WCDO Radio News

The State Department of Labor released preliminary
local area unemployment rates for November.
The State’s unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.0% in November,
Locally; Chenango County had 3.9% unemployment, Delaware county 4.1% &
Otsego County 3.7% in November.

Otsego County Sheriff's Department arrested 33 year
old Aaron Willey of Oneonta for 2 counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled
Substance. Wiley was arrested on December 23rd, after the issuance of a sealed
indictment from Otsego County Court. Willey allegedly sold crack cocaine in
Oneonta on 2 separate occasions; he was arraigned in the Otsego County Court
and was released on his own recognizance.

A 2nd New York State resident has died as a result of
vaping.  The State Department of Health
reported a Manhattan man in his 30s died from causes related to vaping. The man
is said to have had a history if using vape and e-cigarette products, the
investigation is ongoing.

The State Labor Department announced that unemployment was
at 4% for October state wide.  Locally,
Chenango County had 3.7%, Delaware County 4% and Otsego County 3.7% in October.

The Delaware County
Chamber of Commerce will co-host the "Hiring Our Heroes Veterans Business
Resource Fair" will be held Thursday in Sidney.  Chamber President Ray Pucci comments:

(Ray Pucci 11-14-19)

The Job Fair will run from 1:00 to 3:30 pm Thursday at the Sidney
American Legion at 22 Union Street in Sidney.
The event is co-sponsored by the State Department of Labor, The Delaware
County Veterans Service Agency as well as the Delaware County Chamber of
Commerce. Also, Community Bank NA announced that they will be on hand donating
Green Light Bulbs, while supplies last, in support of all Veterans.

Commerce Chenango's
5th annual Community Job Fair will be held today at SUNY Morrisville’s Norwich
campus from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM.    The
participating organizations include CDO Workforce, GE Aviation, Hospice and
Palliative Care of Chenango County, NBT Bank/NBT Insurance, The State
Department of Corrections, The State Veterans’ Home at Oxford, Raymond
Corporation, Springbrook & UHS Hospitals.

The legal age of sale
of tobacco products and e-cigarettes in the State of New York will be raised
from 18 to 21 today.  Every day, close to
2,500 youth under 18 try their first cigarette and more than 400 kids become
regular daily smokers.  State lawmakers
believe that New York's new law will greatly reduce the number of high school
students who have easy access to tobacco products, and the State Police will
team up with the State Department of Health to enforce the new law.

The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce "Hiring Our
Heroes Veterans Business Resource Fair" will be held on November 14 from 1
to 3:30 pm at Sidney American Legion at 22 Union Street.  Delaware County Chamber of Commerce President
Ray Pucci explains:

(Ray Pucci 11-1-19)

The event is sponsored by the State Department of Labor,
Delaware County Veterans Service Agency and the Delaware County Chamber of
Commerce, to register and reserve a table, contact Debbie Bender at 432-4800 extension
101 or email debra.bender@labor.ny.gov.

Starting Today, The Otsego County Planning Department &
Solid Waste announced that Televisions, monitors, and commercial grade
electronics will be charged at $12 per unit at the Oneonta Transfer
Station.  All other electronics will
remain free.  Officials said that the
change is to help cover rising recycling costs related to electronics, more
information is available at 547-4256.

The State Department of Labor today released preliminary
local area unemployment rates for September 2019. The State’s seasonally adjusted
unemployment rate decreased from 4.0% to 3.9% in September 2019.  Locally Chenango County had 3.7%
unemployment, Delaware County had 3.9% & Otsego County had 3.6%
unemployment in September.

The Catholic Charities Mentoring program is
hosting a mentor mixer on Friday November 8th at the American Legion in Sidney.
This event is open to the public and is for anyone who might be interested in
learning more about mentoring.   More
information is available at 604-4071 Ext. 102.

10 area Fire Departments responded to a blaze at 687
State Highway 205 in the town of Oneonta, just north of the intersection with
State Route 23.  The fire was reported at
about 7:15 PM, 2 people were injured & were taken to Fox Hospital in
Oneonta.  The cause of the fire is under
investigation.

The State Department of Health announced new services for
e-cigarette users seeking help to stop vaping, through the State’s Smokers’
Quitline.   The Department added the
service to address the growing need to help users of e-cigarettes break their
dependence on vaping, the Quitline is available at 1-866-NY-QUITS

The Village of Delhi Police Department announced that
41-year-old Jessica Ambrose of Sidney was served a criminal summons directing
her to appear in Delhi Town Court to answer complaints of Attempted Welfare
Fraud, Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument, and Offering a False
Instrument for Filing. The charges against Ambrose stem from complaints filed
by fraud investigators at the Delaware County Department of Social Services.
Ambrose will face court action shortly.

