WCDO Radio News

P.M. NEWS FRIDAY 7-10-26

Oneonta Firefighters responded this morning to a reported structure fire at 525 Main Street at the Oneonta veterinary Hospital. 3 on-duty firefighters arrived within minutes to find fire rapidly extending up the exterior wall of the building. Crews knocked down the fire, checked for extension, and searched the building to ensure the fire had not spread into the structure, off duty Firefighters were called back to assist.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 6-10-26

The Chenango County Health Department announced that the BOIL WATER ORDER has been Lifted for the Village of Bainbridge Water System & residents may resume normal use of the water. Emergency water quality monitoring has indicated that the water system again meets State Drinking Water Standards. Some residents may experience discolored water or a change in taste or odor of the water; if this occurs flush all water lines for 15-20 minutes or until the water runs clear. More information is available by calling the Bainbridge Village Office 607-967-7373 or the Chenango County Health Department at 607-337-1673.

P.M. NEWS Wednesday 3-25-26

Governor Hochul has been making stops around the state to gain support for her Affordability agenda, as prices are skyrocketing at the pump, in the ability to building more housing and Cutting the cost of Auto insurance due to fraud:

(Hochul 3-25-25)

Governor Hochul is also backing off on some on some of her lofty goals regarding electric vehicles, there is 1 week to go to get the state budget passed on time for the beginning of the next fiscal year.

P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 2-12-26

Broome County District Attorney's office announced that the 4 Binghamton residents arrested last week have been indicted by a Broome County Grand Jury on multiple felony weapons charges following an investigation into reports of gunfire near the Wittman Lane Watershed on February 4th. Broome County Sheriff’s Office, and the Port Dickinson Police Department responded following a report that 4 males were observed walking toward the dam, followed by reports of multiple gunshots in the area. Officer arrested the 4 who were processed & released on bail, Indicted this week were 23 year old Samear Wallace, 21 year old Jahliek Walker-Coates, 21 year old Isaiah Johnson and 25 year old Johnathan Ayala, they face court action on the indictments shortly.

P.M. NEWS FRIDAY 2-6-26

Broome County Sheriff Fred Akshar commented today on Wednesday night’s "shots fired" investigation in the Town of Dickinson:

(Akshar 2-6-26)

Akshar said that the 4 people were trying to leave the area in an Uber and were taken into custody, and All four were arraigned and remanded to the Broome County Correctional Facility on $1,000 bail, they all posted bail and have been released. The Port Dickinson Police Department and the Broome County Sheriff's Office teamed up on the arrests and investigation.

P.M. NEWS MONDAY 2-2-26

The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office has been made aware of a scam currently circulating, as Several county residents have reported receiving phone calls claiming they have an active warrant for their arrest and are instructed to pay a sum of money to have the matter “cleared up.” This is a scam, as the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office will never contact individuals by phone to demand payment.

P.M. NEWS Friday 12-19-25

NYSEG reported hundreds of power outages today, after a storm with high winds whipped through the area at about 8:50 AM today. at one point about 3700 customers were with out power in the WCDO listening area, the number was down to about 540 by mid afternoon. Crews are working to repair the damaged areas as quickly as possible.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 12-17-25

Otsego County Sheriff's Office arrested 38 year old Christopher Decker of Unadilla, following the report of a domestic dispute. Decker was charged with Assault, Criminal Obstruction of Breathing or Blood Circulation, Unlawful Imprisonment, Endangering the Welfare of a Child & Harassment. Decker was being held at the Otsego County Sheriff’s Office pending Arraignment, he is scheduled to appear in Unadilla Town Court at a later date.

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 11-25-25

39 year old Tanya Carson of Masonville was convicted in Delaware County Court today to Endangering the Welfare of an Incompetent or Physically Disabled Person in the First Degree. The investigation began when a 14-year-old disabled child was found unresponsive on the bathroom floor, the unconscious child was airlifted to Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, where it was discovered that he had methamphetamine in his system. Carson admitted that she & 2 male individuals had been using methamphetamine in the same home as the disabled child and the child must have accessed the illicit substance, Carson will be sentenced on January 20th.

P.M. NEWS Friday 11-14-25

Delaware County District Attorney Shawn Smith announced today the 3rd set of criminal indictments against 51 year old David Gensler of Delhi, Gensler was arraigned in Delaware County Court & the indictment was unsealed, the 3rd indictment is the result of a joint investigation by the Village of Delhi Police and the State Police. Previously, Gensler was indicted for Sexual Abuse, Attempted Sexual Abuse, Disseminating Indecent Materials to Minors, Luring a Child, Rape, Stalking & Unlawful Imprisonment. The New Indictments charges him with Falsely Reporting of an Incident, Offering a False Instrument for Filing, Tampering with Physical Evidence, & Conspiracy in order to falsely report a crime against another party. Gensler was remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility without bail, pending trial in this matter.

