Teen accused of school threats
CATO (AP) — A teenager has been charged with threatening a New York school district and its students on social media.
The Post-Standard says the 16-year-old boy was arrested Wednesday night by the Cayuga County sheriff’s office.
The Cato-Meridan School District alerted parents and canceled after-school activities on Tuesday after a high school student went to administrators for help.
The superintendent says the alleged threats came from a student who currently does not attend that high school.
Cato-Meridian was one of at least five central New York districts or schools that investigated threats on Tuesday.
Bullet found in school bathroom
SKANEATELES (AP) — Two schools in an upstate New York village were locked down for a while after a bullet was found in a bathroom.
The Post-Standard reports that the lockdown occurred Thursday morning in Skaneateles.
The bullet was found at the middle school, which shares a connected building with the high school.
Trump Jr reports for jury duty in NYC
NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump Jr. reported for jury duty in Manhattan — but didn’t get picked for a case.
The Daily News says Trump was among the prospective jurors for an attempted robbery case on Wednesday.
Secret Service agents and court officers escorted Trump — looking preppy-casual in tan corduroy pants and a grey sweater. He bantered with other prospective jurors and had lunch at a neighborhood restaurant.
State Supreme Court Justice Michael Obus — asking Trump for biographical information — quipped: “Dare I ask what kind of work you’re doing these days?”
The Republican president’s eldest son laughed and replied: “You can probably read about it — mostly real estate.”
Inspection finds problems at airport
QUEENSBURY (AP) — A federal inspection has found problems at New York’s Warren County Airport — including rescue and firefighting equipment that airport workers don’t know how to use.
According to The Post-Star, recent personnel departures have left the airport without anyone trained to run the equipment.
For the time being, the county has a mutual aid plan with local volunteer fire departments. However, officials acknowledge that an emergency response would be much faster if the on-site equipment could be used.
The Federal Aviation Administration also has found that the airfield’s markings are in poor condition.
Acting Public Works Superintendent Kevin Hajos says he is going over the inspection report and preparing a response. He says some of the issues already have been corrected.
Mattel to report political spending
ALBANY (AP) — New York state’s comptroller says Mattel is the latest major corporation to agree to the state public pension fund’s request to publicly report all corporate political spending.
Thomas DiNapoli announced Thursday the El Segundo, California-based toy manufacturer is the 37th company to reach a political disclosure and accountability agreement with the New York State Common Retirement Fund. DiNapoli is the sole trustee of the $209 billion fund.
The pension fund holds Mattel shares with an estimated market value of about $21 million.
DiNapoli had filed a shareholders proposal asking the company to make annual reports of its corporate spending related to candidates as well as political parties, organizations and committees.
Mattel, maker of such iconic toys as Barbie and Hot Wheels, will start posting the information to its website this year.
