with coach Derrick Falcetti since age 7, now has his sights set on a major national tournament next month and an eventual jump into the pro ranks.

OSWEGO — Andre Mendez is proving that he has what it takes to go the distance in his blossoming boxing career.

11/22/2025

Religion, its presence or absence, played an important role in the lives of pre-Civil War African-Americans, both free and enslaved.

Many areas, such as Virginia, enacted legislation to limit social opportunities, including religious services, for their slaves, fearing they might use the church to plot escapes. Slave owners might forbid services altogether, or if they permitted them, ensured the texts contained no references to freedom.

Slavery was legal in all 13 colonies at the time of the Revolution, but in certain areas, such as Baltimore and Philadelphia, the Methodists welcomed both Black and white worshippers, the only sect to do so.

First editor’s note: We are rerunning this article that originally was in Thursday’s edition of The Palladium-Times because the wrong photos were used.

11/22/2025

Oswego’s grain trade, particularly from the Midwest, started to slump after the Civil War, but held steady for much longer.

That died suddenly in October 1890 with the enactment of the McKinley Tariff when Canadian imports rose by 50%.

The only difference between then and now was the tariff was passed by Congress and it wasn’t necessarily meant as a budget problem-solver.

In 1890, Oswego was still one of the most prosperous ports on the Great Lakes. When the McKinley Tariff hit, it destroyed the port of Oswego practically overnight. It harmed Oswego by significantly increasing costs on imported goods.

Oswego’s grain trade, particularly from the Midwest, started to slump after the Civil War, but held steady for much longer.

11/22/2025

An Oswego police officer is accused of repeatedly punching his girlfriend in the head during a domestic incident and breaking her cellphone, the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office said.

Ryan S. Arrastia, 27, of Minetto, was charged with third-degree assault, a misdemeanor; third-degree menacing, a misdemeanor; third-degree criminal mischief, a felony; and second-degree harassment.

Deputies responded to a report of a domestic dispute in progress on County Route 25 in Minetto at 3:22 p.m. on Nov. 10, said Lt. Andrew Bucher, a sheriff’s office spokesman. According to criminal complaints signed by Deputy Matthew Pritchard, Arrastia is accused of striking his girlfriend multiple times in the head with a closed fist, causing bruising to her head and a cut on her lower lip. The complaint said Arrastia also took his girlfriend’s iPhone 16 Pro Max, valued at $1,200, and broke it on the bathroom floor.

Bucher said deputies secured two fi****ms belonging to Arrastia, though nobody threatened to use them. Arrastia was processed, arraigned in Oswego County Centralized Arraignment Part Court and released.

OSWEGO — An Oswego police officer is accused of repeatedly punching his girlfriend in the head during a domestic incident and breaking her cellphone, the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office said.