WCDO Radio News

The Greene Central School District announced that their Primary and Intermediate schools had to go to remote learning today, due to a water main break. Students from Pre-K to 5th grade students were affected. Also, Due to the poor road conditions, all students in the Harpursville Schools will be fully remote Tuesday & Wednesday.

A Village of Bainbridge resident was arrested by the Chenango County Sheriff's Office for 1 count of criminal possession of a controlled substance and 2 counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance. Lance Madsen of Bainbridge was arrested after a traffic stop in the Village of Bainbridge; he is accused of possessing Methamphetamine with intent to sell, as well as 2 other controlled substances which were not prescribed to him. Madsen was released on an appearance ticket for Town of Bainbridge Court on a later date.

Commerce Chenango, NBT Bank, The Bainbridge Chamber of Commerce, SUNY Morrisville & others have teamed up to distribute complete holiday meals in 2 Chenango County locations today, Commerce Chenango President & CEO Kerri Green comments;

(Kerri Green 12-18-20)

Site #1 will be at SUNY Morrisville, Conkey Avenue in Norwich and pick-up time is 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM, and Site #2 will be manned by the Bainbridge Chamber of Commerce at General Clinton Park with a pick-up time of 2:00 to 3:00 PM, for those who pre-registered.

The Sidney Central School District has been notified by the Delaware County Public Health of 4 positive COVID-19 cases in the elementary school in grades K, 2, 3 and 5, Contact tracing has begun and the health department or school district officials will be in contact with any student and staff member impacted by the exposure.  The Sidney elementary school grades K-6 will transition to full remote learning for next Monday & Tuesday due to continued contact tracing efforts. Teachers will be in contact to communicate instructional schedules, there will be no change to the 7-12 instructional schedules.

The Bainbridge Chamber of Commerce announced that there will be no General Membership Meeting Tuesday, due to an uptick in local COVID 19 Cases.  Chamber officials said that 1 agenda item that needs to be finalized prior to the end of the year is the vote for an open Board of Director Seat. There are 3 openings due to Director Terms expiring, 2 Directors Barb Mulkins & Matt Germond are willing to continue, there is 1 nomination for the open seat, and that is Roger Barnhart.  Anyone with an objection to the nominee or the Directors staying on should email:  bainbridge.chamber@yahoo.com.

The Cooperstown Central School district announced that they went to remote learning today & will do so again tomorrow, after a staff member tested positive for COVID recently.  Staff was ordered to report to the school for both days, and a decision on Wednesday is expected to be announced tomorrow.

A.M. NEWS MONDAY 12-14-20

Governor Cuomo announced that over 205,000 Tests were reported Saturday, with Positive Test Results for 10,194, or 4.96 %.  Patient Hospitalization went up to 5,410, the Number ICU patients decreased slightly to 1,009, Number ICU with Intubation was up to 567, and there were 106 Deaths Saturday.

The Sidney Central School District announced that the district has been notified that a 1st grade student has tested positive for COVID-19. The student has not been on campus since Tuesday, December 8th. The Delaware County Health Department has conducted an investigation and the contact tracing has been completed. There will be no change to the instructional model at this time.

Municipalities with Police Department have been mandated by Governor Cuomo, to meet with their communities & change Policing procedures, if deemed necessary with a commission of local residents. Bainbridge Mayor Phil Wade told WCDO News that they have had their preliminary ZOOM meeting, and said that they hope to nail everything down shortly:

(Phil Wade 10-12-20)

Wade said that the next ZOOM meeting will be on October 27th. Sidney Mayor Andy Matviak told WCDO News that they are forming their commission currently, Oneonta City Police & their community are well underway with their process.

State Police arrested 73 year old Darrel Rich for 1st degree assault, in connection with a shooting in the town of Fenton on Saturday. State police reported that a 58-year-old woman was shot and was taken to Wilson Hospital in Johnson City. Rich was processed and transported to Broome County Central Arraignment, the shooting remains under investigation.

A.M. NEWS MONDAY 10-12-20

The Masonville Fire Department responded to a barn fire in Masonville Sunday on State Route 206. The fire started around 4:30 PM Sunday, 16 fire departments responded, the barn was filled with Hay, no people or animals were injured, it was completely destroyed, Delaware County Emergency Services is investigating the cause.

