WCDO Radio News

P.M. NEWS FRIDAY 4-26-24

Sidney Police Department received report of an armed robbery Friday Afternoon at about 1:35 PM at Smiley's at 17 West Main Street. The suspect displayed a Handgun, demanded cash, he was wearing a black and purple wig, blue Oneonta YellowJackets hooded sweatshirt and pink slippers. The suspect left went hrough yards, left behind the disguises and left in a Silver Subaru parked on Adams Street, & left the village. The suspect is a bald or balding, heavy set white male over 6 feet tall. Sidney Police were assisted by STate Police & Delaware County Deputies, Anyone with any information should contact the Sidney Police Department at 607 561-2301, more information is available at the Village of Sidney Police Department Facebook page.

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State Police in Oneonta is attempting to identify an individual that was captured on a surveillance camera at the GameStop store located on State Route 23 in the town of Oneonta in regard to a larceny investigation. If anyone recognizes the individual pictured at https://troopers.ny.gov/news/state-police-seek-public-assistance-identifying-individual-captured-surveillance-camera, they are asked to contact State Police in Oneonta at (607) 432-3211.

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Tickets are still available for the Southern Tier Music Festival in July in Sidney, and spokesman Jake Cotten & Ed Curley said that more of the special coveted tickets have been made available:

(Jake Cotten Ed Curley 4-26-24)

Tickets can be purchased at Southern Tier Music Fest .com which will feature music through the day on July 6th at the Sidney Airport, with headliner Nate Smith closing out the show.

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The Susquehanna Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has received a $5,000 grant investment from national nonprofit Petco Love in support of its lifesaving work on behalf of animals in Otsego County through clinics aimed at expanding access for animals who need care. The Petco Love program helps find homes for pets in partnership with more than 4,000 organizations, like the Susquehanna SPCA, in order to get pets the care they need & adopted into homes, and make sure that pets are not unnecessarily euthanized. More information is available at sqspca.org. or petcolove.org.

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The Jericho Arts Council will present a popular Bluegrass Band Saturday Night, as well as the 43rd fine arts show, spokesman Phil Wade explains:

(PHIL WADE 4-26-24)

Tickets for the concert can be reserved by calling (607) 288-3882.

A.M. NEWS FRIDAY 4-26-24

President Biden appeared in Syracuse on Thursday afternoon, he discussed the $6.1 Billion Dolla federal investment in Micron Technology, which is building a manufacturing complex in Clay over the next 20 years, investing up to $125 billion, a move that could bring 50,000 to the state, construction will begin next year.

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The 4 Towns Forward Community Yard sales event will beheld tomorrow, Teri Schunk of 4 Towns Forward comments:

(Teri Schunk 4-26-24)

Also, the Unadilla & Bainbridge Fire Departments will hold their Open House events tomorrow, in an effort to get more people involved in their local fire department, according to Roger Barnhart of the Bainbridge EMS Squad:

(Roger Barnhart 4-25-24)

The Bainbridge & Unadilla Fire Departments Open House events will be held from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

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Otsego County Sheriff's Office arrested 26 year old Justin Kucera of West Edmeston following an animal cruelty investigation. Kucera was charged with Overdriving, Torturing, Injuring Animals; Failure to provide proper Sustenance, following an investigation into a dog complaint in Edmeston. Kucera was issued an Appearance Ticket and is to return to Town of Edmeston Court on May 6, 2024.

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Mothers & Babies Peri-Natal Network is hosting a free event in Norwich This Saturday, with a variety of organizations on hand to help educate new Moms & Dads, Director Christy Finch explains:

(Christy Finch 4-26-24)

The event will be held from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the SUNY Morrisville Norwich Campus, more information is available at 772-0517.

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The Oxford Village Tree Board will be holding its 31st "Tree City USA" and Arbor Day Celebration on Saturday, starting at 9 am., at Lafayette Park. The Tree City USA flag and plaque presentation will be held along with a giveaway of seedling trees and shrubs.

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P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 2-9-22

Governor Kathy Hochul announced the end of the indoor mask mandate in New York State effective tomorrow. Previously, the state had required masks to be worn inside businesses where vaccination status was not being checked. The mandate will remain in effect at homeless shelters, healthcare centers, state-run nursing homes, schools and childcare centers, and correctional facilities. Statewide COVID-19 Cases Down 93% Since January 7th Peak, the COVID-19 Hospitalizations is down 63% since the peak on January 12th, the positivity rate for COVID 19 tests decreased to 3.67% on Tuesday

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U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced the reintroduction of the STOCK Act 2.0 earlier today. The original STOCK Act strengthened disclosure rules and prevented public servants, including members of Congress, their families, and their staff, from using their access for self-enrichment. The STOCK Act 2.0 would impose additional disclosure requirements and restrictions for high level officials to ensure that members of Congress and public servants aren’t lining their pockets with taxpayer dollars.

