WCDO Radio News

State Police continue to investigate tips that will help locate the person or persons responsible for throwing 2 beagle mix dogs out of a moving vehicle on Wednesday, December 12th on I-81 in Marathon. Several local, state and national animal welfare agencies and private donors are now offering a total of $16, 500 reward leading to the conviction of the person(s) responsible after the case has gained national attention. The following agencies have contributed: the Animal Legal Defense Fund $10,000, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals $5,000, the New York State Humane Association $1,000 and a private donation $500. Anyone with information about the suspect(s) is asked to call SP Homer at (607)749-1614.

Governor Cuomo today announced that more than $763 million in economic and community development funding has been awarded through Round 8 of the Regional Economic Development Council initiative. Locally, the Southern Tier RDC, which covers Delaware & Broome Counties, will get 65.4 Million dollars for various projects, Central New York, which includes Chenango County, receives 88.2 million dollars, and the Mohawk Valley region, which includes Otsego County, receives in 85.4 Million dollars.

NY State of Health announced that enrollment reached 4.7 million at close of business on December 15th, the deadline for January 1st 2019 coverage. Enrollment volumes in Qualified Health Plans and the Essential Plan outpaced last year’s levels with over 83,000 more people enrolled compared to last year.

In 2018, The Raymond Corporation contributed to over 150 nonprofit and educational organizations with monetary contributions, forklift donations and voluntary participation. Raymond gave food donations to the local food pantries, supported causes ranging from cancer awareness, veterans rehabilitation and animal rescue, & Raymond and its employees supported such programs as the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, Breast Cancer Awareness, & Big Brothers and Big Sisters. More information is available at raymondcorp.com.

Charter Spectrum will pay a record $174 million and refund customers in New York $62 million in a settlement over claims it defrauded internet subscribers. The settlement announced Tuesday by the State Attorney General's Office is the largest consumer payment by an internet provider in U.S. history. Charter Spectrum has agreed to provide some premium cable channels for free to customers as part of the deal, customers will each receive between $75 and $150, and they will also get streaming services and premium channels, with a retail value of over $100 million, at no charge for about 2.2 million active subscribers.

The Oneonta Common Council will hold their next regular meeting this evening at 7:00 PM at City Hall. A Public hearing will be held regarding Sewers another will be held regarding fire prevention, the meeting is open to the public.

Emergency crews responded to a Tractor Trailer fire at about 12:00 Noon today. The fire was knocked down quickly & the westbound lanes of I-88 were re-opned quickly, WCDO news will have further details as they become available.

The Binghamton Devils donated over six barrels of non-perishable food to CHOW today with the help of team captain, Kevin Rooney. The food was collected from fans during the Put the Biscuit in the Basket food drive from November 28 to December 15, 2018. Totaling 1,415 pounds, the provisions will help feed Broome County families in need this holiday season.

Senator Fred Akshar will continue the second year of his district-wide "Akshar's All-Stars" student recognition program on Tuesday by recognizing students at one Broome County school and three Chenango County schools. Each month, Senator Akshar recognizes local students selected by their school districts in the 52nd Senate District who have shown great leadership, compassion, school spirit or improvement amongst their peers. Senator Akshar will make presentations starting at 8:00 AM at the Harpursville High School, then at 9:00 AM at Afton High School, 11:00 AM at Bainbridge-Guilford High School and and at 1:15 pm at the DCMO BOCES Campus in Norwich.

The Afton Community Theater will present "DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST" tonight at 7:00 PM & Sunday at 2:00 PM. The production will be located at the Afton School District Auditorium on Academy Street in Afton.

The Raymond Corporation hosted more than 250 high school students today, as part of their National Manufacturing Day commemoration. Students from more than 20 area schools learned about career opportunities within the science, technology, engineering and math fields, Raymond CEO Mike Field commented about this event:

(Mike Field 10-12-18)

Raymond Corporation has experienced continued growth over the last 7 years, they have held this event for students for the last 4 years now, and more information is available at raymondcorp.com or at the Raymond Facebook page.

The Greater Afton Area Chamber of Commerce is inviting local crafters, vendors and organizations to join their first ever Small Business Saturday Holiday Shop taking place on Small Business Saturday, November 24th from 12:00 Noon to 6:00 pm at the Afton Central School. More information is available at 208-4064.

