WCDO Radio News

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 12-21-22

Some rapidly changing temperatures will be occurring over the next few days into the Christmas Holiday Weekend, Meteorologist Rich Townsend explains:

(Rich Townsend 12-21-22)

A sizable percentage of the country will have adverse Winter Weather over the next few days, We'll have a look at the forecast at the end of this newscast.

Otsego County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to Cooperstown Elementary School Monday afternoon following the report of a bomb threat. A note was spotted on a tree in Hartwick claiming that there was a bomb in the Cooperstown Elementary school, the building was evacuated, the K9 Unit was brought in & no credible threat was found. The investigation is continuing.

The US Justice Department arrested Arley Gonzalez of Miami Florida for participating in an access device fraud conspiracy. Gonzalez was sentenced to 27 months in prison after he admitted to build skimming devices designed to steal gas station customer information in several counties in New York State, the information was used to obtain cash from unsuspecting customers from December 2015 to July 2019. Gonzalez must forfeit $247,000 as part of his plea agreement in addition to the 27 months in prison.

Sidney Federal Credit Union announced that they have exceeded $800 Million in assets and stands more than 65,000 members strong. SFCU recently expanded its field of membership to Hamilton, Essex, Cortland and Onondaga counties. It currently operates 10 branch locations across parts of 14 counties in upstate New York. More information is available at sfcuonline.org.

A.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 12-21-22

The Otsego County Department of Health announced that there has been 435 positive flu cases since October, last year there were 242 total cases. This season's flu is causing illness in children, with 19.1% of reported cases in 0-5 year olds, 24.8% in 6-10 year olds, 19.1% in 11-18 year olds, 19.1% in 19-50 year olds and 13.8% in 51 and older. Officials urge county residents to get vaccinated, more information is available at 607-547-4230.

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced more than $102 million awarded to 64 projects through the Restore New York Communities Initiative. The Southern Tier was awarded more than $15.7 Million in support of 8 projects, including in the Village of Endicott with $6 Million for the IBM North Street Demolition Project: almost $3 Million Dollars for the City of Binghamton for the development of vacant site into a multi-story building with 102 rental units & $1.8 million dollars for the Town of Roxbury for the Inn at Kirkside, to re-purpose the historic site into a hotel/restaurant with an integrated educational program.

P.M. NEWS MONDAY 9-26-22

Governor Hochul announced the start of the 2nd phase of a plan to allow 3rd parties to offer the Commercial Driver License road test, to both public and private entities. The program is being implemented to address the shortage of bus and truck drivers. Any qualified third party is now eligible to apply for certification through the DMV, New Yorkers can find more information at dmv.ny.gov/commercial-drivers.

Famed "Star Trek" star & Author George Takei is scheduled to be a speaker at SUNY Oneonta on October 24 at 7:00 PM at the Alumni Field House. Takei is the author of “They Called Us Enemy”, which is a New York Times Best Seller, in which he describes his experiences of growing up in internment camps in the United States as a Japanese American during World War II.

State Police and the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services announced that a contingent of 50 State Troopers left Saturday morning for Puerto Rico to help the island nation as it recovers from the devastation left behind in the wake of Hurricane Fiona. The first wave of 50 Troopers, along with 69 New Jersey State Troopers, flew out of JFK airport at about 10 am. this morning bound for Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The flight was donated by Jet Blue Airlines.

The State DOT will hold a public hearing this Wednesday at 5:30 pm. to discuss plans to enhance safety at 4 sites on State Route 8 in the towns of Columbus, New Berlin and Norwich. The proposed project will widen traffic lanes and shoulders, improve sight distances & reduce curves, the hearing will take place at the Unadilla Valley Central School Auditorium. More information is available at dot.ny.gov/Rt8Safety

Otsego County Sheriff's Office arrested Amy Schermerhorn of New Berlin following a traffic Stop in the town of Pittsfield. Schermerhorn was charged with Driving While Intoxicated and Operating a Motor Vehicle with .08% Blood Alcohol Content, She will appear in court at a later date.

Johnson City Police arrested 3 people in connection with the shooting of a man in the abdomen last week. Destiany Kleine-Hill, Justice Marimberga and David Van Patten were all charged with Attempted Murder, 1st degree Robbery & 2nd degree Burglary.

