WCDO Radio News

30 year old Andrew Weiskopff of Johnson City was arrested on 4 counts of Assault, plus Reckless Endangerment, leaving the scene of a personal injury accident & reckless driving. Weiskopff is accused of striking 2 victims with his vehicle in front of Tully’s in Vestal last Thursday. Both female victims were taken to an area hospital, Weiskopff was located at he returned to his residence, and he was taken into custody without issue, He was also issued two traffic tickets for varying offenses, Weiskopff was remanded to the Broome County Jail

The State Department of Motor Vehicles announced that their department helped New Yorkers recover more than $13.6 million in stolen vehicles, titles, parts and services during 2025. The department reported that 384 Stolen Vehicles were Recovered in 2025 Worth $10.4 Million, and an Additional $3.2 Million Recouped in Titles, Repairs and Refunds, That number is an increase from $11 million recovered in 2024.

A.M. NEWS TUESDAY 3-3-26

On Thursday Night, Broome County Sheriff’s Office Road Patrol observed a stolen vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed on State Route 17 in the Town of Vestal, A pursuit followed, to I-81, to I-88 into the town of Fenton & back through Binghamton into Johnson City, the pursuit ended when a tire fail off, the driver, 28 year old Romario Robinson of Binghamton, was taken into custody. 28 year old Shelby Medovich of Harpursville exited a nearby restaurant & interfered with the investigation of Robinson, she is accused of being a participant in the theft of the vehicle. Robinson and Medovich were charged with Criminal Possession of Stolen Property, Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument, Conspiracy, Robinson faced additional traffic violations both were processed, arraigned & were released on their own recognizance pending future court action.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 2-18-26

State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli & the State Department of Financial Services announced the approval of the Butternut Valley Banking Development District as a participant in the Banking Development District program and deposited $35 million in New York State funds to Sidney Federal Credit Union’s new Morris Branch. SFCU Senior Vice President Andrew Smith said that it was a team effort with the Butternut Valley Alliance & State Officials to make this happen:

(Andrew Smith 2-18-26)

The Butternut Valley Alliance, local municipalities partnered with SFCU on the BDD application, Alliance Chairperson Maggie Brenner comments:

(Maggie Brenner 2-18-26)

The program supports the establishment of bank and credit union branches across the State where there is a demonstrated need for banking services, the new District covers the towns of Butternuts, New Lisbon, and Morris, and the villages of Gilbertsville and Morris.

A.M. NEWS Wednesday 2-18-26

4 Binghamton men who were arrested February 4th by the Broome County Sheriff’s Office on 11 felony weapons charges have been remanded to the Broome County Correctional Facility following an indictment filed by the Broome County District Attorney’s Office in Broome County Court. Samear Wallace, Johnathan Ayala, Isaiah Johnson, and Jahliek Walker-Coates, were charged with a total of 11 felony weapons charges following an investigation into gunshots fired in the Town of Dickinson, they were found to be in possession of 4 loaded ghost guns, one stolen and loaded handgun and six high-capacity ammunition feeding devices, including a 50-round drum magazine.

WCDO NEWS WEDNESDAY 11-5-25

Strong Storms are expected to affect the local regions tonight with a High Wind Warning in Effect, Local Meteorologist Rich Townsend comments:

(Rich Townsend 11-5-25)

The Governor has directed State agencies to prepare for strong storms, with Winds between 40 to [possibly 70 mile an hour gusts overnight, Power Outages from downed trees knocking down power lines could occur, New Yorkers Can Sign Up for Weather and Emergency Alerts by Texting 333111.

40 year old David Tyner pleaded guilty to Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in Broome County Court, in exchange for a sentence of 5 years in State Prison, followed by 3 years of post-release supervision. On July 31, 2024, in Binghamton, Tyner was found in possession of methamphetamine with the intent to sell, the discovery occurred after Tyner was stopped by Binghamton Police for violating Traffic Laws while operating a motorized bicycle.

Initial results are in for yesterday's elections, in The Town of Sidney Eric Wilson wins re-election for Town Supervisor, the 2 seats on the Sidney Town Board, go to Andrew Hinkley & Frank Selleck. The Sidney Town Justice winner is Jennifer Ruling. In Area Town Supervisor races, in Guilford Gilda Ward is the winner, in Unadilla George Denys wins easily, in the town of Colchester, the winner is Robert Hafele, in the town of Oneonta, the winner is William Rivera Jr.. The Cities of Norwich and Oneonta will have new Mayors, Robert Jeffery will be Norwich’s next mayor, in Oneonta the winner is Dan Butterman. In the race for Delaware County Treasurer, the winner is Carli Pinner.

