WCDO Radio News

Sunday was "World AIDS Day"
Governor Cuomo announced that the number of new HIV infections continues to
fall to historically low levels. The new data further validates that New York's
aggressive actions are keeping the state on track to achieve Governor Cuomo's
goal of "Ending the Epidemic" by the end of 2020. Additionally, data
from 2018 shows 82 percent of newly diagnosed New Yorkers were connected with
care within 30 days of being newly diagnosed with HIV.

State Police & Broome County
Emergency crews responded to a 20 car pile-up on I-81 in the town of Barker
near Castle Creek Sunday afternoon.  The
crash was due to slick roads from the freezing rain & snow, no injuries
were reported, the investigation is continuing.

The Delaware Valley Humane Society is
teaming up with Staffworks to raise money starting tomorrow, to help pay for
the Shelter's everyday expenses, Shelter Director Erin Insinga explains:

(Erin Insinga 11-13-19)

More information is
available by calling the Delaware Valley Humane Society at 563-7780.

Governor Cuomo today announced the
deployment of state assets to regions of the state hit hardest by the winter
storm.  The State DOT has deployed over
2200 pieces of equipment to clear roads around the state.  Governor Cuomo also directed non-essential
state employees in the affected areas, to not report to work today.

The latest financial report from the
Cuomo administration shows the state is facing a more than $6 billion budget
shortfall in the next fiscal year.  The
biggest spending growth is for Medicaid payments, where, in recent years, the
state has deferred some Medicaid expenses from one year to the next to balance
the books.  Governor Cuomo will outline
in January his plans to balance the next budget.

State Lawmakers are proposing to
equip state troopers with body cameras.
The camera proposal was introduced this fall; it could be passed as part
of the next legislative session in January.
Many Law Enforcement Agencies around the state have already implemented
Body Cameras & Dashboard Cameras systems.

Several
area fire departments responded today to a structure fire at the East Branch
Harvard Methodist Church at 120 Fish Road in East Branch.  Fire companies from all over Delaware County
responded to the WCDO News will have further details as they become available.

Governor
Cuomo announced that application fees for the State University of New York and
City University of New York systems will be waived for veterans and their
spouses.  The SUNY and CUNY systems
require applicants to pay a fee ranging from $50 to $65.  The Board of Trustees for both CUNY and SUNY
will include resolutions to implement the change at their next board meetings.

O’Connor
Hospital has granted $1,600 through its Complete Streets Committee to the
Catskill Recreation Center for their work on walkable communities. The grant
will help fund a ½ mile trail on the Center’s property in Arkville that will be
connected to a larger network of trails to help establish the hamlet as a
recreational hub.  Trail development will
begin this month.

Governor
Cuomo today announced that New York residents and non-residents can fish for
free without a fishing license today, on Veterans Day.    Legislation signed by the Governor in 2015
allowed an increase in the number of authorized statewide Free Fishing Days.
Every year since, Veterans Day has been designated as a Free Fishing Day.

Free
5-gallon pails of remixed exterior latex paint are now available to non-profit
agencies and county residents of Otsego County  on a first come first serve basis. The paint
was collected as part of the recent Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day,
it was re-mixed and packaged for distribution by  Golden Artist Colors of New Berlin.  More information is available by calling the
Otsego County Planning Department at 547-4225.

State
Police issued a total of 1,048 tickets statewide during Operation Hardhat.   State Police conducted 28 separate details
at DOT operated work zones, starting in August through early November.  493 were issued for speeding, 92 for cell
phone use and 72 violations of New York's Move Over law.

Governor Cuomo signed legislation
conforming laws in estate planning and surrogates court procedures to the
Marriage Equality Act.    The new law
updates the language in the Estates, Powers and Trusts Law to recognize same
sex marriages by removing phrases such as "husband/wife" and
replacing it with "spouses, husbands or wives." In the Surrogate's
Court Procedure Act, the phrase "father and mother" is updated and
replaced with "parents".  The
law goes into effect immediately.

Operation Merry Christmas is winding
up the first part of their process in the coming days, to gather all of the
information on toy requests & children’s clothing sizes, to be given out to
children of underprivileged families in December.  Spokesperson Dorene Ireland explains:

(Dorene Ireland 10-30-19)

Calls can be made to
643-6334; the giveaway day will be Saturday December 14th in the lobby of the
AO Fox Hospital Tri Town Campus in Sidney.

The Fireman’s
Association of the State of New York announced that New York State is leading
the nation in civilian fire deaths this year.
So far in 2019, there have been 92 civilians that have died in fires
this year that number is expected to increase as the Association statistics
show that winter is the busiest time of the year for home fires.  Officials hope that the numbers decrease in
coming years as more New Yorkers replace the old style battery powered Smoke
Detectors with the new state of the art types with 10 year batteries that do
not need to be replaced annually.

A portion of State Route 8 in Sidney
will be named the Sidney Veterans' Memorial Highway under legislation signed
into law by Governor Cuomo Tuesday.  The
bill was sponsored by State Senator Jim Seward and Assemblyman Cliff Crouch
after the Village of Sidney requested the special highway designation.  A formal sign installation will be scheduled
with State DOT officials at a later date.

