WCDO Radio News

State Police Superintendent Joseph D’Amico has promoted Troop C Major Donald Faughnan to the rank of Staff Inspector and has assigned him to Internal Affairs in Liverpool. The Superintendent has also promoted Captain James Barnes to the rank of Major and has assigned him to the position of Troop Commander at Troop C Headquarters in Sidney. Major Barnes started his career in 1989 as a trooper and was first assigned to Troop C and has received several promotions through his career.

State police are investigating an two-vehicle crash with serious personal injury on state Route 8 in the town of Norwich, between Holmesville Road and county Route 34 at about 7:35 this morning. Several area emergency squads responded to a 2-car Accident Initial reports have 6 injuries, & 1 fatality, State Route 8 was closed for several hours for the investigation. More details will be released as they become available.

State Police and local law enforcement across New York will participate in the national “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign from Friday, December 18, 2015 through Friday, January 1, 2016. Drivers can expect to see sobriety checkpoints and increased patrols, Troopers will be watching for distracted drivers, vehicle occupants who are not properly buckled up and drivers violating the “Move Over Law,” which requires motorists to exercise extreme caution when passing emergency vehicles that are stopped in or on the side of the road.

Governor Cuomo announced the launch of a new 'Kitchen Table Toolkit' as part of the State Combat Heroin and Prescription Opioid Abuse campaign. This toolkit features 2 new videos, which can be used by parents, teachers and community members, concerning the health risks and dangerous consequences of heroin and prescription painkiller abuse. to download the toolkit, visit talk2prevent.ny.gov or call 1-877-8-HOPENY

In November 2015, New York State’s private sector job count increased by 13,100, to almost 7.9 million, according to preliminary figures released today by the State Department of Labor. The statewide unemployment rate stayed at 4.8% in November, remaining at its lowest level since November 2007. The national unemployment rate was 5.0% in November.

State DOT announced the opening of 2 bridges carrying Route 28 over the West Branch of the Delaware River in the village of Delhi. A $1.5 million project to rehabilitate the bridges is now substantially complete, it included repairing the concrete bridge deck, paving and repainting the bridges, Sidewalk and pedestrian railings also were repaired as part of the project. The bridges are located in succession and cross 2 legs of the River, they were built in 1940.

Governor Cuomo today announced that 6 Farm to School programs have been awarded funding to help increase the use of healthy, locally grown foods on school menus. In the Southern Tier, the Broome-Delaware-Tioga Board of Cooperative Educational Services: Southern Tier Farm to School Project receives $74,970, to employ a Farm to School Coordinator and a Farm to School Consultant to train food staff, purchase specialized equipment to transport specialty crops and to recruit farms, food hubs and processers within a 6-county region.

Governor Cuomo today directed State Department of Public Service CEO Audrey Zibelman to immediately begin a full investigation of the operations and safety protocols at Indian Point Nuclear Facility. The Governor’s action comes after the unexpected shutdown of Indian Point Unit 3 – which marks the 13th unplanned shutdown at the facility since June of 2012.

The Bainbridge-Guilford Board of Education has begun its search for a new Superintendent of Schools. The Board is interested in soliciting feedback from the community on the final 3 superintendent candidates. Parents and community members who are interested in serving on the Community Interview Committee should notify the District Office at 967-6321, no later than Thursday, January 7th. Members of the Community Interview Committee must be available to attend a workshop for all committee members on February 2, 2016 at 3:30 pm as well as the three finalist interviews on February 9, 10, and 11 at 4:30 pm each afternoon. A committee of 7 to 10 people will be selected by the Board of Education.

State Police are currently looking for a 67 year old New Jersey man who was reported missing from his hunting cabin on Streeter Hill Road in the Town of Harpersfield, Delaware County. John Bourgholtzer is a white male who is 6’ tall and weighs about 180 pounds. He has grey hair and brown eyes Mr. Bourgholtzer was last seen on December 12, 2015, at about 8:00 a.m., leaving his camp to go hunting by himself. He may be driving his 2011 Ford Focus with New Jersey license plates KDN45E. Anyone with information please call the New York State Police at (607) 561-7400.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman today announced settlement agreements with 30 online retailers from across the country that sold illegal toy guns to consumers in New York State. The toy guns in question violate a state law that prohibits the sale of imitation weapons, which are toy guns that look too much like real guns. Today’s announcement follows a related investigation of major retailers this summer that included Wal-Mart, Kmart, Amazon.com, and Sears. Those retailers paid of over $309,000 to settle the investigation and agreed to comply with applicable state laws.

State Police at Sidney arrested 38 year old Karlton Tompkins of Mount Upton for Operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs, criminal possession of a controlled substance, resisting arrest and obstruction of governmental administration 2nd. This arrest occurred after a trooper responded to a report of a man sleeping at the wheel of a parked vehicle at the Valero gas station on State Route 8 in the Town of Guilford. The responding trooper saw Tompkins sleeping behind the wheel of a parked vehicle with the engine running, Tompkins was impaired by drugs, he then physically resisted and fought momentarily but was handcuffed. After Police impounded the vehicle, a small amount of methamphetamines was recovered. Tompkins was issued tickets returnable to the Town of Guilford court on December 22nd.

The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office arrested 34-year-old David Franklin of Oxford for 2 Counts of Criminal Possession of Stolen Property. Detectives arrested Franklin while investigating a Larceny from an Oneida County Business; Detectives located and recovered the stolen property in Franklin’s possession in the City of Norwich. Franklin was arrested and arraigned on a Chenango County Court Warrant and was remanded without bail, he was issued appearance tickets to appear at a later date in City of Norwich Court. Additional charges are pending in Oneida County.

A Town of Columbus resident was arrested by the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office for Grand Larceny. Detectives arrested 20-year-old Maxwell Horton; Detectives located and recovered the stolen property, which had a value of over $3,000. Horton was arraigned in the Town of Columbus Court and was remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility on $3,000 cash bail.

30 year old Gregory Eager if East Worcester has been charged with 2nd degree grand larceny, for allegedly stealing over $83,000 from the East Worcester fire department. Eager turned himself Monday he is accused of embezzling the money from July 2013 until recently, while serving as the 2nd Assistant Fire Chief and the secretary/treasurer. Eager was arraigned, and faces court action on January 5th.

NY State of Health announced the December 15th deadline for individuals enrolling or renewing health insurance coverage that takes effect January 1st, has been extended through December 19th. NY State of Health’s Customer Service Center answered more than 170,000 calls from New Yorkers last week with call volume averaging more than 34,000 calls per day. A new option on the Marketplace for 2016 is the Essential Plan for lower income individuals and families between 138-200% federal poverty level, which will lower premiums to $20 or less a month and provide comprehensive benefits for hundreds of thousands of lower income New Yorkers. Additional Information on the Essential Plan can be found here, info.nystateofhealth.ny.gov.

The village of Bainbridge will hold a public hearing today on their Comprehensive Plan. The hearing will begin tonight at 6:30 PM at the village offices.

Governor Cuomo stated that at approximately 7:00 pm, Unit 3 at the Indian Point nuclear facility shut down. The cause is currently unknown; the Department of Public Service is conducting the investigation into another unexpected incident at Indian Point. The company reports there was no radioactivity released to the environment. Cuomo said that “Because of the number of recent unplanned outages, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's requirements will result in increased inspections and scrutiny of the plant.

Chenango County Sheriff’s Office arrested 2 men in connection with multiple burglaries in Chenango County, the Southern Tier and Northern Pennsylvania. The Sheriff’s Office arrested 28 year old Nicholas Neer of Port Crane and 27 year old William Polhamus from the Town of Greene, for allegedly committing 2 burglaries in the Town of Greene & 1 in the Town of Oxford. Several pieces of stolen merchandise were recovered during the investigation. Both men were arraigned in the Town of North Norwich Court and remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility on $25,000 cash bail. The investigation is continuing and additional arrests will be made. The State Police and Broome County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the investigation.

State Senator Jim Seward will be at the Oneonta Municipal Airport in Oneonta this afternoon, with local officials with the Oneonta Airport Commission and the Oneonta Job Corps to unveil improvements at the airport. Senator Seward will also announce additional funding to support future upgrades.

Governor Cuomo outlined the latest efforts of his Task Force to Combat Worker Exploitation. From the start of 2015 to today, the State has recovered and returned $28.9 million to more than 24,000 workers who were victims of wage theft. The Task Force has officially launched more than 450 investigations, finding more than 2,700 violations, including theft of wages, failure to protect workers with mandatory Workers’ Compensation coverage and retaliation against workers who complain about violations of the law. The cases affect more than 2,000 workers in New York State.

Governor Cuomo today announced the growth of agricultural sales in New York outpaced the national average, with cash receipts up 36% across the state and only 32% nationally. In 2014, farmers in New York State also set a new record for sales with $6.36 billion in cash receipts, representing a nearly $1.7 billion increase in gross income from sales of crops, livestock, and other products.

State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker urged New Yorkers to talk with their health care providers before asking for antibiotics because they may not be appropriate and may even pose additional health risks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports said that at least 2 million people become infected with bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics every year in the U.S. and at least 23,000 people die as a result of these infections, the over prescribing of antibiotics can Kill good bacteria in the body; Cause a serious allergic reaction that may require hospitalization; Result in an antibiotic-resistant infection. Resistant bacteria are harder to kill.

The State DEC announced that the 2015 regular deer and bear hunting seasons open at sunrise on Saturday, November 21, in New York's Southern Zone. These big game seasons close at sunset on Sunday, December 13. The Southern Zone Regular Season is New York's most popular hunting season, with participation from about 85 percent of New York's 550,000 licensed hunters. Harvest during this season accounts for nearly 60 percent of the total statewide deer harvest and 30 to 60 percent of the statewide bear harvest.

The American Red Cross encourages eligible donors to give blood to help ensure a sufficient blood supply throughout the holiday season. Donors with all blood types are needed, and especially those with types O negative, B negative, A negative and AB. To make an appointment to donate blood, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS. The next blood drive is today in Norwich from 10:30 AM to 3:30 PM at BOCES of Chenango County, located at 6678 Country Road 32.

Literacy Volunteers of Chenango County is looking to increase enrollment in their classes currently. Program Director Ellen Hurtubise explains:

(Ellen Hurtubise 11-19-15)

Those who are of high school age or adults, whose level of reading math or even computers skills are low, can contact the program at 334-7114.

The Chenango County Historical Society will open a new exhibit featuring the history of Preferred Mutual Insurance Company. The exhibit will be a permanent display at the museum located on 45 Rexford Street in Norwich. Preferred Mutual Insurance Company began in 1896, they have maintained many of their original artifacts despite a historic fire, multiple renovations, and years of use, and these items will be available for public viewing.

State Police and Oneonta Police Department arrested 33-year-old Godfrey Little of Oneonta for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, and 2 counts of Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia. Police executed a Search Warrant, they Seized crack-cocaine, a set of digital scales, drug packaging material and over $22,000 cash and a Chevy Malibu, Little was arraigned in the Town of Oneonta Court and remanded to the Otsego County Correctional Facility in lieu of $10,000 cash/$20,000 property bail.

