WCDO Radio News

P.M. NEWS Thursday 12-4-25

Delaware County Sheriff's Office arrested 26 year old Jacob Roman of Walton with 2 counts of Grand Larceny, and 1 count of Burglary, On October 18th, Deputies were dispatched to Benton Avenue in the Village of Walton for a reported Burglary in Progress where they located, identified and arrested Roman. On November 21st, Deputies located and arrested Roman on new charges after it was alleged that he had taken the victim’s credit card and made numerous purchases on the card which amounted to over $1,500 without authorization. Roman was transported to the Delaware County Correctional Facility for arraignment.

State Police & Local Law Enforcement Agencies around the State New York State will increase patrols during the holidays to combat issues like impaired and reckless driving, and to deter other crimes like robbery and larceny. The patrols will include both visible enforcement, such as checkpoints, as well as unmarked vehicles mingle with traffic to catch distracted drivers.

The 14th Annual Holiday Craft Fair will be held by the Bainbridge Guilford Teacher's Association on Saturday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM in the BG High School Gym. Over 40 local crafter & artisans will participate, there will be raffle & door prizes, people are asked to bring a non-perishable food item, pet food or a hygiene product as a donation & to get a ticket for a door prize.

A.M. NEWS THURSDAY 12-4-25

33 year old Corey Green of Vestal was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 19 years in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy spanning the United States. Green admitted that he possessed, distributed, and conspired to distribute large quantities of fentanyl, heroin & Methamphetamine in and around Broome County, he also admitted to possessing 3 handguns and 2 AK-47 style weapons to further his drug-trafficking activities, while being prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous convictions, & conspiring to launder his drug-trafficking proceeds. Green was sentenced to a 19 year prison term, concurrent 3 and 5-year terms of post-release supervision, and a money judgment of over $185,000 of unrecovered proceeds from his drug trafficking. Co-conspirator Michael Jacobs of Endicott, was previously sentenced to 10 years and 10 months term of imprisonment & 5 years of post-release supervision.

21 year old Joziah Worthington was sentenced following his convictions after trial in Broome County Court, Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 2nd & 3rd Degree, to 9 years in a State Correctional Facility with 5 years of post-release supervision for 1 charge, and 7 years in prison with 3 years of post-release supervision for other charge, to run concurrently. Worthington was arrested by state Police in 2024 in Johnson City, for illegally possessing a firearm as well as a large capacity ammunition feeding device capable of accepting 31 rounds, loaded with 25 rounds, Worthington’s DNA being found on the firearm.

Chobani announced that at the East Park Bandstand in Norwich last Saturday, following the 30th annual Norwich Parade of Lights, More than 30 Chobani volunteers distributed 3,000 cases of Chobani products, to thank the community. Chobani will also participate in the annual tree-lighting ceremony at Hyde Park in New Berlin on December 6th, employees plan to give out over 200 cases of yogurt to local families.

NBT Bank presented the United Way of Mid Rural New York with a check for $190,000 to help fund programs that provide financial stability, education and health resources for individuals and families in Chenango, Delaware, Madison and Otsego counties. NBT Bank employees donated $95,000 to the United Way’s annual campaign through personal contributions, and the company matched that amount with an additional $95,000.

P.M. NEWS MONDAY 10-2-23

Binghamton Police arrested 3 men on outstanding warrants and gun charges. Police approached a vehicle with 4 occupants, 26-year-old Romario Robinson, was arrested on active warrants with the Broome County Sheriff’s Office and State Police. Loaded handguns were discovered on 19-year-old Shajee Johnson and 18-year-old Qualem Hernandez, Johnson was charged with 2 counts of criminal possession of a weapon, Hernandez was charged on 1 count of criminal possession of a weapon, they were arraigned and remanded to the Broome County Correctional Facility.

The American Red Cross continues to hold Blood Drives as blood supplies remain low, a drive is being held in Worcester today from 12:00 Noon until 6:00 PM at the Worcester United Methodist Church. Appointments can be made with the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.

The Raymond Corporation of Greene will hold their 9th annual Manufacturing Day Event starting this this Friday October 6th. Raymond Vice President of Operations Tony Topencik explains:

(Tony Topencik 10-2-23)

Topencik said that this will be the 4th year in a row that it will be a virtual event, running through October 27th for those teachers who have students interested in a career at Raymond.

