WCDO Radio News

Chenango Sheriff's Office announced that they will soon be opening a Bainbridge Sub-Station. The sub-station will be located in the Bainbridge Police Department at 33 West Main Street Bainbridge. The Sheriff’s Office currently has sub-stations located in Otselic, Coventry, and Afton.

Local sales tax collections in New York state increased by 3% in November compared to the same month in 2023, according to State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. Overall, local collections totaled $1.86 billion for the month, In November, County and city collections totaled $903 million, an increase of 1.8%, with 35 of 57 counties experienced year-over-year increases.

43 year old Dennis Fickeria of Margaretville, has been sentenced to 4 ½ years in State Prison for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance. Delaware County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Fickeria’s residence in Margaretville in January, which resulted in the seizure of controlled substances and firearms, Fickeria admitted that he possessed Fentanyl with the intention of selling it, he was also ordered to be supervised by the Department of Parole for 1 year following his prison sentence.

A.M. NEWS TUESDAY 12-17-24

CHENANGO COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE arrested 28 year old Corey Hadlock of Oxford for Criminal Contempt, Criminal Mischief and Harassment. Hadlock disobeyed an order of protection by subjecting the victim to unwanted physical contact, the victim attempted to Dial 911, Hadlock took the phone, preventing the 911 call. Hadlock was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Chenango County Sheriff's Office for processing. Hadlock was arraigned in CAP Court and was released on his own recognizance.

P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 12-12-24

The Village of Franklin will have a variety of events scheduled for the Holidays this Saturday, organizer Connie Martin explains:

(Connie Martin 12-12-24)

Martin said that businesses and churches in Franklin also have events & special sales scheduled throughout the day this Saturday.

Chenango County Sheriff's Office arrested 35 year old Matthew Baird of Columbus, for Sexual Abuse, Forcible Touching, and Endangering the Welfare of a Child, after they received a complaint of Sexual Abuse. Baird was accused of having sexual contact with a juvenile victim. Baird was arraigned in Chenango County Centralized Arraignment where he was remanded to the custody of the Chenango County Correctional Division on $25,000 cash, $50,000 bond, and a $75,000 partially secure bond at 10%.

The Community Cupboard of Edmeston announced a Holiday Drive-Through Distribution at the Chenango County Fairgrounds in Norwich today. the Giveaway will run from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, sponsors include Chobani & the United Way of Mid Rural New York, more information is available at 965-0153.

Saturday is Small Business Saturday across the nation, Teri Schunk of the Sidney Chamber of Commerce & 4 Towns Forward reminds local residents to shop local in the stores & at events where numerous vendors will be located in 1 location:

(Teri Schunk 11-27-24)

In addition to local stores being open with special holiday sales Saturday, Small businesses generate $68 in local economic return for every $100 spent with them, according to the latest statistics from the US Chamber of Commerce.

The Chenango Historical Society will have their annual Holiday Open House and Museum Store Sunday from 10 am. to 4 pm at the Chenango County Historical Society on Rexford Street in Norwich, where people can browse the Museum Shop for unique gift ideas and exclusive merchandise. Society Executive Director Jessica Moquin told WCDO News that the launch of the annual "Parade of Trees" starts Sunday as well:

(Jessica Moquin 11-29-24)

The winner of the "Parade of Trees" will be announced on December 27th, More information is available at (607) 334-9227 or at ChenangoHistorical.org

Chenango County Sheriff's Office arrested 38 year old Michael VanDerWeert of Guilford & 47 year old Dawn Cavanaugh of North Carolina, for Burglary, Petty Larceny, Criminal Mischief and Conspiracy. Deputies responded to a burglary complaint at a business in the Town of Norwich, where someone broke into the building and stole multiple items. The vehicle used in the burglary was spotted at a business in the Village of Oxford, VanDerWeert and Cavanaugh were arrested and transported to the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office where they were released on appearance tickets to appear in the Town of Norwich Court at a later date.

Local sales tax collections in New York state increased by 2.3% in October according to State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. Local collections totaled $1.84 billion for the month, up $41 million from the previous October, County and city collections outside of New York City increased by only .4%, 36 of 57 counties experienced year-over-year increases.

The Chenango County Historical Society will participate in Giving Tuesday, on December 3rd. Giving Tuesday asks people to donating to local charities, Giving Tuesday is held on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Also, the annual Holiday Open House and Museum Store Sunday will be from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM on December 1st at the Chenango County Historical Society on Rexford Street in Norwich.

UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital Auxiliary will launch “Be the Light,” to illuminate Newton House on Broad Street in Norwich. With a suggested donation of $20, community members can purchase a light that celebrates or memorializes a loved one. Names of honorees will be displayed at CMH throughout December. Proceeds will benefit the Auxiliary’s efforts to support patient services at CMH, the lighting ceremony and reception on Tuesday, December 3rd at 5:30pm at Newton House. For more information, call 607-337-4151.

Commerce Chenango's Thanksgiving Luncheon will be held Today at 11:00 AM at Saint Bart's in Norwich, more information is available at Commercechenango.com

P.M. NEWS FRIDAY 11-8-24

The Norwich Police Department concluded an investigation into the sale of narcotics yesterday, they arrested 59 year old John Williams of Edmeston on 3 Counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Williams is accused of possessing Methamphetamine, Crack Cocaine & Fentanyl, plus cash from suspected drug sales, Williams was arraigned at Chenango County Court and is being held wihout Bail, pending further court appearances.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 10-30-24

Chenango County Residents will be voting to fill the Family Court Judge position for the 1st time on Tuesday, Democrat Lisa Natoli told WCDO News why she feels that she should fill the position:

(Lisa Natoli 10-30-24)

Republican candidate Diane DiStefano is also running for the newly created positions & told WCDO News why she should be elected:

(Diane DiStefano 10-30-24)

More information about Chenango County Elections can be found at the County Board of Elections website at chenangocountyny.gov.

42 year old Dennis Fickeria of Margaretville pleaded guilty to Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance this week in Delaware County Court. In January, members of the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Fickeria’s residence in the town of Middletown, they seized controlled substances and firearms, he was indicted for 38 counts related to illegal gun possession and drug sales, he admitted in court that he possessed Fentanyl with the intention of selling it, he faces 4.5 years in state prison, to be followed by 1 year of post release supervision, when sentenced on December 16th.

Hospice & Palliative Care of Chenango County will be hosting a "Caregivers Support Group" for those assisting those with a variety of health issues, that can be overwhelming to loved ones who are caring for them, Hospice Spokesperson Sarah Green comments:

(Sarah Green 10-30-24)

Registration is requested by calling Hospice at 607-334-3556, the next session will be on November 7th in Norwich.

Local government sales tax collections totaled $5.98 billion in the 3rd quarter of 2024, an increase of 1.4%, or $82.7 million, according to State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. 8 of the 10 regions in the state, saw collections rise. Aggregate growth in third quarter collections for the counties and cities outside of New York City was 1.5%, year over year, it was the largest increase so far this year.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 10-23-24

The Chenango County Sheriff's Office announced that the South Abington Police Department in Pennsylvania located & arrested Donald Shurock, who is being held in the Lackawanna County Jail pending his extradition back to New York. Shurock was wanted since last week, he had been located in a vehicle by a deputy, resisted arrested and fled the scene on foot, the Deputy was treated & released for injuries sustained in trying to arrest Shurock. Shurock is wanted on the initial warrant plus Assault of a Police Officer and Resisting Arrest.

The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office arrested 41 year old Benjamin Bishop of Otselic for reckless endangerment, two counts of unlawful fleeing, and one count of resisting arrest. The Sheriff’s Office received a complaint of a road rage incident after a caller reported that Bishop's Van ran a vehicle off the road in Sherburne, additional calls described Bishop cutting off and tailgating other vehicles, he was located in Norwich, deputies attempted a traffic stop, he failed to comply, struck multiple vehicles and his vehicle became disabled, he fled on foot but was taken into custody after a taser was deployed. Bishop was also charged with numerous traffic citations & faces court action at a later date.

The State DMV warns customers to be cautious of car sales on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and similar sites. The advisory comes after a rise in stolen vehicles, including cars with altered ID numbers and forged titles. Investigations revealed that, as of October 15th there were 228 stolen vehicles worth $6.35 million recovered by the DMV, with 149 purchased by victims from these online platforms.

US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced over $27 Million Dollars in federal funding for the Delaware County Electric Cooperative, which provides electricity to over 5,000 families, farms, and local businesses in Chenango, Delaware, Otsego, and Schoharie Counties. The Delaware County Cooperative will lead a partnership composed of 6 small electric cooperatives across 3 states to increase grid resilience against outages caused by weather events and tree damage caused by invasive species. The Cooperative will deploy advanced software to enable proactive grid management, as well as hardware such as grid sensors and drones to provide real-time data and monitoring capabilities.

