Editor’s Note: What follows are snippets from some of the top stories that appeared in The Evening Sun throughout 2016.

Norwich children show compassion in NYC

When Stephanie Meek returned home from a trip to New York City a few weeks ago, she was troubled by the sight of the many homeless people struggling around the city. She voiced these concerns to her husband at the dinner table that night, and unbeknownst to them at the time, it struck a chord with their children, Evan and Brynn.

“A couple days later, they came downstairs and said ‘We have an idea. We want to help those people you talked about in New York City. We want to make them lunch and bring it to them.’”

Evan and Brynn Meek are just 10-years-old and 6-years-old respectively, but what they lack in age they make up for in spirit. On Saturday, August 6, the Meek kids travelled down to New York City. Over the course of eight hours, they handed out 220 bagged lunches to homeless people around Manhattan.

NPD officer to take position in Syracuse, eight years of serving Chenango highlighted

An eight year veteran with the Norwich Police Department has accepted a position with the Syracuse Police Department and is to be sworn in this morning, Wednesday, Aug. 10.

Thomas Miller was first sworn in with the NPD Oct. 26, 2008. Prior to his career with the NPD, Miller worked with the New Berlin Police Department. For a time, he worked both departments.

“I have enjoyed working with the Norwich community so much,” said Miller Wednesday morning. “I am forever grateful for the opportunity I had to work for the Norwich Police, and for the support I have had from Chief Rodney Marsh.”

Throughout his tenure in the community, Miller and his K9 Nitro hosted dozens of community events, hospital visits and demonstrations for children.

‘Nitro Day’ took place in 2015, when Miller and Nitro visited Houndstooth Bakery and Boutique in Sidney for an event to give back to the community. The bakery has donated all of Nitro’s food.

Miller bought Nitro as a puppy and took her to a private obedience, agility, and protection trainer in Schuyler, N.Y. For several months when she was young. After that, Miller took Nitro to the Southern Tier Canine Association in Endicott to get her certified. This is also where Nitro has to go for her yearly maintenance training. “I paid for all of it originally,” said Miller, her food included. When Vance offered to supply Nitro's sustenance, Miller was appreciative of the gesture. “I was very thankful to her,” said Miller. “And so is the department and the community.”

Woman who allegedly tortured and neglected dog granted $750 bail

A woman sits in the Chenango County Correctional Facility charged with torturing, injuring and neglecting a dog.

Tracy A. Price, 31, of Norwich, was arrested on Tuesday, Aug. 16, on an active arrest warrant for torturing/injuring animals.

Authorities from the Norwich Police Department said that Price allegedly tied a dog to a stove for multiple days with a leather shoelace. When they arrived on the scene, the dog allegedly had a laceration to its neck, and was covered in urine and feces.

Price was arraigned in Norwich City Court, and remanded to the custody of the CCCF, in lieu of $750 cash bail, or $1,500 bond. She is scheduled to reappear in court on Thursday, Aug. 18, at 10 a.m.

Sheriff's Office considers $60,000 improvement to communications system

The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office is exploring upgrades to its communications system used to transfer information between the public safety building to other county government buildings in the Norwich area.

According to Chenango County Sheriff Ernest Cutting, 911 call times are being affected by slow-moving data between the Sheriff’s Office on Upper Ravine Road in Norwich to other government buildings within the City of Norwich.

The Sheriff says upgrades would allow quicker communication between emergency personnel at the sheriff’s office, located in the Town of Norwich, and the county’s fire training center, the backup emergency management center, and the county office building which are all located within the City of Norwich.

“The problem we have is that it’s taking so long for downloads,” Cutting told members of the county’s Safety and Rules Committee on Wednesday. It can take up to 30 minutes to transfer larger files from the Sheriff’s Office to other emergency management personnel in different locations, he added. And in an emergency situation, quick communication is critical

“There’s a real need in the county to upgrade the speed. We’re transferring a tremendous amount of data, and it’s taking us a long time,” Cutting said.

Pharmacy thief said he told cashier 'Don't be a hero'

The man accused of robbing prescription narcotics from a local pharmacy in the City of Norwich back in April, 2016, will be spending the next two and a half to five years behind bars after he was sentenced in Chenango County Court on Friday, Aug. 19.

Jeffrey S. Cabral, 27, originally from Rhode Island, but with an address in the Town of South New Berlin, appeared back in court on Friday for a plea and sentencing arrangement. Cabral stood charged with one count of robbery in the third degree, a class D felony; and one count of petit larceny, a class A misdemeanor.