A 2nd child involved in Sunday's crash in Tioga County has
died from injuries sustained in a 2 vehicle crash.  11 year old Trinity Allen died at a Syracuse
Hospital, her brother Zachary died shortly after Sunday's accident on State
Route 17.  Tioga County Sheriff's office
said that the driver, 38 year old Darlene Allen was coming to a stop after
hitting a deer, her vehicle was hit from behind by a tractor trailer
truck.  Darlene Allen was in critical
condition at Packer hospital with undisclosed injuries following the accident,
the investigation is ongoing.

NYSEG Officials are urging customers to be vigilant of scammers posing as representatives of the energy company, after they received reports of customers having accepted calls from people who claim to be “consultants” with a corresponding forged caller ID; sometimes the caller threatens customers with termination if they don't call a prepaid debit card such as ‘Green Dot”.  Any customer who is uncertain whether a call is genuine should hang up and call NYSEG at the number listed on the bill or on the company’s website.

A New York State Appeals Court has upheld the Murder
Conviction  of Nigel Saunders for the
murder of Jordan Dordell in Binghamton in November of 2013.  Saunders & Julian Talamantez were
convicted in Broome County court for the Dordell killing, Saunders will
continue to serve his 25 years to life sentence following the failure of his
appeal.

Chenango County Public Health  will hold an informational public meeting
regarding the hazards of Vaping, Public Health Director Darlene Gramstad told
WCDO News that Dr. Scott Cohen will give the presentation:

(Darlene Gramstad 10-24-19)

More information is available at 337-1660, the presentation
will be held at the SUNY Morrisville Campus in Downtown Norwich today from
12:00 Noon to 1:00 PM and 5:30 to 6:30 PM.

A gift from the Greater Norwich Foundation has pushed the
Chenango Memorial Hospital capital campaign past the $2.5 million mark with a
Grant in the amount of $500,000, to be paid over the next 5 years.   Melissa Stagnaro is the Director of
Fundraising and Business Development for Chenango Memorial Hospital:

(Melissa Stagnaro 9-25-19)

Stagnaro said that the funds raised during the capital
campaign will support construction of a new Emergency Room and Walk-In Center,
as well as investments Diagnostic Imaging and infrastructure to support the
growth of future services.

New York residents can fish for free without a license in
any of the 7,500 lakes and ponds or 70,000 miles of rivers and streams across the
state this Saturday.  Several events
across the state are being hosted on National Hunting and Fishing Day to
encourage more people, to participate in outdoor activities, which are
celebrated on the 4th Saturday of September each year to promote hunting,
fishing, and target shooting.

The Friends of Rogers partnered with National Drive Electric
Week to host an Electric Car Show & Flea Market last Saturday, at Rogers
Environmental Education Center in Sherburne New York. This festival was held to
bring awareness and education about sustainable energy practices available in
the area. The show had a total of 18 electric and plug in hybrid cars on site
with over 40 rides given and over 125 people in attendance. This is just shy of
the Electric car show in Syracuse the previous Sunday where 20 plug-in vehicles
were on site. Friends of Rogers hope to make this an annual event.

The Sidney Central School
District Observatory will open October 4th from 9:00 to 10:00 PM.  The sessions at the Sidney Observatory are
free & open to the public; it is located behind the High School Building.

Governor Cuomo announced that more than $20 million is available
for a diesel truck and bus replacement program that will reduce the greenhouse
gas emissions and promote investment in cleaner fuel technologies.  A combination of more than $9 million from
the state's $127.7 million portion of the federal Volkswagen settlement and the
State DOT's allocation of $11 million in federal funds will provide new funding
for the New York Truck Voucher Incentive Program to permanently remove older,
polluting diesel trucks from New York's roadways and replace them with new, cleaner
technology trucks.

The American Red Cross announced that they need Donors of
all blood types to donate at upcoming blood drives.  Appointments can be made for a Blood Drive
today with the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling
1-800-RED CROSS or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo
device.  Today's blood drive will be at
the DCMO BOCES on State Route 206 in Masonville from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM.

State Police at Troop C responded to a report of a child
struck by a vehicle on Anderson Hill Road in the town of Candor.   The investigation revealed two children were
playing and took keys to a Dodge Caravan.
One child started the vehicle and shifted it into gear when a second
child fell out of the car and was struck by the vehicle.  The child was transported to Upstate Medical
Center in Syracuse by Guthrie Life Flight.
The child is listed in serious but stable condition.   The investigation continues into the
incident.

Former Norwich Assistant Superintendent of Public Works
George Carnrike Jr faces several charges for allegedly dumping waste &
chemicals illegally while working for the city of Norwich.  Carnrike faces court action in Norwich city
court today; he previously faced similar charges from the State DEC, and
resigned from his position last year.

The State Dot will hold a public information meeting Today,
beginning at 5:30 PM at the Bainbridge Town Hall.  The session will provide details about plans
to improve the pavement condition on State Route 206 from Case Road in the town
of Bainbridge to the bridge over the Susquehanna River in the village of
Bainbridge.   The meeting will begin with
a formal presentation at 6 p.m. followed by a question and answer session.  The project is scheduled to begin in 2020
& take 1 ½ seasons to complete.

