WCDO Radio News

P.M. NEWS FRIDAY 2-7-25

A Winter Storm Watch is in effect Saturday night, local meteorologist Rich Townsend explains:

(Rich Townsend 2-7-25)

We will have the complete tri-county forecast at the end of this news cast.

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The Norwich Police Department, the Norwich City School District and the Vestal Police Department have teamed up to bring interested Norwich High School Students to the Youth Police Academy in Vestal this summer, Norwich Police Department School Resource Officer Nicholas Moody explains:

(Nicholas Moody 2-7-25)

Officer Moody said that the Norwich City School District will provide daily transportation for the students to attend this training. Students interested should sen an email to nmooney@norwichpd.org and ask for an application.

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The Norwich High School Hall of Distinction Committee announced the 2025 induction ceremony will be on Labor Day Weekend, coinciding with Alumni Weekend, they will recognize and commemorate alumni of Norwich High Schools who have made outstanding contributions, according to spokesman Anthony Testani:

(Anthony Testani 2-7-25)

The Hall of Distinction committee is currently taking applications for the 2nd induction class they can be sent by email to rturnbull@norwichcsd.org, the deadline is May 31, 2025.

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27 year old Alison Ward of Randolph, New Jersey appeared in the Town of Colchester and pleaded guilty to Driving While Intoxicated, Ward was sentenced to a 1-year conditional discharge, she will have to attend a Victim Impact Panel, complete an Impaired Driver Program, her license was revoked for 6 months, and an ignition interlock device will have to be installed on any vehicle she drives for a minimum of one year, if she violates the terms she could be re-sentenced to 1 year in jail. On July 14, 2023, Ward was pulled over by Town of Colchester Police after she crossed the double yellow line on State Highway 206, nearly striking a pickup truck head on, she failed Field Sobriety Tests at the scene.

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A.M. NEWS FRIDAY 2-7-25

State Police & Local Law Enforcement agencies will be out this weekend, for their annual Super Bowl patrols. Police will be looking for drunk and impaired drivers, distracted drivers as well as aggressive drivers. During the 2024 Super Bowl weekend campaign, law enforcement officers arrested 262 people for impaired driving and issued 8,388 total tickets.

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Another Red Cross Blood Drive is being held today at the Franklin Fire Department from 12:30 PM TO 5:30PM. Appointments can be made at redcrossblood.org, by calling 1-800-redcross or using the Blood Donor App.

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The Community Cultural Center in Sidney will have their next Comedy Night tonight with 2 comedians scheduled to perform, according to spokesperson Amy Williams:

(AMY WILLIAMS 2-7-25)

Tickets are available at the door, more information is available at the Community Cultural Center Facebook page.

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THE JERICHO ARTS COUNCIL will host Blues & Rock Band BLUE TONIC, Saturday Night at the Bainbridge Town Hall Theatre, at 7:00 PM, Council Spokesman Phil Wade explains:

(Phil Wade 2-7-25)

In the Gallery will be the works of SCOTT HIGBEE. Tickets can be reserved at (607) 288-3882

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P.M. NEWS MONDAY 2-6-23

Broome County District Attorney Mike Korchak announced that Johnnie Hardwick of Binghamton pleaded guilty to Attempted Robbery, in Broome County Court. Hardwick admitted that on October 21st 2022, he entered Weis Markets on Pennsylvania Avenue in Binghamton and stole merchandise, when confronted by a store employee Hardwick pulled out a large knife threatening the worker. Hardwick was apprehended by the Binghamton Police Department a short time later. Hardwick had a lengthy criminal record, including for Sexual Abuse in 2011 and Attempted Robbery in 2002 in New York City, he will face 12 years to life in New York State prison on April 26th,

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The Susquehanna Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will host a Community Cat Forum Thursday, beginning at 4:00 PM at the Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center, 24 Market St., Oneonta. Susquehanna SPCA Executive Director Stacie Haynes told WCDO News that the event is to address the issues of Feral cats in large numbers in many area communities & how to deal with the issue:

(Stacie Haynes 2-6-23)

Haynes said that this event is free and open to the public.