A.M. NEWS MONDAY 9-26-22

Delaware County Public Health Services will be conducting a Monkeypox vaccine clinic on Wednesday, October 5, from 4:30PM to 6:00 PM, at 99 Main Street in Delhi. The two vaccine doses are given 28 days apart. This is a 1st dose clinic only. More information is available at 607-832-5200 To register for the clinic, go to delawarecountypublichealth.com.

DCMO BOCES in Norwich is currently auctioning off 3 used school buses. The online auctions are open to the public at municibid.com and ends Thursday, September 29th.

Assemblyman Joe Angelino announced the launch of a $200 million Seed Fund Grant Program, which is targeted at helping small businesses recover after the COVID-19 pandemic. More Information and access to the application portal can be found at nyseedgrant.com. The program is in addition to the $800 million Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program, which helped more than 35,000 small businesses with roughly $639 million since it began last year. Businesses may call 877-721-0097 for assistance from Empire State Development.

Norwich Police Department arrested Luis Franco of Brooklyn after they responded to a repport of an assault on September 22nd. The victim sustained broken bones, a fractured spine and a collapsed lung and was taken to a Binghamton Hospital, Franco was charged with Assault in the 2nd degree, he was arraigned and held on $25,000 cash bail.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 9-7-22

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday that 42 year old Jeremie Hoyt of Davenport, was sentenced to 25 Years in prison for Sexually Exploiting a Child, and Distributing and Possessing Child Pornography. Hoyt pleaded guilty to the charges in US District Court in April, he was also sentenced to a 30 year term of supervised release, Hoyt will also be required to register as a sex offender.

The Broome County District Attorney's Office announced that 45 year old Chad Jackson of Binghamton was sentenced to 7 years in State Prison followed by 5 years of post release supervision in Broome County Court. Jackson was found guilty in May of 2nd degree Burglary for breaking into a motel room in March of 2020, and stealing property.

The latest Sienna Institute polling showed that the majority of New Yorkers approve of the student loan forgiveness plan announced by President Joe Biden. 56% of respondents supported the plan while 33% opposed it, also, 54% of respondents have paid off all their federal loans, while 45% still have a balance.

A Broome County Grand Jury dismissed charges against Richard Durham of Binghamton. Durham was charged with 2nd degree assault, with intent to cause serious injury to a police officer and resisting arrest. The Broome County District Attorney's office said that the Grand Jury declined to indict him, Durham only faces a charge of disorderly conduct, in connection with an 9incident with a Binghamton Police officer.

The State Health Department reports that as of today, there are a total of 3,485 confirmed monkeypox cases in New York State. 92% of the cases are in New York City, there are 2 confirmed cases in Broome County & 1 in Delaware County. Symptoms of monkeypox can include Rashes, bumps, or blisters, Flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, muscle aches, chills, and fatigue. These symptoms may occur before or after the rash appears, or not at all. More information is available at health.ny.gov/diseases.

A.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 9--7-22

The Sidney Central School District will seek voter approval on September 13th for an $8 Million dollar project, Sidney Superintendent Eben Bullock told WCDO News about the proposal.

(Eben Bullock 9-7-22)

Bullock said that the project would be paid for with State Aid & A Capital Reserve fund, with no effect to District Taxpayers. Voting will be next Tuesday from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM in the Jr/Sr High School cafeteria.

In the month of August, members from Troop "C" removed 42 impaired drivers off the roadways. Six of those impaired drivers also had a child under the age of 15 in the vehicle with them. State Police will be releasing the results of their Labor Day initiative shortly.

The Broome County Office of Emergency Services is reminding drivers to stop for School busses with its flashing lights on admitting or discharging students. Busses are equipped with cameras, which activate when the stop arm extends, the Stop-Arm program began in June of last year & has already recorded 3076 violations.