State Police officially announced that they have located the 2 missing Afton teens in the Binghamton area at about 3:00 PM Thursday. Lindsey Seymour & Charles Weed were both in good health, the pair were missing after they left classes for the day on Tuesday. The investigation is ongoing.

State Police announced that merchants in the Otsego and Delaware County area have received numerous counterfeit $100 bills since October 30th. The trend has been to make a small purchase and pay with a counterfeit $100 bill in order to receive as close to one hundred dollars in authentic US currency. Troopers are asking local businesses to be alert, & if a suspicious person attempts to make payment with $100 bills, they should contact their local police department immediately.

This Sunday is the 34th Norwich Family YMCA’s Turkey Trot; officials will have over 550 runners participating in the 5K race, starting at 2:30 PM. This year’s race will start in front of the YMCA and will travel on North Broad Street, through Birdsall and Silver Street back on to North Broad to finish. Participants are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item for local food pantries. Registration for the race will continue until 12:00 PM Sunday.

The Bainbridge Guilford central school district board of education is currently seeking indivduals interested in filling a vacant seat on the board. Candidates must be a qualified voter in the district, 18 years of age, among other qualifications. Those interested should submit a letter to the Bainbridge Guilford school district clerk at 18 Juliand Street Bainbridge 13733 by November 30th, more information is available at 967-6321.

Delaware County Sheriff Deputies arrested 19-year-old Keegan McCumber of Guilford in the Town of Franklin Saturday, when a vehicle had passed them on State Highway 357 with a loud exhaust. When Deputies attempted to stop the vehicle McCumber failed to comply, after a short pursuit, he was stopped in a driveway on Main Street in Franklin. , McCumber was arrested for Aggravated DWI, loud exhaust, driving left of payment markings, failure to use turn signal and failure to comply, he will appear in Town of Franklin Court at a later date

A Town of Bainbridge resident was arrested on an active arrest warrant by the Chenango County Sheriffs department. 26-year-old Richard Margarum was wanted on a charge of Criminal Possession of Stolen property, he was arrested at a Town of Afton residence, upon arrest, he was found that he was in possession of a controlled substance. Margarum was arraigned in the Town of Norwich Court and remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility. Margarum was also issued an appearance ticket to appear in the Town of Afton Court at a later date.

The Chenango County Sheriffs department arrested 32-year-old Rhiannon Browne of Norwich for Welfare Fraud & Offering a False Instrument for filing. Browne was issued appearance tickets and released. It is alleged that alleged that Browne failed to report a change in her household composition, which resulted in her receiving more than $63,000 in assistance she was not entitled to from 2008 through 2014.

Governor Cuomo today announced that GEICO is the first insurance company in New York State to complete the certification process through the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles to allow customers to begin using electronic identification cards on their smart phones and other electronic devices. At the Governor’s direction, DMV amended its regulations in April 2015 to allow insurance companies to issue e-cards to their customers. This new feature will be available to New York customers on the GEICO app starting tomorrow.

NYSEG and Rochester Gas & Electric will mark a milestone this month as the 50,000th refrigerator or freezer is picked up through the companies’ recycling program that began in 2011. The recycling program pays customers $50 for an energy-wasting refrigerator or freezer still in working condition. Customers can also save up to $150 a year in electricity costs by removing energy-wasting units from their homes. Customers can call 1-877-691-0021 toll-free to schedule a free pick-up of an old, working, energy-inefficient refrigerator or freezer picked at their home. They can also schedule a pick-up online at www.nyseg.com.

Governor Cuomo announced households that need help paying their heating bills this winter can begin applying for assistance from the Home Energy Assistance Program today. Eligible households can receive a one-time benefit of up to $625 this winter depending upon income, household size and heating source. Last winter in the Southern Tier; over 56,000 households received assistance. More information is available at myBenefits.ny.gov.

The Town of Sidney Zoning board of appeals will conduct a public meeting at 7:00 pm at the Sidney Civic Center board room, To continue examining findings of the Town Code Official in regards to further developing the KOA campground at 242 Union Church Road Franklin.

The Cancer Services Program of Delaware, Otsego and Schoharie counties will offer free health screenings to women 40 and older who are uninsured or underinsured, today from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at Family Planning of Oneonta, 37 Dietz Street. Appointments can be made at 1-888-345-0225.

Governor Cuomo signed legislation to expedite access to medicinal marijuana for New Yorkers suffering from serious health conditions. Cuomo also announced that he has ordered state health officials to review whether a new, broader medical marijuana program due to begin in January has enough production and dispensing sites to adequately serve the state. 20 sites are scheduled to open early next year. The governor said that the drug would be dispensed to eligible patients as soon as practicable, he also said that the state will abide by standards from the U.S. Justice Department to ensure that New York’s program does not trigger enforcement actions by the federal government.

The Delaware county recycling facility has been in operation fro a full year, accepting a lot more plastic & other items for recycling, according to Delaware County Solid waste Coordinator director Sue McIntyre:

(Sue McIntyre 11-12-15)

McIntyre said that the revenue generated from the #3 to 7 Plastics is marginal, but she said that there is a market for all of the items coming in to the recycling facility, and an added bonus of NOT having those items winding up in the landfill or the comporting facility.

HARTWICK COLLEGE HAS SUSPENDED ITS HEAD FOOTBALL COACH AND 5 UNIDENTIFIED PLAYERS AFTER AN INCIDENT IN A GAME AGAINST ST. JOHN FISHER. WCDO SPORTS DIRECTOR NATE LULL HAS MORE….

(Nate Lull 11-12-15)

(text: HARTWICK HEAD FOOTBALL COACH MARK CARR AND 5 OF HIS PLAYERS ARE BEING PUNISHED AFTER AN INCIDENT IN THE FINAL MOMENTS OF A 41-34 LOSS LAST WEEKEND. HARTWICK OFFICIALS DEEMED THAT ACTIONS BY THE TEAM IN THE CLOSING MOMENTS OF THE GAME WERE CONSIDERED TO BE UNSPORTSMANLIKE. ST. JOHN FISHER COLLEGE WAS LEADING THE GAME AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO RUN OUT THE CLOCK BY TAKING A KNEE BUT ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS HARTWICK PLAYERS MADE HITS ON PLAYERS THAT WERE CONSIDERED UNNECESSARY. THE 2ND HIT ENDED WITH BOTH BENCHES CLEARING ONTO THE FIELD. THE TEAMS WERE QUICKLY SEPARATED. THE EMPIRE 8 LEAGUE SAID THEY SUPPORT THE ACTIONS TAKEN BY HARTWICK ADMINISTRATION. A LARGE GROUP OF HARTWICK ATHLETICS SUPPORTERS PROTESTED THE SCHOOL’S DECISION AND IS HOPING THAT THEIR EFFORTS WILL CHANGE THE MIND OF HARTWICK ADMINISTRATION GOING FORWARD. FOR NOW- THE SUSPENSION WILL HOLD FOR THE HAWKS FINAL GAME OF THE YEAR THIS WEEKEND AGAINST UTICA COLLEGE. FOR WCDO SPORTS I’M NATE LULL)

State Police received a report from a resident in Roxbury, that an X-Acto knife type razor blade was found inside a sealed bag of Sour Skittles which had been obtained while Trick or Treating. The candy was not opened until opened on November 9th; it has been traced back to the purchase point of the CVS Pharmacy in Margaretville. The investigation has not been able to identify the source of the razor blade and parents all over the region are recommended to thoroughly check all candy prior to consumption.

State Police have recently received several reports of telephone callers claiming to be from the IRS that aggressively demand the resident pay money to clear up an outstanding tax debt, or face criminal charges. The public is being advised that the IRS does not make phone calls in this manner, and anyone receiving a telephone call of this nature should check with the local IRS office.

The first Baptist Church in Sidney will hold their services this Sunday at the Circle Drive Alliance church from 2:00 to 3:30 PM, due to a heating problem. After the church services, members of the church will return to the Baptist Church for packing the "Operation Child" boxes as originally scheduled.

New York outlawed daily fantasy sports websites and FanDuel CEO Nigel Eccles said that they're hoping to work around the decision by New York's Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, that declared daily fantasy sports sites such as FanDuel and DraftKings are illegal gambling operations. Eccles said that their attorney claims that there is a 5-day period allotted in the cease-and-desist letter in which they'll be working to figure out their options. About 10% of the 2 companies business has been from New York.

The New York State Office of General Services announced a surplus vehicle, highway equipment, and miscellaneous property auction will be held today in Binghamton, however the previously scheduled auction in Unadilla was cancelled and will not be rescheduled. Items and terms of sale are available at ogs.ny.gov. Today’s auction will begin at 9:30 AM at the DOT at 241 Colesville Road, Binghamton.

The American Red Cross encourages eligible donors to give blood today. 2 blood drives will be held in Delaware County today, one in Sidney from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Sidney Federal Credit Union, at 42 Union Street & in Delhi from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the State University Farrell Student & Community Center, at 2 Main Street. Those looking to donate blood can download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS to make an appointment. All blood types are needed.

The Norwich Business Improvement District announced a full line up of events for the annual Pumpkin Festival on Friday, October 23rd through Saturday the 24th in Norwich. Today, from 5:30-7:00 pm is the Giant Pumpkin Contest-Weigh In, On Saturday; events include a Pumpkin Bake-Off Contest, the YMCA Halloween Parade, Horse & Wagon Rides, and music with Kaitlyn Jackson and the Hometown Ban& The Beadle Brothers, followed by fireworks at the end of the evening.

State Senator Jim Seward announced that he is sponsoring a pair of free senior scam prevention forums in Oneonta and Cooperstown on Friday. Senator Seward is partnering with the State Department of State to notify senior citizens, caregivers, and others about the alarming trend of senior targeted scams. The forums will take place today from 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon at the Elm Park Church, 401 Chestnut Street in Oneonta & from 2:00 to 4:00 PM at the Cooperstown Village Offices, 22 Main Street in Cooperstown. The forums are free and open to the public.

Governor Cuomo introduced regulations through the New York State Human Rights Law that bans harassment and discrimination against transgender people.

(Cuomo 10-23-15)

These regulations affirm that all transgender individuals are protected under the State’s Human Rights Law, and all public and private employers, housing providers, businesses, creditors and others should know that discrimination against transgender persons is unlawful, it’s the first time that any Governor has issued regulations to prohibit harassment and discrimination on the basis of gender identity, transgender status or gender dysphoria.

State Police responded to a Chenango County 911 report of an unattended death at 162 One Eye Street in South Plymouth. The deceased woman has been identified as 25-year-old Kristina Wilkinson, She was found unresponsive by friends when she did not show up for work Thursday. An autopsy was performed at Lourdes Hospital, the results are pending. While investigating this death, troopers observed marijuana in the home of 50-year-old Mark Pontario. Following the execution of a search warrant police found about 1.7 pounds of marihuana, 18 marihuana plants, marihuana growing equipment and an unregistered handgun. State Police arrested Pontario for criminal possession of marihuana, criminal possession of a firearm and unlawfully growing cannabis. Pontario was arraigned and was remanded to the Chenango County jail with no bail set at this time.

