WCDO Radio News

Julianne Carbone and Sharon McDowell of Oneonta each pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person in Otsego County court.  The 2 are accused of taking inappropriate pictures of Springbrook residents & putting them on Social media Platforms.    Each will 6 months in jail plus 5 years’ probation, upon release they will not be allowed to work with incompetent or disabled people.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Office arrested 44-year-old DeannaO’Connor of the Village of Walton, for 1 count of Grand Larceny.  O’Connor allegedly withheld property or payment for that property to Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, following a reported burglary in Walton and a subsequent insurance claim.  O’Connor was issued an appearance ticket returnable to the Village of Walton Court at a later date.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 28 year old Justin Ziemba of Gilboa for aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle,unlawful fleeing of a police officer, driving while intoxicated and reckless driving following a vehicle pursuit in the Town of Roxbury.  Ziemba was observed driving in a reckless manner at a speed of 91 mph, Ziemba lost control of his vehicle and collided with an earth embankment.  Ziemba was arraigned in the Town of Stamford Court and was remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility in lieu of $2,000 cash bail or $4,000 secured bond.  He is scheduled to reappear at the Town of Roxbury Court at a later date.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies 29 year old arrested Brett Trombley on 17 counts of Criminal Contempt.  Trombley allegedly attempted to contact a protected party of an order of protection by phone 17 times over the course of one week while being held in the County Jail; he will appear in the Town of Delhi Court on a later date.

The Oneonta Department of Public Service will be replacing a water main valve today, on Upper Clinton Street from Monroe Avenue to the dead end.  Residents will experience a water outage during work.  Water will be shutdown after 9am and expected to be down for a few hours.  For additional questions, please call the Department of Public Service at (607) 432-2100

Governor Cuomo & area leaders announced the start of construction on the $20.5 million Canal Plaza with 48 apartments and new commercial space to Binghamton's North Side. The project will transform and revitalize land that is currently a brownfield; it will include 3 commercial suites totaling about 15,000 square feet, 1 of which will be occupied by Catholic Charities of Broome County for the operation of Encompass Health Home, which will deliver assistance to Medicaid-eligible adults and children with chronic medical and/ or behavioral health conditions. The project will be partially funded with $1.1 million in Community Development Block Grant - Disaster Recovery funding from the Governor's Office of Storm Recovery.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 28 year old Kristin Shoulars of Milton, after she was stopped for Traffic violations on State Highway 17 in the Town of Hancock. During the stop, it was found that her privileges to operate a motor vehicle were suspended, a search of the vehicle revealed that she was in possession of several controlled substances. Shoulars was charged with Aggravated Unlicensed Operation, 4 counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, she was arraigned in the Village of Hancock Court where she was remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility in lieu of $1,000 cash bail or $2,000 secured bond.

A New York City man arrested for selling heroin and cocaine in Norwich, has pleaded guilty to drug charges. 21 year old Kodi Glenn pleaded guilty to 3rd-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance; Glenn will serve 3 years in prison plus 2 years of probation.

8 people were left homeless following a fire on Main Street in Worcester Tuesday night. Fire was visible from the rear of the home when firefighters first arrived, all residents escaped without injuries. Fire Fighters from Oneonta, Schenevus, East Worcester, and Westford fire departments responded, with no injuries reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Delaware County supervisors released their preliminary, proposed 2019 budget to the public on Wednesday, November 14 which reflects a 1.5602 % increase from the 2018 budget. There will be a public hearing on the proposed 2019 budget, at the next Board of Supervisors meeting Today at 1:00 PM at the Charles Cook County Office Building at 111 Main Street, Delhi.

The Otsego County Solid Waste Department reminds residents that animal carcasses/body parts from wildlife shall be accepted at the Oneonta and Cooperstown Transfer Station with the following conditions: Individuals shall double bagged material using 3ml contractor’s bags, Individuals must clearly state to scale operator you have carcasses for disposal, Individuals should not place carcasses/body parts in curb side pick up & Fees will be charged at scale rate for disposal. More information is available at 547-4225 or otsegocounty.com/depts/sw.

State Police at Norwich arrested 22 year old Nathan Whitehill of New Berlin for DWI with a B.A.C of .12%, plus Unlawful Possession of Marijuana. Troopers observed the vehicle Whitehill was operating to be speeding and failing to keep right while on County Road 33 in the town of Norwich. A traffic stop was initiated and Whitehill was arrested, troopers also discovered a mason jar of marijuana in his possession. He was released on appearance tickets returnable to the town of Norwich Court on December 20th.

