WCDO Radio News

Norwich Police have arrested 38 year old Matthew Lamb of Norwich, on charges of 4th degree arson, criminal mischief, & reckless endangerment, for allegedly using a blow torch to kill insects at his apartment at 12 State Street in Norwich Monday Night. Firefighters from the Norwich Fire Department, & the North Norwich Fire Department responded, no injuries were reported.

20 year old Jaeden Cunningham of Florida was arrested by Johnson City police on a variety of charges. Cunningham is accused of shooting a Ride Share Driver Saturday. Cunningham was charged with 2nd degree Attempted murder, Attempted assault, Criminal possession of a weapon & Criminal use of a firearm in the first degree, the 49 year old driver was taken to an area hospital for the treatment of non- life threatening injuries.

The next meeting of the Sidney Chamber of Commerce will be held tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM at the Trackside Diner. Chamber members & directors are urged to attend.

A.M. NEWS Tuesday 11-1-22

Firefighters from Greene, Smithville, Coventry & Brisben responded to a fire at 109 Bunt Road in the town of Greene Monday afternoon. The fire was put out in about 30 minutes, no injuries were reported.

Cooperstown Firefighters responded to a blaze on Hooligan Hill Road Monday Afternoon. Investigators believe that a lawn mower caught fire in a garage after use & spread through the whole structure. The home was completely destroyed, the unidentified resident escaped without injuries.

Oneonta City Officials remind residents that A sidewalk closure is in place from on Chestnut Street from Main Street to Church Street. A private contractor will be working at 47 Chestnut Street Wednesday through Friday, from 7 am. until 5 pm. During this time, the sidewalk on that side of the street will be closed, more information is available by contacting the Department of Public Works at 432-2100 or dpsinfo@oneonta.ny.us.

Otsego County Department of Health reported 380 total COVID 19 cases reported in the month of August, with 52% were unvaccinated which includes those who had no or 1 vaccines in the 2 shot series, while 48% were fully vaccinated, 100% of hospitalizations are unvaccinated. 9% of the cases in August were in college students/employees; 10% of the cases were 0-11 years old, 27% were 12 to 24 years old, 46% of the cases were in the 25-55 age group & 17% were 56 & older.

State Senator Fred Akshar will join officials from Broome County and the Broome County Health Department to recognize Rebecca Kaufman as the 52nd Senate District's 2021 Woman of Distinction on Wednesday at 10:30 AM at the Broome County Health Department in Binghamton. Kaufman earned this recognition through her work as Director of Public Health for Broome County; Senator Akshar said that she led the Broome community through the pandemic:

(State Senator Fred Akshar 9-7-21)

Akshar said that in addition to her work as the Director of Public Health, she also serves as the Broome Opioid Awareness Council Coordinator to help treat & prevent Substance Abuse disorder & addiction in Broome County.

The State Department of Transportation announced that State Route 28 near Frank Slawson and Epps roads in the town of Franklin will close starting today for a culvert replacement over Knapp Brook. DOT Officials stated that motorists on State Route 28 will be detoured to take state Route 23 to Davenport Center and then take county Highway 10 to Meridale to connect back to state Route 28, the project is expected to be completed on September 22nd. Also, starting today, Old Route 17 in the Town of Windsor will undergo culvert construction; a road closure is near the intersection of 17 and Ostrander Road. Old Route 17 will likely be closed for 2 months & is scheduled to reopen around November 9th.

Firefighters from several companies responded to the report of a Barn Fire at 723 Hotchkiss Road in Greene Late Sunday Night. Firefighters from Greene, Chenango Forks, Port Crane, Coventry, and Brisben responded, the barn was fully engulfed & was a total loss, and the investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.

The State Health Department conducted over 100.000 COVID Tests Sunday, with 3660 positives, for a 3.65% positivity rate Hospitalizations were up to 2334, Patients in an ICU bed went up to 519, Patients on ventilators went up to 263, there were 26 deaths from COVID Sunday.

