WCDO Radio News

Tioga Downs in Nichols received the news from the State Gaming Facility Location Board, to go ahead with plans to expend for a full-scale casino, The board denied their bid last year, and gave the Southern Tier Casino license to the Lago resort about 85 miles north of the region. Groundbreaking on the expanded casino facilities is expected to be announced shortly.

Governor Cuomo today announced that the State Liquor Authority has approved a host of advisories to help support the continued growth and development of New York’s beverage manufacturers, retailers and wholesalers. Governor Cuomo convened the state’s 3rd Beer, Wine, Spirits and Cider Summit last week, where industry participants raised specific legislative and regulatory issues facing the industry. Bainbridge Native & Binghamton Brewing Company Owner Kristen Lyons participated in the summit:

(Kristen Lyons 10-15-15)

The new State Liquor Authority advisories are posted at sla.ny.gov, more information about the state's growing beer, wine, spirits and cider industries is available at taste.ny.gov.

Area Republican Congressman Richard Hanna made national headlines today, as he joined Kevin McCarthy in suggesting that an investigation into the Benghazi incident may have been an effort to damage Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton. In a radio interview in Utica yesterday, Hanna implied that McCarthy was forced to withdraw his bid for House Speaker, by his Republican peers because of his statements regarding the political damage that they tried to inflict on Hillary Clinton & her presidential bid.

State DOT officials today announced the scheduled reopening of the Interstate 81 southbound ramp to State Route 17 westbound, a major milestone in the $135 million project to reconstruct the Prospect Mountain Interchange of State Route 17 and I-81 in the city of Binghamton and town of Dickinson, Broome County. The I-81 southbound ramp to Route 17 had been closed since December 2014. An estimated $164 million project to reconfigure Interchange 4 will begin next spring and is expected to be completed by the end of 2019.

The New York State unemployment rate has dropped to its lowest level in over seven years in September, according to statistics released today by the State Labor Department. The statewide unemployment rate fell from 5.2% to 5.1% in September, the lowest level since April 2008, the state also added 11,400 private sector jobs in September.

The State DEC today urged outdoor adventurers to suspend exploration of caves and mine sites that serve as homes for bat hibernations. Human disturbances are harmful to the state’s bat population since the arrival of the disease known as white-nose syndrome, which has killed more than 90% of hibernating bats in New York. Officials warned that if you encounter hibernating bats while underground, leave the area as quickly and quietly as possible. 2 species of bats are currently protected under federal and state endangered species law, including the northern long-eared bat, which was prevalent in New York, but the current population for this formerly common bat is approximately 1% of its previous size.

Commerce Chenango will hold a “Meet the Candidates” session on October 27th. As part of the SFCU Business After Hours event. The session will be held at the SFCU Norwich branch, at County Road 32 & State Highway 23, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, among those confirmed to attend are State Senate candidates Fred Akshar & Barbara Fiala, among several local Norwich and Chenango County candidates. RSVP are requested by October 23rd at 334-1402 or johara@chenangony.org

On Saturday night, October 10th, Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 23 year old Erick Daly of Queens with Criminal Possession of a Weapon and Unlawful Possession of Marihuana, following traffic stop on State Highway 17 in the Town of Hancock. Troopers initially stopped Daly for driving 83 mph in a 55mph zone, Deputies found Daly to be in possession of marijuana and an electronic stun gun. Daly was arraigned in the Hancock Town Court and was remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility in lieu of $500 bail.

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a Board of Education Meeting Today, in the District Conference Room at 6:30 PM.

The New York State Gaming Facility Location Board approved Governor Cuomo’s request for a new round of bidding for a casino in the Southern Tier. The Board originally reviewed 16 proposals for casino resorts in 3 upstate regions, they recommended licenses for only 3 projects instead of the original 4, last month and ignored 2 requests from the Southern tier in Johnson City & in Nichols. Governor Cuomo asked the board to consider a new round of bidding for a casino license specifically for the Southern Tier following the urging of State Senator Tom Libous & other local leaders.

