WCDO Radio News

Tomorrow is Election Day in New York State, locally, 5
people are running for 3 spots in the State Supreme Court 6th
District, they are Democrats Pete Charnetysky & Claudette Newman &
Republicans Chris Baker, Oliver Blaise, Mark Masler.  In Delaware County for the Sidney Town
Clerk's position, Incumbent Lisa French faces Republican Sheila Paul,   In Delhi & Hamden Town Council races;
each race has 3 candidates for 2 seats.
There are races in 3 districts of the Otsego County Board of
Representatives in districts 2, 3 & 14, there is an election for Laurens
Town Supervisor between Democrat Dean Buccheri & Republican David Neske,
and there are town council seat races in Butternuts, Hartwick, Laurens, New Lisbon,
Oneonta, and Worcester.  In the City of
Oneonta, there are races for common council seats in Wards 2, 4, 5, 6 &
8.  In Chenango County, there is an
election for Norwich City Mayor between incumbent Christine Carnrike, Jill
Osterhoudt-Kraft, Shawn Sastri & former Mayor Joe Maiurano; there are races
for Norwich City Council seats in wards 3 & 5, for Town of Norwich
Supervisor, the voters will decide between Debra Cubbedge & Stanley
Foulds.  In the Town of Coventry, a race
exits for Supervisor between Jan Andrews vs. Jennifer Boudreau.  In the town of Guilford Supervisor's race,
incumbent George Senek faces a challenge from Write-In candidate Dan
Harrington.   In the Guilford Town Council,
2 seats are up between Terence Ives, Richard Dunnigan, Gilda Ward, plus Write
Ins:  Rebecca Young and Duane Reif for
Town Council,   for Town of Pharsalia
Supervisor, the race is between Jeremiah Micklas vs. David Soule & there
are 3 candidates for 2 seats on the Town of Plymouth board.

Governor Cuomo announced that New York's law raising the
minimum sales age from 18 to 21 for tobacco and electronic cigarette products
beginning November 13th.   The law seeks
to prevent cigarettes and vaping products from getting into the hands of our
youth, & creating an addiction to a deadly habit.   According to the State Department of Health,
almost 40% of 12th grade students and 27% of all high school age students are
now using e-cigarettes, and this increase is largely driven by flavored
e-liquids.   The State Police will
partner with the Department of Health to conduct undercover investigations
across the state, retailers found selling tobacco and vaping products to
underage individuals will face criminal penalties in addition to civil
penalties.

Sidney village police Arrested
21 year old Caleb Zuk of Sidney for Criminal possession of a controlled
substance, Criminal possessing a hypodermic instrument and Aggravated
unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle last Thursday.  Zuk was processed & face court action at
a later date.

Orlando Tercero has been found guilty of the Nicaraguan
charge of Femicide, for the murder of Haley Anderson IN Binghamton last
year.  Tercero was wanted in Broome
County for the murder of Hailey Anderson in his Binghamton Apartment, he fled
to his home country, where he was tried & found guilty of Anderson’s
murder.  He is expected to serve 25 to 35
years in jail in Nicaragua.

State Police Sergeant Robert Bloom was on his way to a
graduation ceremony Friday to play with the pipes and drums and dressed in a
kilt,  when saw smoke on Tioga Terrace in
Apalachin just after 12:00 noon, he located the burning building, discovered
that a male was bedridden inside.
Sergeant Bloom, the bedridden man’s father and a neighbor entered the
burning residence, got the man into a wheelchair and out of the home.  All were taken to area hospitals for smoke
inhalation.  Sergeant Bloom is a 7-year
veteran of the State Police, and is currently works out of State Police
Headquarters at Troop C in Sidney.

The Unatego Board of Education is expected to make a
decision as to which proposal to accept for the Former Otego Elementary School
Building at their regular Board meeting tonight at 7:00 PM at the Middle
School/High School cafeteria in Wells Bridge.
Unatego Superintendent Dr. Dave Richards said that the 3 proposals are
down to 2 for tonight:

(Dr. Dave Richards 11-4-19)

The remaining proposals are from Dirig Design of Wells
Bridge & Oneonta Christian Academy.

The Village of Delhi Police Department announced that
41-year-old Jessica Ambrose of Sidney was served a criminal summons directing
her to appear in Delhi Town Court to answer complaints of Attempted Welfare
Fraud, Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument, and Offering a False
Instrument for Filing. The charges against Ambrose stem from complaints filed
by fraud investigators at the Delaware County Department of Social Services.
Ambrose will face court action shortly.

