WCDO Radio News

Governor Cuomo signed the Zombie Property Remediation Act,
allowing municipalities to better address zombie properties. The new law will
authorize local governments to compel mortgage lenders to either complete a
mortgage foreclosure proceeding or to issue a certificate of discharge of the
mortgage for any abandoned property, allowing local government officials to
deal with these properties that decrease surrounding property values and put on
a strain on municipal resources.  This
new law goes into effect immediately.

State Senator Jen Metzger is proposing a permanent ban in
New York State on Hydraulic Fracturing for natural gas.  The proposal follows the 2015 action by
Governor Cuomo by signing a bill that called for the DEC to stop issuing
permits to companies for Fracking in the state, prior to that action, fracking
was performed by gas companies in the Western New York Counties since 1979

Governor Cuomo announced the state Environmental Facilities
Corporation has awarded more than $16 million through the Water Infrastructure
Improvement Act and the Inter-Municipal Water Infrastructure Grant Program to
Southern Tier municipalities for infrastructure projects that protect public
health or improve water quality. The Village of Walton will receive grants of
1.2 Million dollars for their $2, Million dollar project.

The Driver's License Access and Privacy Act, also known as
the 'Green Light law', is now in effect , It allows all New Yorkers age 16 and
older to apply for a standard, not for federal purpose, non-commercial driver
license or learner’s permit regardless of their citizenship or lawful status in
the United States.  Driver’s license
applicants who have never been issued a Social Security Number are eligible to
apply, provided that they show a combination of documents that prove their
name, date of birth, New York state residency & any number of allowed
foreign documents.

The New York Siting Board has approved of Calpine's wind
turbine project in Broome County.  4
turbines will be built in the Town of Windsor & 23 in the town of Sanford,
in spite of the Sanford Town Board passing a resolution last week, which was
labelled as overly burdensome to Calpine and was rejected by the Siting
Board.  Calpine will be able to begin
construction of the 27-tower project shortly.
Calpine also has plans to build turbines in the town of Guilford; the
state has not made any decisions on that project yet.

Governor Cuomo today announced the 1st proposal of his 2020
State of the State agenda: Preventing individuals from receiving New York State
gun licenses if they commit a crime in another state that is similar to a crime
that would disqualify them from owning a gun in New York State. The Governor
also announced that the 2020 State of the State Address will be held in the
Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany on January 8 at 1:30 PM.

State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker declared that
influenza is now prevalent in New York State. This announcement means that
healthcare workers who are not vaccinated against influenza wear surgical or
procedure masks in patient areas.
Laboratory-confirmed cases are in 42 counties and all 5 boroughs of New
York City. So far, there are 691 flu-related hospitalizations and 1
flu-associated pediatric death reported.
More information is available at health.ny.gov.

Several Dietz Street area
businesses owners are teaming up for a lawsuit against the City of Oneonta,
they claim that the city did not follow proper procedure when they approved of
plans for new housing on Dietz Street.
Plans call for are related apartments & businesses to go into the
Lofts project on Dietz Street, some of the parking spots in the Municipal lot
would be removed in favor of the new building.

Investigators from the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office
arrested 27-year-old Anthony Masi Friday, for Criminal Contempt.  Masi was being held at the Delaware County
Correctional Facility on a Parole violation, he allegedly violated an Order of
Protection issued by the City of Norwich Court.
Masi was arraigned in the Town of Delhi Court and remanded back to the
Delaware County Correctional Facility on $1,000 cash bail, or $2,000.00 bond
& he will appear in the Town of Delhi Court at a later date for further
Court action.

The
State Department of Health's AIDS Institute is hosting the 21st Annual World
AIDS Day Event today at the Empire State Convention center in Albany, In
recognition of World AIDS Day, which was observed on Sunday.   The public is invited to visit
community-based service organization booths and view the NAMES Project AIDS
Memorial Quilt in the Convention Center beginning at 9:00AM.  More information is available at
health.ny.gov.

Governor Cuomo announced that $56.5 million in state funding
has been awarded to 15 projects that will provide housing for homeless
individuals and families. The projects will create nearly 600 units of
permanent supportive housing and 40 emergency shelter beds for veterans,
survivors of domestic violence and individuals with mental illness.  Organizations receiving Homeless Housing and
Assistance Program funding include Opportunities for Broome, with a $7.5
million project that will create 27 units and 80 beds of supportive housing for
homeless families and individuals. Four existing, dilapidated structures in
downtown Binghamton will be rehabilitated for supportive housing.

Governor Cuomo announced a statewide holiday drive to
benefit families in need across New York. Donations of new unwrapped toys,
coats and school supplies are being sought to assist community-based
organizations during the holiday giving season.
The Office of General Services has set up drop-off locations which will
be collecting donations from Monday, November 25 through Friday, December 13;
area locations include the Binghamton State Office Building, 44 Hawley Street
& the Homer Folks Facility, 28 Hill Street Oneonta.

The Broome County Sheriff’s
Office is looking for Kristopher Shimer on multiple outstanding warrants.  Shimer is described as a White Male, 5’9”,
160 pounds with brown eyes & brown hair, anyone with information is asked
to contact the Broome County Sheriff’s Office at gobroomecounty.com at the
Sheriff’s Tipline.