State Police, the Vestal Police, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the DEA & Endicott Police arrested 38-year-old George Clarke Jr., of Endicott, following the execution of search warrants & the discovery of illegal drugs with a street-value of more than $180,000 and a large amount of cash. Clarke was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Criminal Possession of Marihuana, Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia, Clarke was arrested after police executed search warrants at 2 locations, Police seized cocaine, marihuana, methamphetamine, and a Pickup truck during the searches. Clarke was arraigned in the Town of Union Court and remanded to the Broome County Jail without bail.

The state Assembly & State Senate are back in session for the 2015 sessions. Sheldon Silver was re-elected as Assembly Speaker again; he outlined the assembly agenda for this year:

(Silver 1-14-15)

Governor Cuomo will outlined his agenda and his executive budget proposal to a joint session of the legislature on January 21st.

The state’s Gaming Facility Location Board agreed Friday that they will reopen a bidding process for the Southern Tier that could result in a 4th casino license. Last month the board only recommended that 3 licenses be awarded, snubbing the Southern tier which was slated to be 1 of 4 casino options. Governor Cuomo urged the Gaming Commission to issue a new request for applications for a license in the Southern Tier. The location board is scheduled to hold a meeting Tuesday to discuss the new request; meanwhile, the owners of Traditions in Johnson City have backed down from their initial proposal & now support a full Las Vegas-style casino at Tioga Downs in Nichols.

U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer met with Sidney Officials Saturday at the civic center, to discuss the Sidney flood plain project:

(Schumer 12-22-14)

The plans to buy out & relocate resident from the flood prone River Street area over to the Plankenhorn road are continuing, the town & village board are working to annex that area into the village limits, the cost of the project is about 22 million dollars.

The Delaware County Sheriff's Office arrested 35-year-old Rafael Figueroa of the town of Roxbury with 3 counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance, following the unsealing of a grand jury indictment Thursday. Figueroa is accused of selling cocaine in Margaretville, he was held in the Delaware County Correctional Facility on $25,000 cash bail or $50,000 bail bond. Figueroa has a prior felony drug conviction, & could face up to 12 years imprisonment for each of these drug sales.

State Senator Tom Libous is calling on the New York State Gaming Facility Location Board, and the Governor to reconsider the Southern Tier's 2 applications for the fourth authorized casino license, at a press conference Friday in Binghamton:

(Libous 12-22-14)

Libous said that the chosen Tyre site is closer to Canada than it is to Binghamton, he said that the original casino siting legislation allows up to 2 licenses in each region.

Delaware County Deputies arrested 30-year-old Christopher Davis of Franklin for Criminal Obstruction of Breathing, following an investigation into a domestic dispute in the town of Franklin. Davis was arraigned & was remanded to the Delaware County Correctional facility on $1,500 cash bail, he will appear in the Town of Franklin Court at a later date.

Governor Cuomo announced the release of proposed regulations for the State’s medical marijuana program, which would require that certificates be issued only by physicians who have registered with the State Department of Health and received training. Patients with serious medical conditions would be certified by their physicians before applying for the registry identification card needed to receive medical marijuana. Entities that wish to manufacture and distribute medical marijuana would apply to DOH, and pay a $10,000 application fee for the review. The public will have 45 days to comment on the proposed regulations starting December 31st, A copy of the proposed regulations can be found on the Department of Health’s website health.ny.gov.

State Senator Tom Libous will call on the New York State Gaming Commission and its appointed Gaming Facility Location Board to reconsider the Southern Tier's two applications for the fourth authorized casino license. The gaming commission earlier this week chose an application for a new casino in Seneca County as the Southern tier choice for a new casino; it is located about 85 north of the Southern tier, other applications that were located in Johnson City & Nichols. The commission was originally tasked to pick 4 choices for casino location, but picked only 3.

The New York State Department of Health today announced the selection of regional contractors for the Population Health Improvement Program, to promote the "Triple Aim" of better care, better population health, and lower health care costs. The contractors will convene meetings of local stakeholders and provide a neutral forum for identifying, sharing, disseminating, and helping to implement best practices and strategies to promote better health outcomes. Locally, Bassett Hospital will get $2,438,819 & STHL receives $2,070,848 to participate. More information is available at health.ny.gov.