Tourism-related dollars spent in Delaware County in 2018
have grown to nearly $117 million, according to a report issued by Tourism
Economics for New York State.  Traveler
spending increased 6% across of all New York, The strongest growth occurred in
the Catskills with an 11.3% increase.
Tourism accounted for over 1,100 jobs in Delaware County resulting in
$40 million in labor income recirculating through the local economy.  Tourism generated more than $7 million in
local taxes and over $6 million in state taxes. More information is Available
at delawarecounty.org.

State Police and the DOT are continuing "Operation
Hardhat," as they try to crack down on work zone violations and promote
safe driving through active work zones on state highways.  State Trooper are patrolling active work
zones on I-81 in Broome and Route 17 in Tioga County; on Wednesday troopers
issued 21 tickets in the I-81 work zone on Interstate 81 in Broome County, 16
were cell phone tickets, 2 for the Move Over Law, 2 for Moving From a Lane
Unsafely & 1 for a seat belt violation.

Governor Cuomo today signed Erin's Law on to New York's
books today.  The law requires public
schools to teach age appropriate child sexual abuse and exploitation prevention
classes to students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Erin's Law is named
for Erin Merryn, who is an abuse survivor and activist against child sexual
abuse, the law will take effect on July 1, 2020.

Governor Cuomo signed a new law designed to spare victims of
domestic violence some penalties on some of their utility bills.  The law allows people fleeing their batterers
to terminate multi-year telephone or cable contracts at the home they're
leaving without paying a penalty; it covers victims who have received an order
of protection.  The law takes effect immediately.

The Broome County Sherriff’s
Office is warning people about a new phone scam where people posing as law
enforcement.  Victims are receiving calls
from a caller claiming to be a deputy & that the victim missed a jury duty
assignment and needs to complete paperwork and pay a fine to avoid being
arrested.  The caller requests the victim
to meet in the parking lot of the Sherriff’s office and wait there to pay the
fine.  The Sherriff’s department does not
collect fines and official transactions are processed inside their office.  Anyone who has received this call should
report it to 778-1191, extension 1.

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is dropping out of the
presidential race, after she failed to make the cut for the next Democratic
candidate’s debate next month in Houston. Gillibrand announced her decision on
Twitter also after low poll numbers and difficulty in raising funds.  Gillibrand was appointed to the Senate in
2009 to fill the seat vacated by Hillary Clinton, after she had served this
region in the U.S House of Representatives.

State Police and the Department
of Transportation announced the continuation of “Operation Hardhat,” to crack
down on work zone violations and highlight the importance of safe driving
through active work zones on state highways.
State DOT Region 9 Director Nick Choubah said that drivers are not
moving over as they should:

(Nick Choubah 8-28-19)

State Police Captain Jeffrey
VanAuken explained what the Move Over Law means:

(Captain Jeffrey Van Auken
8-28-19)

State Troopers are patrolling
active DOT work zones along Interstate-81 in Broome County and State Route 17
in Tioga County this week to enforce work zone speed limits and that motorist’s
follow the state’s Move Over Law.

New York State's Marijuana Decriminalization
Law went into effect today.  The law was
signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo last month and reduces penalties for possession
of small amounts of marijuana and allows for records to be expunged for people
with certain marijuana convictions. The legislation does not legalize
recreational marijuana,

The National Center for Arts
Research at Southern Methodist University in Dallas released their 5th annual
Arts Vibrancy Index Report, which ranks more than 900 communities across the
nation, examining the level of supply, demand, and government support for the
arts.  Oneonta ranked 8th, Jackson,
Wyoming ranked 1st, & Hudson New York ranked 5th, as the only other New
York community in the survey's Top 10. more information is available at
oneonta.ny.us.

Sidney Village Police & State Police are conducting a
joint investigation into the death of a 2 month old infant at Circle Drive
Apartments Monday Morning.  State Police
told WCDO News that foul play is not suspected at this time & the investigation
is ongoing.

The Annual Bainbridge
Glow Run will be held on September 14th at General Clinton Park in
Bainbridge.  The event began in 2015
after Heather Bucalos of Sidney finished her treatment for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
and decided to hold fundraisers for area cancer patients.  This year, Heather has suffered a relapse
& her friends are teaming up to raise funds for her with the Glow Run
Fundraiser, Bucalos talked to WCDO News this morning about the activities
scheduled for that day:

(Heather Bucalos
8-26-19)

More information is
available at www.bainbridgeglowrun.com.
Heather’s treatment is expected to begin again in the next few weeks.

The New York State DOT
is actively preparing for the arrival of winter weather by making applications
available for approximately 500 positions as permanent and seasonal maintenance
staff.  The DOT intends to hire about 38
in the Southern Tier and another 34 in the Central New York Counties, more
information is available on Twitter @NYSDOT or facebook.com/NYSDOT.

Oneonta Police responded Saturday to
a residence on Chestnut Street, for a report of a deceased person.   Officers discovered 20 year old Nicolas
Stagnitta from Patchogue, Long Island, who was a student at the State
University at Oneonta, the initial investigation and autopsy revealed that
Stagnitta took his own life; however, the investigation is continuing pending
results of toxicology testing.