Oneonta Police arrested 29 year old Zachary Kaplan following
a report that he was violating an order of protection.  Kaplan was taken to the Police Station, where
he struggled with officers, he was charged with escape, 2nd degree assault,
resisting arrest obstruction of government administration, criminal contempt,
harassment, criminal mischief, obstruction of breathing and endangering the
welfare of a child.

A.O. Fox Hospital will begin construction at Fox Care Center
in Oneonta to remove the awning at its west entrance near the outpatient
laboratory. The entrance and its adjacent parking area will be closed for the
duration of the demolition for everyone’s safety; everyone should use the 2
main entrances from the front parking lot.
The project is expected to take about 1 week to complete,
Weather-permitting.  Security personnel
will be on site to help direct patients and visitors.   More Information is available at 431-5434.

The State DEC announced that big game hunting in New York's
Southern Zone begins Saturday.  The  DEC's reminds hunters of the HuntFishNY
mobile app, to report deer or bear harvest, hunters, can still use the phone
report system 1-866-GAME-RPT.

The
Oneonta Common Council voted Tuesday night to sell a portion of the Dietz
Street municipal parking lot for the "Lofts on Dietz" Project, which
calls for housing for artists & classrooms for Hartwick College.  About 115 parking spots will be eliminated
for the project, 600 will still remain,

The
Sidney, Bainbridge & Unadilla Chambers of Commerce will hold a Tri-Town
Business Mixer on Wednesday November 13th, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM.  The event will be held at 55 Union Street in
Sidney, RSVP's are requested by this Friday at 561-2642.

The
results are in for area elections, for the State Supreme Court 6th district,
the 3 winners are Republicans Chris Baker, Oliver Blaise & Mark
Masler.  In the Sidney Town Clerk's Race,
Sheila Paul wins over incumbent Lisa French.
In Chenango County key races, the Norwich mayor will be Republican Shawn
Sastri, in the Norwich city council races, the winner in Ward 3 is Nancy
Allaire & in Ward 5, David Zieno.
The Town of Coventry Supervisor is Republican Jennifer Boudreau.  Guilford Supervisor George Senek is
re-elected over write in candidate Dan Harrington, in the Guilford Town Council,
Terence Ives & Gilda Ward win over 3 others.  In the Town of Bainbridge Council: Robert
Evans wins, the Town of Norwich Supervisor winner is Stanley Foulds, the Town
of Pharsalia Supervisor is Jeremiah Micklas.
In the Otsego County Board of Representatives races, the winners are, in
district 2: Michele Farwell, District 3:
Rick Brockway, District 14: Jill Basile.
The Laurens Town Supervisor race is won by Republican David Neske,  In the City of Oneonta Common Council races,
the winners are, in Ward 2: Mark Davies, Ward 4: Kaytee Lipari Shue, Ward 5:
Leonard Carson, Jr., Ward 6: Scott Harrington, Ward 8: Mark Drnek.  In the Broome County District Attorney:
Libertarian Michael Korchak leads by a slim margin over Republican Paul
Battisti, with absentee votes yet to be counted.

Restorations are continuing at
Damaschke Field in Oneonta, as the Grandstand demolition is underway this
week.  The project is expected to be
completed over the next Several Months, new concrete will be poured soon, &
new seats are expected to be installed by next May,  box seats & The dugouts are being
rebuilt, all the work is expected to be completed by the May 15th start of the
Oneonta Outlaws baseball season.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released the new East
Sidney Lake Master Plan to serve as a guiding document for decision making at
the lake for the next 15 to 25 years.
The Plan includes land use classifications that govern the way land is
managed and used as well as outdoor recreation to meet the needs of the
public.    The final Master Plan, previous
master plans and additional information can be found on the project website
nab.usace.army.

A ST. BALDRICK’S EVENT will be held in Oneonta at the Red
Jug Pub at 195 Main Street on October 12th from 2:00 to 5:00 PM.  The St. Baldrick's Foundation is a
volunteer-powered charity that funds more in childhood cancer research grants
than any organization except the U.S. government.  More information is available at
stbaldricks.org.

Governor Cuomo today announced
that $1.5 million is available for eligible school districts to support the
growth of Farm-to-School programs across the state. Grant funding of up to
$100,000 per project will be awarded for employing a local or regional
farm-to-school coordinator; Training of food service staff & the Purchase
of equipment needed to increase capacity of school kitchens.  More information is available at
agriculture.ny.gov

The Otsego County Chamber of Commerce will hold their 2019
Workforce Summit this morning at Morris Hall at SUNY Oneonta starting with 9:00
AM.    The Chamber joins with Educators,
Students, Workforce and Economic Developers, Community Leaders, Employers &
others to try to improve the overall quality of the region's workforce.

The Sidney Central School District and Village of Sidney
will co-sponsor an American Red Cross Citizen Preparedness Corps training this
evening, Sidney Village Mayor Andy Matviak urges area residents to attend:

(Andy Matviak 10-10-19)

The training session will run from 6:00 to 7:30 PM at the
Sidney Central School auditorium. There is no cost to attend, No RSVP is
necessary, but residents are encouraged to arrive early.