P.M. NEWS FRIDAY 3-12-21

Delaware County will be presenting the Delaware County Sheriff's Department Reform plans to the state before the April 1st deadline; Delaware County Sheriff Craig DuMond said he was pleased with the plan & some of the changes that will be made:

(DuMond 3-12-21)

Governor Cuomo ordered all law enforcement agencies to meet with the communities they serve & submit reform plans, following last year’s George Floyd incident in Minnesota that sparked nationwide outrage over Police tactics.

The State DEC announced that the annual open burning ban will go into effect March 16th & run through May 14th this year.  The DEC reported that Open burning of household trash releases dangerous compounds including arsenic, carbon monoxide, benzene, formaldehyde, lead, & others into the air,  Open burning is also the single greatest cause of wildfires in New York.  More information is available at dec.ny.gov/chemical.

Several Fire Companies responded to a fire at about 1:20 this morning for structure fire at the Hansman Mill on Water Street in Smithville Flats.  The Genegantslett, Greene, Brisben, McDonough,  fire Departments plus the Chenango County Bureau of Fire, NYSEG & the state DEC responded, the Building was a complete loss. The fire Is still under investigation by the Chenango County Bureau of Fire.

The Otsego County Department of Health will be holding a vaccination clinic at the Meadows Office Complex in Cooperstown on Tuesday March 16th, the registration link is on the Otsego County Department of Health Website.  Registration is mandatory & the vaccine is available to anyone currently listed as eligible according to State Guidelines.

A.M. NEWS FRIDAY 3-12-21

Sidney Village Police responded to a domestic disturbance Thursday,  officers arrested 43 year old Anthony Fiorillo of Sidney for Criminal contempt, Menacing & Harassment.   Fiorillo was arraigned in the Village of Sidney Court & was remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $1000 cash bail or $2000 bond.

Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies responded to a Town of Walton residence after a vehicle sustained extensive damage, a garage was forcefully entered and a fire had been set the night of January 23rd.  The victim’s vehicle was intentionally damaged by a 17-year-old female, the doors of a garage on the property were then kicked in by a second 17-year-old female, they entered the building and started a “bon fire”.  Deputies charged both teens with arson and criminal mischief,  both were issued appearance tickets for Delaware County Youth Court at a later date.

Delaware County Sheriff’s
Deputies and Delhi Fire Department and Emergency Squad responded Monday Evening
to a reported tractor-trailer accident at the intersection of County Highway 2
and East Terry Clove Road in the Town of Delhi. 35 year-old David Stanton of
Oneonta was the operator of the tractor trailer loaded with logs; it
jack-knifed on the slush covered roadway and partially rolled onto its side as
Stanton attempted a left turn.  Stanton
was not injured in the accident, but the highway remained closed for several
hours for the cleanup.

The Otsego County Department of
Health is investigating two more lab confirmed cases of COVID 19. One case is a
close contact to a confirmed case and one was tested out of county. The
investigations are ongoing and all contacts are being notified and quarantined.
The number of lab confirmed cases is 4.

State Police and the Otsego County Sheriff’s Department were
dispatched to a report of a pedestrian struck by a tractor trailer with a dump
trailer Wednesday at approximately 1:44 p.m., on County Road 22 in Schuyler
Lake.    An initial investigation reveals
that the tractor trailer with the dump trailer was traveling on County Road 22
when 47 year old Clarence Travis of Exeter stepped into the path & was
struck.  Travis was taken to a Utica Hospital
& succumbed to his injuries, the driver of the tractor trailer was not
injured, and the incident remains under investigation.

The Chenango County Department of Public Works announced
that their Brisben and North Norwich Facilities are both closed until further
notice.  The Landfill in the Town of
Pharsalia is Open Monday through Friday from 8AM to 4PM to Residents and
haulers.  Saturday the landfill will be
open from 8AM to 4PM for residential bagged garbage only, more information is
available at 337-1792

The next general
membership meeting for the Bainbridge Chamber of Commerce will be tomorrow
morning at Bob's Diner.  The meeting will
begin at 7:30 AM.