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 10-28-25

48 year old Grady Hunter of Binghamton pleaded guilty to Criminal Possession of a Weapon in Broome County Court Monday, moments before jury selection was set to begin. Hunter is already serving a 10-year state prison sentence, he will serve an additional 5-year state prison term, followed by 5 years of post-release supervision. Hunter's latest plea stems from an incident on July 19, 2024, in Johnson City after a woman reported to police that a male subject had a gun, Hunter fired a round through his ex-girlfriend’s apartment door. Hunter is scheduled to be sentenced on January 29, 2026, his other prison sentence also came from a weapons charge. The 2 state prison sentences will run consecutively, resulting in a total sentence of 15 years in state prison, followed by 10 years of post- release supervision.

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 10-7-25

38 year old Taylor Church of Bainbridge appeared in Delaware County Court and pleaded guilty to Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, On January 3rd, State Police conducted a traffic stop on Church's vehicle, the license plates did not belong on the vehicle, a search uncovered heroin, cocaine a scale & ammunition, Church faces sentencing on October 28th.

P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 9-18-25

Norwich Police arrested 48 year old Lance Madsen of Norwich, Wednesday after he failed to comply with a traffic stop on Cortland Street. A brief pursuit ensued when Madsen refused to stop his vehicle, the incident concluded safely on County Road 36 in the Town of Norwich after officers were able to box in the vehicle, bringing the pursuit to an end. Madsen is accused of possessing narcotics and a weapon, and he was an active State Parolee. Madsen was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, (Methamphetamine), Criminal Possession of a Narcotic Drug with Intent to Sell, Criminal Use of Drug Paraphernalia, Unlawful Fleeing a Police Officer in a Motor Vehicle, Resisting Arrest, Possession of a Controlled Substance in a Non-Original Container & Criminal Mischief, he was arraigned & was remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility pending further court proceedings.

WCDO News Friday 8-29-25

Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies responded on August 20th, to a 2 car motor vehicle accident in the Town of Sidney, in which one driver had reportedly left the scene. With the assistance of the Village of Sidney Police Department, the driver was identified as 38-year-old Joshua Crisell of Sidney, and the vehicle was located at a residence in Sidney. Deputies charged Crisell with Reckless Driving, driving to left of pavement markings, failure to keep right and leaving the scene of a property damage accident, Crisell was released on an appearance ticket for the Town of Sidney Town Court at a later date.

P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 7-24-25

The Delaware County Sheriff's Office announced the subsequent arrest of 44 year old Brent Trimbell of Hobart following a child sex abuse investigation and initial arrest from June 17th, when he was charged with 1st degree Rape, 2 counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse & 1 count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, at that time Trimbell was remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $300,000 cash bail or $600,000 secured bond. Investigators discovered that Trimbell sent at least 6 videos or images to a child of a pornographic nature, on Wednesday Trimbell was arrested on 6 more counts of Disseminating Indecent Material to a Minor, at the Delaware County Correctional Facility following Trimbell’s release on bond from the initial charges. Trimbell was later arraigned by Town of Walton Justice Michael Rippa, where the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office argued for bail at $100,000 cash or $200,000 secured property bond on the additional charges, Justice Rippa set bail at $1.00 and Trimbell was released from custody. Delaware County District Attorney Shawn Smith explains:

(Shawn Smith 7-24-25)

Delaware County Sheriff Craig DuMond also commented:

(DuMond 7-24-25)

Sheriff DuMond said that the investigation remains open and ongoing, anyone with information on any illegal activities committed by Trimbell are encouraged to contact the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office.

P.M. NEWS FRIDAY 6-13-25

Norwich Police Department concluded a two-month investigation into allegations of child abuse and sexual abuse, they arrested 33 year old Rolando Antonio of Guatemala, for Sexual Abuse & Forcible Touching, he is accused of sexually abused a 3-year-old child in the City of Norwich. On Thursday, officers and detectives from the Norwich City Police Department & State Police, arrested Antonio, he was arraigned in Norwich City Court and is being held on $20,000 bail, with a court appearance scheduled for a later date. The investigation is ongoing, and more charges are expected.

P.M. NEWS MONDAY 2-11-25

60 year old Loretta Washington of Binghamton was sentenced in US District Court to 18 months in prison for social security fraud. Washington admitted that she had applied for and was receiving social security benefits for a minor child, In September 2018, Broome County Department of Social Services removed the child from Washington’s custody after the 4 year old child was found walking on a road in the middle of the night. Washington never reported the change in custody, she received over $25,000 in social security benefits, In addition to the prison term. Washington will serve 3 years of supervised release & was ordered to pay restitution to the Social Security Administration.

P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 1-30-25

The State Health Department is currently tracking 3 strains of the flu in New York State, with 48,000 new cases reported the week of January 18th to the 24, a 46% increase from the previous week. The state reports a total of over 177,000 cases of all 3 flu strains, over 11,000 have been hospitalized from influenza, there have been 2 pediatric deaths this flu season.

