WCDO Radio News

Sidney Federal Credit Union announced that they have exceeded $1 billion in assets and stands more than 72,000 members strong, which comes as SFCU celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, Vice President of Membership Andrew Smith explains:

(Andrew Smith 9-25-24)

Smith said that SFCU merged with Edge FCU in Liverpool, in October 2023 and opened a new branch in Cicero, in May, they operate 12 branch locations across parts

of 14 counties.

A.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 9-25-24

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that President Biden has approved her request for a Major Disaster Declaration to provide federal assistance to communities impacted by Tropical Storm Debby on August 8-10. This declaration allows for federal financial assistance to support public infrastructure reconstruction efforts in several Counties, including Broome & Delaware Counties locally. A Major Disaster Declaration secures financial assistance through FEMA, and provides funding to local governments for debris removal and repairs to buildings and infrastructure, including roads, bridges, water and wastewater treatment facilities, critical infrastructure sites, schools, parks and other facilities. Grants of up to $50,000 will be available to eligible homeowners in Delaware County locally.

Hospice & Palliative Care of Chenango County will have their annual "Celebrity Dinner" on October 3rd at the Canasawacta Country Club in Norwich, which is a major fundraiser for their programs, spokesperson Sarah Green explains:

(Sarah Green 9-25-24)

Today is the deadline to make a reservation at 334-3556.

The Broome County Sheriff’s Office is currently looking for Andrew Green on an outstanding warrant for Violation of Probation for Criminal Contempt and asking the residents of Broome County for assistance. Green is described as a Black male, 6'2" 250 pounds, a bald head & brown eyes, Anyone with information is asked to contact the Broome County Sheriff’s Office at gobroomecounty.com or by calling the Broome County Sheriff’s Office tip line at (607) 778-1196.

The 1st public meeting regarding the Norwich Downtown Revitalization Initiative was held virtually Wednesday evening. There is an Open Call for New Proposals for project within the DRI boundary to submit for consideration by the Local Planning Committee, Commerce Chenango President & CEO Kerri Green told WCDO News the timeline for projects:

(Kerri Green 2-18-22)

Green said that a Project Proposal Form can be found on the website: norwichdri.com. The Open Call for Proposals Informational Session will be held virtually on February 24th at 6:00 PM.

Sidney Police arrested 44 year old Andrew Besuglow of Afton Tuesday on a drug charge, following a vehicle and traffic complaint received on December 3rd, where Besuglow was arrested for allegedly Driving while ability impaired by drugs, the substance was sent to the State Police crime lab for processing, where it was confirmed to be Fentanyl. Besuglow was charged with Criminal possession of a controlled substance, he was arraigned in the Village of Sidney Court where he was released on his own recognizance at appear back in court at a later date.

A Female State Trooper has filed a lawsuit asking a federal court to declare that former Governor Andrew Cuomo, top aide Melissa DeRosa and state police violated her civil rights. The trooper’s name was not disclosed in the lawsuit, which was filed Thursday filed in New York City, the trooper seeks attorney fees, damages for “severe mental anguish and emotional distress,” and a declaratory judgment that Cuomo, DeRosa and state police violated civil laws on the federal, state and city level prohibiting sexual harassment.

P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 12-9-21

The Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council has awarded the City of Norwich a 10-Million-Dollar grant for the revitalization of downtown Norwich. Commerce Chenango President & CEO Kerri Green commented about the award on WCDO this morning:

(Kerri Green 12-9-21)

Green said that the area that will benefit is about 1 mile long and a quarter-mile wide and is in the existing Business Improvement District in Norwich, the Norwich Proposal can be viewed by going to ny.gov, click on downtown revitalization initiative, go to round 5 winners & scroll to Southern Tier & click on Norwich & then view DRI Application.

SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras will resign January 14th following criticism for his actions while serving as a top aide to former Governor Andrew Cuomo. Malatras was accused of sending disturbing text messages and emails regarding Lindsay Boylan, after she publicly accused Cuomo of sexual harassment, those messages were part of the investigation by Attorney General Letitia James into the former Governor's actions.

Oxford Fire Fighters responded this morning to a structure fire at 16 Merchant Street at the corner of Greene Street in the village. The Fire was reported at around 7:30 AM, the building housed several apartments & all occupants were able to escape, some pets were not able to be saved, the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has issued an Executive Order which will extend the period of time to allow driver’s licenses to remain valid until December 3. The Previous grace period ended earlier this week, the new executive Order gves people an additional month to validate their driver's license, if it expires after March 1st of this year, the DMV urges people to try to accomplish their renewal online at dmv.ny.gov.

Bidding opens at 5 pm today for Commerce Chenango’s first ever Lights, Camera, AUCTION online event! Commerce Chenango CEO & President Kerri Green explains:

(Kerri Green 11-6-20)

Revenue earned through the items donated will help to support the mission of Commerce Chenango, which includes advocacy, education, professional development, funding and economic development initiatives for all of Chenango County. Green said that the LIVE Auction, which will be held on Thursday, November 12th at 7:00 p.m. through Zoom.

Commerce Chenango Unveiled a new logo & website at a small gathering at the Canasawacta Country Club in Norwich Thursday night, Commerce Chenango CEO Kerri Green explains:

(Kerri Green 9-4-20)

The site is at commercechenango.com, Green said that members will be getting an email with log in information regarding the new website.

2 teens are still missing from the Children’s Home of Wyoming Conference, State Troopers were dispatched to the home in the town of Fenton on August 11th, are still missing.  Andrew Wellman Jr. is a 16-year-old white male with brown hair and brown eyes, he is 5’8” and weighs approximately 165 pounds, and he was last seen wearing a white windbreaker, black pants and a red/white/blue bandanna.  Wellman has ties to the Endicott area.  14 year old Giovanni Spagnola is a 14-year-old light skinned black male with brown hair and brown eyes, he is 5’6” and weighs approximately 145 pounds, he was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, dark blue or black pants and a pink/purple bandana.  Spagnola has ties to the Auburn and Syracuse area. Anyone with information is asked to call State Police at 775-1241.

Cornell
Cooperative Extension of Delaware County is partnering with NYSERDA to educate
residents about free or low cost energy Audits, through the Community Energy
Engagement Program.  There are 2 programs
designed specifically for low income families for upgrades like air Sealing or
insulation upgrades, for those who have already received an audit, more
information is available at 865-6531 or ccedelaware.org.

Congressman
Anthony Brindisi announced he is part of a bipartisan congressional delegation
letter that was sent to Governor Andrew Cuomo urging him and the state
legislature to stop the new bail reform law, following widespread opposition to
the law by Law Enforcement, District Attorneys & Victim Rights groups.

Tomorrow
is Small Business Saturday, a nationwide initiative to shop local for the
upcoming holidays, Commerce Chenango CEO Kerri Green comments:

(Kerri
Green 11-29-19)

Small
Business Saturday was first observed in the United States on November 27, 2010,
it is a counterpart to Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Commerce Chenango announced today that Kerri Green of Sidney
will succeed Steve Craig as President & CEO of Commerce Chenango starting
in August.  Green told WCDO News that she
is excited for this opportunity:

(Kerri Green 7-29-19)

Green previously served as
President of the Sidney Chamber of Commerce while she worked in Sales at WCDO,
she is also currently president of the Sidney central School District Board of
Education & also previously worked as Senior Assistant to the President at
Hartwick College in Oneonta.

The Otsego County Fair kicks off Tuesday at the Fairgrounds
in Morris.  Fair Spokesperson Lisa Jones
told WCDO News that Wednesday will have 2 new events:

(Lisa Jones 7-29-19)

The full line-up is available at otsegocountyfair.org.