The Binghamton area has been designated as a Yellow zone, since the discovery of clusters in the City. Yellow Zone restrictions include no more than 25 people at a gathering, indoors or outdoors, houses of worship can have 50% maximum capacity, non essential businesses remain open, Indoor & Outdoor Dining are permitted with 4 maximum per table, Schools are Open with Mandatory weekly testing of students and school personnel, in accordance with DOH guidance.

The Bainbridge Rotary Club will have a “Doug's Fish Fry" To Go Fundraiser from 11:00 to 6:00 today, Bainbridge Rotary Spokesperson June White explains:

(June White 10-12-20

The event's proceeds will benefit Rotary Club Projects such as BG Student Scholarships, BG School Clubs, The Bainbridge Free Library, The Community Chest, Head Start & for Bainbridge Emergency Squad equipment.

Chenango County Health Department announced that they will have 3 Drive-through rabies clinics this year.  The next one will be in Bainbridge at General Clinton Park Today from 9:00 to 11:00, one is also scheduled at the Sherburne Earlville High School bus garage on October 31st from 9:00 to 11:00 and another will be held at the South New Berlin Fire Station on December 5th from 9:00 to 11:00, Pre-Registration is Required at health.ny.gov/go2clinic/9 or by calling 337-1673.

Delaware County Sheriff's Office responded to a 2 motorcycle, 1 car accident Saturday night on State Route 206 in the town of Walton.   Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies and Walton Fire Department and Emergency Squads were dispatched to a motorcycle – deer accident on State Highway 206 near the intersection of Davis Road. 64-year-old Bruce Gerken, and his wife, 58-year-old Deborah Gerken of Bainbridge were traveling on a motorcycle when they collided with a deer that ran into the roadway, Bruce Gerken lost control & he and his wife were ejected from the motorcycle, which then struck a vehicle driven by 56-year-old Debra Higley of Trout Creek.  Bruce & Deborah Gerken were taken to Wilson Hospital, Debra Higley & her passenger 62 year-old Luther Higley were uninjured.  Another motorcyclist traveling with the Gerkens, 74-year-old Richard King from Bainbridge lost control of his motorcycle while attempting to avoid the Gerken’s collision; he struck the guide wires, his Motorcycle overturned, fatally injuring King.  The accident remains under investigation

Mirabito Energy Products announced that the employee at the center of the controversy that occurred in Bainbridge last weekend is no longer employed by Mirabito.  Racially motivated and all discriminatory hate speech is not consistent with the values of the Mirabito organization and they do not condone such activities & they will not tolerate activities that create a harmful environment for customers, employees and the communities in which they operate.

Colorscape Chenango announced that they do a "Virtual” Arts Festival on September 12 & 13, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on YouTube. Spokesperson Roz DeRensis explains:

(Roz DeRensis 8-18-20)

DeRensis said that Music performances will be prerecorded from The Slambovian Circus of Dreams and Adam Erza.  Colorscape Chenango Arts Festival was recently ranked #97 by Sunshine Artist Magazine in their annual list of the 200 Best Arts and Crafts Festivals.

The next Bainbridge Chamber Of Commerce General Membership Meeting is Today @ 7:30 am.  The Meeting will be held at the back of Bob's Diner.

The Norwich City School District will have their parent informational meeting regarding their reopening plans today & tomorrow.   The Meetings will be both virtual & in person with limited seating in the Auditorium, at 6:00 PM tonight, & Wednesday at 10:00 AM & 5:00 PM.

The Unatego Central School District will have their final Parent informational meeting on reopening today.  The meeting will be virtual only & will begin at 3:00 PM, with the links available at the Unatego school website.

State Police arrested 24 year old Alexander Hartman of Binghamton for 2nd degree Burglary and 3rd degree Arson.  On August 9, Troopers and the Nanticoke Fire Department were dispatched to a garage fire, an investigation revealed that Hartman broke into a residence to steal items then started a fire in the garage.  Hartman was arrested and processed at the Binghamton barracks & he was later transported to Broome County Central Arraignment and Processing.

P.M. NEWS MONDAY 8-17-20

A Black Lives Matter gathering in Bainbridge was met by dozens of counter protestors supporting Police agencies Saturday afternoon.  Gilda Ward of the Tri-County Tea Party Patriots said that she was there to Support the police of the area:

(Gilda Ward 8-17-20)

Ward said that some members of other groups with confederate flags were asked to take those down, & they did not, she reported that there were a couple of fights that broke out, but no arrests have been reported by Bainbridge Police.

