Sean I. Mills

Nearly 4,000 cases of child abuse were reported to Oneida County last year, leading to 1,041 investigations by the county Child Advocacy Center, serving 980 children, according to Oneida County officials. The investigations led to 47 arrests, and counseling provided to 238 children.

The red fox kit — now about 8-weeks-old — was found acting suspiciously at a private home in Newport in Herkimer County, she said. There was a mother fox with four kits, and this one started leaving its den and approaching humans.

According to city officials, these figures set the overall expected budgets for these projects. Officials noted that, while the city will be paying some amount for these projects, much of the money will be reimbursed through various grants or other payment sources. For example, while $1.8 million is the expected total cost for the S.F.M. Skatepark as a city project, the city will only be paying the already approved $400,000 in money from the American Rescue Plan Act, and $200,000 from the City Streets Annual Capital Project for road work around the site, according to city officials.

ROME — In order to move ahead with his plan to build an outdoor amphitheater at the Erie Canal Village, JGK Associates CEO Jerry Stucchi told the Rome Common Council they need to nix any existing deed restrictions that would stop construction and figure out how much the city is willing to pay to clean up the old, dilapidated buildings on the site.

The Rome Board of Estimate and Contract met at City Hall Thursday afternoon and approved several contracts for municipal services, from carnival rides at Honor America Days to the possibility of building an indoor sports complex in the city.

Thirteen students from area schools spent their spring break in Rome this week participating in the 2024 Air Force Research Lab Challenge Competition, pitting their young minds against the complexities of advanced machine learning and those who would use it to harm others.

For an average residential customer using approximately 750 kilowatt-hours of energy per month during the winter billing period, the proposed rates will increase the monthly bill from about $29 to $37 in the first year and then to roughly $38 in the second year, officials said. These numbers are not final.

CLEANING UP ROME CEMETERY — Steve Pape, and his daughter, Olivia, age 10, help to rake leaves and clean up Rome Cemetery on Jervis Avenue on Saturday. About a dozen

They found it all and more at Taka-Con, the annual anime and craft convention at MVCC in Utica. Taka-Con is hosted by the school's Anime Club and the Strategic Gaming Club. The convention was split between two buildings, with hundreds of visitors stopping by to check out the craft vendors, toys collectibles and more.

Related DUTIFUL GRANDSON — Dave Jones and his grandson, Owen, age 11, take part in the annual spring…