The Hancock Fire
Department and EMT’s were dispatched Saturday to Jensen’s Ledges for a report
of a 10 year old boy who had fallen off the ledges.  The Hancock Fire Department  rope rescue team performed a high angle rope
rescue to extricate the boy within 1 hour and he was transported down the
mountain in a UTV & was transported by LifeNet to a pediatric trauma center
with life threatening injuries.

The Dormitory Authority has issued
approximately $482 million in low-cost, tax-exempt bonds on behalf of 54 school
districts across the state as part the School Districts Revenue Bond Financing
Program, for fire protection, security, and air quality systems upgrades;
renovations, Athletic field improvements; and technology updates.  Locally, the Norwich City School District
receives $7,430,000, Sidney Central School District gets $9,820,000 &
Unadilla Valley Central School District gets $6,890,000.

State Police arrested 30 year old Scott Barnes of Norwich
for DWI with a B.A.C. of .16%, twice the legal limit.  Troopers were dispatched to Wheeler Avenue in
the town of Norwich for a possible trespass on private property.  Troopers located Barnes whose vehicle had
rolled down a hill and became stuck in a ditch, he was arrested & was later
released on appearance tickets returnable to the town of Norwich court on June
20th.

State Police arrested 27 year old Trebor Hoxie of South New
Berlin for DWI & Aggravated Unlicensed Operation, plus several other
traffic tickets.  Troopers were
dispatched to an accident on State Highway 7 in the town of Unadilla, where
Troopers arrived to find that 1 vehicle struck a parked car which caused a
chain reaction striking four other vehicles.
Hoxie was transported to Wilson Hospital, he was treated and released,
he was issued appearance tickets returnable to the town of Unadilla court on
July 8th.

The State Senate passed legislation renaming a portion of
New York State Route 205 in Otsego County in honor of United States Marine
Corps Sergeant John Kempe Winslow.  The
bill was sponsored by Senator Jim Seward; Sergeant Winslow was killed in action
on July 30, 1969.  Companion legislation sponsored
by Assemblyman John Salka has been introduced in the state assembly.

The State Assembly has passed a rent control package this
past week, which normally only effects downstate renters; however Assemblyman
Cliff Crouch said that this rent control legislation can affect some of his
upstate constituents:

(Crouch 6-17-18)

The State legislature is now into its last week of the
legislative session, a flurry of bills could be passed prior to the end of
session.

THE DEPOSIT GIRLS SOFTBALL TEAM
WON THE 2019 New York STATE CLASS-D CHAMPIONSHIP ON SATURDAY IN GLENS FALLS.
THE TEAM DEFEATED LAFARGEVILLE FROM SECTION 3 IN THE SEMIFINALS 13-2 AND THEN
TOOK DOWN ALFRED-ALMOND FROM SECTION 5 IN THE TITLE GAME LATER THAT DAY BY A
SCORE OF 8-0. IT IS THE 6TH STATE TITLE IN SCHOOL HISTORY FOR DCS AND IT IS
ALSO THEIR 4TH STATE TITLE IN THE PAST 5 YEARS. THE JACKS FINISHED THE SEASON
WITH A PERFECT RECORD OF 23-0. THE COOPERSTOWN BOYS BASEBALL TEAM FELL 7-3 TO
TICONDEROGA IN THE New York STATE CLASS-C CHAMPIONSHIP GAME THIS PAST SATURDAY
IN BINGHAMTON. THE HAWKEYES FINISH THE SEASON WITH A RECORD OF 20-5 AND MADE
SCHOOL HISTORY BY ADVANCING TO THE TITLE GAME FOR THE FIRST TIME. CCS DEFEATED
PIERSON FROM LONG ISLAND 5-2 IN THE SEMIFINALS ON FRIDAY TO ADVANCE. FOR MORE
INFORMATION VISIT WCDO SPORTS DOT COM AND CHECK OUT SPORTS DIRECTOR NATE LULL'S
TWITTER FEED.

State Police located a missing hiker early this morning, close to 12 hours after the initial 911 call was made. 58 Year Old Yi Sun of Westfield New Jersey called 911 around 12:30 PM Sunday, seeking assistance and was unable to identify where she was.  Shortly after midnight, troopers on a roving patrol located Sun near the area of Routes 34/96 near Ithaca.  She was transported to Cayuga Medical Center for treatment and her family was contacted.  State Police, State Park Police, DEC Forest Rangers, and other agencies assisted in the lengthy search.

State Police arrested 30 year old Joseph Krebbeks of
Marathon for felony Aggravated DWI after he was stopped for failing to maintain
his lane, almost colliding with oncoming traffic.  Krebbeks had a B.A.C. of .24%, 3 times the
legal limit; he was arraigned in the town of Greene court and released on his
own recognizance.  He’s set to reappear
on July 11th.

14 year old Melodie Loya of
Bainbridge made it through the 2nd round of the 2019 Scripps National Spelling
Bee Tuesday in the state of Maryland.  47
of the 567 contestants were eliminated Tuesday; Loya is participating in the Scripps
Spelling Bee for the 3rd straight year.

