Randy Gorbman

New York state is launching a statewide survey to pick a new license plate design.  Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the survey on Monday, and his website will allow New Yorkers to choose among five proposed designs.

Voting will also be available to the public at the governor's exhibit at the Great New York State Fair starting Aug. 21. The license plate with the most votes will become the state's official license plate and will be available to customers beginning April 2020.

There’s a change in ownership coming for the del Lago Resort & Casino in Seneca County.

The Wilmot family, Rochester-based developers who operate Wilmorite, have owned half of that casino in the town of Tyre.

The casino concept was something long championed by Wilmot Chairman Tom Wilmot, and del Lago opened two years ago.

The federal government’s congressional watchdog agency is taking a look at a controversial plan that helps adjust water levels on Lake Ontario.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo made an announcement about Lake Ontario homeowners Wednesday on WXXI’s Connections, saying some money from the resiliency development plan will go to private homeowners.

The governor announced a plan to build back the lakefront in a more resilient way in May. When he did, he said the state was looking to fund large-scale, big-picture projects to protect the lakeshore from flooding and high water levels.

Wegmans says it will run a pilot program in two stores to remove plastic bags as of next Monday,  July 29. That will happen at stores in Ithaca and Corning.

The company notes that the decision comes after its announcement in April that Wegmans will eliminate plastic bags at all of its New York State stores ahead of the state ban that takes effect on March 1, 2020.

Wegmans is alerting consumers to a scam that they say involves a fraudulent Facebook post using the company’s name.

The supermarket chain says the post shows the image of the Wegmans logo with a false claim that the company is giving away an $80 voucher for use in its stores. The company says the giveaway is neither affiliated with nor supported by Wegmans.  

Jo Natale, vice president of media relations, said, “We’re actively working to have this fraudulent post removed from Facebook. We urge consumers not to click it, share it, or provide any personal information.”

RIT professors and staff are involved in an effort to find solutions to the huge amounts of food waste generated in New York State and across the U.S.

Although members of the joint U.S. - Canadian agency that oversees a water regulation plan came to Central New York on Friday, some of those attending a roundtable discussion weren’t necessarily pleased with what they heard.

That’s because members of the International Joint Commission indicated they still need more time to evaluate the impact of Plan 2014. That’s a controversial plan put into effect a few years ago, which some Lake Ontario shoreline residents feel contributed to recent flooding.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state agency officials were in Rochester on Monday to kick off a new commission that will work to toughen the infrastructure along the Lake Ontario shoreline.

The Lake Ontario Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative, or REDI, commission is part of the state’s response to the flooding that has hit the south shore of the lake this year, just two years after the last wave of floods that damages homes and other properties.

Cuomo says a number of state agencies will be involved.

A film that was shot in the Rochester-Finger Lakes region opened Friday night at The Little Theatre.

There was an invitation-only showing at The Little Thursday night for more than 130 people involved in the making of The Tomorrow Man, a movie starring John Lithgow and Blythe Danner.

The filming was done in 2017, and includes stops in areas that included Brighton, Gates and Lyons.