MYBROOME NOW DAILY REPORT

Saturday, July 11, 2026

From the MyBroome™ News Team

Broome County enters the weekend with several major stories shaping local attention, including the death of an 11-year-old boy after a pool incident, continued fallout from the deadly Knights Inn fire, renewed debate over ICE activity and federal cooperation, and fresh local discussion about whether emergency housing dollars should be building long-term public solutions.

Top Story

11-Year-Old Boy Dies After Binghamton Country Club Pool Incident

An 11-year-old boy has died after an incident at the Binghamton Country Club pool in the Town of Union. New York State Police said emergency responders were called after a child became unresponsive, and bystanders and lifeguards had already started lifesaving efforts by the time troopers arrived. The child was taken first to Wilson Medical Center, then airlifted to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, where he later died.

State Police said no foul play is suspected, but the incident remains a heartbreaking start to the weekend for the Broome County community. The official cause and manner of death will be determined through the medical review process.

Other Stories

Knights Inn Fire Lawsuit Keeps Pressure on Broome County’s Emergency Housing System

The legal and political fallout from the deadly Knights Inn fire in Endwell continues. A notice of claim has accused Broome County of unsafe shelter placement after the June 22 fire killed six people, including children, at a motel used for emergency housing placements. The fire has already led to criminal charges against Tyler J. Russell, 24, who was charged with six counts of second-degree manslaughter and fourth-degree arson.

The lawsuit and public debate are now forcing a larger question: why has Broome County spent millions placing homeless residents in privately owned motels instead of building or acquiring permanent housing the public could own? State lawmakers have also pointed to housing funds and voucher programs intended to move vulnerable families out of unstable emergency placements and into safer long-term housing.

At the center of that debate is the Housing Access Voucher Program, a $50 million statewide rental-assistance initiative intended to help people experiencing homelessness or facing housing insecurity. Lawmakers have also highlighted $10 million for shelter-arrears assistance, regional HCR housing funds, and local state-backed developments such as Hooper Road Apartments and Confluence Court as examples of housing infrastructure that can create permanent units rather than temporary rooms.

ICE Activity Draws Local Pushback, Sheriff Defends Jail Cooperation

Broome County remains in the middle of a growing immigration-enforcement debate after local advocacy groups reported 19 ICE detentions over a recent 72-hour period. The reports included increased concern in Endicott, Johnson City, and the Binghamton area, including public attention on video showing masked federal agents during an enforcement encounter.

Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham has said federal operations occurred without local police involvement or advance notice, and he raised concerns about unidentified masked personnel, constitutional policing, due process, and accountability. State lawmakers, including Senator Lea Webb, continue to support the New York For All Act, which would further restrict local cooperation with federal civil immigration enforcement.

Broome County Sheriff Fred Akshar has defended the county jail’s long-running cooperation with federal detainee contracts, arguing that the practice is lawful, longstanding, and financially beneficial to local taxpayers. At the same time, Akshar has drawn a line against street-level immigration enforcement, saying his office has rejected requests to participate in “casual encounters” that he considers profiling.

NewsXR’s position is clear: we support lawful federal immigration enforcement, and we also believe that if New York properly enacts a law, the proper course for any public official is to obey it while challenging it in court. A citizen who dislikes a law is still expected to follow it unless a court says otherwise. A sheriff is not above that same rule of law; he carries a higher responsibility to show the public what lawful resistance looks like. And on the substance of the federal-cooperation argument, NewsXR agrees with Sheriff Akshar’s position and hopes he wins that argument in court.

Tiny Homes, Summer Events, and Local Housing Alternatives Move Forward

The Broome County Land Bank’s tiny-home pilot project is moving forward at 8 Truesdell Street in Binghamton, where site-development work has been tied to the placement of two completed tiny homes built through a local workforce and housing partnership. Public bid documents for the project identify the Truesdell Street site and work needed to prepare the property for the homes.