Tomorrow is Election day for villages across the state. In Sidney, 3 candidates, Vic Tartaglia, Pat Cristelli & Luther Higley are running for 2 seats on the board, Andrew Skrobanski is seeking re-election as village justice, he is unopposed. in Unadilla, there are 2 open seats for 2 year trustee positions, to find out about elections in your village, contact your local village clerk's office.

A.M. NEWS MONDAY 3-17-25

NYSEG reported that about 2400 customers are without power this morning in the Tri-County Region, following last nights' high winds & heavy rains. Crews will be out trying to restore power as soon as possible, the majority of the outages are in Delaware county, with more than 1400 out.

The Nate Lull Scholarship application window is now open at Nate Lull.com. $15,000 dollars will be handed out this year, so far the Scholarship has handed out $45,000 dollars to local high school seniors in our coverage area. The deadline is May 16th.

Former Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his intention to run for New York City mayor, jumping into a crowded primary race following incumbent Mayor Eric Adams' ongoing legal challenges. Cuomo enters the race as a significant favorite to capture the party's nomination, polling at 38%, Cuomo resigned as governor in 2021 over allegations of sexual misconduct from 13 women.

Charlotte Bennett voluntarily dismissed her federal lawsuit against former Governor Andrew Cuomo and 3 of his top aides, but will continue to pursue her case in State Court. Bennett filed the lawsuit in federal court 2 years ago, which faced numerous delays and various tactics by Cuomo's legal team. Bennett started working for New York State in 2019, she claimed that Cuomo sexually harassed her while she worked as an executive assistant, she resigned from the position and pursued legal action, Cuomo denied the allegations, but eventually resigned as Governor.

Chenango County Sheriff’s Office arrested two State of Louisiana residents on several weapons charges, as well as charges from a Domestic Dispute. 27 year old Jennifer Cascio, and 40 year old Jonathan Rieben were arrested after a domestic dispute in the Town of New Berlin. Deputies found that Cascio and Rieben were in possession of several handguns, high-capacity magazines, as well as an assault weapon. Deputies verified that the firearms were not stolen. Both subjects were arrested, and all weapons were seized for the time being. Cascio, was charged with Criminal Possession of a Weapon, Rieben was charged with Harassment and Criminal Possession of a Weapon, both were released and were ordered to appear in court at a later date.

About 30 residents from Morris and surrounding towns met at the Morris Firehouse on May 23 for a follow-up to the news that Sidney Federal Credit Union intends to establish banking services in the Village of Morris. The meeting was organized by the Butternut Valley Alliance, whose task force began working to find an alternate bank when Community Bank, N.A. ended 167 years of banking services in Morris on January 19, Maggie Brenner of the Butternut Valley Alliance explains:

(Maggie Brenner 5-28-24)

Present at the meeting were SFCU president and CEO Jim Reynolds and Andrew Smith, SFCU’s vice president of sales and marketing, who gave updates on the status of the SFCU-BVA agreement and answered questions from the public. The meeting was recorded and is available on YouTube.

The Sidney High School Flood Monitoring Team will be giving a special presentation for the public in the Smart Community Room at the Sidney Memorial Public Library Today at 6:00PM. Rich Townsend was a Science Teacher at Sidney at the start of the program in 2007, & is still guiding the program, he told WCDO about the presentation:

(Rich Townsend 5-28-24)

Townsend said anyone interested in donating to the project should email: rtownsend@sidneycsd.org. The presentation this evening is free & open to the public.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 1-10-24

Bassett Healthcare Network has instituted temporary masking requirements across all its facilities per COVID-19 safety guidelines. All patients, visitors, employees, students, and volunteers are now required to wear medical-grade masks across all Bassett campuses, outpatient clinics, school-based health centers, administrative offices, Masks will be available at entrances. The mandatory masking requirement will be reassessed in 1 week. As Bassett's employees continue to have a higher number of COVID cases above their threshold.

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.