The Sidney Chamber of Commerce will hold their next meeting this morning, the meeting begins at 8:00 AM at the Sidney Golf Course, members & directors are urged to attend.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 8-31-22

State Supreme Court Justice Peter Lynch today suggested a prison sentence of 16 months to 4 years was appropriate for Nauman Hussain, the owner of Prestige Limousine, who operated the limo in the 2018 Schoharie crash that killed 20 people. In September 2021, Hussain pleaded guilty to 20 counts of criminally negligent homicide as part of a plea deal, he was sentenced to 2 years of probation and 1,000 hours of community service. Hussain's attorney decided to vacate that plea follow the judges suggestion, they will meet September 14th to discuss a date for a trial.

The Town of Guilford announced that a repair to the water tank will begin on September 6th, for customer of the Mt. Upton Water District. The repairs are expected to take 1 week to complete, back up tanks are in place & no disruption of service is anticipated, but water conservation measures are encouraged., more information is available at 607-895-9966.

The Out Of The Woodwork Players announced that auditions will be taking place soon for "A Suessified Christmas Carol". Auditions for will be held Saturday September 10th from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, and Friday September 16th from 6:30 to 8:00 PM, in the Bainbridge Town Hall Theater, many roles are available for children, teens and adults. The performances will be held in December.

New York Motorists are reminded, as school gets ready to return in the coming weeks, that it is illegal to pass a New York School Bus that has its flashing lights on & is receiving or dismissing students. The 1st conviction can result in a $250 to $400 fine, 5 points on a license, and up to 30 days in jail, a 2nd conviction within 3 years could result in a $600 to $750 fine, 5 points on a license, and up to 90 days in jail.

A.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 8-31-22

The Broome County District Attorney's Office announced that 44 year old Michael Carley of Johnson City and South Carolina pleaded guilty to Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance. Carley was stopped for a traffic violation, he was wanted on an unrelated warrant and was taken into custody, he was also found to be in possession of methamphetamines. Carley will be sentenced to 2 years in New York State and 2 years of post-release supervision on November 28th.

The State Health Department reported that the COVID 19 positivity continues to trend downward, down to 4.78%, the 7 Day Average Positivity rate to 6.35%, Patient Hospitalizations were down to 2,329, with 248 ICU patients, with 94 on ventilators.

Governor Kathy Hochul announced the deployment of the New York Army and Air National Guards To support fire suppression efforts at the 150-acre wildfire currently burning in Minnewaska State Park Preserve in Ulster County. 2 Army National Guard Black Hawk helicopters, capable of dropping 600 gallons of water at a time, began aerial operations, the Air National Guard have been deployed, the State DEC Forest Rangers are serving as Incident Commanders, with more than 200 wild-land firefighters and volunteers, local firefighters, the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, State Police Aviation, and State Fire also fighting the fire.

P.M. NEWS MONDAY 8-29-22

State Police Child Abuse Unit arrested 59 year old John Olson of Warwick for allegedly sexually abusing multiple juvenile victims, at a daycare/foster care home in the town of Warwick in Orange County and town of Andes in Delaware County. On May 21st, OLSON was arrested in the town of Andes, he was indicted by a Grand Jury in Delaware County for 1st & 2nd degree Rape, Criminal Sexual Act, Course of Sexual Conduct Against a Child, Criminal Sexual Act & Endangering the Welfare of a Child, he was also indicted by a Grand Jury in Orange County on similar charges and was remanded to the Delaware County Jail. Police also arrested 80 year old Joan Parks for Failure to Report Child Abuse, Endangering the Welfare of a Child, & she was issued an appearance ticket to the Town of Warwick Court. Anyone with Information should call State Police at 845-291-2836 or 845-291-2810.

The Commerce Chenango Board of Directors announced that Kerri Green is no longer part of the organization, after serving as the President & CEO since 2019, the Board announced that a search for a new President & CEO is underway. Commerce Chenango Members can contact Katie Olson, Director of Membership & Programs, at (607) 334-1402 or by email at kolson@chenangony.org.

The State Legislature passed 2 bills this year to ease aggressive medical debt collection practices. The first bill bans medical liens and wage garnishment; the second regulates the billing of so-called "facility fees," and requires that patients be informed about those fees up front. 112 nonprofit hospitals sued more than 53-thousand patients across the state between 2015 and 2020, some provision will still exist to allow hospitals to sue patients in certain circumstances. 13 other states already have these laws in place.