Several Chenango County Area fire companies responded Sunday morning to a barn fire in the town of Smithville.  The barn was completely destroyed; there were no animals in the barn, fire fighters from Oxford, Greene, McDonough, Brisben & Triangle assisted the Smithville Fire department, one of the firefighters sustained minor burns.

The Greene Fire Department was dispatched Thursday afternoon
to County Road 32 for a 1 car motor vehicle accident with entrapment.   First Responders found 2 patients with
injuries trapped in the vehicle, which were extricated, responders from the
Brisben & Oxford Fire Departments assisted, and the unidentified patients
were transported to an area hospital, the investigation is continuing.

The Chenango County Health
Department will hold a free rabies vaccination clinic for dogs, cats &
ferrets Saturday.  The clinic will be
held at the South Otselic Fire Station from 9:30 to 11:00 AM.

Governor Cuomo signed legislation removing non-medical
exemptions from school vaccination requirements for children. The United States
is currently experiencing the worst outbreak of measles in more than 25 years,
with outbreaks in pockets of New York primarily driving the crisis. As a result
of non-medical vaccination exemptions, many communities across New York have
unacceptably low rates of vaccination; this new law will help protect the
public during this ongoing outbreak.

Police in Vestal announced that they are seeking 87 year old Charles McGlynn of Vestal, as a missing vulnerable adult. McGlynn suffers from dementia, and may require medical attention, he was last seen Tuesday afternoon at about 3:00PM on Hazel Drive in Vestal, he may be driving a 2009 grey Honda Civic with license plate number ANW-2161, he is described as a white male, 6'1", about 150 pounds, with white hair & a mustache, and blue eyes & wears glasses, he was wearing a white shirt, blue jeans and a blue jacket. Anyone with information is asked to call Vestal Police at 786-7600 or 911.

State Police and the American Red Cross are Co-hosting the 5th annual State Trooper Christopher Skinner Memorial Blood Drive in Kirkwood today. Trooper Skinner was intentionally run down by Almond Upton while he was conducting a traffic stop on I-81 in 2014, a blood drive has been held in Skinner's memory every year since his death. The blood drive today runs from 12:00 Noon until 6:00 PM at the 5 Mile Point Fire Company at 16 Crescent Drive in Kirkwood. The blood drive is open to the public as well as those in Law Enforcement, appointments can be made at redcrossblood.org or at 1-800-red cross.

The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce will hold their next Friday Breakfast event in Walton on January 11th. The event will run from 8:30 to 10:00 am at the Castle on the Delaware 139 Stockton Avenue in Walton. The featured speaker is Perry Dewey, Superintendent at DCMO BOCES, who will talk about on-campus, work-ready training programs for graduating high school seniors and how Delaware County's educational leaders are collaborating with the business community. More information is available at delawarecounty.org.

Former Broome County Family Court Judge Rick Miller has had a lawsuit filed against him by 2 former employees in his office of sexual harassment. The lawsuit claims that Miller subjected the employees to harassing and abusive behavior at least 50 times between 2015 and June of 2017. Miller was removed from the bench in 2016.

Now that Christmas has passed, chenango County residents may wonder how they shoudl dispose of their trees this year. Dustin Hendricks of Chenango County DPW Explains:

(Dustin Hendricks 12-26-18)

Chenango County has 3 solid waste and recycling facilities operated by the Department of Public Works, the Pharsalia Landfill, plus 2 Transfer Stations, 1 in the Town of North Norwich and the other near Brisben.

4 Deposit men have been arrested in connection with a stabbing at the McDonald's on Main Street in Johnson City on December 20th. 2 men were taken to Wilson Hospital with stab wounds, Arrested for 2 counts each of gang assault were 22 year old Dane Edwards, 33 year old Jay Moore, 24 year old Travis Dise & 31 year old Christopher Nugent of Deposit, they were taken into custody without incident and will appear in court at a later date; additional arrests are expected.

Illegally manufactured fentanyl was the driving force behind a 45.2% increase in deaths involving synthetic opioids from 2016 to 2017, according to a new report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In all, there were 70,237 drug overdose deaths in 2017. Opioids were involved in 67.8%, or 47,600 of those deaths. Of those opioid-involved overdose deaths, 59.8% of them, or 28,466, were due to synthetic opioids. A separate report from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics released earlier this month found that in 2016 fentanyl surpassed heroin as the most commonly used drug in overdose deaths in the US.