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Edmeston Fire Fighters responded to a structure fire Tuesday evening at 9:00 PM. The fire was reported near State Route 80 and Dinky Joe Road, the structure was completely destroyed, no injuries have been reported & the cause of the fire is under investigation.

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The Chamber Alliance of New York State, a statewide association of over 70 Chambers of Commerce, has elected Kerri Green, President and CEO of Commerce Chenango, to its Board of Directors. Green officially began her term last month, she has been with Commerce Chenango since August 2019. The Chamber Alliance of NYS is an association of Chambers of Commerce dedicated to providing members with education and insight into the latest trends and issues, as well as a forum with Chambers to connect and collaborate throughout the State.

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20 year old Makahi Bryant of Brooklyn, was sentenced today in a federal court in Binghamton unemployment fraud. Bryant made thousands of dollars in illegal transactions when he was a student at SUNY Delhi, he admitted that he obtained 2 debit cards containing unemployment insurance benefits by the state of California, he illegally made over $13,000 in transactions using the debit cards for cash or other items. Bryant was sentenced to 3 years probation, 60 hours of community and he was ordered to pay restitution to California.

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A.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 2-9-22

The City of Norwich recently won a 10 Million Dollar Downtown Revitalization Initiative Grant, to help transform the downtown area & boost the city’s economy. The Local Planning Committee will have its next meeting through ZOOM this afternoon at 3:00 PM, more information is available by calling Commerce Chenango at 334-1400.

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The Sidney Central School District will be holding 2 COVID-19 at-home test kit distributions, with a drive-thru service at the Jr./Sr. High School horseshoe parking lot. The distributions dates will be Today from 11:00am-1:00pm and Thursday, from 11:00am-1:00pm. Anyone unable to make the distribution times and need at-home test kits, should call the Elementary Main Office (607) 561-7701 or the Jr./Sr. High School Main Office (607) 561-7703.

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Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies on Patrol on State Highway 97 in the Town of Hancock last Friday observed a pick up truck driving in a reckless manner in the parking lot of a commercial facility. At the conclusion of their investigation, Sheriff’s Deputies determined that the operator, 21-year old Porter Crawson, of Long Eddy was operating his motor vehicle while both his driver’s license and registration were suspended. Crawson was charged with Aggravated Unlicensed Operation and Operating with a Suspended Registration. Crawson was later released on traffic tickets returnable to the Town of Hancock Court at a later date.

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An off-duty sheriff’s deputy and his 21-year-old son were killed and the deputy’s wife was in critical condition Tuesday after the three were shot inside their home. Off-duty Onondaga County Deputy Isaac Eames was found shot to death inside his home in the town of Clay at about 7:30 a.m. Monday, the deputy’s wife, 46 year old Karen Eames and son, 21 year old Troy Eames were also shot inside the home and were taken to Upstate University Hospital. Troy Eames died later Monday and his mother was listed in critical condition, The investigation is continuing.

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25-year-old Joshua Underwood appeared in Oneonta City court Wednesday, he was charged with 2nd degree murder, attempted arson & criminal possession of a weapon, in connection with the beating death of 52-year-old Mark Morrison, at 229 Main Street in Oneonta. Underwood is accused of hitting Morrison with a weight from exercise equipment while Morrison slept, & then unsuccessfully trying to set a fire to cover up the crime, in the early morning hours of January 1st. Underwood faces a felony hearing January 18th, he is being held in the Otsego County jail without bail.

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State lawmakers began the 2017 session in Albany yesterday, assembly Speaker Carl Heastie commented:

(Heastie 1-5-17)

Governor Cuomo will unveil his agenda for 2017 with 6 speeches over 3 days starting Monday.

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State Police issued 33,153 tickets during the holiday season “Drive Sober of Get Pulled Over” campaign. The special traffic enforcement period from Friday, December 16, 2016 through Sunday, January 1, 2017, which also included local law enforcement agencies, was designed to significantly reduce deaths and injuries caused by drunk or impaired driving.

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Governor Cuomo today unveiled a new Enhanced Middle Class Child Care Tax Credit that will help more than 200,000 middle class families make their child care more affordable. The Enhanced Middle Class Child Care Tax Credit would supplement the current New York State Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit and more than double the benefit for families earning between $60,000 and $150,000. Additional details are available at governor.ny.gov.