The New Yorkers Using SNAP or EBT cards reported issues buying food Late Sunday into earlier today, with outages reported at several locations across the country, including New York State. About 5,000 outages were reported, but reported outages had declined by this afternoon, no information has been released about the cause of the outage issues, more information about the programs in New York are available at otda.ny.gov/programs/snap.

A.M. NEWS MONDAY 8-29-22

Broome County District Attorney’s Office announced that 20-year-old Carson Vanco of Endicott pleaded guilty to 1st degree attempted assault in court Friday. On July 26th, Vanco shot a man in the chest with a bow & arrow, he will be sentenced to 8 years in prison and 5 years post-release supervision when he is sentenced on November 29th.

Governor Hochul signed a bill by State Senator Fred Akshar and Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo, to rename a portion of State Route 17C after Officer David “DW” Smith. Officer Smith was shot and killed responding to a disturbance in 2014, he served in the Johnson City Police Department for 18 years.

Broome County Sheriff’s Office responded on August 21st after an Officer observed a stolen vehicle from Syracuse, traveling on Upper Front Street in the Town of Dickinson, the vehicle fled following an attempted traffic stop. A pursuit ended when the stolen vehicle hit another motorists in Binghamton. 26 year old Morgan Schoonmaker was a passenger in the vehicle and was taken into custody as she fled, 31 year old Corey Murry of Syracuse was taken into custody a short time later, both possessed heroin, cocaine, and oxycodone and will face numerous charges when processed

New York State’s new minimum requirements for concealed carry will take effect on September 1st, following a recent US Supreme Court ruling that struck down a century State Law, that required New Yorkers who applied for a concealed carry permit to show to a judge “proper cause,”. The State Division of Criminal Justice Services and State Police released new guidelines for residents looking to obtain a concealed carry permit, more information is available at criminaljustice.ny.gov.

P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 8-18-22

Delaware County Clean Sweep returns in October for County residents to properly dispose of hazardous materials, Delaware County Solid Waste Coordinator Tyson Robb explains:

(Tyson Robb 8-18-22)

Registration is underway online at cleansweepdelaware.eventbrite.com, farms & businesses will bring their items on Friday October 7th, households on Saturday October 8th.

The Village of Sidney DPW announced that East Main Street is closed today between Chestnut Street and Main Street, to repair a service leak, officials hope to have the road was re-opened to traffic early this afternoon.

Former Governor Andrew Cuomo won a lawsuit Tuesday in which he challenged New York’s defunct JCOPE agency’s attempt to seize his profits from a $5.1 million book deal his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. JCOPE determined that Cuomo improperly used state staff and resources while writing his 2020 memoir, "American Crisis.” they ordered him to surrender his compensation to the state. Albany County Supreme Court Justice Denise Hartman ruled in Favor of Cuomo Tuesday, JCOPE no longer exists & current Governor Kathy Hochul is looking to establish a new ethics commission.

The State Department of Labor announced that safety inspections of amusement rides statewide have been underway as the peak of fair season approaches. The Great New York State Fair starts on August 24th, Labor Department inspectors have been on site performing pre-inspections, with staff also meeting with vendors prior to Opening Day to go over safety precautions.

The Bainbridge Guilford Central School District Board of Education meeting originally scheduled for tonight, has been postponed, the next meeting will be held on Thursday August 25th at 6:00 PM at the Guilford Elementary school.

A.M. NEWS THURSDAY 8-18-22

Governor Hochul announced that the VaxtoSchool campaign will begin soon, in order to get children vaccinated against COVID before the start of school. The latest COVID Positivity rates were just under 8%, the 7 day average was down to 5.72%, Patient Hospitalization were 2,509, with 249 ICU Patients, 96 on Ventilators, there were 24 deaths reported from nursing homes & hospitals.

Tri-Town Theater will be holding auditions for "Oliver" next week in Sidney, Director Wilson Wells visited the WCDO Studios to talk about the auditions & the number of people needed for this Production:

(Wilson Wells 8-18-22)

Performance Dates for "Oliver" are November 18, 19, and 20. More information is available at the Tri-town Theater Facebook Page.

