WCDO Radio News

The Otsego County Fire Fighters convention continues today & concludes in Otego Saturday with a variety activities, Otego Fire Chief Joe Hurlburt explains:

(Joe Hurlburt 7-10-26)

More information is available at the Otsego County Fire fighters Facebook page.

P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 7-9-26

Governor Hochul announced $110 million in State funding to improve emergency communications systems and dispatching capabilities through 2 programs. Through the SICG-Formula Grant Program, $90 million is being awarded to support efforts to bolster communications networks, locally, Chennago County gets $968,000, Delaware County 1.16 Million Dollars & Otsego County gets 1.2 Million dollars. Also, The PSAP Operations Grant Program provides funding to support county 911 centers, with Chenango getting $310,000, Delaware & Otsego Counties get almost $320,000 each.

The Otego Fire department is hosting a 3 day Otsego County Fire Fighters Convention Thursday through Saturday, G.X. Cramatte is one of the organizer, he told WCDO News that there is something for everyone:

(G.X. Cramatte 7-8-26)

The activities will be held at the American Legion Field on Willow Street in Otego, starting at 12:00 Noon each day.

The Otego Fire Department is hosting The Otsego County Fire Fighters Convention this Thursday through Saturday with a variety of events, G.X. Cramatte is one of the organizers, he told WCDO News about Thursday's schedule;

(G.X. Cramatte 7-6-26)

The events continue at the site on fair Street in Otego Friday & Saturday from 12:00 noon each day into the evening hours, with Fireworks on Saturday night.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 6-3-26

The Oneonta Fire Department responded to the report of a fire at the new Dietz Street Lofts in Oneonta, at about 2:00 PM this afternoon. mutual aid was requester from fire departments in Otego, West Oneonta, Laurens and Milford, Videos from scene showed flames on the roof of one of the buildings. WCDO News will have more information as it becomes available.

The Classical Guitar Society of Upstate New York is holding a benefit concert Sunday for the Unadilla Food Pantry. The concert will begin at 1:00 PM at the 1st Presbyterian Church in Unadilla.

A.M. NEWS FRIDAY 5-29-26

Otsego County Sheriff’s Office arrested 24 year old Alexander Gutierrez of Milford & 28 year old Jordan Gutierrez-Champen for Introducing dangerous contraband in to prison & Conspiracy, following an investigation into suspicious activity in the Otsego County Jail in 2025. Investigators were notified by corrections staff that they had intercepted a letter hidden in a bible which detailed the receipt of contraband by mail to an inmate, they obtained a search warrant for Gutierrez-Champen’s mail, a page had been saturated with a controlled substance later identified as a synthetic cannabis known as “K2.” On Wednesday, deputies located Alexander Gutierrez in the Town of Otego and took him in to custody, he was processed and released. On Thursday deputies responded to the Lakeview Correctional Facility in Chautauqua County and took Jordan Gutierrez-Champen in to custody, he was transported to the Otsego County Sheriff’s Office where he was held for Arraignment.

State Police responded to a motorcycle crash with an injury on State Highway 7 in the town of Worcester Tuesday. 27 year old Jacob Sprague of Otego was traveling on Route 7 in the town of Worcester when he exited the roadway and struck a utility pole. Sprague was assisted by civilians in the area until EMS arrived. Sprague was transported by Lifenet to Albany Medical Center for further treatment. The investigation is on-going.

Registration is now open for the 15th annual I Love My Park Day, which will be held on Saturday, May 2, 2026 at state parks, historic sites and public lands all across New York State. More information can be found on the Parks & Trails New York website at ptny.org.

A.M. NEWS Monday 4-6-26

The State DOT announced that I-88 westbound between exit 10 to 12 in Unadilla & Otego have been re-opened to traffic, the eastbound lanes will remain closed until DOT Engineers deem the highway safe after repairs to a sinkhole.

State Police gave an update regarding I-88, which remains closed in both directions between Unadilla (exit 10) and Otego (exit 12) due to considerable erosion under the highway in the median impacting both eastbound and westbound lanes. Emergency repairs are underway. I-88 will remain closed until New York State Department of Transportation engineers determine the roadway is safe to reopen. A 9.5 mile detour is in place along State Route 7 to reconnect motorists back to the Interstate.