A.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 1-10-24

Hundreds of NYSEG customers were still without power this afternoon, in the WCDO listening area, due to last night's storms with high winds leading to downed tree limbs & power lines, over 2400 customers were without power early this morning, the number was about 370 this afternoon, crews will continue to work until all the power is restored

P.M. NEWS Friday 12-15-23

SFCU and The Impact Project of Greene announced a partnership that will see up to $300,000 in loans funded to support low income residents of the tri-counties of Chenango, Delaware and Otsego that fall under ALICE guidelines. SFCU Sr. Vice President Andrew Smith explains:

(Andrew Smith 12-15-23)

The Impact Project Executive Director Jim Willard explained that the Impact Project started about 20 years ago and they are able to do about 8 projects a year on average, there is an application process to follow:

(Jim Willard 12-15-23)

The process starts with the application at theimpactprojectgreene.org.

The ABC Holiday Benefit will be held Saturday, @ 2:00 pm at the Bainbridge Guilford High School. Non-perishable food donations will be collected for Bainbridge & Sidney food pantries.

46 year old Lance Madsen of Bainbridge was arrested by the Chenango County Sheriff's Office for several counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, 2 counts Criminal Use of Drug Paraphernalia, Aggravated Unlicensed Operation, Reckless Driving, and several other Traffic Violations. Madsen failed to comply with deputies as they were attempting to stop him for traffic violations, he drove his vehicle in a reckless manner, at high rates of speed. Madsen was eventually taken into custody after stopping his vehicle in the driveway of his residence, he was found to have Methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia, he was arraigned and remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility without bail.

A commission created last year to enforce ethics rules for New York state's employees and elected officials violates the state's constitution because it is too independent, New York Supreme Court Justice Thomas Marcelle said it would require an amendment to the state constitution to give that sort of power to an independent body. The ruling came in a lawsuit filed by former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who has been fighting an attempt by the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government to force him to forfeit $5 million he received for writing a book about his administration’s efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Red Cross Blood Drive is being held today at the Downsville Fire Department on State Highway 30 from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Appointments can be scheduled with the Red Cross Blood donor App, at 1-800-RED CROSS or at redcrossblood.org.

The deadline to sign up a team for the upcoming Gus Macker 3 on 3 basketball tournament is this week, organizer Tom Revoir explains:

(Tom Revoir 6-19-23)

Revoir said that they are also still looking for referees & other volunteers for the Macker Tournament at the Norwich High School July 8th & 9th, Revoir said that people interested in Volunteering can call the Norwich YMCA at 607-336-9622, extension 29.

Broome County Sheriff’s Office patrol responded to motor vehicle accident Thursday in the Town of Union. Responding officers found 37 year old Andrew Tredo of Endicott asleep in the driver’s seat of his car, witnesses told officers that Tredo rear-ended a vehicle stopped at the intersection, then drove his vehicle to a nearby parking lot and passed out. Tredo admitted to consuming alcohol before the accident and multiple open containers of alcohol were found in the vehicle. Tredo's BAC was .39, almost 5 times the legal limit, he was charged with Aggravated DWI, 3 counts of Drinking Alcohol in a Motor Vehicle, Failure to Obey a Traffic Device, along with several other charges, he was arraigned and released on an appearance ticket to answer for his charges at the Town of Union Court in July.

Otsego County Sheriff's Office arrested 26 year old Justin Charles of Bainbridge following an accident investigation in the Village of Unadilla on June 11. Charles was charged with DWI, Speed not reasonable and prudent among other charges, he is accused of operating a motorcycle on a public highway while in an intoxicated condition, he was released on uniform traffic tickets returnable to Town of Unadilla Court on June 26.

P.M. NEWS MONDAY 3-6-23

Johnson City Police were called Sunday afternoon to the Oakdale Commons to check the welfare of a male subject who was believed to be intoxicated and was attempting to break into vehicles. 20-year-old Rajee Almashni of Binghamton is accused of trying to flee a police officer in a vehicle at a high rate of speed, striking 72 year old Elizabeth Atkinson of Johnson City. Additional officers responded & Almashni's vehicle became disabled and he fled on foot, he was located and was taken into custody. Atkinson was taken to Wilson Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. Almashni was charged with DWI, 2nd degree murder, Vehicular manslaughter, Leaving the scene of a fatal motor vehicle accident, Unlawful fleeing, Reckless endangerment & Grand Larceny, Almashni is being held at Broome County central arraignment awaiting processing

A Chenango County Grand Jury indicted 50-year-old Andrew Frank Jr. on several charges for a series of commercial break-ins in downtown Sherburne in November & December of last year. Frank and 49-year-old Rena Jones were arrested by the Chenango County Sheriff's Office on December 7, Frank was indicted on 3 counts of 3rd degree burglary, 3 counts of criminal mischief, & 1 count of attempt burglary, and 3 counts of petty larceny. Jones has been indicted with for 3rd degree burglary, for her role in 1 of the burglaries. Frank was arraigned in court and remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility with no bail. Rena was released on an appearance ticket for Village of Sherburne Court.