A.M. NEWS MONDAY 10-2-23

State Police has activated the New York State AMBER ALERT and is investigating a child abduction that occurred near Moreau Lake State Park in Gansevoort, NY at about 6:45 PM Saturday. 9 year old Charlotte Sena is a White female, with long, blonde hair. She is approximately 4 feet 6 inches tall, with green eyes, and weighs about 90 pounds. Charlotte was last seen wearing an orange tie-dye Pokemon shirt, dark blue pants, black crocs, gray bike helmet. Anyone with any information is asked to call the New York State Police at (518) 457-6811 or dial 911.

Former President Donald Trump is expected to attend the opening of his civil fraud trial in New York today, Opening statements are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. in the case brought last September by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who accused Trump, his sons and his family business of inflating Trump's net worth by more than $2 billion by overvaluing his real estate portfolio.

State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation arrested 48 year old Stacie Congdon of Windsor for 2n Degree Grand Larceny. An investigation revealed that while working at Punch Out Parkinson’s Inc. as Treasurer and President, Congdon stole over $50,000 from the nonprofit’s checking and savings accounts. Congdon was arrested was transported to the Broome County Central Arraignment and Processing.

State Police announced that 70 year-old Linette Beers of Endwell was hit by a Jeep Grand Cherokee Tuesday driven by a 76 year-old woman at the corner of Country Club and Hooper Roads. Beers succumbed to her injuries & the investigation is ongoing.

P.M. NEWS FRIDAY 8-28-20

Governor Cuomo & the State Health Department are anticipating clusters of COVID 19 cases as college students return to campuses across the state.  The Health Department issued guidance that establishes a threshold, where if a college experiences 100 COVID cases or an outbreak equal to 5% of its student body, whichever is less, that college MUST go to remote learning for 2 weeks. If the local health department finds after the 2 week period, that the college cannot contain the number of cases, and then further remote learning could be required, the guidance for colleges is available at governor.ny.gov.

New York State United Teachers  Union called on the state to update Department of Health school reopening guidelines to make mandatory the wearing of masks at all times indoors during the school day, except for appropriate break periods and in cases of medical accommodation.  In a letter to state Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker, the union cited ongoing concerns with school reopening plans across the state and different mask policies among school districts. The Union urged the state to look to scientific research regarding mask efficiency and recent guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics that recommends the universal use of face masks.

The State Health Department announced the latest state wide COVID 19 numbers, as they have now tested over 8 million tests, after testing over 97,000 on Thursday, which uncovered 636 new cases, there were 3 more death attributed to the virus, bringing the state death toll is up to 25,312.

A.M. NEWS FRIDAY 8-28-20

Otsego County Department of Health is investigating 7 new cases of coronavirus, 6 of the cases are SUNY Oneonta students. The other case has been associated with a gathering of high school students.  Currently there are 13 cases in SUNY Oneonta students and 5 cases in high school students. All cases are have been investigated and contacts are being notified.  Otsego County has 135 total confirmed cases, there are 21 active cases, and no one is hospitalized.

Delaware County received 1 new positive test result for COVID-19 Thursday and 1 additional recovery has been reported. The known active cases in the County is 3, all are recovering at home. To date there have been 103 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in Delaware County, with 30 people now under mandatory quarantine,  6 people have died and 94 have fully recovered.

On Wednesday morning, troopers investigated a crash where a car struck the rear of a horse-drawn Amish buggy on State Route 11B in Dickinson. Troopers determined the driver of the car who hit the buggy was not paying attention, the buggy’s occupants, including two young children, only had minor injuries. The horse also had a minor injury and was transported from the scene.

State Police arrested 22 year old Keegan Allen of Schenevus for 2 counts of Petit Larceny, for entering at least 2 vehicles; one on Murdock Avenue and another on Madison Avenue in Oneonta and stealing change.  Troopers were advised by the Oneonta City Police that Allen was in the East End Laundromat and he was taken into custody & was also charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance.  He was issued appearance tickets for town of Oneonta court on September 8th and was released.

2 Broome County residents have been arrested following a break-in that occurred at a residence on Wilson Hill Road in the town of Chenango. Troopers arrested 28 year old Christina Martinez of Johnson City for the Criminal Possession of Stolen Property, She was processed and released on appearance tickets to the village of Johnson City court, on Thursday State Police arrested 44 year old Jamie Levene of Binghamton for 2nd degree Burglary, he was already at the Broome County Jail for an unrelated crime with another agency.  He was transported to SP Binghamton for processing and then returned to the Broome County Jail.

"Unite Chenango" will host a Black Lives Matter event at Kurt Beyer Park in Norwich tonight, 1 of the guest speakers is Reverend LaDana Clark of the 1st Presbyterian Church of Cooperstown, who served in the US Army and also served in the Plainfield New Jersey Police Department in a variety of roles in 2005 through 2011.  She told WCDO News that no one is suggesting that Police be eliminated, and she gave her ideas of what should be happening:

(Reverend Clark 8-28-20)

Tonight's event will begin at 6:00 PM; Reverend Clark also has a website related to her church activities at ChurchNTheHood.org.

