Oswego NY— Today is Election Day for towns and cities across the country. Oswego residents voted on City and Town positions such as Mayor, Ward Counselors, and Town Clerks. A major topic in Oswego politics is Billy Barlow’s uncontested re-election. This will be his second term in office. 

There are 7 Ward Counselors positions available across Oswego City. The following lists the different positions and the candidates running for that office. Winners will be stated in bold.

• 1st Ward Councilor: 
  • Susan McBrearty (D)
  • Andrew J Hall (R)

• 2nd Ward Councilor:
  • Maureen A Wills (D)
  • Shawn Burridge (R)

• 3rd Ward Councilor:
  • Jonathan Ashline (D)
  • Kevin Hill (R)

• 4th Ward Councilor:
  • Diane Zeller (D)
  • Shawn P Walker (R)

• 5th Ward Councilor:
  • John B Gosek (R)

• 6th Ward Councilor:
  • Matthew Fleming (D)
  • Ronald Tesoriero (R)

• 7th Ward Councilor:
  • Robert Corradino (R)

Oswego Town offers 4 positions open for elections; Supervisor, Town Clerk, Councilman and Superintendent of Highways. The following states the positions and their candidates. Winners will be stated in bold.

• Supervisor
  • Richard Kaulfuss (R)

• Town Clerk
  • Nikki Fowler (R)

• Councilman
  • Margaret A Mahaney (D)
  • Richard J Tesoriero (R)
  • Jonathan Fowler (R)

• Superintendent of Highways 
  • Robert Malone Jr. (R)

Reported by: Kayla Murphy

OSWEGO – A student at SUNY Oswego is suing the state over injuries from a hazing incident at a fraternity house last year.

Liam McDonald was pledging on Oct. 8 in the Sigma Gamma fraternity when he was hazed, resulting in a ruptured spleen and internal bleeding from injuries to his chest and abdomen. There is no information as to what activity McDonald was doing to cause the injury.

The lawsuit accuses the state of negligence, since SUNY Oswego had approved Sigma Gamma, located at 110 W. Bridge St., as a registered fraternity. The lawsuit states that the college “assisted Sigma Gamma with issues related to recruitment activities, new member activites, risk management, and conduct.”

Both McDonald and his lawyer, William Ryan of Albany, gave no public comment, and McDonald’s mother, Judith McDonald, said her son’s lawyer told her to not publically discuss the case. On the other side, spokeswoman Julie Blissert said that SUNY Oswego officials don’t make comments on matters of lawsuits.

SUNY Oswego holds training sessions with the sole purpose to help recognize hazing, how to respond as a bystander or a victim, and how to create bonding activities that wouldn’t be considered hazing. Any hazing allegations that are reported to the college are investigated by SUNY Oswego’s police and through the disciplinary system.