Scott and Marianne Ray of Norwich pleaded guilty to 2nd degree assault and endangering in the welfare of a child in Chenango County Court this week. The couple was accused of hitting a child with a hair brush & throwing a child into a wall this summer, they were each sentenced to 6 months in jail followed by 5 years’ probation.

The Delaware County Historical Association will host its inaugural Christmas Fair on Saturday December 8th at their facility 2 miles north of Delhi on state highway 10. From 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. More information is available at 746-3849.

State Police arrested 39 year old Dustin Hendricks of Milford for Criminal Contempt & Menacing, after Troopers were called to a dispute at a residence on State Route 28 in the town of Hartwick. Hendrick's actions violated an order of protection, which was already in place, he was arraigned in the town of Hartwick Court where he was remanded to the Otsego County Jail in lieu of $5,000 cash bail or $10,000 property bond. His next court date is December 12th.

State Police arrested 29 year old Nicholas Reyes of Guilford for Aggravated Unlicensed Operation, Driving While Intoxicated & Refusal to Submit to a Breath Test. Troopers responded to a one car rollover on County Road 38 in the town of Guilford. An investigation revealed that the vehicle Reyes was operating veered over the double yellow lines then back into his lane before going off the roadway, striking a ditch and rolling over. Reyes was transported to Tri-Town Hospital then later Wilson Memorial Hospital for his injuries, he issued appearance tickets to the town of Guilford Court.

The State Department of Labor released preliminary local unemployment rates for October 2018. In October, the number of private sector jobs in the State was 8,218,800, the State’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 4.0% in October 2018. Locally, Chenango County had 3.4% Unemployment, Delaware County 3.7% & Otsego County 3.3%.

The Otsego County Planning department & Otsego Rural Housing Assistance teamed up recently to get answers from Otsego County Residents regarding their housing situation. County Planning Director Karen Sullivan explains:

(Karen Sullivan 10-19-18)

Sullivan said that the results of the survey were similar to years past, they can be accessed currently at otsegoruralhousing .org or, soon, at the Otsego County website.

State Police arrested 38 year old Tammy Armstrong of Sidney for Obstructing Governmental Administration and Resisting Arrest. Armstrong was arrested after an investigation revealed she actively hid her 15-year-old son because he had a warrant from the Otsego County Probation Department and he had also been reported missing. Troopers say she avoided them for days, Investigators and Sidney Village Police located both at Oak Avenue in Sidney. Armstrong was released on appearance tickets where she will have to appear in the village of Sidney Court on October 30th.

Delaware County’s clean sweep event is being held today & tomorrow. Businesses & Farms ONLY, dropped off their hazardous materials for a small fee this morning, Households drop their items off tomorrow free of charge, from 8:00 AM to 12:00 Noon. This year is the 22nd annual Clean Sweep event.

State Police arrested 19 year old Nathaniel Rowe of Coventry for Grand Larceny & Criminal Possession of Stolen Property. Troopers learned that a Toyota Camry was stolen from State Route 7 in the town of Afton, Troopers also received a report that an ATV was taken from a property in the town of Coventry. The Toyota Camry was found behind a barn on Buckley Hill Road in the town of Coventry. Investigators determined that the suspect in both cases was Rowe and he was arrested, he was also found to be in possession of a stolen credit card. Rowe was arraigned in the town of Afton Court where he was remanded to the Chenango County Jail on $10,000 cash bail or $25,000 bail bond. This case is under investigation.

Governor Cuomo announced that more than $3.4 million in projects in the Southern Tier are expected to begin this fall to help flood-prone communities plan and prepare for extreme weather events as they continue to recover from Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. The funding is part of more than $41.1 million in NY Rising Community Reconstruction projects slated to get underway across the state this fall. The 3 Broome County projects were identified by NY Rising Community Reconstruction Planning Committee members as priorities for their neighborhoods and are among hundreds across the state funded by the Governor's Office of Storm Recovery NY Rising Community Reconstruction Program.

The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office arrested Mark Tubbs and Angela Huggins both of Sidney, for 1 count each of Unlawful Possession of Marijuana and Endangering the Welfare of a Child. The pair are accused of possessing marijuana in their apartment, where a 9 year old child also resided. The arrests came during the execution of arrest warrants at the Huggins and Tubbs residence by the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team. Both Huggins and Tubbs will appear in the Village of Sidney Court shortly to answer these charges.