The Bainbridge Guilford Central School District will hold informational meeting with district parents Tuesday & Wednesday, regarding their re-opening plans for the fall.  BG Superintendent Tim Ryan explains:

(Tim Ryan 8-17-20)

Ryan said that virtual meetings will be held Tuesday at 6:00 PM, Wednesday at 10:00 AM and a meeting will be held Wednesday evening at 6:00 PM at the High School Auditorium, with a limit of 50 people due to CDC guidelines.

The Broome County Health Department announced that they are up to 1110 positive COVID 19 cases since March, with 74 deaths, 965 recoveries & 440 people are being monitored by the Health Department, they have conducted over 33,400 tests.

A.M. NEWS MONDAY 8-17-20

A Black Lives Matter gathering in Bainbridge was met by dozens of counter protestors favoring Police & some had confederate symbols, Saturday afternoon.  Unadilla native & standup comedian Taury Seward aimed some of his comments at the counter protestors:

(Taury Seward 8-17-20)

Brief altercations were reported, but no arrests have been reported by Bainbridge Police yet.

1 of the Sidney Central School District’s parent informational meeting has been posted to the school website & social media and parents need to access the fall attendance registration form, also available on social media and the district's website, Superintendent Eben Bullock explains:

(Eben Bullock 8-17-20)

More information or registration is available at 561-7703 today and Tuesday; all parents need to complete the official registration form for attending school in September and it will only be available through Tomorrow.

A Black Lives Matter peaceful protest & discussion will be held at the Bainbridge Village Green Park Saturday afternoon at 1:00 PM.  Those who would like to speak are requested to send an email to BLMBAINBRIDGE@GMAIL.COM.  Mask wearing & social distancing requirements will be mandatory at the event.

The Oneonta City School District has posted their extensive District Re-opening plan on their website.  With the expected influx of college students coming from all over the country to Oneonta, the district announced that they will remain in the remote learning environment to start the 2020-2021 school year; they will reevaluate that model when they approach the Interim Progress Report period of October 9th.

The Unatego Central School District will hold 3 meetings next week to get parents up to date about the district's re-opening proposal, Superintendent Dr. Dave Richards explains:

(Dave Richards 8-13-20)

The Virtual meetings with parents will be on Monday at 2:00 & 6:00 PM & Tuesday at 3:00 PM, more information is available on the Unatego District website.

The Afton Central School district announced that there will be a remote Special Community Meeting today at 2:00 PM; the link to the virtual meeting is available on the district website.  Afton Superintendent Tim McNamara told WCDO News what their plans are for students for the fall:

(Tim McNamara 8-14-20)

McNamara said that on August 21 at 9:00 A.M. there will be a special live presentation in the Margery Secrest Memorial Auditorium and available remotely by clicking Special Community Meeting on the school website. The district's reopening plan is also available on the district website.

State Police arrested 26 year old Matthew Haigis of Deposit, Friday for 2nd degree Burglary, Criminal Contempt, Criminal Mischief and Criminal Obstruction of Breathing. Troopers responded to a report of a physical dispute at a residence on North Sanford Road in the town of Deposit, Haigis left the scene, the victim reported that Haigis broke into the residence, obstructed the victim’s breathing and broke a cellphone during an altercation, Haigis also violated an order of protection.   A trooper located Haigis operating a vehicle in Deposit, he was taken in custody, & he was transported to Broome County Central Arraignment and Processing.

State Police have charged 26 year old Shane Santiago of Otego for 2 counts of 2nd degree Manslaughter, in connection with a July 15th early morning accident that killed 2 area women.   The investigation revealed that Santiago was driving an SUV, when the vehicle went off of Otsego County Highway 13 in Pittsfield, causing the death of Cheyenn Aubry of Treadwell & Tehya Gonzalez of Bainbridge, Santiago suffered minor injuries, he was arrested Tuesday, he was arraigned virtually and remanded on $2,000 cash bail or $4,000 bond, the investigation into the crash continues.

Oneonta City Officials announced that crews will install a new curb along the north side of Center Street from Yager Avenue to West Street, excluding the sections between Maple Street to Elm Street and Ivy Court to Central Avenue.  The work began today & is expected to be completed August 27th, depending on the weather.  More information is available by calling the Department of Public Service at 432-2100 or by email to dpsinfo@oneonta.ny.us.