Commerce Chenango has announced
the Human Resources Roundtable Workshop will take place Thursday, June 13th, in
the Community Room at Commerce Chenango located at 15 South Broad Street in
Norwich, beginning at 8:00AM.  The panel
discussion will feature human resources professionals from Alvogen, New York
Central Mutual, NBT Insurance Agency; and Preferred Mutual Insurance
Company.  The workshop is open to Chamber
Members only; registration is required by June 10 by calling 334-1400 or
register@chenangony.org.

State Lawmakers are continuing
to re-word legislation before the end of the 2019 session that may legalize
recreational Marijuana in New York State.
The New York State Sheriff's Association opposes that idea, Delaware
County Sheriff Craig Dumond comments:

(Sheriff Dumond 5-29-19)

An amended marijuana
legalization bill was introduced on Friday to echo Governor Cuomo's original
proposal, which would include the forming of the Office of Cannabis Management
to regulate commercial and medical marijuana.

26-year-old Haylery Rodriguez of Johnson City was issued
tickets Friday for Unlicensed Operator and 7 improper restraint tickets.  State Police responded to the report of a
several children rising unrestrained in a vehicle leaving the Tioga Downs.  A trooper stopped the vehicle on State Route
17 & discovered 12 people in a vehicle that seats 7.  7 children ranging from ages 3 to 11 that
were not in child seats, booster seats or even belted in the vehicle &
Rodriguez was driving with only a learner’s permit and did not have a licensed
driver in the vehicle. The trooper stayed with the vehicle for 2 1/2 hours to
ensure everyone in the vehicle was picked up by a licensed driver with the
proper safety equipment.

The Pennsylvania-New York Joint Interstate Bridge Commission
will conduct its annual meeting today at the Binghamton State Office Building,
44 Hawley Street. The meeting will be held on the 18th floor and scheduled to
begin at 10:00 AM, Representatives from the State DOT and the Pennsylvania DOT
will discuss matters related to the 10 bridges crossing the Delaware River to
Pike and Wayne counties in Pennsylvania.
The meeting is open to the public.

The Grand Oneonta Opry Show will
be held this Saturday night at the Foothills Performing Arts Center in Oneonta,
to raise money for Catskill Area Hospice & Palliative Care.  John Thompson of the Driftwoods told WCDO
News that his band will back up several area musical acts at Saturday's show:

(John Thompson 4-16-19)

Alicia Fish of Catskill Area
Hospice & Palliative Care told WCDO News about some of their programs that
will be supported by this fundraising concert:

(Alicia Fish 4-16-19)

More information about the show
is available by calling 431-2080; tickets can be purchased at the Foothills Box
Office or online at eventbrite.com.

The Tioga County District
Attorney’s Office has indicted 37 year old Lawrence Faucett of Ulster
Pennsylvania, for failing to move over & crashing into a New York State DOT
vehicle, which led to the death of DOT employee Dennis Howe.  Faucett pleaded not guilty to criminally negligent
homicide for the March 13th crash.

State Police responded to a
tractor-trailer rollover accident on I-88 westbound in the town of Colesville,
at about 9:15 this morning.  Troopers
reported that the operator changed lanes and lost control of the vehicle; it
eventually went into the median, overturned & went off the north
shoulder.  The unidentified driver was
ticketed for moving from a lane unsafely.

State Police arrested 59 year old Edward Skillen of Milford
for felony Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs, after a trooper observed
Skillen speeding in a school zone in the Milford School zone and initiated a
traffic stop.  Skillen was processed and
released on appearance tickets returnable to the town of Milford Court later
today.

State Police arrested Mallory Bufalini of Sherburne for DWI
after Troopers checked on a disabled vehicle on State Highway 12 in the town of
Sherburne.   After an investigation,
Police accused Bufalini of driving her vehicle while impaired; she was released
on appearance tickets to the town of Sherburne Court on April 25th.

The State DOT announced that construction is resuming on the
$152 million 2nd phase of the 1-81/Route 17 Prospect Mountain reconstruction
project in the city of Binghamton. The project is reconstructing nearly 9 miles
of highway, replacing bridges and reconfiguring ramps to significantly improve
traffic patterns in one of the Southern Tier's busiest corridors. The
improvements will also enable the DOT to request federal designation of a
4-mile stretch of Route 17 as I-86.  The
project is reconstructing the interchange of I-81 Exit 4 and Route 7 by replacing
the viaduct bridge over the Railroad tracks and Broad Avenue. Additionally, 2
new bridges are being built over the Chenango River in the city of Binghamton.
The Work is scheduled to be complete by December 2020.

State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli announced that Pharsalia Town
Supervisor Dennis Brown faces criminal charges for allegedly stealing more than
$123,000 in town funds, to pay credit card bills and pad his salary an
additional $20,000 a year.  Brown was
charged with 2nd degree Grand Larceny, scheming to defraud, defrauding the
government, corrupting the government and public corruption for allegedly using
the town's credit card for vacations in Myrtle Beach and New York City, fees
for PayPal, Amazon and iTunes, and designer handbags, liquor and cooking
classes, & his home telephone, internet and electric bills.  The Comptroller’s inquiry into Pharsalia
began with an audit in 2018 which led to the criminal investigation.