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Preliminary Information regarding this morning's Earthquake has been released by the U.S. Geological Survey, showed that the earthquake registered a magnitude 3.8 on the Richter Scale, it was centered about near West Seneca at 6:15 AM. More information is available at earthquake.usgs.gov.

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Local government sales tax collections in New York state totaled $22.1 billion in calendar year 2022, up 12.7%, or $2.5 billion, from 2021 due to strong sales statewide, according to a report released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. Every county saw some year-over-year growth in sales tax collections in 2022, Yates County had the strongest growth at 21.1%, followed by the counties of Lewis (14.9%), Montgomery (12.4%) and Schoharie (11.8%). Locally, Chenango had a 2.4% increase in Tax Collections, the full report can be found at osc.state.ny.us.

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WCDO Sports Director Nate Lull started a Scholarship for area High School Seniors last year, with a couple of fundraisers held to raise funds for the desired amounts for the scholarships. Lull said that the fundraisers were successful and now it the time for interested seniors to apply:

(Nate Lull 2-6-23)

The Scholarships will be awarded in June for 2 students, the criteria & Applications are available at NATE LULL.COM. The deadline to apply is May 5th.

A.M. NEWS MONDAY 2-6-23

The Otsego County Health Department will be offering a bivalent COVID 19 Booster Vaccine at the Meadows Office Complex today, from 4:00 to 6:00 PM. Registration can be found on the Otsego County Health Department Website, more information is available at 607-547-4230.

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Congressman Marc Molinaro was selected to serve as Chairman of the House Small Business Committee's Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development. The Subcommittee will be focused on policies that spur economic growth, & propel the development and adoption of emerging technologies.

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Otsego County Sheriff's Office arrested 35 year old Anthony Ward of Oneonta following a traffic stop in the Town of Otego on January 30. Ward was charged with Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle for allegedly operating a motor vehicle on a public highway with a suspended driver’s license, he was ordered to appear in Town of Otego Court at a later date.

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Otsego County Sheriff's Office arrested 19 year old Jason Hoffman of Brooklyn, for Aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and No Tail Lamps, following a traffic stop in the Town of Oneonta on January 30th. Hoffman is accused of operating a vehicle with a suspended driver’s license, he was ordered to appear in Town of Oneonta Court at a later date.

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Tomorrow is Election Day in New York State, locally, 5
people are running for 3 spots in the State Supreme Court 6th
District, they are Democrats Pete Charnetysky & Claudette Newman &
Republicans Chris Baker, Oliver Blaise, Mark Masler.  In Delaware County for the Sidney Town
Clerk's position, Incumbent Lisa French faces Republican Sheila Paul,   In Delhi & Hamden Town Council races;
each race has 3 candidates for 2 seats.
There are races in 3 districts of the Otsego County Board of
Representatives in districts 2, 3 & 14, there is an election for Laurens
Town Supervisor between Democrat Dean Buccheri & Republican David Neske,
and there are town council seat races in Butternuts, Hartwick, Laurens, New Lisbon,
Oneonta, and Worcester.  In the City of
Oneonta, there are races for common council seats in Wards 2, 4, 5, 6 &
8.  In Chenango County, there is an
election for Norwich City Mayor between incumbent Christine Carnrike, Jill
Osterhoudt-Kraft, Shawn Sastri & former Mayor Joe Maiurano; there are races
for Norwich City Council seats in wards 3 & 5, for Town of Norwich
Supervisor, the voters will decide between Debra Cubbedge & Stanley
Foulds.  In the Town of Coventry, a race
exits for Supervisor between Jan Andrews vs. Jennifer Boudreau.  In the town of Guilford Supervisor's race,
incumbent George Senek faces a challenge from Write-In candidate Dan
Harrington.   In the Guilford Town Council,
2 seats are up between Terence Ives, Richard Dunnigan, Gilda Ward, plus Write
Ins:  Rebecca Young and Duane Reif for
Town Council,   for Town of Pharsalia
Supervisor, the race is between Jeremiah Micklas vs. David Soule & there
are 3 candidates for 2 seats on the Town of Plymouth board.