P.M. NEWS MONDAY 6-13-22

The State Assembly and Senate passed a bill that would require employers to disclose compensation or range of compensation to applicants and employees upon announcing an employment opportunity for the public, or on employee request. The goal of the bill is to combat systemic pay inequality by making salary ranges for specific positions clear, it heads to Governor Hochul's desk to be either signed or vetoed.

The State Division of Criminal Justice Services released their ranking of counties with the most Sex Offenders. Locally, Broome County ranked 12th out of 62 counties with 242 Level 1 offenders, 238 Level 2 offenders, 158 Level 3 offenders, 6 offenders whose level has not yet been determined, that's 644 total offenders total,

Republican Gubernatorial candidate Andrew Giuliani will not be allowed to participate in tonight's televised debate at a New York City Television Station, as he has refused to submit proof he's been vaccinated against COVID-19. Giuliani stated Sunday that he is NOT vaccinated but stated that he told debate organizers that he would take COVID tests prior to the debate.

The Broome County Department of Public Works' Highway Division announced that they have begun several road projects today. The Department has an aggressive schedule to road projects this summer, Motorists are advised to obey the posted detours & speed limits at road construction sites.

Firefighters responded at about 9:40 Friday Night to a residential structure fire on County Highway 16 in the Town of Burlington. The homeowner contacted 911, Deputies responded & all occupants were successfully evacuated, Multiple fire departments were dispatched and battled the blaze, no injuries were reported.

McDowell and Walker In Afton, is facing over $200,000 in fines from OSHA after an employee entered a grain bin last November to clear a feed buildup that was clogged, the conveyor transporting the feed into the silo activated, partially engulfing the worker in leftover feed. The employee avoided serious injury with help from a co-worker. The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before an independent Commission.

Governor Kathy Hochul announced that all New Yorkers enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will receive the maximum allowable level of food benefits for June. All households participating in SNAP, including those already at the maximum level of benefits, will receive a supplemental allotment this month, 14% percent of the state's population relies on SNAP benefits.

2 local teams brought home state championships this weekend, Deposit-Hancock Baseball and Softball both won Class-D titles, it's the 4th Class-D program in state history to have their baseball and softball teams capture a state crown in the same season. The Greene Softball team finished as runners-up in the Class-C bracket. For information on state track and field results from this weekend follow WCDO Sports Director Nate Lull on Twitter or visit WCDOsports.com.

P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 3-3-22

Judge Joel Cohen has rejected an effort by New York’s Attorney General Letitia James to put the National Rifle Association out of business, but Judge Cohen will allow a lawsuit accusing top executives of illegally diverting millions of dollars from the powerful gun advocacy organization to proceed. Judge Cohen ruled that allegations of NRA officials misspending on personal trips, no-show contracts and other questionable expenditures can be addressed by fines and restitution, but those allegations do not warrant the elimination of the the NRA.

The United States Department of Justice announced 35-year-old Matthew Bormann of Sherburne was sentenced on Wednesday to 10 years in prison and 15 years of post-release supervision for possessing child pornography. Bormann had 3,500 images and video files of child porn on a phone that he was prohibited from using, he was also sentenced to a 10-month consecutive term of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release by committing new criminal conduct, failing to answer questions truthfully from his probation officer, and failing to successfully complete mental health and sex offender treatment.

Hospice & Palliative care of Chenango County is offering Gently Yoga for Caregivers, through ZOOM, on Friday mornings at 9:00 AM for 6 weeks starting tomorrow, Hospice Spokesperson Sarah Greene explains:

(Sarah Greene 3-3-22)

Those wishing to register can call hospice at 607-334-3556, more information about this or other programs can be found at hospicechenango.org.

The New York Department of State today announced Broome County and the municipalities of Binghamton, Colesville, Deposit and Sanford have received a total of $229,655 in state matching funds through the County-Wide Shared Services Initiative. During this fiscal year, the program is providing a 95% state match of taxpayer savings achieved through the implementation of new shared services. The shared services projects include the Centralized Upgrade of Safety Communications, also, The Village of Deposit also voted to dissolve its court & Police Department & will work with the Broome County Sheriff & Town of Sanford Court to ensure public safety.

