The Adirondack Sports Council (ADKSC) has announced that the theme for the 2026 Empire State Winter Games (ESWG) Opening Ceremony, Thursday, Feb. 5, will be “Where Chill Meets Will.” Sun Community News reports the message is to embody the determination, resilience, and spirit that define winter athletes, while also capturing the unique blend of challenge and celebration that makes the Games a premier multi-sport winter festival. The theme will be woven throughout the four-day event, uniting competitors, spectators, and the community in honoring the grit and passion that drive winter sports.

The Tupper Lake Central School District is targeting old lead pipes and a busted cafeteria floor, both at the middle-high school, for its upcoming capital outlay project. According to the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, the district’s board of education approved a resolution at its Dec. 1 meeting to move forward with the set of projects, although the scope of work won’t be finalized until bids come in, as the cost is capped. The vote was 4-0, with board member Josh Tremblay absent from the meeting.

Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small angrily complained to his wife in a 2023 voicemail that their teenage daughter was “out of her mind” and expressed fear that she would get him thrown in jail. According to BreakingAC.com, rosecutors played a recording of the Dec. 17, 2023, voicemail Wednesday during the third day of Small’s criminal trial on charges that he beat his daughter unconscious with a broom and told her to lie later on to cover up the alleged assault. Small is accused of abusing the now-17-year-old girl physically and verbally.

Easton town officials will soon consider whether to adopt an expansive, forward-looking plan that aims to revitalize the town’s East End corridor. According to the Star Democrat, a draft version of the East End Small Area Plan was presented Monday during a joint workshop of the Easton Town Council and Planning Commission. Town planners alongside consultants outlined recommendations on how the town should envision the future of the East End.
The East End area mainly consists of land west of U.S. Route 50 and east of Aurora Street, sandwiched south of Goldsborough Street and north of Idlewild Avenue.

The Kent County Sheriff’s Office has arrested Charles Alsup III of Chestertown and Tavon Bordley of Ridgely, for the murder of Jermaine Lafel Miles. The Star Democrat reports on Nov. 4, deputies responded to a 911 call reporting a vehicle stopped in the roadway on Lovers Lane near Quaker Neck Road in Chestertown. According to police, the deputy found Miles, 50, of Grasonville, dead in the vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds.
The Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division, assisted by the Maryland State Police Crime Scene Unit, assumed the investigation and was able to identify Alsup III and Bordley as the suspects.

The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office ended a string of break-ins last week after a delivery driver was caught targeting homes across several townships. Deputies arrested 32-year-old Deonte King of Redford on December 6 near Werner Road in Columbus Township after two more homes were hit the same day. Investigators recovered stolen valuables and linked them to earlier cases. King faces multiple felony home-invasion charges with a $200,000 bond. Sheriff Mat King says lock up, stay alert, and call 911 if you spot anything suspicious.

In Fort Gratiot Tuesday, St. Clair County Deputy William Hardziej helped three local kids shop for Christmas at Walmart, giving each $100 to spend on toys, games, and decorations. The kids picked out Legos, dinosaurs, Monster High dolls, and Star Wars toys while Hardziej kept watch and offered guidance. After shopping, families enjoyed pizza thanks to Walmart. The event, Christmas with a Cop, was sponsored by local businesses including Jeremy’s Automotive in Casco Township, ML Chartier in Fair Haven, and the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office.

A Marine City woman accused of shooting her husband waived her preliminary hearing on Wednesday in St. Clair County Court. Christine Hurley-Arnold, 55, faces multiple charges, including discharging a firearm causing serious injury and assault with intent to inflict great bodily harm. The incident occurred Nov. 11th on South Elizabeth Street, when her husband was shot in the leg but survived. Hurley-Arnold claims she acted after alleged abuse. No future court dates have been scheduled.

Live Big & Loud, LLC is bringing new Parkinson’s programs to Marine City. On January 12th the Washington Life Center will host PD 101, a free two-hour educational class for people with Parkinson’s disease. Local advocate Lori Marquardt and Michigan Parkinson Foundation educator Stephanie Wozniak will lead the session in the center’s library at 2:00 p.m. Additionally, a new monthly support group for individuals with Parkinson’s and their caregivers starts in the same location on the second Tuesday of each month at 10:00 a.m.
More information is available at 810-300-1960.

Louise Junior High students brought their robotics skills to Texas City last weekend, giving kids a hands-on taste of high-tech competition. Three Louise teams took part in the VEX IQ Stingmas event, where student-built robots raced to stack colored pegs for points. The Hornets placed mid-pack, but coaches said the real win was the experience gained. The growing program now includes 15 students who stay after school to fine-tune their designs. Leaders hope the momentum expands into high school and future drone programs, with the next contest set for Jan. 31st in Houston.