BROOME COUNTY NEWSWIRE ON MYBROOME.COM

Category: News Flash Image

  • Sunday Dinner and That’s What’s Up Broome County: Adam Weitsman

    Sunday Dinner and That’s What’s Up Broome County: Adam Weitsman

    Sunday Dinner and That’s What’s Up Broome County

    Adam Weitsman: Success Shared Is Success Multiplied

    Some people build successful businesses. Some build wealth. The people who leave the deepest mark on a community are the ones who look at what they have built and ask what they can do with it for others. This week, Sunday Dinner and That’s What’s Up Broome County spotlights Adam Weitsman, the Owego-born entrepreneur, industrialist and philanthropist whose latest gift to Tioga County Rural Ministry is another chapter in a long record of giving back to the communities around him.

    On July 6, Weitsman made a $102,600 personal donation to Tioga County Rural Ministry, money designated for the organization’s emergency financial assistance program. The need is real. Tioga County Rural Ministry says it is seeing urgent demand for help with food, fuel, utilities, rent, car repairs and other emergency expenses, with more than half of those seeking assistance employed full-time but still struggling under rising costs and unexpected financial crises.

    That donation did not come out of nowhere. It is part of a much longer pattern. Weitsman built Upstate Shredding – Weitsman Recycling from an Owego operation into one of the region’s major scrap metal businesses, and over the years he has repeatedly turned success into support for local nonprofits, youth programs and community organizations.

    Like most human beings, Weitsman has had his share of troubles, hard chapters and past mistakes. What makes his story worth telling is not that he somehow lived a flawless life, but that he embraced responsibility, rebuilt his life and remade his public image in breathtaking ways. He became an example of what can happen when a person owns the past, changes direction and decides to use success for something larger than himself.

    And, to tell the story properly, some credit probably belongs to his wife, Kim, and their daughters, who seem to have served as the unofficial rehabilitation board, accountability committee and reality-check department all rolled into one. Joking aside, family has clearly played a central role in the man Weitsman became and in the life he has built since.

    His local philanthropy runs deep. In 2019, Weitsman donated $175,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs in Owego, Binghamton, Syracuse and Endicott. His grandfather, Ben Weitsman, was a founding member of the Tioga County Boys & Girls Club, and Adam and Kim have continued that family connection through repeated support of youth programming and local causes.

    The Krebs restaurant in Skaneateles became another vehicle for giving. After Adam and Kim Weitsman restored and reopened the historic restaurant, its net profits were directed to local charitable organizations, particularly those serving women and children. Through efforts such as Southern Tier Tuesdays, Weitsman has also supported regional nonprofits with recurring grants, including Tioga County Rural Ministry itself.

    That is why this latest $102,600 gift matters beyond the number on the check. It gives Tioga County Rural Ministry more power to help keep the heat on, put food on the table, prevent an eviction, repair a car needed to get to work, or help a family survive the kind of sudden financial blow that can push an already struggling household over the edge.

    Adam Weitsman has achieved extraordinary success, but locally, his legacy is not measured only in businesses built, facilities opened or wealth accumulated. It is also measured in children who had a Boys & Girls Club to go to, families who got emergency help, nonprofits that could keep serving and community organizations that could do more because someone with the means decided to step forward.

    We also thank Adam for the way he shares his life on social media. He gives people a window into the successes, the family moments, the businesses, the challenges, the generosity and the life he has built. That openness makes the story more human and lets people across the region see not just the public figure, but the person behind the success.

    A good neighbor does not have to solve every problem. A good neighbor sees a need, steps forward and does something.

    We think Adam Weitsman is not just a good neighbor, but a great one. We are happy for his success because, in a real way, his success belongs to this community too. When someone from here builds something extraordinary and then keeps giving back to the people and places that helped shape him, all of us share in that story.

    We are blessed that this is where Adam comes from, that this is part of his home, and that so many people across our region have benefited from the success he chose to share.

    And that is a fact.

  • MYBROOME NOW – Sunday, July 12, 2026

    MYBROOME NOW – Sunday, July 12, 2026

    MYBROOME NOW

    Sunday, July 12, 2026
    From the MyBroome News Team

    TOP STORY

    Knights Inn Fire Aftermath Keeps Housing Safety and Accountability in the Spotlight

    Broome County continues to grapple with the aftermath of one of the deadliest local fires in recent memory. Six people, including three young children, died June 22 when fire swept through the Knights Inn on Route 17C in Endwell, a motel that had been used to house families and people experiencing housing insecurity.

    The tragedy immediately triggered questions about motel safety, code enforcement and the county’s use of extended-stay motels as temporary housing. Survivors and advocates said some people escaping the fire did not hear smoke detectors and called the disaster predictable and avoidable.