State Police in Sidney arrested 52-year-old Shayne Edwards of Unadilla for DWI with a BAC result of .17% and Unlawful Possession of Marijuana following an accident on State Route 7 extension to I- 88 in the town of Unadilla. Edwards was issued uniform traffic tickets and an Appearance Ticket to own of Unadilla January 19th

State Senator Jim Seward announced that he will be hosting a free senior scam prevention forum on Tuesday, December 16th at the Sidney Memorial Public Library. Senator Seward is partnering with the New York State Department of State to inform senior citizens and others about the alarming trend of senior targeted scams. A specialist with the Division of Consumer Protection will conduct the free presentation, helping senior citizens proactively protect their identities and avoid becoming the victims of a scam. The senior scam prevention forum will take place on Tuesday, December 16th from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Sidney Memorial Public Library, 8 River Street in Sidney. The forum is free and open to the public.

A new state law bars employers in New York from firing volunteer firefighters, and members of volunteer ambulance squads, for taking time off from their jobs to respond to major emergencies such as hurricanes and snowstorms. The law, approved by the state Legislature this summer and signed by Governor Cuomo, takes affect Dec. 22nd. It requires employers to grant a request from a volunteer firefighter, or a member of a volunteer ambulance corps, for leave to respond to declared states of emergency. The governor can declare states of emergency in cases of man-made or natural disasters

The New York gaming facility location commission will hold their final meeting on December 17th that is when they are expected to announce the 4 winning proposals to operate casinos in 3 upstate regions. The next to last meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, but no decisions are expected at Tuesday’s meeting. The commission is has been tasked with located 4 casinos in 3 areas of the state, one in the southern tier, the other 2 are the Capital region & the Catskills/Hudson valley region.

State attorney general Eric Schneiderman has asked governor Cuomo for immediate 7 temporary authority to investigate police officers statewide, whose actions result in the death of an unarmed person. The request would allow Schneiderman to take investigation like the Eric Garner Staten Island case, out of the hands of local authorities. The governor has the power to remove any criminal case from a local prosecutor and assign it to the state attorney general’s office, governor Cuomo may be considering a permanent change in the 2015 legislative agenda to be announced in January.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 25 year old Donald Kern of Walton on a charge of Assault in the second degree. It is alleged that while Kern was incarcerated at the Delaware County Correctional Facility he assaulted another inmate. He was arraigned in the Town of Delhi Court and remanded back to the correctional facility in lieu of 2,500 cash bail

State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman asked New York’s colleges and universities to help combat the “grandparent scam,” where perpetrators impersonate relatives and then fool unsuspecting seniors into sending them money. The scam involves a call to a senior citizen in which the caller impersonates a grandchild claiming to be in serious trouble and asks the unsuspecting grandparent to wire money immediately. The FTC recorded more than 40,000 incidents of grandparent scams since 2010. Schneiderman warns the grandparent scam tends to increase in frequency during school breaks. Read more at ftc.gov.

A decision could come next month on sites for new casinos in Upstate New York. The New York Gaming Facility Location Board met yesterday in closed executive session to talk about the financial and employment history of the applicants. A decision is expected at the next meeting, which has not yet been scheduled. The commission said it expects to decide by mid-December. There are 16 applicants for four licenses. Voters approved new casinos by referendum on the 2013 ballot

The state adopted new regulations for child day-care centers and child-care programs, including new naptime procedures, nutrition rules and a ban on reptiles and amphibians. The regulations by the state Office of Children and Family Services will impose new rules for childcare employees, such as banning cell-phone use while supervising children, prohibitions against firearms and new training requirements. The changes will take effect June 1st. The new regulations come after it found a need to improve health and safety standards. The new state rules are posted at dos.ny.gov

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer proposed reinstating an expired tax break that helps teachers deduct out-of-pocket classroom supply costs from their taxes. The Teacher Expense Deduction will enable over 100,000 teachers in New York, to deduct up to $250 per year from their tax bill. The deduction will help offset the $485 on average that teachers spend each year to provide additional supplies for their students. The tax benefit went into effect in 2002, but expired in 2013. Congress is considering provisions to reinstate and extend various tax benefits and the Teacher Expense Deduction is included in that package.