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a Board of Education Meeting Today, in the District Conference Room at 6:30 PM. The business portion of the meeting will start at 7:00 PM.

Governor Cuomo announced the strategic deployment of assets throughout the state as heavy rain and flash flooding are forecast for areas of the Southern Tier, Central New York, Mohawk Valley, Capital Region and Mid-Hudson Valley. Remnants of Tropical Depression Florence are hitting the state today; the DOT is setting up staging areas in Binghamton, & Oneonta locally in anticipation of the need for storm response, with a variety of heavy equipment ready to go if needed.

Some flash flooding is affecting local schools this morning. The Bainbridge Guilford, Oxford & Greene School Districts are closed today, & the Afton & Harpursville School districts are on a 1 hour delay, & the Laurens school district is delayed 2 hours.

The State Department of Transportation will hold a public open house meeting on Wednesday, September 26 at Afton Central School, from 5:30-7:00 pm to discuss 2 bridge replacements on State Route 41 in the towns of Afton and Coventry. The project will replace the bridge carrying Route 41 over Cornell Creek in the town of Afton as well as the bridge carrying Route 41 over Wilkins Brook in the town of Coventry. Both bridges, which were built in the 1930s, are inspected regularly and safe for continued travel. The bridges will likely be replaced during separate construction seasons in 2020 and 2021. More information about the project is available at 721-8167.

Delaware County Sheriff's Department responded to the report of a man with a shot gun near the Charlotte Valley School Monday. The school was in lockdown while deputies investigated, the man with the shot gun was a hunter in the area behind the Davenport head Start, the lockdown was lifted, and no arrests were made.

Long time Norwich City School District Superintendent Gerard O'Sullivan announced his retirement, which will take effect in August 2019. O'Sullivan has been the district's superintendent for the last 15 years.

State Police arrested 49 year old Scott Ray of Afton for DWI, after Troopers on patrol observed the vehicle Ray was operating speeding and cross over the double yellow line while on County Road 39 in Afton. A traffic stop was initiated and troopers determined Ray was impaired, he was arrested and released on appearance tickets returnable to the town of Afton Court on September 17, 2018.

COOPERSTOWN NATIVE TYLER BERTRAM HAS BEEN THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL RECRUIT IN RECENT MEMORY WITH OVER 12 DIVISION-1 SCHOLARSHIP OFFERS TO HIS NAME. LAST NIGHT BERTRAM ANNOUNCED HE WOULD BE PLAYING COLLEGE BALL AT UNC-CHARLOTTE. HE CHOSE THE 49ERS IN FRONT OF A LARGE CROWD AT COOPERSTOWN HIGH SCHOOL, BERTRAM TOLD WCDO SPORTS THAT HIS FAMILY, FRIENDS AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THERE FOR HIM DURING THIS ENTIRE PROCESS:

TYLER BERTRAM NEWS

BERTRAM WILL BE PLAYING FOR NEW UNC CHARLOTTE HEAD COACH RON SANCHEZ WHO ALSO HAS A LOCAL CONNECTION. SANCHEZ IS A 1996 GRADUATE OF SUNY ONEONTA AND BEGAN HIS COACHING CAREER WITH ASSISTANT JOBS AT ONEONTA AND DELHI. TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BERTRAM'S COLLEGE DECISION CHECK OUT SPORTS DIRECTOR NATE LULL'S TWITTER FEED AT WCDOSPORTS.COM

Walton Central School Superintendent Roger Clough has been placed on administrative leave, the High School Principal Rob Knuschke & Assistant Principal Mark Lamoreaux & Middle School Principal Andy Gates have all resigned in recent weeks, following alleged misconduct by Clough while serving as Superintendent since 2013. Clough has hired a Syracuse Law firm; they have begun the process to sue the District, the Board of Education, and Board President Ronda Williams. The Walton School Board released a statement to WCDO today, first the stated that personnel matters cannot be discussed, secondly, 3 of the Walton Administrators accepted positions in other districts, the Board will consider all options to quickly work on replacements, & they are confident that they will have capable staff in place for their opening day events.

Democratic Party Congressional Candidate Anthony Brindisi has agreed to 6 debates throughout the 22nd district ahead of the November election. The League of Women Voters of Broome and Tioga Counties debate has been scheduled for November 1st at the PBS Media Studios in Vestal from 8:00 - 9:00 PM. The League of Women Voters of Cortland County debate will take place on September 22 at the Elks Lodge in Cortland from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM. Details are still being worked out for the remaining 4 debates, as well as for debates with other organizations.

