Ogdensburg is a city in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 10,064 at the 2020 census. In the late 18th century, European-American settlers named the community after American land owner and developer Samuel Ogden. The city is at the northern border of New York at the mouth of the Oswegatchie River on the south bank of the St. Lawrence River. The only formally designated city in the county, it is located between Massena, New York to the east and Brockville, Ontario to the west.

The port of Ogdensburg is the only U.S. port on the St. Lawrence Seaway. The Ogdensburg–Prescott International Bridge, northeast of the city, links the United States and Canada, with a direct highway from Prescott to Ottawa, the capital of Canada.

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Ogdensburg's Handyman and beyond 315-481-2836

Around the Oburg

Ogdensburg Bowl gets much need upgrade to 2025

Oburg News 9 - June 23rd 1:30 p.m.--

               All though will be closed for two weeks starting today... the excitement is felt all over town...Ogdensburg Bowing gets a facelift, finally. It is wonderful to see this historic site of Ogdensburg, since bought 1971, still in operation now it gets the upgrades it needed, like New Self-Scoring LED Monitors and new luxury seating to fit the needs of a new generation of bowlers. We all know there isn't much for the kids, teenagers, or young adults to do in this city. With this new upgraded Ogdensburg Bowl hopes are high for a new generation to see how exciting the game of bowling really is!! Hat's off to the new owner and huge success to them. 

Rare dual-hospital campus in Ogdensburg seeks continued support from NY state

OBURG News 9— As North Star Health Alliance completes its plan for preserving rural healthcare in the north country, it is looking for continued strong support from the state to help it reach the final phase in the transformation of its Ogdensburg campus.

                      Since August 2022, North Star has been working with the state Department of Health on a stabilization plan that unites Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center, Carthage Area Hospital, Claxton-Hepburn Medical Campus, North Country Orthopedic Group and Meadowbrook Terrace under a shared framework for leadership and service coordination.

Oburg gets an AutoZone and O'Reilly's Auto Parts Stores.

Oburg News 9 -     Plans to bring an AutoZone to the corner of State Highways 37 and 68 are underway. Oswegatchie Code Officer Russell Lawrence confirmed rumors that AutoZone was coming to the area and shared a site plan for the project which calls for a 6,811 square foot building where the former DealMaker dealership stood.

Oswegatchie officials recently approved a site plan for AutoZone which is set to be located near the intersection of State Highways 37 and 68. The plan still needs final approval.

Former Cam's Pizza has been sold, What's next for Oberg establishment?

Oburg News 9 - June 17th, 2025, 10:05 a.m.-

            Former Cam's Pizza on Ford Street has been sold. Guess it wasn't "love at first slice" for these customers of this establishment. It's future According to America 1 Realty is going to become " Some kind of lunch place". This is all Oburg News 9 has for information at this time but stay tuned and check back for more developments in this mystery restaurant opening investigation.

What's opening at the Save-a-Lot Plaza?

No word yet on what will become of this storefront in Save-a-lot plaza. Worker on site had no clue. If you have any information comment below.

Safari trip gone wrong at intersection of Ford Street Ext. & Route 37 

Appears the neither the Chevy Trail Blazer nor the Blazer were in an accident with each other but does appear that the Brown Blazer did want to go on a safari threw the marsh. Maybe they wanted a better look at the Canadian geese or the amphibious frogs in that conservation area. No animals or humans injured in this incident.

Does appear the gentlemen may be requesting a refund.

Prescott, Ogdensburg mayors meet over cross-border issues

Mayors aim to improve community relations

Oburg News 9--June 11th, 2025

         As a show of support between two border communities, the mayors of Prescott and Ogdensburg, N.Y. met last week to discuss a number of topics, including the state of the relationship between Canada and the United States.

           This is the first meeting between the two mayors – Ogdensburg Mayor Michael Tooley was sworn into office in January 2024 and this is Prescott Mayor Gauri Shankar’s first term.

Mayor Tooley made the trip north of the border to Prescott town hall where the two mayors talked for about an hour about how these two St. Lawrence River communities can forge a path going forward.

“This whole idea started with residents asking me to take down the American flags in town,” said Shankar. “I told them I wouldn’t do that, because they’re our allies and our friends. Those requests were what inspired me to reach out to Mayor Tooley and set this meeting up.”

Amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s ongoing trade war with Canada, there has been a rise in Canadian nationalism and a decline in favorability toward Americans.

