WCDO Radio News

The Mid York Concert band is looking for musicians to join them, as they prepare their annual Holiday performances. Rehearsals are held at the Norwich Middle School on September 26th, October 10 & 17th, November 7th & 21st, their concert is scheduled for December 10th. More information is available by email to midyorkband@gmail.com or by calling 607-267-2614.

The Nate Lull Scholarship Foundation is hosting their next fundraiser event on Sunday, October 15th at Awestruck Ciders in Sidney from 11 AM to 5 PM. Pre-sale tickets for raffle items are available now at Awestruck for $10 per ticket. A portion of all sales from the event will go to The Nate Lull Scholarship, which is available to local seniors in the WCDO coverage area. Last year, the Scholarship fund handed out $14-thousand dollars. More information is available at natelull.com.

Norwich City School District Superintendent Scott Ryan announced that This morning at 10:13 am, the lock-down system was activated the Middle School and High School campus. This activation was not planned. Our safety team followed all of the procedures and protocols. Each building on the MS/HS campus has been declared safe and free of threat by the Norwich Police Department and our safety team. At 11:30 a.m. the campus was restored to full activity.

Many homes have been demolished in the River Street area in the village of Sidney in recent months, many irreparably damaged by the major flooding of 2006 & 2011. Sidney Mayor Ray Baker said that they are looking to replace the missing homes with new ones in the West Main & Circle Drive region of the Village:

(Ray Baker 9-20-23)

Mayor Baker also said that there are currently no plans for the Village Board to opt in & allow for the retail sale of Marijuana.

Delaware County Clean Sweep will be held this Friday & Saturday for those who have registered to participate, Solid Waste Coordinator Tyson Robb explains:

(Tyson Robb 9-20-23)

Robb said that on Friday, businesses & Municipalities will bring their items from 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon, then farmers will bring their materials from 12:15 to 2:00 PM, household will participate from 8:00 AM to 12:00 Noon Saturday.

The Otsego County Health Department announced that a bat has tested positive for rabies in Burlington Flats today. There was 1 human exposure, that person is undergoing post exposure vaccinations. More information about rabies is available at 547-4230 or on the Health Department page at otsegocounty.com.

A.M. NEWS 9-20-23

31 year old Thomas Harris of Unadilla was sentenced to a 5-year term of probation supervision for 4th degree Arson in Delaware County Court. On June 4th, 2022, State Police responded to reports of a structure fire in the Town of Sidney, Troopers discovered beer bottles, some with gasoline, the victim told Troopers that Harris threw the bottles, starting the fire. Investigators obtained DNA Swabs from Harris, Harris's DNA was on the bottles, he was arrested & Harris pled guilty to Arson. Harris was directed to immediately report to the Delaware County Department of Probation.

Sidney Village Police arrested 33 year old Codey Miner of Sidney for burglary, criminal possession of a weapon, criminal mischief, endangering the welfare of a child, preventing an emergency call and menacing 2nd degree. Miner released on own recognizance &will appear back in court later this month.

The annual Sidney Center Tractor Parade will be held tomorrow at 12:00 Noon. A chicken barbecue will also be set up at the Sidney Center Fire House, Registration is from 9:00 to 11:45 A.M.

The State Department of Health released a report regarding tobacco related cancers from 2016 - 2020. Approximately 46,000 cases of tobacco-related cancers are diagnosed in New York State each year. Among the four cancers most closely related to tobacco, rates of esophagus, larynx and lung cancer have steeply declined, but oral cancer increased by 1.3%. Tobacco-related cancers make up 40% of all State cancer cases diagnosed annually. Also 22.5% of high school students reported use of e-cigarettes in the past 30 days; 6.8% of middle school students reported the same. The New York State Smokers' Quitline is available by calling 1-866-NY-QUITS or nysmokefree.com.

An AMBA Blood Screening Clinic is being held Saturday by The Tri-County Chapter of New York State Women, at the Sidney Elks Club. The money raised from the $10.00 sponsor fee are used for local high school scholarships. Call 1-800-234-8888 for an appointment, prescriptions from your health care provider are required.

P.M. NEWS MONDAY 7-10-23

Delaware County will host an Innovative Readiness Training mission at the Walton High School starting tomorrow, with medical professionals providing free Medical, Dental & Veterinary services, as well as some community Heathcare providers with additional services, according to Director of Delaware County Planning & Watershed Affairs, Shelly Johnson-Bennett:

(Shelly Johnson-Bennett 7-10-23)

More information about the IRT program July 11th to the 19th, is available at delcony.us or at the Healthy Delaware Face Book Page.

The Broome County Sheriff's Office arrested 55 year old Daniel Erickson of Greene, who was the Principal of Johnson City Middle School, & who has been charged with luring a child and 3rd degree attempted rape. On Friday, Detectives arrested Erickson following an investigation into suspicious behavior involving a minor that attends Johnson City High School. Erickson is accused of communicating by Snapchat with a 16-year-old female student, he agreed to meet with her in a remote location with the intentions of engaging in sexual acts, however, detectives were at there and he was taken into custody without incident. Erickson was taken to Central Arraignment, he was remanded to the Correctional Facility without bail. The investigation is currently ongoing.