State Police arrested 45 year old Jeremy Squires of Norwich Saturday for2nd degree Burglary, Criminal Contempt, 3rd degree Assault, Criminal Mischief & Endangering the Welfare of a Child.   Troopers were dispatched to a report of a physical domestic on County Highway 35 in the town of Guilford, Squires had already left the scene, and the victim reported that Squires broke into the home, struck the victim & prevented the victim from calling for help.  The victim was transported to Chenango County Memorial Hospital for treatment.  Troopers located Squires in the city of Norwich, and he was arrested, he was arraigned & was remanded to the Chenango County Jail on $25,000 cash bail or $50,000 bond.

The Sidney Central School District will hold 3 informational meetings for parents in regard to the district’s reopening plan tomorrow at 9:00 AM, 12:00 Noon & 6:00 PM on  in the high school auditorium, Sidney Superintendent Eben Bullock comments:

(Eben Bullock 8-12-20)

The sessions will run no more than 45 minutes; a recording of the parent information session will also be posted on the school website & social media.  Reservations for the in person meetings are available at 561-7703, a face cover is required Social distancing guidelines will also be in place.  A survey available on the school website & social media starting Thursday as well, it will be the official survey for attending school in September and will be available through Tuesday, August 18.

Children who lost food benefits due to COVID-19 school closures can access meals through the Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer program. The benefits require no application and will be automatically issued to kids who would have received free or reduced-price meals through the federal school lunch. If a child is eligible but has not received a P-EBD card or benefits by the end of the week, more information is available at 1-833-452-0096 or hungersolutionsny.org.

Bassett Healthcare Network announced the opening of a new school-based health center at Gilbertsville-Mount Upton Central School, serving pre-K through 12th grade students in that district.  This is Bassett’s 21st school-based health center, the program has been funded through a grant and money secured by State Senator Jim Seward, as well as by the Clark Foundation.   More information is available at 844-255-7242.

Catholic Charities at the Sidney Civic Center announced today that they have extended the registration period for their free backpack & school Supplies promotion for Sidney Central School District Students.  The deadline has been extended through Friday August 21st; more information is available at 604-4071.

Delaware County received no new positive test results for COVID-19, the known active cases in the County is 0. To date there have been 96 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 with 12 people under mandatory quarantine, 6 people have died and 90 have fully recovered.

Village of Bainbridge water users may experience periods of water interruption today, between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM.  Crews will be working on water lines during this time and water may become discolored.  Running the faucet should alleviate roily or brown water.  More information is available at 967-7373.

50 year-old Richard Millard pleaded guilty to arson Monday for the fire at Home Central in Vestal on February 13th.  There were no injuries in the fire; the company will rebuild the warehouse.

Sidney Central School District Superintendent Eben Bullock announced that they received 481 responses which covers 830 students, to their survey, sent out to parents regarding what they are planning to regarding schooling their children this fall, , That amount covered a significant sample size of about 75% of the school population.  Bullock told WCDO News that the information compiled from the survey was sent to the state by in the district’s re-opening plan by last Friday’s deadline, he believes that there is room for many but not all students within the existing square footage in the district:

(Eben Bullock 8-3-20)

Governor Cuomo & the state education department, state health department will put together the guidelines for school districts around the state in the coming weeks.  The Sidney District plans to for virtual informational forums to be shared the week of August 10th.

Catholic Charities in Sidney announced that they are offering free school supplies to Sidney School District Students again this fall, spokesperson Penny McKnight explains:

(Penny McKnight 8-3-20)

More information is available at the Catholic Charities office at the Sidney Civic Center or by calling 604-4071.

The Deadline to register for the Bainbridge Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament is today.  The tournament is a key fundraiser; they have raised funds for various non-profit organizations and programs including “Odyssey of the Mind” program and B-G Student Council.  The tournament will be held Sunday, at noon, more information or registration is available through John Payne at 316-6854 or Terri DeRoche at 434-2400.

Governor Cuomo announced that the number of Hospitalizations from COVID 19 dropped to 556 Saturday, there were 3 Deaths Statewide.  There were 531 new positive tests Saturday, or 0.9% of those tested, bringing the Statewide Total to 416,298, there have been 6 million diagnostic tests conducted since March. The ICU numbers are down to 143. The number of intubated down slightly to 71.

