WCDO Radio News

State Police and local law enforcement agencies are continuing to conduct the Thanksgiving holiday crackdown and enforcement initiative to deter unsafe driving behaviors. State investigators from the DMV will conduct underage drinking and fake ID enforcement sweeps, during what is traditionally one of the most popular weeks for young people to go to bars and taverns. The Thanksgiving traffic enforcement runs through Sunday night. During the 2015 Thanksgiving holiday crackdown, troopers arrested 218 drivers for DWI, issued 5,910 speeding tickets, 732 tickets for distracted driving, and 204 tickets for the move over law. In New York, there were 19 deaths resulting from motor vehicle crashes statewide during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend in 2015.

The Delaware County Board of Supervisors adopted the 2017 budget at their regular meeting this week. The budget increases the tax levy by 1.8%; the total County budget is just over $100,600.

START UP NY spending on advertising has been cut drastically, with no ads running since the spring. The Cuomo administration spent $544,315 marketing the economic development programs from April 2015 through mid-September 2016; they have not run any of these ads since March. The Start-Up program allows businesses to operate tax-free for 10 years if they locate near SUNY campuses, it was criticized for adding 76 jobs after the state spent millions in advertising initially.

Ski season is open in New York State, as Whiteface Mountain opened on Thanksgiving Day, 1 day ahead of schedule. Officials said that the Lake Placid area near Whiteface was hit with about 15 inches of snow last weekend, Gore and Belleayre ski resorts opened today, Belleayre received more than 10 inches of snow and Gore got about 6 inches earlier this week.

Tomorrow is Small Business Saturday across the country, Steve Craig of Commerce Chenango explains:

(Steve Craig 11-25-16)

More details about specials events are available through your local Chamber of Commerce.

State Police investigated a commercial bus accident on Interstate 81 in Cortland County Monday. The bus was owned by Covered Wagon Tours LLC of Hornell, and was occupied by 40 9th grade students and 5 adult chaperons from Rochester to New York City for a school field trip. The driver was 55-year-old Joseph Rallo of East Rochester; he attempted to avoid two other uninvolved vehicles that had lost control in snowy conditions, the bus slid off the shoulder and overturned on its side in the median. 10 students and the driver were transported to Cortland Regional Medical Center for minor injuries and were released.

Governor Cuomo today kicked off the 2016-17 skiing and snowboarding season and announced that Whiteface Mountain will open on Thursday, November 24, and Gore and Belleayre Mountains will open on Friday, November 25. Every winter season, skiing and snowboarding at New York's 51 mountains attracts millions of visitors and generates $1 billion for the state's economy.

Oneonta Police arrested 20-year-old Divonte Geiger of Rochester early Saturday morning, at the Sip & Sail Tavern.  Oneonta police responded to a disturbance where Geiger was denied entry into the tavern, & allegedly punched an employee. Geiger also is accused of striking the responding police officer in the face & attempting to flee the scene, but was apprehended following an additional scuffle. Geiger is charged with 2nd degree assault, resisting arrest, forcible touching, and trespassing, He was held pending arraignment in the Oneonta City Court.

The state labor department released their county unemployment rates for October today. Locally, Chenango County was at 4.8%, Delaware County was also at 4.8% and Otsego County was at 4.2%. The statewide unemployment rate went up 2/10's to 5.2 % in October.

Small Business Saturday will be held this Saturday, to promote small businesses in communities across the country. Steve Craig of Commerce Chenango explains:

(Steve Craig 11-22-16)

More information about Small Business Saturday & various programs & benefits associated with that can be found through your local chambers of commerce.

The New York State Department of Health today announced that it will award $7.2 million to 6 organizations over the next 5 years to establish Breastfeeding Friendly community support networks for families. The funded entities will advance broad-based policy, system and environmental changes that protect and promote breastfeeding within community settings and businesses, & will also work to help child care and healthcare providers support families who opt to breastfeed their infants.