WCDO Radio News

Attorney General Letitia James today announced another court victory against the National Rifle Association and former Executive Vice President & CEO Wayne LaPierre, and other top executives, The judgment will require LaPierre to pay $4.3 million back to the organization LaPierre had sought to overturn the 2024 judgment against him filed by James in 2020, the motion was rejected in State Supreme Court. LaPierre was also banned from serving as an officer or director of the NRA or any organization under the NRA's direct control for 10 years.

State Police announced that 106,509 tickets were issued statewide, as part of the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over traffic enforcement period from December 13, and ended Monday, January 1, 2024. State Troopers arrested 510 people for DWI and investigated 3,210 accidents, which resulted in 420 people being injured and five fatalities. In Troop C, troopers had 1077 tickets for speeding, 37 for DWI, 57 for distracted driving 24 violators for the Move Over Law & a total of over 2700 tickets during the enforcement period.

Attorney General Letitia James announced that Joshua Powell, a former National Rifle Association Executive Director of Operations and Chief of Staff to recently resigned NRA Executive Wayne LaPierre, has reached a $100,000 agreement with her office. Powell was 1 of 5 defendants in a lawsuit brought by the Office of the Attorney General against the NRA and senior management in August 2020. The trial of the claims against the NRA and the remaining defendants will begin today.

P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 3-3-22

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

Governor Cuomo officially became the chairman of the National Governor's Association Wednesday, replacing Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland.  Cuomo served as Vice-Chairman under Hogan, he is the 1st New York Governor to become the Chairman of the Association, and Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson becomes the new Vice Chairman of the Association.

State Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit seeking to dissolve the National Rifle Association for the illegal diversion of millions of dollars away from the mission of the organization for personal use by senior leadership, awarding contracts to the financial gain of close associates and family, trips to the Bahamas, private jets, expensive meals, and other private travel, the lawsuit seeks to shut down the NRA & recoup millions in lost assets and to stop the Wayne LaPierre & 3 other defendants from serving on the board of any not-for-profit charitable organization in New York again.

With the National Weather
Service forecasting Wind chills approaching 30 degrees below 0, it is advised
that people try to limit their time outside, according to area meteorologist
Rich Townsend:

(Rich Townsend 1-30-19)

The Wind Chill Warning is
remaining in effect until Thursday at 6:00 PM.

Delaware County Corrections
Sergeant Alan Weaver of Andes was named “Corrections Officer of the Year” by
the New York State Sheriff’s Association winter conference held in Albany, last
week.  Corrections Officer of the Year is
an award that is bestowed on a Sheriff’s Correction Officer who has
demonstrated an exceptional degree of dedication and commitment to the duties
of the Sheriff’s Office in operating County Jails.

State Police received a report Monday that 30 year old
Nicholas Philhower had taken his mother’s vehicle without permission and she
requested he be located and arrested.
Trooper Timothy Conklin observed the suspect vehicle on State Route 17
in the Town of Kirkwood,  Philhower took
evasive action, traveling through the median and then onto State Route 17 east
bound, coming to a stop shortly thereafter.
Philhower was armed with a military style semi-automatic rifle,
immediately opened fire on Trooper Conklin through the rear window of the
vehicle.  Trooper Conklin returned fire
through the windshield of his troop car as Philhower exited his vehicle and
continued to advance and fire upon the trooper.
Trooper Conklin was able to reload, exit the troop car and continue to
exchange fire.   Philhower was struck
several times and died at the scene.
Trooper Conklin sustained a minor shrapnel injury to his upper right arm
and was taken to Wilson Hospital in Johnson City where he was treated and
released.  An autopsy on Philhower will
be performed today at Lourdes Hospital.
The investigation is on-going.

The National Rifle Association filed a lawsuit Friday against Governor Cuomo & the State Department of Financial Services, the NRA Accuses accusing them of coercing banks and insurance companies to withhold services to the gun lobbying group. The lawsuit asks the court to award unspecified monetary damages to the NRA and stop the state from prohibiting the insurance companies from doing business with the gun lobby group. Cuomo said the NRA's lawsuit is a desperate attempt to advance its agenda to sell more guns.

School Budget Votes and Board of Education Seats will be decided across the state tomorrow. The majority of school tax levy increases are at or below the state spending cap, according to the New York State School Board Association, more than half of the Board of Education seat races have only 1 candidate running.

The Broome County Veterans for Peace exchanged grocery certificates as well as $50 for long guns and $100 for handguns and assault weapons Saturday. The event was held at the American Civic Association, where a mass shooting occurred, where Jiverly Wong shot & killed 13 people in 2009.

52 year old Michael Slack of Otego has been charged with making a terroristic threat, Menacing, criminal possession of a weapon, & Harassment, following the report of a domestic dispute Tuesday. Slack is accused of making terroristic threats about government officials, & threatening a victim with a rifle; he was arraigned & was remanded to the Otsego County jail on $25,000 cash or $50,000 bond.

The Delaware County Historical Association will feature Kurt Reigel, who owns & is restoring the Andrew Mann Inn on State Route 7 Riverside Sidney. The presentation will begin at 2:00 pm Saturday regarding the building that was built in 1787; it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. There is no admission fee for this event, more information, is available at 746-3849.

The Color Run will be held in Binghamton Sunday, at SUNY BROOME. The event will benefit Mental Health Association of the Southern Tier, check in begins at 7:30 AM; the run begins at 10:30 AM.

State Police CNET arrested 36 year old Matthew Mazepa of Harpursville, in the City of Binghamton on active felony bench warrants from Chenango County Court. Mazepa was found to be in possession of an assault rifle, crystal methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine, marihuana, ammunition and drug paraphernalia. Mazepa was charged with Criminal Possession Controlled Substance, Criminal Possession of a Weapon, Tampering with physical evidence, Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia & Resisting Arrest, he was arraigned and remanded to the Broome County Jail without bail.

Membership in the National Rifle Association has increased in New York since the state's New York SAFE Act went into effect 1 year ago.  . The number of people who enrolled nearly doubled last year, New York previously ranked 3rd in NRA membership behind Texas and California, New York now has the most NRA members.

The National Weather Service issued a wind chill warning until 7:00 PM Tuesday, with the coldest wind chill values of 25 to 35 below zero occurring tomorrow morning. Sidney High School Science Teacher & Meteorologist Rich Townsend comments:

(Rich Townsend 1-6-14)

The cold poses a risk of frostbite and hypothermia, even for people who are outside for a short period of time. Wear several layers of clothing, cover all exposed skin and wear a hat to guard against frostbite and hypothermia

Gun-rights groups and the state vowed to continue their battle in federal court over New York’s gun-control law. The state’s Attorney General’s Office will appeal a portion of a federal judge’s ruling that tossed New York’s provision that limits a magazine to seven bullets as part of the SAFE Act. The state Rifle & Pistol Association filed its own notice of appeal. They plan to seek an appeals court ruling to overturn the entire law, claiming it is unconstitutional and impedes on citizens’ Second Amendment rights. Both sides anticipate the case may end up before the U.S. Supreme Court.