Chenango County Planning Director Shane Butler announced that there was a great turnout for our open house on the Chenango County 2050 Vision Plan Draft last week. Chenango County residents can Check out the plan at chenangocounty2050.com, residents can provide comments and feedback over the next few weeks, the next step is adoption by the County Board.

A new economic impact report finds that the annual GDP of New York State Parks and Historic Sites amounted to $3.7 billion in 2021, an impact that rivals the state's agricultural sector, which generated $3.3 billion during the same year. Park visitors generated $5.8 billion in sales, $2.5 billion in labor income, for every $1 million invested in parks results in $10 million in sales, $4 million in labor income, and $7 million in state GDP. Of the estimated 78 million visits in 2021, 47 million came from tourists not local to the area

45 year old Andre Gilliam of the Town of Chenango was found guilty by a Broome County Jury for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance & criminally using drug paraphenalia. Gilliam faces up to 8 years in State Prison followed by 3 years of post-release supervision at sentencing. On November 7, 2023, the Broome County Special Investigations Unit executed a narcotics search warrant at 174 ½ Castle Creek Road, they seized fentanyl, a cutting agent, a digital scale and nearly $4000 in cash from suspected drug sales.

A.M. NEWS Wednesday 10-2-24

The Otsego County Sheriff’s Office arrested 28 year old Jacob Bassett of Morris following an investigation into a series of sexual assaults. An investigation revealed that on several different occasions in multiple locations in Otsego County, Bassett initiated several forms of sexual contact with a victim beginning when the victim was under the age of seventeen. Bassett was charged with 3 counts of 1st degree Rape, 2 counts of 3rd degree Rape, Criminal Sexual Act and Endangering the Welfare of a Child, he was remanded to the Otsego County Jail to await arraignment, the Otsego County District Attorney’s Office, recommended bail of $15,000 cash, $15,000 credit card and $150,000 bond, An order of protection was requested to be issued for the victim.

The Broome County Special Investigations Unit Task Force arrested 56-year-old Phillip Alvarez of Endwell, they recovered drugs and weapons from an apartment at 341 Main Street Binghamton. Police seized various weapons, ammunition , cocaine, crack cocaine, packaging materials, and over $5500 cash from suspected drug sales. Alvarez was charged with 3 counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, 5 counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon, Criminal Use of Drug Paraphernalia, Obstructing Governmental Administration & Resisting Arrest, an additional search warrant was executed in the Town of Union where investigators found around $1,500 in suspected drug proceeds.

The 2nd annual Gilbertsville Hullaballoo will be held this Sunday, Spokesperson Tracy Martinetti explains:

(Tracie Martinetti 7-26-24)

More information is available at 631-896-2658.

A.M. NEWS FRIDAY 7-26-24

Commerce Chenango is bringing back the Taste Of Chenango event on Saturday at the Chenango County Fairgrounds, Commerce Chenango President & CEO Sal Testani explains:

(Sal Testani 7-26-24)

This event is free to enter and is open to the public from 1:00 PM thru 07:00 PM. More information is available at commercechenango.com

The 46th Annual Unadilla Chamber of Commerce Carnival of Sales will be held around the village of Unadilla Saturday, Unadilla Chamber of Commerce President Jackie Carey comments:

(Jackie Carey 7-12-24)

Carey said that there are more than 50 Vendors participating, along with Entertainment and Yard Sales throughout the village, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM Saturday.

2 more American Red Cross Blood Drives will be held today, 1 in Cooperstown from 11:30 am. - 4:30 pm., at the Cooperstown Fire Department, another will be held in Edmeston from 10 am. - 3 pm., at Pathfinder Village, 3 Chenango Road, to schedule an appointment, download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS.

State Police & The State Office of Cannabis Management has continued to execute search warrants on businesses suspected of illegally selling Marijuana without possessing a license to do so. Sidney Exotics at 30 Main Street in Sidney was closed down Monday, more details are expected to be released shortly.