The State Labor Department
released local unemployment statistics for the month of August today.  Locally, Chenango County had 3.9% unemployment;
Delaware County had 4.4% and Otsego County 3.8% unemployment in August.

The mural on the side of the Tepco building in Bainbridge
was dedicated Monday night.  Kimberly
Moravcik was tasked with putting a Native American theme on the border of the
mural:

(Kimberly Moravcik 9-23-19)

Christopher Lloyd Wright of Afton was given the task to do
the middle part of the mural, to reflect more of the later day Bainbridge:

(Christopher Lloyd Wright 9-23-19)

The dedication was followed by refreshments at the
refurbished Wilsey Building.

The number of private sector jobs in New York State grew by
8,900, to 8,280,700 in August according to preliminary figures released today
by the State Department of Labor.  The
State’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.0% for the fourth
consecutive month.   Upstate Counties saw
the unemployment rate go up .1% to 3.8% in August.

22nd District Congressman Anthony Brindisi announced the
recipients of Department of Homeland Security Assistance to Firefighters grants
totaling 1.1 million Dollars.  Locally,
the McDonough Fire Department, receives $40,510.

Tourism-related dollars spent in Delaware County in 2018
have grown to nearly $117 million, according to a report issued by Tourism
Economics for New York State.  Traveler
spending increased 6% across of all New York, The strongest growth occurred in
the Catskills with an 11.3% increase.
Tourism accounted for over 1,100 jobs in Delaware County resulting in
$40 million in labor income recirculating through the local economy.  Tourism generated more than $7 million in
local taxes and over $6 million in state taxes. More information is Available
at delawarecounty.org.

The State Department of Labor today released preliminary
local area unemployment rates for July 2019. The State wide rate was 4%, locally;
Chenango & Otsego Counties had 4% unemployment, Delaware County 4.5%.

Delaware County Department of Economic Development announced
that they have received funding this year that has helped County businesses
expand, Spokesman Evan Bowker comments:

(Evan Bowker 8-15-19)

Bowker said that some of the businesses that took advantage
of the funding availability includes Awestruck Ciders & UnaLam of Sidney,
plus the Catskill Food Company & Scotch Valley Ranch Hemp.

New York State paid more than $100 million in duplicate
payments to managed care organizations for premiums over a more than 4 year
period, according to an audit released today by State Comptroller Tom
DiNapoli.  Auditors found many cases of
people with multiple Client Identification Numbers, with Medicaid making
duplicate payments to those individuals.
DiNapoli recommended that the Department Of Health Review the $102.1
million in improper premium payments identified and make recoveries; Ensure
Local Districts make timely and accurate updates to information and evaluate
the feasibility of creating a control to prevent multiple Client ID Numbers
from being reused in the future. The report is available at
osc.state.ny.us/audits.

The State Department of Labor
announced today that the Statewide Unemployment Rate Remained at 4.0% for the
3rd straight month.  The number of
private sector jobs in New York State grew by 1,800 to 8,200,300 in July; New
York State’s economy has added 1,182,200 private sector jobs over the 1st half
of the year.

Delaware County Public Health has been notified that a raccoon submitted for rabies testing from the Town of Stamford was confirmed positive for rabies. This is the fifth rabid animal confirmed in the County in 2019. The raccoon was reported to have attacked an unvaccinated cat, and chickens. The cat has been humanely euthanized. The remaining rabies 2019 rabies clinics are listed below can and can be viewed at delawarecountypublichealth.com

Congressman Anthony Brindisi will hold a pinning ceremony
for area Vietnam Veterans Today at 2:00 pm at the SUNY Broome, West Gymnasium,
If a Veteran served on active duty in the United States Armed Forces at any
time from November 1, 1955 to May 15, 1975, either overseas or stateside, they
can be honored with a special Department of Defense pin. Veterans should call
607-242-0200 to RSVP with their full name, where they are from, and their
branch of service.

Governor Cuomo signed the Farm Workers Bill Wednesday, which
establishes a Fair Labor Practices Act to protect farm worker rights and ensure
equitable housing and working conditions.