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16 year old Alexis Lotterman of Walton & 17 year old
Tatiana Febo of Downsville will have their 1st degree Burglary cases moved to
Otsego County Family Court, in connection with the murder of 53 year old
Kenneth Robinson in Worcester on October 10th.
15 year old Dylan Robinson, 16 year old Alexander Borggreen  15 year old Anais Soto & 32 year old
Nicolas Meridy are all charged with 2nd degree murder & 1st degree Burglary
for the Robinson Murder, all are being held pending future court action.

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Governor Cuomo announced that New York's law raising the
minimum sales age from 18 to 21 for tobacco and electronic cigarette products
beginning November 13th.   The law seeks
to prevent cigarettes and vaping products from getting into the hands of our
youth, & creating an addiction to a deadly habit.   According to the State Department of Health,
almost 40% of 12th grade students and 27% of all high school age students are
now using e-cigarettes, and this increase is largely driven by flavored
e-liquids.   The State Police will
partner with the Department of Health to conduct undercover investigations
across the state, retailers found selling tobacco and vaping products to
underage individuals will face criminal penalties in addition to civil
penalties.

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Sidney village police Arrested
21 year old Caleb Zuk of Sidney for Criminal possession of a controlled
substance, Criminal possessing a hypodermic instrument and Aggravated
unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle last Thursday.  Zuk was processed & face court action at
a later date.

Orlando Tercero has been found guilty of the Nicaraguan
charge of Femicide, for the murder of Haley Anderson IN Binghamton last
year.  Tercero was wanted in Broome
County for the murder of Hailey Anderson in his Binghamton Apartment, he fled
to his home country, where he was tried & found guilty of Anderson’s
murder.  He is expected to serve 25 to 35
years in jail in Nicaragua.

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State Police Sergeant Robert Bloom was on his way to a
graduation ceremony Friday to play with the pipes and drums and dressed in a
kilt,  when saw smoke on Tioga Terrace in
Apalachin just after 12:00 noon, he located the burning building, discovered
that a male was bedridden inside.
Sergeant Bloom, the bedridden man’s father and a neighbor entered the
burning residence, got the man into a wheelchair and out of the home.  All were taken to area hospitals for smoke
inhalation.  Sergeant Bloom is a 7-year
veteran of the State Police, and is currently works out of State Police
Headquarters at Troop C in Sidney.

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The Unatego Board of Education is expected to make a
decision as to which proposal to accept for the Former Otego Elementary School
Building at their regular Board meeting tonight at 7:00 PM at the Middle
School/High School cafeteria in Wells Bridge.
Unatego Superintendent Dr. Dave Richards said that the 3 proposals are
down to 2 for tonight:

(Dr. Dave Richards 11-4-19)

The remaining proposals are from Dirig Design of Wells
Bridge & Oneonta Christian Academy.

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Congressman Anthony Brindisi announced that Chenango Health
Network would receive a Drug Free Communities grant of more than $100,000 per
year for five years. The Drug Free Communities grant program provides grants to
community organizations to strengthen partnerships in the region and help
reduce youth substance abuse.

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The 57th General Clinton Canoe regatta was held
over the Memorial Day Weekend, with over 1000 paddlers from 22 states & 5
Canadian Provinces participating.

In the men’s NYMCRA stock Race, Mike & Wayne Himes of
Otego took 1st place; they spoke with WCDO’s Craig Stevens:

(Himes 5-29-19)

In one of the largest C1 Pro fields Rod McLain from Maine
was able to use high water conditions from Milford down to his advantage to
take 1st place: he talked to WCDO’s Craig Stevens after the race:

(Rod McLain 5-28-19)

Oneonta resident Trevor LeFever took 2nd place in
the C2 Pro class with his partner Ben Schlimmer of Camillus; he discussed what
it is like to race against Canoe Racing Legend Serge Corbin:

(Trevor LeFever 5-29-19)

Complete results of the races are available at
canoeregatta.org.