Governor Cuomo urged State residents to register as organ
donors through the newly-modernized New York State Donate Life Registry.  Nationally, 20 people each day die while
awaiting a match for a transplant, according to the federal Health Resources
and Services Administration. A person is added to the wait list every 10
minutes, but one donor can save as many as eight lives.  State residents can enroll to be organ donors
through 2 online options, donatelife.ny.gov, or dmv.ny.gov

The State DOT will begin construction this morning on State
Route 10 in the Village and Town of Deposit. Crews are going to begin pavement
milling in the area of the Exit 84 Ramps and work North on State Route 10
through the Village. This project will take multiple days to complete.  There will be single lane alternating traffic
during construction hours with flaggers in place. Please use caution in the
area and expect delays.

32 year old Matthew Jones of Greene will spend 7 1/2 years
in prison, for pleading guilty to 2nd degree Burglary & 3rd degree Grand
Larceny.  Jones was arrested after
allegedly burglarizing Homes in Greene in May, & stealing cash, credit
cards, gasoline & other items.

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

Citizen Advocates of Malone & Joshua House of Sidney
announced a new partnership that will ensure that individuals with variety of
abilities achieve the life of their choosing.
Joshua House Executive Director Delsa McEwan said that there will be no
adverse changes to the Sidney facilities:

(Delsa McEwan 9-10-19)

Joshua House currently operates 4 homes, the partnership
allows their programs to overcome the financial realities from shrinking
reimbursements, by tapping into the efficiencies and depth of resources Citizen
Advocates has to offer.  The new
partnership will be completed by January 1st of 2020; more information is
available at citizenadvocates.net & joshhouse.com

The State DOT will hold a public information meeting on
Tuesday, September 17, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Bainbridge Town Hall, to
provide details about plans to improve the pavement condition on State Route
206 from Case Road in the town of Bainbridge to the bridge over the Susquehanna
River in the village of Bainbridge.   The
meeting will begin with a formal presentation at 6 p.m. followed by a question
and answer session with DOT representatives.
The project is scheduled to begin in the 2020 construction season and
take one and a half seasons to complete.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 63-year-old
Steve Luscomb of Downsville, Friday for Driving while Intoxicated, Reckless
Driving, Failure to Keep Right, Unsafe Tire, and Refusal to take a Breath
Test.  This arrest followed a property
damage accident on State Highway 8 in the Town of Masonville.  Luscomb was arraigned in Masonville Town
Court and was released on his own recognizance.
Luscomb is scheduled to appear in the Town of Masonville Court at a
later date.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has found that New
York waived its water quality authority for Williams' Constitution Pipeline,
giving new life to a natural gas project stalled since April 2016 when the
state DEC denied a permit.   Federal
regulators have cleared the way for the Constitution pipeline project to move
forward, if the company still plans to do so.
The original plans called for the pipeline to run from Pennsylvania
through the Susquehanna River Valley to the Capital Region, Williams Partners
appealed to federal courts after New York rejected a water quality permit over
concerns for 250 streams. The project still needs a permit from the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers.

Governor Cuomo today signed legislation closing the legal
loophole that allows creditors to use New York courts to secure confessions of
judgment and seize the assets of borrowers for cases where the borrower has no
connection to New York. Prior to this new law, creditors were able to exploit
New York laws to freeze and seize a borrower's assets by obtaining a judgment
entered in a court far from where the contested agreement was executed, making
it difficult for a borrower to legally contest the unfair penalty.

The State Division of Budget
announced today that they are approving the State Board of Elections’ plan to
distribute $10 million to county governments to support early voting
implementation.  The State Budget
allocated $24.7 million for assistance with implementing a series of election
law reforms, including early voting. The State Board of Election’s Aid to
Localities Plan can be viewed at nysac.org.

Governor Cuomo announced that temporary lane closures for
road and bridge construction projects on New York State highways will be
suspended now until Tuesday, at 6:00 AM, to accommodate travelers during the
busy Labor Day weekend.  Governor Cuomo
is urging motorists to follow the state's Move Over Law & that state and
local law enforcement will be participating in the statewide "Drive Sober
or Get Pulled Over" enforcement through Monday.

There is still a lot of work to be done before The High
Bridge Wind Farm Turbines are built in the town of Guilford, after last week’s
open forum where town citizens asked question about the project directly to
Calpine representatives, who are seeking to put up to 30 turbines there,
Guilford Town Supervisor George Senek comments about the timeline:

(George Senek 7-22-19)

Senek said that he thought that last week’s meeting was a
positive step; subsequent meeting will be posted at the town’s website guilfordny.com,
or at their Facebook page.

2 of yesterday’s 6 inductees into the National Baseball hall
Of Fame, spent time pitching for the New York Yankees.  Mike Mussina pitched 10 years for Baltimore before
coming to New York; he said that he had to be convinced to come to the big city
by then Yankee Manager Joe Torre:

(Mike Mussina NY)

Mariano Rivera spent his entire 18 year career pitching for
the New York Yankees, setting the record for saves by a relief pitcher; he
talked about New York fans in his speech yesterday:

(Mariano Rivera NY)

Mussina & Rivera were inducted into the Baseball Hall Of
Fame with Pitchers the late Roy Halladay & Lee Smith, and Designated hitter
Edgar Martinez & Harold Baines.