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 3-31-26

The State DOT & State Police closed I-88 between Exits 10 and 12 in both directions until further notice, A large amount of soil has eroded underneath the roadway, this is not due to a culvert collapse, but to an as yet unknown water issue. Crews from the New York State Department of Transportation are on the scene assessing the issue. Motorists are advised to follow the established detour routes on to State Route 7, Detour signage is in place to guide motorists. Updates will be provided as additional information becomes available from the DOT. Motorists are urged to allow for extra travel time, and exercise caution while traveling along detour on State Route 7.

Otsego County Sheriff's Office arrested 40 year old Christopher Ashton of Otego for Sex Offender Failure to Notify Change of Address. The investigation revealed that Ashton, who is a level 1 sex offender, did not report a change of address to the State Sex Offender Registry within 10 days, he was arrested, processed and was released on an Appearance Ticket to the Town of Middlefield Court at a later date, he was being held at the Otsego County Correctional Facility on a parole warrant.

A.M. NEWS MONDAY 2-16-26

Otsego County Sheriff's Office arrested 41 year old Kyle Wedderspoon of Morris for Sex Offender Failure to Notify of Address Change within 10 days following a complaint received in Morris. Deputies were notified that Wedderspoon was no longer living at his registered address, he is a Level 1 Sex Offender, he had been living at a residence in the Town of Otego and failed to make proper notifications of his address change, he was taken into custody and processed at the Sheriff’s Office, he was released with an appearance ticket and is set to appear in the Town of Morris Court at a later date.

Oneonta Fire Department responded to a fire at 57 Maple Street Saturday morning, 1st floor residents and visitors were able to leave the house safely, the 2nd floor apartments were under construction, the 1st floor apartment suffered water damage from fire operations, The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, Mutual aid was provided by Otego, West Oneonta and Franklin fire departments. no injuries were reported.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 2-4-26

DogWatch Hidden Fences of Otego & Nam Knights have teamed up to provide kits for service dogs around the state, today they donated one to the Sidney Police Department for use by Officer Royce Terry & K9 Chase. Aileen Howard of Dogwatch told WCDO News about the kits:

(Aileen Howard 2-4-26)

Officer Terry said that people have been very supportive of the K9 program at the Sidney Police Department, and they are still accepting donations for the program:

(Royce Terry 2-4-26)

K9 Chase is about 1 year old & is new to the Sidney Police Department and he is trained to locate drugs and other items as part of investigations.

The Otsego County Sheriff’s Office arrested 30 year old Victor Quisquina of Virginia following the investigation of a property damage motor vehicle accident in the Town of Otego. Quisquina was charged with DWI and several related charges, and he did not possess a valid driver’s license, he was processed and released with Uniform Traffic Tickets/Appearance Ticket and is set to appear in court at a later date.

An American Red Cross Blood Drive will be held today in Otego, from 1 pm. - 6 pm., at the Otego Community Center at 5 River Street; Make an appointment with the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS.

Last week was Crash Responder Safety Week, and State Troopers joined the State DOT to focus on Move Over Law violations. Troopers from the Troop C Traffic Incident Management Unit teamed up with DOT crews on I-81 in Cortland County and I-88 in the town of Otego. On November 20th, Troopers issued 30 tickets on I-81 in Cortland County and 9 tickets on I-88 in the town of Otego, on November 21, Troopers issued 39 tickets on I-81 in Cortland County. New York State implemented the Move Over Law in 2010 to reduce crashes involving emergency responders stopped along the roadway. The law later expanded to include hazard vehicles, tow trucks, and highway workers. In 2023, the law expanded again, requiring drivers to slow down and move over for any vehicle stopped on the roadway.

The Unadilla Fire Department was alerted to a possible structure fire in the town of Unadilla on State Route 7 near the State Police Barracks, around 12:00 AM earlier today, Unadilla Firefighters were able to make an aggressive push into the residence and contain the fire to the room of origin. Crews were back and in service by 4:45am, Unadilla was assisted by Sidney Fire Department & EMS, and the Wells Bridge, Franklin, Otego & Sidney Center Fire Departments.

The Otsego County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance in an animal cruelty investigation in the area of Foster Lane in the Town of Otego. On September 6, a gunshot was heard in the area. Shortly afterward, the pet’s owner discovered their animal had been shot. The animal was immediately taken to a veterinary facility and is currently receiving ongoing medical care. Anyone with information should call the Otsego County Sheriff’s Office at 607-547-4273.