State Police at Oneonta found a vehicle belonging to a man missing from Irondequoit and now are seeking assistance in locating 53-year-old Steven Kassirer, whose vehicle was located abandoned in a parking lot in the Oneonta area last Tuesday, October 23. Kassirer has no ties to the Oneonta area and troopers do not know at this time why his vehicle would have been left. anyone with information should contact State Police in Oneonta at 432-3211.

There are no further plans for a debate between Gubernatorial candidates between now & Election Day. One debate was held downstate last week between Democratic Incumbent Andrew Cuomo & Republican Challenger Marcus Molinaro, Independent Stephanie Miner, Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins & Libertarian Larry Sharpe were excluded from that debate.

The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce will hold their 1st Friday Eat & Meet this Friday in Hobart, from 8:30 to 10:00 am at Liberty Rock Books at 678 Main Street. The guest speakers are Paul Van der kruik of the Leatherstocking Council of the Boy Scouts of America and Kimberly Lorraine of the United Way of Delaware and Otsego Counties.

The CDC and the State Health Department are urging New York State Residents to get their flu vaccine as soon as possible, as an early flu season has already started. A flu outbreak in 1 Michigan school district led that district to close with students & teachers experiencing a flu outbreak. The FDA has approved a new flu vaccine that will be rushed to the market to try to slow down the latest strain of the flu.

The Delaware Valley Humane Society is looking to gather various items for the Southern New York Pig Rescue of Hornell, that will be picked up by them in Sidney this Wednesday. The humane Society is accepting Hog Pellets, Vegetables, Pumpkins, Pig Milk Replacer, Hay & Straw through Wednesday Morning. More information is available at 563-7780.

State Police and local law enforcement have increased patrols to crack down on impaired driving and underage drinking through Halloween. The enforcement campaign runs through Thursday and is funded by the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee. During last year’s initiative there were 1,593 accidents, 226 injuries, 1 fatality, Troopers also arrested 248 people for DWI and issued more than 9, 057 tickets for speeding, distracted driving and other traffic violations.

State Police arrested 38 year old Annvernette Ellis of Edmeston for Driving While Intoxicated, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance and Aggravated Unlicensed Operation plus several traffic tickets. A trooper on patrol near the intersection of State Highway 20 and State Highway 8 observed Ellis commit several traffic offenses, a traffic stop was initiated and found Ellis was drinking an alcoholic beverage while driving, she also possessed oxycodone. Ellis was arraigned & was remanded to jail pending future court action.

The Local Early Intervention Coordinating Council will hold a meeting today that is open to the public, from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. The meeting will be held at the Davenport United Methodist Church, Rachel Rissberger of the Oneonta World of Learning program will be the featured speaker, and more information is available at 832-5200.

State DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos announced the release of New York’s final policy for manufacturer disclosures under the State’s Household Cleansing Product Information Disclosure Program. The program requires manufacturers of cleaning products to disclose chemical ingredients, byproducts and contaminants with the potential to trigger asthma in adults and children, on their websites. More information about the Household Cleansing Product Information Disclosure Program can be found at on.ny.gov/cleaningproducts.

Governor Cuomo today announced that more than $43.8 million will be awarded to support cancer prevention and early detection programs statewide over the next 5 years. The programs receiving these funds participate in the New York State Cancer Services Program, which aims to reduce disparities in breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer incidence and mortality through free cancer screening for uninsured and underinsured, low-income populations. More information is available at health.ny.gov/diseases/cancer/screening.

Catholic Charities is looking to help area people with limited space, to have their own "Container Garden" of various vegetables to grow & eventually eat. Penny McKnight of the Sidney Catholic Charities office explains:

(Penny McKnight 6-6-18)

McKnight said that the registration period to participate in the Container gardening program is Friday; the pick-up event will be June 13th from 1:30 to 3:00 PM at the Sidney United Methodist Church on Liberty Street in Sidney. More information is available at 604-4071.

Governor Cuomo announced an extreme risk protection order law that would prevent individuals determined by a court that are likely to engage in violent conduct from purchasing, possessing, or attempting to purchase or possess any type of firearm. The legislation would make New York the first state in the nation to empower its teachers and school administrators to prevent school shootings by pursuing court intervention. No law currently exists in New York State that enables a court to issue an order to temporarily seize firearms from a person who is believed to pose a severe threat of harm to himself, herself, or others unless that person has also been accused of a crime or family offense.