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A Ribbon Cutting ceremony was held at the Sidney Central
School District today along with the Raymond Corporation of Greene, for the
opening of their Raymond welding Center.
Sidney Welding Program Advisor Joseph Waltz told WCDO News about the
full year course

(Joseph Waltz 5-28-19)

Raymond Corporation representative Dan Quiter Jr. told WCDO
News that this program is the first of its kind locally:

(Dan Quiter Jr 5-28-19)

The program was started through the efforts of 6 Sidney
Students and a Raymond Corporation Advisor.

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Communities & Educators are looking at ways to curb
tobacco use & the use of fruit flavored E-Cigarettes like Juul, that are hooking
a whole new generation of people getting addicted to Nicotine.  Linda Wegner of Advancing Tobacco Free
Communities of Delaware, Otsego & Schoharie Counties explains;

(Linda Wegner 5-28-19)

Wegner said that 1 Juul packet contains as much nicotine as
an entire pack of tobacco cigarettes and her group is continuing to try to
educate local residents not to be tricked into nicotine use & addiction.

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An amended marijuana legalization bill was introduced on
Friday by lawmakers in Albany, which more closely echoes what Governor Cuomo
wanted in the bill earlier this year.
The bill includes the Office of Cannabis Management to regulate
commercial and medical marijuana; it would also expunge the records of those
who have committed marijuana-based offenses in the past.   Opponents to Marijuana legalization site
potential issues with traffic safety and increased links to mental illnesses
such as Schizophrenia & violence.

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Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies charged 40-year-old
Jeffrey Bosket of Tompkins with 2 counts of harboring a dangerous dog in
violation of Agriculture and Markets Law. The charge follows an investigation
where an individual was allegedly bitten by 2 dogs owned by Bosket in the Town
of Tompkins. Bosket was issued tickets and was scheduled to appear before the
Town of Tompkins Court at a later date to answer for the charges.

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State Senator Fred Akshar released a new Community Voice
Survey on a proposal to end religious and any other non-medical exemptions for
vaccination for children attending school in New York State.  All 50 states require that students be vaccinated
for diseases like measles, mumps, chicken pox and polio among many others, all
states allow exemptions for medical reasons, but 47 (including New York) allow
exemptions for religious reasons.   The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that measles was eradicated
in 2000; however 940 measles cases were reported nationwide this year, with
more than half of those reported in New York City & Rockland County.   Akshar is asking his constituents to weigh
in on Senate bill S.2994 which would repeal all non-medical exemptions from vaccination
requirements for children; the survey is available at Akshar.NYSenate.Gov.

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New York State will not be
funding a housing development with 64 units in Oneonta' 6th Ward.  The RSS development announced their plans
last year, with residents speaking out about the plans to have some people in
the development recovering from substance abuse.  Governor Cuomo recently announced that 6
organizations in The Southern Tier would receive $21.3 million in tax credits
and low-interest loans from the State Homes & Community Renewal’s 2018
Unified Funding applications; the Oneonta RSS project was not included.

The 57th General Clinton canoe regatta was held over the
Memorial Day weekend, with over 1000 pro & Amateur Paddlers from 22 states
& 5 Canadian Provinces participating.

The 2 person pro race was won by Steve Lajoie & Jimmy
Pellerin, who completed the 70 mile course in 7:15:23, they spoke with WCDO’s
Craig Stevens

(Lajoie/Pellerin 5-28)

The Duo beat 2nd place finishers Trevor LeFever of Oneonta
& Ben Schlimmer of Camillus by 2 minutes, but 2nd place wasn’t easy as they
beat out Guillaume Blaise & Samuel Friggone for Quebec by just 1 second,
Schlimmer spoke to Craig Stevens about the close ending:

(Schlimmer 5-28)

62 year old Regatta champion Serge Corbin & his partner
Normand Mainguy finished 4th in the pro race, he talked with WCDO’s Craig
Stevens after the race;

(Serge Corbin 5-28)

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

The Michigan Team of Bruce & Roxanne Barton, Tim
Triebold & Weston Willoughby won the C4 Race with a time of 7:37:45;  Local Paddler Bob Zaveral of Mount Upton
spoke to Craig Stevens after his 4 person team finished 2nd in the C-4 race
yesterday:

(Zaveral 5-28)

Walton father Son team Bill & Lucas Walley won the tough
stock aluminum race by 40 minutes over the 2nd place finishers, Lucas Walley
talked about racing with the heavier canoes to WCDO’s Craig Stevens:

(Lucas Walley 5-28)

Complete results can be found at canoeregatta.org.