16 year old Nicholas Pheilshifter pleaded guilty Thursday to
criminal possession of a weapon as a crime of terrorism, as a participant in
the plot against Islamberg in Delaware County.
Pheilshifter will be sentenced to 7 years in state prison, after serving
the first 2 years in juvenile detention.
Previously, Vincent Vetromile pleaded guilty to a weapons charge and
faces seven to 12 years in prison. Brian Colaneri and Andrew Crysel pleaded
guilty to terrorism-related conspiracy and face four to 12 years in prison.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 2-13-19

Vincent Vetromile, Brian Colaneri, Andrew Crysel, and
Nicholas Pheilshifter were indicted Monday in Monroe County Court; they were
arrested last month for allegedly plotting a violent plan against the residents
of Islamberg here in Delaware County.
The 4 had 3 homemade bombs and 23 firearms, they were charged with
criminal possession of a weapon and conspiracy.
Pheilshifter is 16 years old; his case will be handled in criminal court
or family court.

NYSEG representatives will be in
the region over the next several months conducting a safety inspection of natural
gas meters and services to ensure the safe delivery of natural gas to homes or
businesses.  The inspections are
mandatory by the New York State Public Service Commission to look for routine
leaking problems and corrosion inspections. The inspections can quickly be
completed.  NYSEG will be using the firm
DDS and Heath Consultants, and they are legitimate contractors conducting this
work on behalf of the company, they will introduce themselves and show green or
orange company identification badges before entering your home.  More information is available at dps.ny.gov &
then by searching Case Number 15-G-0244.

The River Valley News group of Pennsylvania announced that they will cease operating the Tri Town News, The Chenango American, as well as weekly newspapers in Oxford & Whitney point. Tri Town New editor Allison Collins comments:

(Allison Collins 12-13-18)

Collins said that the Tri Town News had its start in 1882 as the Sidney Record; its last issue will come out on December 21st.

The Chobani Foundation announced the recipients of Their 1st Community Impact Fund, which will provide $100,000 in grant funds to 4 beneficiaries locally. The Sidney Central School District was awarded $21,000, to incorporate a food truck into its nutritional education program. The Catskill Development Foundation was awarded $28,150 for a food and agricultural entrepreneur training program at Delaware County FoodWorks+, The Oxford Academy and Central School District was granted $30,000 to fund the salaries of 25 students working for local businesses in the 10-month Career Pathways Program, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Madison County received $20,850 to provide marketing assistance for farmers and managers of farmers markets looking to expand their businesses. The Chobani Foundation partnered with the Community Foundation for South Central New York to facilitate the grant selection process; more information is available at chobani.com/impact/chobanifoundation.

Governor Cuomo’s office announced on Tuesday of their goal to create a program for regulated marijuana use next year. The governor’s office hosted the listening sessions throughout September and October to gauge community appetite for legalizing marijuana, A study by the New York City Comptroller’s office estimated that revenues from taxes on regulated marijuana sales could bring in $3.1 billion dollars for the state. In Colorado, marijuana retailers made $1.5 billion last year and collected $247 million in taxes.

New York Farm Bureau has released its annual "Circle of Friends," naming 160 New York State Legislators to the distinguished list. The award is an indication of the individual lawmaker's support of New York agriculture and Farm Bureau. The "Circle of Friends" honor is based upon each legislator's voting record on issues of agricultural importance as well as other evidence of legislative support, including sponsorship of bills that New York Farm Bureau has either supported or opposed during the most recent legislative session, State Senators Fred Akshar, Jim Seward & John Bonacic plus Assembly members Cliff Crouch, Bill Magee, Donna Lupardo & Gary Finch were all named to the Farm Bureaus “Circle of Friends" again this year.

Governor Andrew Cuomo's office has announced the start of a child care availability task force. The group is comprised of representatives from the child care provider community, the business community, unions that represent child care providers, representatives from several state agencies and local departments of social services will develop recommendations to make quality, affordable child care accessible across the state. The task force met for the first time on Wednesday.

