WCDO Radio News

The Flood warning is continuing to be issued by the National Weather service for the WCDO listening area through Saturday afternoon. In Sidney, Mayor Andy Matviak told WCDO what is expected after consulting with Sidney High School Science Teacher & Meteorologist Rich Townsend this morning:

(Andy Matviak 4-7-17)

Minor flooding has been reported along the Susquehanna River in Unadilla & Bainbridge locally, as well as in Walton on the Delaware River, and in Sherburne & Greene along the Chenango River. River Gauges can be accessed at WCDORadio.com & click on the River Levels Icon.

The Sidney Chamber of Commerce will hold the Annual Arts & Music Festival on July 15th in Keith Clark Park, as Main Street will be undergoing renovations during the summer months. The chamber is looking for vendors who want to participate to contact the Chamber soon, according to Stephanie Taylor & Teri Schunk:

(Steph Taylor-Teri Schunk 4-7-16)

This, the Headliners will be Woodshed Prophets, The Art portion of the event is being coordinated by Dan Harrington of the Harrington Gallery. Other scheduled activities will include the Classic Car Cruise in, Cullman Days and the event will also fall on the Sidney Alumni weekend.

Chenango Arts Council will have the "Open Hand Theater" presenting "The Chocolate War". Council Interim Executive Director Alecia O'Neill explains:

(Alecia O’Neill 4-7-17)

The show will be held at the Martin W. Kappel Theater in Norwich at 2:00 PM Sunday, more information about this & other events can be accessed at Chenango Arts.org or at 336-2787.

More than 300 fire departments across New York State have already signed up for the seventh annual RecruitNY weekend, a major initiative of the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY). On April 29-30, firehouses across the State will open their doors to the public in an effort to increase membership in the volunteer fire service. Members of the public are invited to visit their local firehouses, where volunteer firefighters will be conducting tours of their facilities, demonstrating firefighting techniques, and allowing visitors to try on turnout gear. more information, is available at recruitny.org.

The Delaware County Tourism Advisory Board will meet this morning at 10am at the County Office Building, 111 Main Street, Delhi. The meeting is open to the public.

The Oneonta downtown Revitalization Initiative committee will hold another meeting tonight, at the Foothills Performing Arts Center on Market Street. The meeting is open to the public & begins at 7:00 PM.

The Commerce Chenango 2017 Economic Forecast Breakfast will be held from 7:30 AM to 9:15 AM at the Canasawacta Country Club in Norwich this morning. The Keynote Speaker will be Kenneth Entenmann of NBT Wealth Management.

23-year-old Caden Cruz of Oxford pleaded guilty to a number of charges in Chenango County Court Thursday. Cruz was originally charged last March with 2nd degree Assault, resisting arrest, & criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument. Cruz was arrested by Norwich Police following a foot pursuit on March 1st; he was also accused of striking the first responding Police officer. He faces sentencing shortly.

Governor Cuomo announced $3 million in new funding to help eligible municipalities and rural electricity cooperatives purchase electric vehicles for use in their municipal use fleets. The initiative is part of the New York Power Authority’s Municipal Electric-Drive Vehicle Program, which provides financial assistance to facilitate the replacement of less fuel-efficient vehicles. This announcement supports Governor Cuomo's energy goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in New York 40 percent by 2030.

New York State of Health is holding information sessions at libraries throughout the state to reach uninsured New Yorkers. Certified in-person assistors will be available to answer questions and provide enrollment assistance during more than 200 information sessions at 77 libraries in February. a local session will be held in Walton at the Ogden Public Library on February 17th from 10:00 am to 3:00 PM.

The Foothills Performing Arts Center will once again feature the "Not Too Far From Home" Comedy tour, coming tonight at 8:00 PM in Oneonta. Aaron David Ward & 2 other comedians will perform, tickets are available by calling Foothills at 431-2080, or at FoothillsPAC.org.

