WCDO Radio News

Norwich City Police have arrested 23 year old Damion Spicer
of Norwich for 3rd degree Grand Larceny, for allegedly stealing a Honda
recently.  Spicer was apprehended in the
Town of Guilford, The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the
investigation.  Spicer is being held
pending future court action.

The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce announced their
"Community Heroes Awards”, presented to Chamber members who have changed
their communities for the better.  The
2019 Delaware County Heroes are George Bergleitner, of Delaware County Real
Estate of Stamford,   Eric Wedemeyer,
founding broker of Coldwell Banker Timberland Properties, & Patty Wood of
the Walton Town Council.  A reception
will be held on Tuesday, November 19 from 5:30 - 7 p.m., at the Delaware County
Historical Association at 46549 State Highway 10, Delhi, more information is
available at delawarecounty.org or at 746-2281.

Delaware County Sheriff Craig DuMond announced the
acquisition and implementation of a new K9 Deputy and K9 Handler to the
Sheriff’s Department.  K9 “Eli”, is a
2-year-old German Shepherd from Hungary who was acquired from Shallow Creek
Kennels in Pennsylvania.  Deputy Kyle
Karcher of Hancock was selected to be K9 Eli’s handler; they will be trained in
narcotics detection, search and rescue, tracking and handler protection.

12 organizations in the region received grants totaling $111,500 from the Community Foundation for South Central New York’s Community Fund and by the Young professional Advisory Committee. The Community Fund awarded funds to the  Unadilla Valley Central School District, the Windsor Central School District, the Deposit Foundation & the SUNY Delhi Research Foundation, the Young Professional Advisory Committee awarded funds to the Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park & Commerce Chenango.

The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse
Services announced a name change today; the new name is the Office of Addiction
Services and Supports, to replace of the stigmatizing language in the system of
addiction care in the State.  The new
name also coincides with the launch of a new website at oasas.ny.gov.

Starting this Friday, November 1st The Otsego County
Planning Department & Solid Waste, Televisions, monitors, and commercial
grade electronics will be charged at $12 per unit at the Oneonta Transfer
Station.  All other electronics will
remain free.  Officials said that the
change is to help cover rising recycling costs related to electronics, more information
is available at 547-4256.

The New Berlin Art Forum presents the Navy band Commodores
for a free concert Wednesday night at the Unadilla Valley Central School
Auditorium.  Forum Spokesperson Margaret
Murray said that the show is free but tickets are required for this Jazz
Concert:

(Margaret Murray 10-29-19)

Murray said that she will take
ticket reservations through 3:00 PM Wednesday 263-2115, Tickets are also
available at The New Berlin Library & the New Berlin Service Pharmacy.

47-year-old Andrew Menke has died following a Saturday
Afternoon Fire in his 3rd Floor Apartment above the Little Venice Restaurant in
Binghamton over the weekend.  Menke was
discovered in the hallway at 111 Chenango Street, he was taken to Wilson
Medical Center, and He was moved to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse.  Fire damage was confined to the third-floor
apartment where the blaze originated. The restaurant sustained some water
damage, but was able to re-open Sunday.
The investigation is continuing.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Delaware County will have a
solar power information session this evening at 6:00 PM.  The event will be held at the Hamden Office
on State Highway 10, more information is available at 865-6531.

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 Afton Village Board of Trustees will be holding a
special budget meeting workshop today, starting at 6:00 PM.  The Workshop will be held at the Bolster
Community Center at 105 Main Street, the main topic will be the water &
sewer budgets for the 2019-202 fiscal year.

The Village of Bainbridge announced that a water main break
occurred earlier today at Prospect & Tyler Street, off of Pearl Street to
Jericho Hill.  Crews had the break
repaired by about 2:30 PM, area residents are advised to let the water run until
clear.

The Copes Corners Park Spring Fest committee is soliciting
craft, artist, product, and general vendors for its 5th annual Spring Fest. The
event will take place May 4th from 9:00 am TO 5:00 pm.  More information is available at
copescornerspark.org or 783-2518; applications must be mailed by April 22nd

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.

Nearly 30 volunteers shaved their heads at Saturday night’s
Norwich St. Baldrick’s Foundation event. The 15th annual event, held at the
American Legion in Norwich, raised more than $35,000 as part of St. Baldrick’s
mission to fund childhood cancer research.

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.

Governor Cuomo and State leaders have not agreed on the
amount of available revenue for the next state budget plan.   The lack of a consensus will require that
State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli must come up with an estimate by Tomorrow, which
will be used as the reference point for future negotiations on the budget plan;
the budget needs to be passed by the beginning of the fiscal year on April
1st.  Last month, the governor and
DiNapoli announced tax revenues for the current budget were down $2.3 billion.
The Democrats blame much of the shortfall on federal tax changes that started
last year.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 31 year-old
Christina Townsend of Port Crane for 3rd degree Grand Larceny &
Scheming to Defraud,  following an
investigation by Sheriff’s Deputies and Broome Developmental Center staff into
on-going thefts from residents by an employee.
Townsend is accused of engaging in an ongoing scheme while employed at a
Franklin residential facility that resulted in the theft of more than $12,000
from developmentally disabled residents.
Townsend was arraigned at the Town of Franklin Court and was released
upon her own recognizance pending future court proceedings

State Police Traffic Incident Management Unit responded to a
fatal car crash on Interstate 81 in the town of Cortlandville this morning at
6:43 AM,   Troopers responded after a TLC
Ambulance was traveling southbound responding to a call, & they were
slowing to make a U-turn with all of their emergency lights activated.  A 68-year-old unidentified male from
Baldwinsville was driving an SUV in the left lane & struck the ambulance on
its driver’s side before losing control & striking a guiderail.  The ambulance crew responded & found the
driver unresponsive, he was taken to an area hospital & was pronounced
deceased.   The investigation is still
pending; the name of the victim will be released at a later time. No tickets
have been issued at this time.

The State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services
today announced the award of more than $5.1 million in funding to establish 14
new recovery community centers across New York State, and expand services at
two existing recovery centers. Funding is administered by the Office of Alcoholism
& Substance Abuse and its fiscal partner, the Research Foundation for
Mental Hygiene.  In the Southern Tier,
The Friends of Recovery of Delaware and Otsego Counties, will receive $350,000.

The 25th annual Colorscape Chenango, the premier arts
festival in Central New York, will be held September 7th & 8th
in downtown Norwich. The application deadline for exhibiting artists is this
Friday, March 8th. Colorscape invites Chenango County high school students to
participate in the Billboard Art Challenge called “Art Can Change the World.”
Submissions are due April 26th, more information is available at 336-3378 or
visit colorscape.org.

Delaware County Public Health Services and Friends of
Recovery of Delaware Otsego will be sponsoring a Recovery Coach Academy &
Ethical Considerations training during the week of March 25th-March 30th in
Delhi and Margaretville.   The 30 hour
training covers the Connecticut Center for Addiction Recovery model for peer
specialist roles and responsibilities.
This Recovery Coach Academy includes all course materials. Scholarships
are available, more information or registration is available at 267-4435 or by
email at sarah@friendsofrecoverydo.org

State Police arrested 32 year old Michael Ide of Schenevus
for felony Aggravated Unlicensed Operation and Driving While Ability Impaired
by Drugs.  A trooper monitoring traffic
on State Highway 7 in the town of Worcester observed a vehicle with an
equipment violation.  A traffic stop was
initiated and the trooper observed that Ide was impaired & his license was
suspended.  Ide was released on
appearance tickets & was then turned over to a sober third party.

State Police arrested 52 year old Frank Price of Sherburne
for Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated with a BAC of .19%.  Troopers were dispatched to a suspicious
vehicle in the town of Sherburne, they spotted the vehicle stopped in the
middle of the roadway, running, with its brake and headlights on and Price
asleep behind the wheel.   Price was
processed and released on appearance tickets returnable to the town of
Sherburne Court on March 11th.

A Delaware County jury acquitted Jeffrey Hitchcock of Sidney
Center Friday, for charges of sexual abuse & endangering the welfare of a
minor.  Hitchcock had been accused of
inappropriately touching an 11 year old female; the jury took a little over 4
hours to find Hitchcock not guilty of the charges.

Chenango Links will host a discussion with Chenango County
Board of elections Commissioners Mary Lou Monahan & Carol Franklin this
evening in Norwich.  The event will be
held at Bohemian Moon at 103 E. Main Street in Norwich, starting at 5:30 PM.

Binghamton Police arrested 23 year old Kyle Adkins of
Binghamton on a 2nd degree Robbery charge.
Police reported that on Wednesday afternoon 2 masked men entered 56 Pine
Street in the city, Police were called Officers apprehended Adkins, another
suspect fled on foot & is still at large.
Police said that no shots were fired during the burglary, no injuries
occurred, the investigation is continuing.

The Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship
and SUNY Cobleskill will offer a free legal workshop On Wednesday, March 6th
from 7:00 to 9:00 PM in Oneonta, for farms and food businesses on the important
topic of succession planning. The workshop is part of a 2019 Farm and Food
Business Incubator Workshop series covering essential topics in business
planning and management, it will be held at the Center’s Oneonta office
location at 189 Main Street, 5th Floor, More Information or registration is
available at 433-2545.

Today, the New York State Association of Counties urged
Governor Cuomo and the State Legislature to make modifications to the proposed
expansion of the Returnable Container Act, which would add a deposit to sports
drinks, energy drinks, fruit and vegetable beverages, and ready-to-drink
coffees and teas.  The Association claims
that the proposal harms recycling programs that are already being threatened by
global recycling market volatility, instead they urge the State to add a
deposit to additional glass beverage containers, including wine and liquor
bottles, hard cider bottles, and non-alcoholic glass beverage containers as
Glass causes problems in the municipal recycling stream because it breaks and
contaminates other recyclables. Placing a deposit on these containers would
increase glass recycling, reduce municipal recycling costs, and reduce glass
contamination.

NY State of Health released
county-level enrollment statistics showing that overall enrollment increased in
each of New York’s 62 counties. Total enrollment in the Marketplace is now over
4.7 million people, reflecting an increase of more than 435,000 people from
2018.  NY State of Health focused
increased marketing and outreach efforts in areas with higher uninsured rates,
which contributed to enrollment gains across all program types. Counties with
the Highest Percentage Increase in Combined Qualified Health Plan &
Essential Plan Enrollment between 2018 and 2019 included Broome County with a
12% increase & Delaware County with a 10% increase.

Governor Cuomo today announced that the New York State
Department of Labor has been awarded up to $5.59 million in federal grants to
help provide new skills to workers, including new entrants to the workforce,
who have been or are being impacted by the opioid crisis. Additionally, the funds
will be used for workforce development in professions that address or prevent
problems related to opioids across the state, such as addiction treatment
service providers, pain management and therapy service providers, and mental
health treatment providers. The initiative complements ongoing efforts
by the state Health Department and the Office of Alcoholism and Substance
Abuse services to train peers in recovery to work with hospitals, assisting individuals
with substance use disorder in accessing treatment.

Delaware County Sheriff’s
Deputies arrested 28-year-old Michael Lor of Schenectady, for DWI, failure to keep
right and moving from a lane unsafely, after a traffic stop in the Town of
Middletown.  Lor was released & will
appear in the Town of Middletown Court at a later date.

A HEALTHCARE JOB FAIR will be held at the FOXCARE Center in
Oneonta, tomorrow from 11:00 am to 2:00 PM.
Participants include Bassett Healthcare, Family Planning of South
Central NY, UHS Hospitals, The ARC of Delaware County, The ARC of Otsego
County, AO Fox Hospital, Pathfinder Village & the State Veteran’s Home in
Oxford.

The Binghamton Devils announced that they have partnered
with USA Hockey & the Southern Tier Hockey Association to host a "try
hockey free day" on February 23RD At the Broome County Arena.  Parents can register their children for one
of 2 time slots on the 23rd, by calling the devils office at 722-7367, more
information is also available at binghamtondevils.com

Visitors can travel back in time Saturday as the Rogers
Environmental Education Center in Sherburne hosts a demonstration of ice
harvesting on Cunningham Ice Pond.  The
event runs from 2:30 and 3:30 pm, it is free and open to the public.