A.M. NEWS THURSDAY 3-3-22

The State Health Department reported declining numbers of COVID 19 positivity rates for Tuesday. Over 129,000 tests were conducted, with 2124 positives, for a positivity rate of 1.64%, hospitalizations were down to 1,832, with 310 ICU Patients & 166 on ventilators, there were 19 deaths in hospitals & nursing homes on Tuesday from the virus.

The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office has received numerous calls regarding a text message being circulated which offers $10 off the sale of Delaware County Sheriff’s Office shirts. The Department is Not selling t-shirts, & no one is authorized to sell shirts on behalf of the Sheriff's Office, they advise that people should not open the email or answer the text if they receive one, and they should delete it immediately.

6 year old Trinity O'Connor of Sidney passed away Tuesday following a battle with cancer throughout her young life, Visitation will be held from 2:00 to 5:00 PM on Friday, at C.H. Landers Funeral Chapel, 21 Main St. Sidney. A fundraiser for the O'Connor family will be held today by Gavin's Pizza at Awestruck in the Sidney Industrial Park today until 9:00 PM, with 100% of food proceeds going to the family. There will be a Sidney Warrior Community Send Off with Firetrucks & a Motorcycles brigade beginning at 9:00 AM on Saturday, community members are invited to line the procession route from the CH Landers Funeral Chapel, up West Main Street, to Delaware Avenue & to the Old Amphenol Parking Lot. All Motorcycle Riders are welcome to take part in the "O'Connor Strong" Motorcycle ride to Earlville & back, following the community procession.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 2-16-22

The Broome County District Attorney Mike Korchak announced that a grand jury has filed charges against 2 murder suspects in Broome County Court regarding unrelated homicide cases. Mitchell Lindow was charged with 1st degree murder in connection to a December 2nd stabbing, where Lindow allegedly killed David Royes while committing a felony burglary at 110 Main Street in Binghamton by stabbing him multiple times. Korchak also said that Kyle Babola is charged with 2nd degree murder for the killing of Scott Grover with a machete in Johnson City. Both face court action at a later date.

Bassett Healthcare Network has partially lifted visitation restrictions at its inpatient and clinic locations across the region. Spokesperson Gabby Argo told WCDO news about some of the changes:

(Gabby Argo 2-16-22)

Argo said that the Emergency Departments across the Bassett Network will remain closed to visitors, the full list of restriction changes can be found at bassett.org.

Oneonta Mayor Mark Drnek delivered his first State of the City address to the Common Council Tuesday night, he told WCDO News that the main theme of his speech & agenda is "Collaboration":

(Mark Drnek 2-16-22)

Oneonta City meetings returned to in person events this week, with certain restrictions regarding the ongoing COVID 19 issue.

The State Office of Cannabis Management announced proposed regulations for the Medical Cannabis Program that implement certain provisions of the state’s new Cannabis Law. The Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act included updates to the program designed to consider environmental impacts and create efficiencies, & also includes technical changes to the regulations to formally shift the program from the Department of Health to Office of Cannabis Management. The regulations were submitted to the Cannabis Control Board for its review and approval at its meeting on Thursday, i the Board approves, the regulations will advance to a 60-day public comment period.

A.M. NEWS Wednesday 2-16-22

The Binghamton Police Department arrested 36 year old Marquetta James of Connecticut for 2nd degree arson, in connection with the fire at 159 Conklin Avenue yesterday. Binghamton Police Detectives found James at a local hotel, Authorities stated that James was an acquaintance to 1 of the residents in the building. 20 adults and 9 children were displaced by the fire.

The City of Norwich was selected as one of the Southern Tier region recipients of a $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant. A public workshop will be held virtually tonight at 6:00 PM, Commerce Chenango President & CEO Kerri Green explains:

(Kerri Green 2-16-22)

All members of the public are invited to learn more about the DRI program and share their ideas on downtown revitalization strategies and projects in Norwich. The ZOOM links to the meeting can be found at the WCDO Facebook page.

State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli announced the results of an audit of the Delaware-Chenango-Madison-Otsego BOCES Procurement practices. The audit found that the purchasing agent made 22 purchases with 7 purchases totaling $49,300, where competition was not sought, as required. Staff could not provide documentation to support efforts were made to obtain the best price.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced that 42 year old Brian Whipple of New Berlin pleaded guilty to child pornography charges on Monday. Whipple was arrested in June 2020, he had over 5,000 child pornography images and videos, he will likely serve 5 to 20 years in jail & will have to register as a sex offender upon his release.

