Air Force Airman Jeremy R. Pike, formerly of Canton, graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.

The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.

Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.

Pike is the son of Joan and Ron Pike of Stiles Road, Canton.

To the Editor:

Last week I heard some disturbing news from the North Pole. Some of the programs across Oswego, Jefferson and St. Lawrence County that provide Christmas presents to needy children were seeing a dramatic increase in requests.

Unfortunately, the number of toys and gifts that were being donated were not enough to keep up with the increase in the requests for help.

Some agencies were already preparing to tell families that their children were out of luck this year.

POTSDAM – State Sen. Joe Griffo will tour the facility as work continues to complete Clarkson University’s new Nanoengineering and Biotechnology Laboratories

Griffo joins Clarkson President Tony Collins for a tour of the new laboratories at 10:30 a.m. today.

Clarkson says work is drawing to a close and they are starting to move several research groups into the new labs.

The U.S. Department of Labor has released a handbook for farmers who want to take advantage of the federal H-2A Temporary Agricultural Program, which allows hiring of seasonal foreign workers when domestic labor is unavailable.

Congressman Bill Owens says that he and his colleagues have worked to get the H-2A program to ease the administrative burden on family farms who use the program to secure seasonal labor.

LOUISVILLE -- Louisville firefighters were called to a house fire at 210 County Rt. 36 Saturday evening.

The call came in to the station at 6:55 p.m. They were joined at the scene by the Massena Rescue Squad, and Waddington, Madrid, and Norfolk volunteer fire departments.

On standby were volunteers from Massena and Lisbon.

The St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation has begun their seasonal removal of channel markers from the St. Lawrence River throughout the Thousand Islands Region.

POTSDAM -- Staff from Canton-Potsdam Hospital and Potsdam Central High School will be joining forces to play New York State Police Troopers in a fundraising basketball game at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 20 in the Potsdam High School gym.

This marks the sixth year the hospital has held this annual Cancer Charity Basketball Game with proceeds earmarked for its oncology services.

HAMMOND – St. Lawrence County sheriff’s deputies are asking the public for help as they attempt to solve a burglary that took place on Saturday.

A safe with an undisclosed amount of cash, a Nikon N3000 digital camera, a DVD-VCR player and a coin collection were taken, deputies said.

The burglary took place on the Hamilton Smith Road, deputies said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office at 379-2365.