The Chenango County Traffic Safety Board & NBT Insurance are sponsoring a poster contest for school aged children in Chenango County, to raise awareness about impaired driving. Interested students will participate in 3 categories. grades K to 4, Middle school & High School. the deadline to submit a poster is March 21st. entry forms are available at the lobby of the Chenango County Office Building, or at the Chenango County Sheriff's Office.

Referees & Volunteers are needed for this years Gus Macker Basketball Tournament in Norwich, on July 9th & 10th at the Norwich High School, organizer Tom Revoir told WCDO News that recruiting volunteers is more difficult after the 2 year layoff:

(Tom Revoir 5-12-22)

Those who would like to register a team to play in this summers Macker Tournament can go online by June 20th at Macker.com, referees volunteers and sponsors can call Tom Revoir or Jamey Mullen at the Norwich YMCA at 336-9622.

Otsego County Sheriff’s Office arrested 29-year-old Andrew Kreger of Oneonta, after Deputies responded to a shoplifting complaint at the Hannaford Grocery Store in Oneonta. Kreger is accused of leaving the store with $848.35 worth of merchandise without paying, he was also found to be in possession of a small quantity of LSD. Kreger was charged with petit larceny and criminal possession of a controlled substance, he was processed and released on an appearance ticket pending future court action.

State Police arrested 27 year old Amanda-Lynn Pedlar of Cooperstown, for Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument, after Troopers were dispatched to the Oneonta Walmart after employees reported that Pedlar attempted to use a counterfeit $100 bill mixed in with actual currency. Pedlar was located at the Town House Inn and arrested, she was processed and issued an appearance ticket to the Oneonta Town Court on May 17th.

A.M. NEWS Thursday 5-12-22

The Norwich Downtown Revitalization Initiative Local Planning Committee will be holding a meeting today from 3:30-5:30 PM in the Norwich High School Cafeteria, they will be reviewing proposed DRI projects to be potentially included in Norwich’s Strategic Investment Plan. The meeting is open to the public, with time reserved at the end for public comment. A public workshop will also be held at 6:30 PM in the Norwich High School Cafeteria, where the public is invited to learn about the proposed projects being considered for DRI funding and to participate in a session to provide feedback.

Delaware County Sheriff's Office arrested of 31 year old Lisa Rosengrant of Hancock for Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a motor vehicle. On May 3rd on State Highway 10 in the Town of Tompkins, Deputies observed a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed, a traffic stop was conducted and it was learned that Rosengrant’s operating privileges were suspended. Rosengrant was also issued Tickets for Operating without a license and Speeding, she was released and is scheduled to appear in the Town of Tompkins Court at a later date.

Schenevus fire department responded to a reported brush fire shortly after 11:30 Wednesday Morning, near the intersection of State Highway 7 & Stone House Road in the Town of Maryland. Dry conditions, wind and steep terrain were contributing factors while firefighters from 18 different departments fought the blaze. An additional 8 departments were on standby. The Fire was under control at approximately 5:00 PM. Otsego County EMS reminds area residents that the statewide burn ban through May 14.

Another live concert is scheduled by the Chenango Arts Council, this Saturday Night, Executive Director Alecia O'Neill explains:

(Alecia O’Neill 10-29-21)

Tickets for the Nate Gross Band & other future shows are available at Chenangoarts.org.

A.M. NEWS FRIDAY 10-29-21

The Albany County Sheriff's Office has filed charges against former Governor Andrew Cuomo for forcible touching, relating to an incident last December at the Executive Mansion in Albany. The Albany City Court issued a summons for Cuomo to appear in that court November 17th, investigations in other jurisdictions are continuing.

Otsego County Department of Health reported that the County remains at a HIGH level of community transmission, with 108 active cases, 28 new cases reported Thursday, with 7 Hospitalized. This Year, the Health Department is aware of 672 breakthrough cases of COVID in fully vaccinated individuals, which corresponds to 2% of the fully vaccinated population. There have been 3,185 cases in unvaccinated individuals, which corresponds to 15% of the unvaccinated population. An unvaccinated person is 7.5 times more likely to contract COVID-19, and 10 times more likely to be hospitalized & they are more likely to suffer more severe illness & death. The Vaccine clinic sites can be found at otsegocounty.com or covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/ and many pharmacies are offering vaccinations.