A.M. NEWS Wednesday 7-10-24

Chenango County Sheriff's Office arrested 30 year old Christopher Fuller of Oxford on July 3rd, after a Deputy in Norwich observed Fuller driving a pick-up truck & knew he did not have a valid license. The Deputy observed Fuller driving in a reckless manner and attempted to conduct a traffic stop, Fuller failed to comply & the pursuit continued until Fuller's truck became disabled, he attempted to flee on foot, and he was taken into custody. Fuller was charged with Criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, Reckless Endangerment, Unlawfully fleeing a Police officer & numerous other related charges, he was remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility on cash bail.

The Broome County Sheriff’s Strategic Response Group arrested 59 year old Kenneth Jordan of Endicott On Saturday. During a traffic stop in Binghamton, deputies observed a knotted plastic bag hanging out of his pocket, Jordan to be in the possession of fentanyl, cocaine, plus cash from suspected drug sales. Jordan was charged with Criminal Possession of Narcotics with Intent to Sell, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, speeding and several other related charges, Jordan was arraigned and released after being issued appearance tickets returnable to the City of Binghamton Court.

Local sales tax collections in New York state increased by 1.5% in April compared to the same month in 2023, according to data released today by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. Overall, local collections totaled $1.76 billion, up $26.1 million from the same time last year. New York City's collections increased 3.9%, County and city collections in the rest of the state decreased -0.5%. 25 of 57 counties experienced year-over-year decreases.

The Butternut Valley Alliance has announced a partnership with SFCU, to take the necessary measures to open a full-service branch in Morris. This development comes after the "Save Our Bank" task force was formed, as Community Bank NA had announced plan last year to close their Morris Branch. Butternut Valley Alliance Vice Chair Maggie Brenner explains:

(Maggie Brenner 5-14-24)

Brenner said that the BDD process can take 6 to 12 months, meanwhile, SFCU plans to begin offering limited services with a representative assisting businesses and residents in opening accounts, The Alliance will try to find out Community Bank's plans with their former office in Morris, to see if it can become a new branch for SFCU.

A.M. NEWS Tuesday 5-14-24

Broome County Sheriff's Office arrested a Kirkwood man for 3 gas station robberies. The 1st Robbery was on May 9th, at the Speedway gas station on Route 7 in Sanitaria Springs, where a male with a black shirt wrapped around his hand, implying he had a weapon, and grabbed a cash register & fled the scene in a gray Ford F-150 pickup truck. The 2nd Robbery was at the Mirabito gas station on Old Route 17 in Windsor, Sheriff Deputies identified the suspect vehicle and potential suspect as 46 year old Clint Loomis of Kirkwood. On Friday, a 3rd Robbery occurred at a gas station in Greene, Loomis was located on Route 12 in the Town of Chenango, A Deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop, Loomis resisted, a Taser was deployed but Loomis drove off, Tire deflation devices were set up, Loomis damaged his tires but continued to flee, eventually leaving the vehicle on foot, he was apprehended. Loomis was wanted on a warrant, & was charged with Robbery, Obstructing governmental administration, reckless endangerment, unlawfully fleeing Police, Resisting arrest & 26 traffic violations, he was being held for arraignment.

Chenango County Health Department will hold a rabies vaccination clinic at the Columbus Highway Department today, from 5:30 to 6:30 PM. Pre-registration is requested by calling 337-1673, or by going to the Chenango County Health Department website.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 5-8-24

Chenango County Sheriff's Office arrested Johnathon Loomis and Brionna Anzano, both of Oxford, for a variety of charges including Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Criminal Nuisance, Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia, Criminal Possession of a Weapon & Endangering the Welfare of a Child. Members of the Sheriff's Office assisted New York State Parole, for a search of Loomis's residence, they discovered large quantities controlled substances, packing materials, a scale, suspected proceeds from drug sales, it was also found that several juveniles were present at the residence and were in close proximity while controlled substances were being ingested. Anzano was released on an appearance ticket and is to appear in the Town of Oxford Court at a later date. Loomis was held at the Chenango County Correctional Facility, pending an appearance in Chenango County Court for the Parole Violation, he will also appear in the Town of Oxford Court at a later date.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 4-24-24

Local government sales tax collections totaled $5.6 billion in the January to March Quarter, an increase of 1.6%, compared to the same quarter last year. State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli said that this was the lowest rate of growth since the first quarter in 2021, with several upstate regions experiencing a year-over-year decline. Locally, Delaware County had 1 of the steepest declines at -6.4%.