Ogdensburg's Shoe Dept. Encore relocating to Gateway Plaza

             Jun. 12—OGDENSBURG News 9 —

Shoe Dept. Encore, 723 Canton St., is relocating to the Gateway Plaza.

It was confirmed by Gateway Plaza officials that the store is planning to reopen in July at the Ford Street Extension shopping center where the former Joann Fabric and Crafts store was located.

At the Canton Street location, in the town of Oswegatchie, all signs have been removed from the exterior of the building and notices were posted on the doors.

                       "We are Moving!!! Last day open at this location June 1st till 6 p.m. We will reopen in the Price Chopper Plaza next door to the Dollar Tree. Date TBD. Look forward to serving you in our new location soon," the signs read, signed "Shoe Dept. Encore 1804."

Shoe Dept. Encore is one of multiple shoe store brands operated by its parent company Shoe Show Inc., North Carolina. The company was founded in 1960 by Robert B. Tucker and has more than 1,000 locations in 47 states. The company operates stores throughout the United States under the brands Shoe Show, the Shoe Dept., the Shoe Dept. Encore, Shoebilee!, Burlington Shoes, Shoe Show Mega, and Half-Moon Outfitters, according to its website.

Shoe Dept. Encore opened in Ogdensburg March 2019, taking over the former Walgreens drug store building which had closed in the summer of 2015 after a run of eight years.

Home business water fee in Ogdensburg is not arbitrary or discriminatory, but it’s time to move on, city manager says

I guess someone has to pay for the massive consumption of water the new brewery (we are paying for with $3.5 million government grant money) will consume.

     Oburg  News 9 OGDENSBURG -- A home business water rate set by the city continues to draw complaints from daycare providers who say the rates are discriminatory and arbitrary.

At a recent city council meeting the city once again discussed a water billing measure which charges a fee to home businesses. The issue is, only about a dozen businesses are paying the fee. The city has struggled with finding an easy way to identify them.  Among those paying the fee are daycare providers as they are registered and easier to track.

That’s led local providers to raise questions about the equity of the law and how it’s enforced and even went as far as calling the practice discriminatory.

City Manager Fonda Chronis says the claim is offensive.

"We're talking about $165 to a business for the year, he said.

That drew criticism from one attendee who said that's a lot of money.

"To a business that receives grant dollars. If they don't want to pay the $165 just remove yourself from the New York State (registry)," Chronis replied.

Chronis noted that home businesses used to pay $2,000 prior to the recent law change.

"Of course, this is being done equitably and fairly. I can't imagine how anyone can throw around the word discrimination. That's a big time word that has a lot of negative connotations to it and I take offense as a member of the management team that anybody would use that phase to say that we haven't done our best in a situation that I inherited, by the way, in trying to make this right," he said. 

Chronis said the council has "split the baby" on the issue several times.

"Quite frankly, this needs to go away. The management team does not have time to deal with this situation anymore," he said.

Councilor Jennifer Stevenson suggested establishing a task force to address the problem which has been raised at several council meetings by members of the public for the past few months.

Chronis, however, advised against it.

"I respectfully, Councilor Stevenson, would disagree. And urge the council not to move forward with this because we just don't have time. We have significantly more pressing issues than this and this is a time sink. It's already been a time sink, and we don't have any more time to waste on this," he said.

Stevenson said that she agrees the issue needs to be put to bed. However, she said the issue isn't just about money.

"From what I'm hearing; it's about that I'm paying for it and you're not. I'm just using that as an example. That's what it's about. It's about the enforcement of it. It's about - it's voluntary. It really is a voluntary thing because from what I'm hearing with the affidavits. If you say no you could be running the same business Mike and I could be running the same business and I say no and he says yes, he has to pay the $165. That's what it's about."

Stevenson said she wanted to have an open work session to settle the matter.

Chronis also took issue with concerns that the city's policy was "whimsical."

"Whimsical just means that we picked it out of the air and we didn't do that. We utilized evidence that we had," he said.

"To say that it's discriminatory or whimsical or arbitrary is incorrect." he said.

Chronis said staff has put in a lot of time that it probably shouldn't have to address the issue. He said the goal is to be as equitable as possible in a situation that "will never be equitable."

He said even if the city had meters people would claim the minimum fee was not equitable.

He said staff has given the law its due course in time and effort and that the city needs to move on.

Mayor Michael Tooley noted that the city's been working on the issue since January and that a council agreed on the changes in a unanimous vote. He said he did not support calls for a Taskforce and then asked if any members of council were supportive of forming one.