P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 10-28-21

The Associated Press is reporting today that New York Attorney General Letitia James will announce her intentions to run for Governor. James's term as Attorney General led to the resignation of Former Governor Andrew Cuomo, a recent hypothetical Siena College poll among Democrats placed James a distant 2nd to current Governor Kathy Hochul, and slightly ahead of Andrew Cuomo.

Norwich Police arrested a Texas man following a high speed chase Late Wednesday Night. Norwich Police arrested 46 year old Ronald Alexander Jr. of Pharr, Texas for criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal use of a firearm, criminal possession of a weapon, Unlawful Fleeing Police, reckless endangerment, & Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs. Pharr faces court action shortly, the investigation is ongoing.

The Center to Advance Palliative Care has announced that Helios Care of Oneonta, was awarded a “Silver” designation in the "Tipping Point Challenge". Alicia Fish of Helios Care told WCDO News that it is a high honor to be considered:

(Alicia Fish 10-28-21)

Helios won their award for its project: “Choices: Innovative In-Home Palliative Care Program for the Rural Under-served Population."

A.M. NEWS THURSDAY 10-28-21

The State Attorney General's Office announced the indictment of Trooper Christopher Baldner, for 2nd degree Murder, 2nd degree Manslaughter and Reckless Endangerment. The indictment alleges that Trooper Baldner, while on patrol along the State Thruway in Ulster County in December, used his police vehicle to ram a car occupied by the Goods family, causing the car to flip over, resulting in the death of 11-year-old Monica Goods. Additionally, the indictment alleges that, in September of 2019, Baldner similarly endangered the lives of 3 passengers by using his police vehicle to ram their car. Baldner was arraigned and was remanded, Baldner a bail hearing will be held today.

Delaware County Public Health will be conducting a COVID-19 vaccination clinic today at 97 Main Street, Delhi from 2:00 to 4:00 PM. The vaccination clinic is open to people over the age of 18. Boosters will be available at this clinic as well as first or 2nd dose vaccines. The CDC issued recommendations for a single booster dose six months or more after initial series for people 65 years of age and older, those who live in long-term care settings, those with underlying medical conditions, those who work or live in high-risk settings, as well as First responders, Education staff, Food and agriculture workers, Manufacturing workers, Corrections workers & U.S. Postal Service workers. For more information, call Delaware County Public Health at 607-832-5200.

State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie told reporters that the State Constitution prohibits the legislature from impeaching a governor after he has resigned, so when Andrew Cuomo leaves office on August 24th, the Assembly’s impeachment investigation into him will officially be suspended. State Senator Peter Oberacker said that he was disappointed with the Speaker's Position, but has learned that the Senate will get a report into their findings:

(Senator Peter Oberacker 8-16-21)

Assembly Speaker Heastie said that all evidence gathered by the Assembly over the last 5 months investigation will be turned over to law enforcement agencies that have ongoing criminal investigations into the Governor’s alleged illegal activities.

Otsego County Department of Health reports a HIGH level of community transmission of COVID 19. The CDC & Otsego County Department of Health recommend everyone, even those who are fully vaccinated, wear a mask indoors in public to maximize protection from the Delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others. Since May 1st, there has been 291 cases of COVID-19 reported in Otsego County, 76% are unvaccinated or vaccine status is unknown, 24% are breakthough cases in vaccinated individuals, the overall number of cases in vaccinated individuals remains at less than 1%, 13.4% of the cases are in children 0-11 years of age, 7.9% in 12-17 years of age, 57.3% in 18-55 years of age & 21.3% 56 and older. There have 10 individuals hospitalized since May 1st, all were unvaccinated, Health Officials urge everyone to get vaccinated against COVID 19.

P.M. NEWS Wednesday 8-11-21

Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul held a press conference this afternoon, she said that she will continue with many of the policies, but not with the toxic drama associated with outgoing Governor Andrew Cuomo:

(Kathy Hochul 8-11-21

Governor Cuomo announced his resignation yesterday, Kathy Hochul will take over as Governor on August 24th.

Delaware County Sheriff's Office arrested of 33-year-old Brad Wenk of Lakewood, Pennsylvania, on State Highway 268 in the Town of Tompkins for traveling at a high rate of speed. Deputies determined that Wenk was operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, he is charged with aggravated DWI & Wenk will appear in the Tompkins Town Court on a later date.