The Greater Afton Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting "Afton Sidewalk Day" this Saturday all over the Village of Afton; Event Coordinator Melissa Matthews of 6ZERO7 Advertising Concepts told WCDO News that they are still accepting Vendors for Saturday's event:

(Melissa Matthews 8-22-18)

The event runs from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM in Afton this Saturday. More information is available at aftonsidewalkday.com or (607) 208-4064.

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a Board of Education Meeting tonight at the BAINBRIDGE TOWN HALL at 6:30 PM. The business Portion of the meeting will start at 7:00 PM.

The Afton Central School Board of Education will meet in regular session today. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM in the board room across from the district office. Visitors are asked to use the entrance on Sand Street for board meetings.

The Afton Fair will be held 3 days this year from Friday through Sunday with a host of activities. Fair Spokesperson Rhonda Barriger told WCDO News about Friday’s Line-up:

(Rhonda Barriger 7-5-18)

This year is the 129th Afton Fair; more information is available at theaftonfair.com or at the Afton Fair Facebook page.

A portion of a railroad bridge in downtown Syracuse has collapsed, causing closures in the area & stopping Central New York Rail Traffic this afternoon. Emergency crews blocked off the area of West Onondaga Street and South Clinton Street after part of a bridge collapsed in Syracuse This afternoon at about 1:00 PM. Syracuse
Mayor Ben Walsh said that nobody was hurt in the accident, some utility lines were brought down. The bridge is owned by the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway.

State DEC Officials announced that 2 men have been charged, for allegedly dumping waste from the power cleaning of the Oneonta High School Track, into the Oneonta creek nearby. John Scott & Victor Doratto of Copeland Coating Company were ticketed for disturbing a protected stream, after local residents reported the change in color of the creek.

The race for the 19th Congressional District is heating up, after the recent Democratic primary. Both republican Incumbent John Faso & Democratic challenger Antonio Delgado appeared in Oneonta this week, Faso toured Custom Electronics in Oneonta Tuesday, Delgado campaigned in Neahwa Park Wednesday during the annual 4th of July Hometown Festival.

Bullthistle Brewing Company of Sherburne will be photographed and videotaped on Monday July 9 for the Brew Central national advertising campaign, which brings together the stories behind craft beer, hard cider, wineries and spirits in Central New York with a website and ad placement in some of the nation’s premier beer magazines. Bullthistle Brewing Company will also be featured in the next installment of the YouTube series, “Stories on Tap”, the filming is scheduled for about 5:00 PM Monday at the Company's site at 45 South Main Street in Sherburne.

The Broome County District Attorney's office announced that 45 year old Shannon Callahan of Binghamton was indicted by a Grand Jury on a number of charges including Attempted 2nd degree Murder, 1st degree assault plus a weapons charge, for allegedly slashing his girlfriend's throat with a Box Cutter during a domestic dispute on May 22nd in Binghamton. Callahan faces arraignment on the charges shortly, he could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted.

State Lawmakers wrapped up their session one calendar later than anticipated, in the early morning hours today. The 2018 session ended without a deal to renew the state law authorizing school zone cameras, Lawmakers also failed to reach a compromise on bills to overhaul teacher evaluations and address school security.

Broome County Sheriff David Harder announced that confidential tips provided by the residents of the southern tier have led to the capture of Noah Venth-Costick. On Wednesday morning, the Sheriff’s Office Warrants Division received information that Venth-Costick was hiding out in a residence in Afton. The Warrants Division observed a vehicle enter the driveway which was occupied by Venth-Costick, he was arrested without incident, and he was transported to the Broome County Sheriff’s Office Correctional Facility where he is being held without bail.

The Greater Afton Area Chamber of Commerce announced that their annual Sidewalk Day will take place from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM on Saturday, August 25th this year. Merchandise and Craft Vending spaces are available now at www.AftonSidewalkDay.com or by calling event organizer Melissa Matthews at 242-8473, or Afton Chamber President John Hinman at 343-0533.

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a Board of Education Meeting today in the District Conference Room at 6:30 PM. The business portion of the meeting will start at 7:00 PM.