Delaware County Sheriff's Department Investigators arrested 35 year old Philip Albergo of Meridale and charged him with Criminal Possession of a Weapon, Unlawfully Dealing With Fireworks and Dangerous Fireworks. Albergo was out on Probation on an unrelated charge, Probation Officers discovered a high capacity ammunition feeding device, which is banned in New York State, they also seized numerous unlawful fireworks. Albergo is being held at the Delaware County Correctional Facility as a Probation Violator, to be arraigned in the Town of Meredith Court on these charges at a later time.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 39 year old Eric Rossman of Davenport for criminal possession of stolen property, following an investigation into a stolen vehicle in the Town of Harpersfield earlier this year. Deputies encountered Rossman after responding to an accident in the Town of Delhi where he left the scene, they also discovered that Rossman was operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, which led to several other charges. Rossman was arraigned at the Town of Davenport Court and was remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility in lieu of $5,000 cash bail or $10,000 secured bond, he will appear in the Town of Davenport and the Town of Delhi courts at a later date.

Delaware County's Clean Sweep Hazardous Waste disposal days are coming up this week, County Solid Waste Coordinator Sue McIntyre comments:

(Sue McIntyre 10-16-18)

The event will allow for county farms, businesses & residents to get rid of items such as paints, pesticides & other house hold chemicals, plus Pharmaceutical Wastes, Sharps & Syringes.

19th Congressional District Candidates will be debating in Walton on Tonight from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m., at the Walton Theater on Gardiner Place. Congressional candidates who have secured a place on the ballot have been invited, including incumbent John Faso and Democratic challenger Antonio Delgado, Green Party candidate Steven Greenfield and Independent Diane Neal. The debate is co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters, the Delaware County Farm Bureau and the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce.

Due to saturated subgrade conditions, Delaware Avenue in Oneonta will remain closed until further notice. The City's contractor, R.B. Robinson, will leave appropriate signage in place overnight, and will be working to correct this issue today. Businesses on Railroad Avenue will remain accessible at all times through Sand Street or Rose Avenue. More information is available at 432-2100.

The Broome County District Attorney’s office announced that 27 year old Thomas Sessions of Whitney Point was arraigned Wednesday in Broome County Court, in connection with a March 23rd attack that seriously injured a Lisle resident. Sessions was located earlier this month in Arizona and taken into custody. The grand jury indictment charges Sessions with attempted 2nd degree murder, 1st degree assault, & attempted 1st & 2nd degree assault; he is accused of striking the victim in the head after knocking on the victim’s door & claiming to have a disabled vehicle.

A new report released Monday by a coalition of New York State law enforcement officials, public health experts and elected officials, showed that The Delaware County had the highest rates of gun-related suicide and homicide. The research focused at the rate of homicide and suicide in each county from 2012 to 2016, the report showed that for every 100,000 residents of Delaware County, there were 13.4 gun-related deaths, & the a rate of suicide by gun at 12.9. Other counties that ranked high were Allegany, Wyoming, Cattaraugus and Sullivan counties. New York State’s overall gun-related death rate was 4.4 deaths per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average of 11.8 deaths per 100,000 residents.

The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office arrested 19 year old Cordell Witherow of Plymouth for 3rd degree Assault. Witherow is accused of causing serious physical injury to an unidentified male victim. Witherow was released on an appearance ticket and is to appear in the Town of Plymouth Court at a later date.

Chenango County Sheriff's Department arrested 24 year old Cara Kaskeski of Mount Vision, for Welfare Fraud & Offering a False Instrument for Filing. Kaskeski allegedly collected more than $9,000 in child care assistance from July 2014 through November 2017 which she was not entitled to receive, she was issued appearance tickets to appear in the City of Norwich Court at a later date.

US Postal Inspectors, State Police CNET, Homeland Security Investigators (HSI), Vestal Police Department and the Broome County Drug Task Force made a controlled delivery of a package containing approximately 250 grams of Ecstasy to a residence in Binghamton. Following the delivery, a search was conducted at the home of 32 year old Andrew Davis, A search of the residence leads to the recovery of the package, digital scales, cellphone, & other items, Davis was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, he was arraigned and was remanded to the Broome County Jail without bail.

Delaware County Sheriff Deputies arrested 42 year old Patrick Renner Jr. of Stamford for Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle, Operating a Motor Vehicle without an Ignition Interlock Device, Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle & violating the terms of his probation. Renner is accused of driving a vehicle on Main Street in the Village of Stamford on Thursday with a revoked driver’s license and without an ignition interlock device, from a previous DWI conviction. Renner was arraigned and was remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility without bail pending further court action.