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The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce will host a FREE
workforce development event today aimed at business owners and managers who are
struggling to hire staff or have employees in drug and/or alcohol treatment and
recovery.  Representatives from the
Delaware County Probation Department, Delaware County Drug Treatment Court, CDO
Workforce and the Department of Labor will participate, the session will be
held at 10:00 AM at the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce at 5 1/2 Main
Street, Delhi, more information is available at 746-2281.

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Congressman Anthony Brindisi will be hosting a listening
session on rising prescription drug costs in Binghamton Today.  The event will include health care
professionals, seniors, and community leaders, at the Koffman Southern Tier
Incubator at 120 Hawley Street at 11:30 a.m.

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Attorney General Letitia James announced a settlement with
Oneonta Elks, over their wrongful use of over $480,000 charitable assets from
the estate of a benefactor whose last will and testament directed that the
funds be used to help the needs of children, people with disabilities, and the
elderly.   The Oneonta Elks are required
to repay those funds, after the investigation determined that the Oneonta Elks
repeatedly appropriated and expended almost $170,000 to pay for capital
improvements to its lodge building and property, as well as covering general
operating expenses, rather than for the intended purposes.

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A Chenango County area Drug Take-Back Day has been announced for July 19th starting at 10:00 AM until 12:00 Noon at the Afton Free Library at 105 Main Street, Afton. Various organizations are teaming up for the event, where people can dispose of old, expired & unused medications, in order to keep them out of the wrong hands & out of the Waste Stream.

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Utica Democratic Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi already announced his intentions to run for the 22nd congressional district in November 2018, at a press conference in Utica this morning. Brindisi seeks to unseat Republican Claudia Tenney, who is only 6 months into her first term in Congress. The 22nd congressional district covers part of Chenango & Broome Counties locally. Brindisi will reschedule a press conference for Binghamton that was postponed today due to the extraordinary session of the Assembly called by Governor Cuomo for today in Albany.

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Lawmakers were called back to Albany today for an Extraordinary session to deal with some left over legislation that was not dealt with before the end of the 2017 session last Wednesday. Local Assemblyman Cliff Crouch said that some of the bills really should be dealt with by the local municipalities, and not the state legislature:

(Cliff Crouch 6-28-17)

In the last weeks of the legislative session, state lawmakers had to decide on what Crouch called "Home Rule" issues, like allowing for counties to continue to collect sales tax, in addition to the issue of New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio overseeing the City schools.

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The Catskill Area Hospice is holding their annual fundraising concert in Oneonta this evening. The headlining act will be Daughtry, with opening acts Brett Young & Night Ranger, at the 6th Ward Booster Club Field at Scramling Avenue off of River Street in Oneonta. Tickets for the 5:45 PM show are available at hospicetickets.com; proceeds will help the Catskill area Hospice, serving those with end of life issues.

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Chobani unveiled its 1st entry into non-Greek, classic yogurt today with Chobani Smooth. Chobani's attempt to break into the traditional yogurt market, after making their Greek Style Yogurt the number 1 style since they opened their first plant in Chenango County ten years ago in New Berlin. Yogurt sales top $8 billion dollars a year currently in the US.

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Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies & local EMT’s responded to a 1 car roll-over accident with entrapment, at approximately 2:00 PM Tuesday on State Highway 28 in the Town of Middletown. 78 year old Doris Hubar of Margaretville was extricated from the overturned vehicle & was transported to Margaretville Memorial Hospital and was transferred to Albany Medical Center for further treatment. Hubar may have experienced a medical emergency while driving, causing her to lose control & flip her vehicle after striking a tree. No tickets have been issued, the investigation is continuing.

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The Guernsey Library of Norwich will host a “Movies Under the Stars” event tonight with a showing of “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” in conjunction with the Norwich Merchants Association. The movie will start at about 8:30 PM; movie goers are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs & blankets for tonight’s presentation.