Governor Cuomo & Vice President Joe Biden met yesterday in New York City, to discuss the state's efforts in developing infrastructure to deal with future harsh weather conditions:

(Cuomo 10-21-14)

This phase of the infrastructure upgrades includes holding Master Plan Design Competitions, for LaGuardia, Kennedy & Stewart airports, to bring them up to current standards.

New York State spending rose 3.3% to $137.5 billion while State-funded debt fell slightly to $63.3 billion, according to the annual report released by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.   The report found that since 2010, state spending has grown 8.4%, which is in line with inflation rates, New York was the 2nd most indebted state after California, and ranked 5th among all states in debt per person. The report can be found at osc.state.ny.us.

State Police arrested 19-year-old Garret Lyons of Arkville for Criminal Mischief, Criminal Obstruction of Breathing, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon, after Troopers responded to a domestic dispute report at a residence in the town of Middletown. Lyons is accused of punching and choking the victim, and keeping the victim from using a phone to get help. Troopers also found Lyons to unlawfully possess a gravity knife; he was arraigned in the Town of Middletown Court pending future court action.

The State Board of Regents approved new options for students to meet the state's high school graduation requirements. The new regulations create alternate tracks students can choose to earn a high school diploma. These include Career and Technical Education; Science, Technology, Engineering and Math; the Arts; Bi-literacy; and Humanities. The new regulations also establish a two-year Global History and Geography course requirement and modify the design of the Global History and Geography Regents Exam. For more information go to nysed.gov.

The Gaming Facility Location Board met last night but no decision or announcement regarding casino license recommendations was made. In the Eastern Southern Tier region, Traditions Resort & Casino, in the Town of Union, Tioga Downs, an existing Nichols racino, and Lago Resort & Casino, in Seneca County, are competing for a casino license. The location board is expected to make its recommendations late this month. The Gaming Commission would then review the board's recommendations and issue the final licenses. New York State can issue up to four licenses in the three upstate regions. No region can get more than two licenses.

New York will receive $4.3 million for programs that serve domestic violence victims across the state. The funding is provided through the Federal Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, which support the establishment, maintenance, and expansion of programs to prevent domestic violence. It also provides shelter and support services for victims of domestic violence and their children, as well as services for underserved populations throughout the state.

The Otsego County Sheriffs department arrested 26-year-old Dale Thompson of Oneonta in connection with dozens of Burglaries.  Detectives learned that Thompson traveled to Boston Massachusetts, New Hartford  & Albany with stolen property, & that he was also arrested for burglaries in North & South Carolina.  Investigators searched Thompson’s apartment, and recovered stolen property from a Hartwick burglary, he   Thompson was charged with 2nd degree burglary, grand larceny & criminal mischief. Investigators also accuse Thompson of forcibly breaking into several residences in Oneonta, Hartwick, Laurens and Pittsfield last month, taking thousands of dollars in coins & jewelry.  Thompson was arraigned in Town of Oneonta court and was remanded to the Otsego county jail on $10,000 bail pending future court action.

State Police arrested 28 year old Derek Johnson of Binghamton for Felony Aggravated DWI with BAC result of .21%, more than three times the legal limit, following a traffic law stop for speeding on State Route 7 in Conklin. The arrest became a felony because he had a prior conviction for DWI within the last 10 years. Johnson was issued tickets for town of Conklin Court September 18

The AARP reports said many Baby Boomers plan to leave New York State as they retire and take a slice of the state’s economy with them. The survey shows 60% of working New Yorkers over 50 said they are likely to go elsewhere in retirement, taking an estimated $105 billion or more of annual spending. The statewide survey shows 40% worry about paying rent or mortgages, 56% are worried about paying property taxes, 51% worry about utility bills and most are looking for improvements in health care, housing, transportation and jobs for older residents.

