WCDO Radio News

State Department of Labor announced that it is improving the process for Unemployment Insurance customers to get their 1099-G form this tax season. The Department will be automatically mailing the form to New Yorkers who claimed benefits in 2022 and have not opted to receive the form electronically. The 1099-G provides the total amount of money received in benefits, as well as any adjustments or tax withholding made to those benefits. In the past, customers would have to contact the Department by phone to receive the 1099-G by mail. Customers can expect the forms to arrive in mailboxes by the end of January 2023. More information is available at dol.ny.gov/unemployment/

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 12-20-22

Unadilla Fire Department responded Monday Night at about 10:45 PM to a reported structure fire in the area of Buckhorn Lake Road and State Highway 7. Responding Firefighters discovered a working fire on the 2nd floor rear of the residence. Unadilla crews along with Wells Bridge crews were able to gain entry and knock the fire down. No injuries were reported, other Fire Departments assisting included Franklin, Sidney Sidney Center & Otego, the cause of the fire is under investigation.

The State Health Department reports a steady increase has been continuing in COVID 19 cases, along with many cases of various flu strains. From the period of Saturday through Monday, there were over 48,000 New Yorkers tested for COVID with 4438 positive tests, for an 8% positivety rate. Patient Hospitalization have increased to just under 3800, there were 363 ICU Patients & 153 on Ventilators, there were 94 deaths reported in Hospitals & Nursing homes. The State Health Department urges New Yorkers to get vaccinated & boosted for COVID 19 & to find out about flu vaccine clinics, contact your local health department or visit vaccines.gov/find-vaccines/.

The State Department of Labor announced that the state unemployment rate remained at 4.3% in November. Locally, Chenango & Otsego Counties had 2.7% Unemployment, Delaware County was at 2.9% in November.

The State Department of Labor announced that the number of private sector jobs in the State increased by 19,600, or 0.2%, to 8,080,000 in November. The State's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained at 4.3% in November.

State Police responded to the report of “shots fired” in the town of Andes, the investigation revealed that a 62-year-old female was injured when she accidentally discharged a semi-automatic rifle, suffering face and hand injuries. The responding trooper applied a tourniquet to subside the heavy bleeding to the victim’s hand, another officer from the Colchester Police Department applied a 2nd tourniquet until EMS arrived and the victim was transported to Bassett Hospital for treatment. Troopers reported that the rifle is not legal in New York State and was not New York Safe Act compliant, 58 year old Richard Geraghty of Andes, was charged with 2 counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the third degree.

A.M. NEWS THURSDAY 12-15-22

Broome County District Attorney Mike Korchak announced he will be running for re-election in 2023. 4 years ago, Korchak lost the Republican primary, but won the election on the Libertarian ticket.

State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli released a report showing that New York's labor force decreased by 1% between 2011 and 2021 while the rest of the nation increased by 5.1%. The report showed that a rebound took place from 2105 on before dropping significantly due to the COVID-19 pandemic & shutdown, the workforce began growing in 2022, it is still 400,000 workers below the state's December 2019 peak. DiNapoli's report found the long-term decline was due to population changes and New York's 10-year average participation rate was 59%. The Southern Tier and North Country Regions suffered the worst, with had double digit declines during the reporting period.

The New York State Department of Labor today released preliminary local area unemployment rates for October. New York State's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased from 4.3% in September to 4.4% in October 2022. Preliminary statistics showed that all local counties had unemployment rates under 3% in October.

The State Health Department announced that the regular strains of influenza are widespread for the 6th straight week. For the week of November 12th, 11,696 cases of the flu were detected out of over 68,000 samples, for a 17% positivist rate. The number of patients hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed influenza was 621, a 43% increase over the previous week. There have been no influenza-associated pediatric deaths reported this season.

Unadilla Fire Department, Wells Bridge Fire Department plus Sidney EMS & Firefighters responded to a a 1 car Motor Vehicle Accident with entrapment Monday Afternoon at about 3:20 PM, personnel began extracting both patients, Life Net took first patient to Syracuse, the second patient was loaded in the Mercy Flight which lifted off to Syracuse at approximately 16:26.