Councilors Stevenson and Trimm indicated they were, but no one else agreed.

Tooley said no Task Force would be established.

Chronis said that if someone knows a business is in violation of the ordinance, they can report it to the city. However, he said the city can't "kick somebody's door in" to see if they are running a business or not.

However, he said if something is reported the city will perform its due diligence to investigate the claim.

Deputy Mayor Dan Skamperle said he'd rather see the fee go away. He said only 11 businesses are paying it and it's not worth the city's time.

Tooley noted that in a flat rate system there are implied subsidies. Some people pay more than their share, others pay less.

He said city management is doing their best to enforce the law agreed to by council.

Councilor Michael Powers noted that it's not perfect but said the city's resources are strapped and that the city needs to move forward.

"It's nothing against the daycare providers or any other businesses, hair stylists whatever the case may be," he said.

Stevenson said that while she's happy to let the issue go, she doesn't expect it will go away.

"I was just looking for a way for people to feel like they were heard," she said.

Tooley said he believes the council has done a good job in listening to the citizens comments.

"People may not get answers they like, but I'd like to believe they feel like they've been listened to with respect," he said.

Power restored at Wal*Mart as of 8:32 June 10th

Oburg News 9 (June 11th 8:32 a.m.) UPDATED

            Panic is over!!! Oburg has it's Wal*Mart back. Let the saving begin.

              As of 6:00 am this morning all freezer and refrigeration products are being replaced. Wal*Mart is taking no chances that the food is still good or spoiled. So, all products may not be in freezers or coolers till end of day. The employees there are working hard to get things back up and running. Non-perishable items are ready for purchase. 

Power outage at Wal*Mart 

Looks like it's lights out for Wal*Mart thanks to a Verizon employee who doesn't know about 811 DIG SAFE Codes.

     (June 10 Updated 7:30 p.m.)   Oburg News 9 Sources say it may be temporary to week-long event. Verizon was responsible for this outage. As they were digging for new fiber optic lines around the Wal*Mart property someone from Verizon gouged into a Main underground High Voltage powerline. Absolutely unexpectable frailer of processes which include having Dig Safe (811) Employees surveying the dig pattern. So, registers are out, so sales come to a screaming Halt. This could cost Wal*Mart in the millions a day so immediate attention I definitely paramount for Wal*Mart. Locals are hoping to have their store back ASAP, Shopping at Price Gouger is expensive for OBurger's. Check Oburg News 9 for updated news on this situation often. Calling the store is futile for phone lines are also down.

Four St. Lawrence County farms to receive dairy modernization grant, says state

Posted Monday, June 2, 2025 6:30 pm

Four St. Lawrence County farms are to be awarded part of about $3.3 million in state grants to modernize their farm operations, announced the governor’s office.

J&J Farms of Ogdensburg, River Breeze Dairy LLC in Chase Mills, Royal J. Acres LLC in Ogdensburg, and Stauffer Farms LLC in North Lawrence are among the 15 North Country farms the state says will receive the grants.

The North Country farm awards are part of nearly $21.6 million awarded to 103 farms across the state through the Dairy Modernization Grant Program to support New York’s dairy industry, the press release from the governor’s office said.

The state claims the funding, first announced in the Governor’s 2024 State of the State address, will help New York’s dairy farmers and dairy cooperatives invest in new equipment, expand storage capacity, and strengthen their operations, particularly as they face extreme weather events, providing a critical boost to New York’s dairy industry.  

A regional breakdown of the awards made across the state includes:

• Capital Region: nine farms were awarded a total of nearly $1.8 million.
• Central New York: 18 farms were awarded a total of more than $3.9 million.
• Finger Lakes: 20 farms were awarded a total of more than $4.3 million.
• Mid-Hudson: One farm was awarded more than $147,000.
• Mohawk Valley: 11 farms were awarded a total of more than $2.1 million.
• North Country: 15 farms were awarded a total of more than $3.3 million.  
• Southern Tier: 13 farms were awarded a total of nearly $2.6 million.
• Western New York: 13 farms were awarded a total of more than $2.7 million.

The Dairy Modernization Grant program awarded eligible applicants for projects to expand on-farm milk storage capacity, improve the transportation and storage of milk, and strengthen the dairy industry.

“New York’s dairy industry is critical to the agricultural and economic health of our state,” said New York State Farm Bureau President David Fisher, a Madrid farm owner.