Graduations ceremonies will be held at some area schools today & tomorrow.  The Hancock seniors will have their ceremony this morning at 10:00 AM @ the football field, Afton seniors will have a graduation car parade at 4:30 this afternoon, Gilbertsville-Mount Upton will celebrate at 5:30 PM on the school grounds.  Milford seniors will celebrate at 6:00 PM, Sidney at 6:30 on the Athletic Field, Deposit at 7:00 PM on their football field, Franklin 7:00 PM at Franklin Stage Company & Morris at 7:00 PM.  Saturday celebrations include Oneonta Seniors in 3 ceremonies beginning at 10:00 AM, the Delaware Academy at 10:00 AM, Norwich at 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM at High School field, South Kortright at 1:00, Unadilla Valley Central School District at 2:00 PM in the Gym & Bainbridge Guilford at 7:00 PM on the lawn.

2020 SCHOOL BUDGET VOTES

DELAWARE COUNTY
Voters in the Sidney Central School District approved the district's proposed budget 538-131 & also approved a capital reserve fund 547-113.
Voters in the Walton Central School District approved the budget 796-292.
Voters in the Franklin School District approved their budget 289-130, and their bus proposition 289-147.
Voters in Deposit approved their budget 472-177, they also approved of their bus & library propositions.
Voters in the Charlotte Valley District voted in favor of their budget 336-188 & their capital reserve proposition 357-164
Voters in the Hancock Central School District voted for their budget 352-135.
Voters in Downsville approved of their budget 199-61
Voters in South Kortright approved their budget 196-64
Voters in the Delaware Academy District approved their budget 845-399 they also approved of the bus proposition & the asbestos abatement proposition.

CHENANGO COUNTY
Voters in the Afton School District approved of their budget 326-169, their bus proposition 285-207 & their building project 247-244.
Voters in the Bainbridge-Guilford Central School approved their Budget 541 to 255 & approved the bus proposition & the proposition for a Student on the Board of Education.
Norwich City School District voters approved their budget 1179-522, they approved the Leased Vehicles Proposition & the Library Budget.
Greene Central School District Voters approved their Budget 794-436 & passed both Propositions
Unadilla Valley district voters approved a $22.2 million budget by a vote of 534 to 219; Voters also approved a bus lease proposition by a vote of 557 to 194.
Oxford Academy district voters approved their budget School Budget 535 to 236; they also approved a Vehicle Purchase & the Oxford Memorial Library budget

OTSEGO COUNTY:
Voters in the Unatego School District voted in favor of their budget 594-293
Voters in the Edmeston School District approved their budget 171-18, they also approved of 3 vehicle purchases.
Gilbertsville Mount Upton Voters approved of their budget 267-133
Laurens School district voters approved of their budget 231-24, & voted in favor of purchasing busses by a similar margin.
Milford central School District voters approved their budget 467-272

Voters in the Morris District approved their budget 245-38
Voters in the Oneonta City School district approved of their budget, Bus proposition & Capital Project

BROOME COUNTY
Harpursville District Voters approved their budget, 508-194.

WINDSOR Central School district voters approved of their budget 991-537.

The Village of Bainbridge Department of Public Works will be working on Water Lines starting at 3:00 AM Tuesday, on East Main Street from River Street to the traffic light & West Main Street from the Traffic Light to Mount Pleasant Drive.  Residents may experience loss of water service or Roily Water during the work; they expect to restore service by 6:00 AM.

School Budget votes will be counted starting tomorrow for all school districts statewide.  The Bainbridge Guilford central School District has a proposed budget of 20.1 Million Dollars, BG Superintendent Tim Ryan comments:

(Tim Ryan 6-8-20)

The Afton Central School District has a budget, a bus proposition, and others items for voters to decide on, including a large Capital Project, Afton Superintendent Tim McNamara comments:

(Tim McNamara 6-8-20)

The Proposed budget for the Afton District is $16.4 Million dollars & the Building project is about 19 Million Dollar Building Project.  Governor Cuomo announced over the weekend that they will extend the deadline for school districts to receive school budget ballots, they can be hand delivered by 5:00 PM tomorrow and can be received by mail through June 16th.

Governor Cuomo announced Sunday that the state is considering allowing outdoor Graduation ceremonies up to 150 people with social distancing later this month:

(Cuomo 6-8-20 Graduation)

Governor Cuomo signed legislation extending the deadline to submit absentee ballots until the day of the election.  Primary Ballots must be postmarked by June 23rd, the Governor will extend the deadline for school districts to receive school budget ballots, they can be hand delivered by 5:00 PM tomorrow and can be received by mail through June 16th.