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.

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.

Governor Cuomo today announced that road and bridge construction projects on New York State highways will be suspended from 6:00 AM Friday, to 6:00 AM on 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.

State Police are reminding motorists to obey the Move Over Law when traveling over the busy Memorial Day weekend. The law requires motorists to drive with care, slow down, and safely move over when approaching law enforcement vehicles, fire trucks, ambulances, tow trucks, and construction or maintenance vehicles that are stopped along the road side for emergency situations. The law was enacted in 2011 to protect New Yorkers working along the roadway and has since been expanded to include a wider range of emergency and hazard vehicles.

The construction for the Main Street Project in the Village of Sidney will begin after the Memorial Day holiday. Village Spokesman John Redente told WCDO News about the bid winners:

(John Redente 5-25-17)

Redente said that Main Street would have 1-lane open during the construction period.

The State Office of General Services announced a public auction for state-owned property located in Broome County at 362 and 372 Prospect Street in the town of Dickinson. The registration period will start at 10:00 AM, the Auction will be conducted on the 18th floor of the Binghamton State Office Building, 44 Hawley Street, at 11:00 AM on July 20th, and the 2 buildings on the two parcels are being auctioned together as a pair. Complete details, including photos, legal and reference documents, and auction requirements can be found online at nysstore.com by clicking on “Real Estate Auctions.”

The Tri Town Youth Club announced that they would be open Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM, at the Sidney United Methodist Church. Lunch will be served on Friday, the club will be closed on Monday Memorial Day.

A new report examining New York's teacher shortage by the State Schools Boards Association says hard-to-staff subjects include science; math, special education, bilingual education and technology, & most of the shortages are in small rural upstate districts & in New York City. The report recommends aligning teacher preparation programs with areas of need and increasing salaries for teachers in hard-to-staff subjects, it also recommends recruiting bilingual teachers from outside the United States and implementing a certification process for qualified candidates in specific fields who don't have an education degree.

Governor Cuomo states that the Proposed federal budget proposal from President Trump would be "devastating" to New York. Cuomo told reporters Wednesday the budget would be “the Niagara Falls of trickle-down economics," referring to the economic philosophy that tax cuts for the rich theoretically would eventually trickle down to everyone else. Cuomo says the budget plan would jeopardize housing, health care and other programs that protect the most vulnerable in society.

New York State Police Memorial service will be held this morning at 11:00 AM, at the Troop C headquarters on State Route 7 in Sidney. The annual event is held to remember Police Officers who died in the line of duty.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced that 42 states and the District of Columbia have reached a $33 million settlement with Johnson & Johnson, resolving allegations that the company's subsidiary, McNeil-PPC, employed deceptive practices to market and promote numerous popular over-the-counter drugs. The corporation has agreed to pay New York State a total of $1.3 million, between 2009 and 2011, McNeil-PPC manufactured and distributed drugs that purported to comply with federally mandates involving Good Manufacturing Practices, an investigation revealed that a number of McNeil manufacturing facilities and the medications they produced did not meet Feeral standards.

Delaware County Sheriff's department arrested 48 year old Charles Kenyatta of New York City, for failure to keep right, aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, following a traffic stop on State Route 10 in Hamden. Kenyatta was arraigned & remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $400 Bail pending future court action.

State Police arrested 31-year old Steven Calderon of the Bronx, for allegedly using deceased State Trooper Timothy Pratt’s identity to obtain a $5,000 credit line and buy a washing machine. Trooper Pratt was killed in an accident on October 26th, Calderon was charged with 2 counts of identity theft. The investigation is continuing and police believe that more arrests may be forthcoming

The New York State United Teachers union has renewed its call for state Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia to remove former Gubernatorial Republican candidate Carl Paladino from the Buffalo City School Board of Education, after Palladino made racist & offensive remarks about Outgoing President Barack Obama, and first lady Michelle Obama. The union officials stated that Palladino is unfit to serve in a school board position after making remarks wishing for President Obama's death next year.

Broome County Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo vows to continue forward ing a bill to strengthen the state's parking garages. the bill failed to pass this year despite sponsorship from lawmakers in the majority party in each house of the legislature. The bill follows the collapse of a parking garage at Wilson Hospital in Johnson City in July 2015.

State Police are searching for 42 year old Richard Darlin on charges of Grand Larceny & Criminal Mischief, for allegedly stealing property while staying at a residence on Mills Creek Road in Otego in March 2014. Darlin is accused of stealing a car, power tools, coins, cash and more. the town of Otego Court issued a warrant for his arrest. Anyone with information as to Darlin's whereabouts should contact the State Police at 432-4844 or email Crimetip@troopers.ny.gov.