The state Department of Health announced Thursday that the flu virus is prevalent in New York state. Health care workers, who are not vaccinated, are now required to wear a surgical procedure mask around patients. The department has also launched a flu tracker that allows people to stay up-to-date about flu rates in their county. Department reps say there have been over 3,000 flu cases in the state so far this season

The Otsego County Chamber of Commerce will hold their annual State of The State Breakfast on January 2nd at the SUNY Oneonta Otsego Grille in the Morris Conference Center. The event will begin at 8:30, State Senator Jim Seward & Oneonta Mayor Gary Herzig will be among the guest speakers.

The City of Oneonta Department of Public Service will be replacing a water main valve located on West Ann Street today. Work is to take place starting at 8am with water outages to begin at 9am. Residents on West Ann, Baker, London, Wilcox, and River Street (between Ann and Wilcox) will be without water for the duration of the project. West Ann St will be closed to traffic for the duration of work. Drivers on West Ann Street are advised to move vehicles from driveways prior to 8am. More information is available at 432-2100

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies and local Fire Departments and Emergency Squads responded to a fatal all-terrain vehicle accident on a riding trail in Town of Stamford at about 12:30 AM today. The accident was discovered and reported by other ATV riders, the deceased has been identified as 27 year old Daniel Reed of Stamford, who lost control of the vehicle, which subsequently overturned, Reed was ejected from the vehicle and suffered fatal injuries. Deputies believe excessive speed and failure to wear a seat belt were contributing factor, the investigation is continuing.

State Senator Fred Akshar announced over two dozen funding grants to support local volunteer fire departments and emergency services squads totaling $125,000. The grants will go toward a variety of projects depending on the needs of each department. Locally, the Bainbridge Fire Department, Colesville Fire Company, Greene Emergency Squad, Brisben Fire Department, Town of Hancock Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Hancock Fire Department, &  Windsor Emergency Services all received $5,000.

State Police Major William McEvoy invites the public to help celebrate 100 years of service by attending the Centennial Open House at Troop C in Sidney on October 7th from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. The event will have demonstrations from the K-9 unit, Helicopter Rescue, Underwater Recovery Team, Special Operations Response Team, & the Centennial Mounted Unit, and much more. There will be historical displays, firearm displays, vintage Troop cars, motorcycles, along with hands-on patrol car displays, McGruff the Crime Dog, tours of Troop Headquarters and the new Forensic Center. There is no admission; parking will be done at off-site parking on Delaware Avenue and Union Street in Sidney, with Shuttle buses running from that site.

Chenango County Sheriff's department arrested 2 Town of Greene residents for Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance and Criminal Nuisance. Arrested were 47-year-old Chad Shields of Greene, & 19-year-old Shawn Rhodes of Greene. Shields and Rhodes were arrested following an investigation into the sale and possession of Cocaine and Methamphetamine in Chenango County; they were arraigned in the Town of Oxford Court and remanded to the Chenango County Jail on $30,000.00 cash bail. The Greene Police Department, State Police, and the Chenango County District Attorney’s Office assisted the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office.

Oneonta Police responded Wednesday to a vehicle fire on Burnside Avenue in the City of Oneonta. Police said that a 2009 Subaru Forester was fully engulfed, The Oneonta Fire Department extinguished the blaze & officers conducted a neighborhood canvass. 31-year-old Jonathan Delgado, of Oneonta, was charged with 3rd degree Arson & Criminal Mischief. Delgado was arraigned in Oneonta City Court & was remanded to the custody of the Otsego County Sheriff Department. The investigation is continuing

Fire departments in & around Chenango county were kept busy Wednesday afternoon. Firefighters responded to a house fire at 266 Kilroy Road in Oxford, a stove fire at 11 South Main Street in Bainbridge, and another house fire at 389 County Road 27 in Coventry, all toned out within a 30 minute time frame. Chenango County EMS stated that firefighters from Coventry, Afton, Greene, Sidney, Bainbridge, Masonville, Oxford, Guilford, Norwich, Brisben, Preston and the Chenango County Bureau of Fire responded to all calls, no injuries were reported.

