WCDO Radio News

Chenango
County Sheriff’s department arrested 20 year old Benjamin Bivar of Bainbridge
as a fugitive from justice warrant out of Pennsylvania.   Deputies responded to a 1 car motor vehicle
crash on State Highway 41 in the Town of Smithville Sunday, Bivar was the
operator of the vehicle & was found to have an active warrant out of
Lackawanna County Pennsylvania for criminal charges; he was remanded to the
Chenango County Correctional Facility without bail.

Operation
Merry Christmas has received many more requests for toys & children’s
clothing for underprivileged families this holiday season.  Program Spokesperson Dorene Ireland asks the
public to locate their trees in areas stores, take a tag & try to help with
this year’s efforts:

(Dorene
Ireland 12-3-19)

Some of
the Operation Merry Christmas Trees can be found at ACCO, Amphenol, Community
Bank in Sidney, NBT in Sidney, SFCU in Bainbridge and Sidney, the Sidney
Central School, Sidney Flowers & Gifts, Sidney Memorial Public Library,
Trackside Dining, & Village Variety in Unadilla. The giveaway day will be
on December 14th from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the AO Fox Hospital Tri Town Campus
in Sidney.

The Jericho Arts Council
announced the return performance of the Corvettes Doo-Wop Revue, at the
Bainbridge Town Hall Theatre Saturday night at 7:00 PM.  Tickets are available at the box office and
can be reserved at 288-3882.

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer visited Sidney yesterday
afternoon, to announce that he is looking to get funding for an emergency
system to alert residence of potential floods, Sidney Mayor Andy Matviak
explains:

(Andy Matviak 10-4-19)

Schumer is looking to acquire the $150,000 Grant  from the Appalachian Regional Commission, for
a system that would be more reliable than any existing broadband systems, which
would fail to work in areas of the region that has limited or no broadband
service.

Sidney Central School District Observatory will open tonight
from 9:00 to 10:00 PM.  The sessions at
the Sidney Observatory are free & open to the public; it is located behind
the High School Building.

Delaware County Sheriff’s
Department arrested a Sidney Center woman at the Jackson County Sheriff’s
Office in Medford, Oregon.  32 year old
Chellie Warner of Sidney Center was wanted on a Bench Warrant issued by the Delaware
County Court for failure to appear for a scheduled conference and sentencing
following her guilty plea for Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance.  Warner was originally arrested by Delaware
County Sheriff’s Office in December 2017, on a Grand Jury Sealed Indictment
Warrant for various drug charges for selling Fentanyl laced Heroin.  Warner was returned to Delaware County
Wednesday she was remanded to the Delaware County jail without bail.

Changes in the length of the statute of limitations recently
passed in the New York Child Victim’s Act, have led to hundreds of lawsuits
being filed against members of the clergy & educators who have been accused
or convicted of rape or sexual abuse.
Former Afton Principal David Curtis now faces a lawsuit after he pleaded
guilty for sexually abusing a teenage student over 30 years ago; his accuser
has brought a lawsuit against him and the Afton school district.    Curtis pleaded guilty to Endangering the
Welfare of a child by Sexual Contact, under the terms of a plea bargain
arrangement in 1991.

The Afton Community Theater presents "Matilda the
Musical" this weekend.  Clair
Sullivan plays Matilda in 2 of the 4 performances this weekend:

(Clair Sullivan 9-27-19)

Marek Rajner also has a key role in this production:

(Marek Rajner 9-27-19)

The shows will be Friday & Saturday nights at 7:00 PM,
with Saturday 7 Sunday Matinees at 2:00 PM, at the Margery Secrest Theater at
the Afton Central School.  Tickets are
available at BrownpaperTickets.com.

A Par 3  Tournament benefitting
Bainbridge-Guilford Youth Sports Programs will be held at the Sundown Golf
Course in Guilford Sunday, with an 11:00 AM Shotgun Start.  The cost is $140 per team; more information
is available at 895-6888.

Congressman Anthony Brindisi fought to protect the
Bainbridge VA clinic in Chenango County at a House Veterans’ Affairs Health
Subcommittee hearing Wednesday, and confirmed with Dr. Richard Stone of the Veterans’
Health Administration that the clinic will not close in December 2019, as was
previously proposed. Brindisi invited Stone to visit the Bainbridge facility
and see firsthand the need it fills for Chenango County Veterans.  More than 3,600 Veterans reside in Chenango
County.