The Sidney Central School District announced that they will be hosting a car parade for the graduating class of 2020 on Friday June 12th, beginning at 11:00 AM at the Junior Senior High school.  The Parade will go down West Main Street to Main, River Union Street, onto Pearl Street & back to the School grounds for a drive through Barbecue.

The Broome County Agricultural Society announced today that they have decided to cancel the 2020 Broome County Fair.   The Board of Directors aims to resume the Broome County Fair, July 27 to August 1, 2021.

The Bainbridge Guilford central School District will hold their public budget hearing at 6:00 PM tonight through Zoom, BG Superintendent Tim Ryan comments:

(Tim Ryan 6-2-20)

The Proposed budget is 20.1 Million dollars; the tax levy increase is 2.4%.

Good Shepherd Communities & Chase Nursing Home & Rehabilitation of New Berlin have given their employees a $2 dollar an hour differential for putting in the long hard hours at their nursing homes during the Coronavirus pandemic, President & CEO Mike Keenan explains:

(Mike Keenan 4-21-20)

WCDO will air the full interview with Mike Keenan & Chase Memorial Executive Director Gabby Skillen Wednesday Afternoon after the news at 3:00 PM and again on Thursday after the 10:00 AM news.

Sidney School District Superintendent Eben Bullock announced that the district will continue to provide food services, with a bulk food delivery on Wednesday, All food deliveries will be door to door for those that have signed up.  More information is available at 561-7703.

The Village of Bainbridge Board of trustees will hold their next meeting today at 6:30 PM.  The meeting will be held remotely, those who are interested in viewing the meeting should call the village clerk's office at 967-7373 to get the code.

The Jericho Arts Council announced that the events at the Bainbridge Town Hall Theatre & in the Gallery scheduled for the spring 2020, have been cancelled or rescheduled for a later date, due to concerns about the Coronavirus.  More information is available at 288-3882.

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a SPECIAL Board of Education Meeting  Today in the District Conference Room at 6:30 PM with open session starting at 7:00 PM. Check the BGCSD website for information on on-line or phone-in options for public viewing that will be available or call the District Office at 607-967-6321.

Jerry Conklin, the owner of Conklin fashions of Sidney & Bainbridge, decided to take spare inventory, and turn it into free masks for the public:

(Jerry Conklin 4-6-20)

Conklin gave away the bandanas-turned-facemasks at the Unadilla rest area over the weekend, and again this afternoon, he said that Lori Crane will also be giving them away at their 85 Main Street Sidney building.

The Sidney Central School District will continue to provide food service to the school community; however, there will be changes to the weekly schedule. The Food Service Plan for today & Tuesday will again include breakfast and lunch available for pick up at the Junior/Senior High School from 9am - 12pm, with mobile deliveries also going to the same locations posted on the district website.   The food service plan for Wednesday, will include a bulk food delivery, which the district will move to a once per week bulk food delivery on Wednesdays, delivered door to door for all those that have signed up.  Those who need to sign up can do so at the Monday or Tuesday food pick-ups.

MONDAY MORNING NEWS

Governor Cuomo gave the latest Coronavirus statistics SUNDAY, there were 122, 031 positive cases, with 16,479 hospitalized, 4376 are on ventilators in ICU Beds, there are 4159 deaths, 12,187 have been discharged following recovery.

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School District Board of
Education meeting scheduled for April 2nd has been cancelled, due to the COVID
19 pandemic & social distancing requirements.

Governor Cuomo announced today that All State Public Schools
will remain closed through at least April 15th, due to the Corona Virus
Pandemic; he said that it is more than likely that the schools will stayed
closed well beyond that date.

The New
York State Public High School Athletic Association announced today that they
are officially cancelling the 2020 winter state championships. The sports that
were still left to play were boys and girls basketball, bowling and ice hockey.
Plans are being developed to honor and formally recognize the students and
teams who qualified to participate in these championship events. The status of
the spring state championships will be determined on or prior to Monday, April
27th.

New
York State put out a call for retired healthcare professionals to enlist in the
state's Coronavirus response & they also called on qualified medical &
nursing school students to enlist.
Governor Cuomo stated that 30,000 people have responded, but more are
needed, they can enlist health.ny.gov/assistance

The
Bainbridge Guilford Central School district announced that 1 member of their
staff has tested positive for the Coronavirus, they do not believe that there
was any contact at the school & there should be no risk to staff or
students at this time.  The investigation
is ongoing.