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The Tri-Town Coalition On Substance Abuse Prevention meeting will be this evening at 6:00 pm in the Sidney Middle School Cafeteria-Gym. The agenda for the meeting will be action planning for the upcoming 2017/2018 coalition year. This meeting will be led by the Prevention Resource Center and the National Guard Counterdrug Task Force.

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Delaware County municipal leaders will listen to suggestions on ways in which they might be able to save money by sharing services or eliminating duplicated services at a public hearing today. The hearing will begin at 3:00 PM at the Delaware County Office Building on Main Street in Delhi. Delaware County Chamber staff will present cost-saving initiatives to those who have been tasked with presenting ideas to the Governor's office. Governor Andrew Cuomo has encouraged municipalities to come up with ways to share services to save taxpayer dollars.

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State Police investigated a 1-vehicle rollover accident on I-86 in the Town of Windsor late Thursday night. 22-year-old Andrew Fuerteperez of The Bronx drifted off the roadway in his SUV & rolled over into a ditch. The rear seat passenger, 19-year-old Darien Frias of The Bronx was ejected, as he did not have his seat belt on. He was transported to Wilson Hospital with skull fractures & died from his injuries Friday. The front seat passenger, 19-year-old Samantha Figueroa of The Bronx suffered a shoulder injury, Fuerteperez was transported to Wilson Hospital with a head laceration, he was treated & released. The investigation is continuing.

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State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli's office conducted an audit of Otsego County's rising costs for those needing temporary housing. Officials house individuals in motels for $50 a night and families in the Shelter for $75 a night per individual without a discount for families. DiNapoli's office recognized that external factors contributing to the difficulty in finding reasonably priced permanent housing within the County, such as the decline in the economy, 2 local colleges with students using off-campus housing and the increase in tourism due to the baseball camps in the Cooperstown and Oneonta areas. The Comptrollers recommendations include collecting relevant data necessary to monitor The program’s performance, Evaluate the use of the Shelter to determine if it’s meeting their goals in a cost-efficient manner & Contact neighboring counties to identify critical differences in the strategies employed for temporary housing.

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Governor Cuomo announced that 76West is now accepting applications for innovative, clean-energy businesses to locate or create jobs in the Southern Tier. The competition includes 4 years of annual $1 million grand prizes, to create jobs, attract entrepreneurs and support the Governor's Reforming the Energy Vision strategy. Each year, 76West will distribute a total of $2.5 million in prizes, consisting of a $1 million grand prize, one $500,000 award and four $250,000 awards. Additional support and services may also be available, including mentorship and incubator space.

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The Catskill Area Hospice has announced that their annual Celebrity party will be held on Friday, July 1st featuring Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo. The event will take place at the 6th Ward Athletic Club field in Oneonta, tickets for the general public go on sale February 12th at CAHPC.org.

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State Senator Republican are expected to battle the Governor Again this year on the "Dream Act" State Senator John Bonacic comments:

(Bonacic 2-2-16)

The Dream Act was proposed by Governor Cuomo Last year & passed in the State Assembly but failed to gather support in the State senate.

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The Oneonta Parks & Recreation Committee will hold their next regular meeting today. The meeting will begin at 7:00 PM at the Common Council Chamber in City Hall.

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The American Cancer Society Relay for Life team captain meeting will be held tonight at the United Methodist Church in Sidney at 5:30 PM. This year's Tri-Town Relay for Life will be held on May 14th at the General Clinton Park in Bainbridge, more information is available at 563-9634.

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The annual Delaware County Fair dinner was held Saturday at the Walton fire house. Fair Board member Danny Hodges said that they have a headliner for the Saturday night concert this year:

(Danny Hodges 1-30-16)

Hodges said that they expect to announce the opening act for the Saturday night Frankie Ballard concert shortly.