The Afton Community Theater presents "Matilda the
Musical" this weekend. Erin Wehrli is directing the performances of
"Matilda" this weekend:

(Erin Wehrli 9-24-19)

"Matilda The Musical" will be performed Friday
& Saturday nights at 7:00 PM, with Saturday & Sunday Matinees at 2:00
PM, at the Margery Secrest Theater at the Afton Central School.  Tickets are available at
BrownpaperTickets.com.

The State Labor Department
released local unemployment statistics for the month of August today.  Locally, Chenango County had 3.9% unemployment;
Delaware County had 4.4% and Otsego County 3.8% unemployment in August.

The mural on the side of the Tepco building in Bainbridge
was dedicated Monday night.  Kimberly
Moravcik was tasked with putting a Native American theme on the border of the
mural:

(Kimberly Moravcik 9-23-19)

Christopher Lloyd Wright of Afton was given the task to do
the middle part of the mural, to reflect more of the later day Bainbridge:

(Christopher Lloyd Wright 9-23-19)

The dedication was followed by refreshments at the
refurbished Wilsey Building.

The Bainbridge Chamber of
Commerce Announced That Tomorrow is the last day to vote for the “Business of
the Year”.  The survey can be filled out
at surveymonkey.com.

Governor Cuomo signed legislation extending the statute of
limitations to 20 years for rape in the 2nd degree and to 10 years for rape in
the 3rd degree. The law also extends the statute of limitations to 20 years for
2nd degree criminal sexual act & 2nd degree incest & to 10 years for
3rd degree criminal sexual act.  Prior to
this new law, victims only had 5 years to bring a legal case alleging 2nd &
3rd degree rape or criminal sexual act.

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

The Annual Bainbridge Glow Run will be held Saturday at
General Clinton Park in Bainbridge.  The
event began in 2015 after Heather Bucalos of Sidney finished her treatment for
Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and decided to hold fundraisers for area cancer
patients.  This year, Heather has
suffered a relapse & her friends are teaming up to raise funds for her with
the Glow Run Fundraiser, one of those friends is Christine Oliver, who talked to
WCDO’s Rob Ray:

(WCDO Christine Oliver 9-13-19)

More information is available at www.bainbridgeglowrun.com.   Heather’s treatment is expected to take
about 6 months to complete.

A fundraiser is being held for Dylan Dewey & Tyler
Holcomb of Franklin, who were injured in an accident recently, Franklin Central
School Principal Bonnie Johnson explained to WCDO News:

(WCDO Bonnie Johnson 9-13-19)

Johnson said that both teens have been at Albany Medical
Center since the crash on September 5th in the town of Franklin.

An Area Boy Scout recruitment effort will be held this
evening for students in the Sidney Central School District, spokesman Paul Van
Der Kruik explains:

(WCDO Paul Van der Kruik 9-9-19)

Van der Kruik told WCDO News that additional information
about the Sidney Recruitment, or others around the region, can call the
Leatherstocking Council at 432-6491.

Afton Central School's Adult & Continuing Education
Program is continuing to offer High School Equivalency courses at several area locations,
program director June White said that there is
new program regarding the Math portion of the program:

(June White 9-10-19)

More information about the program is available at 639-2811.

The State DOT will hold a public information meeting on
Tuesday, September 17, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Bainbridge Town Hall, to
provide details about plans to improve the pavement condition on State Route
206 from Case Road in the town of Bainbridge to the bridge over the Susquehanna
River in the village of Bainbridge.   The
meeting will begin with a formal presentation at 6 p.m. followed by a question
and answer session with DOT representatives.
The project is scheduled to begin in the 2020 construction season and
take one and a half seasons to complete.

The Annual Bainbridge
Glow Run will be held on September 14th at General Clinton Park in
Bainbridge.  The event began in 2015
after Heather Bucalos of Sidney finished her treatment for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
and decided to hold fundraisers for area cancer patients.  This year, Heather has suffered a relapse
& her friends are teaming up to raise funds for her with the Glow Run
Fundraiser, Bucalos talked to WCDO News this morning about the activities
scheduled for that day:

(Heather Bucalos
8-26-19)

More information is
available at www.bainbridgeglowrun.com.
Heather’s treatment is expected to begin again in the next few weeks.

