WCDO Radio News

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 12-3-24

Chenango County Sheriff’s Office Detectives Division arrested 2 Norwich Juveniles last week for 3rd degree Burglary, Criminal Mischief, Grand Larceny & Conspiracy in the 6th degree. On the morning of August 17, a business in the Town of Norwich was burglarized by the juveniles, property was damaged and merchandise was stolen. The Juvenile’s were brought to the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office for processing, they were arraigned in Chenango County Youth Court, the case was turned over to Chenango County Family Court, where the Juveniles were released into the custody of their parents/guardians.

The Broome County Special Investigations Unit Task Force were alerted to a stolen SUV by multiple license plate readers, the vehicle was located in Binghamton , officers approached the stolen vehicle, & the driver, 32 year old Zachary Swire of Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania drove away, he was wanted on 2 active arrest warrants for felony theft of a motor vehicle and related charges. Swire refused to comply, struck multiple vehicles & went back into Pennsylvania on 3 wheels, he went off the road, attempted to flee on foot & was taken into custody. He was charged in New York for Reckless Endangerment, criminal mischief, criminal possession of stolen property & obstruction governmental administration, he was turned back over to Pennsylvania authorities to face felony charges in his home state.

Area Children will be able to send a letter to Santa again this year, with local mailboxes to be set up locally, TERI SCHUNK of 4 Towns Forward comments:

(Teri Schunk 12-3-24)

Schunk also reminds Sidney area residents that the Holly Jolly Days parade will be held this Friday, anyone who want to participate should line up in the Sidney Plaza at 5:00 PM, the parade will be followed by the tree lighting & visits with Santa.

The Mid York Concert band will hold their annual holiday concert this weekend, conductor Doug Ernst explains:

(DOUG ERNST 12-3-24)

The program is free on Sunday but donations are accepted to help with operating costs, this year is the 40th anniversary of the Mid York Concert band.

A.M. NEWS Tuesday 12-3-24

The State DEC welcomed 9 new graduates from the 24th Basic School for New York State Forest Rangers in Albany Monday afternoon. In 2023, Forest Rangers conducted 370 search and rescue missions, extinguished 146 wildfires covering nearly 1,400 acres, participated in dozens of prescribed fires that served to rejuvenate more than 1,000 acres of land, and worked on cases that resulted in hundreds of tickets or arrests.

UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital Auxiliary will hold their “Be the Light,” Holiday celebration tonight, Contributors and community leaders are invited to attend the lighting ceremony and reception at 5:30pm at Newton House, 179 North Broad Street, Norwich. For more information, call 607-337-4151.

Saturday is Small Business Saturday across the nation, Teri Schunk of the Sidney Chamber of Commerce & 4 Towns Forward reminds local residents to shop local in the stores & at events where numerous vendors will be located in 1 location:

(Teri Schunk 11-27-24)

In addition to local stores being open with special holiday sales Saturday, Small businesses generate $68 in local economic return for every $100 spent with them, according to the latest statistics from the US Chamber of Commerce.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 9-25-24

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is co-sponsoring legislation to have the Department of Homeland Security address the issue of illegal drugs, weapons & undocumented Migrants entering the U.S. through the Northern Border with Canada in increases numbers, likely from the efforts of Mexican & Central American Drug Cartels:

(Gillibrand 9-25-24)

The FBI statistics show that the number of people crossing the Southern border has decreased to more traditional levels of a million to 1.5 million a year, but the number entering through Canada has jumped from about 110,000 a few years ago, to almost 400,000 this year already. The bill is expected to be passed by a Senate Committee today & move forward to a possible full Senate vote.

When voters go to the polling places on Election Day in November, many will see different names on the ballot due to another round of redistricting, local Assemblyman Joe Angelino is running in his 3rd different district since his first election in November 2020, he told WCDO News about what he gains & & loses in the district:

(Joe Angelino 9-25-24)

Angelino is running against Democrat Vicky Davis in the 121st Assembly District on Election day.

State Trooper Christopher DiBartolo of Troop F in Middletown was arrested for 1st degree Robbery, criminal mischief & Officials Misconduct, following an investigation of an incident outside a residence in the village of Liberty in 2023. The victim came forward after he was involved in an incident with DiBartolo while he was on duty, reporting that Trooper DiBartolo took personal property from him, causing damage. DiBartolo was arraigned in the Town of Liberty Court and released on his own recognizance until the next court date scheduled for August 27, he has been suspended without pay from his position as a State Trooper.