Supplies are needed & pets are ready for adoption, at
the Delaware Valley Humane Society in Sidney, Director Erin Insinga and a few
children from Dewitt Drive in Sidney stopped up to visit WCDO this morning,
they raised $100 selling lemonade & donated it to the Shelter.  Erin Insinga told WCDO news where the shelter
is & how to follow what they are doing:

(Erin Insinga 7-22-19)

The full interview with Erin
& the Dewitt Drive children is available on the WCDO Website & WCDO
Facebook page.

6 players were inducted into the National Baseball Hall of
Fame Sunday at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown:

The inductions started with the induction of 2 starting
Pitchers, 1st up was Mike Mussina who played 18 years for the Baltimore Orioles
& The New York Yankees, who won 270 games without putting up some of the
gaudy statistics that other Hall of Famers did:

(Mike Mussina 7-22-19)

The 2nd starting pitcher inducted Sunday was the late Roy
Halladay, who died in a small plane crash in November 2017; on the baseball
field among his achievements, he authored only the 2nd no hitter in post season
baseball, his wife Brandy struggled through the speech, but believed her
husband would have said the following in his speech:

(Brandy Halladay 7-22-19)

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

This year, 2 Designated Hitters were inducted into the
Baseball Hall of Fame, 1st up was Harold Baines, who was known for his quiet
leadership over his lengthy career, he simply followed the advice of his late
Father:

(Harold Baines 7-22-19)

Edgar Martinez played his entire career with the Seattle
Mariners, he was so prolific as a DH, that the Annual Award is named after him;
he said that it was a long wait to get in the Hall Of Fame, but it was worth
it:

(Edgar Martinez 7-22-19)

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

The last 2 to give their speeches for induction into the
Baseball Hall Of Fame were two of the greatest “Closers” in baseball
History.

Lee Smith pitched for a number of teams in his career &
when he retired, he had more saves than any one on baseball history, and he
said in life & in baseball, it is important to be dependable &
reliable:

(Lee Smith 7-22-19)

The final speech of the induction ceremony in Cooperstown
Sunday was delivered by New York Yankee Great Mariano Rivera, who joked about
always being “Last”  & thanked
friends, Family, Teammates & even the President of his home country of
Panama for being with him on this big occasion:

(Mariano Rivera 7-22-19)

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Officials estimated that about 55,000 fans attended Sunday’s
Hall of fame Inductions in Cooperstown.

39 Year Old Gary Nichols of Norwich was arrested officers
got a complaint of a trespasser going through a parked vehicle on Plymouth
Street. Residents chased the Nichols into a wooded area, Nichols allegedly
stabbed one of the people pursuing him, & biting another person. The
stabbing victim was hospitalized for 10 wounds to the head and torso. The biting
victim was treated and released from the hospital.  Nichols was charged with 1st-degree assault,
3rd-degree assault, criminal possession of a weapon and petty larceny &
trespassing.

The Guilford Town Board meeting last night drew a standing
room only crowd of citizens, who wanted answers to their questions about the proposed
High Bridge Wind Farm project by Calpine, Priscilla Welden of the Concerned
Neighbors of Guilford commented:

(Priscilla Welden 7-18-19)

The Proposal calls for up to 30 large Wind Turbines to be
placed around the town of Guilford to generate sustainable energy, the project
will also require state approval.

The Catskill Watershed Corporation awarded grants for almost
$200,000 to schools and nonprofit organizations in the watershed region for
educational projects and programs.  33
grants were announced, more information is available at cwconline.org.

Organizers of Woodstock 50 have
submitted their 3rd application to have the event held at Vernon Downs in
Oneida County.  Previous applications
were turned down due to the closeness in time of the scheduled event, and for
the lack of planning for law enforcement & first responders to be on hand
to sufficiently handle the demands of a large 3 day music festival.  A previous attempt to hold the festival on
the 50th anniversary of the original Woodstock festival at Watkins Glen
international fell apart last month.

25 year old John Mehne of Florida pleaded not guilty
Wednesday to a Broome County grand jury's indictment.  Mehne was arrested June 4 after he allegedly
crashed a stolen car on I-81, tried to escape by jumping on 2 other vehicles,
fled in to the woods, then Police agencies launched a manhunt.  The grand jury indicted Mehne for Grand
Larceny and Menacing; he was arraigned on the latest charges & was remanded
back to the Broome County Jail.  Another
Grand Jury presentation is expected, as the Broome County District Attorney's
Office continues to work with State Police on additional charges relating to
the series of incidents involving Mehne on June 4th.

17 year old Francisco Laboy Diaz of Sidney has recently
returned home after he & his family spent time at the Ronald McDonald House
in Rochester, while Francisco underwent treatment for a brain tumor on his
brain stem at the Golisano Children's hospital there, Francisco told WCDO News
that he will miss all that helped him in Rochester:

(Francisco Laboy Diaz 7-17-19)

Francisco's mom, Kat Diaz said that after dealing with her
son's lengthy history with Brain Tumors; they feel blessed & very lucky:

(Kat Diaz 7-17-19)

WCDO will air the full interview with Francisco, his father
Jose Laboy & mom Kat Diaz tomorrow morning at 8:40 AM.

