NY Sen. Gillibrand touts manufacturing legislation

EAST GREENBUSH, N.Y. (AP) Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is making a couple of stops in upstate New York to talk about new federal legislation to boost high-tech manufacturing across the state.

Gillibrand says her first bill in the new Congress would create a federal funding competition encouraging regional public-private partnerships to spur growth of local manufacturing industries, especially in clean-tech and high-tech manufacturing.

The “Made in America Manufacturing Act” also would help train workers with the skills businesses need.

Gillibrand will be at X-Ray Optical Systems in East Greenbush near Albany Monday morning. Later, she'll visit International Paper's Ticonderoga Mill in the North Country.

Surge in heroin linked to painkillers in NY

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) Drug treatment counselors and police are seeing a surge in heroin addiction in Buffalo and across the state, much of it because of people switching from prescription painkillers like oxycontin and hydrocodone.

The Buffalo News reports that the Erie County crime lab was asked to test about 500 samples of heroin in 2010. Last year, the number had nearly tripled. Police said people they arrest typically started on pills prescribed by doctors, then started buying them on the street. Eventually they turn to heroin because it's cheaper.

The state attorney general's office is attacking the problem by targeting heroin traffickers with the state's “drug kingpin” laws. The office is also going after doctors who write illegal prescriptions.

State lawmakers have also passed a measure to block addicts from stocking up on painkillers.

NY handgun licensees can file privacy form

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) New York's licensed handgun owners can keep their information private using a new form from State Police.

The forms, available online, should be submitted at county offices where pistol owners registered.

They can exempt their information from the state Freedom of Information Law, which some newspapers have used to identify owners.

The exemption provision was included in the state's gun control law enacted Jan. 15. It requires stating a reason for the exemption, though it also says they will be granted unless the filing was untimely or the information false.

Under the law, all current licensing information will be exempt from disclosure until May 15.

The law mandates handgun license renewals at least every five years. Many counties previously issued lifetime licenses, which now expire in 2018.

Family Day holiday closes Ontario services and businesses

Today's family day holiday means many closures for businesses and government services. Provincial government offices are closed, while many city services such as libraries and trash collection are also unavailable. Some supermarkets will be open, though all LCBO and Beer Store locations are closed, as are banks and public schools. GO trains, buses and other public transit services are running on holiday schedules.

(The Canadian Press)

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