The Afton Area Girl Scouts, Afton School District & others are teaming up to send Girl Scout Cookies & care packages to military veteran overseas. Laura Vanderheide is coordinating the effort:

(Laura Venderheide 6-4-18)

Hygiene & personal care products, food items, batteries, magazines & various other items can be dropped off at Cobra Industries in Afton or Snakebite Liquors in Afton through June 15th.

On Monday, at 9:30am, Senator Fred Akshar will join Harpursville Central School District staff and students to unveil a new playground at the Olmstead Elementary school. Senator Akshar was able to secure $135,000 in last year's State Budget for the improvements to make the playground accessible for children of all abilities.

State Police investigated another school threat incident at the Charlotte Valley School Distinct on May 3rd. Troopers charged an unidentified 9 year old with making a terroristic threat, classes at the district resumed the following day, there was no actual threat to the safety of students & staff.

There have been some changes regarding the requirements for those seeking to get a high school equivalency through the TASC program recently. June White of the Afton Central School Tasc Program explains:

(June White 5-8-18)

Anyone who is interested in participating in the TASC program can contact June White at 639-2811.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has resigned, following a report on allegations of assault by multiple women in The New Yorker. The Manhattan District Attorney's office said they had opened an investigation into the allegations of Schneiderman being physically violent to women; Governor Cuomo called for his resignation Monday. Schneiderman's interim replacement is Barbara Underwood.

The Unadilla Valley School District will host their annual school budget meeting this evening in the school library. The meeting will be following the Board of Education meeting at 6:00 PM.

The Sidney Shade tree Commission held their annual Arbor Day Celebration this morning at the Walking Trail Pavilion in Keith Clark Park, Shade tree Commission Chairperson Lorrie Roach comments:

(Lorrie Roach 4-27-18)

The Sidney school District 5th grade band played at the ceremony & young sapling trees were distributed.

The Practice scheduled for tonight at the Afton Motorsports Park has been cancelled due to the weather, The practice has been tentatively scheduled for Monday, weather permitting.

The Sidney Central School Observatory will be open tonight, from 8:30-9:30PM. The featured attractions will be the waxing gibbous Moon, and rising Jupiter in the eastern sky. Several telescopes are available for viewing, including the main scope inside the dome. This event is open to the public, and admission is free. This session will be run by Sidney High faculty and students. The Observatory is located behind the high school building.

Oxford Central School will be hosting a Robotics Competition called "Robo-Rave" in the High School Gymnasium Saturday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Over 20 teams will be competing. Robo-Rave is a program designed to teach students how to design, build, code & program Robots to perform a variety of tasks, Oxford High School Science Teach Mark Muller explains why he wanted to bring Robo Rave to Oxford:

(Mark Muller 4-6-18)

Muller said that Saturday's event is the first Robo Rave event in New York State, Robo rave is associated with NASA, who brought a team of engineers to Oxford to speak & teach at the event, which is free & open to the public. More information is available at oxac.org.

State Police arrested 38 year old Michael Sullivan of Agawam, Massachusetts & 30 year old Gabrielle Graham of Pittsfield, Massachusetts for criminal possession of a controlled substance, Sullivan was additionally charged with Unlawful Possession of Marihuana. Troopers received a complaint of a disabled vehicle on I-88 in the town of Afton; they located marijuana and a smoking pipe with residue. Sullivan and Graham were arraigned in the town of Afton Court and remanded to the Chenango County Jail on $1,000 cash bail or $2,000 bond. Their next court date is scheduled for April 23, 2018 in the town of Afton Court.

Governor Cuomo today announced a new initiative to provide teachers and coaches with resources they can use to help prevent and address substance use disorder among young people. Starting next week, the New York State Department of Health, the New York State Education Department, and the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services will notify schools statewide of the availability of flash drives loaded with materials in English and Spanish for coaches, teachers, school nurses, and other educators to use in personal conversations with students and in community forums.

The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce is hosting their 2nd Annual Comedy show at the Old Schoolhouse Inn of Downsville Saturday Night starting at 7:30 PM. Tickets & more information are available at 746-2281 or delawarecounty.org.

Democratic Congressional candidate Gareth Rhodes will appear in Sidney today. Rhodes will appear at the Sidney Golf & Country Club this morning at 9:00 AM, he is one of 7 announced candidates running for the Democratic Party Nomination for the right to face incumbent Republican Congressman John Faso for the 19th District.