The State Department of Labor announced that the number of private sector jobs in the State increased by 3,700 to 8,063,000 in October. The State's unemployment rate increased .1% to 4.4% in October. The number of private sector jobs is back up to where it was prior to the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

A.M. NEWS THURSDAY 11-17-22

The Chenango County Health Department is holding a flu shot clinic tomorrow at the Chenango County Office Building in Norwich, for those who are uninsured or under-insured, Health Department spokesman Isaiah Sutton comments:

(Isaiah Sutton 11-17-22)

Sutton said that people can still register through the Chenango County Health Department number at 607-337-1660, or through their website.

State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli audited the State Department of Labor regarding their failure to replace its long-troubled Unemployment Insurance system, which contributed to billions of dollars in improper payments sent out during the COVID-19 pandemic. The audit recommended the Department recommended the replacement of the system, take steps to improve the verification process to stop fraudulent claims, Department officials generally agreed with the audit’s findings and recommendations.

The State Labor Department released their local unemployment rates for September. Locally, Chenango County reported 2.7%, Delaware County, 3.1%, Otsego County 2.8% & Broome County 3.3%. The State wide Unemployment rate was 4.3% in September.

P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 10-20-22

The State Department of Labor announced that the number of private sector jobs in New York State increased over the month by 17,400, to 8,061,000 in September, the 1st time the number has been over 8,000,000 since early 2020, prior to the start of the COVID 19 Pandemic. The State's unemployment rate decreased from 4.7% in August to 4.3% in September 2022.

The State Department of Labor' Southern Tier Region Virtual Career Fair is today from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, for job seekers in the Southern Tier Counties of Chenango, Delaware, Otsego & Broome counties, for those who per-registered.

The State Department of Health is reminding all New Yorkers to get their annual flu vaccination, as influenza is already considered widespread across the State. Since September, cases have been increasing, with 596 laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza for the week ending October 1. As influenza and COVID-19 are circulating simultaneously, those eligible should also get a COVID-19 booster. More information regarding the flu, COVID 19 & other diseases is available at health.ny.gov.

The State Department of Labor will hold their Southern Tier Region Virtual Career Fair on Thursday, October 20th from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. There will be a preview day on Wednesday, October 19th, where job-seekers can view content and job postings and prepare themselves for the “live” event.  Businesses looking to participate must register by the end of the business day Friday, at virtualevent.nysdolboothregistration.com/event3 or by calling 607-741-4667

A.M. NEWS THURSDAY 10-6-22

State Police responded to I-88 westbound near exit 13 in the town of Oneonta Tuesday night at about 6:00 PM for a report of a car carrier on fire. Members of the Oneonta Fire Department extinguished the fire. Damage was primarily around the passenger side rear axle; some of the trailer and cargo was damaged. The driver was not injured, the right lane was closed until about 9:30 pm.

Several Area Fire Departments responded to a reported structure fire at 8 Pearl Street in Bainbridge last night. The fire was reported on the 2nd floor, local firefighters responded again this morning for a rekindle. No injuries have been reported.

The State Department of Labor announced the next steps in the state’s $15 minimum hourly wage phase-in. The minimum wage rate in local counties will rise by $1 per hour, from $13.20 to $14.20,on December 31st. The Division's analysis found evidence of pressure for wages to rise in the midst of a continued pandemic-driven labor shortage.

Tomorrow On Tuesday, State Senator Fred Akshar, Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo, Johnson City Police Chief Brent Dodge and representatives of the State Department of Transportation will join local officials, family and community members to dedicate a portion of New York Route 17C the Patrolman David 'DW' Smith Memorial Highway in the Village of Johnson City. The dedication will begin at 11:00am at the Johnson City Police Department, Officer Smith served with the Johnson City Police Department for 18 1/2 years, in 2014, he was fatally shot after responding to a disturbance at a local business.

State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon issued an order accepting the recommendation of the Farm Laborers Wage Board to lower the current 60-hour threshold for overtime pay to 40 hours per week by January 1, 2032, allowing 10 years to phase in the new threshold, following a 2-year process and 14 public meetings and hearings. Farm work in excess of 40 hours per week would be required to be compensated at overtime rates, as it is in other occupations.

The State Department of Labor announced their Southern Tier Region Virtual Career Fair, being held on Thursday, October 20th from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, for job seekers in the Southern Tier Counties of Chenango, Delaware, Otsego & Broome counties. A preview day will be held on Wednesday, October 19th, where job-seekers can view content and job postings and prepare themselves for the “live” event. Those interested should register at virtualevent.nysdolboothregistration.com/event3 by 5pm on Friday, October 7th, 2022.