The New York State DOT
is actively preparing for the arrival of winter weather by making applications
available for approximately 500 positions as permanent and seasonal maintenance
staff.  The DOT intends to hire about 38
in the Southern Tier and another 34 in the Central New York Counties, more
information is available on Twitter @NYSDOT or facebook.com/NYSDOT.

The Hancock Fire
Department and EMT’s were dispatched Saturday to Jensen’s Ledges for a report
of a 10 year old boy who had fallen off the ledges.  The Hancock Fire Department  rope rescue team performed a high angle rope
rescue to extricate the boy within 1 hour and he was transported down the
mountain in a UTV & was transported by LifeNet to a pediatric trauma center
with life threatening injuries.

The Dormitory Authority has issued
approximately $482 million in low-cost, tax-exempt bonds on behalf of 54 school
districts across the state as part the School Districts Revenue Bond Financing
Program, for fire protection, security, and air quality systems upgrades;
renovations, Athletic field improvements; and technology updates.  Locally, the Norwich City School District
receives $7,430,000, Sidney Central School District gets $9,820,000 &
Unadilla Valley Central School District gets $6,890,000.

The Afton Central School District
will hold a Special Board of Education Meeting Today at 7:00 AM in the District
Office of the Afton Central School.  More
information is available at 245-9894.

Over $64,000 has been awarded to Nonprofits by the Community
Foundation for South Central New York, for Capital Projects, Programs and
Operating Support.  Locally grants were
awarded to A.O. Fox Memorial Hospital Foundation, the Crime Victims Assistance
Program Chenango Child Advocacy Center & the Valleyview Elementary School
$984 for a kindergarten alternative seating program helping students with
special needs maintain focus in the classroom

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

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

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.

State Police are looking for the public’s help in locating
approximately 75 escaped buffalo from the Honey Hill Road in Roseboom.  State Police warn the public not to approach
the buffalo since they are a wild animal and can be unpredictable.   Troopers were dispatched Thursday & learned
that a buffalo broke a gate allowing approximately 75 buffalo to escape from a
farm in the town of Sharon.  Troopers
worked with a DEC officer and the owner of the buffalo to devise a plan to
convince the animals to return home, some were reported in the town of
Schoharie & the town of Roseboom.
Anyone who sees any of the buffalo should contact the owner at (518)588-1402
or State Police at (315)858-1122.

Several local fire departments responded to a barn fire at
125 Corbin Road in the town of Bainbridge last night.  The fire started in a barn filled with hay at
about 10:30 last night, according to owner & Bainbridge Fire Chief Fred
Bell.  Fire departments from Afton,
Bainbridge, Sidney, Masonville, Trout Creek, and Coventry responded, No
injuries were reported, Bell said that the fire did NOT spread to his house,
the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The Greater Chenango Cares event is underway through July
20th at the Norwich High School.  Vision
and medical needs are on a walk in basis. Veterinary & Dental appointments
are just about filled; there is no cost for participants. Military Service
personnel are trained physicians, dentists, and veterinarians; this is the 3rd
time that an IRT event has been held in Norwich.

Heather Bucalos of Sidney is a cancer survivor who has
organized several fundraisers for area cancer patients in recent years, now her
friends are organizing an event on her behalf following a reoccurrence of her
cancer.  Tiffiney Harp is a lifelong
friend of Bucalos, she told WCDO news about their plans for a "Glow
Run" in September at General Clinton Park in Bainbridge:

(Tiffiney Harp 7-11-19)

More information is available at bainbridgeglowrun.com, also a go fund me page has been set up to assist with costs associated with Heather's treatment.

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a Board
of Education Meeting on Today in the District Conference Room at the Jr-Sr High
School at 6:30 PM with the Re-organization meeting. The business portion of the
meeting will start at 7:00 PM.

Afton Firefighters responded this morning to a fire at 191
Hall Road.  No one was home when the fire
broke out, Firefighters from Coventry, Bainbridge & Harpursville assisted,
the home was completely destroyed, and the cause of the fire is under
investigation.

The first week of the Sidney
Central school District’s 9th annual Summer Camps begins on July 8, with
registration closing July 1.  This year
the District will offer the American Red Cross Babysitting Class for students
ages 11-15 on July 15th & 16th.  Registration for all weeks and camps can be
found at sidneycsd.asapconnected.com.

