Chobani to Use Chenango County Faces in New Ad Campaign

Chobani to Feature Chenango County in National Advertisements

As an official sponsor of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team, Chobani of New Berlin has announced a campaign of commercials featuring the business, farms and residents of Chenango County to show that Chobani is all about people and its people who made the growth of the company possible.

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SUNY Oneonta Graduation Saturday

It’s commencement day tomorrow for the SUNY Oneonta.

There will be two ceremonies at the field house, one at 10 in the morning, and the other at noon.

Students will attend different ceremonies depending on their majors.

There are about 1,500 students expected to receive their degrees. Retired IBM executive Janet Perna will be the commencement speaker; she will also receive an honorary doctorate.

The recessional music will include the first-time performance of a piece called “Recessional Oneonta 2012”, written by SUCO professor Carleton Clay.

Binghamton Holds Small Business Workshop

A team of state officials will be in Binghamton today as part of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s statewide small business outreach initiative. Representatives from six New York State agencies, including Empire State Development, the state Department of Labor, Taxation and Finance, the state Liquor Authority and Workers Compensation Board will be on hand to answer questions and offer assistance. There are more than 14,052 small businesses in the southern tier, employing over 182,000 workers.

Governments That Cut Costs Could Receive Additional Grant Funding

A $40 million competitive grant fund is available to local governments that have demonstrated recurring savings for taxpayers from streamlined operations and innovative cost-cutting projects.

The fund is available to counties, cities, towns and villages. The amount will be based on population and percentage of fiscal impact on the total government expenditures. Winning applicants will receive as much as $25 per resident up to $5 million.

Schneiderman Reaches Agreement with Columbia Utilities

New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has reached an agreement with an energy re-selling company accused of deceptive business practices.

The Columbia Utilities Company, LLC will refund nearly $2 million to about 3,000 customers throughout upstate New York.

Schneiderman says Columbia promised lower utility bills, by as much as 15 percent, but, he says, the bills were raised instead. The AG also says Columbia told its customers they could cancel at any time, but when those customers tried to cancel, they were told they were locked into a yearly contract.

The settlement includes a provision to restrict the company’s marketing practices to avoid future fraud. The average customer who files claims against Columbia may receive up to $700.

Heegan Takes over Otsego County Chamber of Commerce

A longtime Oneonta resident is switching jobs but staying in Oneonta. After serving as the director of marketing for the plains at parish homestead the last five years, it was announced Thursday that Barbara Ann Heegan is the new executive director of the Otsego county Chamber of Commerce. Heegan will start her new job on June 4th.