Governor Cuomo recently announced that effective February 1st, participants in higher-risk sports may participate in individual or distanced group training and organized no or low-contact group training, competitions and tournaments.  Delaware County Public Health is advising school districts that they cannot resume high-risk winter sports until the Delaware County's 7-day rolling positivity for coronavirus is at or below 4% & activities must be restricted to individual or distanced group training or organized no or low-contact group training. Delaware County’s rolling 7-day positivity is 5.9% as of Thursday; they reported 10 new COVID cases, with 17 hospitalized, 147 active cases & 319 quarantined.

Governor Cuomo announced that Malls in Phase 4 regions can open Friday but only if they have high-efficiency Air Conditioning systems with Filters with a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value; or "MERV rating" that filters out of the COVID-19 virus:

(Cuomo 7-9-20)

Ventilation protocols include increased outdoor air, reduced air circulation, longer system run times and frequent filter checks, Mall Staff and shoppers will be required to wear masks and maintain social distancing protocols.

The Oneonta History Center at 183 Main Street reopens to the public on Friday at 12:00 noon. Attendance will be limited to a maximum of 15 persons at a time. Masks and social distancing will be required. There will be regular cleaning and disinfecting of high-contact surfaces.  The History Center's hours are Tuesdays through Fridays 12:00 noon to 4:00 PM and Saturdays 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, more information is available at 432-0960 or info@OneontaHistory.org.

State Police investigated a 1 vehicle tractor trailer crash at about 8:30 Wednesday morning on I-88 in Otego. Troopers reported that the tractor trailer filled with milk containers rolled over on I-88, blocking both lanes of the highway westbound & pour a significant amount of milk on the highway.  The Driver was 26 year old Andrew Lloyd of Porter Corners, he was not injured & told Troopers he fell asleep at the wheel, and he was later taken to Ellis Hospital in Schenectady by his employer.

2 proposals have been forwarded in the State Senate
regarding changes to the Daylight Savings Time system.   State Senator Jim Seward introduced a bill
that would create a task force to study the impact and effects of eliminating
Daylight Saving Time in New York, while State Senator James Skoufis of the 39th
Senate District introduced a bill that would move the state to Atlantic
Standard Time, eliminating the need to turn clocks ahead or back.  Both bills would have to still be passed by
the State Assembly and State Senate before being delivered to Governor Andrew
Cuomo for him to either veto or approve.

Governor Cuomo proposed to put together a task force to
study the issue of bringing High Speed rail to the state.  The first high-speed rail system began
operations in Japan in 1964, with the famous “bullet train.”  High speed rail is also prevalent across
China & throughout Europe, in the US, the closest to a high speed rail line
is the Acela Express, running between New York City and Washington D.C. & reaches
a top speed of 150mph, but averages only 66 miles per hour.

Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation that exempts
breastfeeding mothers from jury duty. According to the governor's office,
mothers may postpone jury duty service for up to two years.  Mothers must submit a note from a physician
with a postponement application to postpone jury duty. The law takes into
effect immediately.

The Catholic Charities Mentoring program is
hosting a mentor mixer on Friday November 8th at the American Legion in Sidney.
This event is open to the public and is for anyone who might be interested in
learning more about mentoring.   More
information is available at 604-4071 Ext. 102.

10 area Fire Departments responded to a blaze at 687
State Highway 205 in the town of Oneonta, just north of the intersection with
State Route 23.  The fire was reported at
about 7:15 PM, 2 people were injured & were taken to Fox Hospital in
Oneonta.  The cause of the fire is under
investigation.

Governor Cuomo signed legislation requiring pharmacies to
inform patients of Class I drug recalls made by the FDA within 7 days. Class 1
Drugs have a high probability of causing serious adverse health consequences or
death, the severity of health risks is higher for elderly patients and those
taking long-term medications. This law takes effect immediately.

Delaware County Sherriff’s Deputies arrested 72 year old
Franklin Purdy of Baldwinsville Thursday for Unlawful Fleeing a Police Officer
in a Motor Vehicle, Reckless Driving, Speed not reasonable and prudent,
Speeding at 95 miles an hour in a 55 mile an hour zone, Moving from lane
unsafely, & driving an unregistered & uninsured motor vehicle.  Purdy was observed by Deputies on State
Highway 17 in the Town of Hancock driving at a high rate of speed, they
attempted to conduct a traffic stop, and Purdy fled & was apprehended by
Deputies in Sullivan County.  Purdy faces
additional charges in Sullivan County as well as in Delaware County; he will
appear in the Town of Hancock Court at a later date.