Otsego County Sheriff's Office arrested 46 year old Jason Wilson of Otego for Sex Offender Failure to Update Change of Address, after Investigators were forwarded information originally received by the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office that Wilson had a Facebook account that was not registered on the State Sex Offender Registry, under an alias, Wilson was located by deputies at his residence and taken into custody without incident, he was processed and was released with an Appearance Ticket returnable to the Town of Middlefield Court at a later date.

The Otego Historical Society will have their annual Cemetery Walk at the Otego Evergreen Cemetery Saturday Night at 7:30 PM. Local actors will tell stories about some of Otego's Descendants, interested participants can meet up at the Unatego Church on Route 7 in Otego at 7:00PM, refreshments will be available after and a $7.00 donation is suggested.

Otsego County Sheriff's Office arrested 38 year old Christopher Romano of Otego on an Arrest Warrant from the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office. Romano was located in the Town of Butternuts and taken into custody without incident, and he was turned over to Chenango County Sheriff’s to answer his warrant.

A.M. NEWS MONDAY 8-18-25

36 year old Honesty Muller of Hamden appeared in Delaware County Court and was sentenced for Attempted Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance. Muller was sentenced to 5 years of felony probation supervision, On October 29, 2024, Muller was pulled over by a Delaware County Deputy in Delhi, a search was conducted and methamphetamine was located in her wallet.

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 8-5-25

48 year old Nicholas Cartelli of Otego was sentenced in Delaware County Court Monday for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance. Cartelli was sentenced to 4 years in state prison and two years of post-release supervision. On January 3rd, State Police conducted a routine traffic stop after noticing a vehicle with no license plate lamps, and illegal license plates that weren’t registered to that vehicle. A search of Cartelli's vehicle was conducted and Police seized heroin, cocaine, a scale, and ammunition from the vehicle.

The State Health Department reminds people that there are "Cooling Centers” set up around the state where people can go to get out of the heat, in Norwich, the YMCA is a cooling center, call 607-316-8277, in Delaware County, all Libraries are participating, and in Otsego County, pools are available at the Greater Plains school in Oneonta, the Otego town pool, plus the Wilber Pool and Worcester Pool, plus the SUNY Oneonta A.J. Read Science Discovery Center & The Family Service Association on Chestnut Street.

WCDO NEWS THURSDAY 6-19-25

Otsego County Sheriff's Office arrested 42 year old August White of Broadalbin for Sex Offender Failure to Notify Change of Address, White was charged following an investigation where he relocated from a residence in the Town of Otego and did not make the proper notification to the Sex Offender Registry, an arrest warrant was applied for and granted through the Town of Middlefield Court. White was arrested by outside agencies on unrelated charges and remanded to several different correctional facilities. On June 10th, he was released from prison in to the supervision of New York State Parole Officers & was turned over to the Otsego County Sheriff’s Office for Arraignment, he is expected to be held in Jail without bail due to prior felony convictions.

47 year old Nicholas Cartelli of Otego pleaded guilty in Delaware County Court to Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance last week. On January 3rd, Cartelli & a co-defendant possessed 1 or more preparations, compounds, mixtures, or substances containing a narcotic, Cartelli admitted that he possessed Heroin in the Village of Sidney, he was remanded to the Delaware County Jail to await his sentencing, which is set for August 5th, he will be sentenced to 4 years in state prison and 2 years of post-release supervision.

HIGH WATER LEVELS AND CHILLY TEMPERATURES MADE FOR FAST TIMES AT THIS YEAR'S GENERAL CLINTON CANOE REGATTA AS OVER 800 CANOE RACERS PADDLED ON THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER. PADDLERS FROM 21 U.S. STATES, 4 CANADIAN PROVINCES AND THE COUNTRY OF BELIZE DESCENDED ON BAINBRIDGE TO PARTCIPATE IN THE 63RD RUNNING OF THE EVENT. THE 70 MILE ENDURANCE RACES WERE HELD ON SUNDAY AND FEATURED 17 DIFFERENT CLASSES. IN THE 4 PERSON PRO RACE, TEAM "ZRE" CONSISTING OF BOB ZAVERAL, JOHN YOUNG, BRENT LYSICK, AND ERIC WERNER FINISHED IN SECOND PLACE. WCDO'S CRAIG STEVENS SPOKE WITH THEM ABOUT THIS YEAR'S RACE...