Voters in the Unadilla Valley School district have until 8:00 tonight to vote on the district's proposed 10 million dollar capital improvement project. Voting is being held at the District Office Lobby.

The Food and Drug Administration announced today that Del Monte Foods has recalled more than 64,000 cases of "Fiesta Corn" seasoned with red and green peppers. So far there had been no reports of illness, Del Monte determined the cans had not been properly sterilized, leading to the risk of spoilage. The corn was in 15.25-ounce cans with the UPC number printed on the label: 24000 02770, it can be returned to the point of purchase for a refund or exchange, more information is available by calling Del Monte Foods at 800-779-7035.

A.M. NEWS Thursday 12-13-18

State Police have located James Sitts, who was wanted on an arrest warrant out of the town of Oneonta Court for 2 counts of Grand Larceny. Sitts was located and arrested by City of Oneonta Police Officers on December 8, He was later transferred to the custody of State Police and was arraigned in the town of Oneonta Court where he was remanded to the Otsego Jail with no bail. His next court date is January 3rd.

The American Red Cross is hosting 2 area Blood Drives today, 1 in Oneonta from 1:00 to 6:00 PM at the Foothills Performing Arts Center, at 24 Market Street, and another in Walton from 12:00 Noon until 5:00 PM at the United Presbyterian Church, at 58 East Street Blood donors of all blood types, especially type O, appointments can be made at RedCrossBlood.org or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS

The Binghamton Rumble Ponies named Kevin Boles as the team's manager for the 2019 season. Boles joins the New York Mets organization after spending the last eleven seasons managing in the Boston Red Sox system.

Tomorrow is Election Day, with a host of important races to be decided.
For FEDERAL Positions, in the U.S. SENATE, Democratic incumbent Kirsten Gillibrand faces Republican challenger Chele Farley. In area House of Representative Races; in the 19th District: Incumbent Republican John Faso faces challenges from Democrat Antonio Delgado, Green Candidate Steven Greenfield, & Independent Dianne Neal; in the 22nd District: Republican Incumbent Claudia Tenney vs Democrat Anthony Brindisi.
- - - - - - - - - -
In key races on the County Level, for Otsego County Sheriff; Incumbent Rich Devlin faces Robert Fernandez, in the Broome County Sheriff's race: Incumbent David Harder Vs Matt Ryan. . In the race for the 6th District of the State Supreme Court: Republican Joe McBride faces Democrat Elizabeth Burns.
- - - - - - - - -
For State Offices, for Governor: 2 term Incumbent Democrat Andrew Cuomo faces challenges from Republican Marcus Molinaro, Green Party Candidate Howie Hawkins, Libertarian Larry Sharpe, & Independent Stephanie Miner; in the race for Comptroller: Incumbent Democrat Tom DiNapoli, faces Republican Jonathan Trichter & Green Candidate Mark Dunlea, for Attorney General; Democrat Letitia James, Republican Keith Wofford, Green Candidate Michael Sussman, Libertarian Christopher Garvey are running In local State Senate races, in the 42nd District, Democrat Jennifer Metzger faces Republican Ann Rabbitt, in the 51st District; Republican Incumbent Jim Seward faces Democrat Joyce St. George. In the 52nd District, Incumbent Republican Fred Akshar is unopposed. In local State Assembly races, in the 121 District: Incumbent Bill Magee faces Republican John Salka, in the 122 District Incumbent Cliff Crouch faces a challenge from Conservative Nicholas Libous, there is no Democratic candidate. In the 123rd District: Democratic incumbent Donna Lupardo is unopposed, in the 102 District: Incumbent Republican Christopher Tague faces Democrat Aidan O’Conner

There are no further plans for a debate between Gubernatorial candidates between now & Election Day. One debate was held downstate last week between Democratic Incumbent Andrew Cuomo & Republican Challenger Marcus Molinaro, Independent Stephanie Miner, Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins & Libertarian Larry Sharpe were excluded from that debate.