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.

High School Graduations get underway tonight for several
area schools.  Windsor's Commencement
will begin at 6:30 PM, Afton, Franklin, Deposit, Laurens, Milford, Morris &
Charlotte Valley will hold theirs at 7:00 PM.
High School graduations continue into the weekend.  Saturday morning at 10:00 AM, seniors from
Sidney, Greene, Delaware Academy, Harpursville & Norwich will have their
graduation ceremonies begin at 10:00 AM, Oneonta seniors commencement exercises
will begin at 10:45 AM, Oxford Academy at 11:00 AM & Bainbridge Guilford on
Saturday Night at 7:00 PM.  On Sunday,
seniors from Edmeston will graduate beginning at 1:00 PM.

3 of the 4 Rochester Area suspects who were arrested earlier
this year for plotting to attack Islamberg in Delaware County pleaded guilty to
conspiracy 7 weapons charges today in Monroe County.   Vincent Vetromile, Brian Colaneri &
Andrew Crysel all pleaded guilty for their roles in hatching the plot to kill residents
of the Muslims of America enclave in the town of Hancock. 16 year old Nicholas
Pheilshifter was also arrested in January, his case is pending.

A Winter Weather Watch is in effect as a storm system works
its way to the region, local Meteorologist Rich Townsend comments:

(Rich Townsend 3-21-19)

Townsend said that he expects about 3 to 5 inches of snow
with this storm, possibly a little more in the higher elevations; road
conditions will be mostly wet.

The number of private sector jobs in New York State grew by
7,900, or 0.1%, to 8,254,400, a new, all-time high, according to preliminary
figures released today by the State Department of Labor.  The statewide unemployment rate was at 3.9%.

The Out Of the Woodworks Players will be performing their
next Production in early April, Spokesman Will Drew explains:

(Will Drew 3-21-19)

Tickets are already available at
brownpapertickets.com, through the OWP Facebook Page, or at the door.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has issued the city of Norwich and
greater Norwich community to lower the American flag from through Sunday, March
31 to honor Norwich Police Sergeant Timothy Annesi, who died from a chronic
illness Sunday.   Calling hours were held
last night in Norwich.  A funeral service
will be held this morning at 9:30 a.m. at the Broad Street United Methodist
Church.

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.

The Rotary Club of Sidney will be hosting a fundraiser next
month for the Howard & Catherine Lynch Scholarship for a graduating Sidney High
School Senior.  Spokesman Larry Halbert
explains:

(Larry Halbert 2-13-19)

Tickets can be purchased at the Sidney & Norwich
American Legions, at VEP+ on Main Street in Sidney, or by calling Larry Halbert
at 237-4762.  The deadline to purchase
tickets is March 6th.

P.M. NEWS Wednesday 2-6-19

Vincent Vetromile, Brian Colaneri & Andrew Crysel
appeared in Greece Town Court Tuesday, they are accused, along with an
unidentified 16 year old, with formulating a terrorist plan against the Muslims
of America Community known as Islamberg in Delaware County.  the 3 were arrested January 18th after police
learned of the plot, the group possessed 23 firearms and 3 explosive devices,
they have been charged with  3 counts of
1st-degree criminal possession of a weapon and 1 count each of 4th degree
conspiracy.  The case against Crysel was
waived to the grand jury. Preliminary hearings for Vetromile and Colaneri are
scheduled for next week.

Tonight, State Senator Fred Akshar and Broome County
Executive Jason Garnar will join addiction specialists, law enforcement,
teachers and families for a public forum on substance use prevention and
treatment.   The forum will take place
from 6:00pm to 7:30pm at the Deposit High School Auditorium.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Office’s Criminal Investigation Division arrested 32 year-old Andrew Baker and 26-year-old Terry Linen Jr. for possessing contraband while incarcerated in the Delaware County Correctional Facility. It is alleged that Baker possessed tobacco while in custody, and was charged with Promoting Prison Contraband, Linen was found to be in possession of a disposable lighter which he had hidden inside his person. Linen was charged with Promoting Prison Contraband. Both Linen and Baker will appear in the Town of Delhi Court to answer these charges.