The project fits into the broader local housing debate now sharpened by the Knights Inn fire. Small housing pilots will not solve homelessness by themselves, but they show a different model: public and nonprofit partners creating physical housing units that remain part of the local housing supply.

Broome County also has a busy summer calendar ahead, led by the Broome County Fair from July 28 through August 2 in Whitney Point, the Broome County Parks Beach Bash on August 15 at Nathaniel Cole Park, and the first GBSC Cultural Festival on August 29. The Forum Theatre calendar includes The Association on July 29, Sock Out Cancer on October 17, and the Bored Teachers Comedy Tour on October 25. Binghamton University’s Anderson Center will also host Rick Springfield on July 17 at 8 p.m.

Police & Court Blotter

Ross I. Scribner

Ross I. Scribner, 35, of Greene, was charged with second-degree strangulation, a Class D felony. Following arraignment, he was remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility, where he remains held in lieu of $2,000 cash bail or $4,000 bond.

April Z. Gonzalez

April Z. Gonzalez, 35, of Port Crane, was charged with second-degree strangulation, a Class D felony, along with two counts of third-degree assault, a Class A misdemeanor. She was processed by the Broome County Sheriff’s Office, arraigned, and released on recognizance pending a future court appearance.

Tyquawn A. Terry

Tyquawn A. Terry, 35, of the Town of Union, was processed in connection with a felony rape-related charge. He was transferred through centralized arraignment, bail was set, and he was remanded to the Broome County Correctional Facility pending further court action.

Chad S. Congdon

Chad S. Congdon, 34, of Port Crane, was charged with aggravated driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, and multiple traffic violations. Authorities reported a blood-alcohol content of .18% or higher. He was released to a sober third party with tickets directing him to appear in Town of Colesville Court.

Jason R. Turner

Jason R. Turner, 51, of Binghamton, was charged with third-degree burglary, a Class D felony. Following arraignment, he was remanded to the Broome County Correctional Facility without bail based on prior felony convictions and state criminal-procedure rules governing repeat offenders.

Binghamton Shooting Investigation

Binghamton Police detectives are seeking public tips in connection with an early July targeted shooting that left one adult victim hospitalized. No arrests have been announced. Anyone with information is asked to contact the detective division at 607-772-7080.

Endwell Hate Crime Case

Court proceedings are moving forward in a Town of Union hate-crime case investigated by the Broome County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit. The case involves allegations of targeted racial harassment following a multi-year investigation, with arraignment calendars now advancing in Broome County Court.

Weather & 5-Day Forecast

Binghamton is starting the weekend warm and mostly calm, with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 70s and a summer pattern that turns hotter early next week. The main weather story is a warm, mostly dry weekend followed by heat building into Tuesday and Wednesday.

Saturday: Mostly sunny with a possible shower. High near 82. Low near 59.

Sunday: Mostly sunny. High near 83. Low near 65.

Monday: Partly sunny. High near 85. Low near 66.

Tuesday: Partly sunny and hot, with temperatures near record territory. High near 92. Low near 71.

Wednesday: Partly sunny and hot. High near 91. Low near 64.

Local Sports Update

Rumble Ponies Get Major-League Power During Rehab Assignment

The Binghamton Rumble Ponies had a major-league name in the lineup this week as New York Mets outfielder Luis Robert Jr. continued his rehab assignment with Double-A Binghamton. Robert went 2-for-3 and hit a solo home run Friday night against the Hartford Yard Goats, but the Rumble Ponies fell 7-2. The series was tied 2-2 after the game.

The rehab assignment has brought extra attention to Binghamton as Robert works his way back from a lumbar spine disc herniation. His full-game appearance in center field and home run gave local fans a big-league storyline in the middle of the Eastern League schedule.