(Cuomo 7-18-19)

The bill grants farm workers overtime pay, a day of rest
each week, disability and Paid Family Leave coverage, unemployment benefits and
other labor protections. The bill will take effect on January 1, 2020.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 40-Year-Old
Robert Decker of Sidney on an active Bench Warrant from Town of Sidney Court
for failure to appear on previous charges of Menacing and Harassment.  Decker was arraigned in the Town of Sidney
Court, and he was remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility on
$1,000 cash bail or $2,000 bond.  Decker
is scheduled to re-appear in the Town of Sidney Court at a later date, Deputies
were assisted by the Village of Sidney Police Department.

The State Department of Labor
today released preliminary local unemployment rates for May.   The Statewide Unemployment rate was an even
4% in May, Locally, Chenango County had 3.7% unemployment, Delaware County had
4% & Otsego County had 3.4%.

Chenango County Sheriff's Department executed a no knock
search warrant at 121 Ashcraft Road in the Town of Plymouth Tuesday. The search
warrant stemmed from an investigation involving the distribution of Crystal
Methamphetamine, Norwich Police assisted with the investigation and execution
of the search warrant.  The Narcotics
Division arrested 47 year old William Johnson and 35 year old Kelli Johnson for
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Criminal Use of Drug
Paraphernalia, and Endangering the Welfare of a Child. The Sheriff’s Office
recovered Crystal Methamphetamine, packaging material, digital scales, cash,
and several firearms. The investigation remains ongoing.

The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce will host a FREE
workforce development event today aimed at business owners and managers who are
struggling to hire staff or have employees in drug and/or alcohol treatment and
recovery.  Representatives from the
Delaware County Probation Department, Delaware County Drug Treatment Court, CDO
Workforce and the Department of Labor will participate, the session will be
held at 10:00 AM at the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce at 5 1/2 Main
Street, Delhi, more information is available at 746-2281.

The House of Representatives
passed Freshman Congressman Anthony Brindisi’s 1st bill today. Brindisi's
“Support for Suicide Prevention Coordinators Act” to help prevent veteran
suicide, sailed through the House and is on its way to the Senate.  The bipartisan bill requires the Comptroller
General of the United States to conduct an assessment of the responsibilities,
workload, and vacancy rates of the Department of Veterans Affairs Suicide
Prevention Coordinators.

The State Labor Department of
released preliminary local area unemployment rates for April. The statewide
Unemployment rate was 3.9% in April; the Southern Tier region was at a combined
4.0% even.

New York Attorney
General Letitia James 16 State Attorneys General are urging the U.S. Department
of Labor not to adopt its proposal which reverses federal overtime protections
for workers.    Under the proposed rule,
over 8 million workers, including over 600,000 workers in New York, would lose
overtime protections.    The proposed
rule would change the white-collar exemptions under the Fair Labor Standards
Act, which currently exempts from overtime protections for those in executive,
administrative, and professional "white-collar" positions. In order
for an employer to classify an employee as exempt, the employee must be paid a
fixed salary, be paid a minimum specified salary and Have a job with duties
that are executive, administrative, or professional in nature.

The Chenango County Sheriff's Department announced 18 year
old Cody Coleman has been charged with 2nd degree murder & criminal
possession of a weapon, in connection with the death of 16 year old Amelia
Wakefield in Smithville on May 3rd.
Coleman was being held on a probation violation in the Chenango County
Jail since the May 3rd fatal shooting of Wakefield, he was returned to the Jail
without bail after an indictment was unsealed this afternoon in Chenango County
Court.

This Sunday,  Delaware County Public Health will be holding
a free Car Seat Safety Event at Delaware Valley Hospital in Walton, from 12:00
Noon until 2:00 PM.  75% of children are
riding in car seat that are not properly installed or do not fit
correctly.   Parents and caregivers can
have their child’s car seat checked at no cost by certified child safety seat
technicians.   This free event will educate
parents and caregivers on proper car seat installation and use. Car seats which
do not meet the Federal Motor Safety Standard may be replaced.  Be sure to bring your child/children to the
event and expectant parents are also welcome.

In April, the number of private sector jobs in New York
State grew by 24,600, or 0.3%, to 8,300,500, a new, all-time high, according to
preliminary figures released by the State Department of Labor. New York’s statewide
unemployment rate was at 3.9% in April.

Senator Fred Akshar will be hosting his 32nd “Face Time With
Fred” town hall meeting on tomorrow from 1:30pm - 3:00pm at the Hillcrest Fire
Department in Hillcrest. Community members are invited to attend the informal
meetings to discuss important state and local issues.

