Lexi Bruening

5 days ago | wwnytv.com | Lexi Bruening

LOWVILLE, New York (WWNY) - A big tourist attraction in Lewis County is about to get longer. This week, lawmakers voted to add more than three miles to its off-road ATV trail system. Lewis County has almost 100 miles of trails where drivers of off-highway vehicles can enjoy the open road. The trail system has long been a tourist attraction on the Tug Hill, and roads are starting to open for the season.

1 week ago | wwnytv.com | Lexi Bruening

WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) - Watertown Mayor Sarah Pierce says she was surprised to hear no criminal charges would be coming out of an investigation at city hall. “We were told consistently that this was definitely grounds for official misconduct,” she said. In January, state police investigators showed up at a city council meeting asking council members to turn over their cell phones. An October 2, 2023 city council meeting is likely where this all started.

1 week ago | wwnytv.com | Lexi Bruening

WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) - Zoo New York has asked for support from both city and county lawmakers for years. This year is no different. Time and time again, Zoo New York Interim Executive Director Mark Irwin has stood before Watertown and Jefferson County, asking for more funding. Our first reports of the zoo asking for money trace back to 2020 and extend most recently to Monday night.

1 week ago | wwnytv.com | Lexi Bruening

LOWVILLE, New York (WWNY) - Lewis County hopes to temporarily hire an Oneida County lawyer to help the District Attorney’s office during a murder trial. Lewis County legislators will vote Tuesday on hiring Angelo Partipelo of Rome to help in the office with an upcoming trial of Jacob Vanbergen. The trial starts next week. Vanbergen, from Pennsylvania, is accused of strangling a man at the Ridge View Lodge near Lowville a year ago. The county currently has an unfilled assistant DA position.

1 week ago | wwnytv.com | Lexi Bruening

WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) - One after another, Watertown residents stood in front of the microphone to talk about the city’s proposed $51 million spending plan. Many of those in the city council chambers, which had standing room only, were wearing bright-colored shirts that read “I Heart the Zoo.”More than a dozen people spoke about how funding for Zoo New York wasn’t in the budget.