SU basketball coach Jim Boeheim struck and killed a man with his vehicle Wednesday walking outside a vehicle in the middle of the road on Interstate 690 in Syracuse shortly before 11:30 pm Wednesday night.   Syracuse Police said that Boeheim struck 51 year old Jorge Jimenez of Syracuse as he stood on the side of the road.  Field Sobriety Tests on Boeheim & Jimenez were negative for Alcohol, Boeheim was taken to Syracuse police headquarters, where he was questioned and released. The investigation and accident reconstruction efforts are continuing.

The Raymond Corporation has been named to Fast Company’s
2019 Most Innovative Companies list. Raymond was nominated for the impact its
Raymond Virtual Reality Simulator tool has had on enhancing education for
forklift operators. The list recognizes organizations transforming and shaping
society, in 36 categories, from artificial intelligence to wellness,   more information about The Raymond Corporation
is available at raymondcorp.com or call 800-235-7200.

Delaware County Sheriff Deputies conducted a traffic stop on State Hwy 28 in the Town of Meredith on a vehicle that was observed speeding. Deputies arrested 28 year old Michelle Gules of Wynantskill, It was determined that Gules had a suspended driver’s license for failure to pay a previous fine, she was issued tickets for Aggravated Unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle 3rd degree, unlicensed operator and speed in zone. Gules was released on the tickets and is to appear in the Town of Meredith Court at a later date.

The Eastern League of Professional Baseball has announced
the league will be changing their playoff format from a full season format to a
split season format. Under the new format the first place team from each
division during both the first and second halves of the season will qualify for
the postseason. This change will go into effect immediately, starting with the
2019 season.  The Rumble Ponies kick off
the 2019 campaign on the road April 4 against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats.
Home Opener is scheduled for a 6:35 PM first pitch on Thursday, April 11 at NYSEG
Stadium.

Attorney General Letitia James announced that refund checks
are being issued to consumers of "Energy Plus" as a result of a 2017
settlement.  Attorney General James also
announced a settlement with "Ambit Energy", both companies engaged in
deceptive practices that resulted in consumers paying more for energy services
when they were promised savings.   Over
$700,000 in payments is being distributed to eligible current and former
customers of Energy Plus stemming from a 2017 settlement with the Office of the
Attorney General. Ambit previously agreed to provide more than $20 million in
refunds to its customers in a class action settlement, so Attorney General
James did not seek restitution in that case.

Morgan Hungerford of East Meredith is the current Delaware
County Dairy Princess, she has been chosen as one of 3 ambassadors for the
dairy industry in New York State.
Hungerford was named the 2nd alternate for the state at a pageant held
in Syracuse.  All 3 have won scholarships
and will promote milk and other dairy products throughout New York this
year.

Police in Haverstraw in Rockland
County have arrested 35 year old Jason Mendez on a murder charge, after he was
asked not to smoke near a family’s 6 children in a 7-11 Convenience Store
parking lot Wednesday.  Mendez is accused
of ramming his car into the family twice, killing the mother of the 6 children,
Melissa DeLoatch, and injuring her husband & all 6 children, who were taken
to an area hospital.  Mendez is being
held for court action in Haverstraw town Court.

34-year-old Heather Kasmarcik of Johnson City pleaded guilty
in Broome County Court for criminal sexual act, for engaging in sexual conduct
with a girl less than 14 years of age, according to Broome County District
Attorney Steven Cornwell.  State Police had
arrested Kasmarcik and Derrick Cervini last year for allegedly sexually
assaulting and raping 3 children from 2014 to June 2016.  Kasmarcik will be sentenced on May 22nd.

The State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services
Is offering funding opportunities for initiatives aimed at deterring opioid use
disorder through prevention, treatment or recovery programs.   The application deadline for all of programs
is March 7th, to apply or for more information and full list eligibility
requirements, go to oasas.ny.gov/procurements.

Residents in the Harpursville School District voted in favor
of the 1st phase of a 10 million dollar capital project, to upgrade a variety
of locations around the district.  Voters
also approved of a measure to spend over $410,000 on vehicle purchases Tuesday.

P.M. NEWS Wednesday 2-6-19

Vincent Vetromile, Brian Colaneri & Andrew Crysel
appeared in Greece Town Court Tuesday, they are accused, along with an
unidentified 16 year old, with formulating a terrorist plan against the Muslims
of America Community known as Islamberg in Delaware County.  the 3 were arrested January 18th after police
learned of the plot, the group possessed 23 firearms and 3 explosive devices,
they have been charged with  3 counts of
1st-degree criminal possession of a weapon and 1 count each of 4th degree
conspiracy.  The case against Crysel was
waived to the grand jury. Preliminary hearings for Vetromile and Colaneri are
scheduled for next week.

Governor Cuomo today announced more than $7.5 million in
funding is available to enhance addiction prevention, treatment and recovery
services in New York State. The funding will be awarded through a series of
Requests for Applications issued by the State Office of Alcoholism and
Substance Abuse Services.   New Yorkers
struggling with an addiction can call the state's toll-free HOPE line
at-1-877-8-HOPENY.

The 3rd Annual Oneonta Indoor Heart Walk & Health fair
will be held at the Foxcare Center in Oneonta on Saturday February 16th from
10:00 AM until 2:00 PM, AO Fox spokesperson Gabrielle Argo explains:

(Gabby Argo 2-6-19)

More than 40 vendors, agencies, & organizations will be
participating in the Foxcare Center Concourse, plus Potential Pets will be
available from the Susquehanna Animal Shelter, Heart of the Catskills Humane
Society & Super Heroes in Ripped Jeans, more information is available at
BASSETT.ORG/HEARTWALK.

Tonight, State Senator Fred Akshar and Broome County
Executive Jason Garnar will join addiction specialists, law enforcement,
teachers and families for a public forum on substance use prevention and
treatment.   The forum will take place
from 6:00pm to 7:30pm at the Deposit High School Auditorium.

The Otsego County Planning Department is launching a $50,000
pilot program to assist low & moderate income farmers with home repair
assistance.   The new county program is
called “Farm RESTORE.”  It offers
assistance to eligible active farmers with needs such as furnace repairs,
window replacement, hot water heaters, flooring, electrical upgrades,
accessibility modifications, and plumbing; it is administered by Otsego Rural
Housing Assistance, Inc.  The deadline
for applications if February 28, 2019.
The funding derives from Community Development Block Grant, More
information is available at 547-4225.

A public hearing was held Tuesday night at Oneonta City hall
about the Generic Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Oneonta Rail
Yards project.    Another Public hearing has been scheduled for
March 5th; the period for public comments has been extended to March
18th.

Southern Tier Hemp announced
Tuesday that it’s buying the former Gannett printing plant in Johnson City. The
company will develop, manufacture and sell hemp-based CBD oil products; they
expect to hire more than 100 people over the next 3 years.  The company received state grants to assist
with construction needs at the site, which is expected to be operational later
this year.

The Otsego County Chamber will hold its 8th Annual Career
Expo and Job Fair Today from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the BOCES campus on County
Route 35 in Milford.   The Job Fair and
Open house is open to the public to meet with area employers for current
openings & to learn about job training programs.

The annual meeting of the Friends of the Libraries will be
today at 2:30 in the Smart Community Room of the Sidney Memorial Public
Library. The agenda will include a financial report and a review of activities
supported by the Friends of the Libraries.
All members of the Friends of the Libraries are invited to attend.  More information is available at 563 1200 or
563 8021

34 Year Old Terrence Truitt of Oneonta will have his arson
case go before a Grand Jury shortly.
Truitt is accused of intentionally setting the fire at 5 Walling Avenue on
Saturday December 29th, where former Oneonta fire fighter John
Heller died in the blaze. Truitt was originally charged with 1st
degree arson, he is being held without bail in the Otsego County jail pending Grand
Jury action.

Former New York Republican State Senate leader Dean Skelos
reports to prison today to begin serving his 4+ year prison term for
corruption.  Skelos reports today to a
federal prison at Otisville, New York,
His son, Adam, reports to the federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut, to
begin serving his four-year sentence. Dean Skelos and his son were both
convicted in July on charges of extortion, wire fraud and bribery, with the
elder Skelos using his political influence to get his son high paying no-show
jobs.

Governor Cuomo today announced up to $10 million in capital
funding is available to expand addiction treatment services.   The funding is being administered by the New
York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, and will be
distributed through a Request for Applications process.   Selected applicants must develop and support
a minimum of 16 beds up to a maximum of 40 beds. Funding is only available for
new beds, not conversions of currently operating programs. The Request For
Applications can be viewed at oasas.ny.gov. Responses are due by February 19.

Broome County is offering grants through the Small Community
Fund for 2019, for local municipalities, non-profits, and local economic
development entities that are working on projects to assist in carrying out the
Broome County Comprehensive Plan.   A
total of $150,000 is available, last year, funds were provided for the
demolition of a smokestack in Deposit to make way for their new community park,
among several other projects around the county.
Grants ranged from $2,500 to $50,000, with the average grant being
approximately $16,000. The initial deadline for applications is March 31, 2019.
The full plan is online at gobroomecounty.com/comprehensive plan

Several upstate cites are
teaming up for a lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies, for misleading
health care providers about the addictive dangers of opioid medications they
manufactured.  so far, the cities of
Albany, Schenectady, Troy & Plattsburgh are on the lawsuit against several
top manufacturers of prescription opioid medications, more are expected to join
the suit, as the opioid crisis has continued to grow across New York State.

Bainbridge Fire fighters responded to 1025 Searles Hill Road
Monday afternoon for a structure fire at a Barn that had been converted into
Apartments.  Fire Fighters from Afton,
Coventry, Sidney & Masonville responded, no injuries were reported, but 1
dog died in the fire.  The cause of the fire
was a malfunction with the propane system, according to Bainbridge Fire Chief
Fred Bell.

The Unadilla Town Board will hold their next regular meeting
today.  The Meeting will be held at the
Town hall on State Route 7 beginning at 7:00 PM.

The Walton Central School District Board Of Education will
hold their next meeting today at 6:00 PM.
The meeting will be held in the Board Room at the High School.

The State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services announced new actions to increase the availability and awareness of problem gambling services, which includes the opening of 2 new Problem Gambling Resource Centers which will serve as central hubs for the public to access prevention, treatment and recovery support services.  New Yorkers struggling with an addiction, or whose loved ones are struggling, can find help and hope by calling the state’ stoll-free, 24-hour, 7-day-a-week HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY (1-877-846-7369) or at oasas.ny.gov/gambling.

Julianne Carbone and Sharon McDowell of Oneonta each pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person in Otsego County court.  The 2 are accused of taking inappropriate pictures of Springbrook residents & putting them on Social media Platforms.    Each will 6 months in jail plus 5 years’ probation, upon release they will not be allowed to work with incompetent or disabled people.

Governor Cuomo today announced more than 520 new jobs will be created through the latest round of Recharge NY power allocations. Recharge NY supports new and existing partnerships with qualifying businesses and non-profit organizations with low-cost New York Power Authority power in exchange for commitments to retain or create jobs statewide.  Locally, in the Southern Tier, 60 jobs will be retained & 46 new ones will be created.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Office arrested 44-year-old DeannaO’Connor of the Village of Walton, for 1 count of Grand Larceny.  O’Connor allegedly withheld property or payment for that property to Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, following a reported burglary in Walton and a subsequent insurance claim.  O’Connor was issued an appearance ticket returnable to the Village of Walton Court at a later date.

