WCDO Radio News

State Police arrested 32-year-old Curtis Commesso of Bainbridge for reckless endangerment, endangering the welfare of a child and criminal contempt, after troopers were advised of a domestic dispute on I-88 in the Town of Fenton. Commesso allegedly drove recklessly by another vehicle that was occupied by his ex-girlfriend, their young child and others, he swerved in front of the victim’s vehicle, and the behavior violated a court order of protection. Commesso was arraigned in the Town of Fenton Court and was remanded to the Broome County Jail in lieu of $2,500 cash bail or $5,000 property bond, pending future court action.

The State Assembly held a public hearing in Albany today regarding the rapid increase in student debt by college graduates. Statistics compiled by the state comptroller's office shows that student loan debt has doubled in the last decade. Last year, New York residents had an average of $32,200 in student debt, which is well above the national average of about $25,500.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the State DEC will hold a public scoping meeting for a study on flood-damage reduction needs today. the meeting will be held in the Sidney Memorial Public Library at 6:30 PM in the Smart Community Room. The Public is invited to attend.

62-year-old Almond Upton of Florida was sentenced to life in prison without of parole for deliberately running down State Trooper Christopher Skinner on I-81 in 2014. Upton was sentenced today in Broome County Court by Judge Joseph Cawley, following the 1st degree murder conviction for deliberately crossing several lanes to strike Trooper Skinner while he was conducting an unrelated routine traffic stop, at an excessive speed.

Coldwell Banker/Timberland Properties have teamed up with Community Bank, Neighbors Insurance & State Farm Insurance in Sidney, to give away Green Light Bulbs to honor military veterans on Friday for Veterans Day. Steve Rose of Coldwell Banker Timberland Properties of Sidney explains:

(Steve Rose 11-10-16)

Rose told WCDO News this afternoon that he had acquired additional bulbs, as the first 300 were gone in about 2 days, More information about the program is available at Green Light a Vet.com, the bulbs will be handed out while they last at the Coldwell Banker Timberland Properties Community Bank building at their Union Street Sidney location, and at the State Farm/Neighbors Insurance office at State Route 7 Riverside Sidney.

Job seekers and students are invited to attend the Second Annual College & Community Job Fair today in Norwich, Steve Craig of Commerce Chenango explains:

(Steve Craig 11-10-16)

The event is presented by Commerce Chenango and Morrisville State College, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PMat Morrisville’s Norwich Campus at 20 Conkey Avenue in Norwich.

Commerce Chenango & SUNY Morrisville will hold the Second Annual College & Community Job Fair, in Norwich this Thursday. Commerce Chenango President Steve Craig comments:

(Steve Craig 11-7-16)

The event will be held at the Morrisville State College Norwich Campus from 9:00 to 3:00 PM at on the first floor of 20 Conkey Ave. in Norwich.

On Friday, The Broome County Sheriff’s department responded to a Motel in the town of Dickinson following a call for a medical emergency of a patient who stopped breathing an adjacent room. Deputies found 30 year old Brett Seymour unresponsive, administered Narcan, eventually EMS responded & declared that Seymour was deceased. In the room, Police found crack, cocaine, heroin; they arrested Rayshawn Thompson of Binghamton, Nicole Mills of Windsor, & Tessa Rivera of Elmira on a variety of charges. The Broome County Sheriff’s department has set up a tip line at 778-1196.

Incumbent Republican State Senator Fred Akshar and Democratic challenger Sharon Ball debated Tuesday at SUNY Broome Community College. Ball is running against Republican incumbent Akshar for the 52nd district State Senate Seat that Akshar was elected to last year, to finish out the term of Tom Libous, who was convicted of using his political power to get his son a job, and how died of cancer shortly after the conviction. The district includes Broome and Tioga counties, and portions of Chenango and Delaware counties.

State Police have arrested 2 additional men in regards to the shooting incident on September 24th in the Town of Union. 42 year old John Frey of Binghamton was charged with Attempted Assault and 59 year old Peter Gumaer of Harpursville for Criminal Mischief. Frey was arraigned in the Town of Union court and was remanded to the Broome County jail in lieu of $2,000 cash bail or $4,000 property bond. Gumaer was issued a ticket returnable to the Town of Maine court at a later date and released. The investigation is ongoing.

The latest Time Warner Cable News / Siena College Poll for the 22nd Congressional District Poll was released today. Republican Claudia Tenney has 35%, Democrat Kim Myers 30%, & Independent Martin Babinec is at 24%. The Three candidates engaged in a debate earlier today at SUNY Broome, they are vying to replace Outgoing Republican Congressman Richard Hanna.