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An OPEN HOUSE will be held on Tuesday, January 17th at the Sidney Civic Center in the first floor conference room from 6:00 to 7:30 to view the planned improvements to Main Street. Project consultants will be available to discuss the design, collect input and answer questions prior to bidding the project and constructing the improvements in 2017.

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Retail Giant Macy's announced that 68 stores will be closing worldwide in 2017. New York store closures include the Oakdale Mall store in Johnson City, as well as stores in Clay & Rochester, affecting over 140 employees. Sears also announced the closing of 150 K-marts or sears department stores, one k-mart in New Hartford & sears stores in Queens, Cheektowaga, Amherst, & Middletown, will close shortly.

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The Delaware county board of supervisors has chosen the first woman chair of the board this week; Tina Mole of Bovina is the new chairperson of the board. Mole has represented the town of Bovina for 13 years, she also works for State Senator John Bonacic, and she replaces Jim Eisel of Harpersfield, who served as chairman for 15 years.

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State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli released the results of an audit of the town of Walton. The audit showed that the Supervisor appointed the Clerk to act as his bookkeeper; however, the New York State Attorney General’s office has expressed the view that the office of the Clerk is incompatible with the Supervisor’s bookkeeper position. They also found that No annual audit is performed of the records of the Clerk or Supervisor. The Audit recommends The Supervisor should maintain the financial records or appoint a bookkeeper that does not have incompatible duties, such as those of the Town Clerk. The Board should conduct an annual audit of the records and reports of any Town officer or employee who received or disbursed moneys on behalf of the Town, or engage an independent public accountant to do so.

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The New York State Sportswriters Association has announced their 2016 football all-state selections, and several local players made the list. WCDO Sports Director Nate Lull Has details:

(Natefootball 1-5)

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The Friends of Rogers Environmental Education Center in Sherburne announced a ribbon cutting later this month for their welcome center lobby. Spokesperson Jessica Moquin explains:

(Jessica Moquin 1-5-17)

The event will be on Thursday January 19th at 5:30 PM, and the public is invited to attend.

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State Police have launched a new website which includes instructions regarding license re-certification. Anyone holding a pistol license prior to the passage of the NY-SAFE Act has until January 31, 2018 to recertify. State Police will create the re-certification procedure and have launched a website troopers.ny.gov/Firearms - that includes the re-certification form. License holders can fill out the form online or print a paper version and return it by mail.

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It was another big crowd AT THE Clark Sport Center in Cooperstown Sunday to induct 4 more members into the national baseball hall of fame. First to the podium was Houston Astro great Craig Biggio:

(Craig Biggio 7-27-15)

2nd to the podium was Pitcher John Smoltz, who spent the majority of his great career with the Atlanta Braves, he commented about the other 3 men he was being inducted with:

(John Smoltz 7-27-15)

The Big Unit, Randy Johnson pitched for 6 teams during his career, he said he was humbled to be joining the greats of the game with Biggio, Smoltz & Martinez:

(Randy Johnson 7-27-15)

The final inductee was Pedro Martinez, who pitched for 5 teams over his career, he wore a jacket during his bilingual speech with 2 patches, 1 on each arm, he explained the significance to the media at the press conference after the induction:

(Pedro Martinez 7-27-15)

Inducted for Broadcasting & baseball writing excellence on Saturday were current San Diego Padres announcer Dick Enberg, and Detroit Tigers Beat Writer Tom Gage.

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State Police from Binghamton responded Saturday to a 3-vehicle accident, involving a black bear, on Interstate 86 in the Town of Windsor. Troopers reported that a Jeep Cherokee operated by Clay Monroe, from Bronxville, which was towing a trailer with a glider airplane, struck and killed a black bear that entered the roadway. The 2nd vehicle was a Honda Civic operated by Judy Bogad, of Ardmore, Pennsylvania; she swerved left to avoid a collision with the dead bear, but struck the bear and a motorcycle operated by 56-year-old Thomas Poole of Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Poole was ejected from the motorcycle and received numerous fractures and internal injuries; he was transported to Wilson Memorial Hospital in Johnson City, where he died from his injuries. The accident is still under investigation and no tickets have been issued at this time.

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Governor Cuomo & Vice President Joe Biden will meet in Rochester today, both will discuss the economy and make an announcement regarding infrastructure, the conference begins at 11:00 AM.