The Afton Community Theater presents "Matilda the
Musical" this weekend. Erin Wehrli is directing the performances of
"Matilda" this weekend:

(Erin Wehrli 9-24-19)

"Matilda The Musical" will be performed Friday
& Saturday nights at 7:00 PM, with Saturday & Sunday Matinees at 2:00
PM, at the Margery Secrest Theater at the Afton Central School.  Tickets are available at
BrownpaperTickets.com.

The State Labor Department
released local unemployment statistics for the month of August today.  Locally, Chenango County had 3.9% unemployment;
Delaware County had 4.4% and Otsego County 3.8% unemployment in August.

The mural on the side of the Tepco building in Bainbridge
was dedicated Monday night.  Kimberly
Moravcik was tasked with putting a Native American theme on the border of the
mural:

(Kimberly Moravcik 9-23-19)

Christopher Lloyd Wright of Afton was given the task to do
the middle part of the mural, to reflect more of the later day Bainbridge:

(Christopher Lloyd Wright 9-23-19)

The dedication was followed by refreshments at the
refurbished Wilsey Building.

Ed Curley of Sidney Recently completed a lengthy bicycle
trip across the country to raise money for a cause; he talked to WCDO about
that aspect of his trip:

(Ed Curley 8-6-19)

Money can still be donated in Ed's name at JDRF.org.

Governor Cuomo signed legislation authorizing school
districts to install stop-arm cameras on school buses in order to catch drivers
who unlawfully pass a stopped school bus. In New York State, approximately 1.5
million students ride school buses to and from school every year, However,
Operation Safe Stop in April 2018 exposed that hundreds of people ignore this
law and over 850 people were ticketed in 1 day.

The Chenango County Department
of Public Works closed County Road 17 between State Route 41 and Loomis Road in
the Town of Afton today for the replacement of a large culvert. The work is
expected to take 3 to 5 days, Drivers should seek alternate routes. Local
residents will be allowed to travel to and from their homes. More information
is available at 337-1710.

22nd District Congressman Anthony Brindisi will hold a rural
broadband town hall in Chenango County This afternoon.  The event will begin at 4:45 pm at
Sherburne-Earlville Middle School. This event is free and open to all members
of the community.

State Police have arrested 40 year old Curtis Cuttino & 46 year old Michael McVicker of York Pennsylvania, in connection with the fatal shooting of an Apalachin man in his home on Dorothy Lane Thursday morning. Cuttino was apprehended a short distance away Thursday on the Vestal parkway, McVicker was apprehended in Monticello, both have been charged with 2nd degree murder & are being held without bail in the Broome County Jail.

The Ed Wessels Canoe Regatta will be held tomorrow on the Susquehanna River, sponsored by the Sidney Chamber of Commerce, long time area Paddler Ed Curley comments:

(Ed Curley 5-10-19)

Curley said that proceeds will benefit a Sidney high school
Senior interested in a Business degree, through the Sidney Dollars for Scholars
program.   Registration starts at 8:30
AM, the Post-race dinner and awards will be at the Elks Lodge in Sidney.

Catholic Charities is looking for people to volunteer for
their Mentoring program, spokesperson Kayla Johnson explains:

(Kayla Johnson 5-10-19)

Anyone interested in mentoring can call Catholic Charites at
their Sidney Office at 604-4071 or by email: kjohnson@charitiesccdo.org.

Delhi Telephone or DTC has branched out around the region
and with the services they provide, they will be hosting an event that will
also raise funds for the Sidney Center Fire Department on Monday, DTC spokesman
Jason Miller explains:

(Jason Miller 5-10-19)

Miller said that DTC is offering a variety of services
including High Speed Broad band Internet, Phone Plans, TV Packages & home
security systems.

The Warwick Rhode Island School district came under fire
earlier this week, after they announced that students with school lunch debts
would be served cold sunbutter & jelly sandwiches.  Chobani CEO Hamdi Ulukaya announced that his
company would pay off the lunch debt, estimated at $77,000 dollars covering
about 1650 children in the district.

Funeral services for 16 year old Amelia Wakefield of Oxford
will be held Today at 5:00 PM, in the auditorium of the Oxford Academy Middle
School.  Wakefield was found deceased in
a residence on Water Street in Smithville Flats last Friday Night, the
investigation into her death is continuing.

THE VILLAGE OF SIDNEY WILL ACCEPT DROPPED OFF APPLIANCES,
TIRES AND METAL AT THE SIDNEY VILLAGE GARAGE TODAY & TOMORROW.  MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROGRAM IS
AVAILABLE AT 561-2329.