Governor Cuomo announced more than $9 million in federal funding has been secured to expand opioid addiction treatment services across the state. This funding includes $5.7 million to expand access to medication assisted treatment, $2.1 million to develop new recovery centers in areas of high need, and over $1.3 million for specialized treatment and recovery programs. These initiatives are being funded through the State Opioid Response Grant, which is administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. New Yorkers struggling with an addiction can find help by calling 1-877-8-HOPENY.

The Unatego School District Board of Education will hold their next meeting this evening. The meeting will be held in Room 93 at the Junior/ Senior High School in Wells Bridge at 7:00 PM.

State Police responded to a fatal accident Saturday at approximately 8:20 p.m. on State Route 23 in the town of Oneonta. 45-year-old Katy Doughty of Walton was crossing State Route 23 near State Highway 28 when she was struck by a vehicle, the section of road is not lit and she was not crossing at a crosswalk. 2 people provided CPR, Oneonta EMS and Fire attempted to provide lifesaving measures but were unable to, Doughty was pronounced dead at the scene, she was transported to Lourdes Hospital for an autopsy. The accident remains under investigation, no tickets have been issued.

State Police arrested 20 year old Andrew Keil of Oneonta for Falsely Reporting an Incident and Making a Punishable False Written Statement. Troopers were dispatched to a report of a burglary at Keil’s residence, he reported that approximately $1,360 was taken, Investigators were able to determine that Keil lied to troopers and signed a statement about the incident and he was arrested. He was released on appearance tickets returnable to the town of Oneonta Court on Tuesday.

State Police arrested 21 year old Alicia Randall of Edmeston for DWI, Unlawful Fleeing a Police Officer and Reckless Driving. A trooper on patrol on County Road 20 in Edmeston observed the vehicle Randall was operating to be traveling at a high rate of speed. When the trooper attempted to make a traffic stop, Randall passed another vehicle in a no passing zone then turned onto High Street before stopping, she was arrested and released an appearance tickets returnable to the town of Edmeston Court on October 29th.

The newest Siena College poll shows Andrew Cuomo leading his primary challenger 63% to 22% the first poll released after last week's contentious debate, and coming only 2 days before the Primary Vote on Thursday. Cuomo also maintains a large lead over likely Republican Candidate Marcus Molinaro.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 43 year old Christopher Candanedo of Queens for False Personation, Aggravated Unlicensed Operation, and Unlawful Possession of Marihuana, after a traffic stop on County Highway 16 in the Town of Delhi. During the traffic stop Candanedo had given Deputy’s a false date of birth, which further investigation revealed that his driving privileges had been revoked. Candanedo was arraigned in the Town of Delhi Court where he was remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility on $1,000 cash/$2,000 secured bond.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 38 year old Juan Acevedo of Delhi, Sunday for driving while ability impaired by drugs and unlawful possession of marihuana. Deputies allege that Acevedo was operating a motor vehicle in the Town of Delhi in an impaired condition at a high rate of speed. Acevedo was also issued multiple traffic summons for speeding, uninspected motor vehicle and failure to change address. Acevedo was issued an appearance ticket and is scheduled to appear at the Town of Delhi Court at a later date.

A new report released Monday by a coalition of New York State law enforcement officials, public health experts and elected officials, showed that The Delaware County had the highest rates of gun-related suicide and homicide. The research focused at the rate of homicide and suicide in each county from 2012 to 2016, the report showed that for every 100,000 residents of Delaware County, there were 13.4 gun-related deaths, & the a rate of suicide by gun at 12.9. Other counties that ranked high were Allegany, Wyoming, Cattaraugus and Sullivan counties. New York State’s overall gun-related death rate was 4.4 deaths per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average of 11.8 deaths per 100,000 residents.

US Postal Inspectors, State Police CNET, Homeland Security Investigators (HSI), Vestal Police Department and the Broome County Drug Task Force made a controlled delivery of a package containing approximately 250 grams of Ecstasy to a residence in Binghamton. Following the delivery, a search was conducted at the home of 32 year old Andrew Davis, A search of the residence leads to the recovery of the package, digital scales, cellphone, & other items, Davis was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, he was arraigned and was remanded to the Broome County Jail without bail.

State Police arrested 36 year old Jennifer Grant of Westford for DWI, Operating a Vehicle While Registration Suspended, & Unlawful Possession of Marihuana, plus numerous traffic tickets. Troopers stopped Grant while on Otsego County Highway 34 after they observed her cross the center line and drive onto the shoulder. Grant was released to a sober third party and given appearance tickets to the town of Westford Court on July 17th.