Officials contest that strange symptoms are related to old toxic spill

Today in your Trail Mix:

Officials are trying to combat concerns that a cluster of strange symptoms is related to an old toxic spill.

New York home sales are down in 2011.

Depressed natural gas prices might prevent drilling.

Plus: Does increasing the minimum wage matter in New York?

Environment

School officials are trying to tamp down concerns that a cluster of strange symptoms in LeRoy high school students are related to a decades old toxic spill (Steve Orr, Democrat and Chronicle).

Residents on Lake Ontario are squaring off against scientists who want to allow water levels to fluctuate more - they say that will cause damage to their property (Steve Orr and David Andreatta, Democrat and Chronicle).

Flooding this year took out more than 250 beds in nursing facilities, making it tougher to find a place for elder care in the Southern Tier (Steve Reilly, Press & Sun-Bulletin).

Environmental groups are split in their reaction to a big development project in the Adirondack Park [AUDIO] (Brian Nearing, Times Union).

Economy

Home sales in New York dropped by almost four percent last year (Cara Matthews, Gannett).

The governor's economic development plans for 2012 are on trial this morning at a budget hearing in Albany (Teri Weaver, Post-Standard).

The Brookings Institution is working with Syracuse to help it market its companies to international partners (Ellen Abbott, WRVO).

Kodak is being sued by an employee who charges that the photo firm failed to plan for paying retiree benefits (Matthew Daneman, Democrat and Chronicle).

Natural gas

Low natural gas prices may prevent drilling from beginning in the Steuben area (Mary Perham, Hornell Evening Tribune).

Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection is in an uproar over a piece by CBS about Dimock's (in)famous water (Susan Phillips, State Impact PA).

Energy companies are likely behind a garbage-bag sized sack of seismic capacitors that were dropped in a Southern Tier woman's backyard (Jennifer Micale, Press & Sun-Bulletin).

State Impact PA's Scott Detrow explains what the Muppets have to do with Fox News and class warfare.

Pennsylvania landowners are upset that a gas company is abusing eminent domain to site a pipeline, despite its assurances to regulators that it wouldn't (Michael Rubinkam, AP).

Minimum wage

The impact of increasing the minimum wage in New York is more "political" than "substantive" according to a Rochester analyst (Colby Hamilton, The Empire).

The governor made a surprise television appearance to say he's "watching" the issue (Nick Reisman, Capital Tonight).

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