WCDO Radio News

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 6-16-26

Discounted single-day admission tickets for the Great New York State Fair are being offered for a limited time. The Spring Into Summer ticket sale will run from Thursday, June 18, through Monday, June 22, giving people their final chance to buy tickets for $6. Admission is still free for children under 12 and seniors 65 and older. The fair will open Aug. 26 and continue through Labor Day, with all concerts included in the admission price, Tickets are available at etix.com.

The Deadline to register for the Gus Macker Basketball tournament in Norwich on July 11th and 12th, are only a few days away, organizer Tom Revoir comments:

(Tom Revoir 6-16-26)

Teams can sign up at macker.com & go to the Norwich drop down, those interested in volunteering or being a referees for the tournament should call 607-336-9622 extension 29.

A.M. NEWS TUESDAY 6-16-26

Binghamton Police Department arrested 53 year old Stanley DeGroat of Binghamton and 47 year old Brett White of Binghamton, following a shooting. DeGroat was charged with Attempted murder, Criminal possession of a weapon, Criminal contempt & 4 counts of endangering the welfare of a child, White was charged with 8 counts of criminal possession of a weapon, following an incident Sunday, where DeGroat fired a shot that grazed the victim's hand, he fled the scene on a bicycle, he was located & taken into custody. Search warrants were obtained & executed at 2 locations, Officers found several rifles, shotguns, and 2 illegally possessed handguns, which led to White's arrest. Both face court action shortly, more charges may be forthcoming.

At approximately 2:03 pm Wednesday, the Otsego County 911 Center received multiple calls reporting a structure fire at Dietz Street Lofts, at 34 Dietz Street in Oneonta, Units arriving on scene found smoke and flames coming from the rear of the building. Mutual aid was requested to the scene, and the fire was quickly extinguished. No serious injuries have been reported. One individual was transported for evaluation for possible smoke inhalation. Some residents have been displaced and the American Red Cross is contacting them to ensure they have access to temporary shelter. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. Numerous area Fire Departments also responded.

59 year old Brian Gill of Andes pleaded guilty to a social security fraud, in US District Court in January, Gill admitted that between January 2021 and November 2023, he was collecting social security disability benefits, while he was managing and personally engaging in physical labor for a tree services company he owned and operated. Gill faces a maximum sentence of 5 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000, As part of his plea, Gill agreed to pay restitution to the SSA for the funds he fraudulently collected.

The Otsego County Sheriff's Office announce that a new labor agreement has been reached with Corrections Union, the Otsego County Board of Representatives approved a new contract for the men and women of the Otsego County Sheriff’s Office Corrections Division, making the Sheriff’s Office comparable to surrounding County agencies.

The Otsego County Solid Waste Department will host the 21st Earth Festival event from 10 am. to 3 pm. Saturday, at SUNY Oneonta, in the Chase Auditorium. Events include educational workshops, the repair Café, and activities for children, seed exchange, and a morning bird walk. County Officials will be there promoting recycling and waste diversion practices that the county has developed over the years for residents of the county.

Governor Hochuls's Office announced that $237.7 Million Dollars was returned to New Yorkers in 2025. The Department of Financial Services Returned $134 million to Consumers and Health Care Providers, the Public Service Commission Helped Over 75,000 New Yorkers with Complaints in 2025, Collecting Nearly $66 Million for Consumers, the Department of Labor Recovered More Than $35 Million in Wage Theft and Collected $2.2 Million in Penalties. Also, the Division of Consumer Protection Helped Over 27,000 New Yorkers, collecting Nearly $2.7 Million for Consumers, New Yorkers Can File a Complaint at dfs.ny.gov/complaint.

The State Labor Department announced that the the number of private sector jobs in New York State increased over the month by .2%, to 8,483,600 in January 2026. The State's unemployment rate held constant at 4.6% in January, The statewide labor force participation rate increased to 61.7% in January 2026.

A.M. NEWS Thursday 4-2-26

The State budget negotiations will continue, as lawmakers & the Governor failed to get the budget passed by the April 1st deadline, Lawmakers passed a budget extension that funds the government and pays state workers through April 7th.

The State Labor Department announced that the Initial filings for unemployment benefits dropped last week compared with the week prior, the unemployment rate stayed at about 4.6%. New jobless claims, fell to 16,916 in the week ending February 14, down from 24,382 the week before.

59 year old Brian Gill of Andes, pleaded guilty to social security fraud in US District Court, Gill admitted that between January 2021 and November 2023, he was collecting social security disability benefits, while managing and engaging in physical labor for a tree services company he owned and operated. Sentencing is scheduled for May 21, Gill faces a maximum sentence of 5 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000. As part of his plea deal, Gill agreed to pay restitution for the funds he fraudulently collected to the Social Security Administration.

The State Department of Motor Vehicles will launch a new technology system, All DMV offices will close at 2:00 PM today, with online and phone services also unavailable during the transition. DMV operations are expected to fully resume on Wednesday.