Employment among New York’s small businesses has increased
slightly faster than the national pace, according to a report released today by
State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. The report from the U.S. Census Bureau,
examined the 5-year trend through 2016, where small business employment rose by
9.2% in New York while increasing 8.9% across the country. Small Businesses
provided more than 4.1 million jobs in the state, which is about half of all
private sector jobs. Small businesses provided more than $212 billion in
payroll, nearly 40 percent of the total private sector payroll in the state.

State DOT officials announced that 45 year old Dennis Howe
of Candor has died, Howe was the driver of a DOT Vehicle that was hit by 37
year old Lawrence Faucett who failed to move over on March 18th on I-86 in the
town of Nichols in Tioga County.  The
investigation is ongoing, and Faucett may face charges.

State Attorney General Letitia James today announced that
Spectrum Cable has started to issue credits to consumers as required by their
settlement agreement.  Under the terms of
the settlement, Charter is required to issue monetary relief to qualified
subscribers and offer some  video
streaming services at no charge.  In all,
qualified subscribers will receive $62.5 million in bill credits. Subscribers
do not have to fill out any paperwork to obtain the credit, but must contact
Spectrum to receive the streaming services by May 30th at  1-833-422-8795 for further information.

The Chenango County Farm Bureau is hosting an Agricultural
Celebration Wednesday at the Silo Restaurant in Greene, from 11:00 AM until
2:00 PM, to celebrate National Agriculture Day.
Chenango County farm Bureau President Bradd Vickers comments:

(Bradd Vickers 3-19-19)

Vickers said that this year’s
theme is "Agriculture: Food for Life” & the keynote speaker will be
New York State Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture &
Markets; Dave Valesky.

Village elections are being held across the state today.  Locally, in Sidney incumbent Mayor Andy Matviak faces a challenge from Jeffrey Stefanek, plus 3 people are running for 2 seats on the board, Sheri Youngs, Raymond Baker & Barry MacPherson.  In Walton incumbent Mayor Ed Snow, faces a challenge from Steve Condon. In Gilbertsville, incumbent mayor Ken Nolan faces challenger Mark Muller. 3 people are seeking 2 trustee seats: Glenn Foster, Randolph Palada & John Wargo & in Afton 2 Trustee seats are open, 3 candidates are seeking those seats, Sally Muller; DeAnna Lawrence; Melissa Matthews. Polling places are open from 12:00 noon until 9:00 pm.  Those who have questions regarding their eligibility to vote in village elections, should contact their county Board of elections, or they should go to their polling place to see if they are eligible to vote today.

State Police arrested 27 year old Bradly Falkenmeyer of
Coventry for Menacing and Criminal Possession of a Weapon, after Troopers were
dispatched to dispute that began over a dog going on the neighbor’s
property.   Falkenmeyer allegedly
displayed a shotgun and threatened to shoot the dog and the complainant.  Falkenmeyer was also on parole which would
not allow him to be in possession of any firearms.  Falkenmeyer was arrested and arraigned in the
town of Coventry Court and remanded to the Chenango County Jail without bail.

State Police arrested 41 year old Thomas Guinn of Chelsea,
Oklahoma for Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated with a reportable B.A.C of
.20%. A trooper was dispatched to a complaint of a vehicle traveling
erratically on I-88, nearly striking several vehicles. Troopers located the
vehicle stuck in the mud on State Route 357 in the town of Sidney, Guinn was
arraigned in the town of Sidney Court where he was remanded to the Delaware
County Jail on $1,000 cash bail or $2,000 bond. His next court date is March
28, 2019.

State Police arrested 30 year old Corey Burns of Bainbridge
for Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs and Criminal Trespass, after a
trooper was dispatched to a complaint that a male entered a home on State
Highway 41 in the town of Coventry and was not known to the residents of the
home. The property owner was able to provide a description of Burns and the
vehicle he was operating. Burns was located, arrested & was arraigned in
the town of Afton Court where he was remanded to the Chenango County Jail on
$5,000 cash bail or $15,000 property bond.

The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse
Services and the State Health Department today announced the launch of a new
campaign to raise awareness of the addiction services available in New York
State for women who are pregnant. The campaign reminds women that it is OK to
ask for help, and that they should talk to a healthcare professional about the
services and medications that can help treat their addiction and support a
healthy pregnancy.  More information is
available at oasas.ny.gov.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies, along with the New York
State DOT conducted a commercial traffic detail last Wednesday on County
Highway 16 in the Town of Delhi. A total of 7 commercial vehicle inspections
were conducted, 3 vehicles were taken out of service by DOT. A total of 5
tickets were issued to drivers for various equipment and safety
violations.  1 driver was issued a
citation for violating the posted 4-ton per axle weight limit, and another was cited
for failure to obey a traffic control device after the driver drove through the
posted checkpoint without stopping.