The State Gaming Facility Location Board continues to listen to proposals today before they determine where new casinos will be located in 3 upstate regions. The commission is listening to 16 presentations overall from developers for a second day today in Albany, the Board will soon decide which Developers will open casinos in the Capital Region, the Catskills/Hudson Valley region & the Southern tier, The board is expected to announce a decision by the end of this month.

The state Health Department is confirming the first human cases of West Nile virus this season. Health officials said the virus was detected in five New York City residents, all over the age of 50. Three of the patients were hospitalized and have since been discharged. The other two cases did not require hospitalization. Most people infected with the mosquito-borne virus either show no symptoms or suffer a flu-like illness. A small number develop a serious illness that can lead to neurological damage. Protective measures against mosquitoes include eliminating standing water, using repellent, wearing long-sleeve shirts and pants and repairing doors and screens

The Broadway Theater League is holding their annual "Test Drive Your Seat" event at the Forum Theater in Binghamton Wednesday, from 12:00 Noon to 6:00 PM.   Tina Niles of NAC Entertainment told WCDO News what shows are coming:

(Tina Niles 9-9-14)

Season tickets are on sale, more information is available at 772-1391 or at BroadwayInBinghamton.com.

Otsego County Sheriff, The state DEA, the Otsego County DA's office, & Oneonta Police arrested 22-year-old Nicholas Michael Torres of Mohegan Lake, following a 4-year investigation into heroin and oxycodone powder trafficking in and around Otsego County.  Torres allegedly distributed narcotics that were stolen from Covidien Pharmaceuticals in Hobart plant, he was taken into custody in Carmel, he was arraigned and was remanded to the Otsego County Jail on $25,000 bail returnable in the Town of Oneonta Court on August 21st

State Troopers arrested 19-year-old Victoria Niedbalec of Laurens for 3rd degree Assault. The arrest was the result of a dispute that occurred at a residence in Laurens, Niedbalec was arraigned in the Town of Laurens Court and remanded to the Otsego County Correctional Facility on $250 cash bail. An order of protection was issued by the town court against the suspect.

The Chenango County Sheriff's department arrested 25-year-old Christopher Bonno of New Berlin for Criminal Possession of Stolen Property. Bonno is accused of being in possession of a DeWALT Jig Saw, which was reported stolen on an earlier date from a parked vehicle in the Village of New Berlin. Bonno faces court action at a later date.

While voters in the Southern Tier support casino development, the majority of residents would not frequent a new gambling parlor once it's up and running, according to a Time Warner Cable News/Siena College poll. Southern Tier voters support casino development, 45 to 36%, 57% of the same voters said they would not likely frequent their region's casino. The Gaming Commission said the casino applicants would make presentations in front of the Gaming Facility Location Board on Sept. 8th and 9th in Albany. Public hearings are scheduled for Sept. 22 to 24th.

The state Education Department has produced a preliminary parents bill of rights on the use and security of student data. Lawmakers in April required the bill of rights, the appointment of a chief privacy officer and other changes to protect student data, after there was a statewide backlash against the Education Department's plans, to share identifiable student data with inBloom. The law forced New York to pull out of the inBloom project, which closed shortly thereafter.

Empire State Development has approved SUNY Broome Community College's plan for the START-UP NY economic development initiative, which establishes tax-free business areas around college campuses. The college plans to offer information sessions about the initiative, more information is available at 778-5012.

SUNY Oneonta has made Forbes magazine's ranking of America's Top Colleges. The State University College at Oneonta was ranked 167th in the Northeast and 520th overall on the annual list. Factors taken into consideration were student satisfaction, post-graduate success, student debt, graduation rate and academic success.

Up to $300 million has been made available through the State's NY Rising Housing Recovery Program, to support home elevations for 6,575 homeowners. Individuals eligible for funding experienced damage to their homes as a result of Super storm Sandy, Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. The Optional Home Elevation and Mitigation Initiative is being offered, in addition to other housing recovery assistance that has been made available through NY Rising. More information is available at stormrecovery.ny.gov.

