By CRAIG FREILICH

NORWOOD – The state has granted Norwood a variance that will make it easier for the village to clear up the asbestos-tainted debris left by the fire to the former Norwood Elementary School.

By CRAIG FREILICH

POTSDAM -- The Kidz Closet will become the Kidz Klozet & More, and will not close as had been planned.

“We don’t want to see it close,” said Mary Smith, owner of McGregor Electric of Potsdam who, along with Jeannie Williams of Potsdam, owner of Shear Creations salon right near the Clozet, are buying the second-hand clothing business at 75 Market St.

Current owner Paula Vernile of Madrid said the shop would be open through March 3 and then would close, after two years of operation.

POTSDAM – Canton-Potsdam Hospital employees recently raised nearly $500 in donations for the Jules of Life Foundation.

The Jules of Life Foundation was created by Carmen and Blake Gendebien of Canton who recognized the needs of local families challenged with the travel and financial expenses of receiving pediatric cancer care.

OGDENSBURG – The Claxton Hepburn Medical Center Auxiliary will sponsor a uniform sale Wednesday, Feb. 29 in the auditorium of the medical center from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This sale will consist of a large selection of uniforms in many styles, colors, and sizes.

Employees of the hospital may use their payroll deduction, credit cards, checks and cash.

Potsdam, NY – Three goals in less than seven minutes didn’t set the tone, but the barrage certainly set the Clarkson University Women’s Hockey team in a hole early, as Quinnipiac’s early onslaught was enough to send the Golden Knights to a 4-1 defeat in the first game of the best-of-three games ECAC Hockey Quarterfinal series Friday night in front of 291 fans at Cheel Arena.

St. Lawrence University junior forward Kelly Sabatine's 100th collegiate point came 22 seconds into overtime on Friday, as the Hamilton, ON native's second goal of the game lifted the nationally-ranked No. 10 women's hockey team to a 4-3 victory against Dartmouth College in game one of a best-of-three ECAC Hockey quarterfinal series in Hanover, NH.

(Canton, N.Y.)- The second round of the 2011-12 Eastern Collegiate Hockey League tournament is all set following Friday night’s two first-round games and No. 2 SUNY Canton will face No. 3 Niagara University Saturday night.

Niagara beat No. 6 Rochester Institute of Technology 4-1 in the opening round and No. 5 Canisius College upset No. 4 University at Buffalo 3-1. The Griffs will face top-seeded Mercyhurst University at 4 p.m. on Saturday and the Roos and Purple Eagles face off at 7:30 p.m.

Webster, NY - Freshman Tyler Nichols (Spencerport, NY), junior Stephen Maxwell (Latham, NY) and seniors Kimberly Stillittano (Binghamton, NY) and Emma Bonan (Queensbury, NY) each came within eyelashes of qualifying for the finals in their respective events for the Clarkson University Swim team on Thursday, but the Golden Knights had to settle for picking up points in the relay events on the second day of the UNYSCSA Championships at the Webster Aquatic Center.

Day three of competition at the UNYSCSA Championships has concluded and the St. Lawrence University swimming and diving teams continue to post some of their best times of the season. The men's team jumped to tenth place out of 13 teams with 208 points, while the women's team sits in eighth place out of 14 teams with 353 points after 29 events.

In the 100 backstroke, Brynn Hagen and Molly Sneden both topped their times from the morning session. Hagen finished 12th with a time of 1:01.25, while Sneden finished 17th in 1:02.62.