Village Elections will be held in several local villages tomorrow. Locally in Afton, Sally Muller & Cynthia Burnett are running for Mayor, in Walton, Bruce Dolph, Stephen Condon, Gregory Miller & Joseph Cetta are running for 2 seats on the village board, In Unadilla, Paul Baldwin, Matthew Glynn & Jeff Jones are running for 2 seats on the village board. Polling places will be open Tuesday from 12:00 Noon until 9:00 PM.

The Delhi Girls Basketball team won their 1st title in School History Sunday with a thrilling 54-51 overtime win over Franklinville, at the Hudson Valley Community College in Albany. Delhi was 3 points down with 5 seconds to go in regulation, when senior Logan Bruce hit a 3 pointer at the buzzer to send the game into Overtime, WCDO Sports Director Nate Lull & Color Man Dave Smith with that call:

(Lull 3-19-18)

That shot tied the game at 46, Delhi would go on to win in Overtime, The Lady Bulldogs & Coach Todd Bruce end the season with a 24-2 record. The game can be heard at WCDOSPORTS.COM.

The Otsego County Planning Department & the Department of State are hosting a land use training work at the Milford Central School Auditorium on April 10th from 5:00 to 8:15 PM. 2 sessions will be offered covering planning, zoning, and General Municipal Law. To register, call the Planning Department at 547-4225 or go otsegocountyworkshop.eventbrite.com to register online.

State Police arrested 33-year-old Robert Green of Binghamton, Saturday, for felony DWI, Aggravated Unlicensed Operation, Operating a Motor Vehicle Without Interlock Device, and other traffic violations, following a report of a car off the roadway on I-88 in the town of Afton. Green is accused of driving while intoxicated, with a suspended license, the DWI charge was a felony due to a prior conviction for DWI within the last 10 years. Green was arraigned in the town of Afton Court and was remanded to the Chenango County Jail with no bail set. His next court date is on February 28th.

State Senator Fred Akshar continued his “Akshar's All-Stars” district-wide student recognition program last week. Akshar's 17th All-Star was TRACY HATTON from the Afton School District, Hatton was recognized for her incredible progress, growing from a timid and hesitant student to a confident, ambitious and hardworking student who is well on her way to becoming a special education teacher.

The Bainbridge Guilford Central School District announced that they would be holding a special forum Tuesday night, regarding the safety of the students. The Forum will begin at 6:30 PM at the Junior Senior High School Auditorium; more information is available at 967-6321 or at bgcsd.org.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 29 year old Cory Sparkes of Stamford, on charges of disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and attempted assault on a Police Officer following a disturbance at a basketball game at Stamford Central School. Sparkes was arraigned at Harpersfield Town Court and posted $5,000 bail, pending court action at a later date.

Troopers responded Wednesday to the B-G School district in Bainbridge, following a threat on social media. a 15-year-old Bainbridge girl was charged at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday with making a terroristic threat, a felony, according to Sidney troopers, who withheld her name because of her age. She was issued a juvenile appearance ticket, troopers said, and the investigation is pending.

State Police arrested 17-year-old Jacobe Wormuth for making a terroristic threat, while on a Whitney Point School Bus Thursday. Wormuth is being held in the Broome County Jail. Whitney Point Central School District officials announced that Wormuth did not have any weapons, and that the state police presence at the district was in response to the school shooting in Parkland, Florida. State Police will be maintaining a presence at the Whitney Point District through this week.

State Police are investigating reports of threats made to the Franklin Central School District. District officials were informed by State Police about an unidentified 20-year-old who made threats against members of the Franklin school community, the individual has been arrested, but is not, and never has been a Franklin resident or Franklin student. More information is available at the Franklin School District website.

Classes start tomorrow at the Afton Central School District for those who wish to become lifeguards at area pools this summer. Coordinator June White explains:

(June White 2-20-18)

More information is available about the lifeguard classes is available at 639-2811.

Voters in the Morris Central School District approved of the purchase of vehicles for the district Thursday. Voters approved by a 72 to 10 margin to purchase 1 school bus & 1 car, at a cost not to exceed about $150,000.

The Village of Afton announced that they would be holding a public meeting on Sunday February 18th from 2:00 to 4:00 PM, to show residents the draft of the Economic Revitalization Strategic Plan. The public is invited to attend, the meeting will be held in the Susquehanna Room at 105 Main Street in Afton.