    In the days following the fire, protesters established an encampment outside the Broome County Office Building in downtown Binghamton, demanding housing reform, stronger safety oversight and greater resources for homeless residents. The protest continued for multiple days as tensions developed over tents and other structures at the site.

    The six deaths have left Broome County confronting a difficult question that will not disappear with the fire scene: whether the systems responsible for temporary housing and public safety did enough before disaster struck.

    3 OTHER STORIES OF LOCAL INTEREST

    1. Community Continues Mourning 11-Year-Old Boy Who Died After Country Club Pool Emergency

    An 11-year-old boy died after being pulled unresponsive from the swimming pool at the Binghamton Country Club in the Town of Union on July 8.

    A bystander pulled the child from the water, and lifesaving efforts began before emergency responders arrived. He was transported to Wilson Medical Center and later airlifted to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, where he died the following day.

    State Police said no foul play was suspected and the circumstances remained under investigation.

    2. Binghamton Man Faces Federal Child Pornography Charge

    A federal indictment has been unsealed charging 24-year-old Thomas Murray of Binghamton with distributing child pornography.

    The federal charge carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of five years upon conviction.

    3. Broome County Fair Returns July 21 for Its 152nd Year

    The 152nd Broome County Fair runs from Tuesday, July 21, through Sunday, July 26, at the fairgrounds in Whitney Point.

    Admission is $10 per day for adults, children 12 and younger are admitted free, and parking is included. Unlimited midway ride wristbands are expected to cost $30 daily.

    The week includes tractor pulls, truck pulling, compact and full-size demolition derbies, stock car football, 4-H livestock shows, dairy cattle, sheep and goats, live entertainment, chainsaw carving and the Coleman Brothers midway.

    PUBLIC SAFETY / ALERTS / CRIME

    Local Arrests

    In keeping with the NewsXR and MyBroome name-use policy, full names are published for adults 21 and older charged with felonies. Names of people under 21 are generally withheld unless the seriousness and community impact of the case justify an exception.

    1. Jennifer L. Boykin, 40, was charged with first-degree identity theft, three counts of second-degree possession of a forged instrument and third-degree grand larceny, all felonies, along with misdemeanor criminal possession of a controlled substance following a fraud investigation in the Town of Chenango.

    2. Ian M. Jennings, 22, of Port Crane, was charged with third-degree criminal possession of stolen property and tampering with physical evidence, both felonies, along with misdemeanor charges following a stolen-property investigation in the Town of Fenton.

    3. April Z. Gonzalez, 35, of Port Crane, was charged with second-degree strangulation, a Class D felony, two counts of third-degree assault and third-degree menacing following a domestic incident investigation in the Town of Fenton.

    4. A 20-year-old Harpursville resident was charged with third-degree criminal mischief, a felony, along with resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration following a domestic incident investigation in Colesville. The name is withheld under our under-21 policy.

    5. Chad S. Congdon, 34, of Port Crane, was charged with DWI, aggravated DWI with a BAC of .18% or higher, reckless driving and multiple traffic violations following an investigation in Colesville.

    Broome County’s Most Wanted

    Jeremy Lewis, previously listed first on the Broome County Sheriff’s Office Most Wanted roster, has been marked captured.

    The active list now includes:

    Brian Kelsey is wanted for second-degree burglary. He is listed as 6 feet 2 inches tall, 185 pounds, with blue eyes and gray hair.

    Achynia McCathan is wanted for third-degree grand larceny. She is listed as 5 feet tall, 180 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair.

    Robin Sanchez is wanted for third-degree grand larceny. He is listed as 5 feet 3 inches tall, 140 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair.

    Federal Court Sentence

    Neil Wesley, 47, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison in a child exploitation case.

    LOCAL DEVELOPMENTS & TRAFFIC

    Local Developments

    Bike Helmet Giveaway Will Bring Free Admission for Entire Families

    The Broome County District Attorney’s Office bike helmet safety initiative will conclude with a major community event at Mirabito Stadium on Wednesday, July 22.

    Free helmets are exclusively for children, but the entire family accompanying a child receiving a helmet will receive free admission to the noon Binghamton Rumble Ponies game.

    The game also doubles as Super Splash Day, with high-pressure water hoses, water balloons and misting stations around designated areas of the stadium.

    Traffic

    Summer construction, event traffic and changing work zones remain the primary concerns for local drivers.

    Travelers heading toward Whitney Point later this month should also expect heavier traffic around the Broome County Fairgrounds during the July 21-26 fair.

    FROM THE NEWSXR WEATHER CENTER

    Weather and 5-Day Forecast

    Current Conditions: Sunny and 76 degrees in Binghamton as of this report.