(TEAM ZRE 2025-4 PERSON PRO)

TEAM 'DELTA FORGE" WITH PADDLERS FROM NEW YORK, MICHIGAN & CALIFORNIA TOOK FIRST PLACE HONORS WITH A TIME OF 7 HOURS, 21 MINUTES AND 41 SECONDS.

IN THE 70 MILE MIXED NYMCRA(NIM-CRA) STOCK RACE, THE TEAM OF REBECCA SUTTER FROM JAY, NEW YORK AND ADAM BLANCHARD FROM UTAH BEAT THE 2ND PLACE TEAM BY AN INCREDIBLE ONE HOUR AND 13 MINUTES. THEY SPOKE WITH CRAIG STEVENS AFTER THE RACE...

(SUTTER-BLANCHARD 2025-F CLASS)

THIS YEAR'S TWO PERSON PRO RACE WAS WON BY MICHIGAN PADDLER MICHAEL DAVIS AND CANADIAN GUILLAUME BLAZE. BLAZE HAS 3 OTHER CLINTON WINS AND DAVIS WON IN 2022 WITH STEVE LAJOIE. SINCE 1963, THE GENERAL CLINTON CANOE REGATTA FINISH LINE HAS BEEN CROSSED OVER 16 THOUSAND TIMES WITH 2 THOUSAND 47 PADDLERS DOING THE 70 MILER JUST ONCE.

THE LOCAL PRO TEAM OF JOE ALLISON FROM MORRIS AND FIRST TIME PRO RACER, AUSTIN HENCHEY OF OTEGO FINISHED IN THE TOP 20 OF THE STACKED 59 BOAT PRO RACE. THEY SPOKE WITH WCDOS CRAIG STEVENS AFTER THE RACE...

(HENCHEY-ALLISON 2025)

HENCHEY AND ALLISON FINISHED IN 19TH PLACE WITH A PRO TIME OF 7HOURS 43 MINUTES AND 39 SECONDS. IT WAS THEIR FIRST PRO RACE TOGETHER.

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the Environmental Facilities Corporation Board of Directors approved over $37 million in financial assistance for water infrastructure improvement projects across New York State, locally, the Village of Otego was awarded $3.9 million in grants for the installation of a redundant production well, replacement of asbestos-lined pipe and exposed water main, relocation of a well house treatment building to a higher elevation, replacement of a booster pump station, and the installation of a tank mixer.

State Police conducted an Underage Drinking detail in Otsego and Delaware Counties, all of the businesses checked were in compliance and did not sell alcohol to an under-aged operative. 12 Businesses complied, including Mirabito Quickway stores in Oneonta, Laurens, Hartwick, Colliersville, Otego, Unadilla & Davenport. During these investigations, businesses are checked utilizing a Trooper in plain clothes and one or several underage operatives who cannot lie about their age or provide a false date of birth (if asked).

Otsego County Sheriff's Office arrested 24 year old Amber Renwick of Otego, for 3 counts of Promotion of a Sexual Performance by a Child, 2 counts of Possession of a Sexual Performance by a Child plus Sexual Misconduct, following an investigation in to a cyber tip received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. In February of 2025, investigators received information from the Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce of child sexual abuse material being disseminated from a Kik online social media account, Renwick did possess and send the child sexual abuse material to other users. The Sheriff’s Office & State Police Computer Crimes Unit executed a search warrant & she was taken in to custody, was processed and was being held for Arraignment. The investigation is on-going and additional charges are pending.

The 2025 Daffodil Jazz Brunch will be held on April 19th to benefit Helios Care, at the home of Tom Morgan and Erna McReynolds, Otego Road, Franklin, Helios Care Spokesperson Kathryn Dailey explains:

(Kathryn Dailey 4-18-25)

More information about this & other fundraisers & programs can be found at helioscare.org.

The 2025 Daffodil Jazz Brunch will be held on April 19th to benefit Helios Care, at the home of Tom Morgan and Erna McReynolds, Otego Road, Franklin, Helios Care Spokesperson Kathryn Dailey explains:

(Kathryn Dailey 4-9-25)

Registrations should be made soon at helioscare.org/events or by phone 607 432-6773.