State Police arrested 36 year old Jennifer Grant of Westford for DWI, Operating a Vehicle While Registration Suspended, & Unlawful Possession of Marihuana, plus numerous traffic tickets. Troopers stopped Grant while on Otsego County Highway 34 after they observed her cross the center line and drive onto the shoulder. Grant was released to a sober third party and given appearance tickets to the town of Westford Court on July 17th.

Delaware County Public Health and Delaware Opportunities will be holding a free Car Seat Safety Event at Delaware Opportunities 35430 NY-10, in Hamden, today from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Parents and caregivers can have their child’s car seat checked at no cost by certified child safety seat technicians. Car seats which do not meet the Federal Motor Safety Standard may be replaced; more information is available at 832-5200.

State Police at Troop C in Sidney held their annual Memorial Ceremony this morning at Troop C Headquarters in Sidney. Commanding Officer Major William McEvoy comments:

(Major William McEvoy 5-17-18)

First Sergeant Chad Buckley and his brother, Delaware County Undersheriff Timothy Buckley placed a memorial wreath honoring those who have died. The ceremony also included Bagpipes & a 21 Gun Salute.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 55 year old Kathleen Denario of Oneonta for Resisting Arrest, False Personation, Petit Larceny and Unlawful Possession of Marihuana. Deputies attempted to arrest Denario on a Probation Warrant issued by Otsego County & after a complaint in the parking lot of the Hobart Inn where Denario was located. Denario was arraigned & was remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $1,500 cash bail or $3,000 bond, pending action in Town of Stamford Court at a later date.

The Chenango County Public Health Department announced that a free rabies clinic will be held tonight in Bainbridge. The clinic will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 at the village garage at 1 River Street; more information is available at 337-1673.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 51 year old Mohamed Yvonnas, of Brooklyn, for DWI aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle & operating an unregistered motor vehicle. Yvonnas had a .13% blood alcohol content while he was operating a motor vehicle in the Town of Meredith, he was also found to be an illegal immigrant and to have an active warrant for DWI from New York City. Yvonnas was arraigned at the Town of Davenport Court and remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility in lieu of $5000 cash bail or $10,000 bond pending future action in Town of Meredith Court at a later date.

Former Delaware County Sheriff's deputy Ted Tiska of Masonville was sentenced on Monday in Delaware County Court to 5 years in state prison for assaulting his wife with a meat cleaver in 2016. Tiska pleaded guilty to 2nd-degree assault in a plea bargain deal, He will also serve a term of 1½ years probation after his release.

State Police arrested 22 year old Kody Kemp of Friendsville Pennsylvania for Criminal Possession of a Weapon & Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance & 30 year old Scott Maxey of Montrose Pennsylvania for Criminal Possession of a Weapon, after Troopers observed their vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed on Colesville Road in the town of Kirkwood. Troopers located a loaded gun in the vehicle and drug paraphernalia. Both were remanded to the Broome County Jail pending future court action.

Otsego County has received more than $842,000 in grants for improvements to emergency and public safety communications infrastructure and equipment. The $684,650 award will be used to complete 3 tower sites needed to complete the emergency services telecommunications project, the 2nd grant totaling over $157,000 will add a dispatcher position, and an alarm systems at tower sites.

The State Department of Labor today released preliminary unemployment rates for January. The State’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.7% in January, Locally, Chenango County had 7.1% unemployment, Delaware County 7.3% & Otsego County had 6.6% unemployment.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested a 17 year old youth of Hamden, New York on charges of Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs and Unlawful Possession of Marihuana. The youth was also cited for no headlamps. This arrest stemmed from a traffic stop on Stockton Avenue in the Village of Walton. Deputies were assisted by the Village of Walton Police Department. The youth is scheduled to appear in the Village of Walton Court at a later date to answer the charges.

Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies investigated a complaint at the Charlotte Valley School Thursday, relating to a threat made by an elementary student at dismissal time that day. Deputies issued a juvenile appearance ticket to an unidentified 8-year-old Davenport youth, who allegedly threatened to burn down the School, the student was charged with making a terroristic threat, & will appear at the Delaware County Probation Department at a later date to answer that charge.