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Governor Cuomo is giving a challenge to the state Legislature to enact ethics reforms quickly, or face the possibility that a 5th straight on time budget will not happen:

(Cuomo 2-13-15)

Cuomo reiterated the need for ethics reforms for lawmakers, after Sheldon silver became the most recent legislative leader to be arrested on corruption charges. The state budget is due April 1st

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Local Assemblyman Cliff Crouch is not happy that the governor has given a "My Way or The Highway" approach to negotiating ethics reforms & tying it the state budget, and the state aid numbers for school districts:

(Crouch 2-13-15)

Crouch said that other portions of the education budget involve a revamp of the teacher evaluation system, and a change in the tenure requirements to make it easier to fire teachers with tenure who have performed criminal acts or failed to get their students to perform.

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Congressman Chris Gibson attended Thursday’s White House bill signing ceremony for the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act, which increases access to mental health care for military personnel and veterans. Congressman Gibson co-authored the legislation, which calls for creates a peer support and community outreach pilot program to assist transitioning servicemen and women, It also requires an independent third party to conduct annual evaluations of VA mental health and suicide prevention programs, authorizes the VA to collaborate with non-profit organizations to improve the efficiency of suicide prevention efforts, and starts a loan repayment program to help recruit new psychiatric caregivers. The legislation is named for Marine Corporal Clay Hunt, who was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder & faced delays for treatment, in 2011, Hunt took his own life.

State Troopers reported that 28 year old Mark McGraw died in a logging accident in the town of Hancock on Tuesday morning. Troopers said McGraw died of a broken neck, he had been working by himself felling trees at about 9:40 Tuesday Morning when a tree fell and he was pinned.

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The North Dakota Industrial Commission voted to approve regulations to reduce the volatility of crude oil at the source before it is shipped across the nation. North Dakota will increase the safety of transporting crude oil that eventually crosses New York State. Governor Cuomo's administration has taken 66 actions to safeguard New York's residents from potentially serious incidents involving the increased shipment of Volatile crude oil by rail or Boat, the actions were taken following a well-publicized train explosion in North Dakota earlier this year.

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New York Farm Bureau members along with the Feeding America Food Banks announced that New York Farm Bureau members have donated almost 9.6 million pounds of food and farm products in 2014 through the month of November. That translates to nearly eight million meals being provided to New Yorkers in need. This record number is more than a million pounds of food ahead of where donations were last year at this time.

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Congressman Chris Gibson announced the passage of the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act, which requires changes to Department of Defense and VA mental health programs. Congressman Gibson co-sponsored the bill, which increases access to mental health care by creating a peer support and community outreach pilot program to assist transitioning servicemen and women. It also requires an independent 3rd party to conduct annual evaluations of VA mental health and suicide prevention programs, authorizes the VA to collaborate with non-profit organizations to improve suicide prevention efforts, and starts a loan repayment program to help recruit new psychiatric caregivers. The bill is named for Marine Corporal Clay Hunt, who was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder & faced delays in treatment; he took his own life at the age of 28 in 2011.

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Charity solicitations usually gear up during the holiday season, but you should check with the solicitor to make sure the money is indeed going to a worthy cause. Many charities employ telemarketers for their solicitations, and those middlemen often take a chunk of the proceeds. If you receive a call from a telemarketer, ask what programs are conducted by the charity? How much of your donation will be used for charitable programs? How much is the telemarketer being paid and how much is the charity guaranteed

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Doctors statewide would have wider discretion in treating Lyme disease if Gov. Cuomo signs legislation now on his desk. The bill would allow doctors to go outside of accepted medical guidelines to treat Lyme disease without automatically triggering an investigation by the state's Office of Professional Medical Conduct. Last year, 17.9 people out of every 100,000 in New York were diagnosed with Lyme disease according to the CDC. The deadline for action by Cuomo is Dec. 17th

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The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance said bitcoin purchases will not be subject to sales taxes. According to a tax guidance memo from the agency’s Taxpayer Guidance Division, digital currencies are a type of “intangible property” and, as such, are not subject to a sales tax when purchased. A sales exchange involving a digital currency w?uld b? considered a type ?f barter transaction. Only ??rt?in goods ?nd services exchanged far a digital currency w?uld b? subject t? a sales tax or related reporting requirements.

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Law enforcement agencies around the state will conduct DWI enforcement patrols and checvkpoints, from the end of this week through the new year. Drunk drivers kill more than 10,000 people each year, the frequency of those accidents increase during the holiday season. You can now download the free STOP-DWI mobile app for Ios, Android & Windows Phone at stopdwi.org/mobileapp. The app will allow you to call a taxi; program a designated driver list & report suspect drunk drivers.

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