The Broome County Sheriff's Office arrested Michael
Gincerowski Jr., of Port Crane for vehicular manslaughter, Leaving the scene of
an accident resulting in death, DWI, Aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor
vehicle, following a hit and run accident Saturday night in the Town of Fenton
that killed 16-year-old Constance Mazzarese of Owego.   The Broome County Sheriff’s Office responded
to a report of a motor vehicle accident involving an SUV and a bicycle on State
Route 369 in the Town of Fenton just after 10:00 PM Saturday night, the driver
of the SUV left the scene, a State Trooper located the vehicle, disabled, about
a mile north of the collision.
Gincerowski was located at a nearby residence and was taken into custody.

Chenango County Emergency
Services Responded to a number of reports for flooded roads following heavy
downpours last night & earlier this morning.  Flooded roads were reported at Butler &
State Streets in Oxford, there was washout damage to the grounds at the Oxford
School Playground, & flooding on North Broad Street in Norwich, in
Smithville at North End Road, & Chenango County Road 2 as well as County
Roads 7 & 10 in Pharsalia, County Road 7 in McDonough.  Officials remind motorists to turn around
& seek an alternate route if they encounter a road covered with water, and
to alert authorities.

Sidney High School was one of
562 high-achieving and high-progress schools as part of the 2018-19 Recognition
Schools, as announced by New York State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia.

(Bill Christensen 6-20-19)

Sidney was one of just 234 high
schools statewide on the list, and the only high school in the immediate area
to be selected.  Of the 562 schools being
honored, 241 are located in New York City, 40 are public charter schools, and
280 are located in the rest of the state, 131 of those were also named as
Reward Schools last year.

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

Rock in the Park has moved to the Chenango County
Fairgrounds this coming weekend, to raise money for an area organization.  Promoter Jason Hall comments:

(Jason Hall 6-12-19)

Tickets are available through B&W Wines in Bainbridge or
through Ticketmaster.com.  More
information about camping at the site is available at 972-6526.

Appointments are filling up & volunteers are still
needed for the upcoming Greater Chenango Cares Event.  Chenango United Way Spokesperson Elizabeth
Monaco explains:

(Elizabeth Monaco 6-12-19)

Monaco said that those wishing to volunteer to assist at the
event can call the Chenango United Way at 334-8815, The Greater Chenango Cares
event will be held at the Norwich High School July 11th through 20th.

State Senator Fred Akshar released the results of his latest online surveys asking constituents to weigh in 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, whooping cough, chickenpox and polio,  but 47 state including New York allow exemptions for religious reasons.  Measles cases nationwide have more than doubled from 2018 to over 1000 this year, with at least 850 cases in the New York City and Rockland County regions of New York.  The Survey Results in the 52nd Senate District show that 70% of respondents support removing all non-medical exemptions for vaccinations, Akshar said that the results from his district were similar to a recent Siena Poll, which showed 84% of New Yorkers statewide support ending the religious exemption for vaccinations.

The Sidney Central School District Board of Education has
named Eben Bullock as the district's new Superintendent.  Bullock served as the Sidney's high school
principal for the past 10 years, will succeed Dr. William Christensen, who is
leaving the district after more than 8 years at the helm.  Bullock was approved for a 3-year contract at
the Board of Education meeting Tuesday; he will begin the position on July 1.

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a
Board of Education Meeting Today in the District Conference Room at the Jr/Sr
High School at 6:30 PM. The business portion of the meeting will start at 7:00
PM with a Public Hearing on the Code of Conduct.

State Police have charged 25 year old John Mehne of
Sarasota, Florida for 1st degree Burglary, Robbery, Aggravated Cruelty to
Animals & Criminal Possession of Stolen Property after they were dispatched
Tuesday to an accident on I-81.  Troopers
located a stolen Audi disabled in the driving lane and facing the wrong
direction with no operator.  Mehne struck
the guiderail & attempted to jump on the back of a van, and then he jumped
into the back of a pick-up, eventually escaping into the woods.  State Police received a call from a resident
on Duell Road reporting Mehne was in his chicken coop, Mehne picked up an ax
and began chasing the resident, then stole his ATV.  A short time later, troopers received a call
that a white naked male was in a chicken coop on Springer Road & Mehne was
taken into custody.  State Police accuse
Mehne of several area burglaries & for the killing of a dog, he was treated
at Binghamton General Hospital from a Police Dog Bite; he was arraigned &
was remanded to the Broome County Jail without bail.  The investigation is ongoing; anyone with
damage in Kirkwood should call police at 775-1241.