A free business partnership workshop open to the public will be held tonight at the Oxford Academy primary school multi purpose room. Representatives from the Voss Group & Southern Tier Startup Alliance will speak to those who are thinking about becoming entrepreneurs in the Greater Chenango Area, the workshop runs form 6:30to 8:00 PM tonight & is one of a series of workshops as part of the 2 year "Innovation Series" of monthly forums. More information is available at 843-2025 extension 3301.

State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie announced that the Assembly Majority plans on implementing legislation to protect & enhance the lives of New York's Immigrant population:

(Carl Heastie 2-7-17)

Heastie also said that they would once again act on the "Dream Act" to allow illegal immigrants to pursue higher education that legislation has failed to pass in the Republican led State Senate in the past.

The next meeting of the Oneonta Downtown revitalization Initiative Planning Committee will be held today, at the Foothills Performing Arts center on the 2nd floor. The meeting will run from 1:00 to 3:00 PM & is open to the public and there will be a period for public comments. Also, the Oneonta Common Council will hold their next meeting tonight, at 7:00 PM at City Hall.

The National Women's Hall of Fame will announce their 2017 inductees today in Seneca Falls, the site of the first women's rights convention. 10 women who will be inducted to the hall during a ceremony in September, so far 266 women who have influenced arts, athletics, business, education, government, and the sciences, have been inducted.

Firefighters from Norwich, North Norwich & Sherburne responded to a vehicle fire on State route 12 between North Norwich & Sherburne, yesterday afternoon. A Pepperidge farms delivery truck was in flames when fire fighters arrived shortly after 12:00 Noon Wednesday, Chenango county fire investigators reported that the vehicle had broken down, was towed to a rest area, when a mechanic ruptured a gas line. The vehicle was totally destroyed, no injuries were report, and no tickets were issued.

The next meeting of the Oneonta Downtown revitalization Initiative Planning Committee will be held next Tuesday, at the Foothills Performing Arts center on the 2nd floor. The meeting will run from 1:00 to 3:00 PM & is open to the public and there will be a period for public comments.

Chenango County Sheriff Ernest Cutting was Elected 2nd Vice Chair of the Executive Committee of the New York State Sheriffs' Association, at the 83rd Annual Winter Training Conference last week in Albany. Sheriff Cutting will work with Sheriffs around the state, to further the efforts of the Sheriffs' Association to enhance public safety in New York State through professional training and accreditation programs, public safety programs, and advocacy. The New York State Sheriffs' Association, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation, formed in 1934, for the purpose of assisting sheriffs in the efficient and effective delivery of services to the public.

The State Department of Labor released local unemployment rates for December today. Locally Chenango County had 5.2% unemployment, Delaware county 5.3% and Otsego County at 4.8%, the State’s unemployment rate decreased 2/10 to 4.9% in December.

Another public meeting of the Oneonta Downtown Revitalization initiative will be held on Tonight at the Foothills Performing Arts Center Atrium. Updated information will be provided by Stantec Urban Planners, Otsego Now & the local planning committee, regarding plans to transform the downtown business district. Oneonta received 10 million dollars from the state last year for the projects. The public is encouraged to attend & participate in the meeting at 7:00 PM.

Breastfeeding support is currently available every Tuesday at UHS Pediatrics in Sidney. Rene Stratton of Delaware County Public Health explains:

(Rene Stratton 1-24-17)

More information about the program is available at 561-2200.

State Police responded to a report of a 1-vehicle crash on County Road 2 near Echo Lake Road in the Town of Greene, where the driver had fled the scene on foot into the woods. The driver was identified as 23-year-old Alexander Drost of Greene. A man had knocked on the door to a home nearby asking for help, Drost was found hiding in a large backhoe. He was arrested for DWI, Aggravated Unlicensed Operation and several traffic violations & was arraigned and remanded to the Chenango county Jail on $10,000 cash bail or $20,000 property bond.