State lawmakers are voting on the rest of the budget bills today, making this the 4th straight year that New York will have an on-time budget.  Area state senator Jim Seward comments on the tax cutting aspect of the budget;

(Seward budget 3-31-14)

State senator Tom Libous also commented that tax cuts, education aid and the slowing down of common core implementation is in this budget:

(Libous Budget 3-31-14)

The budget also contains 10 million dollars in start up money for the new Binghamton University school of Pharmacy building, to be built in Johnson City near Wilson Hospital.

New York State of Health reported that 1,130,600 New Yorkers have completed their applications and 782,472 have enrolled for coverage since the launch of the Marketplace on October 1st.  The deadline for individuals and families to enroll in coverage through is today, more than 70% of those who have enrolled were uninsured at the time of application.

The state Attorney General’s office is trying to dismiss 2 lawsuits that seek to force a decision on hydraulic fracturing for natural gas in New York. The Joint Landowners Coalition of New York, and the bankruptcy trustee for Norse Energy, filed separate legal challenges recently, arguing that the Cuomo administration is unnecessarily delaying a review of hydrofracking.  Hydrofracking has been under a moratorium in New York since 2008, when then-Governor David Paterson began the environmental review process.  A hearing on the lawsuits is currently scheduled for April 25th in state Supreme Court in Albany.

The state Gaming Commission's Facility Location Board will put out requests for applications today for 4 privately owned casinos in 3 regions of the state: the Albany area, Catskills and Southern Tier.  9 bidders have already come forward with their plans, working out to 3 bidders in each region.  The application process will end on June 30th.

The Delaware County District Attorney's office announced the arrest of 40-year-old David Rogers of Sidney Center, for 1 count each of Forcible Touching & Endangering the welfare of a child.  Rogers is a Level 1 sex offender, he was arraigned in the Town of Sidney Court and sent to the Delaware County Correctional Facility in lieu of $5,000 cash bail & he will reappear in the Town of Sidney Court at a later date.  The Village of Sidney Police Department assisted in the investigation.

The Delaware County District Attorney’s office & the Delaware County Sheriff’s Department arrested 24 year old Timothy Nodine of Hobart for 3rd degree Burglary, 4th degree Grand Larceny, Criminal Possession of a Weapon, Criminal Sale of a Firearm & Endangering the Welfare of a Child. The arrest followed a 7-month investigation into the disappearance of property from a local estate.

The State Senate has passed legislation assisting disabled veterans who own businesses in New York State, State Senator John Bonacic comments:

(Bonacic)

Governor Cuomo had proposed similar legislation, it is expected that he would sign the Senate Bill into law if it reaches his desk.

The  has selected a Cincinnati, Ohio law firm to analyze the gambling industry and assist with the review and evaluation of the casino applications.  The selection of an outside consultant was mandated by law to avoid a conflict of interest, casino bids will be due in June & by August, the siting board will review and evaluate submissions & then chose up to 4 casino licenses, with at least one facility each in the Capital region, the Catskills and the Southern Tier.

State Assemblywoman Claudia Tenney of New Hartford announced today that she would mount a Republican primary challenge against incumbent Republican congressman Richard Hanna in the 22nd Congressional District.  Tenney joins Michael Kicinski, of Earlville, and Michael Vasquez, of Binghamton, Hanna has already won the endorsement (http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2014/03/madison_county_gop_endorses_rep_richard_hanna_for_third_term.html) of all 7 county Republican committees in the 22nd district.

The Delaware County Community Services Board seeks proposals For Mental Health Department consolidation.  Interested parties are invited to submit proposals for the consolidation of the Adult Mental Health Clinic, Children and Family Services and Alcohol & Drug Abuse Services to be located at 1 rental location of at least 10,000 sq. feet.  Interested parties may contact Cynthia Heaney, at the Delaware County Mental Health Department at 865-6522 for proposal and submission requirements.