(Canton – Legislature) The St. Lawrence County Legislature met last night – partly in open session – hoping to iron out the recent problems between legislators, county administration and department heads that has dogged county government for months now. Lawmakers discussed the feelings of department heads who felt they have been openly criticized and as one put it, “thrown under the bus” on issues. Others were criticized for failing to give adequate attention to department reports, important meetings and squabbles over being informed about important day-to-day issues. The session ended with agreement to work better. Meanwhile, in executive session board members discussed the job of County Administrator Karen St. Hilaire and how daily responsibilities will be separated.

(Massena – NYPA Celebrates 50) The New York Power Authority will conduct ceremonies – some privately and some publicly – to mark the 50th anniversary of the St. Lawrence-F.D.R. Power Project in Massena. The giant hydroelectric facility produces 800,000 kilowatts of inexpensive hydroelectric power which, in part, services local industry. NYPA’s Paul Finnegan, originally form Madrid, says it is a proud day to rededicate the Friendship Monument in the middle of the dam. A community celebration with an ice cream social, live music and fireworks will be held this evening, starting at 7 p.m. at Hawkins Point.

(Canton – Brauch Sentenced) A California woman who was convicted of traveling to Potsdam last July to have sex with a 13-year- old boy who she met on the Internet, was sentenced yesterday to spend three years in prison, three years of post-prison supervision and a $1,000 sex-offender’s fee. The sentenced was handed down to Kathryn Brauch in St. Lawrence County Court in Canton. Meanwhile, her attorney has sought protection for the woman who reportedly already had run-ins with convicted serial killer Shirley Winters, while both were jailed at the St. Lawrence County Correctional Facility in Canton.

(Pierrepont – Burglary) St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s deputies are investigating the theft of a large quantity of copper in a burglary at the S-&-L Electric storage garage at the intersection of State Route 56 and County Road 24, between Colton and Hannawa Falls. Deputies say sometime between Sunday at 4:00 p.m. and early yesterday morning, a 500-pound spool of copper was stolen from the garage and rolled to Route 56 where it was loaded onto a truck or trailer. Anyone who might have information on the theft can contact the Sheriff’s office in Canton at 379-2222.

(Potsdam – Scott Honored) The Potsdam Central School will hold a formal recognition ceremony tomorrow afternoon for former Potsdam Sandstoner Trevor Scott, Class of 2003, who will be honored for his college football leadership at the University of Buffalo and who was drafted in April by the Oakland Raiders in the 2008 National Football League Draft. The 4:00 p.m. ceremony will be held at the Potsdam High School Gym. Scott played high school football under Sandstoners’ Coach Jim Kirka. He was twice named All-Northern as tight end and outside linebacker and was team captain and MVP as both a junior and senior. He played basketball for two years and participated in track-and-field. Last season in his senior year at Buffalo, he shifted to tight end and started all 12 games, earning All-Mid American Conference second-team honors.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ The state Department of Environmental Conservation is proposing a statewide ban on open burning in burn barrels. DEC officials say burn barrels release 17 times more dioxin and 40 times more ash than permitted incinerators. The DEC is holding public hearings on the proposal.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ Legislative leaders are backing a law to ban so-called double dipping -- when a private practice attorney collects state pension benefits for school district work. The bill pending approval in the Senate and Assembly would make pension fraud a felony. Violators could be forced to pay back three times the amount they collected.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ Governor David Paterson and legislative leaders say they've agreed to revise the state's brownfield program. Paterson says companies will receive a tax break for half the cost of cleaning a site to redevelopment. The current reimbursement has been 22 percent.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ Gov. David Paterson and legislative leaders agreed today to to continue giving companies a tax break for environmental cleanup under the state's brownfield program. But several other major issues appeared unresolved as the legislative session neared its end.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ Students showed gains in math and English statewide, according to results of standardized tests released today. The report shows 81 percent of students in grades 3 through 8 met or exceeded the standard in math. That compared to 73 percent last year. And 69 percent of students met or exceeded the English standard in those grades, up from 63 percent last year.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ Legislative leaders and Gov. David Paterson agreed today on a measure to stop some of the practices that have driven the growing cost of college textbooks. The Textbook Access Act will end ``bundling'' textbooks with other materials like software, which can increase the cost. The new measure will also make the market more transparent.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) _ State leaders have reached an agreement on legislation aimed at keeping dangerous toys and other products away from children. The measure is designed to prevent potentially hazardous products from being sold even after they've been recalled by manufacturers. Governor Paterson announced the agreement yesterday as the Legislature tries to wrap up its 2008 session this week.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) _ Another state appears ready to sign the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway compact. Negotiators have a deal on regulating large-scale water withdrawals in Michigan, which will pave the way for the state to approve a regional compact to prevent Great Lakes water from being sent outside the drainage basin. Legislators have been working on new water rules for more than two years. Once it's signed, Pennsylvania will be the only state that hasn't approved it. New York is already part of the proposed compact, but all eight states must approve it to become law.

ALBANY, N.Y. _ Calling public service ``a tough ball game'' that he loves, New York Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno says that he won't seek re-election in the fall to the Legislature. The 79-year-old Bruno, considered the oldest serving state legislative leader in the country, has been the state's top Republican since 2006. Several Republican senators, some of whom could seek the powerful majority leader's job, refused to comment on Bruno's decision, announced in a closed-door session on the last scheduled day of the 2008 legislative session. Bruno faced a difficult fall election -- not for himself in his district where he is immensely popular, but for his GOP majority which is trying to hold onto the slimmest of majorities in an increasingly Democratic state.