🌱 Oneida County Issues Spike Alert + Battle On The Barge Invitational

Hello, everybody! It's me, Nicole Fallon-Peek, your host of the Utica Patch newsletter. Here are all the most important things to know about what's happening locally.

But first, your local weather:

• Wednesday: A shower in the p.m.; breezy. High: 69 Low: 49.
• Thursday: Cloudy, a shower or two; cool. High: 63 Low: 46.

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Here are the top three stories today in Utica:

1. A spike alert has been issued in Oneida County after three died as the result of an overdose from what is suspected to be fentanyl on Jun. 1. All three instances occurred in West Utica, and although the official drugs involved cannot be confirmed yet, it appears to be some form of opioid mixed with other drugs. With the ongoing opioid epidemic now more than ever it is important for those who are purchasing drugs to be aware of what they are receiving. The Opioid Prevention Team recommends those suffering from drug addiction may seek treatment and assistance through the website www.ocopioidtaskforce.org. (Oneida Dispatch)
2. This past Saturday at the Utica University Nexus Nexus Center the second annual Battle on the Barge Invitational took place where the Oswego River Hawks went 2-0 while the Utica Yeti went 0-2 on the day. The first game of the day tipped off at 10:00 a.m. when the Yeti were unable to defeat a short-handed River Hawks team losing 12-9 in the first contest of the day. Utica had a short break before playing their final game of the day against the Collar City Kings where they unfortunately fell a second time on the day with a score of 13-8 unable to capture a win at the annual invitational. The middle game was between the River Hawks and the Kings which was a highly competitive back-and-forth game in which the Hawks came out on top 10-8. (Oswego Daily News)
3. Katie L. Dufrane of Newport was arrested this past Sunday in Oneida County after being accused of intoxicated driving. Dufrane was charged after a traffic stop in Marcy just before 11:00 p.m. on Sunday night. When she was pulled over, Dufrane was issued an appearance ticket and officially charged with one account of DUI as her first offense and operating a motor vehicle. (Flack Broadcasting)

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Today and tomorrow in Utica:

Wednesday, June 7

• Navigator Training: Financial Foundation Program At The Center (10:30 AM)
• Bible Study At My Father's House (5:00 PM)
• History Of Brewing In Utica At Oneida County History Center (5:30 PM)

Thursday, June 8

• Second Breakfast At Nail Creek Pub & Brewery (6:00 PM)
• Utica Poets Society - Spoken Word Open Mic At Tramontane Cafe (6:00 PM)
• Girl Singer... A Tribute At Players Of Utica (7:30 PM)

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From my notebook:

• The Oneida County Department of Mental Health hosted a Crisis Intervention Training for officers from Oneida and Herkimer County and the Utica Police Department was the only one that took advantage of this extended training opportunity. The department is proud of the officers that graduated from this training. (City of Utica, NY Police Department via Facebook)
• There's still a few more months left to visit the Henry DiSpirito: From Stonemason to Sculptor exhibit down at the New York State Museum. Dispirito was the first artist-in-residence at Utica University. (Utica University via Facebook)
• Summer is almost officially here, so it's about time to start cooling down with some of Utica Coffee Roasting Company's summer sips. Five new drinks have been added to the summer menu, and the highly requested Watermelon Tea is back on the menu. (Utica Coffee Roasting Company via Facebook)

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Featured events:

• Northern Nurseries Stone & Design Open House (June 10)

You're all caught up 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.