Delaware County Public Health sent two specimens to State Rabies Laboratory and both tested positive for rabies this week. A raccoon in the Town of Sidney tested positive for rabies, no human exposures were reported. In the Town of Hamden a skunk tested positive for rabies. The skunk reportedly attacked a young unvaccinated calf; the calf was euthanized soon after the incident. Two people from Hamden are receiving rabies post-exposure prophylaxis, after being exposed the rabies virus. 3 animals have tested positive for rabies in Delaware County this year. To report a suspected rabid animal call Delaware County Public Health Services at 832-5200. more information about rabies is available at 832-5200 or delawarecountypublichealth.com.

Governor Cuomo today announced 5 Million dollars in funding to assist the Catskill region for promotion for next year. Delaware County Chamber Of Commerce Presdnet Ray Pucci Comments:

(Ray Pucci 10-23-15)

Part of today's announcement includes shifting the annual Adirondack Challenge into the Catskill Challenge, with more details to be released shortly.

Pink Faith of Chenango County and Broome County will hold their 3rd annual Breast Cancer Awareness Fundariser tomorrow 1-5 PM at The River Club of Afton. Spokesperson Wendy Stooler comments:

(Wendy Stooler 10-23-15)

Admission to the event is $10 per person which includes the River Club Buffet.

The Oneonta department of public service will conduct an additional week of brush & yard waste removal next week for the entire city. Residents are encouraged to review the programs regulations at oneonta.ny.us, or by calling 432-2100.

Governor Cuomo today announced $1 million in funding is available to assist new farmers begin their careers. the New York State New Farmers Grant Fund will provide grants of up to 50 percent of total project costs. Funds may provide a minimum of $15,000 and maximum of $50,000 for up to 50 percent of project costs with the remaining 50 percent being matched by the recipient. The application and guidelines for the Fund are available online at regionalcouncils.ny.gov; the deadline for submission is January 22, 2016.

The push is on for the 10 sections of the state to compete for 1.5 million dollars in stated funding, in the 2015 regional econimic development zones competition. Each of the 10 Councils from around the state will make a presentation to the SIAT over a three-day period as part of the competition, so far, nearly $3 billion has been awarded through the REDC process to support over 3,100 projects statewide, which created or retained more than 150,000 jobs statewide. Later this fall, economic development grants will again be awarded through the REDC competition, with 3 councils receiving up to an additional $500 million to use over a 5-year period.

On Tuesday afternoon at about 2:10 pm, State Police responded to a reported armed robbery at the Runway Food Mart, Gulf Gas Station, on Martin Hill Road in the town of Colesville. State Police are currently seeking one suspect, a white male, small build, wearing a blue sweatshirt and jeans. A handgun and knife were displayed and the suspect was last seen exiting the gas station on foot in an unknown direction. Anyone with information is requested to contact State Police at 775-1241.

On Tuesday morning, a Delaware County Correctional Facility inmate was arrested and charged with assaulting another inmate at the County Jail last week. Sheriff’s Investigators arrested and charged 19 year old Michael Fairbairn of Sidney, for 2nd degree Assault, for allegedly punching another inmate in the face several times, causing injuries requiring medical treatment. Fairbairn, who was being held on a burglary charge pending in Delaware County Court at the time of the assault, he was arraigned and was returned to the Delaware County Jail on the previous County Court order, on $10,000 cash bail.

The Oneonta city department of public service has completed the flushing of water mains in the city's west end. Officials announced that the final phase of low service flushing would begin next week in the 6th ward, starting on Monday & lasting several weeks. Water may be discolored or pressure may be low during the flushing, more information is available at 432-2100.

The Oneonta planning commission will hold their next regular meeting this evening. The meeting will begin at 7:00 PM in the Common Council Chambers on the 2nd floor of Oneonta City Hall.

Sidney republicans & Democrats co-hosted a candidate’s forum at the Sidney Library Smart Community Room Last night. The main part of the forum was the chance for voters to hear from County Family Court Judge candidates Gary Rosa & Porter Kirkwood. Rosa told WCDO News why he felt he should be the first Delaware County Family Court Judge:

(Gary Rosa 10-21-15)

County Attorney Porter Kirkwood told WCDO News why he felt he should be the first county court judge:

(Porter Kirkwood 10-21-15)

4 candidates are running for 2 seats on the Sidney town board, they are incumbent Bill Heath, Former town Council man Eric Wilson as well as Loddie Marsh & Jeannette Hinckley, who each gave introductory comments at the Sidney Library Forum last night.

Coldwell Banker Timberland Properties will celebrate the grand opening of a new office at 19 Union Street, Sidney with an open house today from 4:30-7 p.m. The public is invited to attend. The open house. located in the Community Bank Building. The event will include office tours, refreshments and live music.

The Cancer Services Program of Delaware, Otsego and Schoharie counties will offer free health screenings to women 40 and older who are uninsured or underinsured. The Bassett Coach will be available from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at Family Planning of Walton, 130 North Street. Appointments are requested at 1-888-345-0225.

The Town of Sidney Zoning board of appeals will conduct a public hearing on today at 7:00 pm at the Sidney Civic Center Room 204. The main Issue will be to determine if the Code Official's finding of "Pre-existing non-conforming use” is proper, in regards to further developing the KOA campground at 242 Union Church Road in Franklin. Interested parties may attend and will be heard if desired.

An American Red Cross Blood drive will be held in Sidney today, from 1:30 to 6:30 PM at Tri-Town Regional Hospital. Those wishing to donate can do so with a download of the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, at redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients.

A federal appeals court ruled Monday that Governor Cuomo's SAFE Act gun control law that bans assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines doesn't violate the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The Court upheld a lower court's decision striking down the 7-bullet limit for ammunition clips, New York had already agreed to not enforce the 7-bullet limit in the law.

The State Department of Labor today released preliminary local area unemployment rates for September 2015. Between August and September, the State’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 5.1%, Locally, the unemployment rate in Chenango county was down to 4.8%, Delaware county was at 5.2% and Otsego county’s rate was at 4.5%, all down significantly from September of 2014.

Governor Cuomo today announced that more than 2 million people have camped at New York's 66 State Park campgrounds this year, surpassing the previous record set in 2014. As of Columbus Day weekend, 2.008 million people have camped at State Parks in 2015, up from 1.965 million the previous year. Those visitors booked State Park campsites, cabins and cottages for more than 618,000 nights this year. That represents a 4 percent increase over last year’s record of 594,400 overnight stays.

The State Attorney General's office announced a settlement agreement releasing $550 million belonging to New Yorkers that has been trapped in an escrow account during a decade-long dispute between the state and the major tobacco companies. The agreement unlocks the funds, and that have been tied up following the 1998 Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, which requires the companies to compensate the 52 states and territories for the public-health costs of smoking-related illnesses. half of these funds will go to New York State, one-quarter to New York City, and one-quarter to counties outside the city.

Governor Cuomo today announced that $39.2 million in economic development funding has been approved for 34 projects that are spurring growth and opportunity across the state. The funding, approved by Empire State Development’s Board of Directors, supports projects that are creating 233 new jobs and retaining 1,589 existing New York State jobs – many of which have already been created or retained. This funding will also leverage $338.6 million in private assets and other public funding to support local businesses and projects that are building a strong foundation for future economic growth and job creation.

The next Chenango County free rabies clinic for Dogs Cats & Ferrets will be tonight at the Oxford Fire Station. The event will run form 5:30 to 7:00 PM; more information is available at 337-1673.

The Assembly Minority Task Force on Heroin Addiction & Community Response will hold a regional forum today, aimed at identifying problems and weaknesses in current efforts to combat the rampant heroin epidemic. Local Assemblyman Cliff Crouch & other lawmakers will participate from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the SUNY Broome Decker Health Science Center in Room D201. Representatives from rehabilitation and treatment organizations and facilities, law enforcement and criminal justice, and those with firsthand experience dealing with heroin addiction have been invited to attend and provide feedback.

A candidate’s forum will be held in Sidney tonight at the Smart community room at the Sidney Library, featuring Delaware County Family Court Justice Candidates Gary Rosa & Porter Kirkwood, Organizer Amanda Heaney-Smith comments

(Amanda Heaney Smith 10-20-15)

The event will run from 6:30 to about 8:30 & will also feature the 4 candidates running for 2 seats on the Sidney Town Board.

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a SPECIAL Board of Education Meeting tonight in the District Conference room at 7:00 PM to discuss the Superintendent Search.

A man arrested by Delaware County Sheriff's Office Investigators on September 29th on a heroin possession charge was arrested again on Tuesday & charged with 2 additional felony drug charges. 31 year old Sean Dingle of Binghamton and Queens was charged Tuesday with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, with intent to sell & Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance, for allegedly possessing and selling heroin in the Town of Sidney in September. Dingle was arraigned in Town of Sidney Court on the new charges; his previous set $50,000 bail was subsequently raised by Judge Rose, who remanded Dingle to the Delaware County Jail on $250,000 cash bail.

Delaware County Sheriff Deputies arrested 63-year-old Patricia Carlson of Delhi on a bench warrant issued by the Town of Delhi Justice Court for Failing to Appear at her scheduled court date October 9th. Carlson was arraigned at the Town of Delhi Justice Court and remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $20,000 cash bail or $40,000 bond. A felony hearing has been rescheduled for Friday in the Delhi Town Court.

Bassett Healthcare, Delaware County Public Health & Cornell Cooperative Extension's Rural Health Care Alliance will present speaker Mark Fenton tonight at 6:30 PM at SUNY Delhi's Farrell Hall. Bassett spokesperson Amy Beveridge explains:

(Amy Beveridge 10-14-15)

Among the topics Fenton is expected to discuss making comminutes healthier by developing walking & biking trails, how to provide safe routes to schools and the economic, environmental & public health benefits of being active.

The State Attorney General's office will be doing a presentation on "Senior Scams" this afternoon at 2:00 PM at St. James Manor, Oneonta. The event is open to the public. More information is available at 432-4500 extension 207.

Springbrook will host an "Informed Decision Making" workshop today in the Events Room at their Campus on State Route 7 in Oneonta. The main goal of the workshop is to provide training for direct support professionals in understanding how to properly guide the people they support through the decision making process. The workshop is a half-day event from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM and again from 1:30 to 4:30 PM.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman today announced that his office has obtained an order dissolving Angel’s Gate animal hospice and rehabilitation charity & directing that the charity’s real property be sold with the proceeds to be paid to another charity whose mission is the protection and care of animals. Acting Supreme Court Justice John Lambert ordered the appointment of a receiver to sell the property held in the names of Angel’s Gate, Inc. and Susan Marino in the Town of Meredith. Schneiderman’s Office previously brought a proceeding against Angel’s Gate and Marino to dissolve the corporation because they had failed to file legally required financial reports related to the handling of their charitable funds.  Marino and Angel’s Gate had raised over $3.1 million from donations; Marino mismanaged the funds while continuing to live on the property as her primary residence, without any oversight by an inactive Board of Directors.