State Police arrested 32 year
old Heather Houck of Binghamton & 26 year old Caleb Zandt of Deposit for
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance & Criminally Using Drug
Paraphernalia.   A trooper observed the
vehicle Houck and Zandt were in, near a closed business, the trooper learned
that Houck had an active warrant for her arrest.  Houck was also found to have suspected heroin
and methamphetamine, she was arrested and was turned over to Broome County Central
Arraignment and Processing.   Zandt was
found to be in possession of heroin and a scale.  He was issued appearance tickets to the town
of Union court on August 6th.

State Police responded Saturday to a pedestrian struck by a
vehicle on County Road 4 in the town of Unadilla.  69-year-old Susan Haney of Unadilla was
walking south on the eastern shoulder of County Road 4 when she was struck by
an SUV operated by 34-year-old Nicole Wilbur of Unadilla, who became distracted
and drifted off the road and struck Haney, Wilbur immediately stopped and
called 911.  Haney suffered from head
trauma, internal bleeding and leg injuries; she was flown to Upstate Medical
Center in Syracuse where she underwent surgery and is listed in critical but
stable condition.   Wilbur was issued
tickets for Reckless Driving, Moving from a Lane Unsafely and Failure to Use
Due Care for a Pedestrian. The investigation is on-going.

The Guilford Town Board will hold a special meeting this
evening to discuss the High Bridge Wind farm Development Project by Calpine,
Guilford Town Supervisor George Senek comments:

(George Senek 7-17-19)

The meeting will begin at 7:00 PM at the Guilford Town
Highway Garage at 223 Marble Road; more information is available at 895-9966.

The 24th Annual Gus Macker 3 on 3 Basketball tournament will
return to Norwich next month, Organizer Tom Revoir told WCDO News that the
deadline for teams to register is coming right up & volunteers are still
needed:

(Tom Revoir 6-18-19)

The Gus Macker Basketball Tournament will be held on July
13th & 14th in Norwich.

The Chenango County Department of Public Works shall close
County Road 14 between The Madison County Line and Conley Road, in the Town of
Smyrna today.  The closure is in place
for the replacement of a large culvert, officials estimate that the project
could take about 3 days, Motorists are asked to seek alternative routes, local
traffic will be allowed to and from their homes.  More information is available at 337-1710.

Sidney Village Police arrested 3 people following an
investigation into arson on Cartwright Avenue Tuesday.  Sidney Police said that the fire was set in a
doorway & was quickly extinguished by occupants before it could
spread.  24 year old Elizabeth Hall of
Sidney, 19 year old Allyssa Wright & were charged with arson, reckless
endangerment, conspiracy & endangering the welfare of a child, Hall &
Wright were arraigned & were remanded to the Delaware County Jail on
$10,000 Cash Bail or $20,000 Bond, an unidentified 12 year old female was also
charged with arson, conspiracy & reckless endangerment, she was released on
a Juvenile appearance ticket.

About 120 People attended last night's Town of Guilford
Board meeting, which included discussions about the controversial plan by
Calpine, for the High Bridge Wind Farm Renewable Energy project proposal.  Guilford town Supervisor George Senek told
WCDO News what happens next:

(George Senek 6-13-19)

The High Bridge Wind Farm project calls for up to 30 Wind
Turbines to be placed in the town of Guilford, Calpine is also behind the
Bluestone Project which calls for 8 to 12 Wind Turbines in the Towns of Windsor
& Sanford.

The hearing for 25 Year old John Mehne of Sarasota Florida
has been postponed, as Mehne’s attorney claimed that she had not been able to
clear up a warrant for Mehne’s arrest in Sarasota on a burglary charge
there.  Mehne was arrested last week in
after a bizarre series of incidents including the crashing of a stolen car on
I-81, fleeing into the woods, burglarizing homes and chicken coops, chasing a
man with an axe, and killing a dog in Kirkwood.
Mehne is facing charges of criminal possession of stolen property,
burglary, robbery and aggravated cruelty to animals, he is being held in the
Broome County jail.

A bill has been forwarded in the state Assembly to legalize
Prostitution in New York State.  The bill
was forwarded after a group of workers in the sex trade lobbied for change at
the state capital recently.  The bill was
announced Monday and isn’t expected to be voted on before the end of the
current legislative session next week.

Greater Chenango Cares is once again coming to Norwich with
free medical, dental, vision and veterinary services provided to the community
by military medical personnel.  Elizabeth
Monaco of the Chenango United Way is looking for volunteers for this event:

(Elizabeth Monaco 6-10-19)

Monaco said those interested in volunteering can call
334-8815.  Monaco also said that the
first 2 Chenango Cares events provided over 2 million dollars’ worth of
services to over 5 thousand patients, while readying military personnel for any
possible deployment for their medical services This year’s event will be held
at Norwich High School from July 11th through the 20th.