The State Department of Labor today released preliminary local area unemployment rates for March 2024. The State’s unemployment rate decreased from 4.4% in February to 4.3% in March, Locally, Chenango County Had 4.1%, Delaware County 4.7% & Otsego County 4.6% unemployment in March.

Attorney General Letitia James kicked off National Consumer Protection Week by releasing a list of the top 10 consumer complaints received by the Office in 2023. Over 5500 complaints were made regarding retail establishments, over 3900 were about landlord tenant issues, over 3500 were complaints about auto sales & service, over 3200 were about banking institutions, and over 2500 were regarding internet security issues.

The National Weather Service reports that a tornado touched down in the Town of Chenango in Broome County on February 28, at around 5:00 PM. The tornado was rated an EF-1, with winds around 100 MPH.

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 2-6-24

Chenango County Sheriff’s Office arrested 27 year old Cody Leonard of Binghamton for Criminal Obstruction of Breathing or Blood Circulation, Endangering the Welfare of a Child & Harassment, following a Domestic Dispute in November 2023. Shortly after the incident occurred, Leonard was incarcerated at the Broome County Jail on unrelated charges & an arrest warrant was issued. Leonard faces court action on the newest charges shortly.

Local government sales tax collections totaled $23 billion in calendar year 2023, up 4.2%, from 2022, according to State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. New York City's sales tax growth was 5.9% in 2023 for the rest of the state was 2.4%, much of the increase was attributed to the return of tourism to per-pandemic levels.

Attorney General Letitia James today co-led a coalition of every attorney general in the nation in securing $350 million from Publicis Health, LLC for the company's role in the opioid crisis. Publicis is one of the world's largest healthcare advertising companies and developed predatory and deceptive marketing strategies for Purdue Pharma to increase prescriptions and sales of opioids such as OxyContin, ultimately fueling the opioid epidemic. New York will receive $19,176,750 as a result of the agreement, which will be used to fund opioid abatement, treatment, and prevention.

NYSEG Crews responded to power outages around Chenango County this morning, with over 4700 customers without power, the majority of those were in the City & Town of Norwich, and the issue was attributed to a substation, the Norwich City School District was closed today.

Broome County Sheriff’s Deputies responded Monday in the Town of Chenango to meet with a domestic violence victim in the Town of Colesville. The female victim and her 2 young children fled their residence due to a physical dispute, Deputies utilized the Lethality Assessment Program and advocates from Crime Victims Assistance Center responded to provide victim safety and support services. 30 year old Timothy Backes of Windsor is accused of violating an order of protection & physically assaulting the victim, Deputies located Backes & charged him with 2 counts of Criminal Contempt, Aggravated Family Offense & Harassment, he was taken to Broome County Central Arraignment and remanded to the Broome County Correctional Facility, he attempted to contact the victim to solicit funds for bail, violating the Order of Protection again, he was additionally charged with another count each of of Criminal Contempt & Aggravated Family Offense, & was remanded after arraignment on the new charges.

A.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 1-31-24

The Otsego County Sheriff's Office arrested 37 year old Michael Ide of Oneonta following a narcotics investigation. Ide was charged with several counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, plus 2 counts of Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia. On December 11th 2023, members of the State Division of Parole, Oneonta Police Department and the Otsego County Sheriff’s Office conducted a search of a residence in the Town of Oneonta, Officers seized methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, suboxone, plus $669 in US currency, digital scales, packaging materials, drug paraphernalia and a notebook containing drug sales records were also seized, Ide faces court action shortly.

The Chenango Arts Council is looking for artists to come forward if they want to display their works in their Norwich Gallery, spokesperson Mary Beth Miller explains:

(Mary Beth Miller 1-10-24)

Miller said that the artists interest in submitting proposals should email them: info@chenangoarts.org.

The Otsego County Sheriff's Office arrested 30 year old Tyler Culver of Otego following the execution of a search warrant on Saturday. Culver faces multiple counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance. Last Fall, members of the Otsego County Sheriff’s Office and Oneonta Police Department initiated a joint investigation in to the suspected sales of narcotics from Culver's residence in the Village of Otego, on Saturday, with the assistance of the State Police, a search warrant was executed & they seized suspected narcotics & packaging materials, he was also arrested in connection with a shooting incident Saturday In Otego, remains in the Otsego County Correctional Facility to await centralized arraignment on the narcotics charges.