WCDO Radio News

The tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center will be held virtually tonight. There will be no public viewing of the lighting ceremony, but New Yorkers can watch it on NBC at 8:00 PM.  Starting Thursday, December 3rd, the tree will open to the public with protocols in place to manage crowds.  This Year's tree came from West Oneonta.

Rockefeller the Owl was released back into the wild early this morning.  The owl made the trip from West Oneonta to New York City on the tree that will be the official Rockefeller Center Christmas tree this year, the owl was found by workers & was turned over to the Ravensbeard Wildlife Center in Saugerties, it is expected to acclimate itself to the local Owl Population.

Bassett Healthcare Network is tightening visitor restrictions at all of its hospitals and long-term care facilities as COVID-19 cases continue to rise regionally and statewide. Effective Monday, Nov. 23, 2020, only individuals considered essential to the medical care of a patient will be allowed at Bassett Medical Center, Cooperstown; A.O. Fox Hospital, in Sidney & Oneonta; Little Falls Hospital, Cobleskill Regional Hospital, and O’ Connor Hospital in Delhi.   Visitation is also suspended at the Bassett network’s two long-term care facilities and assisted living facilities – A.O. Fox Nursing Home in Oneonta, and Valley Health Services and Valley Residential Services in Herkimer.

People have been captivated by the story of the little owl that was transported to New York City from West Oneonta last week, on the Tree that is being set up for the Christmas holidays in Rockefeller Center.  Susan O'Hanley of the Delaware Otsego Audubon Society told WCDO News that they believe that the owl was on the tree through the whole process & made the trip to the city:

(Susan O'Hanley 11-19-20)

O'Hanley said that many have commented to the Society that the Owl should be brought back to West Oneonta, the Society members feel that the additional travel would be too stressful & that he will assimilate to the Owl population in the Hudson Valley.

A.M. NEWS THURSDAY 11-19-20

Otsego County Department of Health reported 18 new COVID cases Wednesday, the number of cases in the county since March is up to 1128, with 58 active cases,  1 hospitalized,  8 deaths,  760 cases are now linked to SUNY Oneonta & 67 at Hartwick College.

The 75-foot Norway spruce from West Oneonta is getting set up at Rockefeller Center in New York City. It will be illuminated on December 2nd, but there will be no public viewing of the tree lighting ceremony because of the pandemic. The tree lighting will instead be broadcast nationally on NBC.

Governor Cuomo announced that Effective Friday, bars, restaurants and gyms or fitness centers, as well as any State Liquor Authority-licensed establishment, will be required to close from 10:00 PM to 5:00 AM daily. Restaurants will still be allowed to provide curbside, food-only pick-up or delivery after 10 pm., they can not serve alcohol to go. Indoor and outdoor gatherings at private residences will be limited to no more than 10 people, following the recent prevalence of COVID spread from recent Halloween parties.

The 75-foot tall, 11-ton Norway Spruce that will be the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, will be cut down From State Route 23 in West Oneonta this morning and will be hoisted by a huge crane onto a 115-foot long trailer at 8:00 AM The 2020 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is donated by Daddy Al’s General Store, The tree will be brought into Manhattan and erected at Rockefeller Center on Saturday.

The Next Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree will be coming from West Oneonta this year. The tree is located on State Route 23; another tree was pulled from Oneonta for New York City's display in 2016.

The Broome County Health Department announced today that they are up to 371 Coronavirus cases since early March; they have 23 deaths, 241 recoveries & 217 patients being monitored by the Health Department.

Governor Cuomo announced that The State Department of Health is partnering with the NY Genome Center and Rockefeller University to conduct a genome and RNA sequencing study to better understand COVID-related illnesses in children and the possible genetic basis of the Kawasaki syndrome, following the deaths of 3 children from the Coronavirus:

(Cuomo children)

State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker comments:

(Zucker 5-11-20)

There have been 85 reported cases in New York where children are experiencing symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease and toxic shock-like syndrome possibly due to COVID-19. The illness has taken the lives of a 5-year old in New York City, a 7-year old in Westchester County and a teenager in Suffolk County.

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

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

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

Some of the wealthiest New Yorkers are urging the state to raise their taxes. 80 New Yorkers including George Soros, Steven Rockefeller & Abigail Disney wrote to lawmakers & Governor Cuomo, claiming that they & other top money makers in the state can afford to pay more taxes, in order to help the state pay for infrastructure projects, school funding & programs to help the poor, elderly & homeless. A proposal calls for the all making more than $650,ooo a year to pay more into the state coffers, a move that they forwarded last year as well. Assembly democrats have called for an immediate tax increase on the state's top 1% wage earners, State Senate majority Republicans & Governor Cuomo want to hold off on tax increases on Millionaires.

Legendary performers Judy Collins & Stephen Stills will perform together this summer at the Anderson Center at SUNY Binghamton on August 28th. Anderson center Marketing Director Roseanne Norris explains:

(Roseanne Norris 3-22-17)

Tickets go on sale on Monday March 27th. Norris said that Collins & Stills would be touring on a collaborative album due out this summer.

CDO Workforce & BEAM are teaming up for a presentation today from 10:30 to 12:00 Noon at the CDO Workforce office at the Sidney Civic Center. Participants will learn about getting through the job interview process, more information is available at 561-7550.

The Lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, which came from Oneonta this year, will be seen on the big screen at the Foothills Performing Arts center tonight. Center Spokesman Bill Youngs explains:

(Bill Youngs 11-30-16)

The tree was removed recently from the Eichler property at Country Club Road in Oneonta; it will be let in the televised ceremony tonight & will be on display until January 7th.

Governor Cuomo today encouraged New Yorkers to buy local Christmas trees and support tree growers across the state this holiday season. This year Upstate trees were selected to be displayed at the State Capitol in Albany and this year's Rockefeller Center Christmas tree was selected from the Eichler property on Country Club Road in Oneonta that will be on display there until January 7th. More than 300,000 New York-grown trees are sold by 875 farms in Upstate New York, the state ranks 4th in the U.S. in the number of Christmas Tree farms with an economic impact of $8 million dollars.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 60 year old John Perico of Hamden for DWI, failure to keep right & moving from a lane unsafely, following an investigation of a 1-vehicle rollover accident Sunday in Hamden. Perico crossed the center of the roadway and rolled over an embankment, he was process & was released on appearance tickets for Town of Hamden Court at a later date.

Crowds gathered at the Eichler residence on Country Club Road in Oneonta this morning to witness a 94-foot Norwegian Spruce tree being removed; it will become the 2nd tallest Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree ever. The tree was removed this morning; it will be transported to New York City, where the set up will begin Saturday. The tree will be lit up as part of a nationwide broadcast on November 30th.

The 2016 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree will be a Norway Spruce tree, that will be removed from the property of Angie & Greg Eichler at 72 Country Club Road in the town of Oneonta. The Tree will be cut down November 12th and will be taken to New York City November 12th, and will be lit up in Rockefeller Plaza November 30th, live on Network Television.