State DEC officers arrested 3 people on 146 counts in connection with the illegal shooting of 8 deer in the town of Milford last month.  Charged were 20 year old Wayne Shutters of the Town of Maryland, 19 year old Joziah Underwood of Schenevus,and a 16-year-old youth, of the town Maryland,

Oneonta City Firefighters responded to a blaze at 14 Church
Street at about 6:00 PM last night.  Damage
was contained to the 2nd floor & attic, 1 resident escaped without injury,
& no firefighters were injured.  The
cause of the fire is under investigation.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 28 year old Justin Ziemba of Gilboa for aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle,unlawful fleeing of a police officer, driving while intoxicated and reckless driving following a vehicle pursuit in the Town of Roxbury.  Ziemba was observed driving in a reckless manner at a speed of 91 mph, Ziemba lost control of his vehicle and collided with an earth embankment.  Ziemba was arraigned in the Town of Stamford Court and was remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility in lieu of $2,000 cash bail or $4,000 secured bond.  He is scheduled to reappear at the Town of Roxbury Court at a later date.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies 29 year old arrested Brett Trombley on 17 counts of Criminal Contempt.  Trombley allegedly attempted to contact a protected party of an order of protection by phone 17 times over the course of one week while being held in the County Jail; he will appear in the Town of Delhi Court on a later date.

The Oneonta Department of Public Service will be replacing a water main valve today, on Upper Clinton Street from Monroe Avenue to the dead end.  Residents will experience a water outage during work.  Water will be shutdown after 9am and expected to be down for a few hours.  For additional questions, please call the Department of Public Service at (607) 432-2100

Delaware County Sheriff's Department investigators have filed more charges against 29 year old Lacey Benson of Fish's Eddy, for 2 counts of Promoting Prison Contraband. Benson was being booked into the Delaware County Jail on Separate Charges, when she was found to possess a hypodermic syringe with the needle attached, hidden inside her body, later that same day she was found to be in possession of 2 more hypodermic syringes with needles attached, inside the Delaware County Jail. Benson was arraigned & was sent back to the Delaware County jail without bail.

State Police arrested 26 year old Thomas Harris of Unadilla for DWI, Reckless Driving and Harassment Sunday, after a trooper monitoring State Highway 357 observed
Harris driving at about 100 miles an hour. Harris was stopped; his B.A.C was measured at .20%. Harris is also accused of making numerous threats of physical violence
toward troopers and their family members. He was arraigned in the town of Sidney Court and remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $5,000 cash bail or $10,000
property bond.

Norwich Fire Department responded Monday night at about 10:30 PM, to a Trailer Fire on River Street. Investigators believe that the cause of the fire was from a tree that
took down a power line, the trailer was a complete loss. No injuries have been reported.

New York sent an estimated $24.1 billion more in tax payments to Washington than it got back in federal spending in federal fiscal year 2017, getting back 90 cents for every dollar, according to a report released today by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. In 2017, New York was one of just 11 states that sent more to Washington than it  received. Only New Jersey, Massachusetts and Connecticut fared worse while New Mexico fared the best. While New York received 10 cents less per dollar of taxes, most states received more than they paid.

Assemblyman Cliff Crouch encourages new farmers to apply for the state’s New Farmers Grant Program. Empire State Development and the state Department of
Agriculture recently announced $1 million in new funding is now available to promote agricultural growth and support people who are entering or newly entered farming
with individual grants worth up to $50,000. For the past 5 years, the program has awarded nearly 90 farms with grants totaling $3.27 million.

Governor Cuomo today announced $5 million in state funding is available to support the recruitment and retention of Certified Recovery Peer Advocates and nurse
practitioners to assist New Yorkers suffering from addiction. The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services will award up to 170 grants to
certified outpatient and opioid treatment providers to help secure approximately 120 nurse practitioner and 50 Certified Peer Recovery Advocate positions across the
state.  Applications will be accepted through November 7th. Interested parties can review the Request for Applications at oasas.ny.gov.

SUNY Broome celebrated the grand opening of a $12.7 million advanced manufacturing building yesterday. The Advanced Manufacturing Center was built on the site of
the old mechanical building, the new facility houses classrooms and high-tech labs for welding, soldering, fermentation and food processing; the building is already in
use this fall semester.

Otsego County Conservation Association is formally launching the first annual Heat Smart Otsego Campaign Tonight at 6:30 pm, at Foothills Performing Arts Center. The event will feature guest speaker, Jay Egg. The founder of EggGeothermal, Egg will discuss the basics of geothermal, and examine how far geothermal can go towards a renewable energy future. The Heat Smart Otsego Kickoff Event is free, more information 435-1364 or occainfo.org.

Delaware County Public Health will hold a Free Rabies Vaccination Clinic For dogs, cats and ferrets today from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Delhi Fire Hall, more information is available at 832-5200 or delawarecountypublichealth.com

Governor Cuomo announced the Syracuse Mets are committing to sign a lease extension to call Syracuse home for at least 25 years. New York State is committing $12.5 million to Onondaga County's major renovation project at NBT Bank Stadium in Syracuse, in preparation for the arrival of the Mets' minor league franchise in 2019. The Governor also announced the team has been renamed and will now be known as the "Syracuse Mets."

Chenango County Sheriff’s Office announced that 34 year old Timothy Adams of Sherburne will be charged shortly, in Connection with the Monday Morning Robbery at
The Sherburne Mirabito Convenience Store. Adams is accused of forcibly stealing items in the store & throwing hot coffee in the store clerk's face before fleeing the
scene. Monday afternoon, deputies located Adams, who had harmed himself with a knife and fled on foot to a nearby overgrown field where he was later apprehended.
Officers administered first aid to Adams, he was transported to Wilson Memorial Hospital in critical condition, upon release, he will be charged with 2nd degree Robbery.
2nd degree Assault, Tampering with Physical Evidence, and Possession of Stolen Property.

Hartwick College officials revealed today that 1 of their graduates was a victim of the Schoharie crash that killed 20 on Saturday. Officials said that class of 2015 graduate
Savannah Bursese was killed Saturday in the Schoharie Limousine crash; she earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in both Political Science and Business Administration.
State Police & The NTSB are still investigating the circumstances that led up to the crash.

The Broome-Endicott Swat Team executed a narcotics search warrant for the Broome County Special Investigations Unit Task Force on East Windsor Road in Nineveh
today; they arrested 24 year old Marissa Price of Port Crane for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Criminal
Possession of Marihuana & Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia. Officers seized 7 grams of Methamphetamine, 5 ounces of Marijuana, prescription pills, Digital scales
and drug packaging materials as well as 5 shotguns and rifles & $5,188 in cash from suspected drug sales. Price was arraigned in the Town of Colesville Court today and
was remanded to the custody of the Broome County Sheriff’s Correctional Facility without bail.

3 New York State agencies; the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, the Office of Mental Health and the Department of Financial Services, announced a
new program to help ensure all New Yorkers are able to access their insurance coverage for substance use disorders and mental health services. The Community
Health Access to Addiction and Mental Healthcare Project will educate individuals, families, and health care providers on their legal rights to coverage, help them to
access treatment and services and will investigate and resolve complaints regarding denial of health insurance coverage. more information is available at 888-614-5400.

Long time area attorney Dee Fogarty of Unadilla passed away on September 29th. Calling hours will be held on Saturday, October 13, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM followed
by a memorial service at 1:00PM at C.H. Landers Funeral Chapel on Main Street in Sidney. Family has requested that donations may be made in her name to the Catskills
Humane Society in Delhi or the Delaware Valley Humane Society in Sidney.

The first annual Heat Smart Otsego Campaign kicks off on October 17 with an event at Foothills Performing Arts Center in Oneonta, organized by Otsego County
Conservation Association. The event will run from 6:30-8:30pm and it is free. Attendees will have the opportunity to sign up for free home visits from any of the selected
installer partners as well as a free energy audit as a first step toward evaluating the most cost-effective, energy saving option for their home or business. More
information is available at 435-1364.

The next meeting of the General Clinton Canoe Regatta committees will be tonight at 7:00 PM at Galaxy Bowl in Bainbridge. This will be a combined meeting of both General and race committees.

Chenango County Public Works will close County Road 5, between County Road 2 in the Town of German and State Highway 220 in the Town of McDonough today. Local traffic will be allowed to and from their homes. The traveling public must follow the designated detour from County Road 5 south along County Road 2, then north along State Highway 220 to County Road 5. More information is available at 337-1710.

Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies arrested a Hancock couple for allegedly possessing stolen Snowmobiles from Pennsylvania & possessing drugs packaged for sale. Deputies recovered 4 stolen snowmobiles in Hancock and Deposit, they arrested 28 year old Matthew Mason of Hancock, for Criminal Possession of Stolen Property for allegedly possessing the stolen snowmobile trailer and 4 snowmobiles, he was remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $10,000 cash bail or $20,000 bond. Deputies had also arrested 43 year old Tammy Moore on 2 separate occasions once for Aggravated DWI, Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs, Endangering the Welfare of a Child, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance & later for Criminal Possession of Stolen Property. Moore was returned to the County Jail after posting bail on the 1stset of charges. A search warrant was executed at the Mason and Moore home; deputies seized marihuana plants, processed marihuana & drug paraphernalia.

Oxford Central School will be hosting a Robotics Competition called "Robo-Rave" in the High School Gymnasium Saturday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Over 20 teams will be competing. Robo-Rave is a program designed to teach students how to design, build, code & program Robots to perform a variety of tasks, Oxford High School Science Teach Mark Muller explains why he wanted to bring Robo Rave to Oxford:

(Mark Muller 4-6-18)

Muller said that Saturday's event is the first Robo Rave event in New York State, Robo rave is associated with NASA, who brought a team of engineers to Oxford to speak & teach at the event, which is free & open to the public. More information is available at oxac.org.

State Police arrested 38 year old Michael Sullivan of Agawam, Massachusetts & 30 year old Gabrielle Graham of Pittsfield, Massachusetts for criminal possession of a controlled substance, Sullivan was additionally charged with Unlawful Possession of Marihuana. Troopers received a complaint of a disabled vehicle on I-88 in the town of Afton; they located marijuana and a smoking pipe with residue. Sullivan and Graham were arraigned in the town of Afton Court and remanded to the Chenango County Jail on $1,000 cash bail or $2,000 bond. Their next court date is scheduled for April 23, 2018 in the town of Afton Court.

Johnson City Police Department announced that 29-year-old Corey Robinson is being detained in Marietta, Georgia, he is suspected of murdering 46 year old Erika Smith Cunningham, who was found dead at 92 Crocker Avenue Sunday morning. An arrest warrant was issued on Thursday and Robinson was taken into custody a few hours later. Robinson will be charged with 2nd degree murder, Extradition proceedings have begun, Robinson is expected to be returned to Broome County in about a week.

The controversial NG Advantage natural gas compressor station project in Port Crane is being scrapped by the company, even after they received approval for the project by the Town of Fenton planning board a year ago. NG sold some of the property already to Carrier Services Corporation of Ohio; they are expected to request a rezoning of the property for commercial or industrial activity.

New York continues to be one of the leading states in the country where people are moving out of, according to United Van Lines. New York ranked 3rd behind Illinois and New Jersey, as the top 3 states that people are leaving. The United van Lines statistics showed that 46% left for job-related reasons, 29% left following retirement, 19% left for family reasons, 5% for health reasons. The largest age population of those who left were ages 55 to 64.

Governor Cuomo today announced a new initiative to provide teachers and coaches with resources they can use to help prevent and address substance use disorder among young people. Starting next week, the New York State Department of Health, the New York State Education Department, and the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services will notify schools statewide of the availability of flash drives loaded with materials in English and Spanish for coaches, teachers, school nurses, and other educators to use in personal conversations with students and in community forums.

The Otsego County Department of Health is hosting the 2018 Living Healthier Expo at the Foothills Performing Arts center on market Street in Oneonta today & tomorrow. The American Red Cross will be holding blood drives over both days, topics will include Lyme disease, rabies Awareness, Chronic Disease management; more information is available at 547-4230 or LHEOtsego.com.

The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce is hosting their 2nd Annual Comedy show at the Old Schoolhouse Inn of Downsville Saturday Night starting at 7:30 PM. Tickets & more information are available at 746-2281 or delawarecounty.org.

Democratic Congressional candidate Gareth Rhodes will appear in Sidney today. Rhodes will appear at the Sidney Golf & Country Club this morning at 9:00 AM, he is one of 7 announced candidates running for the Democratic Party Nomination for the right to face incumbent Republican Congressman John Faso for the 19th District.