In memory of Trooper Christopher Skinner and the sacrifice he paid, The State Police are inviting the community to join them by giving blood at the 3rd annual Trooper Skinner Memorial American Red Cross blood drive today. Those who wish to donate Blood can do so between 12:00 Noon to 6:00 PM at the Five Mile Point Fire Company at 16 Crescent Drive in Kirkwood, Appointments can be made through the Red cross Blood Donor App, by calling 1-800-RED CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org.

Governor Cuomo today announced that New York State has received $7.7 million in federal funding that will allow the state to fund 11 new programs and support 117 existing programs that help victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Locally, The Crime Victims Assistance Center of Broome County will receive $35,600 to partially fund a sexual assault forensic examination program coordinator for a sexual assault response team.

The Southern Tier & Central New York Regions won big again this year, when Governor Cuomo announced these years’ winners for the Regional Economic council awards and the Upstate revitalization Initiative awards Thursday. State Senator Fred Akshar comments:

(Akshar 12-11-15)

The Top projects this year include the 7 Hawley Street Redevelopment in Binghamton & the Southern Tier Health Sciences and Technology Innovation Park in Binghamton.

The Mohawk Valley Regional Development Council, which includes Otsego County, won over 100 million dollars Thursday for assorted projects. Locally, the Oneonta Rail Yards will be completely rebuilt, and developed, plus the Upper Susquehanna Agriculture Center will be built in Oneonta. Other projects include a State Route 205 Corridor Study, an Oneonta Airport Logistics Development Project, The villages of Cooperstown and Milford will identify the feasibility of a rail service connection & the ARC Otsego Community Residential Facilities will use Funds to make improvements to 10 group homes.

Governor Cuomo announced the final report and recommendations of the Common Core Task Force. The Task Force recommends overhauling the current Common Core system and adopting new, locally driven New York State standards in a transparent and open process. The Task Force also recommends that current Common Core aligned tests should not count for students or teachers until the start of 2019-2020 school year to ensure the system is implemented completely and properly to avoid the errors caused by the prior flawed implementation.

A state judge has banned DraftKings and FanDuel from doing business in New York State today. The order was issued today by state Supreme Court Justice Manuel Mendez, after Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said that the 2 companies are violating state gambling laws dating back to the 1890's. The companies unsuccessfully argued that their games are based on skill, Judge Mendez did not agree.

Area Resident Gene Schmidt is coordinating the 3rd Christmas Community Dinner on Christmas Day, which has now been moved back to the Sidney Fire Department's Training Center on River Street. Schmidt said that they still are looking for volunteers & donations:

(Gene Schmidt 12-11-15)

Schmidt can be reached at 610-4030, Donations can be sent by check to the Sidney United Methodist Church, with Community Christmas Dinner on the memo line. Schmidt said that last year they served about 250 dinners on Christmas day.

First Night and LEAF will be collaborating with the Oneonta Boys and Girls Club on Saturday, December 12th on their annual FREE Christmas Party with live music, games and activities, snacks and a visit from not only Santa. The Elks Club will be welcoming families to participate in a Hoop Shoot from 10 am until noon and the Christmas Party will run from noon until 2 pm. It will also be a chance to purchase discounted buttons for First Night Oneonta's New Year's Eve Celebration.

State Police have released information in a fatal Otsego County motor vehicle accident that occurred yesterday on US Route 20 in the town of Richfield. 20 year old Kaitlin Mercier of Huntington, Massachusetts was pronounced deceased at the scene of the accident. 22-year-old Amanda Conley of Brattleboro Vermont was a passenger in the vehicle; she was taken to Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown with a broken right leg and bruises. The investigation is continuing, the results of an autopsy are expected shortly.

State Police arrested a Broome county man after uncovering another meth lab in Endwell today. 21-year-old Dakota Askew is charged with unlawful manufacturing of methamphetamine. State Police executed a no-knock search warrant at Askew's home at 38 North Avenue B in Endwell, chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamine were located & removed, Askew was

Governor Cuomo has been seeking a new way to evaluate teachers the last 2 years, by tying test scores to teacher effectiveness. Area Assemblyman Cliff Crouch said that this whole controversy about evaluating teachers was unnecessary:

(Crouch 4-17-15)

Governor Cuomo said earlier this year that the students were passing state tests at a 40 percent rate, but the teacher evaluation was at 98%, he contended that those numbers don't add up, the state's teachers union disagrees.