The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce will host a FREE
workforce development event aimed at business owners and managers who are
struggling to hire staff or have employees in drug and/or alcohol treatment and
recovery.  Representatives from the
Delaware County Probation Department, Delaware County Drug Treatment Court, CDO
Workforce and the Department of Labor will be on hand,  The session will be held at the Delaware
County Chamber of Commerce at 5 1/2 Main Street, Delhi on May 28, from 10:00 to
11:30AM, for more information or to RSVP, call 746-2281.

The Otsego County District Attorney’s office announced that
Gabriel Truitt has been indicted for 1st & 2nd degree murder & 1st
degree Arson in connection with the fire at 5 Walling Avenue in Oneonta last
December that killed former Oneonta fire fighter John Heller.  Truitt’s brother, Terrence was previously
charged in the case, he was released after 5 weeks into the investigation due
to a lack of evidence against him.
Gabriel Truitt is still at large; The Oneonta Police Department is
issuing a warrant for his arrest.

The number of private sector jobs in New York State grew by 18,100,
or 0.2%, to more than 8.2 Million In March, a new, all-time high, according to
the State Department of Labor. New York’s statewide unemployment rate increased
from 3.9% to 4.0%.

Overtime pay in 2018 at state agencies was at the highest
level within the past decade, rising to $787 million, according to a report by
State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. Overtime hours also rose, with 18.1 million
hours worked.     Meanwhile, the average
number of state employees (excluding the State University of New York and the
City University of New York) decreased slightly in 2018 to 155,818 -- 12
percent lower than in 2009. The largest decreases occurred in the Department of
Labor, Office of Children and Family Services and the Department of Health.

The State Department of Taxation and Finance today reminded
taxpayers that the deadline to submit their personal income tax returns is
Monday, April 15th.  After 3 years of
receiving a few extra days to file because of certain holidays, taxpayers
should be aware that this year Tax Day returns to its traditional date.  New York taxpayers with adjusted gross
household incomes of $66,000 or less in 2018 may take advantage of
user-friendly tax preparation and filing software available at tax.ny.gov.

The State Health Department
warns New York Residents, and especially outdoor enthusiasts, that there is
expected to be a big increase in the Tick population this summer, and with
that, an increased in Lyme disease.  Dress
in long sleeves and pants and consider tucking pant legs into socks, especially
if you will be walking in tall grass or wooded areas. Also, use a tick
repellant containing DEET, following the manufacturer's instructions.  For prolonged outdoor activities such as
camping, look for clothing and camping gear that is treated with permethrin.

New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced a
win in a comprehensive lawsuit led by New York and 10 states and the District
of Columbia challenging the Department of Labor's Association Health Plan Rule,
which expands the criteria for forming AHPs in order to evade consumer
protections and sabotage the Affordable Care Act. The decision from the United
States District Court for the District of Columbia states that the rule is
"clearly an end-run around the ACA" and "creates absurd
results."

Broome County Sheriff's Department is asking for the
public's assistance in trying to locate 31 year old Christopher Nugent of
Deposit, who was charged with gang assault in connection with a stabbing at the
Main Street, Johnson City McDonald's in December.  The Warrant Division describes Nugent as
white, standing 5’10” tall, weighing 155 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes,
Tips can be submitted to gobroomecounty.com/sheriff/warrants or by phone at
778-1196 or 778-2923 or 778-2933.

The number of private sector jobs in New York State grew by
7,900, or 0.1%, to 8,254,400, a new, all-time high, according to preliminary
figures released today by the State Department of Labor.  The statewide unemployment rate was at 3.9%.

Binghamton Police Department responded to a report of a
vehicle collision with 2 pedestrians yesterday afternoon at about 3:25, on
Beethoven Street near Lincoln Avenue.
The police determined that a Jeep Wrangler left the roadway and struck
female teenagers; 16 and 19 years of age, they were taken to Wilson Hospital
The driver of the vehicle 33 year old Kevin Wilcox of Harpursville, he was
charged with Vehicular Assault & Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs,
he was arraigned this morning & was remanded to the Broome County Jail.

The State Department of Labor
today released preliminary local area unemployment rates for January.  The State’s area unemployment increased to
4.6% in January 2019, after remaining below 4% for several months at the end of
last year.  Locally, Chenango County's
Unemployment rate was 5.5%, Delaware county was at 5.6% & Otsego County at
5.4% for January.