The Annual Sherburne Pageant of Bands will be held this
weekend, at the Sherburne High School.
Pageant competitions will be held tonight & tomorrow, the Parade
will begin Saturday at 1:00 PM on Route 12 in downtown Sherburne.

Greater Chenango Cares is once again coming to Norwich to
provide services for families in need. Greater Chenango Cares is a Department
of Defense Innovative Readiness Training event. It gives joint training
opportunities to reservists to increase their deployment readiness while also
providing free medical, dental, vision and veterinary services to the
community.  This year's Chenango Cares
will be held at Norwich High School from July 11th through the 20th.   The Chenango United Way is looking for
volunteers for the event; those interested can call 334-8815.

The Scripps National Spelling Bee had to name 8 champions
yesterday, after the 8 winners continued to spell words correctly round after
round after round.  Organizers said that
they ran out of difficult words to give to the last 8, Scripps officials gave
up and declared them all co-champions, each will win the $50,000 grand
prize.  Melodie Loya of Bainbridge made
it to the final day for the 3rd straight year, before being stumped during an
afternoon round Thursday.

Governor Cuomo today announced
the application window is now open for round one of the Grow-NY food and
agriculture competition. The competition is focused on growing an enduring food
and agriculture innovation cluster in New York's Finger Lakes, Central New York
and Southern Tier regions. The competition will run for 3 & will offer a
total of $3 million in funding for each round to innovative high-growth
start-ups that are focused on the food and agriculture industry.   More information is available at grow-ny.com.

Today is World No Tobacco Day, where people are trying to
get the word out about the dangers of Tobacco use & the growing
Concern  of children getting addicted to
Nicotine through fruit flavored E-Cigarettes Like Juul.  Linda Wegner of Advancing Tobacco free
Communities of Delaware, Otsego & Schoharie Counties said that they are
hoping the state & the Federal Government do something soon:

(Linda Wegner 5-31-19)

Currently, the state wide rate of smoking is about 14%, but
Delaware County is much higher at 24%, there has also been a 160% increase in
E-Cigarette usage among teens in the last 2 years, each Juul cartridge contains
the same amount of nicotine as an entire pack of traditional cigarettes.

A.O. Fox Hospital is offering a program this summer for
individuals interested in becoming junior volunteers, to offer a helping hand
to hospitalized patients, nursing home residents, and staff in a multitude of
capacities.  Training for accepted
applicants is scheduled for Monday, July 1st
from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 PM in Fox Hospital’s Education Department.  Applicants must be at least 14 years of age
& applications are available in the guidance offices of area high
schools,  all applications are due by
June 18th . More Information is available at 431-5042.

14 year old Melodie Loya of Bainbridge advanced to the
finals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in National Harbor, Maryland
Wednesday.   Loya is one of 50 finalists
competing for the prize money of about $50,000.
The final round concludes this evening from 8:30 to 10:00 PM.

The Tri Town Relay for Life will be held Friday June 7th at
General Clinton Park in Bainbridge, American Cancer Society Organizer Heather
Brewster comments:

(Heather Brewster 5-30-19)

Brewster said that they expect to raise about $50,000 with
this year's efforts for the American Cancer Society's programs.

The Sidney Central School
District students were not allowed to leave the campus this morning following
the reports of a bear near the campus.
Department of Environmental conservation officers were called in.  The District was notified by local law
enforcement that the bear was no longer in the immediate of the vicinity of the
school & the Sidney District has resumed all normal activities this
afternoon.

Otsego County Sheriff Richard Devlin reports the Sheriff’s
Office along with the Susquehanna SPCA is investigating an animal cruelty
situation in the Town of Maryland.
Deputies located approximately two dozen dead cattle in a barn and
another 30 head in poor condition late Tuesday afternoon.  This is an on going investigation.

State Police arrested 48 year old Lisa Stevens of Glen
Aubrey for 2nd degree Grand Larceny.  A
several month-long investigation revealed that Stevens collected over $50,000
from several victims promising to make travel arrangements that were not
made.  Victims of the scam called the
State Police & Stevens was arraigned at Broome County Central Arraignment
and Processing.   The case is continuing,
Investigators believe there may be more residents in the area that have not yet
come forward, and they should Contact State Police at 775-1452 if you believe
you may have been a victim.