The city of Oneonta has partnered with “Nixle” to provide a platform for the delivery of Alerts, Advisories, Community type messages, and local Traffic information from the Oneonta Police department and other agencies. Those interested in receiving the Oneonta Nixle messages can sign up through Oneonta.ny.us/city, by testing your zip code to 888777 from your phone, or downloading the Nixle app to your smartphone. The new Nixle system for Oneonta will be available on October 3rd.

State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli released a report on student loan debt which found the average New Yorker with college loans owed $32,200 in 2015, higher than the national average of $29,700. Student loan debt more than doubled during the last decade in the state, growing to $82 billion from $39 billion, an increase of 112%. The number of students taking out loans rose sharply in New York over the past 10 years by 41% to 2.8 million. Student loans represented 11.4% of the $722 billion outstanding consumer (or household) debt in New York in 2015. The full report is available at osc.state.ny.us.

Oneonta Mayor Gary Herzig announced that s steering committee of local shareholders & community leaders has been formed, who will work with urban planners and staff members from the department of state, homes & community Renewal & the governors office. The city received a $10 million dollars Downtown revitalization award through the Mohawk Valley Economic Development regional council, the first meeting of the steering committee will be on September 27th, a time & a place has not yet been announced. The meetings will be open to the public, and time will be allotted for public input.

A Broome County jury has found Brendan Barrett not guilty of beating an infant to death. Barrett was originally charged with 2nd-Degree Murder, 1st-Degree Manslaughter, and 2nd-Degree Assault in the December 2013 death of Camryn Davies.

Another Red Cross Blood drive will be held today in Oneonta, from 12:00 Noon until 5:00 PM, at Hartwick College. Download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS to make an appointment, All blood types are needed.

Cal Harris will appear In Oneonta Town Court on October13th, to answer to charges for allegedly stalking a State Police Investigator who testified in Harris's most recent Murder trial in Schoharie County Court earlier this year. Harris was sentenced in Owego earlier this week in a separate case, for harassing an unidentified student at a SUNY Broome Satellite class in Tioga County in 2015. Harris was freed following his 4th trial earlier this year, after being accused & convicted twice of killing his estranged Wife Michelle in 2001, 2 convictions were overturned on appeal, the 3rd murder trial ended with a hung jury, his last trial ended with his being released of murder charges.

The dedication of Miller Park in Oneonta will take place on Tuesday at 11:00 AM. The park is located at the intersection of the Lettis Highway & Main Street in Oneonta, to honor the former Mayor of Oneonta & Hartwick college president Dick Miller, who took his own life in October of 2014.

The American Red Cross encourages eligible donors to give blood & Donors of all blood types are needed. A blood drive is being held today in Delhi from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the State University Farrell Student & Community Center at 2 Main Street, another blood drive is being held in Oxford from Saturday from 7:30 AM to 12:30 PM, at the American Legion on South Washington Street. To make an appointment to give blood, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS.

State Police arrested 41-year-old Gary Crosby of Chenango Forks, for 1 count 1st degree Assault, for allegedly stabbing of a 15-year-old male early Tuesday morning in the town of Union. Crosby was arraigned and was remanded to the Broome County Jail without bail.

Governor Cuomo today announced that the New York State Education Department has approved a bachelor’s degree program in Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cyber security at the University at Albany, for the start of the 2016-2017 academic year. The College is the very first stand-alone college dedicated to the topics of emergency preparedness, homeland security and cyber security.

The Don Clayton Memorial Concert series will begin tonight at Keith Clark Park in Sidney. Tonight at 6:30 PM. the Sidney Community Band will perform.

State Police were attempting to locate a 14 year old suspect who was wanted for a menacing with a weapon in Windsor in April, while trying to locate the juvenile, Troopers allege that 29 year old Jessie Bolster & 74 Year old Faith Lynch, harbored the suspect at their home on Fox Farm Road in the Town of Windsor. The 14 year old suspect was later located and arrested, & was transported to a juvenile facility, Bolster and Lynch were arrested for hindering prosecution, Bolster was arraigned in the Town of Windsor court and was remanded to the Broome county jail on bail. Lynch was issued a ticket returnable to the Town of Windsor court on May 18th.