“The Dairy Modernization Grant Program is not only a significant step in improving operations for farmers across New York, but also in making a commitment to agricultural sustainability. With Dairy Month upon us, we celebrate dairy farms of all sizes and the farmers who bring fresh, nutritious products to the table every day,” Fisher said.

Ogdensburg library gets a lift

Posted Saturday, May 24, 2025 3:23 pm

A $30,000 Community Foundation grant is helping Ogdensburg Public Library improve accessibility for all patrons as work to replace an aging handicapped lift nears completion. Library officials have been eager to construct a safe, modern entryway for all patrons, regardless of mobility. Installation of an interior lift and structure to protect it has been underway since March.  

Memorial Day ceremony in Lisbon

Posted Tuesday, May 27, 2025 9:21 am

Lisbon veterans Clay Armstrong, John Amell, Dave Hollis and James McNeil paid tribute to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice during a Memorial Day ceremony held at the Lisbon American Legion. Photo by Janell McNeil.

Ogdensburg awarded more than $3.5 million to waist on 2 not need projects for major development projects and will not be used to open the beautiful, needed Theatre 

Oburg News 9 -

      In Ogdensburg two grants will help the city's waterfront flourish. Ya we need a brewery in the city. NOT

A $3.5 million grant will pave the way for the reuse of 119 W. River Street, a long-abandoned not needed former waterfront hotel property situated not even close to the St. Lawrence River. 

“This transformative downtown initiative focuses on restoring two historic stone mill buildings to create a vibrant mixed-use destination that the city doesn't need., including 10 residential apartments even though there are many empty apartments for rent everywhere in the city... The redevelopment will not breathe new life into a blighted neglected area but only waist precious grant money and will not enhance the local economy.

Additionally, a $914,355: Small City Brewing Company will transform a vacant building at 110 Lake Street into a craft brewery, advancing the already huge problem of alcoholism plaguing the city. The development of Ogdensburg’s Marina District does not need another place to buy booze. 

 The project will include a manufacturing facility with a commercial grade five-barrel brewing system that the city does not need. And the addition of a 400 square foot grain room. SCBC plans to wholesale to restaurants and bars and open a retail tasting room on-site with a commercial kitchen and event space.

Ogdensburg settles years-old defamation suit involving former city officials

OBURG News 9—

         Ogdensburg has settled a years old lawsuit involving former City Mayor Jeffrey M. Skelly, former City Manager Stephen Jellie and former City Fire Captain Gerald Mack.

In February Ogdensburg City Council approved a settlement to end a lawsuit filed against the former City Mayor Jeffrey M. Skelly and former City Manager Stephen Jellie. Although there were some delays it has not been officially settled, according to city officials.

Officials say paying the settlement was expected to cost less than continuing litigation.

"We believe it's in that the net expense to the city in terms of legal expenses, and at this time we are providing support attorneys to Mr. Jellie and Mr. Skelly, as well as the attorney representing the city, that the net legal cost of $30,000 to $35,000 today plus a $30,000 legal settlement falls short of what the estimated legal costs will be if we continue further in this litigation," Mayor Michael Tooley said after the February meeting where the deal was approved.

Gerald Mack, a former Fire Captain, filed the lawsuit following a dispute that stemmed from a dispute with former Mayor Jeffrey M. Skelly and former City Manager Stephen Jellie which has roots going back 2020, and centers around public comments made by them regarding a number of incidents.

Mack and Skelly have had several interactions, including a December 2020 incident in which Skelly was charged with second-degree harassment for an incident that occurred at city hall.

Mack alleged the mayor had knocked him to the ground.

The mayor was eventually found not guilty of the charges.

In November of 2021 Mack was charged with stalking and criminal mischief after Skelly accused Mack of slashing tires on his vehicle.

The charges were eventually dropped by prosecutors.

In August of 2022, Skelly was charged with making false statements, the charges stem from the allegations he levied regarding the tire slashing.

That criminal matter remains unresolved.

Both Skelly and Jellie were named in the lawsuit against the city..

The defamation suit claims Skelly made false allegations against Mack to local news sources and that Jellie did the same.

The summons alleges that the claims made by both are libelous and slanderous and have caused Mack sustained economic damages and were intended to “cause emotional damage and financial damage to the plaintiff Gerald Mack.”