37 year old Marlon Graham of Deposit pleaded guilty in Broome County Court Friday to possessing methamphetamine & fentanyl.   Graham pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a controlled substance, for selling those substances in Deposit & Kirkwood; Sentencing is scheduled for May 10

NY State of Health released
county-level enrollment statistics showing that overall enrollment increased in
each of New York’s 62 counties. Total enrollment in the Marketplace is now over
4.7 million people, reflecting an increase of more than 435,000 people from
2018.  NY State of Health focused
increased marketing and outreach efforts in areas with higher uninsured rates,
which contributed to enrollment gains across all program types. Counties with
the Highest Percentage Increase in Combined Qualified Health Plan &
Essential Plan Enrollment between 2018 and 2019 included Broome County with a
12% increase & Delaware County with a 10% increase.

Governor Cuomo today announced that the New York State
Department of Labor has been awarded up to $5.59 million in federal grants to
help provide new skills to workers, including new entrants to the workforce,
who have been or are being impacted by the opioid crisis. Additionally, the funds
will be used for workforce development in professions that address or prevent
problems related to opioids across the state, such as addiction treatment
service providers, pain management and therapy service providers, and mental
health treatment providers. The initiative complements ongoing efforts
by the state Health Department and the Office of Alcoholism and Substance
Abuse services to train peers in recovery to work with hospitals, assisting individuals
with substance use disorder in accessing treatment.

Delaware County Sheriff’s
Deputies arrested 28-year-old Michael Lor of Schenectady, for DWI, failure to keep
right and moving from a lane unsafely, after a traffic stop in the Town of
Middletown.  Lor was released & will
appear in the Town of Middletown Court at a later date.

A HEALTHCARE JOB FAIR will be held at the FOXCARE Center in
Oneonta, tomorrow from 11:00 am to 2:00 PM.
Participants include Bassett Healthcare, Family Planning of South
Central NY, UHS Hospitals, The ARC of Delaware County, The ARC of Otsego
County, AO Fox Hospital, Pathfinder Village & the State Veteran’s Home in
Oxford.

The State Labor Department
announced the unemployment rates for local counties today, for the month of
December.  Chenango County had 4.4%,
Delaware County was 4.2% & Otsego County was at 4.0%, the statewide rate
was 3.9%.

Students in Greece New York alerted Police regarding a plot
to attack Islamberg in the town of Deposit with explosive devices.  The Greece Police Department arrested
20-year-old Brian Colaneri, 19-year-old Vincent Vetromile of Greece,
18-year-old Andrew Crysel of East Rochester & an unidentified 16 year old
following an investigation at Odyssey Academy.
Police seized 23 firearms & 3 homemade bombs, the 3 older suspects
were charged with 3 counts of 1st degree criminal possession of a weapon or
explosive and one count each of conspiracy, they were being held at the Monroe
County Jail on $50,000 bail.

The State labor Department announced that the state's
Private Sector Job Count rose to an all-time high of 8,243,000.   The statewide unemployment rate was
unchanged at 3.9% in December, the lowest level on record since statistics were
recorded in 1976.

Broome County Sheriff’s Deputies
responded to the report of an altercation at a restaurant parking lot in the
Town of Chenango, where 2 people met for a transaction of an item listed in a
classified ad.  The buyer allegedly used
a fake $100 bill for the purchase, an argument ensued, the buyer allegedly
pushed the victim to the ground and attempted to drive away with the property,
the victim was dragged by the car for a short distance.  Deputies later arrested 27 year old
Christopher Warren of Binghamton for robbery, criminal mischief, criminal
possession of stolen property among several felony charges; he faces court
action at a later date.

Governor Cuomo directed state agencies to provide support
for federal workers impacted by the federal government shutdown, which is the
longest in U.S. history. The Governor called for the State Labor Department to
provide increased support to workers seeking unemployment insurance benefits
and the State's Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance to help those
working without pay apply for and obtain public assistance benefits.   The Governor has also directed the
Department of Labor to work with the federal unions to make sure their members
are made aware of these benefits.  More
information about temporary or part-time job opportunities is available at
1-888-469-7365, or labor.ny.gov.

31-year-old Gordon Carr-Wisner
of Otego was reported to law enforcement his parole officer, for allegedly
accessing the internet and illegally using social media sites. 7 different
accounts were found that were operated by Carr-Wisner, which resulted in 7
counts of Failure to Notify of an Internet Change within 10 Calendar Days for
Registered Sexual Offender.   Carr-Wisner
was returned to jail without bail pending court action on the parole violations
& the charges.

Governor Cuomo announced more than $35 million was returned
to over 35,000 victims of wage theft in 2018 by the state Department of
Labor.  In the Southern Tier, over
$346,000 was returned to 385 employees.