The Delaware County Historical Association will feature Kurt Reigel, who owns & is restoring the Andrew Mann Inn on State Route 7 Riverside Sidney. The presentation will begin at 2:00 pm Saturday regarding the building that was built in 1787; it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. There is no admission fee for this event, more information, is available at 746-3849.

Howie Hawkins of Syracuse announced today that he is running for Governor to demand more progressive reforms and system change. Hawkins finished 3rd in the 2014 Gubernatorial race. His 184,419 votes moved the Green Party up to the 4th line among ballot qualified parties.

State Police arrested a 21-year-old man following a domestic incident. Joshua Backus of Greene was charged with 2nd degree Burglary, Criminal Possession of a Stimulant, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, 4 counts of Menacing and Harassment and Unlawful Possession of Marihuana. Troopers were called to a residence in the Town of Oxford to investigate a domestic dispute; Backus pushed 2 subjects and threatened them with a hammer, pointed a gun at them and attempted to hit them with his vehicle. Troopers observed Backus drive by the residence, he was arrested, arraigned and was remanded to the Chenango County Jail on $40,000 cash bail or $80,000 bond pending Grand Jury action on April 18th.

State Police arrested 23 year old Tylor Airwyke or Windsor on several counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance plus Criminal Possession of Marihuana. Troopers observed Airwyke traveling on State Highway 12 in the town of Greene, he was subsequently stopped, troopers learned that Airwyke’s license was suspended; they seized MDMA, cocaine and marijuana. Airwyke was arraigned in the Town of Greene Court; he was remanded to the Chenango County Jail on $25,000 cash bail or $50,000 bond.

State Police arrested 3 local residents for 2nd degree Burglary that occurred October 15, 2017 at a home on State Route 206 in the town of Masonville. Rifles, tools and boxes of ammunition were taken, Investigators arrested 37 year old Jarred Cutting of Masonville in January, he was arraigned and was remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $5,000 cash bail or $10,000 bond. On Feburary 1, 30 year old Andrew Baker of Bainbridge, was arrested for Resisting Arrest & burglary, he was arraigned & was remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $2,500 cash bail or $5,000 bond. Investigators later learned Casey Smith was incarcerated in the Otsego County Jail on unrelated charges. Smith was arrested by Investigators last week, & was arraigned and was returned to the Otsego County Jail.

Chenango County District Attorney Joseph McBride announced that Jury selection will continue Monday April 9 in the murder trial of Jeremy Coates. Coates is accused of Killing David Green in Oxford in 2016, Jury selection began Monday of this week and 12 jurors were selected before exhausting the entire list of potential jurors. A new list of potential jurors will report on Monday to continue selection for the required alternate jurors, that will be followed by opening statements and witness testimony. The trial is expected to last two weeks.

The Village of Sidney hosted an informal meeting with architects responsible for the design of the “Green Plain” project, at the Community Field behind the Sidney Memorial Park. Place Alliance Landscape Architect Andrew Bohne told WDCO news where they are at & what the timeline is;

(Andrew Bohne 2-28-18)

Bohne said that the money was only recently made available for this part of the Sidney flood mitigation program, & phase one is underway.

The Village of Sidney announced a public meeting for village residents next week, regarding another phase of flood mitigation efforts, specifcally the "Green Plain". The meeting will be held Tuesday from 5:00 to 7:00 PM in the Sidney civic Center.

Democratic governors of Northeastern states announced that they have formed a coalition to work collectively to fight gun violence. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo & the governors of New Jersey, Rhode Island and Connecticut will sign a memorandum of understanding to develop ways the states can jointly develop shared law-enforcement efforts, so that they can share data on suspects and on gun purchases. The announcement comes after the deadly shooting this month at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 students.