The Binghamton Hockey Hall of Fame Committee announced that it will induct Brian McGrattan and Larry Kish as the class of 2018. There will be a pregame ceremony prior to Friday’s game against Syracuse. McGrattan played a total of 196 regular-season games over the course of three seasons in Binghamton with the Senators from 2002-2005, he recorded 25 goals and 22 assists for 47 points, his 551 penalty minutes in 2004-05 is the most in a single season in AHL history. Kish coached several teams in Binghamton from 1975-1982 winning the AHL’s Coach of the Year in 1981. More information about tickets for tonight's game is available at binghamtondevils.com or 722-7367.

Norwich City Police and the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office executed a ‘No-knock’ search warrant at a residence on Mitchell Street Wednesday; they arrested 50-year-old Patrick Gilbert, of Norwich, and 26-year-old Bethann Freelove of Norwich, for criminal sale of a controlled substance and criminal nuisance. They are accused of selling cocaine or prescription medications, they were arraigned in Norwich City Court & both were remanded to the Chenango County Jail on $30,000 bail each pending future court action.

State Police arrested 23 year old Tylor Airwyke or Windsor on several counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance plus Criminal Possession of Marihuana. Troopers observed Airwyke traveling on State Highway 12 in the town of Greene, he was subsequently stopped, troopers learned that Airwyke’s license was suspended; they seized MDMA, cocaine and marijuana. Airwyke was arraigned in the Town of Greene Court; he was remanded to the Chenango County Jail on $25,000 cash bail or $50,000 bond.

The fate of suspended Otsego County Corrections officer Ros Devlin has been turned over to the chairman of the Otsego County Board of Representatives David Bliss. The decision allows Bliss to order a medical examination of Ros Devlin, who is Sheriff Rich Devlin's son, and he can proceed reaching a decision of Ros Devlin's fate. Ros Devlin has been on paid suspension since January of 2017, after he allegedly threatened terroristic action against area school district & threatened suicide, while Sheriff Devlin allegedly resisted taking action against his son.

Governor Cuomo announced the grand opening of The SBH Binghamton Evaluation Center in Building 1 on the Broome County Developmental Center campus, at 249 Glenwood Road in Binghamton. The facility will include 50 Medically Supervised Withdrawal and Stabilization beds and will operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services is providing $1.5 million in annual operational funding for the program. Syracuse Behavioral Health was selected as the facility operator through a Broome County Request for Proposals process.

A New York State Budget Presentation will be presented on April 10th at 12:00 Noon, at The Northeast Classic Car Museum, 24 Rexford Street, Norwich. State Commissioner of Labor Roberta Reardon will make the presentation; RSVP’s are required to Phillip.Rumsey@exec.ny.gov

Newly published author, Stephen Vriesema, of West Winfield, has published his first novel, and will be holding a Book Signing at the Norwich library this Sunday, he told WCDO News about his book:

(Vriesema 4-4-18)

Vriesema is a self-employed Landscaper, “Damning Memories" is his 2nd complete novel, but only published work at this point. It is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble & ITunes.

About 430 NYSEG customers are without power this morning, following yesterday's strong gusty winds. About 1/3 rd the affected customers are in the Town of Franklin, NYSEG hopes to have power restored as soon as possible. NYSEG customers are asked to call 1-800-572-1131 immediately to report downed or low-hanging wires.

State Police arrested 3 local residents for 2nd degree Burglary that occurred October 15, 2017 at a home on State Route 206 in the town of Masonville. Rifles, tools and boxes of ammunition were taken, Investigators arrested 37 year old Jarred Cutting of Masonville in January, he was arraigned and was remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $5,000 cash bail or $10,000 bond. On Feburary 1, 30 year old Andrew Baker of Bainbridge, was arrested for Resisting Arrest & burglary, he was arraigned & was remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $2,500 cash bail or $5,000 bond. Investigators later learned Casey Smith was incarcerated in the Otsego County Jail on unrelated charges. Smith was arrested by Investigators last week, & was arraigned and was returned to the Otsego County Jail.

Chenango County District Attorney Joseph McBride announced that Jury selection will continue Monday April 9 in the murder trial of Jeremy Coates. Coates is accused of Killing David Green in Oxford in 2016, Jury selection began Monday of this week and 12 jurors were selected before exhausting the entire list of potential jurors. A new list of potential jurors will report on Monday to continue selection for the required alternate jurors, that will be followed by opening statements and witness testimony. The trial is expected to last two weeks.

No injuries were reported after a pickup truck rear-ended a Gilbertsville-Mount Upton Central School District bus Wednesday afternoon. State Police reported that 2 children and the driver were on the bus when it was hit at about 4:00 PM yesterday, the investigation is continuing, no injuries were reported.

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a Board of Education Meeting on Today in the District Conference Room at 6:30 PM. The business portion of the meeting will start at 7:00 PM.

Governor Cuomo already has a commanding lead over his challengers in the race for Governor this year. Cuomo leads actress Cynthia Nixon by a 66 to 19% margin, according to a Siena College poll released this week, The same poll also had Cuomo with a 2 to 1 advantage over both State Senator John DeFrancisco and possible Republican candidate Marc Molinaro

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said yesterday that she is endorsing Governor Andrew Cuomo over challenger Cynthia Nixon. Gillibrand said that she believed that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer will join also support Cuomo for Governor again this year.

New York’s unemployment rate dropped from 4.7% to 4.6% in February, the lowest level since July 2007. Locally, the state labor department reported that the number of Non-Farm Jobs declined in the Tri County Region by .3% in the last 12 months.

Delaware County Public Health is holding a “Medical Countermeasures” drill on Tuesday, April 3rd to practice and test the ability to dispense large amounts of medicine in the event of a public health threat such as a disease outbreak or bioterrorism threat to the community. All are welcome to attend the drill. There is no pre-registration required. No medications are actually being dispensed. The event will be held from 10:30am to 12:30pm on April 3rd at the Delhi American Legion Hall, 41 Page Avenue, more information is available at 832-5200

Oneonta City officials announced that their First Fabulous Fridays will begin on May 4th this year. Scheduled for the season opener are Tom & Doug's Cruise-In on Main Street from 5:00 to 8:00 PM, with Live Music, food & Beverages available.

The New York State Senate passed "Laree's Law" this week. Laree's Law would allow law enforcement officials to charge a drug dealer with homicide if a death results from the sale of heroin or an opiate controlled substance. State Senator Fred Akshar voted in favor of the measure, he said that High-level drug dealers who profit from the heroin epidemic should be held accountable for the lives taken from the sale of the deadly drugs, the bill moves onto the Assembly for consideration.

Governor Cuomo today announced new efforts to combat the opioid epidemic, including advancing partnerships in New York's Prescription Monitoring Program across the country, training investigators with the New York State Department of Health's Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement to carry and administer naloxone, and allowing hospitals to provide detoxification services without a separate certification from the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services. The State Department of Health announced that their prescription Monitoring Program is now connected to 25 states and Washington, D.C., so that New York's program securely shares and receives information regarding about 150 Million patients' prescriptions records.

State Police arrested 54 year old Michele Bookhout of Schenevus, for Aggravated DWI with a B.A.C of .19%. Troopers were dispatched to a one-car rollover on State Highway 7 in the town of Milford, Troopers located Bookhout uninjured in her vehicle. Bookhout was issued tickets and released. She is scheduled to appear in the town of Milford Court on April 10, 2018.

State Police arrested 22 year old Rene Flowers of Oneonta for Criminal Obstruction of Breathing and 2 counts of Harassment, Troopers were called to Oneonta Job Corp, Flowers allegedly pushed, punched and choked 1 person & pushed another. Flowers was issued appearance tickets and released. He is due in the town of Oneonta Court on March 27th.

State Police arrested 34 year old Christopher Davis of Otego for Criminal Mischief and Criminal Contempt, after Troopers were called to a residence on State Route 357 in the town of Franklin for a dispute Monday. Troopers determined Davis had violated an order of protection and also damaged property, he was located in Cooperstown where he was arrested. Davis was issued appearance tickets and is due in the town of Franklin Court on March 22, 2018.

The Otsego County Board of Representatives Public Safety & Legal Affairs Committee released a report today regarding their attempts to investigate alleged terrorist threats made by Otsego County Corrections officer Sergeant Ros Devlin last January, Devlin is the son of Otsego County Sheriff Richard Devlin. Today’s report outlined the efforts made to investigate the matter where Ros Devlin was accused of threatening to bring a duffel bag full of guns to work at the Otsego County Jail, shoot co-workers & to shoot up an area school. The Committee sought legal advice or action from Sheriff Devlin, the Otsego County District Attorney, the Otsego County Attorney, State Police, and the state Attorney General’s office & Governor Cuomo's office with little success. The committee recommends that Sheriff Devlin recuse himself, & appoint the County Board or another board to investigate & short of recusal, they recommend that the sheriff require a full mental health examination of Ros Devlin, that the DA's office appoint a special prosecutor, that a process be enacted to insure better coordination among law enforcement agencies to deal with terrorist threats coming from a law enforcement officer. The committee expressed concerns that the school in question was never notified of the threats, they have vowed to continue with their investigation. Ros Devlin has been suspended with pay, had his gun permits suspended and is not allowed on county property.

State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is leading a coalition of 13 states; they are calling on the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to reject deep cuts in funding for the Environmental Protection Agency and anti-environmental riders in federal budget bills. The coalition charges that the EPA cuts and riders currently proposed by both houses will lead to more pollution, and an increase in damage to public health." The coalition is urging Congress to pass a final budget that fully funds EPA and omits any anti-environmental riders.

Governor Cuomo called for reforms that mandate transparency in political advertising, require online platforms to maintain an archive of political ads, and protect our State elections from outside influence. The proposal will also calls for the streamlining of voter registration services, remove unnecessary barriers that prevent participation in elections and increase accuracy in the voting process. Governor Cuomo will discuss the Strategy to the legislature during his State of The State Address next month.

Assemblyman Cliff Crouch announced that the U.S. Small Business Administration is offering federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans to certain small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and most private, nonprofit organizations across New York, following the excessive rain on April 1st this year. The disaster declaration includes Chenango, Delaware and Otsego counties; eligible farm-related and nonfarm-related entities qualify for the SBA's Economic Injury Disaster Loan program. Applications can be completed online at disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. More information is also available at 800-659-2955, by sending an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov. Loan applications are also available at sba.gov/disaster. Loan Applications must be completed and submitted to the SBA by August 13, 2018.

Governor Cuomo is encouraging State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli to begin planning to divest the state retirement fund from fossil fuels companies. DiNapoli said that the State's $200 billion Common Fund has been adding more investments into alternative fuel companies, but has not yet divested any funds from existing fossil fuel companies.

The State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services announced that the documentary “Reversing the Stigma” is now available to view on YouTube. “Reversing the Stigma” highlights the work being done in New York State to combat addiction and reminds viewers that addiction is a chronic disease that is treatable. The film profiles multiple people in various stages of recovery, who share their stories and experiences. The state Office advises residents to visit CombatAddiction.ny.gov to learn more about the warning signs of addiction, review information on how to get help, and access resources on how to facilitate conversations with loved ones and communities about addiction, more information is also available at the State's Talk2Prevent website.

State Police responded to a 2-vehicle collision with injuries on State Route 23 in the town of Harpersfield. 56 year old Joseph Moore of Stamford failed to keep right and collided head on with a dump truck. Moore's vehicle came to rest in a ditch, the dump truck tipped over onto the passenger side. Moore sustained minor injuries and was taken to Bassett Hospital, front seat passenger, 80 year old Joseph Moore Jr., of Stamford was also taken to Bassett Hospital for minor injuries, backseat passenger 76 year old Erna Moore of Stamford, sustain serious injuries to her legs and body, she was airlifted to Albany Medical Center. The driver of the dump truck 33 year old Roland Birdsall of Stamford, sustained minor injuries and was transported to Bassett. The investigation by State Police is ongoing.

State Senator Jim Seward announced state grants of $50,000 each for Charlotte Valley, Franklin & Unatego School Districts. Franklin and Unatego will use the grants to assist with general education and classroom needs. Charlotte Valley will use the funds to help with costs associated with a parking lot improvement project to correct drainage problems and enhance safety.