State Department of Labor today released preliminary local area unemployment rates for August. The State's unemployment rate increased from 4.3% in July to 4.7% in August, locally, Delaware County had 3.7% unemployment, Chenango County 3.3% and Otsego County 3.4% in August.

The State Health Department reminds New Yorkers about the availability of bivalent COVID-19 vaccine boosters from Pfizer, for anyone age 12 or older and from Moderna for those 18 or older. To schedule an appointment for a booster, New Yorkers should contact their local pharmacy, county health department, or healthcare provider; or visit vaccines.gov; the latest COVID 19 stats show a 6.88% positivity rate, the 7-Day rolling average was 6.43%, Patient Hospitalization are down to 2,002, with 215 ICU Patients & 69 on ventilators.

The State Labor department announced that the number of private sector jobs in New York State increased over the month by more than 27,000, to just over 8 Million in August. New York State's unemployment rate increased from 4.3% in July to 4.7% in August, The Labor Participation rate was just over 60%, equaling the number just prior to the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

Sidney Village Department of Public Works announced that Union Street between Pearl Street & Glen Avenue will be closed to replace a hydrant. The work will begin at 8:00 Am & is expected to be completed at around 3:00 PM.

The State Department of Labor has expanded its Virtual Career Center, online platform to help New Yorkers accelerate their career search. The Virtual Career Center uses artificial intelligence to match a job seeker's skills and experience with job opportunities, more than 250,000 jobs are listed at dol.ny.gov/virtual-career-center.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 9-7-22

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday that 42 year old Jeremie Hoyt of Davenport, was sentenced to 25 Years in prison for Sexually Exploiting a Child, and Distributing and Possessing Child Pornography. Hoyt pleaded guilty to the charges in US District Court in April, he was also sentenced to a 30 year term of supervised release, Hoyt will also be required to register as a sex offender.

The State Health Department reports that as of today, there are a total of 3,485 confirmed monkeypox cases in New York State. 92% of the cases are in New York City, there are 2 confirmed cases in Broome County & 1 in Delaware County. Symptoms of monkeypox can include Rashes, bumps, or blisters, Flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, muscle aches, chills, and fatigue. These symptoms may occur before or after the rash appears, or not at all. More information is available at health.ny.gov/diseases.

A.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 9--7-22

The Sidney Central School District will seek voter approval on September 13th for an $8 Million dollar project, Sidney Superintendent Eben Bullock told WCDO News about the proposal.

(Eben Bullock 9-7-22)

Bullock said that the project would be paid for with State Aid & A Capital Reserve fund, with no effect to District Taxpayers. Voting will be next Tuesday from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM in the Jr/Sr High School cafeteria.

In the month of August, members from Troop "C" removed 42 impaired drivers off the roadways. Six of those impaired drivers also had a child under the age of 15 in the vehicle with them. State Police will be releasing the results of their Labor Day initiative shortly.

State Police and local law enforcement will be out in force through Labor Day weekend as part of the national "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" DWI campaign. The enforcement period starts today and runs through Monday, Police will be looking for impaired drivers, distracted drivers & they will be watching out for those violating the state's "Move Over" laws. Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that temporary lane closures for road and bridge construction projects on New York State highways will be suspended until Tuesday, to ease travel throughout the Labor Day holiday weekend.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced $6.2 million in federal funding for local fire departments. Locally, the Norwich Fire Department will receive $150,000, the funding will be used to buy new equipment and boost training.

The State Department of Labor today released preliminary local unemployment rates for July. The State's unemployment rate held at 4.4% from June to July, locally, Chenango County had 3.3% unemployment, Delaware County 3.9% & Otsego County 3.5% in July.

The State Health Department confirmed the 1st case of Monkeypox in a Juvenile. Officials said that the child lives outside of New York City, however, 25% of all monkeypox cases in the U.S. are in New York City. There were 2,596 cases reported statewide as of last Friday.

A.M. NEWS TUESDAY 8-23-22

Otsego County Sheriff's Office reported that a Walton man died Sunday while canoeing on the Susquehanna River in Otego. Emergency Services received a 911 call at 1:59 pm. from a group of family members canoeing on the river, reporting that a member of their party was missing. 43 year old Brian Walley fell into the water, family was unable to locate him, he was found by State Police divers at 6:45 pm. and was declared deceased by the Otsego County Coroner's office.