    Sunday: Mostly sunny. High near 82. Low around 62.

    Monday: Partly sunny. High near 84. Low around 67.

    Tuesday: Hot and increasingly humid, with a high near 95 degrees. Outdoor caution is advised for strenuous activity.

    Wednesday: Partly sunny and very warm. High near 88.

    Thursday: A mix of clouds and sunshine. High near 82.

    FROM THE NEWSXR SPORTS CENTER

    Regional Sports Update

    All Eyes on Binghamton University Pitcher Conner Griffin as MLB Draft Arrives

    The MLB Draft takes center stage this weekend, and Binghamton University pitcher Conner Griffin enters as one of the area’s most closely watched prospects.

    Griffin made 15 starts as the Bearcats’ top rotation arm in 2026, finishing 3-4 with a 5.22 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 60.1 innings. Opponents hit just .215 against him, and he earned second-team All-America East honors.

    Jeremiah Quigley Returns to Bearcats Basketball

    Guard Jeremiah Quigley returns for his senior season after starting all 30 games in 2025-26 and averaging 14.5 points and 6.4 assists. He led the America East in assists and ranked 16th nationally in that category.

    Black Bears Continue Summer Roster Work

    The Binghamton Black Bears are reshaping their roster following their championship three-peat.

    Forward Ivan Bondarenko, the reigning FPHL Forward of the Year, has re-signed. Rookie defenseman Marquise Brown and rookie goaltender Graham Burke have also joined the roster.

    Mack Patterson Honored After Another State Championship

    Chenango Valley standout Mack Patterson was honored after winning the NYSPHSAA Class C discus championship with a throw of 166 feet, 2 inches.

    The victory made Patterson a two-time state champion after he overcame a serious hand injury that sidelined him for eight weeks during the regular season.

    Scoop Scoundrels and Super Splash Coming to Mirabito Stadium

    The Rumble Ponies will temporarily become the Southern Tier Scoop Scoundrels from July 17 through July 19 with specialty ice cream-themed uniforms and promotions.

    Then, on July 22, the DA’s youth bike helmet giveaway and Super Splash Day take over the stadium, with free game admission for the entire family accompanying a child receiving a helmet.

    UPCOMING EVENTS

    Friday, July 17

    Movies in the Park: Migration
    Broome County Parks will present a free outdoor screening of Migration at Otsiningo Park beginning at dusk. Pre-movie family activities start at 7:30 p.m.

    Sunday, July 19

    Otsiningo Park Car Show
    Hundreds of antique, classic and custom vehicles will be on display from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with registration proceeds benefiting local charities.

    July 21-26

    152nd Broome County Fair
    The six-day Whitney Point tradition includes midway rides, demolition derbies, tractor pulls, livestock shows, agricultural exhibits, live entertainment and classic fair food.

    Wednesday, July 22

    Free Youth Bike Helmets, Family Admission and Super Splash Day
    Children participating in the DA’s helmet giveaway receive a free properly fitted helmet, and their entire accompanying family receives free admission to the noon Rumble Ponies game.

    Every Thursday

    Downtown Binghamton Artisan Market
    Metrocenter Plaza hosts Southern Tier creators, handmade goods, jewelry and baked treats from 4 to 7 p.m.

    Sunday, August 30

    Binghamton Porchfest
    More than 100 local bands are expected to perform on residential porches throughout Binghamton’s historic West Side.

    COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

    Bear Encounters Are Rising. Know What to Do Before One Happens.

    NewsXR and MyBroome have observed a clear rise in reported bear encounters across the Southern Tier, with sightings increasingly appearing across social media, community forums and local news pages.

    Recent reports have included a large black bear wandering through backyards in Windsor and another sighting near the Binghamton University campus.

    There is no emergency lockdown or broad crisis declaration. But the number of reported encounters makes a safety warning appropriate.

    The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation says avoiding human-bear conflicts starts with prevention: never feed or approach bears, secure garbage and recycling, remove bird feeders while bears are active, never leave pet food outdoors, and properly clean and store grills and smokers.

    If you encounter a black bear, do not run. Make your presence known, give the bear room to escape, back away slowly and do not corner or approach it.

    If a black bear actually attacks, fight back vigorously. Do not play dead.

    The point is not to create panic. Black bears generally avoid people. But bears that repeatedly obtain human food can lose their natural fear and become bolder, which can create a genuine public-safety threat.

    NYSDEC Region 7 Wildlife Office: 607-218-3853

    For our younger news consumers, see today’s accompanying MyBroome Now News Flash image for the fast visual recap. Full details on every story are in the body of this report.

    👉 Drop your comments

    © 2026 CompanyXR Media Group – All Rights Reserved

Privacy PolicyCookie Policy
Powered by CookieAdmin