Walmart rolling out 7 key changes to 600 stores this month

Oburg News 9 (May 22, 2025)         

Change can be scary, but at the same time, it can be good because it means there’s movement, which seems to be what’s happening in the case of Walmart, the popular retail store that dishes out top-notch deals.

Walmart is reportedly doing a major store remodel to 650 stores across 47 states, including Puerto Rico over the next 12 months.

Based on the unpredictable economy and popular stores like JCPenney shutting some of their locations for good, change may also be needed to stay ahead of the curve and keep customers coming back.

British TikToker, Seth Marshall, just swung by Walmart for the first time and he was so impressed by what he found in the superstore, that he gave the retailer a ranking of "ten out of ten."

While it’s nice to get a shoutout on TikTok, and the review may prove to be helpful in getting the word out, it appears Walmart is looking to make some tangible changes to improve the customer experience.

Here are the seven changes that you can look for in the coming months:

1. A better layout

Walmart's are referred to as superstores for a reason, because they are quite big — roughly 179,000 square feet — which can be overwhelming.

It seems like the folks at Walmart are aware of this and are putting in the time an effort to make the setup a little more manageable for shoppers.

The details have yet to be released, but we’re looking forward to what’s to come.

2. Wider product selection

Walmart already has a huge proud t selection, ranging from groceries, to household supplies, to bikes and toys, and an entire gardening section, we can’t even imagine adding more, but it sounds like that’s the case.

The superstore is going to become even more super with more details to come.

3. Game-changing technology

While it’s mum’s the word on what the new products are, we can look for “game-changing technology,” which has been confirmed.

It’s still a little cloak and dagger, not quite revealing the specifics, but we’re all about the eleventh of surprise, it adds to the anticipation.

4. Greater accessibility

At first glance, greater accessibility typically means getting in and out of the store, but in this case, it means more signs, and bold signs, so people can find what they’re looking for in the store.

And now that we’ve mentioned ramps, we did check, Walmart stores are generally considered to be handicap accessible, and they are making efforts to further improve accessibility for all customers.

Walmart stores comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

5. Pharmacies will be updated

In addition to products, Walmart's also have pharmacies, which will see more spacious aisles and private checkout lanes, post-makeover.

6. Broaden online pickup and delivery

Walmart will expand on its services to to “fulfill the growing number of online customer orders.”

7. Continued growth

Walmart is planning to build or convert over 150 stores through 2029.

Walmart US CEO John Furner said, "These new and remodeled stores will better enable us to meet and exceed customer expectations whether in a store, online at Walmart.com, or through one of our mobile apps."

Walmart has not released a list of the stores that will be remodeled, at least not yet.

CANTON, New York (OburgNews9) - What would you do with $10 million? One lucky customer at the Stewart’s Shop in Canton is about to find out.

Brad Maione, a spokesperson for the state Gaming Commission, said a winning ticket from Canton had been confirmed.

According to Stewart’s Shops, the lucky ticket was sold on May 3rd. They say it was a $10 million Bonus scratch-off sold at the Stewart’s Shop on East Main Street in Canton, NY.

According to a press release from Stewart's, the lucky customer, who enjoys having coffee and hanging out playing the lottery, bought the winning ticket on May 3 because otherwise it is hard to get waited on at this store to buy anything.

The scratch-off that won cost the customer $30 a ticket. In total, five people have won $10 million each with this game, and the Canton winner was the last big winner for that scratcher. So, buying that ticket is futile to win anything big.

To see how many Jackpot prizes are left on each ticket game click here Scratch-Off Games | New York Lottery: Official Site

Mayor Mike Dalton says there’s excitement in town. “It’s kind of neat that somebody would win that kind of money in our community, whether it’s somebody that lives in the village or frequents that store. It’s just kind of neat that it happened in the North Country,” said Dalton.

The odds of winning this specific scratch-off ticket are 1 in 1 in 3,609,120.00. So, lady luck was on this person's side and there are no more 10,000,000 prizes left on this particular scratch-off. 

The Clean-up is underway on Riverside Avenue Eye-sore after resent fire.

       After a resent fire at this property on Riverside ave. the city is cleaning up an abandoned building that housed squatters that used it to use illicit drugs. Local residents are happy to see it go. Other building such as the one adjacent to this property need to be put to use or torn down as well.

        Homeowners on this street are happy to see the clean-up underway. 

Ogdensburg is a city with a hugely potential waterfront on the St. Lawarnce River and hopefully this is a start to cleaning o'burg up.

Wal*Mart Parking Fiasco