The Chenango Arts Council
announced its annual Chenango Area Student Art exhibition on Friday, April 5th
at 5:30 pm, with an awards ceremony for 2 scholarships, the council’s Student
Art Show, and Artistic Discovery, where 6 entries will be submitted to
Congressman Anthony Brindisi’s office for a chance to appear in the 2019
Congressional Art Show in Washington, DC.
The exhibit will run through April 19th at the Council's Mariea Brown
and Raymond Loft Galleries at 27 West Main Street, in Norwich.  Interested students can call the Council at
336-ARTS for more information.

(Nate Lull 3-18-19)

WCDO Sports Director Nate Lull with the call in the closing
seconds as the Cooperstown Boys Basketball team won their 1st state title in
program history at the Floyd L. Maines Arena in Binghamton yesterday.  The Hawkeyes Defeated Middle Early College, a
Charter School from Buffalo 71-61 in the title game, Cooperstown’s Jack Lambert
was named tournament MVP after scoring a combined 76 points in 2 games at the
Final 4, John Kennedy was named to the All-Tournament Team for
Cooperstown.  The win came 1 day after a
triple overtime win over Greenport in the State Semi-Finals.  To listen back to the game, or see pictures
of the celebration, go to WCDOSPORTS.COM.

Village Elections will be held across the state tomorrow, in
the Village of Sidney; Mayor Andy Matviak is seeking election for another term:

(Andy Matviak 3-18-19)

Matviak faces a challenge from Jeffrey Stefanek, who told
WCDO News why he decided to run:

(Jeffrey Stefanek 3-18-19)

Voters in Sidney will also be deciding on 2 seats on the
Village Board, between Sheri Youngs, Ray Baker & Barry McPherson, Voting
will be from 12:00 noon until 9:00 pm at the Sidney Civic Center.

Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville announced that April
the Giraffe gave birth Saturday with YouTube audience of more than 300,000
watching.  April gave birth to a healthy
male calf at around 12:45 PM; the newborn was on its feet by 1:27 pm.

State Police arrested 39 year old James Underhill of Conklin
for 3rd degree Grand Larceny, for allegedly cashing 2 checks
totaling over $21,000 that was supposed to be used to repair a vehicle that had
been involved in an accident.  The
complainant told troopers that the accident occurred almost a year ago and the
truck was still at Underhill’s repair shop and not been worked on.    Underhill was located Tuesday & was
arrested & arraigned at Broome County Central Arraignment and Processing
and was remanded to the Broome County Jail on $1,000 cash bail or $2,000 bond.

Delaware County Sheriff Deputy’s arrested 70 year old Donald
Fazio of St. Augustine, Florida, for Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a motor
vehicle, following a traffic stop on State Highway 17 in the Town of
Hancock.   Fazio is accused of speeding
at 81 miles per hour in a 55 miles per hour zone; he was released on appearance
tickets for Hancock Town Court at a later date.

State Police are once again issuing a warning for drivers to
“move over” after a tractor trailer hit a patrol car that was pulled over on
the side of the road in Ulster County, and a tractor trailer hit a DOT employee
in Tioga County.    New York’s “Move
Over” Law requires cars to move over, if they can safely do so, for police,
firefighters, ambulance workers, tow-truck drivers, and other personnel as they
work at crash scenes. Drivers are similarly required to move when construction
and maintenance vehicles are stopped alongside roads.

Early Wednesday morning Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies
responded to a report of an over-turned tractor trailer on State Highway 17 in
the Town of Hancock.  27 year-old Cody
Camp of Barton fell asleep at the wheel and failed to negotiate a curve in the
roadway, he struck the guard rails, causing the truck to over-turn and the
attached box trailer to rupture, and spilling mixed freight all over the
highway.  1 eastbound lane of the highway
was closed to traffic for several hours by the State Department of
Transportation for the clean-up & police investigation

Sidney mayoral Candidate Jeffrey Stefanek will hold a Meet
& Greet Event today, at American Legion Post #183 on Union Street in
Sidney, from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.  Stefanek
is looking to defeat incumbent Mayor Andy Matviak, who is seeking another term,
village elections state wide will be held on Tuesday.

The State Assembly voted in favor of raising the Smoking age
from 18 to 21 years old this week.  The
bill would prohibit the sale of tobacco & E-cigarettes to anyone under
21.  The bill is expected to pass the
state Senate later in the session & it has the support of Governor Cuomo.

State Police reported that a section of State Route 79 in
Windsor was closed to traffic after a trailer hauling a mobile home became
detached, and flipped onto its side at about 9:45 AM today.  State DOT officials said that Route 79 was
closed in both directions between Doolittle Road and Ouaquaga Road for the
clean-up & Investigation.   No
injuries were reported & no tickets have been issued.

Mortgage foreclosure filings across New York dropped 46%
from 2013 and 2018, from about 46,000 to 25,000, according to a report issued
today by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.
DiNapoli last reported on mortgage foreclosures in 2016 when New York
State was experiencing high levels of foreclosure activity nearly a decade
after the housing bubble burst. DiNapoli’s new report highlights improvements
since then, with most counties reporting foreclosure rates at about .5%.

Governor Cuomo today announced
$128 million in new State funding for fixing State roadways impacted by this
year's harsh winter weather. Funding will support 91 paving projects and the
renewal of approximately 1,000 miles of pavement across the state, with at
least 1 project in every county.  The new
funding complements $100 million previously committed earlier this year for
local projects that renew approximately 3,700 miles of road across the
State.  The current State Budget provides
a record level of $743 million in direct state aid to local governments for
road and bridge repair and modernization.