Binghamton City Officials announced that a 10-car pile up on State Route 17 Eastbound yesterday led to 10 people being injured, all were taken to area hospitals; none of the injuries are considered life threatening. City Officials reported that the accident occurred at about 4:20 Thursday afternoon, Binghamton Police department reports suggested that a tractor-trailer speeding through the Eastbound section near the Front Street exit had defective brakes. No tickets have been issued, The investigation is continuing.

Delaware County Sheriffs department arrested 37-year-old Yurian Perez and 31-year-old Yuniel Brito, both from New Jersey, for Criminal Possession of Marijuana, Unlawful Cultivation of Marijuana, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon. The charges are the result of a month long investigation into alleged marijuana growing operation at 9179 County Highway 21 in the Town of Franklin. The execution of a Search Warrant resulted in the seizure of lighting, ventilation and irrigation equipment, 328 plants, a crossbow, a metal knuckle knife& a vehicle. Both were arraigned & were remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $75,000 cash bail or $150,000 bond. The investigation continues, and more charges against additional suspects are likely.

Fire Investigators have determined the fire that destroyed the Cooperstown Motel on Tuesday, August 9th was arson. Investigations by the state Office of Fire Prevention & Control, county Office Of Emergency Services, state Department of Financial Services and the Cooperstown Police Department determined that the fire began on the second floor of the abandoned motel. No further details are available at this time. Anyone with information about the person(s) responsible for starting the fire is asked to call the Cooperstown Police Department, at 547- 2500. All calls are confidential.

The Brisben fire department & the Chenango County Red Knights Chapter 40 have teamed up for a fundraiser for fire chief Brian Burt Saturday. A motorcycle & car ride begins at 10:00 AM, entertainment & food will be available on the Ball Flats from 12:00 Noon to 8:00 PM. The money raised will benefit Brian Burt, who has inoperable cancer.

The Broome County Sheriff’s Office & the Broome County Special Investigations Unit Task Force executed a search warrant Monday in Binghamton, where investigators seized 133 envelopes of heroin packaged for sale, plus powdered heroind, packaging materials, $600 cash & a vehicle. 28 year old Amber Westmoreland of Binghamton, was charged with 5 counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, she was being held by Binghamton Police Department arraignment in City Court.

At the request of Governor Cuomo, the New York State Department of Public Service today announced that it is investigating the disruption to landline and wireless phone service in Central New York Monday Afternoon into this morning. Landline and wireless service is affected in Madison, Chenango, Cortland and Otsego Counties, impacting more than 1,500 customers of several telecommunication companies, including Verizon, Frontier Communications and Windstream Communications. The outage was caused by damage to an underground Verizon-owned fiber cable in the Town of Stockbridge, Madison County. Repair and service restoration is taking additional time due to the location of the fiber optic cable along the roadway. There are no reported impacts to the County Emergency Communications Centers and no requests for assistance.

A Steuben County resident was arrested for criminal possession of a controlled substance by Chenango County Sheriff's department. 24 year old Dominick Lepera was charged following a complaint the County Corrections department when Lepera was found with an unknown substance while being booked into the correctional facility. The substance was identified as Methamphetamines, Lepera was processed and issued an appearance ticket to appear in the Town of Norwich Court at a later date.