Congressman Anthony Brindisi made appearances around his
22nd district yesterday, to push for The “Stop for School Buses Act”, following
the release of dramatic video in Norwich last week, of Samantha Call keeping a
student from leaving her bus, when she saw a car passing the bus illegally.
Brindisi is looking for a sponsor in the Senate, he said that the National
School Transportation Association reports that 9 to 15 children a year are
killed getting on or off their school bus.

The Bainbridge Guilford Central School District is having a
follow up Safety Forum tonight, to address a variety of Safety concerns for
students in & outside of the School, Superintendent Tim Ryan comments:

(Tim Ryan 5-14-19)

The program will be held on Tuesday evening May 14th at 7:00
PM at the BG Junior Senior High School, parents are urged to attend &
participate.

Calling hours for 16 year old Amelia Wakefield of Oxford
will be held Thursday at the Behe Funeral Home in Oxford from 1:00 to 3:00 PM
& 5:00 to 8:00, the funeral will be held at 5:00 PM Friday, in the
auditorium of the Oxford Academy Middle School.
Wakefield was found deceased in a residence on Water Street in
Smithville Flats last Friday Night, the investigation into her death is
continuing.

Governor Cuomo & State Leaders announced an agreement on
allowing cameras on school buses, in order to catch drivers who do not stop for
school busses with their flashing lights on discharging children.   School districts will soon be able to mount
cameras on school buses to capture the vehicle’s license plates.  Drivers will face fines that up to $250 fine.

The Bainbridge Guilford Central School District is planning
on having a follow up Safety Forum next week, to address a variety of Safety
concerns for students in & outside of the School, Superintendent Tim Ryan
comments:

(Tim Ryan 5-8-19)

The program will be held on Tuesday evening May 14th at 7:00
PM at the BG Junior Senior High School, parents are urged to attend &
participate.

State Senator Fred Akshar
recognized Broome County Sheriff's Deputy Kristy Botsford as his New York State
Senate 2019 Woman of Distinction for the 52nd Senate District.  Each year, the New York State Senate honors
women who have enriched the quality of life in their communities across New
York.  Deputy Kristy Botsford continues
to recover from injuries sustained on February 1st, while responding to a
vehicle traveling the wrong way on Route 17 West in Vestal, her vehicle was
struck head on by an alleged drunk driver, she was pinned inside the vehicle,
& was removed by emergency personnel using the “Jaws of life" tool in
sub-zero temperatures, she underwent surgery to repair her broken femur and
ankle.  Botsford plans to return to her
post as soon as her doctors allow.

State Police arrested 71 year old Franklin Farrell of
Bainbridge for 2nd & 3rd degree Assault after Troopers were dispatched to a
physical dispute on County Route 39 in the town of Bainbridge.  Farrell allegedly grabbed the victim by the
arm causing lacerations & allegedly brandished a knife attempting to stab a
2nd victim, who was cut on the stomach & arms.  Farrell was transported to Tri-County
Hospital for his injuries and was arrested, & was arraigned in the town of
Bainbridge court & was remanded to the Chenango County Jail without
bail.  An order of protection was issued
to both victims.  He’s scheduled to
return to court on May 9th.

The Delaware County Relay For life event held last weekend
at the fairgrounds in Walton raised almost $42,000 for the American Cancer
Society.  The Tri Town Relay For Life
will be held on June 7th at General Clinton Park in Bainbridge, starting at
6:00 PM.

The Oneonta City School District Board of Education
announced that they accepted the retirement of Joseph Yelich as Superintendent
and appointed Assistant Superintendent Thomas Brindley as his replacement. Both
actions will become effective on July 1st.  Yelich has served as superintendent in Oneonta
since 2013.

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a Board of
Education Meeting tonight in the Guilford Elementary School Cafeteria at 6:30
PM. The business portion of the meeting will start at 7:00 PM.

The Chenango County Health Department announced that the
next free rabies clinic for Dogs, Cats & Ferrets will be held today in
Bainbridge.  The clinic will be held at
the Village Garage from 5:30 to 6:30 PM, more information is available at
337-1673.