A Special blood drive is being held in Norwich today in memory of Savannah Williams. Residents of Norwich and surrounding communities are asked to donate blood today from 3:00 to 7:00 PM at Holy Family School in Norwich. Williams died unexpectedly in Geneseo after her car collided with a tractor-trailer; she was a freshman at SUNY Geneseo & was a graduate of the Norwich City School District

A review of the Oneonta Police Department’s actions, following the recent death of a man in custody has been completed by the Oneonta Police Department & the Otsego County District attorney's office. Oneonta Police had a search warrant for a city residence & to perform a strip search of 52-year-old Kenneth Faulkner of New Rochelle, following a lengthy drug investigation. Faulkner resisted the efforts of 4 officers; he swallowed a packet of cocaine, which led to his death several hours after the struggle on November 2nd. The results of the department’s report have been submitted to state officials.

The Bainbridge Guilford Girls Volleyball Team plays in the State Class D Semi-Finals tomorrow in Glens Falls. Bobcats Head Coach Tami Selfridge told WCDO that the school and the community have rallied around this team:

(Tami Selfridge 11-17-17)

The Lady Bobcats begin Pool Play at 3:00 PM Saturday & if they advance they will play for the State Title Sunday at 2:00 PM. WCDO Sports Director Nate Lull will have live updates on Twitter or at WCDOSPORTS.COM from each BG game.

State Senator Fred Akshar and Assembly Members Donna Lupardo and Cliff Crouch have released answers to the many questions posed by the community regarding the planned repurposing of the former Broome Developmental Center to bring new Addiction Treatment Services to the community. The document compiles questions raised at the October 26th Town Hall Meeting, with answers from the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, Syracuse Behavioral Health, the Broome County Department of Social Service and the Broome County Health Department. The document can be found at Akshar.NYSenate.Gov; nyassembly.gov/Donna Lupardo or nyassembly.gov/Clifford Crouch.

Officials with the Jericho Arts Council announced that the concert originally scheduled for Saturday night has been cancelled. The Council had scheduled Tony Holt & The Wildwood Valley Boys for Saturday night, a new date for a make up show has not been announced.

State Police CNET & Binghamton Police executed a federal arrest warrant on Troy Clark of Whitney Point, as part of a federal indictment charging Clark with manufacturing Methamphetamines. Police discovered a meth lab with 30 “one pot” vessels, various methamphetamine laboratory components, a loaded 12 gauge shotgun & a Small amount of marihuana. Police arrested Orion Tanzini of Kirkwood, Brittany Clark of Whitney Point, Jamie Wilson of Whitney Point, Brian Mirra of Chenango Forks, along with Clark. A search warrant was also executed for Charles McNeilly, of Whitney Point, where police again seized meth making materials & arrested Thomas Cole of Whitney Point, Ashley VanOstrand of Whitney Point, along with McNeilly. All face court action shortly, the investigations are continuing and additional charges are pending.

The Bainbridge Girl Scout service unit 365 is having their community giveaway tomorrow from 9:00 Am to 12:00 Noon. Residents can drop off gently used items today from 4:00 to 6:00 PM or early Saturday from 8:30 to 9:00 AM. On Saturday, All items are free to take, at Greenlawn elementary school in Bainbridge. More information is available at 267-2378.

New York’s statewide unemployment rate decreased from 4.9% to 4.8% in October, according to preliminary figures released today by the New York State Department of Labor. Private educational and health services added the most jobs (+51,900) of any major industry sector over the past year. Manufacturing lost the most jobs (-17,100) of any major industry sector in New York State, other losses were concentrated in durable goods (-12,800), especially fabricated metal products (-3,200).

Bassett Healthcare Network is currently holding their annual "Coats for Kids" event. Interested residents can drop off new or gently used children's coats at Bassett Healthcare Network locations or at any First Choice Cleaners before Monday. Coats will be cleaned by First Choice Cleaners, the Distribution of the items will be November 25th from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM at Bassett Healthcare at 125 Main Street, Oneonta & November 27 to December 1st from 10 AM to 4:00 PM at the Cooperstown Food Pantry, 25 Church Street, Cooperstown. More information is available at 547-3914

Closing arguments ended this morning & the Jury received their orders this afternoon, as the trial of Ramadan Abdullah draws to a conclusion in Broome County Court. Abdullah was originally charged in June & was indicted on 15 counts of Criminal possession of a weapon among other charges, for having a stockpile of weapons stored in various locations around Broome County.

The State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services announced the availability of funding to establish or expand services for youth and young adults in recovery from addiction. Up to 15 projects will be awarded up to $12,000 each. This funding is part of the $25.2 million federal State Targeted Response Grant that New York State received in early 2017. More information is available at FindAddictionTreatment.ny.gov.

The Oxford and McDonough Communities are invited to the 33rd annual Free Thanksgiving Dinner, served from 12:00 noon to 1:00 PM on Thursday, November 23 at St. Joseph's Church. Volunteers are needed to assist in serving and in the kitchen; more information is available at 843-6249. Free will donations will be accepted at the NBT Bank in Oxford.

Several state lawmakers have written to Governor Cuomo and the state's top corrections official to urge them to end solitary confinement of prisoners. More than 40 members of the Senate and Assembly claimed that the practice of isolating inmates for long periods of time amounts to torture, Cuomo's administration insists it has taken significant steps to end traditional solitary confinement with new rules and standards for when a person may be placed in isolation.

The 2017 regular deer and bear hunting seasons in New York's Southern Zone begin at sunrise this Saturday through Sunday, December 10th. The Southern Zone regular season is New York's most popular hunting season; approximately 85 percent of New York's 575,000 licensed hunters participate. in the Southern Zone, late bow hunting and muzzle loading seasons will run from December 11th through December 19th this year. Hunters should refer to the 2017-2018 Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide at dec.ny.gov.

Congressman John Faso of the 19th Congressional district announced a live meeting on the current tax reform proposal tomorrow evening at 6:55pm. Those who would like to participate can sign up by faso.house.gov.signs up will continue until 3:00 pm Tuesday

Governor Cuomo signed 5 bills Saturday on Veteran's day, to support the Veterans living in New York:

(Cuomo 11-13-17)

There are 770,000 veterans in New York State, 28 of the 29 states with medical marijuana programs will now allow patients with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to qualify. Other bills signed Saturday include Providing combat veterans employed by the State with additional days of paid leave to obtain health services, counseling and access to other benefits & Waiving the civil service examination fee for veterans who were honorably discharged;

Binghamton Police arrested a 66-year-old Ronald Cook of Utica at the Little Venice Restaurant in Binghamton Saturday afternoon. Cook is a Level 3 sex offender who removed his GPS ankle bracelet and didn't report to his parole officer Wednesday, sparking a state wide manhunt.  Cook was convicted of raping a 24-year-old woman in Binghamton in 1990; he was also convicted in 1988 of first-degree sexual abuse and impersonating a police officer.

Governor Cuomo announced a new statewide initiative to examine cancer patterns and the potential causes of cancer in 4 regions across the state that have a higher incidence of certain cancers. The Department of Health will be reviewing cancer data, potential demographic and occupational factors, and will consult with the DEC on environmental factors contributing to the cancer clusters.

New York State today filed a notice of intent to sue the Environmental Protection Agency for violating the federal Clean Air Act by failing to curb ground-level ozone pollution that blows into New York from upwind states. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said that at least 1 in 3 New Yorkers breathe air with unhealthy levels of smog pollution. The EPA's own studies demonstrate that pollution from states upwind of New York contributes substantially to the state's dangerous smog problem.

The Oneonta Police Department is asking the local public for assistance, following possible acts of vandalism. The Police Department announced that the bathrooms at Neahwa and Wilber Parks sustained damage within the last few days. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Detective Division at 432-1111 or submit an anonymous tip on the department's facebook Page. to local.nixle.com/tip/city-of-oneonta. Any information will be confidential.

New York residents stand to lose more than $72 billion in reported deductions for income and property taxes if proposals to change the federal tax code are implemented, according to a report issued today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. Among the deductions the administration has targeted are those for state and local taxes, New Yorkers reported more than $72 billion in such federal deductions in 2015, including $51.7 billion for income taxes and $20.9 billion for property taxes.

The New York State Parks Department has updated their maps for this weekend, regarding the Fall Foliage season. The full map can be found at iloveny.com.

State Police arrested 34 year old Michael Graziano of Oneonta, for Grand Larceny and Falsifying Business Records, after troopers were advised of a theft by an employee that had occurred at Springbrook in the Town of Milford. Graziano allegedly falsified business records to steal over $7,000 in pay; he was arraigned in the Town of Milford Court and was release on his own recognizance. His next court date is on December 12th.

State Senator Fred Akshar, & Assembly Members Donna Lupardo and Cliff Crouch will hold a public Town Hall Meeting today, to discuss the ongoing repurposing of the Broome Developmental Center to provide substance abuse treatment to individuals struggling with addiction. Officials from the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, Syracuse Behavioral Health, Broome County Department of Social Services and the Broome County Health Department will answer questions and address concerns related to the repurposing project. The event will run from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Chenango Valley High School.

Governor Cuomo announced $7.5 million to construct, rehabilitate and improve the homes of 367 income-eligible families across New York. The funds are awarded through New York State Homes and Community Renewal's Affordable Home Ownership Development Program, administered by the Affordable Housing Corporation. In the Southern Tier, a $600,000 grant will go to Delaware Opportunities for the acquisition and rehabilitation of approximately 15 homes located on scattered sites in Delaware County. $290,000 grant to M-ARK Project, for the acquisition and rehabilitation of approximately 10 homes located in Delaware County.

Governor Cuomo has signed legislation to remove barriers for businesses in New York seeking brand label registration for alcoholic beverages. Currently, the law requires brand label registrations to be filed by certified mail, registered mail or overnight mail. Under the bill the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law will permit brand label registration applications to be submitted electronically and filed every three years, rather than every year. The bill also permits the Authority, or third party, to charge a processing fee for electronic submissions.

Delaware County Public Health will be sponsoring a free EPA Certified Lead Renovator 8-Hr. Training Course today at the Walton Town Hall. ConTrax, LLC is conducting the class. The class is sponsored by Delaware County Public Health; it will include all course materials, manual, refreshments, lunch and certificate of completion. Free tuition offered on a first come basis, with preference given to Delaware County residents, businesses, rental property owners, home improvement contractors and their employees.

State Police executed a search warrant at 5435 and 5186 Elk Creek Road in the Town of Meredith, following an investigation into the illegal growing of marijuana. Police seized approximately 500 harvested Marijuana Plants, about 100 pounds of processed marijuana, plus 34 grams of hashish, a digital scale, $1166 in cash, 7 long guns, 2 Security surveillance systems. Police arrested 59-year-old Richard Lane of Walton, 48 year old Edward Lane of Meredith, & 61 year old Clayton Rockefeller of Meredith, for Criminal Possession of Marijuana, all 3 were arraigned in the Town of Davenport Court and remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $2500 cash bail or $5000 bond.

The African Children’s Choir will be performing at the Binghamton First Assembly Church Friday Night at 7:00 PM, as part of a national tour, that has performed all over American & Canada since April. Tour Leader Keira Carnie explains:

(Keira Carnie 10-25-17)

The African Children’s choir has been performing for over 30 years, and has performed for Queen Elizabeth at her Golden Jubilee, and has performed with Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, Mariah Carey & Keith Urban. Friday Nights show is free; the church is located at 225 Washington Street in Binghamton.

Sidney village officials were notified that a squirrel in NYSEG Substation was responsible for yesterday's power outage, which affected 350 Sidney Customers & 60 Bainbridge customers. The power outage disrupted several area businesses along Delaware Avenue, generators were used to power up traffic signals at State Route 8 & Delaware Avenue, Sidney Police also directed traffic at other affected locations. NYSEG Reported that power was restored at about 7:30 PM Tuesday.

The Pouring of the Concrete has started, as part of the Sidney Main Street Revitalization Project. The concrete is being poured in a way to allow Main Street Businesses to remain open for their customers, the 1 side of Main Street that is being worked on currently is expected to be concluded in the next 2 weeks, the work for the other side of Main Street will begin early next year.

