The legislation, the Small Business Lending Enhancement Act, would raise the cap on credit union business lending from 12.25 percent of an institution's total assets to 25 percent. It would also increase the minimum loan amount subject to the cap from $50,000 to $250,000.

The funding is part of the agency's Business and Industry Loan Guarantee Program. The program is meant to create jobs and promote private investment in rural areas, according to the USDA.

Organizations that wish to apply for grants of up to $10,000 must be located in the Southern Tier or Central New York region and serve low-income youths below age 18 and/or adults above age 65. The organization must have been an internship or field placement site for Binghamton University social work or public administration students in the past year.

The Associated General Contractors of America said federal data shows that 38 states and the nation's capital saw double-digit percentage drops in construction employment between January 2009 and January 2010.

That's according to a new report on private-practice physicians in New York. The Onondaga County Medical Society released details about the study on Monday.