Don Clayton Memorial Trailside
Concert Series returns to Sidney on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM in July &
August.  The series will begin with the
Sidney Community Band performing on July 10th under the pavilion at Keith Clark
Park.  All concerts are free & open
to the public, more information is available at 764-9590 or at the Sidney
Community Band Facebook page.

The State DEC is asking the public to report moose
sightings, to assist a multi-year research project.  Moose sightings increase in the spring with
the rising temperatures and melting snow.
In 2018, a total of 220 moose observations were reported to DEC, a
noticeable increase from the 163 reports in 2017, Most moose sightings occur
within the Adirondacks, but neighboring states Connecticut and Massachusetts
also have moose populations, resulting in observations in the southeast portion
of New York.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Investigators arrested 43-year-old
Lisa Myers of Delancey, for Strangulation, Endangering the Welfare of a Child
& 3rd Degree Assault. Myers was arraigned in the Town of Delhi Court, and
released on her own recognizance, to re-appear in that Court at a later time
for further Court action.

A Ribbon Cutting ceremony was held at the Sidney Central
School District today along with the Raymond Corporation of Greene, for the
opening of their Raymond welding Center.
Sidney Welding Program Advisor Joseph Waltz told WCDO News about the
full year course

(Joseph Waltz 5-28-19)

Raymond Corporation representative Dan Quiter Jr. told WCDO
News that this program is the first of its kind locally:

(Dan Quiter Jr 5-28-19)

The program was started through the efforts of 6 Sidney
Students and a Raymond Corporation Advisor.

An amended marijuana legalization bill was introduced on
Friday by lawmakers in Albany, which more closely echoes what Governor Cuomo
wanted in the bill earlier this year.
The bill includes the Office of Cannabis Management to regulate
commercial and medical marijuana; it would also expunge the records of those
who have committed marijuana-based offenses in the past.   Opponents to Marijuana legalization site
potential issues with traffic safety and increased links to mental illnesses
such as Schizophrenia & violence.

New York State will not be
funding a housing development with 64 units in Oneonta' 6th Ward.  The RSS development announced their plans
last year, with residents speaking out about the plans to have some people in
the development recovering from substance abuse.  Governor Cuomo recently announced that 6
organizations in The Southern Tier would receive $21.3 million in tax credits
and low-interest loans from the State Homes & Community Renewal’s 2018
Unified Funding applications; the Oneonta RSS project was not included.

The 57th General Clinton canoe regatta was held over the
Memorial Day weekend, with over 1000 pro & Amateur Paddlers from 22 states
& 5 Canadian Provinces participating.

The 2 person pro race was won by Steve Lajoie & Jimmy
Pellerin, who completed the 70 mile course in 7:15:23, they spoke with WCDO’s
Craig Stevens

(Lajoie/Pellerin 5-28)

The Duo beat 2nd place finishers Trevor LeFever of Oneonta
& Ben Schlimmer of Camillus by 2 minutes, but 2nd place wasn’t easy as they
beat out Guillaume Blaise & Samuel Friggone for Quebec by just 1 second,
Schlimmer spoke to Craig Stevens about the close ending:

(Schlimmer 5-28)

62 year old Regatta champion Serge Corbin & his partner
Normand Mainguy finished 4th in the pro race, he talked with WCDO’s Craig
Stevens after the race;

(Serge Corbin 5-28)

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

The Michigan Team of Bruce & Roxanne Barton, Tim
Triebold & Weston Willoughby won the C4 Race with a time of 7:37:45;  Local Paddler Bob Zaveral of Mount Upton
spoke to Craig Stevens after his 4 person team finished 2nd in the C-4 race
yesterday:

(Zaveral 5-28)

Walton father Son team Bill & Lucas Walley won the tough
stock aluminum race by 40 minutes over the 2nd place finishers, Lucas Walley
talked about racing with the heavier canoes to WCDO’s Craig Stevens:

(Lucas Walley 5-28)

Complete results can be found at canoeregatta.org.

School Budget Votes will be held state wide tomorrow.  Locally, Sidney & Schenevus school
district budget decreased their spending from last year, most have had slight
to mild increases, local districts are close to 2% Property Tax Cap.  Capital Projects will be voted on by voters
in Sidney, Unatego & Afton tomorrow.

The Afton Central School District is asking for approval
tomorrow on a capital project, Superintendent Tim McNamara comments:

(Tim McNamara 5-20-19)

McNamara said that state aid & the capital reserve fund
will cover the cost of the project, meaning that there will be no additional
burden on tax payers.

Starting this Week, the
Suit-Kote Corporation & Chenango County DPW will be working on County Road
32 between State Route 320 in the Town of Norwich and State Route 12 in the
Town of North Norwich. It is anticipated this procedure shall take about 1 week
to complete, depending on weather conditions.
The traveling public is asked to find alternate routes; more information
is available at 337-1710.

Woodstock 50 appears to be on again, as organizers announced
that the Oppenheimer & Co. investment corporation has signed on as a
financial advisor to complete the financing for the concert.  The statement adds that preparations will
continue as planned. Woodstock 50 is scheduled to take place August 16th to the
1th 8 in Watkins Glen, ticket sales will be announced shortly.