State Police at Oneonta arrested 25-year-old Britney Fraser of Oneonta for criminal possession of a controlled substance, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle & possessing a controlled substance in a non-original container. 21-year-old Ashley Harty of Sherburne was also charged with 3 counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, and unlawful possession of marihuana. The arrests occurred after a vehicle stop when Fraser was observed failing to stop for approaching traffic as she drove onto State Route 7 in the Town of Oneonta. Troopers detected the odor of marihuana & a search was conducted, troopers accuse Fraser of possessing half of a narcotic and driving with a suspended license. Harty was found to unlawfully possess marijuana, heroin and cocaine. Fraser and Harty were arraigned at the Town of Oneonta court and both were remanded to the Otsego County jail on $400 cash bail or $800 property bond, pending Town of Oneonta court on November 12th.

State Police at Binghamton arrested 34-year-old Melissa Ipson of Liverpool for criminal possession of a controlled substance, driving while ability impaired by drugs and possessing a controlled substance in a non-original container. This arrest occurred after a trooper observed Ipson appearing disoriented as she sat in her vehicle at a gas pump and then drove to a parking space at the Mirabito on Castle Creek Road in the Town of Barker. An investigation determined that she was driving while impaired by drugs and unlawfully possessed over 2 grams of cathinone bath salts. Ipson was arraigned & was remanded to the Broome County jail without bail set at this time.

The Oneonta Town Board will consider a presentation of a proposed budget for 2016 during a meeting at 6:30 PM today, in The Town Hall in West Oneonta.

Delaware County Public Health Services announces that the next free Rabies Vaccination Clinic For dogs, cats, and ferrets today from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Delhi Fire Hall at 140 Delview Terrace. This will be the last rabies clinic for 2015 for Delaware County; more information is available at 832-5200 or delawarecountypublichealth.com.

The Sidney Fire Department will host their annual Open House tonight at the River Street Fire Station, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. The fire department will have a live burn demonstration, an auto extrication demonstration, aerial ladder rides, the Sidney Police Department will conduct their child-fingerprinting program, & refreshments will be available.

The United Way of Delaware and Otsego Counties, the Oneonta Lion’s Club and Hannaford of Oneonta, will be holding a food drive at the 2015 Oneonta Halloween Parade on Saturday, October 31st at 7:00 PM. All food and monetary donations will be given directly to Opportunities for Otsego and the Salvation Army Food Pantry to help defray the loss that both agencies will incur this year by the Holiday Train not making its annual visit to Oneonta. Volunteers from United Way will be on hand at the Halloween Parade with shopping carts donated by Hannaford to collect non-perishable food items. More information is available at 434-2458. Those who would like to donate prior to the parade can call the United Way at 432-8006.

The Oneonta Department of Public Service announced that flushing of water mains would continue on the low service in the Town of Oneonta, west of West End Avenue, for the next 2 weeks. Water users may experience a temporary change in water color or pressure; more information is available at 432-2100.

New York State Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul continues delegation meetings with elected officials at various health care facilities throughout Puerto Rico to further Governor Cuomo's commitment to assist with the health care crisis. At 4:00 PM the Lieutenant Governor and State Elected Officials Hold a Press Conference with the Puerto Rican Delegation.

Coldwell Banker Timberland Properties will celebrate the grand opening of a new office at 19 Union Street, Sidney with an open house on Wednesday, Oct. 21 from 4:30-7 p.m. The public is invited to stop at Coldwell Bankers’ fifth office, located in the Community Bank Building, to meet the staff and learn more about the region’s largest real estate company. The event will include office tours, refreshments and live music. Jackie and Steve Rose, two of the most well respected real estate professionals in the Sidney area, are managing the new Coldwell Banker Timberland Properties office.

State Police responded to a report of a motorcycle accident on State Route 28 in the Town of Exeter. 86-year-old Herbert Black of Remsen was operating his motorcycle on State Route 28 when he entered a curve in the roadway, he was unable to maintain his lane and struck a street sign & was ejected and suffered serious injuries to his head, neck and chest. Black was transported to Bassett Hospital where he was pronounced deceased, no autopsy would be required.

On Monday October 8th, Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies and State Police responded to a reported bomb threat at the DCMO BOCES, Harrold Campus, in the Town of Masonville. The bomb threat was discovered written on a bathroom wall. The building was evacuated, a search found no explosive devises. Deputies have determined that a 14-year-old male was responsible for making the written threat. The youth and his legal guardian were subsequently issued a juvenile appearance ticket for the Delaware County Probation Department where the juvenile will answer a charge of Filing a False Report in the First Degree.

State Police in Norwich observed a 2007 Hummer traveling on State Route 12 in the Town of North Norwich; the vehicle matched the description of a stolen vehicle from Utica, and had been in a pursuit earlier in Oneida County. Several attempts to stop the driver were made and were stopped for safety reasons as the suspect approached the City of Norwich and then the Village of Greene. Troopers reported that as the vehicle entered Broome County, 2 Tire Deflation Devises were deployed, the front tires were disabled & the suspect continued to the Town of Chenango, and then fled the disabled vehicle and ran into the woods, A search by a State Police & Broome County Sheriff’s K-9 teams led to 17 year old La-Tee Baker of Utica, who was located near Otsinigo Park. Baker was charged with reckless endangerment and criminal possession of stolen property, he was arraigned at the Town of Chenango court and remanded to the Broome County jail with no bail set at this time.

The Oneonta police department special response team is scheduled to work in cooperation with the Greater Plains Elementary School to conduct a school lockdown drill on Thursday. The event will provide the Oneonta SRT Team to train in full gear, and it will give students & faculty a chance to become familiar with evacuation procedures in case of an emergency.

The New York State Office of Information Technology Services is offering a number of resources and activities to help all users learn more about cyber security and how to safeguard themselves from cyber-based threats. The 2015 Cyber Security Toolkit features awareness resources geared to a broad audience, including government, businesses, schools, and the general public. New York ITS is also coordinating a statewide cyber security poster contest for students in grades K through 12 promoting online safety, winners will be featured on the ITS website and entered into a national contest, more information on the poster contest is available at its.ny.gov/eiso.

The Assembly Minority Task Force on Heroin Addiction & Community Response will hold a regional forum aimed at identifying problems and weaknesses in current efforts to combat the rampant heroin epidemic. Local Assemblyman Cliff Crouch & other lawmakers will participate on Tuesday, October 20th from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the SUNY Broome Decker Health Science Center in Room D201. Representatives from rehabilitation and treatment organizations and facilities, law enforcement and criminal justice, and those with firsthand experience dealing with heroin addiction (http://americanaddictioncenters.org/heroin-treatment/how-to-help/) have been invited to attend and provide feedback.

The city of Oneonta FTO-CIC committee will hold their next meeting this afternoon at 4:00 this afternoon, the Oneonta Finance/Administration committee will hold their next meeting at 5:00 PM, both meetings will be held at Oneonta city hall.

Approximately 460,000 New York Medicaid recipients diagnosed with diabetes received diabetes-related services costing more than $1.2 billion in state fiscal year 2013-14, according to a report released by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. The report notes that about 1.6 million adult New Yorkers, or 10.3% of the adult population, have been diagnosed with either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, which is higher than the 3-year nationwide average of 9.6%.

Runners from all over will participate in this year's "Pit Run" Sunday. The annual race will begin at 10:45 at Neahwa Park in Oneonta, it is named in honor of Late State Police Investigator Rick Parisian of Oneonta, who died trying to stop an armed robbery at an Oneonta supermarket in 1994.

The last day to register to vote in the November 3rd General Election for Delaware county residents is Friday October 9, 2015, it is also the last day for the Board of Elections to receive an enrollment change to be effective for 2016. The 52nd Senate District covering Deposit and Hancock has a 1-year vacancy. County Court Judge and County Family Court Judge and many town offices are up for election. Absentee ballots, sample ballots with any propositions for the General Election are available at the Board of Elections Office in Delhi, Registration Forms and Absentee Ballot applications may be downloaded from co.delaware.ny.us/departments.

Fire Prevention Safety Week is this Sunday October 4th through Saturday October 10th. The Franklin Fire department will hold their 2nd annual open house & public safety day on Sunday, from 12:00 Noon to 3:00 PM, with free refreshments, free smoke detectors & participation with the American Red cross, Delaware county sheriff's department state police & Bassett health care among others. The Franklin fire department is located at 351 Main Street.

Delaware County Public Health Services announces that the next free Rabies Vaccination Clinic For dogs, cats, and ferrets on October 14th from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Delhi Fire Hall at 140 Delview Terrace. This will be the last rabies clinic for 2015 for Delaware County; more information is available at 832-5200 or delawarecountypublichealth.com.

The Sidney high school athletic department announced that directions are available to the Sullivan West central school in Lake Huntington for tonight's Sidney away game. The directions can be accessed on the Sidney central school district athletics web page.

The 2nd annual Protect Our Angels SIDS Awareness Walk will be held in Sidney Saturday in memory of area Babies lost to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. The Walk will be Saturday from 11:00 AM-2:00 PM at Keith Clark Park in Sidney, more information & registration is available at protectourangels.org

The Chenango County Council of the Arts will host a Drink Wine & Let’s Design workshop today from 6-9pm, Workshop fees are $35 for CCCA members and $45 for non-members, and includes workshop instruction, paint, palette, brushes and canvas. Classes are held in the Council’s art classroom at 27 West Main Street, Norwich. More information is available at 336-ARTS or chenangoarts.org.

49-year-old William Danielson of Oxford changed his plea today in Chenango County Court, to guilty, as his murder trial was schedule to begin in Norwich. Danielson was charged with murder for the death of Lucinda Knoll of Norwich in 2013. The court has accepted the change in plea and sentencing will be scheduled shortly.

The Delaware County Sheriff's department arrested 31-year-old Sean Dingle of Queens on drug charges, following the execution of a search warrant in the Town of Sidney. The warrant was obtained following a 5-month heroin trafficking investigation conducted by the Delaware County Sheriff's Office, the Sidney Police Department, Delaware County Probation Department and the Broome County Special Investigations Task Force. Dingle was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance with intent to sell & Unlawful Possession of Marihuana after seizing 100 bags of heroin & a small amount of marijuana, that Dingle intended to sell at the Unadilla public fishing access lot in Sidney. Dingle was arraigned in Town of Sidney Court & was remanded to the Delaware County Jail without bail pending a future court appearance.

The Otsego County Department of Health announced today that a skunk in the town of Otego tested positive for rabies. Otsego County Health Department officials stated that 2 unvaccinated dogs were exposed & will be euthanized, the skunk was shot and the remains were sent to the state lab for testing. A free rabies clinic is scheduled for Otego at the fire department on October 7th from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.