The State office of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Services announced the opening of the new Voices Recovery and Community Outreach Center at 340 Prospect Street in Binghamton. The center will provide free support and services for people who are in recovery from a substance use disorder and for their families.

Hartwick College officials have announced The Hartwick College Founders’ Award, a guaranteed tuition grant of $10,000 per year, which will be awarded to each newly enrolled 1st year and transfer student who is a resident of New York State. Grants will be awarded to new students beginning in the fall of 2018. Students who enroll in the College’s innovative 3-Year Bachelor’s Degree Program are also eligible for this award. No special grant application is required; students only need to apply for admission to Hartwick and file the FAFSA form.

The State DEC announced that remaining Deer Management Permits in several Wildlife Management Units would be available to hunters beginning November 1st. The DEC will re-open the permit application process on a first-come, first-served basis. Hunters may apply for up to two additional permits at any DEC license sales outlet beginning Nov.

Governor Cuomo signed legislation to extend property tax exemptions to eligible United States veterans to include school taxes. Currently, state property tax laws provide partial property tax exemptions to qualified veterans of the United States Military; however, this exemption does not apply to school taxes. In 2013 and 2016 the alternative veteran's property tax exemption and Cold War property tax exemption were amended to give school districts the options of allowing the exemption, now, all 3 veteran's property tax exemptions would be applied to school taxes.

The State Department of Labor released preliminary unemployment rates for September. The State’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased from 4.8% to 4.9% in September, Locally, Chenango County had 4.7% unemployment, Delaware County had 5% & Otsego County had 4.4%.

The Next Tri Town Coalition on Substance Abuse Prevention will be tonight at the Sidney High School cafeteria at 6:00 PM. Sarah Buttice of Fox Hospital will discuss smoking cessation programs & initiatives like “Stop Targeting Our Teens”.

CDO Workforce and BEAM are offering a free interviewing workshop today at 10:00 AM at the CDO Workforce Center, at the 2nd Floor of the Sidney Civic Center. Reservations are requested at 832-5776, but walk-ins are welcome. The Interviewing Workshop is in time to prepare for the Southside Mall Job Fair later today from 2:00 to 5:00 PM.

State Police arrested 67-year-old Thomas Smith of Oneonta for Criminal Contempt, after troopers were contacted by a person with an order of protection against Smith. Smith is accused of calling or arriving at that person’s home in Otego several times; he was issued a ticket to appear in the Town of Otego Court on November 9th.

Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul announced today state funding to assist Unison in Norwich with a major expansion project:

(Kathy Hochul 10-17-17

Site Leader Dan Ketchum told WCDO News about the product line that will benefit from the expansion Project:

(Dan Ketchum 10-17-17)

Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul said that the project expansion at Unison is part of the Southern Tier Soaring economic development initiative.

Commerce Chenango will host their 3rd annual Job fair on November 8th in Norwich, Commerce Chenango CEO Steve Craig told WCDO News that employers from all over the region can sign up to participate:

(Steve Craig 10-17-17)

The Job Fair will be from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the SUNY Morrisville Norwich Campus on November 8th.

Governor Cuomo today announced General Motors and Cruise Automation are applying to begin the first sustained testing of vehicles in fully autonomous mode in New York State in early 2018. GM and Cruise are applying to begin the testing in Manhattan, All testing will include an engineer in the driver's seat to monitor and evaluate performance, and a second person in the passenger seat. The legislation in the current state budget, allows for the testing of autonomous technology through a pilot program.

A Sidney 5K Walk or Run will be held this Sunday, with a variety of events scheduled to go along with the run, to raise money for the fight against childhood cancer. Sidney Heath Education Teacher Jonathan Yurka explains:

(Jonathan Yurka 10-17-17)

More information about the race is available at localraces.com, and then search for "Warriors” the event will be held between the Sidney High School & Middle school buildings Sunday afternoon.

State Senator Fred Akshar & Assembly Members Donna Lupardo and Cliff Crouch will hold a public Town Hall Meeting to discuss the repurposing of the Broome Developmental Center to provide substance abuse treatment to individuals struggling with addiction. Officials from the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, Syracuse Behavioral Health, Broome County Department of Social Services and the Broome County Health Department will answer questions and address concerns related to the repurposing project. The Meeting will be held on Thursday, October 26th from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Chenango Valley High School at 221 Chenango Bridge Rd.

Delaware County Sheriff Deputies arrested 36-year-old Harold Wilson of North Branch for Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a motor vehicle. Wilson was observed traveling on State Highway 206 in the Town of Colchester at a high rate of speed where he was stopped, Deputies determined that Wilson was driving with 13 active suspensions, he was arraigned in the Town of Colchester Court, he was remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $750 cash bail or $2,500 secured bond.

Governor Cuomo announced more than $3.7 million in grants to help further reduce motor vehicle theft and insurance fraud.. Police departments, sheriffs' offices and district attorneys' offices will share the funding for anti-theft and anti-fraud training programs to law enforcement professionals. The grants are awarded by the state's Motor Vehicle Theft and Insurance Fraud Prevention program, the state Division of Criminal Justice Services provides staff to the board and administers the grant program.

The Chenango County Health department & the Chenango County Area Office on aging are co-sponsoring a flu clinic today in Oxford. The clinic will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at the Oxford Firehouse, more information & registration is available at 337-1660.

A forum is being held this evening for Franklin residents with candidates for the Town Council positions. The forum will be held at the Ouleout American Legion Post at 327 Main Street in Franklin beginning at 7:00 PM.

On Wednesday Oneonta Police assisted the Otsego County probation Department with items located during a routine visit of a person on probation. Officer confiscated 40 bags of heroin, Packaging materials, Scales & A small quantity of marijuana, police arrested 30 year old Daniel Londner of Oneonta for Criminal possession of a controlled substance, Criminally using of drug paraphernalia and unlawful possession of marijuana, Londner was held pending arraignment in the City of Oneonta Court

After many years as the Chief of the Sidney Police Department, Mike Hood is stepping down next week, to be replaced by 23-year Sidney Police Department veteran Jan Gorshack. Hood Commented about his years as the Sidney Police Chief:

(Mike Hood 10-21-16)

Hood's last official day as Sidney Police Chief is October 28th, he will work part time for the Bainbridge Police Department & the Delaware County Sheriff’s department.

The Chenango County IDA announced significant progress in its Rail Revitalization project, which aims to restore service to the 45 ½ miles of the Utica Mainline track between the Madison and Broome County lines. Frontier Railroad Services of New Stanton, PA is nearing completion of the construction phase of the project, which repaired numerous washouts caused by floods in 2006 and 2011. Chenango County IDA Spokesman Steve Craig comments:

(Steve Craig 10-21-16)

Frontier is working with IDA's engineers at Stone Consulting on the final "punch list" of remaining tasks.

The Maine-Endwell Little League World Series team will be honored at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown this weekend. The Maine-Endwell team was the champions of Little League World Series in August, Team members and coaches will visit the Hall of Fame on Sunday, for a special 1:00 PM ceremony hosted by Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers at The Amphenol Corporation of Sidney will be voting on a new contract tomorrow. Union members will receive & review the contract proposal tomorrow morning, and then vote at the Sidney High School Gym. The Union & Amphenol negotiate a new deal every 3 years.

From September 2015 to September 2016, New York State's private sector job count climbed by 115,100, or 1.5 percent, according to preliminary figures released today by the New York State Department of Labor. In September 2016, the state's private sector job count fell by 4,400. Since the beginning of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo's administration, New York State's economy has added 839,500 private sector jobs and experienced employment growth in 58 of the past 69 months. In September 2016, the statewide unemployment rate increased from 4.8% to 5.0%, which was equal to the comparable U.S. unemployment rate of 5.0%.

Governor Cuomo announced $1 million in funding is available to assist new and early-stage farmers through the State New Farmers Grant Fund. The Fund will provide grants of up to $50,000 to assist with up to 50% of eligible project costs, with the remaining 50% matched by the recipient. This year, the program has eliminated the 150 acres or fewer requirements and is now accepting farm applicants of all sizes. The application and guidelines are available online at http://esd.ny.gov. The deadline for submission is January 27th.

Governor Cuomo announced that the Department of Financial Services has issued guidance to health insurers outlining new insurance coverage requirements for substance abuse treatment. Under the new law, health insurers will be required to cover medication, including naloxone, for detoxification or maintenance treatment of substance use disorders under large group policies. Health insurers will also be required to provide coverage without preauthorization for inpatient substance abuse treatment in facilities that participate in their networks and are certified by the State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services.

Another Blood drive will be held in West Oneonta today from 2:00 to 6:00 PM at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, at 107 Balmoral Drive. To make an appointment to donate blood, download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS.

Sportsfield Specialties has completed a recent expansion to their manufacturing facility in Delhi. The company is inviting the public to their Open House Saturday, from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM it will include tours, demonstrations, family activities, and complimentary refreshments.

The Sidney American Legion is hosting a fundraiser Saturday for Camp Hope Veterans Outreach. Spokesman Larry Halbert explains:

(Larry Halbert 10-21-16)

The fundraiser will be held at the Sidney American Legion at 22 Union Street, Sidney from 1:00 until 5:00 PM, they are asking for donations of services, products and gift certificates to auction or a monetary donation, in order to buy property & start The Camp Hope facility.

The Jericho Arts Council will feature the bluegrass music of "Zink & Company Saturday night. Spokesman Phillip Wade comments:

(Phillip Wade 10-21-16)

ZINK & COMPANY will perform at the Town Hall Theatre on Main Street in Bainbridge beginning at 7:00 PM

The Village of Sidney Police Department is collecting unused & unwanted medications at a "Take Back" event Saturday. Offer Jan Gorshack explains:

(Jan Gorshack 10-21-16)

Gorshack said that they can NOT collect needles & sharps at the event, but can take prescription & over the counter medications, preferably in their original containers.

The Bainbridge Rotary Club is hosting its 4th Annual Fall Festival & Pie Run 5K on Saturday, at 10:00 a.m. with our Pie Run; a fun 5K walk/run around General Clinton Park. Participants are encouraged to come in their best Halloween costume and winners are rewarded with a homemade pie. Registration for the 5K and pie contest is available at Bainbridge-NY-Rotary.com.

Republican Congressional Candidate Claudia Tenney will be speaking at the Bainbridge Town Hall tonight at 6:30 PM. Tenney is the Republican candidate for the Congressional District 22 seat being vacated by Richard Hanna, she is facing Democrat Kim Myers & Independent candidate Martin Babinec. The public is invited to attend.

Maine Endwell Little League is headed to the USA Finals in Williamsport, after defeating a team from Bowling Green Kentucky yesterday in the latest action of the Little League World Series. The Binghamton Mets announced that NYSEG Stadium would host the Official Watch Party for the Championship Game on Saturday at 3:30pm on the stadiums big screen. Parking will be free and there will be no admission charges. Limited concessions options will be available. Maine Endwell's team will play the winner of today's Tennessee Kentucky match up in Saturday's game.

The New York State Fair began its 12-day run today as Governor Cuomo assisted in opening up the fair again this year.   The fairgrounds have undergone a $50 million makeover that includes a new main gate, a larger midway and a new camping area for recreational vehicles.   Last year, more than 900,000 people visited the fair.

Governor Cuomo signed legislation to curb the power of independent expenditure campaigns unleashed by the 2010 Supreme Court case Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission. The legislation strengthen disclosure requirements for political consultants and lobbyists who provide services to sitting elected officials or candidates for elected office by requiring them to register with the state and reveal their clients.

The Oneonta Job Corps Academy announced that their annual baseball game would be held today at Damasche Field in Oneonta. Oneonta Job Corps Students and Staff versus The family resource Network will play today, the gates will open at 6:30pm, the game Starts at 7:00 pm followed by fireworks at around 8:45pm. The game is free and open to the public.