Tomorrow, Law Enforcement Agencies around the state will
participate in Operation Safe Stop Day.
Police officers will be on board school buses and in marked and unmarked
patrol units on selected bus routes that have a history of illegal passing
complaints.  Police will be issuing
tickets to drivers who pass stopped school buses during tomorrow's program.

State Police arrested 30 year old Jameson Kincer of
Triangle, for 3rd degree Assault + Criminal Mischief and Menacing, following
the report of a domestic dispute.
Kincer allegedly struck a victim with a bat, and broke property of
another victim with the bat, he was arrested & arraigned at Broome County
Central Arraignment and Processing.  An
order of protection was issued to both victims.

The Village of Bainbridge will be conducting a water main
operation near the Lambrecht Auction building, from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM today,
which will require the shutdown of Water Mains feeding Guilford Road, Crest
Drive, Bliss Road, Grigoli Lane, Dew Drop Lane & Williams Lane.  Officials urge area residents to store extra
water for drinking, cooking & other purposes.

The Opening day of the “Regatta Row 2019 – Street Art Fest”
will be this Saturday, April 27, 2019, from 2:00 to 4:30 PM in Bainbridge,
followed by a display of the Adirondack chairs, Planters & canoe paddles
that have been decorated, and will be auctioned off at the General Clinton
Canoe Regatta, spokesperson Nancy Kitchen comments:

(Nancy Kitchen 4-23-19)

The Live Art Auction will be held on Saturday May 25, at the
General Clinton Canoe regatta in the big tent at 5:30 PM.  Interested purchasers can bid in advance
online at jerichoarts.com/regatta-row-2019.

The 40th Annual Jericho Arts Fine Arts Show will be held
from Saturday April 27th through May 4th, in the Gallery on the 2nd floor at
the Bainbridge Town Hall.  Show organizer
Elise Craver told WCDO News that people from all over have submitted various
types of Art for the Gallery to display:

(Elise Craver 4-23-19)

More information is available at 208-5037 or
jerichoarts.com/fine-arts-show

22nd District Congressman Anthony Brindisi will hold his
April town hall at 6:00 pm at Stanford Gibson Primary School in Norwich. The
event is free and open to all members of the community.

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

The 14th
annual Otsego County Conservation Association Earth Festival will take place on
tomorrow from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM at Milford Central School.  The Earth Festival will be featuring
exhibits, workshops, vendors, food and entertainment.  More information is available at
occainfo.org.

The General
Clinton Canoe Regatta officials announced that they will have their 12th Annual
Dan Elwood Memorial 5k Run and the Tracy Richmond 1 Mile Walk for Hospice on
Saturday, May 25th, at 9:00 AM at General Clinton Park, in Bainbridge.  There is a
$20 pre-registration fee, which will be accepted until Saturday, May
18th,  after that,  entrants may register the day of the race
beginning at 8:00 AM for a fee of $25. T-shirts will be given to first 100
entrants. Pre-registration forms may be sent to: Dan Elwood Memorial Race c/o
John Harmon, 3617 State Hwy 206, Bainbridge, NY 13733.

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a Board of
Education Meeting on Thursday, April 11, 2019 in the District Conference Room at
6:30 PM. The business portion of the meeting will start at 7:00 PM.

A presentation for the public will be hosted by the Unatego
Central School District Board of Education at 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 27,
on a future capital building project. The meeting will be in the high school
cafeteria at 2641 State 7 in Wells Bridge.

The next Bainbridge United meeting will be held this
evening.  The meeting will begin at 7:00
PM at Bob's Diner, Bainbridge residents are urged to attend & participate.

The Jericho Arts Council has been able to reschedule
"Storm Front, The Music of Bill Joel” for this Sunday at 4:00 PM at the
Bainbridge Town hall Theater, spokesman Phil Wade explains:

(Phil Wade 3-7-19)

Ticket reservations can be made at 288-3882 for Sunday
Afternoon's show.

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

Roger Clough has officially resigned as Superintendent of the Walton School district, following an out of court settlement where Clough will receive 2 years pay, and possible charges of professional misconduct against him will be dropped will be dropped.  The Walton School Board has appointed Larry Thomas as the new Superintendent.

The Rotary Club of Sidney will be hosting a fundraiser on
March 16th for the Howard & Catherine Lynch Scholarship fund for a
graduating Sidney High School Senior.
Spokesman Larry Halbert explains:

(Larry Halbert 3-5-19)

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.