State Senate candidate Fred Akshar hosted more than a dozen local farmers, agriculture students and professionals at a roundtable discussion on challenges and opportunities for Southern Tier agriculture in Whitney point Tuesday:

(Akshar 9-30-15)

Akshar faces former Broome County Executive & State DMV Commissioner Barbara Fiala in a special election to fill the seat vacated by the conviction of long time Republican State Senator Tom Libous.

The State DEC has adopted amendments to update and consolidate Petroleum Bulk Storage and Chemical Bulk Storage regulations. The changes clarify existing requirements and make it easier for those who store bulk amounts of petroleum or chemicals in tank systems to comply with equipment and handling standards needed to prevent contamination of soil, groundwater, surface water and public water supplies.

Governor Cuomo today announced $20 million is available for the construction of new affordable housing units damaged by Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Irene or Tropical Storm Lee. Qualified housing developers are invited to submit proposals for properties to be developed in the eligible counties, which locally includes: Broome, Chenango, Delaware, & Otsego Counties. Funding will come from the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery, out of its $4.4 billion federal allotment.

The Taste of the Catskills Festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday, October 10th and 11th at the Maple Shade Farm in Delhi. The Festival will include food from local farms, restaurants & Micro-Breweries & Live music. On Sunday, October 11th Catskill Mountainkeeper will screen their documentary "Catskill Park,” More information & ticket purchases can be accessed at TasteoftheCatskills.com.

State Police responded to a Broome County 911 report of a hunting accident in the Town of Sanford. 2 separate groups of hunters were hunting when 45-year-old Duane Wayman of Binghamton failed to observe another hunter & shot him. 50-year-old Andy Patrick of Johnson City was injured near his right eye, the right side of his chest and his left shoulder. He was transported to Wilson Memorial Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. All hunters possessed valid licenses, the investigation is ongoing.

State Police arrested 44-year-old Wayne Johnson of Oneonta for aggravated DWI with a BAC result of .23% and several other traffic law violations. The arrest occurred after troopers responded to an Otsego County 911 report of a vehicle in a ditch off of Emmons Hill Road in the Town of Oneonta. Troopers observed Johnson sleeping behind the wheel of a Pick Up stuck in a ditch, they accuse Johnson of being intoxicated when he tried to back his truck up and got it stuck. Johnson was issued tickets returnable to the Town of Oneonta Court on October 6th .

Governor Cuomo announced a new funding opportunity for school districts across the State aimed at connecting them to farmers to increase the use of locally grown specialty crops. Through the Farm to School program, $350,000 in grants is now available for projects that will help school districts buy & serve locally grown foods on school menus.

On Saturday afternoon Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 36-year-old Christina Regg of Davenport on 1 count of aggravated cruelty to animals. Deputies accuse Regg of intentionally placing a house cat into a paint bucket with a sealed lid, which allegedly caused the death of the animal. Regg was later released on an appearance ticket returnable to the Town of Davenport Court at a later date.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 36-year-old Steven Keller of North Branch for aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the Town of Hamden. Keeler is accused of driving with a suspended license due, with an insurance lapse & also operating a vehicle with a loud exhaust. Keller was arraigned and was remanded to the Delaware County Jail in lieu of $500 bail.

On Friday evening, the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, State Police, and Hancock Police Department conducted a joint Traffic Safety Check on State Highway 97 in the Village of Hancock. A total of 68 traffic summons were issued, 5 for unlicensed operation, 2 for unregistered motor vehicle tickets, 7 for uninspected motor vehicle tickets, and 1 aggravated unlicensed operation ticket. 13 subjects were also arrested for Unlawful Possession of Marihuana:

The identities of 2 women arrested by state police in Oneonta on Thursday have been identified as 30 year old Kelly Anderson of Maine, and 25 year old Amanda Castillo of Connecticut. . Anderson was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance; both Anderson and Castillo were charged with criminal possession of marijuana and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, they were held in the Otsego County jail pending court action.

Delaware County Public Health continues its pertussis investigation; there are now 4 confirmed cases in the Walton area. Public Health is working with the school district and the community to identify and notify students and residents that have possibly been exposed. If you or your child has been around someone with pertussis, you may become sick with pertussis as well. More information is available by contacting the department at 832-5200.

The city of Oneonta will have 2 committees meet later today. The FTO-CIC committee will meet at 4:00 PM, the Finance /Administration committee will meet at 5:00 PM, both meeting will be held in the Common Council chambers on the 2nd floor of City Hall.

State Troopers arrested 20-year-old Christopher Nunez of Holbrook for reckless driving, unlawful fleeing a police officer and numerous other vehicle and traffic law violations, following a high-speed chase on I-81. Nunez is accused of traveling at over 100 mph on a motorcycle and then failing to stop, Nunez was later found driving his motorcycle in the City of Binghamton. Nunez was arraigned and was remanded to the Broome County Jail on $2,500 cash bail or $5,000 bond pending court action on September 29th.

A Hartwick College student fell from her 4th floor dorm room window Sunday morning. The unidentified 20-year-old student from Trumansburg suffered injuries that were not considered life threatening, campus security and Oneonta Police and Fire department officials are investigating.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Investigators arrested 44-year-old Robert Dibble of Sidney, on a bench warrant issued from the Village of Sidney Court for failure to appear in court. While executing the warrant, Dibble physically resisted and was also charged with resisting arrest, he was arraigned in Village of Sidney Court and was remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility on $5,000 cash bail.

Delaware county Public Health officials announced that there is 1 County resident that has been confirmed with Pertussis. Delaware County Public Health’s investigation is ongoing to identify possible exposures. Pertussis is a highly contagious disease that is spread through the air by cough; it usually begins with cold symptoms and cough, which becomes much worse over 1-2 weeks. Symptoms usually include “coughing fits”, followed by a whooping noise.

State Police arrested 20-year-old Cory Meadows of Oneonta for resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, after troopers responded to a report of a dispute on the roadway of State Route 7 in the Town of Milford. Responding troopers found Meadows walking alone on the roadway. Another motorist told them that they had seen her jump out of a moving vehicle during a dispute. Meadows refused to give her name or information and became disorderly to the troopers, she physically resisted as she was handcuffed. Meadows was arraigned and was remanded to the Otsego County Jail in lieu of $200 cash bail.

Tri Town Regional Hospital will host a Health fair this Saturday, with a variety of representatives on hand, spokesperson Amy Beveridge comments:

(Amy Beveridge 9-22-15)

The event will run from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM and will feature representatives from At Home care, the Pharmacy, a health insurance navigator as well as the Sidney Police department with their child-fingerprinting program.

The 13th Annual Sidney Alumni Sports Hall of Fame Induction Dinner & Ceremony will be held this coming Friday night as well as Saturday. Spokesman Greg Davie comments:

(Greg Davie 9-22-15)

This year's inductees will be Liz Wagner from the class of 93. Steve Fessenden from the class of 76, Rick Cole from the class of 67, Tony Ferrera from the class of 88, and the Legacy Team will be the 2005 Football team, which won the New York State Class C Championship.

State Police arrested 19 year old Stephen Counterman Jr., of Afton for assault and criminal possession of a weapon. The arrest occurred after troopers where advised of an assault that happened in the Town of Afton on September 19th, Counterman is accused of striking a 53 year old man in the back of the head with a tree branch, causing a laceration that required medical attention at Wilson Memorial Hospital. Counterman was arraigned in the Town of Afton Court and was remanded to the Chenango County Jail in lieu of $10,000 cash bail or $20,000 property bond. His felony hearing is later today.

The Oneonta department of Engineering announced that work would start on Wednesday to replace the traffic signal at Center & Maple Street. Powerline constructors of Clinton were awarded the bid, they will install new traffic signal & pole, new pedestrian crossing signals and they will be replacing the handicapped sidewalk ramps & some sidewalk. The project will to 60 days to complete, traffic will be controlled by flaggers.

Delaware County Public Health will be conducting a Car Seat Event today. Child Passenger Safety Technicians will be at Delhi Campus Child Care Center at 1104 Arbor Hill Road Delhi, from 3PM-6PM, to check car seats and give instruction to parents and caregivers on proper car seat installation and use. More details are available at 832-5200.

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a Board of Education Meeting today in the Guilford School Cafeteria at 6:30 PM.

Governor Cuomo issued a consumer alert advising New Yorkers to exercise caution when making used car purchases from private sellers over the internet following an increase in the number of complaints about online used car scams received by New York State Department of Motor Vehicles investigators. Each year, these state investigators, working with other federal, state and local officials, recover as much as $1.5 million in stolen vehicles and parts purchased online.

The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office arrested 32 year old Joshua Whaley of Pitcher on an active arrest warrant for 3rd degree Burglary, Endangering the Welfare of a Child, Criminal Obstruction of Breathing plus several other charges. Whaley was arrested & was found to possess methamphetamine & an illegal weapon; he was additional charged with Criminal Possession of a Control Substance and Criminal Possession of an Illegal Weapon. Whaley was arraigned & and is being held in the Chenango County Correctional Facility on $5000 cash bail pending future court action.

State Police arrested 44-year-old Patrick Burton of Binghamton for aggravated cruelty to animals. Troopers responded to a Broome County 911 report of animal abuse in Conklin. Burton is accused of beating his girlfriend’s dog; Burton was arraigned in the Town of Conklin Court and remanded to the Broome County Jail on $5,000 cash bail or $10,000 property bond.

Oneonta officials announced that more tests are being conducted next week on their water distribution system. Hydrant flow test & pipe condition tests will be conducted on Monday at numerous locations around the city, they will continue again on Friday the 25th. More information is available at 432-2100.

New York State's education commissioner Mary Ellen Elia stated that next spring’s Common Core tests would be shorter. Elia spoke to the Board of Regents Wednesday in Albany, she said that some of the writing and reading passages will be removed and the math assessments will lose some multiple-choice questions. The controversial tests are given statewide to 3rd to 8th grade students each spring to measure student and teacher performance. Elia said that teachers would have a greater role in developing the tests when the state begins working with new vendor Questar for the 2017 school year.

The Chenango county historical society will unveil an agricultural education center in Norwich later this month, with the centerpiece being an 1800’s Oxford barn. Society Board of Directors President Joyce Zummo explains:

(Joyce Zummo 9-17-15)

The grand opening & ribbon cutting will be on September 26th from 11:00 to 4:00 PM at 45 Rexford Street in Norwich.

The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office arrested 35-year-old Robert Collins of Sherburne after he was found to be manufacturing methamphetamine along the banks of the Chenango River in the Village of Sherburne. Narcotics Detectives located Collins cooking methamphetamine using the “one pot” method; Collins was charged with Unlawful Manufacturing Methamphetamine, Unlawful Disposal of Methamphetamine Laboratory Material, as well as several other drug charges, he was arraigned and remanded to the Chenango County Jail on $5,000 cash bail.