The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce, the Walton Chamber of Commerce and the Delaware County Industrial Development Agency will present a 1 hour session on Walton's designation as an "Opportunity Zone" by New York State.  The designation allows for incentivized business development in Walton, on Thursday, June 6 at Molto Espresso, 151 Delaware Street, Walton from 11 a.m. to 12:00 noon

Organizers of Woodstock 50 are declaring that the festival
is still on after a Manhattan court judge ruled Tuesday that the event's
financial backer, Amplifi Live didn't have the right to cancel the
festival,  without the approval of
Woodstock 50's organizers. Woodstock 50 also requested that Amplifi Live be
made to return nearly $18 million in funds that organizers claimed the company
misappropriated, but the judge ruled that that matter needed to be determined
by arbitration.  Woodstock 50 had been
scheduled for August 16th to the 18th at Watkins Glen International Speedway.

The Afton Central School District will be holding a second
public informational meeting on a proposed Capital Project tonight at 6:30 p.m.
in the school’s Margery Secrest Memorial Auditorium.  Superintendent Tim McNamara comments:

(Tim McNamara 5-16-19)

The Capital Project will be voted on by district residents
on May 21, 2019.

Rock in the Park has been revived, but will move to the
Chenango County Fairgrounds in Norwich this summer.  Organizer Jason Hall explains:

(Jason Hall 5-9-19)

Hall said that Saturday's Lineup includes Project Z, Dirt
Farm, Woodshed Prophets & Wreckless Marci, Sunday will include The Jason
Wicks Band, Beadle Brothers & Sundown, and Camping reservations can be made
by calling 972-6526.

Organizers of the annual Spiedie Fest and Balloon Rally
announced that the event will be held in Otsiningo Park August 2nd through the
4th.   Jefferson Starship with Mickey
Thomas will be in concert Friday, Hunter Hayes on Saturday and Kansas on
Sunday.

Governor Cuomo announced more than 14,000 tickets were
issued by Police during this year's "Operation Work Brake," a yearly
campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of reckless driving in work
zones.  This year's enforcement efforts
took place from April 22 to April 26th; Police wrote 411 tickets statewide for
violating the Move Over Law, over 5200 for Speeding, 683 for speeding in a work
zone and 579 for distracted driving.

The Afton central School district will be holding a 2nd
public informational meeting on their proposed Capital Project on May
16th.  District Superintendent Tim
McNamara said that the project will not raise taxes:

(Tim McNamara 5-6-19)

The Project will be voted on by Afton District residents on
May 21st from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM at the Afton School.

May 5 to May 11, 2019, is National Small Business Week.
Since 1963 this week has been designated to recognize the impact of America's
entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Steve Craig of Commerce Chenango comments:

(Steve Craig 5-6-19)

Statistics show that small businesses create two out of
every three net new jobs in the private sector & over half of all Americans
own or work for a small business, According to the U.S. Small Business
Administration.

117 packages of fentanyl and 35 packages of crack cocaine
were seized by the Broome County Special Investigations Unit Task Force during
a search warrant in Binghamton Friday.
34 year old Sean Dingle was charged with several counts of Criminal
possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, Dingle is being held
at the Binghamton Police Department until he can be arraigned in Binghamton
City Court.

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention announced
that Measles continues to spread in the United States, with more 704 cases
reported this year in 22 states, the highest amounts reported since 1994.  The CDC reported that 44 people caught the
disease while traveling in another country & the largest outbreaks was from
an in Orthodox Jewish community in Rockland County, No deaths have been reported
but 66 patients were hospitalized.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the
availability of nearly $87 million in grant funding to assist states, tribes,
and territories with improving drinking water. New York is eligible to receive
up to $3.7 million in available funding.
Program participants will be asked to submit work plans to EPA outlining
their proposed project for approval and funding.   More information is available at
epa.gov/safewater/grants

The National Baseball Hall of
Fame & Museum announced today that Tim Mead has been named as the new
President.  Mead has spent the last 22
years with the Los Angeles Angels organization as its Vice President of Communications;
Mead will replace Jeff Idelson, who recently announced his retirement as Hall
of Fame President.

The Chenango County Sheriff’s Deputies responded Sunday
night to a report of a car crashing into the Town of German Town Hall.   The cause of the crash was distracted
driving, the unidentified driver was ticketed & faces court action at a
later date, the court action will have to be held elsewhere as the court room
was destroyed in the crash, and the building will have to be replaced.

Organizers for Woodstock 50 announced that it has been
canceled.  The 3 day festival was due to
be held on the 50th anniversary of the original Woodstock Festival in August at
Watkins Glen International, the festival was cancelled due to reported permit
issues.

Rain once again stalled plans for the drivers to get a
practice in at the Afton Motorsports Park, Organizer Ron Ford that they will
get a practice in today:

(Ron Ford 4-29-19)

More information about racing each week this season is
available at aftonmotorsportspark.com.

The Afton Central School District will hold a public meeting
this evening, regarding a proposed 18.8 Million Dollar Capital Project.  The meeting will begin at 7:00 PM in the
Secrest Auditorium.