The first Teen Institute Summit was held at Sidney high
school on Monday, coordinated by the Heart of New York Teen Institute
program.  Sidney Superintendent Bill
Christensen explains:

(Bill Christensen 3-5-19)

The Teen Institute seeks to reduce underage alcohol use,
tobacco and other drug use and other self-destructive behaviors.  Monday’s summit in Sidney was a supplement to
a fall conference the program normally holds.

State Senator Jim Seward
welcomed J.P. Dewey from Sidney High School to Monday in Albany as part of the
annual “Music in our Schools Month” celebration.   Dewey performed as a member of the
prestigious All State Instrumental Jazz Ensemble. He is the first ever pianist
from the Sidney area to be selected to play with the 18 member group.  Choirs, orchestras and bands from across the
state travel to Albany throughout the month of March to perform in the
concourse of the Empire State Plaza as part of “Music in our Schools Month”.

Otsego County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 19 year old Skyler
Blass of Otego & 18 year old Treyton Hathaway of Oneonta on Felony drug
charges after traffic stop Friday.
Deputies were alerted to be on the lookout for a vehicle that fled the
scene of a motor vehicle accident in the Town of Davenport.  Deputies observed the vehicle on State
Highway 23; it was stopped on East Street in the City of Oneonta.  Deputies seized 3 pounds of packaged
psychedelic mushrooms and 5 pounds of packaged marihuana in the vehicle.  Blass & Hathaway were arraigned,  Blass was remanded to the Otsego County Jail
on $20,000 Cash Bail / $50,000 bond, Hathaway was remanded on $10,000 Cash Bail
/ $20,000 Bond.  The motor vehicle
accident is still under investigation by the State Police.

State Police arrested 39 year old Brad Keesler of Triangle
for Criminal Obstruction of Breathing, Criminal Mischief and Unlawful
Imprisonment, after a report of a domestic dispute.  Keesler allegedly choked a victim and
prevented the victim from calling 911 and leaving the residence.  Troopers attempted to locate Keesler for
several days; he turned himself in on March 3 and was arrested.  He was processed then taken to Broome County
Central Processing for arraignment.

The next General Clinton Canoe Regatta committee meetings
will be held tonight at Galaxy Bowl in Bainbridge.  At 6:30 the Race committee will meet,
followed at 7:30 by the General Meeting.

State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli's office conducted an audit
of the Bainbridge Fire Department.  The
audit stated that the board established adequate controls to help safeguard
assets, and the legally required procurement policy, investment policy and code
of ethics were in place. The treasurer's financial records and reports
accurately and properly accounted for all financial activities. Although the
board did not perform a formal annual audit of the treasurer's records, it
reviewed reports each month and performed a thorough audit of claims before
they were paid to ensure they were supported and funds were used for legitimate
expenditures.

The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce will hold Job and
Resource Fairs on Wednesday, April 10th from 11:00 am to 3:30 pm at ONC BOCES
in Grand Gorge and on Thursday, April 11 at DCMO BOCES Harrold Campus in
Masonville.  Employers will be connected
to a viable workforce consisting of recent high school and college graduates as
well as adults who are eager to obtain employment.   There is no fee to participate, but
registration is required.  To register or
to obtain more information, go to delawarecounty.org or call 746-2281.

On January 20th troopers were dispatched to a possible
overdose in a vehicle parked in Dollar General on North Road in the town of
Windsor.  Troopers observed both
occupants passed out, they were assessed by paramedics & were charged with
a variety of drug & other charges.  Arrested
were 24 year old Caitlynn Rhodes of Colesville, & 24 year old Tieler
Kennerup of Windsor, they were arraigned at Broome County Central Arraignment
and Processing.  Kennerup was released on
his own recognizance and Rhodes was remanded to the Broome County Jail without
bail.

The Sidney Central School District Board of Education has
begun a search for a new Superintendent of Schools.  Sidney community, parents, staff and students
can assist in developing a profile of desirable attributes/qualities of this
individual, at the District's Facebook page or website sidneycsd.org and
complete the survey. All entries are anonymous.

The Jericho Arts Council will bring the "Elvis and
Orbison Show" to the Bainbridge Town Hall Theater this evening at 7:00
PM.  Tickets can be reserved at 288-3882