Governor Cuomo announced that New York State is expanding its efforts to prevent colorectal cancer, the state's second leading cause of cancer death. Over five years, $8 million in federal grants will go toward new screening initiatives that will be administered by the New York State Department of Health. Each year, nearly 10,000 New Yorkers develop colorectal cancer and more than 3,000 die as a result.

The Otsego County Chamber of Commerce will hold their next Business After Hours Event today from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm for the United Way of Delaware and Otsego Counties at Roots Brewing Company at 175 Main Street in Oneonta. Non-perishable food items and Hygiene Items are requested for the United Way Food and Hygiene Items collection through September 14th, as part of their 2015 campaign.

State Police arrested 39-year-old James Peart of Chenango Forks for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, following a traffic stop for speeding near the on ramp for State Route 17 in the Town of Dickinson. Peart was observed throwing a small metal object while stopping his motorcycle, Troopers located the object and found that it contained 4.4 grams of illegal methamphetamine. Peart was issued a ticket returnable to the Town of Dickinson on September 1st.

The Delaware county Fair continues tomorrow at the fairgrounds in Walton. Fair Spokesman John Jackson told WCDO News what is planned Thursday at the fair:

(John Jackson Thursday)

The fair runs through Saturday night, concluding with the country music concert headlined by Parmalee & Jana Kramer.

The Norwich theater company will have 3 performances of "The Music Man" this weekend, Company spokesman Rich Heim explains:

(Rich Heim 8-19-15)

Tickets are available online at Norwich theater company.org, or at Service Pharmacy in Norwich & Sherburne at Pires florist in Norwich.

Sidney Village Superintendent of Public Works Mike Mercurio announced today that the traffic light at the intersection of Main & River Streets in Downtown Sidney is now in operation. Mercurio reminds motorists that the 4-way stop system implemented since March is no longer in effect & motorists need to obey the newly installed signals.

The Bainbridge Fire Department responded to the report of a Tractor Trailer on its side, in front of 86 West Main Street this morning. The investigation is continuing & WCDO will have further details as they become available.

Governor Cuomo today announced that emergency regulations have been adopted by the State Department of Health to prevent the spread of Legionella bacteria and protect New Yorkers from future outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease. The regulations take effect immediately. The Governor announced that the Department of Health has launched a general tip line; 1-888-769-7243, to respond to questions or inquiries regarding the regulations from members of the public, as well as engineers, technologists and technicians. These emergency regulations are in effect for 90 days, at which point they will be adopted into permanent regulations, the regulations can be amended before they become permanent.

Governor Cuomo today announced the creation of “NY Responds” to strengthen the State’s emergency preparedness. Every county will have access to universal emergency management software, at no cost to localities, to enable both local governments and state agencies to submit and share vital disaster-related information, from incident reports and resource requests to real-time tracking of assets and weather conditions. The state is supplementing its stockpile of emergency response resources with an additional $50 million worth of equipment in advance of the winter storm season.

Governor Cuomo signed legislation to protect children across New York State from exposure to second-hand smoke. The bill prohibits individuals from smoking near schools while after-school programs are in operation. This bill expands the ban on smoking within 100 feet of the entrances, exits or outdoor areas of public and private schools to prohibit smoking during after-school programs. The ban would be in effect only during those hours in which the after-school programs are in session. Residences or residential property within the 100 foot perimeter would be excluded from the new ban.

On Saturday, Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 41 year old Christopher Ross of Franklin, for Driving While Intoxicated, operating an ATV on a public roadway, operating without a helmet, and speed not reasonable and imprudent. This arrest was a result of a motor vehicle accident on Clark Road in the Town of Masonville. Ross was later released on tickets returnable in the Masonville Town Court at a later date.

Tickets are now on sale for the musical comedy "42nd STREET" at the Forum Theatre Tuesday, October 6 and Wednesday, October 7. Tina Niles of NAC Entertainment comments:

(Tina Niles 8-18-15)

Tickets for 42nd Street are on sale at the Arena Box Office and Ticketmaster. Season Tickets are still on sale at BroadwayinBinghamton.com or by calling The Broadway Theatre League at 772-1391.

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a SPECIAL Board of Education Meeting today in the District Conference Room at 5:30 PM. It is anticipated that the Board will move into Executive Session to discuss a particular personnel issue.

Sidney Village Superintendent of Public Works Mike Mercurio announced today that work would begin at 8:30 tomorrow morning on the traffic light at the intersection of Main & River Street in downtown Sidney. Mercurio told WCDO News that the 1962 state installed light stopped working on March 11th, and parts were no longer available.

The Norwich Fire Department reported that Route 12 just south of the City was completely shut down due to a hazard chemical spill earlier this afternoon. The highway had to be closed for several hours for the investigation & clean up; Businesses in area of Price Chopper Plaza have not been accessible since the spill. More details will be released as soon as possible.

Wednesday is Day 3 of the Delaware County Fair; it will be Kids Day according to Fair Spokesman John Jackson:

(John Jackson Wednesday)

The Fair runs through Saturday night at the Fairgrounds in Walton, concluding with the country music concert headlined by Parmalee & Jana Kramer. Daily Schedules are available at DelawareCountyFair.org.

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer has been allotted a single ticket to the Joint Meeting of Congress with Pope Francis on September 24th in Washington, DC. Those interested must sign up by August 26th and enter the raffle for the chance to win either a pair of tickets to see the Pope in the Audience outside the Capitol or the single ticket to hear him speak before Congress. 1 Joint Session ticket winner and 100 winners of a pair of tickets to the Papal Audience will be notified on August 27th.

State Police in Deposit arrested 20-year-old Shawn Stamper of Johnson City, for Driving While Intoxicated, following a report of an accident with injuries on Chestnut Street in the Town of Windsor. Stamper was charged with DWI after he crashed into a guide rail and overturned, he was transported to Wilson Hospital with lacerations to his face, he was issued tickets for Town of Windsor Court on August 24th.

United Way of Delaware and Otsego Counties is seeking donations of kid friendly foods and children’s hygiene items for its 2015 Food and Hygiene Supply Drive. Susan Kurkowski of the United Way told WCDO News what items can be donated:

(Susan Kurkowski 8-19-15)

The drive will begin tomorrow and run through September 14th, when the United Way officially kicks-off their 2015 Campaign. All donations will be given to backpack programs and food pantries in both Delaware and Otsego Counties. United Way will be partnering with Opportunities for Otsego and Delaware Opportunities to get the supplies delivered. More information is available at 432-8006.

Binghamton Police arrested 36-year-old Dushon Goldwire of Binghamton, he has been charged with attempted murder, following a report of shots being fired Thursday morning. Binghamton Police responded to 25 Pearne Street, where 6 rounds were fired, Goldwire will be arraigned in City Court, the investigation is continuing, and police are asking anyone with information to call 772-7080.

Binghamton Fire Investigators have determined that it was a cigarette that caused the fire on the roof of the East Middle School in Binghamton on July 23rd. 8 workers were trapped but not injured by the fire, several classrooms below sustained damage. The Binghamton Fire Department was able to extinguish the fire in about an hour, as well as remove the roofers who had no other way down. No injuries were reported.

A trial date of November 16th has been set for former State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos & his son Adam, in a Manhattan federal courtroom. Skelos is accused of using his political influence to get his son a no-show job with a malpractice insurance company; he was previously accused of threatening an environmental technology company if his son was not hired as a consultant. Dean Skelos stepped down as head of the State Senate after his initial arrest in May, his deputy Senate leader Tom Libous was convicted of lying to the FBI about using his political influence get his son a job with a White Plains law firm.

45-year-old Robert Wheeler of Milford has been charged with 3rd & 4th degree grand larceny for allegedly stealing more than $4,000 worth of auto parts and accessories. Wheeler was charged following a complaint that he ordered 2 shipments of auto parts last year and refused to pay for them. Wheeler faces court action on August 4th.

Improvements to the state Department of Environmental Conservation's sporting license-issuance and game harvest reporting system are in place in time for this year's hunting season. The DEC also changed the Deer Management Assistance Program to streamline the program and expand opportunities for landowners needing deer management assistance. The 2015-16 hunting and trapping licenses go on sale on August 10 and are valid beginning September 1, 2015. Licenses and permits can be purchased at dec.ny.gov/permits, through the online License center at licensecenter.ny.gov or by calling 1 (866) 933-2257

The Oneonta department of public service announced that they would be reconstructing the sub base & pavement on Valleyview Street & 6th Street starting on Monday at 7:00 AM. Work will be performed between 7:00 AM & 6:00 PM on weekdays; the project is expected to be completed by September 1st. The department also announced that they will be replacing a portion of the water main & services & all of the pavement on 8th street starting on august 10th from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM weekdays, a completion date has not been determined. More information is available at 432-6465.

The State DOT today announced that the right lane on I-81 northbound near the Exit 5 interchange at Front Street is closed to through-traffic until Monday morning at 11:00 AM, to accommodate the shuttle busses being used for the annual Spiedie Fest & Balloon Rally. I-81 northbound through-traffic will be shifted to the left and center lanes near Exit 5, the right lane will be used as a dedicated shuttle bus acceleration lane to enter and exit the highway, Motorists are advised to use extreme caution during Spiedie Fest, & they should be aware of slow moving traffic, & high traffic volume.

Delaware County Public Health and The Village of Sidney Police will be providing a Car Seat Safety Event at the Sidney McDonalds tomorrow from 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon. 73% of car seats are used or installed incorrectly; Nationally certified child passenger safety technicians will be there to show how to correctly install and use a child’s safety or booster seat. There is no fee, for this service, participants should bring the vehicle owner’s manual and car seat manual to the event. More information is available at 832-5200.

51-year-old Joyce Mitchell pleaded guilty to 2 charges in connection with helping inmates David Sweat and Richard Matt escape the Clinton Correctional Facility in June. Mitchell was a tailor shop instructor who provided the inmates with tools hidden in frozen hamburger meat, she pleaded guilty today to promoting prison contraband and criminal facilitation. She could serve a sentence of 2 1/2 to 7 years in prison.

Republican area Assemblyman Cliff Crouch announced that he would not run for the State Senate seat vacated by the federal conviction of Tom Libous for lying to the FBI. Crouch released a Statement where he stated that he wished to remain in his current Assembly seat; former Broome County Executive & former state DMV Commissioner Democrat Barbara Fiala announced that she would seek the seat

State Police arrested 21-year-old Tyler Backus of Binghamton, for Criminal Possession of a Weapon, after Troopers responded to a Broome County 911 report of a dispute with a man holding a gun in Conklin. Troopers observed Backus driving away from the scene, he was stopped and arrested. Backus was arraigned in the Town of Chenango Court and remanded to the Broome County Jail with no bail set.