The 30th Colorscape Chenango Arts Festival will return to downtown Norwich in September, with many new participants and previous favorites returning, according to organizer Michele Erickson:

(Michelle Erickson 8-7-24)

The Colorscape Chenango Arts Festival will be held on September 7th & 8th in downtown Norwich with the artists, numerous musical acts and numerous food vendors

Governor Kathy Hochul announced that $200 million in funding is now available through the State’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative and New York Forward programs. Together, the programs have awarded $1 billion in funding to 124 communities across the State since 2016. Applications are now available, the deadline to apply is October 18th, Municipalities can get more information at ny.gov/programs.

Plans are moving forward for projects in the Norwich DRI Grant program, Commerce Chenango CEO & President Sal Testani explains:

(Sal Testani 7-11-24)

Among the project, and American Avenue Beautification Project, the Lackawanna Avenue Project, the downtown boutique hotel, a downtown brewery project, improvements to the Martin W. Kappel Theater, and a multi-purpose plan for the old Unguentine Building.

The 2024 Otsego County Fair is set to take place July 30 to August 4. spokesperson Lisa Jackson told WCDO News that there are many new vendors & attractions this year:

(Lisa Jackson 7-11-24)

More Information is available at their website: otsegocountyfair.org or on their Facebook page.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 6-26-24

The Southern Tier Music Fest is fast approaching on July 6th at the Sidney Municipal Airport, there are General Admission Tickets left according to Teri Schunk of 4Towns Forward & The Sidney Chamber of Commerce:

(Teri Schunk 6-26-24)

Sidney Village Mayor Ray Baker said that there are some rules for this event on Village Property & it will be advantageous to the village:

(Ray Baker 6-26-24)

More information is available at southerntiermusicfest.com.

On June 19th, State Police conducted an Underage Drinking Initiative in Chenango County. During the initiative, 13 businesses in Norwich & Sherburne were checked for compliance, all 13 were found in compliance and did not sell any alcohol to the underage operative. During these investigations, businesses are checked utilizing a Trooper in plain clothes and one or several underage operatives who cannot lie about their age or provide a false date of birth.

Tuesday was Primary day in New York State, there were not many primary races in the Tri-County, for democrats in the 102nd Assembly District, Janet Tweed defeated Mary Finneran by a vote of 1779 to 1,696. The 102nd District takes up a large portions of Delaware & Otsego Counties.

The U.S. Department of Labor found A.W. Stiles Contractors of McMinnville, Tennessee failed to provide 4 workers with effective fall protection, following an investigation, into a fatal fall of a worker in Smyrna, last December, The workers were replacing an aluminum standing seam roof on a building at Baillie Lumber Company, OSHA also found that A.W. Stiles did not train employees on fall hazards & respiratory hazards were not evaluated, Stiles also failed to ensure workers were medically able to use respirators. A.W. Stiles was cited for 8 violations, with a total of $83,885 in penalties.

American Red Cross Blood Drives will continue today, one will be held from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM at the Delhi Alliance Church, another will be in Oneonta, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Hunt College Union at SUNY Oneonta, Appointments can be made at RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App.

Broome County District Attorney's office announced that 56 year old Daniel Erickson of Greene, pleaded guilty in Broome County Court to Luring a Child, which was the top charge of the Indictment against him. Between June 28, 2023, and July 7, 2023, Erickson communicated with a 16-year-old student through Snapchat, for the purpose of luring the victim into a vehicle with the intention to engage in sexual acts. Broome County Sheriff's Office Detectives were able to apprehend Erickson before he made any physical contact with the victim. Erickson was fired from his position as a Middle School Principal in the Johnson City School District, he will be sentenced on July 30th to 6 months in jail, followed by 5 years’ of probation supervision, he was ordered to pay restitution to the victim, & he must register as a sex offender to the state's registry. Erickson will appear back in Broome County Court on May 6th for the purpose of turning himself in to begin serving the jail time.

The Bainbridge Community Center will be the site for an Open House & Grand Opening Celebration Wednesday Night, Teri Schunk of 4Towns Forward comments:

(Teri Schunk 4-30-24)

More information about renting the facility is available by calling Dolores Nabinger at 607-237-9414.

Another Red Cross Blood Drive is being held this afternoon in Cooperstown from 1:00 to 6:00 PM at the Clark's Sports Center. Appointments are encouraged by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, at RedCrossBlood.org, or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS.

A.M. NEWS Tuesday 4-30-24

The Village of Bainbridge Board of Trustees will hold an informational meeting tonight at 6:30 PM in the Bainbridge Town Hall, Mayor Phil Wade explains:

(Phil Wade 4-30-24)

Streets that potentially may be affected are Front, River, North Main, Pruyn, Parsons and Freiot Avenue, tonight The board is seeking comments from all interested parties. Representatives from the solar project will also be present to address any questions or concerns.