NYSEG announced that during 2018 they provided more than $8
million in economic development assistance to 95 businesses and organizations
across New York State.  In Broome County,
Binghamton University has opened its new $70 million, 114,000 square foot Smart
Energy Building to accommodate research and development initiatives for its
chemistry and physics departments. This project includes space for faculty,
students and industry scientists and engineers to work side by side to create
new energy technologies and maintain and expand the regional workforce.  NYSEG worked with its community partners to
help offset the costs associated with electric infrastructure upgrades required
for this project.

The band "America" are bringing their 50th
Anniversary Tour to Binghamton on Saturday, July 20 at the Osterhout Concert
Theater   America harmonized their way to
the top of the charts in 1971 on the strength of their signature song “A Horse
With No Name,” which they followed up with a string of hits including
"Ventura Highway," "Sister Golden Hair" and "Tin
Man." Almost five decades later, these friends are still making music
together, touring the world and thrilling audiences with their timeless
sound.  TICKETS ON SALE at
anderson-center.secure.force.com at 11:00 this morning.

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

The annual Big Wheels Golf Tournament, held at the Delhi
College Golf Course, will take place on Friday, May 10th this year.  The event serves as a primary fundraiser for
programs and services which provide assistance to Delaware County senior
citizens.  The entry fee this year will
be $65, Registrations for the tournament can be obtained by contacting the
Delaware County Office for the Aging at 607-832-5750.

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

The annual Take Back the Night March will be held in Oneonta
this evening.  The march begins at the
SUNY Oneonta campus at 6:30PM and ends in downtown Oneonta, it will conclude
with a candlelight vigil and musical performance is scheduled at Kim Muller
Plaza beginning at 8:00PM.

Antione Bourbon-Parme, also
known as Anthony Cazzari has been arrested has been charged with 3rd degree
Grand Larceny, for allegedly stealing more than $18,000 by forging checks from
the Cooperstown Food pantry, while serving as one of the Organization’s
directors.  Bourbon-Parme was arraigned
& was remanded to the Otsego County Jail on $10,000 Cash Bail or $20,000
Bond pending court action on April 24th.

34 year old Heather Franklin opted to avoid a trial, &
pleaded guilty to 1st degree manslaughter, 3rd-degree arson, and tampering with
physical evidence, Tuesday in Chenango County Court.  Franklin admitted to planning the murder of
her special needs son Jeffrey in the town of Guilford family home in March of
2017 & planning the burning of the home to hide the evidence of the murder.
as
part of the plea deal, Heather Franklin will spend 7 to 11 years in prison with
10 years of probation when she is officially sentenced on June 7th.  Franklin's
husband Ernest was found guilty last month & will be sentenced in May,

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will hold a public meeting
today to review submit feedback and comment on the draft East Sidney Lake
Master Plan and draft Environmental Assessment.   The public meeting will be held from 6 to 9
p.m. at the Sidney Town Clerk Building, at 44 Grand St., Sidney. The format of
the meeting will include an open house discussion with project team members
from 6 to 7 p.m. A formal project presentation and question and answer session
will begin at 7 p.m. followed by another open house discussion from 8 to 9
p.m.  More information about the plan may
be found at nab.usace.army.mil/ESL-Master-Plan-Revision.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will hold a public meeting
on April 3 to review, submit feedback and comment on the draft East Sidney Lake
Master Plan and draft Environmental Assessment.
The meeting will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Sidney Town Clerk
Building, at 44 Grand St., Sidney, the meeting will include an open house
discussion with project team members from 6 to 7 p.m. A formal project
presentation and question and answer session will begin at 7 p.m. followed by
another open house discussion from 8 to 9 p.m.
All updates regarding the Master Plan revision, public meeting
information and ways to submit comments or questions may be found at
nab.usace.army.mil/ESL-Master-Plan-Revision/

Main Street Goes Blue for colorectal cancer awareness will
be held from today 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Muller Plaza on Main Street in Oneonta.
Included will be light refreshments, giveaways, raffles, health information and
various activities. Eligible individuals 50 and older may sign up for free
take-home colorectal cancer screening kits.
The event is sponsored by the Cancer Services Program of the Central
Region. Call 888-345-0225 or visit www.Bassett.org/CSP for more information,

Governor Cuomo announced the latest round of ReCharge NY
power allocations in support of more than 7,800 jobs and $1.4 billion in
capital investments statewide. The New York Power Authority Board of Trustees
approved more than 16.7 megawatts of low-cost power allocations to 23 enterprises
throughout the state. The program currently provides power to 770 businesses
and not-for-profit organizations.

A presentation for the public will be hosted by the Unatego
Central School District Board of Education this evening at 7:00 pm, on a future
capital building project. The meeting will be in the high school cafeteria at
2641 State 7 in Wells Bridge.

The Otsego County Chamber of Commerce will honor Pathfinder
Village of Edmeston as the Distinguished Business Award Winner, & funeral
director Les Grummons as the Eugene A. Bettiol, Jr., Citizen of the Year Award
Winner at its annual gala later this year.
Pathfinder & Grummons will be honored on May 2nd at 5:45 p.m. at
Foothill Performing Arts Center in Oneonta.