Black Bears Bring Back Ivan Bondarenko

The Binghamton Black Bears have re-signed Ivan Bondarenko for the 2026-27 season, keeping one of the franchise’s most important players in Binghamton after another championship run. The team announced the move July 10, identifying Bondarenko as the first returning player signed ahead of training camp.

Bondarenko was one of the biggest pieces of the Black Bears’ Commissioner’s Cup success and finished the previous season as one of the league’s top offensive players. His return gives the three-time Commissioner Cup champions a major foundation piece as the roster begins taking shape for the fall.

Binghamton University Pitchers Enter MLB Draft Weekend Conversation

The Major League Baseball Draft begins this weekend, and Binghamton University pitchers Conner Griffin and Jackson Mitchell are among the local names drawing attention. Griffin, the Bearcats’ ace, has been recognized for a fastball in the low-to-mid 90s and a strong strikeout profile, while Mitchell has been viewed as a reliable arm with professional upside.

For Binghamton University baseball, draft attention around multiple pitchers is another sign of the program’s ability to develop arms capable of being evaluated beyond the America East level.

High School and Youth Sports Notes

Corning standout Matti Johnston has been recognized as an All-State Softball Player of the Year, while Binghamton’s Milo Wilson earned top boys’ athlete recognition following a dominant track-and-field season. Chenango Valley also celebrated Mack Patterson after his back-to-back Class C NYSPHSAA state championships in discus and shot put, with local officials presenting a formal proclamation at the school.

Youth sports continue into late July with the RBI Little League Summer Camp at Struble Field, where area students will take part in another week of baseball development. The Broome County Parks 5K Race Series is also scheduled for August 20 at Otsiningo Park, adding another community health and sports event to the late-summer calendar.

Community Spotlight

1979 Union-Endicott Tigers Honored by Greater Binghamton Sports Hall of Fame

Today’s Community Spotlight goes to one of the greatest teams in Southern Tier sports history: the 1979 Union-Endicott High School football team.

The Tigers were inducted into the Greater Binghamton Sports Hall of Fame during the organization’s 11th annual dinner at the DoubleTree by Hilton in downtown Binghamton. The 1979 team was the only team included in this year’s 13-member induction class.

Led by head coach Fran Angeline, the Tigers finished 9-0, won the STAC championship, scored 413 points in nine games, and allowed only 26 points all season. The defense gave up just 1,108 total yards, while the offense gained 3,294 yards. The team finished ranked No. 1 in New York State large schools and No. 18 nationally.

The roster’s depth remains almost unbelievable by local high-school standards. Seventeen players from that team went on to play college football, including nine at the Division I level. Angeline was later honored as National Coach of the Year by the High School Football Coaches of America.

For the players, the Hall of Fame ceremony was more than an award. It was a reunion. Some teammates had not seen each other in decades, and the induction gave Broome County a chance to remember a team that still stands as one of the strongest ever produced in the region.

MyBroome Then

Local Hero Saves Three Woodruff Boys From South Street Raceway Drowning

Exactly 100 years ago today, Broome County readers were following a dramatic river-rescue story out of Binghamton after three young brothers nearly drowned near the Baker Brothers feed mill on South Street.

The boys, James Woodruff, 4, Emory Woodruff, 7, and Harold Woodruff, 9, had been playing near the South Street raceway when they fell into the dangerous industrial waterway. The current placed all three children in immediate danger.

John A. Lyon saw what happened and jumped into the water. In a remarkable rescue, he managed to hold all three boys above the surface at the same time while others rushed to help. Bystanders eventually lowered a rope and pulled the children to safety.

The headline from a century ago was simple and powerful: Local Hero Saves Three Woodruff Boys From South Street Raceway Drowning.

It was the kind of story that reminds us Broome County history is not only made by officials, industries, buildings, and elections. Sometimes it is made in a single moment, when one neighbor sees danger and moves before there is time to think.

FOR OUR YOUNGER NEWS CONSUMERS SEE THE COVER PHOTO NEWS FLASH.

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