State Police responded Monday to a 2-vehicle crash on State Route 26 in the town of Maine. The investigation revealed that 32 year-old  Alainna Stemple of Binghamton and 19 year old Nathan Baker of Glen Aubrey collided on State Route 26. Both operators were extricated by fire personnel, Stempel was taken to a Wilson hospital, where she later died, Baker was airlifted to Upstate Medical Center. The investigation continues.

P.M. NEWS MONDAY 1-31-22

The Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies responded Saturday to a Walton residence in an attempt to locate Albert Antonacci, after receiving a Boone County, Indiana arrest warrant charging Antonacci with Felony Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury to a Person Under the Age of 14. Antonacci was located at that residence and subsequently arrested as a Fugitive from Justice. Antonacci was arraigned at the Town of Colchester Court on a Fugitive Complaint, and was remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility without bail pending his extradition to the State of Indiana.

Highway and bridge projects have been shortchanged because the state continues to use money in the Dedicated Highway and Bridge Trust Fund to pay down debt from past projects and cover the operating costs for state agencies, according to a report by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. Fund spending was only 17 cents of every dollar spent from the Dedicated Highway & Bridge Fund, DiNapoli recommended the state Maximize the share of trust fund revenue for capital projects by developing a multi-year plan to reduce state operations and debt service costs paid for by the Fund, Increase the share of transportation capital projects on a pay-as-you-go basis; and Reduce the trust fund’s reliance on annual General Fund transfers and use the fund’s dedicated revenue streams.

Delaware County Sheriff Deputies responded Wednesday to a 2 car motor vehicle accident at the intersection in the Town of Harpersfield. Deputies discovered only 1 vehicle at the accident scene, the 2nd operator fled the scene. Deputies identified the operator of the fleeing vehicle as 45-year-old Wayne Swart of Hobart, whose Driver’s License was revoked on 3 separate dates. Deputies arrested Swart Sunday and charged him with Obstructing Governmental Administration, Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle, Operating a Motor Vehicle Without an Ignition Interlock Device, and several other related charges, Swart was released on appearance and traffic tickets and is scheduled to appear at the Town of Harpersfield Court at a later date.

A.M. NEWS MONDAY 1-31-22

Oneonta Police Department is investigating the death of 20-year-old male Tyler Lopresti-Castro. On Thursday at about 6:50 am, City of Oneonta employees located a male, laying on the pavement near the Silas Lane Bus Garage. Lopresti-Castro was identified by his SUNY Oneonta ID and was suffering from extended exposure to subzero temperatures, he was taken to AO Fox Hospital, video showed Lopresti-Castro emerging from a wooded area behind the garage at about 2:15 am, he may have been walking in the area of River Street-River Street Service Road, Oneida Street or Chestnut Street, Anyone with information is asked to contact Oneonta Police at (607) 432-1111 or the State University Police at Oneonta at (607) 436-3550.

State Police arrested a 17-year-old high school student for Criminal Possession of a Weapon, after the Bainbridge-Guilford School district notified State Police about a video posted to social media which showed a subject firing a rifle at a tree after making a general threat against Black people using a racial slur. The rifle possessed by the 17-year-old was not SAFE Act compliant, he was arrested and later arraigned as an adolescent offender in Chenango County Court. The Chenango County District Attorney determined that a hate crime did not occur, since the video was not directly sent to a specific person or group. The second individual in the video will not face any charges.

Fire destroyed a trailer at 117 April Lane in the town of Guilford Saturday Evening. Mount Upton, Unadilla & Sidney fire departments responded, all occupants & pets escaped, no injuries were reported.

Firefighters from Morris, Oneonta & Others responded to a structure fire on Lake Street in Morris Friday night. The fire was at the site of the former Linn Tractor Company near the entrance to the Otsego County Fairgrounds, no injuries were reported.

Delaware County Public Health reported 316 new COVID cases in the week from January 22nd to the 28th. Delaware County has had 9 COVID related deaths since the beginning of 2022.