New York State Police and the Utica Police Department are investigating a threat at Utica College earlier today. Staff and students at Utica College received an alert at about 11:00 AM today, that the campus was on lockdown because of the threat, everyone was ordered to stay where they were while the threat was investigated. There is no confirmation of any shots fired on campus, and there are no injuries reported. Law enforcement continues to investigate threat. Local, state, and federal law enforcement are on scene.

State Police arrested 26-year-old Christopher Neumann of Castleton in connection with a collision that injured 2 troopers & 2 tow truck operators early Sunday on Interstate 90. Troopers Brent Karow and Shane Swartz were investigating an unrelated 1-car crash on I-90 in North Greenbush at approximately 5:15 a.m. Sunday, when Neumann's vehicle struck their patrol car, which then hit both troopers and tow truck operator, Jeffrey Waite. Trooper Karow was thrown 70 feet into the median, while Trooper Swartz and Waite were thrown under the tow truck, all 3 were taken to Albany Medical Center, a 2nd Tow Truck employee was hit by flying debris & was treated at the scene. Neumann was charged with 1st degree vehicular assault, DWI and numerous other traffic violations, he was arraigned & was remanded to the Rensselaer County Jail.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 49-year-old Daniel Fisher of Franklin Sunday on charges of Criminal Contempt & Harassment, for allegedly violating an Order of Protection. Fisher was arraigned in the Town of Franklin Court and remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility, pending action in Town of Franklin Court & Delaware County Family Court at a later date to answer the charges.

State Police arrested 49 year old Harvey Scott of Oneonta for Petty Larceny, after Scott allegedly walked out of the Oneonta Walmart with a cart full of items totaling $676. Harvey was remanded to the Ostego County Jail on $1,000 cash bond or $2,000 bail.

Governor Cuomo announced that 2 schools had "copycat" threats made by students threatening violence and saying they would bring guns to schools earlier today. The 2 matters are under control according to State Police, the schools involved were the Chautauqua Lake School District and the Randolph Academy in Cattaraugus County. Both students are in police custody.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 40-year-old Eric Bowen of Endicott on charges of speeding, operating with a loud exhaust, unlawful possession of marijuana, and criminal possession of a controlled substance, following a traffic stop in the Town of Hancock. Bowen is accused of possessing a quantity of Methamphetamine in the vehicle. Bowen was later released on an appearance ticket returnable to Hancock Town Court at a later date.

State Police arrested 33-year-old Quintin Kemp of West Winfield for 2nd degree Assault & Criminal Mischief, after troopers responded to a dispute in which Kemp allegedly threw a cell phone at a woman, which struck her in the face, and caused a laceration & damaging to a television worth more than $250. The victim was treated for her injuries at a local hospital and released. Kemp was arraigned and was remanded to the Otsego County Jail on $2500 cash bail or $5000 property bond, pending court action in February 21st.

Governor Cuomo called for continued vigilance to prevent the spread of influenza and again urged all New Yorkers to get vaccinated. Last week, 16,804 laboratory confirmed influenza cases were reported to the New York State Department of Health; again the highest weekly number since reporting began in 2004. The number of weekly hospitalizations decreased for the first time since influenza was declared prevalent in December, with 2,409 New Yorkers hospitalized for lab confirmed influenza. More information is Available at health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/influenza/seasonal.

Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies arrested a Davenport man Tuesday as a fugitive from justice from Missouri. Deputies arrested 25 year old Jerry Parkes of Davenport on the Warrant issued by Governor Cuomo, Parkes is charged with violating the terms of his probation and fleeing from Missouri to avoid prosecution. Parkes was arrested at the Delaware County Correctional Facility where he has been held without bail, since December, he was wanted in Missouri for violating the terms of his probation imposed upon a conviction for domestic assault. Parkes was arraigned; he will be turned over to Missouri law enforcement officers shortly.

Governor Cuomo today announced a 30-day budget amendment that will Prohibit level 2 and 3 sex offenders, whose victims were under the age of 13, from being within 1,000 feet of a kindergarten or pre-K school; Ban certain sex offenders from living in temporary emergency housing or shelters that house families; and Require the Commissioner of the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to obtain a list of schools from the State Department of Education, and distribute that list to probation and parole departments to ensure sex offenders stay away from those locations.