P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 12-12-24

The Village of Franklin will have a variety of events scheduled for the Holidays this Saturday, organizer Connie Martin explains:

(Connie Martin 12-12-24)

Martin said that businesses and churches in Franklin also have events & special sales scheduled throughout the day this Saturday.

P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 11-14-24

Otsego County Sheriff's Office arrested 38 year old Joseph Bard of Waterville for 3rd Degree Grand Larceny after an investigation into the theft of thousands of dollars from a local couple. Bard was arrested ,after an elderly couple reported thousands of dollars missing from their bank account, Bard is accused of making many transactions, transferring over $31,000 to his own bank account. Bard was located in Waterville & was taken into custody without incident, he was processed and was being held in the Otsego County Correctional Facility to await Centralized Arraignment.

WCDO NEWS FRIDAY 10-25-24

Bassett Healthcare Network announced the elimination of around 100 positions, the majority were administrative. Patient care would not be affected by the layoffs, which represent 2% of their total workforce.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 10-16-24

Springbrook will receive $5 million from Tom Golisano as part of a $360 million donation to over 80 nonprofit organizations. In 2010, Golisano provided funds to establish the Golisano School, which expanded services for children with autism. In 2012, the organization completed the $22.5 million Coming Home Campaign, opening the Tom Golisano Center for Autism, a state-of-the-art facility offering specialized care and support for people with autism.

P.M. NEWS FRIDAY 9-27-24

The Nate Lull Scholarship's next fundraiser will be at Awestruck Ciders in Sidney, on Sunday, from 11 AM to 5 PM, he commented about this next event:

(Nate Lull 9-27-24)

The Nate Lull Scholarship has handed out $30,000 dollars to local high school seniors over the last two years, more information is available at natelull.com

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 9-24-24

The State Department of Labor announced that Unemployment increased .1% in August from July to 4.4% , Locally Chenango County had 3.5% unemployment, Delaware County 4.2% and Otsego County 4.1% in August.

P.M. NEWS FRIDAY 9-13-24

State Police issued a total of 10,240 tickets statewide during the Labor Day weekend enforcement campaign, which ran from Friday, August 30th to Labor Day, September 2nd. State Police utilized sobriety checkpoints, additional DWI patrols, and ticketed impaired and distracted drivers, they arrested 232 people for DWI. In Troop C, they had 12 DWI arrests, & they issued 405 tickets for speeding out of a total of 832 tickets.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 9-11-24

State Police arrested 29 year old Cory Meadows of Oneonta for Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated with a Child Less Than 16 as Passenger & 3 counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child. Troopers were dispatched to a complaint of a possible intoxicated driver, they located vehicle on the shoulder of State Highway 28, when the Troopers came closer, the operator drove through the grass of a property. Meadows failed Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, She was arrested and the children were turned over to a sober third party. Meadows was processed and issued appearance tickets to the Milford Town Court on October 8th.

P.M. NEWS FRIDAY 8-30-24

State Police will increase patrols to combat drunk, impaired, and reckless driving throughout this Labor Day weekend, the enforcement details started today and runs through Monday, September 2, 2024. Labor Day weekend traditionally results in heavy traffic throughout the state, Drivers can expect to see sobriety checkpoints and increased patrols by State Police and local law enforcement agencies during this holiday weekend. Troopers will be using both marked State Police vehicles and Concealed Identity Traffic Enforcement vehicles. Last year, during the Labor Day weekend, Troopers arrested 154 people for DWI, issued 8,762 total tickets, including 3,407 for speeding.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 8-21-24

State Police revealed today that the August 10th investigation of 2 deaths in Chenango Forks is consistent with a homicide and suicide.  The preliminary investigation determined that 38 year old Matthew Lott caused the death of 63 year old Scott Cleary, using a firearm.  Matthew Lott later caused his own death with a firearm a short distance from a residence on Parsons Road.

P.M. NEWS FRIDAY 8-16-24

The Otsego County Sheriff’s Office arrested 56 year old John Nack & 25 year old Samantha Truax of Oneonta, after Deputies responded in the Town of Oneonta attempting to locate an individual wanted on charges for an unrelated investigation. While on scene, Nack was in possession of over 10 grams of suspected methamphetamine, during the execution of a search warrant, additional controlled substances were located. Nack & Truax were charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, they were transported to the Otsego County Sheriff’s Office. Nack was held in the Otsego County Correctional Facility for Arraignment, Truax was issued an appearance ticket returnable to the Town of Oneonta Court and released.

P.M. NEWS Thursday 8-15-24

The State Labor Department announced that the number of Private Sector jobs is over 8.4 Million in July, the state's unemployment rate increased .1 to 4.3% in July, the statewide labor force participation rate held constant at 61.3%.