🌱 National Travel & Tourism Week + Cameras Installed On School Buses

Hi all. I'm here with your fresh copy of the Utica Patch newsletter, full of everything you need to know about what's happening in town.

But first, your local weather:

• Wednesday: Mostly sunny and nice. High: 71 Low: 45.
• Thursday: Mostly sunny and nice. High: 76 Low: 52.

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Here are the top three stories in Utica today:

1. New Hartford police officers responded to a single-car crash early Tuesday morning when a Utica woman left the turnpike and drove through The Green Lawn Cemetary. Police say Nicole Washington was driving westbound on Seneca Turnpike around 3:00 a.m. when she drove across the lane, over the curb, and through a metal chained fence into the cemetery. Field sobriety tests were conducted during the investigation; Washington was arrested for driving while intoxicated and received several traffic tickets from the incident. The cost of damage to the cemetery has not yet been determined. (WSYR)
2. For National Travel and Tourism Week, the Oneida County Tourism (OCT) group plans to visit all 51 hotels in the county this week. OCT staff will be dropping off cookies from So Sweet Candy Shoppe at every hotel in the county. The organization is also launching Oneida County Mural Trail, which features murals created by local and visiting artists, as well as partnering with Advance Media to conduct virtual tours at the full-service hotels and venues in the county. (The Central New York Business Journal)
3. In Oneida County, school buses are installing a new camera system intended to capture the license plates of cars that drive past stopped school buses. Oneida County Sheriff Rob Maciol is hopeful that with this additional technology —and with the county cracking down on sending fines for this offense — fewer drivers will ignore the sign, and local children can be kept safer. There will be a 35-day grace period in which a warning will be issued; after that, tickets will be sent to the owners of these vehicles, starting at $250 and gradually rising. As of now, a few local districts have begun to install the cameras on the buses, and the goal is for more to follow suit as time goes on. (WKTV)

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Today and tomorrow in Utica:

Wednesday, May 10

• PrattMWP Sophomore Exhibition - Munson (10:00 AM)
• Estate Planning & Asset Protection Basics - Hilton Estate & Elder Law (5:00 PM)

Thursday, May 11

• Take The Day - Irish Cultural Center (10:00 AM)
• Real Estate Photography - Michael Marrone Photography (5:30 PM)
• Crafting With Spoons - Utica Public Library (6:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Utica University will begin honoring over 600 graduates at the 74th commencement exercises, beginning Thursday with an undergraduate ceremony at 5 p.m. Graduate students will have their commencement on Friday at 10 a.m. (Utica University via Facebook)
• Utica officers found a small dog (pictured at the link) on Mohawk St. earlier this week. If you are the owner or know the owners of this little guy, he can be found at Anita's Steven Swan. (City of Utica, NY Police Department via Facebook)
• The Utica Fire Department would like to take a moment to congratulate everybody who was promoted at the City Hall meeting earlier this week. The dedication each of these individuals put into their craft daily has been acknowledged, and they got the praise and promotions they deserved. (Utica Fire Department via Facebook)

That's it for today. I'll see you around!

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.