The Chenango United Way is seeking donations to create a locally based Chenango County board game. This game will be similar to Monopoly and will highlight businesses and nonprofits across the county. 500 of the games will be produced by the Chenango United Way and sold at local events. Interested business can get more information at 334-8815.

A "Protect Our Schools" demonstration will be held in Oneonta Thursday as part of a state wide awareness campaign, to let Governor Cuomo know that parents & teachers feel that school are underfunded, over-mandated and that they fear an eventual statewide take-over of schools. Area schoolteacher Michelle Decker comment:

(Michelle Decker 3-23-15)

Kjersti Van Slyke-Briggs is an area parent that co-founded an area grassroots campaign regarding common core & increased testing of students, she told WCDO News of the purpose of Thursday's event:

(Kjersti Van Slyke Briggs 3-23-15)

The demonstration will begin at 4:30 Thursday at the former Center Street School In Oneonta, more information is available at NYSAPE.org.

The 11th annual American Cancer Society Tri-Town Relay For Life will be held at the General Clinton Park in Bainbridge on Saturday May 9th this year. The 2015 theme is Hero’s of Hope & this year’s event will be ONE day only, running from 11am to 11pm. Officials announced that it is not too late to become involved by either registering a team or volunteering, more information is available at relayforlife.org/tritownny or at the next meeting on Monday April 6th at 5:30 at the United Methodist Church, Liberty Street in Sidney.

The Delaware County Republican Committee has endorsed Porter Kirkwood for Family Court Judge. Kirkwood currently serves as Delaware County Attorney. The Delaware County Family Court Judgeship is a new position that was created by the Governor and State Legislature in 2014 in an effort to relieve the backlog of cases in Family Courts around the State. 25 new Family Court Judgeships were added in New York. No Democratic Party Candidate has been announced.

State police at Oneonta arrested 7 people for allegedly stealing from the Oneonta Wal-Mart. The theft occurred at about 9:00 AM Friday. 26-year-old Donovan Howard; 28 year old Kawanda Mathis; 32 year old Misheena Watson; 17 year old Shanya Nevith; 27 year old Joshua Hervey and 18 year old Takell Henry of Utica and 19 year old Quinnasia Berry of Herkimer were charged with 3rd degree grand larceny. All 7 were sent to the Otsego County jail pending future court action. .

The state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation is offering a one-day online-only deal on three-year park passes. The special price will be available today only for Cyber Monday. The 3-year Empire Passport will be discounted to $130, a $35 savings off the usual price. An Empire Passport gives unlimited vehicle access to all state parks, nature centers, recreation areas, boat launches and preserves. Information is available at nysparks.com

Teacher retirements in New York have risen 10% since 2010, while staff members have fallen 5.5% over the same time period. The rise in retirements is an ongoing trend as staff reaches retirement age, faces new testing standards and cashes out pensions. State Teachers Retirement System records show the number of teachers in retirement jumped from 141,716 to 155,931 between the 2009 and 2014 school years. At the same time, the number of active members in the system fell from 285,774 to 270,039. New York State United Teachers, the state's teachers union, attributed new testing standards and tougher teacher evaluations to the reason why teachers are leaving the workforce.

The Coventry Town Museum Association will hold their 10th Annual Civil War Commemorative event at Coventryville Congregational Church Sunday. The event honors John Shaver, ancestor of numerous descendants living throughout the Southern Tier, Museum President Janine Hakim explains:

(Janine Hakim 9-26-14)

The event takes place at 115 County Road #27, just off State Highway 206 in Coventry; it is made possible in part through funding from the New York State Council on the Arts, administered by the Chenango County Council of the Arts

The United Way of Delaware and Otsego county 2014 campaign is under way. This year's goal is to raise $325,000. The campaign runs through December 31st. Money raised is used to assist local agencies and programs. For more information, or to donate, go to unitedway.org.

Attorneys defending the poor across New York averaged 680 cases last year, nearly double the recommended limit, even though their ranks and funding rose from the year before. They were assigned 386,823 new cases last year in the 57 counties outside New York City. Those included 70,000 felonies, 90,000 family court cases and nearly 221,000 misdemeanors. Overall funding for legal services rose to $175 million last year, an increase of about $9 million.

Residents of New York's Finger Lakes and Southern Tier weighed in on 3 competing casinos proposed for the area. The three applicants are Tioga Downs in Nichols, Traditions in Johnson City and Lago in Seneca County. The board is expected to announce up to four winning bids for casino licenses spread among the three regions later this fall.