A Town of Greene resident was arrested by the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office for Criminal Mischief & Harassment following a Domestic Dispute in the Town of Greene. Deputies arrested 56-year-old Joshua Browning who allegedly intentionally pushed the victim and prevented the victim from call 911 by damaging a phone. Browning was arraigned in the Town of Greene court and released on his own recognizance. Browning is to reappear in the Town of Greene Court at a later date.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 31-year-old Courtney Otte of Walton for aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle in the third degree. Deputies allege the defendant operated a motor vehicle in a northerly direction on State Highway 10 in the Town of Walton while having an active suspension on her license for failure to answer a summons. Otte was additionally charged with unlicensed operation, operating a motor vehicle with an out headlight, and was released on traffic tickets returnable to Walton Town Court at a later date.

The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce will hold its 16th annual Business Links golf tournament on Wednesday, September 14, at the Stamford Golf Course. Registration begins at 11:00 am, and the four-person captain and crew tourney will begin with a shotgun start at noon.   Registration & More information is available by calling the Chamber at 746-2281.

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a Board of Education Meeting on Today in the District Conference Room at 6:30 PM. The business portion of the meeting will start at 7:00 PM.

Governor Cuomo announced a coordinated effort by several state agencies and institutions to prevent underage drinking on college campuses as the fall semester begins. The State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, the State Liquor Authority, the DMV, and State Police are aligning resources to prevent underage drinking on campuses, More than 1,800 college students die from alcohol-related injuries, 696,000 college students are assaulted by another student that has been drinking, 97,000 college students experience alcohol-related sexual assault.

The American Red Cross urges blood donors to give in the final weeks of summer to help overcome a critical summer blood shortage. Donors of all blood types are urgently needed, A blood drive will be held today in Norwich from 1:00 to 6:00 PM at the Norwich VFW Post 2782, 61-63 East Main Street. . Appointments to give blood can be scheduled by downloading the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.

A Town of Plymouth resident was arrested by the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office on a Fugitive of Justice complaint for active Bench Warrant out of the Cleveland County Court in the State of Oklahoma. Deputies arrested 37-year-old Michael Lee Hall on the Fugitive of Justice complaint Hall was taken into custody and taken to the Town of Norwich Court. Hall was remanded to the custody of the Chenango County Correctional Facility with no bail. He is to reappear in the Chenango County Court at a later date.

Sidney village crews will continue milling today. Motorists should note that there would be traffic delays on West Main Street between east Main and Chestnut streets, as well as Dewitt drive.

The Sidney Civic Center Has Been sold to 2+4 management of East Syracuse for $364,000, with the closing coming in October. Mayor Andy Matviak explains:

(Andy Matviak 7-22-16)

Matviak said that construction would start on the 2nd & 3rd floors after the closing; 2+4 Management is the same developer behind the Sherwood Heights project.

Governor Cuomo today signed legislation that eliminates sales tax on feminine hygiene products. The bill exempts these products from all local and State sales tax, Feminine hygiene products have been taxable since the state sales tax was first instituted in 1965, even as a wide variety of other goods, such as dietary and family planning products, have been exempt. The new exemption is expected to save women purchasing tampons, and other similar products, an estimated $10 million a year.

Governor Cuomo today signed legislation expanding New York State's "Move-Over" Law to volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers. The measure requires drivers to slow down and move over a lane when approaching a vehicle with flashing blue or green lights that are operated by volunteer firefighters or ambulance workers involved in a roadside emergency. Previously, the “Move-Over” law only applied to drivers approaching stopped police, emergency or hazard vehicles with flashing red and white or amber lights.

Magic City Music Hall in Binghamton was advised Thursday evening that a member of Quiet Riot, who were scheduled to appear Saturday night, was hospitalized yesterday afternoon, necessitating cancellation of the band's upcoming show. Magic City Officials are working with management to reschedule the show, in the meantime; Quiet Riot Tickets may be redeemed for a credit towards any other announced concert at Magic City, including Ace Frehley on Saturday September 24th or for a refund. Magic City has also just announced that Sister Hazel will perform there on September 9th; tickets go on sale on Saturday July 30th.

The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services awarded $1 million in funding to support 25 new treatment beds to provide care for New Yorkers with substance use disorders. The funding was awarded to Tompkins County addiction treatment services provider Cayuga Addiction Recovery Services for the creation of a new 25-bed adult residential treatment facility. The residential treatment facility in Trumansburg will offer a full spectrum of addiction treatment services to residents including counseling, life-skills training and after-discharge support.

The 1st annual Pound 4 Paws fundraising event will be held in Oxford Saturday night. A variety of sporting competitions will be held, sponsored by the Pound Gym in Norwich, proceeds will go to the Delaware Valley Humane society, the event starts at 7:00 PM Saturday at 207 Tamarac Road in Oxford.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame's 2016 Induction Ceremony will Ken Griffey Jr.& Mike Piazza, beginning at 1:30 PM Sunday at the Clark Sports Center. Hall of Fame Weekend will also feature the Saturday Awards Presentation, when Ford C. Frick Award winner Graham McNamee and J.G. Taylor Spink Award winner Dan Shaughnessy will each be honored. On Saturday in Cooperstown, will be the Parade of Legends down main Street, and on Monday, Piazza & Griffey will participate in the Legends of the Game Roundtable discussion.

On Saturday, the Bainbridge Chamber of Commerce will host the Bainbridge Summer Fest with a variety of event & a showcase the new sound system for use during village and town events. Spokesperson June White Comments

(June White 7-22-16)

White said that at 7:00 pm, one of Payne's Cranes would drop 400 golf balls on the lawn next to the Methodist Church. There will be prizes for the Golf balls that are closest to the hole; tickets can be purchased at Hometown Hardware, Highway 7 Bar and Grill, B&W Wines and Liquors LLC, Nana's Keepsakes, New Image Hair Care, Newbauer's Construction and Bainbridge House Bed and Breakfast. Also, at 8:00 pm "Footloose" will be featured as The Movie in the park.

Governor Cuomo signed legislation that requires guidelines for end of life notices and visitation rights regarding incapacitated individuals subject of legal guardianship proceedings. The bill requires the court order appointing a guardian to oversee the care of an incapacitated person to identify all individuals who are entitled to notice of a person's death, funeral and burial arrangements.

State Senator Fred Akshar of Colesville announced his official candidacy for reelection at his First Annual "Spiedies with the Senator" event at Chenango Valley State Park. Akshar was elected in a special election last year to finish up the term, following the conviction of the late Senator Tom Libous.

The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services announced a new, multi-year program to train counseling professionals to better enable them to deliver treatment for those with gambling addictions. Many individuals seek private practitioners for help to address problem gambling and this new training program ensures that private practitioners are knowledgeable about problem gambling and will increase access to treatment and support services. New Yorkers struggling with problem gambling, can find help and hope by calling the State’s HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY .

Governor Cuomo today announced New York state parks, historic sites and campgrounds hosted another successful season, with 65.3 million estimated visits in 2015. Park attendance increased 5% from 2014 to 2015, it was boosted by a variety of factors, including national exposure for Letchworth and Watkins Glen State Parks, which were ranked first and third best state parks in the nation by USA Today; and favorable weather throughout the summer and late into the fall.

The 2015 New York hunting season proved to be one of the safest on record and yielded the first year without a hunting-related shooting fatality since the 1950s, The DEC reported only 23 hunting incidents, the third lowest number on record, with 10 incidents self-inflicted and 13 two-party incidents. 2015 also continued the trend of declining incidents with New York's hunting-related shooting incident rate, declining almost 80% since the 1960s.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman joined the Federal Trade Commission, the other 49 states, and the District of Columbia in announcing the successful conclusion of the largest multistate charity fraud action to date. 2 nationwide sham cancer charities are being dissolved and their president is banned from profiting from any charity fundraising in the future. Cancer Fund of America and Cancer Support Services and their leader, James Reynolds, claimed to help cancer patients, but instead, the majority of donations benefited the operators, their families and friends, and employee fundraisers. The complaint was filed in May 2015, targeting 4 sham charities run by Reynolds, which bilked more than $187 million from donors, including nearly $3 million in New York State.

The deadline to apply for scholarships for Sidney High School Seniors is this Sunday, Tracy Young is part of the Sidney Dollars for Scholars program:

(Tracy Young 3-30-16)

The Website to make the profiles & apply for scholarships is scholarshipamerica.org.

Practices will start this Friday at I-88 Speedway in Afton, for the upcoming racing season, track spokesperson Denise Paige explains:

(Denise Paige 3-30-16)

Paige said that the racing season begins April 15th and runs through the weekend of October 8th & 9th.

The state learned that hundreds of faulty bolts were discovered within the reactor at the Indian Point Unit 2 Plant, the latest in a series of incidents that raise concerns about the management, maintenance and equipment standards at the plant. Governor Cuomo stated that there was no immediate danger to public health and safety, but the Governor said that he believes that the plant should NOT be re-licensed.

New York State’s unemployment rate dropped 1/10th to 4.8% in February. Locally, Chenango County's rate was 5.8%, Delaware County at 6.5% and Otsego County at 5.6%.

A federal jury on Tuesday convicted 25-year-old Antonio Ballard of Binghamton, for engaging in a sex trafficking and prostitution business involving minors. Ballard faces sentencing on July 27th.

Former New York state Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver was disbarred Tuesday by the Appellate Division of the state Supreme Court in Manhattan. Silver was convicted for abusing his power while serving as Speaker of the State Assembly from 1994 until last year. He faces sentencing in a couple of weeks.

The Otsego County Sheriffs department arrested 20-year-old Eric Ferguson Jr of Oneonta for allegedly selling narcotics and marijuana to undercover officers at the Oneonta Wal-mart parking lot. Ferguson was charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance, the investigation continued and Officers arrested his father, 43 year old Eric Ferguson Sr. & 45 year old Linda Lee Clow, of Oneonta for allegedly supplying the narcotics to his son to sell. Ferguson Sr. was charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance, Clow was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance. All 3 were arraigned & were remanded to the Otsego County Jail on bail pending future court action.

New York State is moving into the forefront for the future push toward using renewable energy sources. Governor Cuomo discussed that at a recent forum in Albany:

(Cuomo 2-23-16)

141 clean technology companies have been supported and through the Governor’s Cleantech Business Incubator initiative, which has attracted more than $215 million in private capital and created 980 jobs at businesses statewide.

State Police arrested 42-year-old Daniel Mowers of Delhi for Felony DWI, 12 counts of Felony Leandra’s Law, and 13 counts of endangering the Welfare of a Child. Troopers accuse Mowers of driving a Gilboa School bus while intoxicated after a phone call from a concerned parent whose child reported to the parent that the bus was being operated erratically. Mowers was arraigned & was remanded to the Schoharie County Jail on $15,000 cash bail or $30,000 bond, pending court action Thursday

The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services today announced a new webinar series aimed at educating prescribers about responsible prescribing of opioid medications. The four-part webinar series runs today through March 10th. More information is available at combatheroin.ny.gov or 1-877-8-HOPENY.

Governor Cuomo announced a plan to protect residential and small commercial consumers from unfair business practices in the retail energy service industry following a review by the State Public Service Commission. The review found that multiple energy services companies were overcharging for electric and gas service, as well as failing to deliver on promises for savings and clean energy. Today's actions will both enhance consumer protections and ensure that violators of the regulations will not continue operating in the State.

The body of 53-year-old Carolyn Weeks of Newfield was found Friday morning near her car on a remote stretch of road in Tompkins County, according to the State Police. There was no indication of foul play, but the investigation into the cause of death is continuing. Weeks was last seen Feb. 9 leaving work around 3 p.m. at Titus Towers in Ithaca. Snowmobilers found Weeks' car late Thursday, and her body was found about 150 yards from her car Friday morning.

State Senator Jim Seward announced that the Joint Senate Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction will be at SUNY College in the Hunt Union Ballroom today. Seward is a member of the task Force; they will be getting input regarding the heroin epidemic, from 12:00 Noon until 2:00 PM. The roundtable forum is one of several being conducted around the state to solicit input and develop recommendations for legislative action.