The Delaware County Department of Economic Development announced the results of the 2015 grant funding provided through the County’s Agricultural Micro-enterprise Program, which will encourage the investment of $625,000 and the creation of 28 new jobs. Local business receiving funding include Muddy River Hops of Sidney, which seeks to establish a New York State licensed Farm Brewery & on-farm processing plant. Also, Vulto Creamery of Walton will need to purchase a small custom milk hauling truck to transport the milk to their creamery, and create 2 more jobs, & Unadilla Hops will be opening a hop processing facility at their Sidney hop farm for the purpose of pelletizing and packaging hops for their farm and other local farms.

The Chenango Arts Council announced the acceptance of Request for Proposals from New York State artists for exhibition in the Mariea Brown and Raymond Loft Galleries, located in CAC facilities at 27 West Main Street, Norwich. The proposal deadline is January 6th, 2016, with a jurying process occurring mid-January for exhibition in the following year. There is no fee for submission, and CAC staff is available for technical assistance with the application process. Also, the Arts Council, the Norwich Business Improvement District and the Norwich Rotary Club, announced a “Call for Artists” for the Chenango Public Arts Initiative for this fall, Artists of all mediums are encouraged to submit applications by August 14 for a September 11th opening. More information is available at chenangoarts.org, or 336-ARTS.

NBT Bancorp announced reported net income for the 2nd quarter of 19.3 Million dollars, up from 18.2 million in the 1st quarter, but down from 27.6 million in the 2nd quarter of last year.

the Chenango County Health Department will hold a free rabies clinic for dogs cats & domesticated Ferrets tonight. the clinic will run form 6:00 to 7:00 PM in the town of Columbus garage, more information is available at 337-1673.

On Saturday Night, State Police, the Chenango Bridge Fire Department and Broome County Dive Team were called to investigate a missing swimmer at a quarry located at 1564 St Rte 12 in the town of Chenango. The swimmer was located by the State Police Scuba Team and identified as 20 year old Robert Burts of Binghamton, An autopsy is scheduled for today at Wilson Hospital. The investigation is continuing.

The Oneonta Department of Public Service will be replacing a broken water valve today at the intersection to Ravine parkway & Ravine Park North. Resident in that area will experience a temporary water outage, when service is restores, the water may be cloudy, and the water should clear up in a short time if the water is allowed to run. More information is available at 432-2100.

Oneonta city residents are being reminded of the curbside residential pickup of brush & yard waste. Through October, Wards 1 through 4 will have their yard waste picked up on the 2nd Monday of each month, Wards 5 to 8 will have theirs picked up on the 3rd Monday of the month. The full schedule is available at oneonta.ny.us, or at 432-2100.

The Cancer Services Program of Delaware, Otsego and Schoharie counties will offer free health screenings today, to women 40 and older that are uninsured. The Bassett Cancer Institute’s mobile screening coach will be available from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at Family Planning of Oneonta, 37 Dietz Street. Appointments are requested at 1-888-345-0225.

Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies are investigating the burglary of a residence and garage located on Basin Clove Road in the Town of Hamden that occurred between approximately May 1st and July 11th. Stolen from the residence and garage were shotguns, various lawn & garden equipment, a woodstove, a flat screen television and several hand tools. Deputies are asking anyone that may have information about this burglary, or the possible location of the stolen property, to contact them at 746-2336, Extension 381.

Governor Cuomo is calling for stronger Health Department regulations to combat the sale of synthetic marijuana in New York State, following a dramatic increase in hospital visits and poison control center calls. The sale and possession of dozens of types of synthetic marijuana and bath salts were banned by the Department of Health at the urging of Governor Cuomo in August 2012. These new regulations will expand the existing list of banned substances to include new chemical compounds that drug producers have begun to make since 2012. Residents who are aware of locations where these products are being manufactured, sold, or distributed, please call the Synthetic Drug Hotline at 1-888-99-SALTS.

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection will conduct a meeting Saturday, about water diversions and releases from the Cannonsville Reservoir. The meeting will be at 10:00 AM Saturday at the Hancock Central School, a DEP representative will provide information about the repairs and the status of the reservoir. The meeting is open to the public.

Bainbridge village officials stated that the water main break has been repaired. Residents may notice brown water for a short period of time, which should clear up after running the tap for a short time.

The Oneonta Department of Public Service will be replacing a broken water valve Monday at the intersection to Ravine parkway & Ravine Park North. Resident in that area will experience a temporary water outage, when service is restores, the water may be cloudy, and the water should clear up in a short time if the water is allowed to run. More information is available at 432-2100.

The Greater Chenango Cares Event is continuing at the Norwich High School, with a variety of "no cost" medical services. Chenango County Planning Department Spokesperson Rena Doing comments:

(Rena Doing 7-14-15)

Dental appointments must be made at 337-1643, veterinary services were booked up in advance, there may be limited slots open, and more information is available at 334-9724, extension 6. The program will run through July 22nd.

A jury was seated in a federal courtroom in White Plains Monday in the trial of State Senator Tom Libous of Binghamton. Libous is accused of lying to the FBI about using his political influence in getting his son Matthew at a Westchester law firm. Matthew Libous faces prison time for tax evasion. Tom Libous still holds a seat in the New York State Senate.

Sidney village police department is asking for any information regarding the vandalism at the Sidney Pool Saturday night. Anyone with information can contact the Sidney police at 561-2301.

Federal officials have scheduled hearings on the 2nd natural gas pipeline proposal through the Southern Tier. The sessions hosted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will begin at 7:00 PM Thursday at the Foothills Performing Arts Center in Oneonta, & at the Days Inn in Schoharie. Kinder Morgan proposes constructing a pipeline along the same corridor as the recently approved Constitution Pipeline, to move gas from Pennsylvania into New England. The Kinder Morgan Pipeline still needs approval from FERC.

The Chenango county health department has scheduled a free rabies clinic tonight in Coventry. The clinic will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 at the Coventry Highway department, for dogs, cats & domesticated Ferrets.

State Police at Oneonta arrested 46 year old Nicholas Mihalik of Davenport for 3rd degree Assault. The arrest resulted from a complaint at a residence in the Town of Kortright, Mihalik was arraigned and remanded to the Delaware County Jail on bail.

Delaware County Public Health will hold a Free Rabies Vaccination Clinic For dogs, cats, and ferrets today. The clinic will run from 5:00 to 6:30 PM in the Colchester Highway Garage in Downsville.

On Friday July 3rd, members of the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office and Village of Hancock Police Department conducted a joint traffic safety check on State Highway 97 in the Village of Hancock that was funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee Police Traffic Services grant. 13 traffic tickets were issued, including 1 for Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a motor vehicle & 2 tickets for unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. On the same day Deputies participating in an Aggressive Driving Campaign issued 14 additional tickets for speeding and various other violations of vehicle & traffic law.

Delaware County Sheriff Deputies arrested 41-year-old Michael Carey of Oneonta for 1 count of Aggravated Unlicensed Operation in the town of Sidney,  Carey was found to have 11 active suspensions in effect. Carey was arraigned in the Town of Sidney Justice Court, posted bail and is scheduled to reappear on July 25th.

Delaware County Public health will provide a child car seat safety check during the Fair on the Square event at Delaware National Bank of Delhi on Friday July 17th from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at 121 main street. 73% of child car seats are not used or installed correctly, more information if available at 832-5200.

The Cancer Services Program of Delaware, Otsego and Schoharie counties will offer free health screenings to women 40 and older who are uninsured in Delhi today. The Bassett Cancer Institute’s mobile screening coach will be available, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at Price Chopper Parking Lot in Delhi. Appointments are available by calling 1-888-345-0225.

State Police at Oneonta arrested 28 year old Edward Cuevas of Oneonta for 2 separate incidents in the Town of Morris and the Town of Oneonta on July 5th. Cuevas was charged 1st degree Burglary & 2 counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, for allegedly entering a residence in the Town of Morris brandishing a handgun and threatened the occupant, while 2 minor children were present. The investigation revealed that a domestic incident had occurred earlier that date in the Town of Oneonta. Cuevas was charged with Criminal Mischief, Criminal Obstruction of Breathing or Circulation, Unlawful Imprisonment & Endangering the Welfare of a Child, plus additional drug charges Cuevas was arraigned in the Town of Oneonta Court and committed to the Otsego County Jail.

Oneonta City officials announce that Cobleskill Stone will be paving West Street between Clinton & College Terrace today, weather permitting. The Department of Public Service will be providing Flagged Personnel to regulate traffic in the work zone, more information is available at 432-6465.

The Delaware county department of Public Health announces another free rabies clinic tonight. The clinic will run from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Deposit Town Clerk's building at 3 Elm Street.

Governor Cuomo released details last night in Malone, regarding the escape of David Sweat & Richard Matt from the Clinton County Correctional Facility in early June.

(Cuomo PM)

Matt was killed by Police Friday, Police caught Sweat last night, he is being treated in an Albany area hospital for 2 gunshot wounds. On June 27, 2015, an autopsy was conducted on the remains of Richard Matt at Albany Medical Center. The autopsy on Matt determined the cause of death to be severe skull fractures and brain injuries due to gunshot wounds to the head, Toxicology results are pending.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation today officially prohibited high-volume hydraulic fracturing in New York State by issuing its formal Findings Statement, completing the state’s 7-year review of this activity. The DEC claims that after their research and examination, Fracking may pose significant adverse impacts to land, air, water, natural resources and potential significant public health impacts that cannot be adequately mitigated.  Hyrdo-fracking was allowed in certain portions of the state from 1979 through 2008, a copy of their "Findings Statement" is available at dec.ny.gov.

State Police confirmed that 31 year old Yishori Hamata, also known as Tyrell Rogers of Morris was found Sunday, in good health, A missing person investigation began June 18, when Hamata's abandoned car was found in New Berlin, More details are expected to be released & the investigation is continuing.

Delaware County Sheriff Deputies arrested 62 year old John Morton of Treadwell on 1 count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon, for allegedly owning a weapon, that he was prohibited from possessing. Morton was arraigned before the Delhi Town Court and released on his own recognizance to reappear on 7/1/15 at Meredith Town Court.

State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli released 2 audits revealing more than $70 million in questionable Medicaid claims and payments. DiNapoli’s auditors found the state reimbursed providers for excessive services, including 41 dental exams for one patient over three years and identified about a dozen providers that should have been kicked out of the system for wrongdoing. DiNapoli recommended the Department of Health review the overpayments identified and make recoveries, strengthen controls over claims processing to prevent improper payments for excessive services; and review the duplicate Medicaid payments identified and recover, as appropriate. DOH officials generally agreed with the recommendations, but indicated that certain findings were outdated because actions have already been taken to address system shortcomings.

Governor Cuomo announced the availability of free summer meals sites throughout the state to provide children from low-income households with fresh, healthy food when schools are out of session. about 360,000 children received free summer meals in New York in 2014, an increase of 9% from 2013. Children ages 18 and under, and disabled young adults over 18 who are enrolled in school programs for persons with disabilities, can receive the meals & snacks at the summer meals sites, a list of sites can be found at 1-800-522-5006 or visit summermealsny.org.