A state Supreme Court judge rejected a teachers union's attempt to invalidate New York's property-tax cap, dismissing claims it doesn't comply with the state and federal constitutions. Supreme Court Justice Patrick McGrath ruled the cap is constitutional, and in compliance with state law, allowing the cap to stand pending an expected appeal. The State United Teachers last year filed a lawsuit challenging the tax cap, which limits schools and local governments to annual property-tax increases of 2 percent or the rate of inflation. The union argued the cap unlawfully limits local control over education spending.

State Police said more than 20,000 tickets were issued from August 6th through August 12th as part of its “Speed Week” campaign. 10,000 tickets were issued for speeding, 200 tickets for texting while driving, 550 for cell phone use, 200 DWI’s and more than 600 tickets in violation of the “Move Over Law.”

New York State’s private sector job count grew by 17,300, or 0.2% in July according to the State Labor Department. The State’s overall private sector job count is 7,603,300, the unemployment rate was unchanged at 6.6%. July marked the State’s 20th consecutive month of private sector job growth.

New York's public university system is the first to support a bipartisan federal effort that would strengthen colleges and universities' assistance, for sexual assault victims while establishing penalties for non-compliance. U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said that the Campus Accountability and Safety Act l creates new standards for training, and calls for an anonymous annual survey of students, to provide an accounting of campus sexual assaults at colleges and universities.

A Grand Opening Ceremony is scheduled for August 25th for the new Skateboard Park in Keith Clark Park in Sidney. Ronnie Haag of the Sidney Youth Advocate program comments:

(Ronnie Haag 8-15-14)

Haag said that the new Skateboard Park is located between the Baseball Field & the Volley Ball Courts in Keith Clark Park.

New York state students in grades 3-8 improved their performance in math in the 2nd year of Common Core testing, but their performance in English & Language Arts was the same. This year scores also showed significant gaps between racial and economic subgroups again. Common Core is expected to be a hot political issue in the coming gubernatorial campaign, with Republican & Conservative candidate Rob Astorino and Liberal Democrat Zephyr Teachout both vowing to get rid of the Common core standards if elected.

The Public Employees Federation endorsed Democratic candidate Zephyr Teachout over incumbent Andrew Cuomo, after contentious contract negotiations during his first term in office, and changes to the pension system for future state employees with lowered benefits. The New York State United Teachers declined to endorse a candidate in this year's governor's race.

The State DOT will hold a public meeting on June 25th at the Franklin Town Hall, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm, to discuss safety improvements to the intersection of State Routes 28 and 357 in the Town of Franklin, approximately 5.5 miles northeast of the Village of Franklin. The meeting will be an open-house style during which participants are encouraged to attend and discuss their concerns with the project team members.

The state Legislature voted to increase penalties for committing acts of public lewdness in front of minors. The bill would also raise charges against repeat offenders and take effect November 1st, it creates a new charge of first-degree public lewdness when someone 19 or older exposes intimate body parts in a lewd manner before anyone under 16. It would be a higher-level misdemeanor than the current charge, punishable by up to a year in jail or 3 years’ probation

The state senate passed a measure that would toughen penalties for multiple driving while intoxicated convictions. Under the measure, a person convicted of three or more DWIs within 15 years would be charged with a class D felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. The bill is named for Vincent Russo, an 82-year-old resident of Onondaga County, who was killed in 2011 by someone who had five prior DWI related convictions

Governor Cuomo and top lawmakers are negotiating a potential plan to authorize medical marijuana, as the state’s annual legislative session winds down. The Compassionate Care Act would legalize marijuana for medical purposes, while setting up a regulatory framework for growing, distributing and taxing the drug. Whether the negotiations with lawmakers will produce an agreement remains to be seen.

Governor Cuomo said it would be “overkill” to put in a moratorium on the state’s teacher-evaluation system tied to tougher testing standards. Cuomo’s office and state lawmakers have been negotiating potential short-term changes to the evaluation process, which relies on student’s Common Core test scores for 20% of a teacher’s assessment. The state Assembly and New York State United Teachers union have backed a pause on using the test scores for teacher evaluations, the Governor said that’s not the right way to proceed, he backs tweaks to the program to deal with early issues with the Common Core, which led to drops in test scores on state standardized tests last year. The issue is one of several measures left as the legislative session winds down next week.

State police arrested 63 year old John Facik of Johnson City and 50 year old Orvie Harvey of Windsor for grand larceny.  Facik was also charged with possession of a forged instrument.  The men were accused of stealing 3 large heavy pieces of metal from a construction yard & loading it into a truck.  The metal was valued at approximately $1,200; construction workers called the police and blocked the suspects from leaving.  Facik was found to possess an altered driver license; both were arraigned in the Town of Chenango Court and remanded to the Broome County Jail.