The Delaware County Sheriff's Office is seeking 64-year-old Leon Squires, Jr., formerly of Walton, on an outstanding Arrest Warrant issued by Delaware County Court in December 2015. Leon Squires was last observed in the Hancock, and northeast Pennsylvania, in late December. Squires is described as being approximately 5’7”, 165 pounds, with blue eyes and gray hair. Anyone with information can call (607) 832-5555 or 1-888-914-9111. All calls will be kept confidential.

Sidney Chamber of Commerce will hold their next Business After Hours Event today at the Super 8 Hotel. The program will run from 5:00 to 7:00.

The City of Oneonta Police Department Detective Division & State Police BCI arrested 18-year-old Duquan Davis of Oneonta for 1st degree Robbery, 1st degree Burglary, Criminal use of a Firearm, 2nd degree Assault & Menacing, following an investigation into an incident in January. Details have not yet been released and the investigation is still ongoing.

The State Liquor Authority issued suspensions to Legends Filling Station at 84 Main Street and Choice Ultra Lounge at 3-5 Market Street, both in Oneonta. State officials received complaints of alcohol being served to under aged patrons; both were shut down on Saturday. Both establishments were fined $3000 last year for similar complaints.

The Oxford Police Department is continuing with a multi-step program to try to get help for those with heroin or Opioid addictions, rather than put them in jail for a short period, release them and repeat the cycle of dependency. Oxford Police Chief Richard Nolan Comments:

(Oxford Police Chief Richard Nolan 2-3-16)

Chief Nolan said that they do have grant money coming to set aside an area for this aspect of the program; on February 13th they will hold another Narcan training session for first responders.

State Lawmakers are looking at the Education portion of Governor Cuomo's Executive Budget Proposal. Area Assemblyman Pete Lopez said that a key portion of the education equation, is to get the teacher evaluation portion right:

(Lopez 2-3-16)

Lawmakers are looking at getting the budget completed for the begining of the state's fiscal year, which is April 1st.

State Police at Oneonta arrested 47-year-old Donald Reutter of the town of Maryland, for felony DWI, Reutter was observed weaving while driving on State Route 7 in the Town of Oneonta. The arrest is a felony due to a prior conviction for DWI within the last 10 years. Reutter was arraigned in the Town of Oneonta court and was remanded to the Otsego County jail. His next court date in the Town of Oneonta is on February 25, 2016.

Governor Cuomo today launched a new web-based service that will help connect New Yorkers struggling with addiction to treatment. The State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services' Bed Availability Dashboard application collects the information from treatment providers daily and makes it available in real-time on the agency's website. More information is available at 1-877-8-HOPENY, or Text HOPENY or Visit oasas.ny.gov/accesshelp

Oneonta Police investigated a burglary at 73 Center Street Monday night, following an investigation, the resident, 27 year old Alexander Coffran was charged with Criminal Possession of a controlled substance & criminal possession of marijuana, after 9.6 lbs of marijuana was recovered as police investigated the robbery call from that address. $300 worth of concentrated cannabis and $2,377 in cash was seized. The investigation into the burglary is ongoing.

Governor Cuomo today launched the Municipal Restructuring Fund, a $25 million program to assist local government and school officials with developing projects that will lead to property tax reductions. Projects will be ranked by metrics that include potential impact across local governments, service delivery areas and municipal functions, and have potential for long-term property tax savings. Local governments interested in partnering with the Department of State, should contact the Division of Local Government Services, at 518-473-3355

The town of Guilford is currently seeking candidates to fill openings on their planning board, board of assessment review, & the Mount Upton Park committee. Those interested should call the Guilford Town Clerk’s office at 895-9966; the deadline of applications is today.

Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies, with the assistance of Bronx County Sheriff’s Deputies, arrested 31-year-old Crest Wood of the Bronx for Manslaughter and Criminally Negligent Homicide. Wood was indicted by a Delaware County Grand Jury, for her role in the August 21, 2014 two car, head-on collision on Cat Hollow Road in the Town of Colchester that claimed the life of 48-year-old William Sharpless of Nineveh. Wood was arraigned in Delaware County Court and remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility in lieu of $3000 cash bail pending further court action.

The Governor's Traffic Safety Committee announced that resources are available to help young people stay safe as graduation season gets into full swing including free toolkits to help young drivers, and a brand new website recently launched by the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (NYS OASAS) that gives parents the tools to talk to their children about the risks of underage drinking. For more information about the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee and its partners, visit www.safeny.ny.gov.

3 committees of the Oneonta Common Council will meet today. The facilities, technology, operations -community improvement committee will meet at 4:00 PM, the finance & administration committee will meet at 5:00 PM, the zoning & housing board of Appeal will meet at 7:00 PM. All of the meetings will be held in the Common Council Chambers at City Hall.

The Greater Oneonta Economic Development Council will hold their next meeting today at the Oneonta Holiday Inn at 7:00 PM. Residents of the town & city of Oneonta are encouraged to attend; the topic is the possible savings in taxes by consolidating the town of Oneonta into the City of Oneonta.

Broome County Fire officials reported that 4 people died early this morning in a house fire at 439 State Line Road in the town of Vestal. Fire officials said that a mother & 3 of her children were killed in that fire, one 15 year child escaped, and the father of the children was at work. the fire was called in at about 2:00 AM this morning, 5 area fire departments responded, more details will be released at the conclusion of the investigation as well as family notification..

Governor Cuomo announced that road and bridge construction projects on State highways will be suspended from 6:00 AM Friday, to 6:00 AM Tuesday, in order to accommodate travelers during the busy Memorial Day holiday weekend. Some work may continue behind permanent concrete barriers or for emergency repairs. AAA predicts that of the more than 37 million people traveling more than 50 miles from home this weekend, an estimated 33 million of them will be traveling by car. This Memorial Day weekend is expected to have the highest travel volume of the past ten years. Travelers can call 511 or by access 511ny.org for details.

Landowners & businesses along the I-88 corridor are now attending a second round of public meetings for a second pipeline proposal from Kinder Morgan, after the region already attended meeting for the Constitutition pipeline along the same pathway. Area Assemblyman Pete Lopez comments:

(Lopez 5-21-15)

The plans call for the Constitution Pipeline to provide access along the way to businesses & municiaplities, including Amphenol in Sidney, the Kinder Morgan pipeline initially calls for no such local offerings.

Governor Cuomo announced that New Yorkers can now contact the New York State HOPEline addiction referral and support service by texting 1-877-8-HOPENY. The HOPEline is a free and confidential 24-hour service that connects people who are struggling with substance abuse and problem gambling to trained professionals for assistance in times of need. The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services has contracted with the Mental Health Association of New York to expand existing HOPEline services to include the texting feature.

On Saturday, June 6th at 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm, Scoville-Meno in Sidney will partner with parents & teachers at parking lot of Unadilla Elementary School for a “Drive for the Kids” fundraiser, to raise money during the Playground Celebration. Parents and guests can earn a $10 contribution for the school from the Chrysler brand, by taking a test drive in a new 2015 Chrysler vehicle from Scoville-Meno. More information is available at drive4kids.com.

The State DMV has seen a significant increase in the number of motorcycle permit holders who participate in motorcycle safety courses. DMV Deputy Commissioner Terri Egan announced that in 2014, 70% of motorcycle permits holders in New York State elected to take motorcycle safety courses, up from 51% in 2010. There are between 36,000 and 44,000 permit riders in a given year in New York State, which allows them to ride on the road under the guidance of a licensed motorcycle operator.

The prosecution & the defense rested in Chenango county court in the murder trial of Ganesh Ramasaran yesterday. Ramsaran is accused of killing his wife Jennifer in 2012, her body was found several months later in the town of Pharsalia. The biggest twist in the trial was Ramsaran’s decision to testify last Thursday, his testimony wrapped up yesterday in Norwich, the jury will get the case shortly. Closing Arguments will begin at 9:00 this morning.

Governor Cuomo launched the “Combat Heroin,” campaign, to inform and educate New Yorkers about the risks of heroin and prescription opioid use, the signs of addiction, and the resources available to help. In 2013, there were 89,269 admissions for heroin and prescription opioid abuse treatment in New York State alone, with New Yorkers ages 18 to 24 with the largest increase in such admissions. A website can be found at combatheroin.ny.gov, it includes information about warning signs of heroin and opioid abuse and misuse, access to Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services treatment providers, and guidance to help parents talk to their children and healthcare professionals talk with their patients.

Governor Cuomo signed into law the Community Risk and Resiliency Act to strengthen New York State’s preparedness for the effects of climate change and help protect communities against severe weather and sea level rise. The Act advances recommendations of the NYS 2100 Commission, which the Governor convened after Superstorm Sandy, to develop more resilient infrastructure systems across the state. The Act requires State agencies to consider future physical climate risks caused by storm surges, sea level rise or flooding in certain permitting, funding and regulatory decisions. The standards would apply to smart growth assessments, siting of wastewater treatment plants and hazardous waste transportation, storage and disposal facilities, design and construction regulations for petroleum and chemical bulk storage facilities and oil and gas drilling permits, and properties listed in the state’s Open Space Plan, as well as other projects.

The next Citizen Voices General Membership meeting will be held today at 4:00pm at at the Carriage House at 790 Southside Drive, Oneonta. The topic will be Solar Energy, Net-Zero construction and how to apply current technology to existing structures. the event is open to the public, reservations are requested at CitizenVoices@hotmail.com.

The State Division of Criminal Justice Services, the state health department ant the office of alcoholism & substance abuse services joined forces to train police officers from the Southern Tier and Capital Region in the use of Naloxone which reverses the effect of overdoses caused by heroin or other opioids, such as hydrocodone and oxycodone. The state also is providing agencies that send their officers to the trainings with supplies of naloxone at no cost. Today’s session was held at SUNY Delhi, with more than 40 officers from 9 agencies getting the training.

State Police arrested 56-year-old Perry Webb & 52-year-old Charles Holmes of New Lisbon, for Petty Larceny and Criminal Trespass. The arrests resulted from a complaint of a missing silo loader from a farm in Morris, the investigation determined that both suspects allegedly took the silo loader from the property without permission, & scrapped it an a salvage yard in New Berlin, for $46. Webb and Holmes were issued tickets returnable to the Town of Morris Court on August 11th.

State agencies have begun adding gender identity to their data collection, as part of an effort Governor Cuomo said will help the state better meet the needs of lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender New Yorkers. A new report identifies 8 agencies, including the Department of Health, collecting or updating their data systems to gather those demographics.

Legislation has passed the State Assembly and Senate to update current Internet privacy laws to protect victims of “revenge porn” whose explicit photos are posted online without their consent. Current privacy laws protect people only if recorded images or video show intimate parts of their bodies, Hence the images might not meet criteria for prosecution, even if they are posted for the purpose of humiliation and are sexually explicit in nature. Under the new legislation, existing surveillance law would be updated to make non-consensual broadcast of individuals engaged in sexual contact a felony.

The Coventry Emergency Squad was awarded $143,000 in grant money, to purchase an updated ambulance to allow the squad to provide better, safer emergency care. The funding was allocated through the Department of Homeland Security's assistance to firefighters grant program

Governor Cuomo signed legislation that will increase the maximum fine from $200 to $1,000 for those who attempt to steal, harm, or transport a dog, cat or other pet that is not their own. The new maximum penalty will be applied against those that remove a collar or identification, entice, seize or harass a pet while it is being held, led or while properly muzzled, or transporting an animal for the purpose of killing or selling it. The American Kennel Club reports that there were more than 590 thefts of pets in 2013.

Officials with the General Clinton Canoe Regatta & The Bainbridge Chamber of Commerce announced that the historic LaFever Canoe, which had been stolen from the Regatta Museum at General Clinton Park, was located by a passerby, under the route 206 bridge in Bainbridge yesterday. Officials posted the loss of the canoe yesterday on social media, they said that the canoe will placed back on display at the Museum more securely. State Police are investigating.

The 4th annual "It's A Boobie & Butt Thing" cancer awareness golf invitational will be held on September 27th at the Afton Golf Club. Invitational Co-Director Lori Kemmerer said that they are looking for sponsors and donations currently:

(Lori Kemmerer 7-23-14)

Those who would like to sponsor or donate a raffle basket can call 624-4397; Money raised will help local cancer patients with travel expenses or insurance co-payments.