The Chenango Arts Council
announced its annual Chenango Area Student Art exhibition on Friday, April 5th
at 5:30 pm, with an awards ceremony for 2 scholarships, the council’s Student
Art Show, and Artistic Discovery, where 6 entries will be submitted to
Congressman Anthony Brindisi’s office for a chance to appear in the 2019
Congressional Art Show in Washington, DC.
The exhibit will run through April 19th at the Council's Mariea Brown
and Raymond Loft Galleries at 27 West Main Street, in Norwich.  Interested students can call the Council at
336-ARTS for more information.

(Nate Lull 3-18-19)

WCDO Sports Director Nate Lull with the call in the closing
seconds as the Cooperstown Boys Basketball team won their 1st state title in
program history at the Floyd L. Maines Arena in Binghamton yesterday.  The Hawkeyes Defeated Middle Early College, a
Charter School from Buffalo 71-61 in the title game, Cooperstown’s Jack Lambert
was named tournament MVP after scoring a combined 76 points in 2 games at the
Final 4, John Kennedy was named to the All-Tournament Team for
Cooperstown.  The win came 1 day after a
triple overtime win over Greenport in the State Semi-Finals.  To listen back to the game, or see pictures
of the celebration, go to WCDOSPORTS.COM.

Village Elections will be held across the state tomorrow, in
the Village of Sidney; Mayor Andy Matviak is seeking election for another term:

(Andy Matviak 3-18-19)

Matviak faces a challenge from Jeffrey Stefanek, who told
WCDO News why he decided to run:

(Jeffrey Stefanek 3-18-19)

Voters in Sidney will also be deciding on 2 seats on the
Village Board, between Sheri Youngs, Ray Baker & Barry McPherson, Voting
will be from 12:00 noon until 9:00 pm at the Sidney Civic Center.

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

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

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

Hospice & Palliative care of Chenango County will hold
their annual "Camp-4-Seasons" on Saturday March 23rd from 9am - 3pm,
at the Stanford Gibson Primary School in Norwich.   Grief Services Coordinator Rachel Barletta
explains:

(Rachel Barletta 3-1-19)

Barletta said that registration is requested by March 18th,
more information is available at 334-3556 or by email at
rbarletta@hospicechenango.org.

Governor Cuomo admitted that he
is still trying to get Amazon to reconsider their recent decision to back out
of their plans to open a 2nd headquarters in Queens.  Cuomo said that he talked to CEO Jeff Bezos
& other top officials with the internet giant; he said that so far they
have not moved from their most recent decision to back out of the New York City
deal after local political pressure.

Governor Cuomo launched a Tax Fairness for the Middle Class
Campaign to make the property tax cap permanent and cut middle class taxes
again:

(Cuomo 3-1-19)

Cuomo said that he wants to reduce the rate for incomes up
to $150,000, the rate is now 6.85, and this would bring that down to 5.5%. And
up to $300,000, the rate is 6.85%; bring that down to 6%.

A fundraising “Sock Hop” will be held Saturday at the Sidney
Elks Lodge to raise money for the Delaware Valley Humane Society, Spokespe4rson
Robin Ballo comments:

(Robin Ballo 3-1-19)

The Doors will open at 5:30 PM; all proceeds will go to the
Delaware Valley Humane Society.

Governor Cuomo has directed the
State Police & The State Education Department to launch an investigation
into the allegations that 12-year-old girls were strip searched for drugs at
the Binghamton middle school recently.
Cuomo said that the girls were strip searched as they were perceived as
“'hyper and giddy” and it raises concerns of racial and gender bias.

27 year old Steven Barrows of
Sidney has Pleaded Guilty in Chenango County Court for 3rd degree
Burglary.  Barrows was arrested along
with Nicole Bell of Oneonta & Zachery England of Sidney last year, for
allegedly burglarizing buildings & stealing lawn care equipment, Barrows
will serve 1 1/2 years in prison & was ordered to pay restitution.

Franklin Fire Fighters along
with assistance from firefighters Sidney Center, trout Creek & Treadwell
responded to a structure fire to an unoccupied farm house at 6402 County
Highway 21 at about 1:30 AM Tuesday.  The
building had been in the process of being renovated, it was listed as a total
loss; the cause of the fire was under investigation.

Governor Cuomo today announced that $30 million in Upstate
Revitalization Initiative funding has been awarded to Binghamton University to
complete its Health Sciences Campus in Johnson City. This latest investment
will finalize the nursing school building that will be housed in an historic,
former Endicott Johnson shoe box factory, and co-located with the University’s
new School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.