Governor Cuomo announced that as of today, all New York State
schools are closed through at least April 1st.
Many area school districts announced that they would stay closed until
April 14th, due to concerns regarding COVID-19.

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central
School District will hold their Board of Education meeting today in the
District Conference room at 6:30 PM.
This is a date and place change from the originally scheduled meeting on
March 19, 2020.

Chamber & O’Hara Car & Truck Center of Sidney &
The Sidney Great American Supermarket are teaming up to put together grocery
orders and deliver them to those who cannot or should not come out during this
time with the Corona Virus issue so prevalent, Cork O’Hara explains:

(Cork O’Hara 3-18-20)

O’Hara said that they would start this endeavor tomorrow;
the number to place the order or get more information is 563-3404.

Bassett Healthcare announced that for the health and safety
of patients, employees, and the communities that they serve, they are
implementing new visitation restrictions across all network facilities.  Access to clinic buildings and outpatient
service areas at all Bassett Healthcare Network facilities will be limited to
only those patients with scheduled appointments or required business, such as a
prescription pick up.  FoxCare Fitness in
Oneonta is also closed until further notice.
Bassett has set up a central phone number; 607-547-5555, for those who
are concerned they may have symptoms of upper respiratory illness, patients
determined to need an in-person visit will be given an appointment and directed
to next steps.  Also Telemedicine
capabilities are being expanded to be able to screen more patients remotely;
Visitation has been suspended to all inpatient units at the 5 hospitals across
the network and the network’s long-term care facilities.  More information is available at bassett.org.

The State-run Department of
Motor Vehicles locations are moving to an appointment only system to help stop
spread of the coronavirus.   The DMV is
encouraging all New Yorkers to complete routine transactions on its website.

Governor Cuomo signed an executive order directing all
schools in New York to close by Wednesday, for 2 weeks ending April 1, at that
time, the state will reassess whether to extend the school closures further and
continue to suspend the 180-day instructional requirement.   Schools that exceed the closure period
without state authorization will not be exempted from the 180-day rule.  School districts are required to develop a
plan for alternative instructional options, including distance learning;
distribution and availability of meals; and daycare, with an emphasis on
children of parents of first responders and healthcare workers.

The Bainbridge Chamber of Commerce announced that they will
hold their regular membership meeting this morning.  The meeting will begin at 7:30 at the back of
Bob's Diner.

Congressman Anthony Brindisi announced more than $7 million
in federal funds for housing assistance across Upstate and Central New York.
The grant dollars are administered by HUD & will be dispersed to more than
a dozen organizations across New York.
Brindisi will hold his January town hall today at 5:30 PM, at the Maine
Endwell Middle School; it is free and open to the public.

Bainbridge Chamber next general membership meeting will be
held this morning, at the back of Bob’s Diner, the meeting starts at 7:30 AM.

The Raymond Corporation and Sidney Central School District
was honored by the New York State School Boards Association for their
collaboration on the Raymond Welding Production Center, which opened in
2019.  Sidney Superintendent Eben Bullock
comments:

(Eben Bullock 1-26-20)

7 Sidney students created a fabricated welded “Present”
to accompany the Raymond annual holiday tree display at the Roberson Museum and
in Binghamton, The holiday display has been returned & will remain at the
Sidney Central School District.

The
Shell of the new Bainbridge Community Center on Prospect Street is up & the
work is continuing, Bainbridge Chamber of Commerce President John Payne
explains:

(John
Payne 1-16-20

Payne
said that the project is coming together through volunteers working on the
structure, and donations from area businesses, he said that the project should
be ready this summer.

The Unatego Hall of Distinction Committee has selected 2
alumni to be honored for induction this year, Unatego Superintendent Dr. Dave
Richards explains:

(Dave Richards 1-10-20)

This year’s induction ceremony will take place during the
Dan Wickham Wrestling Tournament on Saturday with a reception at 5:00 PM in the
Jr/Sr. High School Auditorium, followed by the ceremony at 6:00 pm in the High
School Gym.

The Class of 2020 will be inducted into the General Clinton
Canoe Regatta Hall of Fame during the 58th annual event in May, spokesman Greg
Davie told WCDO news who will be inducted:

(Greg Davie 1-10-20)

The Induction ceremony will be held on Saturday May 23rd at
General Clinton Park in Bainbridge.