Broome County Sheriff's Office arrested 37 year old Scott Hanrahan of Sanford for Criminal Possession of a Weapon, Criminal Possession of an Assault Weapon & Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance. On Saturday Broome County Sheriff’s Road Patrol conducted a traffic stop on Route I-86 West in the Town of Windsor, deputies located cocaine, along with various assault weapons & multiple rounds of ammunition, Hanrahan had previous felony convictions & is facing new charges for illegal weapon and drug possession following the traffic stop. Hanrahan was arraigned at Central Arraignment Part and remains in custody at the Broome County Correctional Facility.

P.M. NEWS FRIDAY 4-26-24

Sidney Police Department received report of an armed robbery Friday Afternoon at about 1:35 PM at Smiley's at 17 West Main Street. The suspect displayed a Handgun, demanded cash, he was wearing a black and purple wig, blue Oneonta YellowJackets hooded sweatshirt and pink slippers. The suspect left went hrough yards, left behind the disguises and left in a Silver Subaru parked on Adams Street, & left the village. The suspect is a bald or balding, heavy set white male over 6 feet tall. Sidney Police were assisted by STate Police & Delaware County Deputies, Anyone with any information should contact the Sidney Police Department at 607 561-2301, more information is available at the Village of Sidney Police Department Facebook page.

State Police in Oneonta is attempting to identify an individual that was captured on a surveillance camera at the GameStop store located on State Route 23 in the town of Oneonta in regard to a larceny investigation. If anyone recognizes the individual pictured at https://troopers.ny.gov/news/state-police-seek-public-assistance-identifying-individual-captured-surveillance-camera, they are asked to contact State Police in Oneonta at (607) 432-3211.

The 4 Towns Forward Community Yard sales event will beheld tomorrow, Teri Schunk of 4 Towns Forward comments:

(Teri Schunk 4-26-24)

Also, the Unadilla & Bainbridge Fire Departments will hold their Open House events tomorrow, in an effort to get more people involved in their local fire department, according to Roger Barnhart of the Bainbridge EMS Squad:

(Roger Barnhart 4-25-24)

The Bainbridge & Unadilla Fire Departments Open House events will be held from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

Mothers & Babies Peri-Natal Network is hosting a free event in Norwich This Saturday, with a variety of organizations on hand to help educate new Moms & Dads, Director Christy Finch explains:

(Christy Finch 4-26-24)

The event will be held from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the SUNY Morrisville Norwich Campus, more information is available at 772-0517.

39 year old Timothy Jarczynski of Maryland pleaded guilty to DWI in Davenport Town Court & was sentenced to a 1-year conditional discharge. On September 28, 2022, a citizen called 911 to report an erratic driver on State Route 23, after following Jarczynski for approximately 10 minutes, he crashed into a ditch where a State Trooper determined that Jarczynski was impaired at the time of the accident. Jarczynski was sentenced to a 1-year conditional discharge and his license was revoked, he was ordered to attend a victim impact panel and successfully complete the impaired driver’s program, If he obtains a driver’s license, he will be required to install an ignition interlock device in any vehicle he owns or operates, he could still face 1 year in jail if he violates any of these conditions.

The Acco Brands plant in Sidney is being sold, Acco Officials said that the company signed a non-binding letter of intent to sell the building to a renewable energy company, if the building is sold in 2024, operations would continue in Sidney throughout much of 2024. CONVALT of Watertown is believed to be the purchaser as they announced on their website their plans to build their main factory, in Sidney with a targeted date of commercial operation in the 1st quarter of 2025.

The 4Towns Forward Community Yard Sale Day is scheduled for Saturday, April 27th in Afton, Bainbridge, Sidney & Unadilla. those who wish to participate & have their sale listed on the map must email 4townsforward@gmail.com, today is the deadline to get on the map.

The Deadline to sign up to sell your wares & get on the 4 Towns Forward Maps for their April 27th event is approaching, Teri Schunk of 4 Towns Forward explains:

(Teri Schunk 4-9-24)

The 4 Towns Forward Yard Sale event will be on Saturday April 27th, also the Unadilla & Bainbridge Fire Departments will have their community Open House & Recruitment event as well.

The 2024 Great New York State Fair begins Wednesday, August 21 and continues through Monday, September 2. Some of the acts lined up for the Chevrolet Court free Concerts will include; Chubby Checker, Sophie B. Hawkins, Sister Sledge, Herman’s Hermits Starring Peter Noone, & Blue Öyster Cult, dates & times can be found at nysfair.ny.gov.