Several area companies responded to a fully involved garage fire at 129 King Road, in the town of Greene last night. Firefighters from Brisben, with Mutual Aid from Greene, Oxford, & Smithville. Neighbors witnessed flames & heard explosions, No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

RECRUIT NY LOCAL FIRE CO. PARTICIPANTS

Chenango County

Afton Hose Company            15 Spring Street

Afton, NY            (609) 639-1040                     April 23

Brisben Fire Department            2716 State Highway12

Oxford, NY            607-656-8130                                 April 23

City of Norwich fire            35 East Main Street

Norwich, NY            607-244-5806                                 April 24

Greene Fire Department            8 N Canal St

Greene, NY            607-656-9798                                 April 23

Delaware County

East Meredith Fire Department            6192 County Route # 10

East Meredith, NY      607-278-5444                     April 23

Hobart Fire Department            80 Cornell Ave

Hobart, NY            (607) 588-9135                     April 23

Stamford Fire department 111 Main Street

Stamford, NY            607-222-4927                                 April 23-24

Walton Fire Department            61 West Street

Walton, NY            607-434-1731                                 April 23

Otsego County

Cooperstown Fire Department            24 Chestnut Street

Cooperstown, NY      (607) 547-2761            April 23

East Worcester Hose Company #1        70 Main Street

East Worcester, NY            1-607-397-8889            April 23

Hartwick Co # 2 (Hartwick Seminary)            4877 St Hwy 28

Cooperstown, NY      607-547-8091                     April 23

Mount Vision Fire Department            179 Co Hwy 11B

Mount Vision, NY      (607) 433-0997            April 23-24

Schenevus / Maryland                                  40 Main Street

Schenevus, NY            607-638-9017                     April 23

West Laurens            2766 State Highway 23

West Laurens, NY      607-263-2211                     April 23-24

WEST ONEONTA FIRE DEPT            2865 CO.HWY.8

WEST ONEONTA, 607-432-1310             April 23

Westford Volunteer Fire Dept.    PO Box 24

Westford, NY              (607) 638-9776            April 23

Worcester Fire Dept     36 Church Street

Worcester, NY            607-397-8032                     April 23

The Broome County Sheriff's Department arrested 43-year-old Brian Potter of Port Crane on a variety of drug related charges. Potter was wanted by the Binghamton Police Department for a felony drug warrant, he was located at the Kirkwood Motel with counterfeit cash, & drugs Saturday. Deputies accuse Potter of attempting to flee, they confiscated a shotgun, $14,000 in counterfeit bills, more than 60 grams of marijuana and a small amount of an undisclosed narcotic. Potter was arraigned for possession of a forged instrument, criminal possession of weapon, criminal possession of a controlled substance & resisting arrest among other charges; he was remanded to the Broome County Jail without bail.

Firefighters from Oxford, Norwich, Guilford, Preston, Brisben and McDonough responded to a fire early this morning on Wakefield Lane in Oxford. Firefighters found a fully involved barn fire, was collapsing with an exposure directly behind. Fire crews managed to extinguish the fire quickly & keep it from spreading to nearby structures; the cause of the fire has not yet been announced.

Firefighters from East Meredith, Davenport, and Pindars Corners responded to a fire at Sheehan & Pumpkin Hollow Road in East Meredith at about 8:30 Saturday morning. The Roe family escaped uninjured, the fire is believed to have started with the wood stove.

Firefighters responded to a fire at 32 Newland Street in Otego Saturday morning at about 9:00 AM. The unidentified family of 4 escaped without injury, the damage was minimal, the fire is believed to have started in clothes dryer.

The state DEC is reminding area residents that all residential brush burning is prohibited in smaller communities starting today through May 14th. Open burning is the largest single cause of wildfires in New York State. Debris burning accounts for about 36% of wildfires in the state. Violators of the open burning state regulation are subject to both criminal and civil enforcement actions, with a minimum fine of $500 for a first offense. To report environmental law violations call 1-800-TIPP DEC or report online to the DEC's website.

Several fire departments were called Thursday morning to a house fire at 111 Lewis St. in the town of Maine. When the Maine fire department arrived on scene, heavy smoke and fire was showing from every door and window of the home. No one was home at the time of the fire. Fire departments from Glen Aubrey, Endicott, Newark Valley, Union Center, West Corners and Whitney Point also responded to the scene.

Starting at 5 pm today, New York State DOT will be completely closing the Spring Brook Bridge on State Highway 12 between Brisben and Greene. It is expected to be closed through Wednesday, August 28th. During this time State Highway 12 will be completely shut down to all but local and emergency traffic, up to the bridge project. Travelers should use County Road 32 as an alternate means of travel around this area.