The Unadilla Chamber of Commerce will have its next regular meeting today at Green's Long River Inn, State Route 357, in Unadilla beginning at 8:15 am. Nominations for Business of the Years and Good Neighbor/Commitment to Community are to be turned in at this meeting for selection with honorees to be honored at the Annual Dinner meeting on Sunday, April 23 at the Unadilla Methodist Church, Main Street, Unadilla. All members and directors are urged to attend.

Many area villages will hold elections for local positions today. many of the races have candidates running unoopposed, In Sidney Andrew Skrobanski is running unopposed for Village court justice, in Milford Taylor Brose, Michael Strong & William Tallman are running for 2 seats on the village board.

State Police stopped a vehicle traveling west on State Route 17 in the Town of Sanford for a traffic infraction. Troopers conducted a search of the vehicle and discovered approximately 7 ½ pounds of marihuana. 22 year old Andrew Reid of Queens, was arrested for second-degree criminal possession of marihuana, he was arraigned in the Town of Sanford Court and remanded to the Broome County Jail without bail. 20 year old Andeka Morgan of Queens was charged with unlawful possession of marihuana and released.

THE UNADILLA CHAMBER of Commerce IS HOSTING THE 4 CHAMBER MIXER at Green's Long River Inn, Unadilla today. The Meeting will begin at 6:30 pm for members of the Unadilla, Sidney, and Bainbridge & Afton Chambers of Commerce.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a reported bomb threat at DCMO BOCES Harold Campus in the Town of Masonville Thursday. A written threat to the building was located in a bathroom, students were evacuated & The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office and State Police Explosives Detection K9 unit searched the school and were unable to locate explosives. 16-year-old Andrew Slentz of New Berlin was arrested for 1st degree filing a False Report; he was arraigned in the Town of Masonville Court and remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $500 cash bail. Slentz will reappear in the Town of Masonville Court at a later date.

The Sidney Chamber of Commerce will hold their annual Holiday House Decorating Contest this weekend, Chamber Spokesperson Kerri Green explains:

(Kerri Green 12-18-15)

Green said that those wishing to be judged should leave their decorations lit Tonight, Saturday Night & Sunday Night.

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today that State Police, local and municipal law enforcement agencies will increase patrols to crack down on drunk driving and underage drinking this Halloween weekend. The special traffic enforcement detail will begin today and continue through Sunday. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, from 2009 to 2013, 43% of all people killed in motor vehicle crashes across the U.S. on Halloween night were in crashes involving a drunk driver. Motorists can expect to see a number of sobriety checkpoints and additional patrols. Troopers will also conduct a special enforcement detail to crack down on the sale of alcohol to minors.

26-year-old Timothy Green of New Berlin has been charged with forgery and Grand Larceny following an investigation by the State office of the Inspector General. Green was a substitute worker for the New York State Office for the People with Developmental Disabilities in Norwich, he is accused of submitting fraudulent time sheets for work that he did not do, which resulted in over $39,000 in payments. Green was arraigned in the Town of Guilford court and remanded to the Chenango County jail on $50,000 cash bail or $100,000 property bond.

New York State is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the apprehension and arrest of Richard Matt and David Sweat, who escaped from the Clinton correctional facility. Governor Andrew Cuomo commented:

(Cuomo 6-8-15)

David Sweat is 34 years old; white, 5’11” tall, 165 pounds, brown hair and green eyes, with tattoos on his left bicep and his right fingers. Sweat is serving a sentence of life without parole for the Murder of Broome County Deputy Kevin Tarsia on July 4, 2002. Richard Matt is 48 years old, white, 6’ tall, 210 pounds, with black hair and hazel eyes. He has tattoos on his back: “Mexico Forever”, a heart on his chest and left shoulder, and a Marine Corps insignia on his right shoulder, he is serving a sentence of 25 years to life for 3 counts of murder, 3 counts of kidnapping, and 2 counts of robbery after he kidnapped a male victim and caused his death on December 3, 1997. Both are considered dangerous, if located DO NOT approach them, call 911.