State Attorney General Letitia James announced that 2 conservative political operatives; Jacob Wohl and Jack Burkman, will have to pay $1.25 million under a settlement to New York. Wohl & Burkman orchestrated a robocall campaign to dissuade about 85,000 Black people from voting in the 2020 election, in Ohio, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania and Illinois. The robocall told the victims that they could be subjected to arrest, debt collection and forced vaccination if they voted by mail. Wohl and Burkman pleaded guilty to felony telecommunications fraud in Ohio, they were sued in New York by The National Coalition on Black Civil Participation, they also recruited a college student to falsely claim he was raped by then-Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg.

A.M. NEWS TUESDAY 4-9-24

Broome County District Attorney's office announced that 39 year old Majid Richardson of Binghamton was found guilty of 4 counts of Criminal Contempt, plus 3rd degree Robbery and 2 counts of Grand Larceny by a Jury in Broome County Court. On June 1, 2023, Richardson forcibly stole from a victim and then attempted to contact that victim multiple times from Broome County Jail after an order of protection was issued. Richardson is due back in court for sentencing on July 3, 2024, where he will be sentenced to State Prison.

Recently Expelled Long Island former congressman George Santos announced he is running for Congress for a different seat than the one he held previously. Santos was charged with Conspiracy, Wire Fraud, False Statements, Falsification of Records, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Credit Card Fraud. A trial is expected to begin in September.

A.M. NEWS FRIDAY 3-8-24

The Broome County Sheriff’s Office attempting to identify a white female, who attempted to fraudulently cash a $4,000 check at a bank using an ID stolen from a vehicle in Otsiningo Park in Binghamton on February 22, There was also an apparent attempt to cash a check in Vestal using the same victim’s ID. Anyone with information on the identity of the female suspect is asked to please contact the Broome County Sheriff’s Office at 607-778-8861, the picture of the suspect can be found on the Broome County Sheriff's Office Facebook Page.

Clocks will “spring forward” one hour at 2:00 AM on Sunday. Area Fire Departments also suggest that you test or replace batteries in old school Smoke Detectors this weekend.

P.M. NEWS MONDAY 1-22-24

Broome County Sheriff Fred Akshar announced a new program today to combat domestic violence with assistance from the Crime Victims Assistance Center and the Family Violence Prevention Council:

(Sheriff Akshar 1-22-24)

Family Violence Prevention Council Coordinator Kristin Beylo commented that the program is patterned after one in Westchester County, and what the plans are for the program going forward:

(Kristin Beylo 1-22-24)

The program utilizes evidence-based screenings to help law enforcement better assess potential lethality by identifying common red flags, patterns and responses associated with domestic homicides.

Delaware County Sheriff's Office arrested 28 year old Frank Mazepa of Morris on 2 counts of Criminal Possession of a controlled substance. On January 8, Deputies assisted the SUNY Delhi Police Department on a traffic stop in the Village of Delhi, it was determined that the passenger in the vehicle was in possession of a quantity of crack cocaine and heroin. Mazepa was released on appearance tickets for the Town of Delhi court at a later date.

The Broome County district Attorney's Office announced that on January 12th, in Broome County Court, just prior to trial, Craig Brigham of the Town of Maine, pleaded guilty to felony Attempted Robbery. On August 1st, 2022, Brigham entered the Vestal Walmart selected a backpack and miscellaneous merchandise. When an employee attempted to retrieve the stolen merchandise, Brigham pulled out a small aerosol can and threatened to pepper spray the employee. Brigham will be sentenced in Broome County Court on April 12th to 1.5 to 3 years at a state prison.

The Broome County Sheriff’s Office is currently looking for Andrew Green on an outstanding warrant for Violation of Probation for Criminal Contempt and asking the residents of Broome County for assistance. Green is described as a Black male, 6'2" 250 pounds, a bald head & brown eyes, Anyone with information is asked to contact the Broome County Sheriff’s Office at gobroomecounty.com or by calling the Broome County Sheriff’s Office tip line at (607) 778-1196.

The Chenango Arts Council is looking for artists to come forward if they want to display their works in their Norwich Gallery, spokesperson Mary Beth Miller explains:

(Mary Beth Miller 1-10-24)

Miller said that the artists interest in submitting proposals should email them: info@chenangoarts.org.

A.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 1-10-24

Hundreds of NYSEG customers were still without power this afternoon, in the WCDO listening area, due to last night's storms with high winds leading to downed tree limbs & power lines, over 2400 customers were without power early this morning, the number was about 370 this afternoon, crews will continue to work until all the power is restored