The State Health Department announced that they are easing its COVID-19 rules for schools, as Students will no longer be required to quarantine if they are exposed to someone with the virus & no masks are required, As for Monkeypox, Schools are not expected to be a major source of transmission, lower doses of the Monkeypox vaccine will be made available if needed.

The State Department of Labor announced that safety inspections of amusement rides statewide have been underway as the peak of fair season approaches. The Great New York State Fair starts on August 24th, Labor Department inspectors have been on site performing pre-inspections, with staff also meeting with vendors prior to Opening Day to go over safety precautions.

The State Department of Labor announced the conclusion of an identity theft and fraud case from a 2017 investigation. 54 year old Guy Cuomo of Frederick, Maryland, was sentenced yesterday to 45 months after being found guilty of computer fraud, misuse of a social security number, aggravated identity theft, and related conspiracy charges.

Federal Health Officials are arriving in New York, following an increase in Polio cases detected in the wastewater in 2 counties this week. The State Health department is urging everyone who has not received a Polio vaccine to get one as soon as possible, more information is available by contacting your County Health Department.

A.M. NEWS Friday 8-12-22

The Chenango County Fair will have a free show tonight, Terry Potter of Millennia Entertainment explains;

(Terry Potter 8-12-22)

Chenango County Fair Spokesperson Mary Weidman told WCDO about the Saturday & Sunday activities at the Fairgrounds in Norwich:

(Mary Weidman 8-12-22)

The Chenango County Fair will run through Sunday, the remaining schedule is available at chenangofair.com.

Governor Hochul signed legislation that will authorize the Department of Labor to develop a public awareness campaign to promote the New York State Job Bank. New Yorkers looking for jobs can go to newyork.usnlx.com; while companies looking to add to their workforce can place job openings for free at dol.ny.gov/recruit-your-workforce

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the ratification of a 5-year labor agreement with the Civil Service Employee Association, which includes over 52,000 State employees. The agreement passed with 80% approval, it runs until April 1st 2026, it includes raises in each year of the agreement of 2% for the first 2 years and 3% for the remaining 3 years.

A.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 8-3-22

State Police were dispatched Sunday Night to Parker Hollow Road near Sunshine Mountain Road in the town of Sidney to a single vehicle crash, where a vehicle went off the roadway, struck a tree and became engulfed in flames. The victim has been identified as 58 year old Tammy Oefelein of Bainbridge, her dog also died in the accident.

Otsego County Department of Health and Bassett Healthcare are seeking community input on health concerns. The Department wants to know what are areas of concern for Otsego County, the information will be used to determine future public health interventions in Otsego County. The Survey can be found at redcap.bassett.org.

The State Department of Labor today released preliminary local area unemployment rates for June 2022. Locally, Chenango County had 3% unemployment, Delaware County 3.5% & Otsego County 3.1% unemployment in June, the state Unemployment was at 4.4%.

The State Health Department reported that the positivity rate from the latest strains of COVID 19 is still just under 10% state wide. Patient Hospitalizations continue to increase back up to 2,649, there are 253 ICU patients, 79 on ventilators, there were 24 more deaths reported in Hospitals & nursing homes from COVID 19.

P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 7-21-22

The State Department of Labor announced that the number of private sector jobs in the State increased over the month by 19,700, to just under 8 million in June 2022. The number is about 300,000 less than the highest number registered before the COVID 19 pandemic kicked in & the state closed down in 2020. The State's unemployment rate held steady at 4.4% in June, following 5 consecutive months of decline.

The State Health Department reported a polio case, in Rockland County, it's the 1st case of Polio in the U.S. in nearly a decade. Officials did not offer details yet on who the resident is, whether the person was vaccinated or their current condition. In 1979, polio was declared eliminated in the U.S., however travelers with polio have brought infections into the U.S., the case was in 2013.

A.M. NEWS THURSDAY 7-21-22

Friends of Recovery of Delaware and Otsego Counties announced that they have the first Narcan vending machine available locally. The vending machine offers Naloxone kits that with 2 doses of Narcan nasal spray, it is located at The Turning Point of Otsego County at 22 Elm Street in Oneonta.

The U.S. Department of Labor has ordered Valley Veterinary Associates on State Route 7 in Unadilla to pay over $90,000, in back wages, following an investigation into accusations that the company paid the regular hourly wage to employees for their overtime hours. The investigation also revealed that employee records that were inaccurate. 39 employees were ordered to be paid their proper back-wages.