The Preceptor Beta Kappa chapter of Beta Sigma Phi will honor Carol Allen of Sidney Saturday, for her service to the Sidney United Way, the Sidney Chamber of Commerce, the Sidney Elementary School, the Sidney Senior Center, and The Delaware County Council for the Aging, & several other organizations. The award will be presented at a luncheon on Saturday at 12:00 PM to be held at the Sacred Heart Community Center on Liberty Street in Sidney.

Police have identified the body of the woman found in the Chenango River as 37-year-old Brenda Halpin, who had been missing since April 8 from her Chenango Bridge home. The identification was announced Thursday after fingerprint comparison and analysis was performed, according to the Broome County Sheriff's Office. An autopsy was conducted Wednesday, and the cause of her death was ruled as freshwater drowning. Halpin's body was found just before 2 p.m. Tuesday by a man walking along the riverbank in Port Dickinson, in the 600 block of Chenango Street.

29-Year-old Amanda Hellman of Vestal pleaded guilty Thursday afternoon in Broome County Court to 2nd degree kidnapping. Hellmann faces Sentencing on July 11th, Hellmann kidnapped 14 year old Shaeleen Fortner & 16 year old Kylea Fortner, they were located in March, 47 year old Cindy Fortner who is the girl’s biological mother, was also charged in connection to their kidnapping, she is being held in the Broome County Jail pending court action.

The annual Big Wheels Golf Tournament, held at the Delhi College Golf Course, will take place Today. The event serves as a primary fundraiser for programs and services, which provide assistance to Delaware County senior citizens, more information is available at 832-5750.

Republican Presidential candidate John Kasich announced that he will be coming to Utica on Friday, April 15. Kasich's campaign confirms he will make a campaign stops in watertown Friday mornign at 10:00 AM, and then at Mohawk Valley Community College's in Utica at 2:00. Kasich is third among the 3 Republican candidates in the number of delegates, he & Donald Trump & Ted cruz, plus Democrats Hillary Clinton & Bernie Sanders are making the rounds prior to the New york STtye Primaries on April 19th.

The Walton Central School District is hosting a discussion today regarding the continuing heroin & opiod crisis. organizers said that the event is a free event for the entire community, with a panel of experts, at the Walton High School with Pizza at 5:30pm, & the Event from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.

The Greater Chenango Cares IRT event will again be occurring in Norwich this summer. The 10 day initiative that will offer no cost medical, dental, optometry and veterinary care for children and adults in our region. The event is being led this year by the Chenango United Way and its volunteers and is occurring because of a partnership between many local health and human service organizations, local government agencies and the Department of Defense. The event will run from Friday, July 15 through Sunday, July 24 and will be held once again at the Norwich High School. Last July, 171 service personnel, both active and reserve service members, came to our community to provide medical, dental, vision and veterinary services as a training exercise and as a way to give back to local communities.

The Broome County Sheriff’s Office arrested 2 people for allegedly manufacturing methamphetamines in the town of Dickinson Wednesday morning. Deputies arrested Matthew Najarian and Jessica Palmatier. For operating a one pot meth operation at a gas station in Dickinson, the gas station had to be shut down for several hours to remove the hazardous meth making materials. Palmatier and Najarian were arraigned & were remanded to the Broome County Jail without bail.

SUNY Broome will host a Career Fair today, for those interested in pursuing a career with an area business. The event will be held at the college’s Ice center, from 10:00 until 2:00 PM.

Former Clinton County Correctional Facility Guard Gene Palmer pleaded guilty in court on today to Promoting prison contraband and official misconduct, for smuggling tools to Richard Matt & David Sweat last year, prior to their escape from jail & a 3 week long manhunt. Palmer was sentenced him to 6 months in jail and he was fine $5,000, and was forced to resign his position. Matt was shot and killed by State Police, Sweat was wounded and apprehended by police and has been sent to a different jail to serve out his term for killing Broome County Sheriffs deputy Kevin Tarsia in 2002.

The next Reunite Bainbridge meeting is tonight at 7:00 pm at Bob's Diner. The planned agenda is to Create a team to plan a community "block party", Create a team to work on the Community Calendar that will be used to raise additional funds for Reunite events. Bainbridge residents are encouraged to attend & participate.

The Oneonta Department of Public Works will be repairing a water service leak at 109 West Street between Hartwick College & SUNY Oneonta, starting at 8:00 This Morning. The Work is expected to be completed by Noon today, traffic will be reduced on West Street to 1 lane during that time, controlled by flagged personnel, and motorists can expected short delays. More information is available at 432-2100.