New York State United Teachers' Board of Directors unanimously approved a resolution Saturday that declared "no confidence" in the policies of State Education Commissioner John King Jr., & calling for his removal by the Board of Regents.  The board also withdrew its support for the Common Core standards as implemented and interpreted in New York State until the State Education Department makes corrections and supports a 3-year moratorium on the high-stakes consequences from standardized testing.

Governor Cuomo announced changes yesterday to the mental health situation in the southern tier, with a new plan to keep much of the existing services going, and add new services. Area Assemblyman Cliff Crouch was one of the lawmakers who opposed the initial plans to close down mental health services around the greater Binghamton area, he told WCDO News that he is pleased with this outcome:

(Cliff Crouch 12-20-13)

Crouch said that they still have to work on a plan to keep the Broome Developmental Center opened; it is scheduled to close in 2015. Details of the plans announced yesterday are available at governor.ny.gov.

Governor Cuomo signed 35 bills into law late Wednesday and vetoed 33 others, rejecting legislation that would have allowed the limited sale of sparklers and exempted small vending machine sales from tax. Cuomo signed bills expanding the number of judges serving on city court benches, increasing oversight of special-education providers; easing requirements for a business tax credit for hiring high school students; modernizing state laws that govern nonprofits; and requiring manufacturers to collect old mercury thermostats. 11 bills still need to be dealt with by Cuomo before the end of the year.

State Troopers at Troop C in Sidney arrested 45-year-old Keith Hoefer of Unadilla for unlawful possession of marihuana. The arrest resulted from a vehicle and traffic law stop on State Route 7 in Unadilla, Hoefer was found to possess 14 grams of marihuana. He was issued a ticket returnable to the Town of Unadilla Court at a later date.

Milk prices could reach $7 or $8 a gallon next year if Congress can't pass a new farm bill. Congress is required to pass a new farm bill every five years which sets milk prices to farmers and also determines food stamp benefits. The last farm bill expired in the fall of 2012. Congress has until the end of the month to pass a new farm bill or an extension on the old one.

A lawsuit challenging the legality of the property-tax cap will be heard in state Supreme Court. The New York State United Teachers union is suing Governor Cuomo and the state Education Department over the law, saying it is unconstitutional to limit the growth in property taxes to 2% a year. This year, 98 percent of schools and 77 percent of local governments stayed under cap. For 2014, the tax cap is set at 1.6 percent, based on the current rate of inflation. The tax cap can be overridden with 60 percent of a vote of a governing board, or for schools it’s 60 percent of the public vote in May.

The Joint Commission on Public Ethics reported that  $105 million was spent on lobbying in the first 6 months of the year, the lowest amount in 5 years.  Philip Morris tobacco spent the most at nearly $1.6 million, 2nd was the New York State United Teachers union, 3rd was The Greater New York Hospital Association which spent $1.1 million, and New York State United Teachers union, which wants to build a new stadium in Queens, spent $842,000.  Lobbying amounts have decreased by 19% since Governor Cuomo’s first year in office.

Delaware County Sheriffs Deputies Arrested 25 year old Eric Ball of Oneonta for DWI, operation of a motor vehicle with a BAC greater than .08, refusal to submit to a breath Test & speeding.  Ball was arrested following a traffic stop for speeding on State Route 10 in the Town of Walton. He was released to appear in the Town of Walton Court at a later date.

Governor Cuomo announced $10 million in Brownfield Opportunity Areas grants for 26 communities throughout the state. The grants provide funding for municipalities to implement revitalization strategies to redevelop impacted sites. Locally, the City of Norwich will get $90,000 to complete a revitalization plan for a 591-acre area with 33 vacant and Brownfield sites located at former industrial sites on the City's east side and for new commercial developments in downtown.

Governor Cuomo signed the Farm Cideries bill that establishes a new license for farm cideries similar to the licenses already available to farm wineries, breweries and distilleries. This  legislation follows through on promises made to farm cideries after the Wine, Beer and Spirits Summit held by the governor. The signing coincides with the beginning of CiderWeek NY through October 27th; more information is available at ciderweekny.com.

16 organizations in the region are received grants from the Community Foundation for South Central New York’s Community Fund and Women’s Fund fall 2013 competitive grant cycles. Local Organizations that won awards were Broome County United Way, the Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship of Delaware & Otsego counties, Delaware Opportunities, the Kopernik Observatory, the 4 County Library System, Girls on the Run & Opportunities for Otsego.   More information about the Foundation can be found at donorswhocare.org.