The State Department of Labor released preliminary local area unemployment rates for May, the unemployment rate decreased to 4.4% in May, locally Chenango County had 2.8% unemployment, Otsego County 2.7% and Delaware County 3.1%.

The Southern Tier Virtual Job Fair will be held online tomorrow with businesses from all over the region looking for prospective employees. Margaret Burkett of the New York Department of Labor explains:

(Margaret Burkett 6-22-22)

The live event is tomorrow from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM, the link to Pre- Register & participate is at the WCDO Facebook Page and WCDO website. More information is available at 607-432-4800 extension 125

New York State Economy Added 27,200 Private Sector Jobs in May & the Unemployment Rate Decreased from 4.5% to 4.4% Over the Month, according to the State Department of Labor. The number of private sector jobs was back up just under 8 Million, the number of unemployed in the state dropped to 414,800 in May.

The State Health Department reports that the decline in COVID 19 cases is continuing. Statewide 7-Day Average positivity rate is Lowest Since mid -April at 5.4%, Statewide Hospitalizations were below 2000 to 1,938, down from a recent peak of 2724 in Mid May. there were 38 deaths reported over the weekend in Hospitals & nursing homes.

The CDO Workforce Development Board, BOCES, SUNY Delhi, & the State Department of Labor, among other organizations, will hold 2 free apprenticeship round-table events, one today & another tomorrow. Today's round table will take place at the ONC BOCES in Milford, tomorrow's round table will take place at SUNY Delhi.  Both events will take place from 9:00am to 11:00am.

An American Red Cross Blood Drive is being held today in Downsville from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the Downsville Fire Department on State Highway 30. To schedule an appointment to donate, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-Red CROSS.

The CDO Workforce Development Board, ONC BOCES, The State Labor Department and other organizations will hold 2 free apprenticeship roundtable events in June. The June 15th roundtable will take place at ONC BOCES in Milford. The June 16th roundtable will take place at SUNY Delhi.  Both events will take place from 9:00am to 11:00am, more information is available at cdoworkforce.org.

A.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 5-25-22

The Latest COVID strains have pushed the state's Positivity rate back up to 10.45% Tuesday, with almost 6000 positive cases in over 57,000 tests. Patient Hospitalizations are over 2700 & there were 27 more deaths in Hospitals & nursing homes Tuesday. The CDC Reports over 71,000 New Yorkers have died from COVID.

Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies assisted Sidney Police Department last Wednesday with a traffic stop on State Highway 8 in Sidney. The driver of the vehicle as 41-year-old James Nash of Sidney, Deputies determined that there was an active warrant for Nash’s arrest issued by the Delaware County Family Court for Failure to Pay Child Support. Nash was arraigned in the Town of Hamden Court & was was remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility, he will appear at Delaware County Family Court at a later to answer his charges.

Sidney Police Department arrested 23 year old Colin Stanton of Sidney on 2 arrest warrants issued by the Village of Sidney Court. The arrests stem from an investigation into illegal possession of a controlled substance, the substances were sent to the State Police crime lab where they were identified as Methamphetamine and Fentanyl. Stanton was charged with 2 counts of Criminal possession of a controlled substance, he was arraigned in Village of Sidney Court where he was released on his own recognizance, he was then turned over to State Police who also held a warrant for his arrest.

The State Labor Department released regional unemployment rates for the month of April. Locally, Chenango County had 2.9% unemployment, Delaware County 3.2% & Otsego County had 2.9%, the State unemployment rate was 4.5%

The State Education Department announced Today that the Regents exam for US History and Government that was scheduled for June 1st, has been canceled. The Education department cites the recent violence in Buffalo as a contributing factor in deciding to cancel that specific canceling the exam.

A.M. NEWS Tuesday 5-24-22

The CDC has Elevated Chenango County's Community COVID Level to High. The CDC & The Chenango County Health Department remind area residents to get up to date with COVID-19 vaccines, Get tested if you have symptoms, Wear a mask indoors while in public or maintain a 6-foot distance, Wash your hands often & Quarantine and Isolate if you test positive for COVID. Persons with questions or requiring additional information may contact the Chenango County Health Department at (607) 337-1660.

State Department of Health announced children 5- to 11-year-olds should receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster five months after completing their initial two-dose Pfizer vaccine series. Children ages 5 – 11 years who are moderately to severely immunocompromised should receive their booster, or fourth vaccine dose, three months after completing their primary Pfizer vaccine series, More information is available at health.ny.gov.