State Police arrested 39 year old Robert Stutzer of
Middletown for Driving While Intoxicated, Aggravated Unlicensed Operation,
& Leaving the Scene of a Property Damage Accident.   Troopers were dispatched to the Kwik Fill
Gas Station in the village of Unadilla, An investigation revealed that Stutzer
was impaired and had also been involved in an accident on State Route 357, He
was arrested and refused to submit to a breath sample, he was arraigned and
remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $2,500 cash bail or $5,000 property
bond. His next court date is March 14, 2019.

Governor Cuomo announced that the State DEC released
proposed regulations to improve air quality and protect public health with new,
stringent requirements on peak-use power plants. The proposal will establish
lower thresholds for emissions of nitrogen oxides, which contribute to harmful
levels of ozone, or smog, on hot summer days. Dozens of simple cycle and
regenerative combustion turbines at power plants are still in limited use across
the state, & they emit Nitrogen Oxides at levels that are 30 times more
than newer turbine emissions.

2 State lawmakers are considering a proposal to legalize
prostitution in New York State.  2 New
York City State Senators, Julia Salazar & Jessica Ramos forwarded the
proposal this week, only a few counties in the state of Nevada have legalized
Prostitution, none of t5he 50 states as a whole, have legal prostitution, the
proposal is not expected to make it the Governor's desk this year.

Emergency crews responded to the report of a 2 vehicle crash
on state route 166 in the town of Middlefield this morning.  1 unidentified person was injured in the
crash, State DOT officials remind residents to try to steer clear of snow plows
doing their jobs during the winter weather.

Fire fighters from Sidney responded to a fire at 14 East Main Street in Sidney this afternoon, shortly before 5:00 PM.  Fire fighters at the scene told WCDO News that 1 person was in the house & escaped without injury.  WCDO News will have more details as they become available.

The Broome County Sheriff’s Office released more information
regarding this morning’s 2-car crash involving Broome County Sheriff’s Deputy
Kristy Botsford.  The report stated that
Deputy Botsford was driving on State Route 17 westbound with her emergency
lights on assisting the Vestal Police Department in trying to stop a car that
was driving eastbound in the westbound lane.
Vestal Police said the suspect, Daniel Butash stopped his car on the
highway east of Exit 68, as police approached, he continued to drive the wrong
way, and he drove head-on into Deputy Botsford’s Patrol car.  Deputy Botsford became pinned inside her
vehicle, Emergency services used the ‘jaws of life’ to remove her from the car,
and she was taken to Wilson Hospital where she was listed in critical
condition, she suffered a fractured right femur among other injuries.  Butash was driving a 2018 Tesla and suffered
minor facials injuries and cuts to his body, he was also taken to Wilson
Hospital, and Charges against him are pending.

State Police in conjunction with the State Liquor Authority
and SUNY Delhi conducted an Underage Enforcement detail.   24 year old Codey Wood of Delhi was charged
with Prohibited Sale of Alcohol to a Person Under the Age of 21.   Wood is an employee of O’Neill’s Shire Pub
on Main Street in Delhi; he was issued an appearance ticket returnable to the
Delhi Town Court on February 19th.   The
initiative targets the sale of alcohol to minors and utilizes a member of the
New York State Police and an underage undercover operative. No other locations
in the village of Delhi were found in violation and were found to be in
compliance.

Governor Cuomo today announced New York's efforts to deter
underage drinking resulted in a record number of fake identification seizures
in 2018. The year-round Operation Prevent initiative focuses on concert venues,
bars, restaurants and alcohol retailers throughout the State. The State seized
892 fake documents as part of the initiative, 922 people were ticketed for
using false identification or using another person's identification.  18 Fake identification arrests were conducted
in the Southern Tier, 18 fake ID's were seized.

Members from Troop C's Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit
assist the Chenango County Sheriff's Department with a milk truck rollover on
County Route 25 in the town of Columbus. The tanker actively dumped several
thousand gallons of milk after crashing just before 7am. The DEC spill
response, County DOT and local fire department are also on scene.

36 year old Matthew Mazepa of Harpursville pleaded guilty
today in US District Court for selling Meth in Chenango & Broome Counties
& Illegally possessing a firearm.
Mazepa was arrested last April by State Police, he faces sentencing on May
21st.

19th District Congressman
Antonio Delgado has announced he will open an office in Oneonta next week.    Delgado’s office will be located at 189
Main Street and will be open 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, as
well as by appointment.

State Police will join local law enforcement agencies across
the state in an effort to crack down on impaired driving during Super Bowl
weekend. The STOP-DWI campaign will include underage drinking enforcement;
drivers can expect a number of sobriety checkpoints and DWI patrols. Law
enforcement will also be looking for motorists who are using their phones and
other electronic devices while behind the wheel. Drivers should also remember
to "move over" for stopped emergency and hazard vehicles stopped on
the side of the road.  The campaign runs
from Saturday until 4:00 AM Monday.