State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli announced the results of an audit of Delaware County’s usage & disposal of county vehicles. at issue was the random nature that the vehicles were used, stored after hours, and how several vehicles were sold for scrap when they might have brought in additional revenue if sold in traditional fashion, 2 were sold to a Delaware county employee at scrap price & were subsequently sold for his profit. County officials agreed with the report & the recommendations and will implement a stricter county vehicle use & disposal protocol.

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a Board of Education Meeting Today in the Guilford School Cafeteria at 5:45 PM. The business portion of the meeting will start at 7:00 PM.

Governor Cuomo brought the Enough is Enough campaign to Syracuse University, he said that sexual assault & rapes on campus needed to be treated as a crime, by law enforcement and not dealt internally & glossed over as bad publicity:

(Cuomo 5-7-15)

Cuomo also said that the campaign includes a website, ny.gov/EnoughisEnough, and a video featuring students, advocates and elected officials advocating for the passage of the legislation.

Delaware County Public Health, Early Childhood Direction Center, and Family Enrichment Network announced a conference on May 21st, at the Okun Theatre at SUNY Delhi featuring Lindsey Biel, regarding children's sensory processing issues, developmental delays, autism spectrum disorders, and other developmental challenges. The event will begin at 9:00 AM; registration is requested by email to rebecca.gardner@co.delaware.ny.us or by calling 832-5200.

Governor Cuomo announced a partnership between New York State and Project Lifesaver International to provide life-saving equipment and training for 50 law enforcement agencies to assist in missing child searches, for children with Autism, Down syndrome or another type of cognitive impairment that puts them at risk for wandering or becoming lost. 596 personal transmitters will be provided to agencies through an agreement between the state Division of Criminal Justice Services and Project Lifesaver. Sheriffs’ offices in the following 21 counties will receive transmitters, including Broome County, sheriffs’ offices that already partner with Project Lifesaver will each receive 11 transmitters to add to their existing supply, including in
Chenango, Delaware, & Otsego counties locally.

The State DMV & the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee announced that May is Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month, to remind motorists to watch for motorcyclists, as more bikes are on the roads with the onset of warmer weather. In 2013, there were more than 5,100 motorcycle crashes in New York State, resulting in 171 fatalities and more than 5,000 injuries. More information can be found at dmv.ny.gov, or safeny.ny.gov.

State & Federal Prosecutors announced that State Assembly member William Scarborough of Queens entered guilty pleas on federal and State public charges stemming for public corruption, wire fraud & theft. He faces up to 20 years in prison on the wire fraud count, 10 years in prison on the count charging theft concerning a program receiving federal funds, and fines of up to $250,000 on each count. SCARBOROUGH also agreed to resign his position as a Member of the State Assembly, pay $54,355 restitution to New York State. Scarborough was accused of misusing travel vouchers for personal gain & misusing his own campaign account.

The Otsego county health department will host another free rabies clinic in Oneonta today. The clinic will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Neahwa Park.

An increase in the abuse of synthetic marijuana, led to Governor Cuomo issuing a health alert for the state. Cuomo's office stated that there were more than 160 people have reportedly been hospitalized due to abusing the drug, most of the abuse has been by teens or young adults. Cuomo’s banned the selling of Synthetic marijuana & bath salts in 2012.

Hartwick College will host its first Local Trade Fair Thursday, with More than 25 local businesses promoting their products and services, spokesperson Kerri Green said that there a some spaces open for interested area small businesses to sign up & participate:

(Kerri Green 4-20-15)

The Event is free & open to the public; more information is available at 431-4998.

More than 115,000 available jobs are now listed on the State Labor Department Jobs Express website at jobs.ny.gov. The site sorts thousands of jobs by region and occupation, and also allows users to search jobs based on zip code and travel distance. The 115.000 job listings are a new record high, with new listings added every day.

On Friday, Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to Gardner Road in the Town of Colchester for a reported violation of an order of protection, issued by the Delaware County Family; Deputies arrested 33-year-old Roger Vernold of Downsville for Criminal Trespass, Criminal Contempt, and Aggravated Harassment. Appearance tickets were issued for Town of Colchester Court at a later date.

Sidney village officials announced hydrants flushing would continue for the next 2 weeks. Flushing throughout the village will be from 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM daily, residents may experience roily water during those hours.

The annual Big Wheels Golf Tournament, held at the Delhi College Golf Course, will take place on Friday, May 8, 2015, according to the Big Wheels tournament committee. The event serves as a primary fundraiser for programs and services, which provide assistance to Delaware County senior citizens.  Applications for the tournament can be obtained by contacting the Delaware County Office for the Aging at 607-746-6333.

Today at the Boston Marathon, WCDO Sports Director Nate Lull finished the 26-mile race in 3 hours 19 minutes & 1 second, with a pace of 7 minutes 35 seconds per mile.

It’s Day 6 of the new state fiscal year, and area lawmakers have had a chance to look over the specific details of the new state budget. Area Assemblyman Cliff Crouch told WCDO News that area school districts received more funding and less of a negative effect from the Gap Elimination Adjustment:

(Crouch 4-6-15)

Crouch said that by next years budget, the Gap Elimination Adjustment should be completely wiped off the books, it devastated upstate schools over the previous 5 years.

Delaware County Sheriff's deputies arrested Daniel Quakenbush of Meredith Friday following a domestic incident. Deputies charged Quackenbush with Aggravated Harassment, and Criminal Mischief, he was arraigned in the Town of Meredith Court and remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $3000 cash bail or $6000 Bond pending future court action.

Governor Cuomo today encouraged New Yorkers to help fight obesity during this year’s 20th anniversary of National Public Health Week, which begins today. Obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death in the nation, has also reached epidemic levels in New York State. the state Department of Health will be providing health tips through social media under the hash tag #GetFitNYS, more information is available at health.ny.gov. In New York State, 25.4% of adults are obese and another 35.9% are overweight, 32% of the states school aged children are also obese or overweight.

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a SPECIAL Board of Education Meeting tonight in the District Conference Room at 6:30 PM. The board will move into executive session until 7:00 PM. The 2015-16 Spending plan will be discussed.

The national tour of ANYTHING GOES, the new Broadway revival of Cole Porter’s musical, will stop in Binghamton on April 26 for 2 shows. Tickets are on sale now at The Arena Box Office, Ticketmaster and online at BroadwayinBinghamton.com. the shows are scheduled for 3:00 & 7:30 PM at the Forum Theater in Binghamton.

State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli released the results of an audit on Delaware County regarding 3rd party procurement procedures, the audit found that the county needs to ensure that it awards contracts to service providers only after soliciting competition through a bidding process & that a stated period of services be included in contracts, the county also needs to establish a Board of Ethics. The audit also suggests that the Department of Social Services should reconcile the payments made to third-party providers on an annual basis & the Department of Mental Health should ensure that all payments to 3rd party providers are adequately supported prior to payment. County officials agreed with the recommendations and indicated they planned to take corrective action.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced the formation of a coalition of state attorneys general from Connecticut, Indiana and Puerto Rico to further investigate the business practices of the herbal supplement industry. The coalition's formation follows a recent analysis that found contaminants, unlabeled plant species, and other substances in certain herbal supplements, many of the supplements had either been heavily processed & the genetic material of the original plant source was undetectable. Mislabeled supplements ingested by the public may pose a significant danger to those who have food allergies or take medication.

A Free Rabies Vaccination Clinic For dogs, cats, and ferrets today from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Delhi Fire Hall, 140 Delview Terrace, Delhi. More information about Rabies is available at 832-5200 or delawarecountypublichealth.com

Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies identified the person and vehicle sought in a Sands Creek Road, Town of Tompkins burglary investigation. 32-year-old Justin Biedekapp of Hancock, confessed to the crime to authorities after surveillance photos & information were released to the media. Biedekapp was charged with 2nd degree Criminal Trespass & was issued an appearance ticket returnable in the Town of Tompkins Court at a later date.

Governor Cuomo presented the second part of his "2015 Opportunity Agenda" Thursday at a presentation in Rochester, to discuss the $1.5 billion Upstate New York Economic Revitalization Competition to restore economic opportunity to the Upstate regions.

(Cuomo 1-16-15)

The proposed competition uses the Buffalo Billion’s proven model, Projects exhibiting region-wide impact will be made a priority and should focus on strengthening critical infrastructure, revitalizing communities, bolstering workforce development, growing tourism, and improving quality of life. 7 regions are eligible to compete for 1 of 3 $500 million upstate revitalization funds.

Governor Cuomo recently asked the Gaming Casino Location Siting Board to consider awarding the 4th casino license to the Southern Tier Region, after awarding only 3 licenses out of 4 last month. Area State Senator John Bonacic stated that the Sullivan County choice in his district is outstanding, and should be fast-tracked to get open quickly, before considering Tioga downs:

(Bonacic 1-16-15)

Bonacic said that the casino in Sullivan County is projected to being over 20 million dollars a year in extra revenue to the Sullivan & Orange County areas due to the expected increased tourism to the area because of the new casino.

Nigel Saunders was found guilty of 2 counts of 2nd degree murder, 1st degree burglary 1st degree robbery and 2nd degree assault in Broome County court this morning. Saunders was on trial for the murder of 23-year-old Jordan Dordell & his fiancé in Binghamton, after only 3 hours of deliberation. Saunders will be sentenced on March 27th.

The state Department of Health inappropriately paid more than 29,000 pharmacy claims worth nearly $1 million over a 27-month period for thousands of Medicaid recipients whose benefits were already covered by other plans, according to an audit released today by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. A second audit released today found another $61,711 in overpayments to providers because of incorrect Medicare coinsurance, copayment or deductible amounts. DiNapoli recommended that the DOH Review and recover improper overpayments; instruct providers to bill Medicare Part C claims in accordance with existing requirements, & assess all claims that auditors did not examine in detail and determine if overpayments were made that warrant recovery.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown announced today that an Arizona Diamondbacks logo will appear on the cap of the Hall of Fame plaque for 2015 Hall of Fame electee Randy Johnson. The cap selections for Pedro Martinez and John Smoltz will be announced on January 22nd Craig Biggio played his entire career with the Houston Astros. This year’s Hall of Fame Class will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, July 26th in Cooperstown.

The Chenango County Sheriff's Department arrested 19-year-old Maxwell Horton of Sherburne for unlawful possession of marihuana. Deputies arrested Horton following a traffic stop for vehicle and traffic violations and during the investigation of the traffic stop deputies found Horton to be in possession of marihuana. Horton was released on an appearance ticket for Village of Sherburne court on a later date.

The State DEC extended the public comment period on the draft permit for the proposed Constitution Pipeline and an upgrade to the Iroquois Wright Compressor station in Schoharie County by an additional 28 days.  Public comments will now be accepted until Friday, February 27.  Written comments should be submitted to: DEC – Division of Environmental Permits, 625 Broadway, 4th Floor, Albany, NY  12233. Copies of the documents can be viewed online at constitutionpipeline.com,  Printed copies are available at the Libraries in Afton, Bainbridge, Franklin, Sidney & Deposit.