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Congressman Chris Gibson’s name continues to be mentioned as a possible Republican Gubernatorial candidate; Gibson told WCDO News that if he plans to run, he has to make a decision soon in order to raise enough money to go against Governor Cuomo large campaign fund:

(Gibson 1-30-16)

Gibson was in Walton Saturday for the annual Delaware county Fair dinner. Gibson declined to run or another term in Congress

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State Police Arrested 22 year old Anthony Viviano of Deposit for driving while ability impaired by drugs, unlawful possession of marihuana and other traffic tickets. The arrest occurred after troopers received a report of pickup truck possible being driven by an intoxicated person on State Route 79 in the Town of Colesville. The trooper located the pickup truck a short distance away in a ditch, Viviano was found to unlawfully possess about seven grams of marihuana. He consented to a test of his blood for drugs at Wilson Hospital, the lab results are pending. Viviano was issued tickets returnable to the Town of Colesville Court on February 3rd.

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There will be a Red Cross blood drive at Tri-Town Regional Hospital, in Sidney today. Donation time will be between 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. You may make an appointment at RedCrossBlood.org, or by calling 1-800-RedCross. Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins are welcome.

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A former Binghamton landmark has been destroyed by fire.  Flames engulfed an empty warehouse at 115 Montgomery Street last night, with firefighters still on the scene this morning.  The building once house Pa’s Woodshed and a series of clubs, it had been vacant for several years.  Investigators will try to determine what caused the fire shortly.

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The Oneonta Common Council hired a police officer Anthony Capristo at last night’s meeting at city hall.  The council also approved 4th ward alderman Michael Lynch to be acting mayor, and approved members of boards and commissions at last nights meeting, the first meeting of 2013.

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The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 was passed by Congress and signed by the President, extending deadlines for Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC) through December 2013.  The legislation allows the program to continue the same, as before, more information is available at labor.ny.gov.

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Oneonta city police charged 22-year-old Marissa Hetzel with 2nd degree vehicular assault, leaving the scene of a person injury accident & DWI and several lesser charges, following the report of a bicyclist being hit by a vehicle Tuesday morning on the Lettis Highway.  Police reported that the unidentified bicyclist suffered multiple fractures, severe head and chest trauma, and was taken first to Fox Hospital and later to Bassett hospital in Cooperstown for emergency surgery.  Hetzel was arraigned in Oneonta City Court and was released on $2,500 bail, pending re-appearance in court at a later date.

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Oneonta police arrested an area woman on charges of DWI early Tuesday morning.  44-year-old Lisa Sperry of Oneonta was charged following an investigation into a property damage accident in the Clinton Plaza parking lot off of Main Street.  Sperry faces court action at a later date.

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The Delaware valley humane society is in need of bedding for the many animals currently house at the site on east Main Street in Sidney.  Karen Crawford at the humane society explains:

(Karen Crawford 1-3-13)

Those who would like more information about the humane society’s needs, or the adoption process for the many animals there, can call 563-7780.

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Some local high school athletes have reached elite status this year, being tabbed with “All State” honors.  Unatego’s Tyler Butler earned first team honors for his play at Safety, second team honors went to Nate McDonald of Sidney, Jake Mazzarella of Bainbridge-Guilford and Mike Beers of Walton.  Third team honors went to Brandon Walters of Sidney; honorable mention went to Sidney’s Austin Dean and UV’s Kody Homann.

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Attorney General Eric Schneiderman today announced that his office has posted information online detailing charitable donations raised for Hurricane Sandy relief.  The 88 charities that have responded to the survey reported raising approximately $400 million for Hurricane Sandy relief. The five charities reporting the most contributions and pledges are the American red cross at 188 million, the robin hood foundation at 67 million, The Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City at 45 million dollars, the empire state relief fund at 15.4 million and the salvation army at 14.3 million.  More information is available at charitiesnys.com (/Documents%20and%20SettingsmgraceLocal%20SettingsTemporary%20Internet%20FilesContent.OutlookEKWHY6Hwww.charitiesnys.com).

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Blood supplies are very low traditionally following the holidays and this year is no exception.  A red cross blood drive is being held at Chenango memorial hospital’s basement conference room in Norwich on Monday January 7th from 10:30 to 3:30 PM, appointments care requested at 337-4028 or 337-4093, walk-ins are also welcome.

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