Stayed Too Long? 3 Oneida Co. Candidates Pledge Term Limits

Three candidates seeking elected office in Oneida County Government are circulating a petition to garner support for term limits on the county legislature.

County Executive candidate Michael Hennessy, along with James Zecca and James Herchek - running for legislative seats - say such a limit is needed locally to "counteract the potential for incumbency advantage and the entrenchment of power. By limiting the number of terms an individual can hold office, the door is opened for a broader range of individuals to step into leadership roles, injecting new perspectives and solutions into the decision-making process," a release from the group read.

Each of three have signed a petition that supports an eight-year cap on consecutive service for legislators and the county executive. It would amount to a limit of four-consecutive terms for legislators and two, consecutive terms for the county executive's office.

County residents are invited to sign an online petition calling for such term limits. As of this posting, the petition had garnered 50 of the 1,000 signatures set as the campaign's goal.

Hennessy is challenging incumbent Republican Executive Anthony Picente who was appointed to the post back in 2006, and then was elected to full-four-year terms in 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019.

Zecca is running in county's 19th District, encompassing part of South Utica, a seat currently held by the city's former mayor, Tim Julian. Zecca won a primary for the Conservative line in June, defeating Julian 10-6. Meanwhile, Herchek is a candidate for the 12th legislative district, a portion of Rome, and will face incumbent Republican Brenda McMonagle, who defeated her challenger for the GOP line this summer.

The Top 25 Most Baffling UFO Sightings Reported in New York This Year

When residents of the Empire State spot something unexplainable in the skies, they report it to the National UFO Reporting Center. There's been about 80 new sightings so far in 2023 that raised a few hackles.

NUFORC does investigate what people saw to determine if they actually witnessed alien activity or something else. Oftentime, these reports turn out to be false flags. For example; someone from NYC reported seeing a strange, square-like object in the sky on July 22. They provided a photo to NUFORC, who then ruled the person saw an "advertising banner behind a private aircraft."

However, there have been several creepy reports that couldn't be brushed off with a logical explanation. And some of these reports had photo or video evidence attached.

Scroll through New York's top 25 weirdest sightings of 2023.

Which Dog Represents Your Central NY Hometown?

Every city and town in Central New York has a dog breed that perfectly matches its personality. What is your hometown's true dog identity?

Central NY is unique -- in that every city seemingly has its own unique personality and vibe. I recently moved to the area from Connecticut and have made a point to visit as many places as possible.

What strikes me most is that every city and town feels very different from one another. They're not defined by their local attractions, but their overall character.

And that got me thinking: Could I find a dog breed that could perfectly represent each and every city? The answer is an obvious yes.

So buckle up and stretch out your scrolling finger to enjoy the dog slideshow.

World's Largest Dish of Pasta, and a Wedding - Utica, NY, Feb 14, 2004

The Guinness Book of World Records affirmed in 2004, that the World's Largest Dish of Pasta was made in Utica, NY with the Keeler Show. Now with WIBX, Keeler worked with Tony's Pizzeria and other to create a dish of pasta weighing over 7,000 lbs. and the event included an actual wedding. The dish of pasta weighed 7,355 lbs. (3,336 kg) and lasted in the Guinness Book for several years. The dish was assembled and the wedding was held at Sangertown Square in New Hartford, when Keeler was hosting a 6 night a week television show, The Keeler Show, on FOX 33 TV in Utica and FOX 68 in Syracuse.