State Police arrested 33 year old Frank Bowles of Oneonta for Criminal Mischief and Unlawful Possession of Marihuana. This arrest occurred after troopers responded to a fight in progress at the Lantern Hill Trailer Park, on State Route 23, in the town of Oneonta. Bowles is accused of smashing a window of a trailer when he was denied entry; Troopers located him walking in the park with lacerations to his hand. Bowles had his injuries treated at the scene by EMS, & while being arrested for damaging the window, Bowles was found to unlawfully possess about 15 grams of marijuana on his person. Bowles was arraigned before the Oneonta Town Court and subsequently remanded to the Otsego County Jail in lieu of $250.00 bail.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 56 year old Dennis Hulse of Auburn, on charges of unlawful possession of marijuana, criminal possession of a controlled substance and driving while ability impaired by drugs following a traffic stop on State Highway 17 in the Town of Colchester. Hulse was also charged with driving 80 miles per hour in 55 miles per hour zone. He was later released on traffic tickets returnable to Colchester Town Court at a later date.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 28 year old Meghan Armstrong of Walton, for Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs and Unlawful Possession of Marihuana. Armstrong was also cited for no plate lamp as well as not wearing a seatbelt while operating a motor vehicle. This arrest stemmed from a traffic stop on Chambers Hollow Road in the Town of Hamden. Armstrong is scheduled to appear in the Town of Hamden Court at a later date to answer the charges.

Delaware County Emergency Services Department announced that the early Friday morning structure fire at 478 Dehning Road in the Town of Davenport involved the death of 2 small children. Officials said that the apartment building was fully involved, a 1-year-old male and a 3-year-old female died, an adult male was transported with burns to Upstate Medical Center Burn Unit in Syracuse. The names of the victims are being withheld at this time. The investigation is currently ongoing by State Police, plus the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, Department of Emergency Services, Fire Investigation Team and the State Office of Fire Prevention and Control.

State Police arrested 27-year-old Chase Degraw from Deposit for Menacing, after troopers responded to a dispute in Deposit. Degraw allegedly displayed a handgun at the female victim, he was arraigned, posted bail, & was released on his own recognizance with an order of protection was issued. Later that day Degraw was arrested again, for Criminal Contempt, to the same home and violated the order of protection by attempting to communicate with the victim inside. DeGraw was arraigned and was remanded to the Broome County Jail on $5,000 cash bail or $10,000 bond.

State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli issued an audit that Reveals Issues Behind Broome County's Fiscal Stress. From 2014 through 2016, Broome County depleted its fund balance to dangerously low levels jeopardizing public services and long-term infrastructure investments, DiNapoli recommended that the county stop using the fund balance to finance recurring expenditures; Develop a fund balance policy that establishes a reasonable amount of fund balance, reduce or eliminate reliance on short-term borrowing; & Adopt balanced budgets. The final audit can be read at osc.state.ny.us.

Republican Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb dropped his bid for the Republican nomination for governor on Friday; the GOP field is now down to 2 announced candidates, State Senator John DeFrancisco & Joel Giambra, the former Erie County executive.

State Police responded to a Delaware County 911 report of a structure fire at 435 Dehning Road in the town of Davenport, at about 1:45 this morning. 2 children died in the fire, and 1 adult was taken to Upstate Medical in Syracuse for burn injuries. Fire Department from Davenport, Pindars Corners, Hobart and Kortright responded, State Fire Investigators are assisting with the investigation and a cause has not been determined yet. The names of the victims have not been released, the investigation is continuing.

65-year-old Ramadan Abdullah of Johnson City was sentenced to a minimum of three years in state prison in Broome County Court Thursday; he was found guilty in November of 15 counts of criminal possession of a weapon and 1 count of petit larceny. At the time of Abdullah’s arrest, police seized handguns, assault weapons, rifles, and a shotgun, thousands of rounds of ammunition, flak jackets and high-capacity ammunition feeding devices.

The Broome County Sheriff's Office is looking for the public’s help in finding Nathan Mower, who is wanted for violating his probation for 2nd degree burglary. Mower is white, with brown hair and brown eyes, about 5' 11" and weighs 205 pounds. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Broome County Sheriff’s Office tip line at 778-1196 or Warrants Division at 778-2923 or 778-2933. All tips will remain confidential.

Governor Cuomo today directed State Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker to authorize emergency assistance funding to counties as flu diagnoses continued to increase in communities across the state. With 15,753 laboratory confirmed influenza cases reported to the New York State Department of Health, and 2,349 New Yorkers hospitalized with confirmed influenza, these numbers are again the highest weekly numbers in both categories since reporting began in 2004. The HealthMap Vaccine Finder also identifies locations where vaccines can be found at vaccinefinder.org.