Chenango County Sheriff's department arrested 24-year-old Andrew Cleveland of New Berlin Thursday on an active arrest warrant for promoting prison contraband, & introducing a dangerous drug into the correctional facility. Cleveland was taken into custody in New Berlin without incident; he was arraigned and remanded to the correctional facility on cash bail to reappear in the Town of Norwich Court at a later date.

State Police are assisting the Village of Walton Police Department in the investigation of an Armed Robbery Friday at approximately 6:44 pm at Smokers Choice store at 169 Delaware Street in Walton. The suspect is believed to be approximately 5'4" and was wearing a Spiderman mask and green sweatshirt with a distinctive design. Suspect may have fled in a late 2000 pine green Toyota Tacoma small pick up truck with a white cap, headed up East Street. Anyone with information should call Troop C headquarters at 561-7400.

Former New York Governor Mario Cuomo has been hospitalized to treat a heart condition, the 82 year old Cuomo was governor for 3 terms from 1983-1995, he was hospitalized over the Thanksgiving holiday when current Governor Andrew Cuomo visited. DetaiLs about the former Governor's condition will be released shortly.

A.m. news Tuesday 11-4-14
It's Election Day, with the big races on the ballot. The race for governor pits incumbent Democrat Andrew Cuomo, against Republican Rob Astorino & Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins is on the ballot again. In the State Attorney General's race, Incumbent democrat Eric Schneiderman faces Republican John Cahill. In the race for State Comptroller, incumbent Democrat Tom DiNapoli faces Republican Robert Antonacci. In races of local interest, for the 19th Congressional District, Republican Incumbent Chris Gibson faces democrat Sean Eldridge. In the 52nd State Senate district, Incumbent Republican Tom Libous faces Democrat Anndrea Starzak. In the State Assembly in the 121st Assembly District, incumbent Democrat Bill Magee faces a challenge from republican John Salka. In Sidney, Republican Loddie Marsh is running on the Democratic party line, while Jody Proffitt carries the Republican spot on the ballot for a town council seat. In Oneonta, Patricia Kent faces independent David Rowley for a town board seat. InFranklin, Republicans Donald Smith and Lisa Huyck are vying for two seats on the town council against independents Donald Hebbard and Bryan Babcock. There are also 3 propositions on the ballot; 1 proposal seeks to reform the redistricting process to an independent commission. The 2nd measure have lawmakers receive copies of proposed legislation digitally rather than on print out, the 3rd would allow the state to borrow up to $2 billion for high-speed Internet, equipment & high-tech security features for schools.

New York voters may have only one chance to see the candidate’s debate before this year's gubernatorial election. Republican Rob Astorino will not accept an invitation to a one-on-one public radio debate with Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo that was set for later this month. That leaves a single televised debate in Buffalo with Cuomo, Astorino, Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins and Libertarian Michael McDermott. A date for the Buffalo debate has not been announced. The election is Nov. 4

Tomorrow, residents across the state will vote on school budget, and elect candidates to school boards.  Most of the area school districts kept their tax levy increase at 1% to 2%, the Sidney school district actually has a decrease of 2.5% in their tax levy, Norwich & Greene have 0% increases, the Walton central school district is requesting a 5,5% increase, & the Greene school district is seeking a 3% increase.  School board races will be on the ballot in the Oneonta, Oxford & Unadilla valley district.

Howie Hawkins of Syracuse won the Green Party nomination for governor of New York again. Hawkins won the nomination on Saturday in Troy. In 2010, Hawkins received 59,906 votes, more than any other 3rd party candidate who ran against Democrat Andrew Cuomo.  The centerpiece of the Green Party is a proposal to build a 100 percent clean energy by 2030, which they claim could create 4.5 million new jobs over the next 15 years.