Catholic Charities of Sidney announced that their backpack with school supplies registration starts today & runs through August 11th. Students of the Sidney School District, whose family meets income requirements, can register by contacting the Sidney office in the Civic Center, or by calling at 607-604-4071.

A.M. NEWS MONDAY 7-10-23

State Police issued a total of 12,991 tickets statewide during the 4th of July STOP-DWI enforcement campaign, which ran from Friday, June 30, to July 5. Troopers arrested 193 people for DWI and investigated 949 crashes, including 158 personal injury crashes and 5 fatalities. Troopers issued over 4600 tickets for speeding, In Troop c, there were 497 speeding tickets issued, 9 DWI arrests, & 110 for child restraint or seat belt violation.

The State Department of Health Bureau of Tobacco Control is releasing 3 new reports that point to the effectiveness of ongoing tobacco control policies adopted in the State over the last few years. The New York Youth Tobacco Survey of middle and high school students, found a decrease in cigarette smoking from 27.1% in 2000 to an all-time low of 2.1% among high school students. A 2nd report showed a decrease from 14.1% to 12.0% between 2017 and 2021. A 3rd report found that flavored vaping product sales and use decreased across the State following the implementation of a ban on flavored vaping products and new limits on the legal age to purchase other products.

The Greater Oneonta Historical Society has a display exploring baseball’s Major Leaguers who played for Oneonta teams. “Oneonta – On the Road to Major League Baseball” opened Today and will run through September 1st at the Oneonta History Center, 183 Main Street. The display will feature baseball cards of some of those players, including Frank Malzone, Don Mattingly, Curtis Granderson, and many more. More information about this & other programs can be found at oneontahistory.org.

A.M. NEWS Thursday 6-1-23

The Sidney Chamber of Commerce will hold their Annual Dinner at the Sidney Fire Hall beginning at 5:00 PM. The Chamber will be honoring Dr. Rohan Jayasena as the Citizen of the Years, He commented to WCDO about this honor:

(Dr. Rohan Jayasena 6-1-23)

Waste Recovery Enterprises will be honored as the Business of the Years, spokesman Sean LaRose comments:

(Sean LaRose 6-1-23)

Also, former Great American Food Store operator Kyle Westcott will be honored for the Commitment to Community Award tonight:

(Kyle Westcott 6-1-23)

Also, the Chamber will honor recent Long time Sidney Mayor Andy Matviak for a special Retirement Recognition.

State Police at Sidney responded to a crash involving a tractor trailer and SUV on State Route 8 near County Road 35 in the town of Guilford. An investigation at the scene revealed that the SUV was on State Route 35 when the vehicle entered the intersection and collided with a tractor trailer that had been traveling on State Route 8. The driver of the SUV, 27 year old Erin Hazen of South New Berlin was transported to A.O Fox Hospital - Tri Town. A passenger in the vehicle, a 3-year-old male was not injured. The driver of the tractor trailer, 51 year old Sergei Maliutin of Cohoes, did not report any injury.

P.M. N EWS MONDAY 5-22-23

32 year-old Courtni Baker of Sidney pleaded guilty in Delaware County Court today to charges relating to a February 15th accident, where Baker struck 14-year-old Anielle “AK” McEwan-Lomnicki as she was walking home from Sidney middle school. Delaware County Acting District Attorney Shawn Smith told WCDO news about the verdict:

(DA Shawn Smith 5-22-23)

Baker registered a .24 blood alcohol content, three times the legal limit at the time of her arrest, Smith said that Baker faces 4 to 12 years in prison at her sentencing on September 25th.

A Red Cross Blood Drive will be held in Sidney today. The drive will be held from 1:00 to 6:00 PM at the Sidney American Legion Post 183, at 22 Union Street. To make an appointment, download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS.

"AK" McEwan Lomnicki has been released from a Syracuse hospital & has returned home to Sidney. McEwan Lomnicki was struck by a vehicle while walking home from School on February 15th, 31 year old Courtni Baker of Sidney was charged with Aggravated DWI, & numerous other charges for the incident. The 14 year Sidney Basketball enthusiast has a long recovery ahead of her & she expressed gratitude for the community support following the incident, AK's Father, Rich Lomnicki told WCDO News that she still requires rest at home and it is unknown when she can return to Sidney Middle School.

State Police & The Governor's Office announced that More than 50 school districts across the state received 'swatting' threats today including in Central New York, Long Island, the Southern Tier and the North Country. "Swatting threats are false and are intended to cause panic, the State Police will investigate all of the threats and work closely with all levels of law enforcement to identify the perpetrators & prosecute them.

The Otsego County Sheriff’s Office arrested a juvenile following an incident Monday that occurred in an Otsego County school. The investigation revealed that the juvenile subjected another student to unwanted physical contact in a bathroom at the school. Due to their age, the defendant was issued an Appearance Ticket returnable to the Otsego County Probation Department. The unidentified student was charged with Unlawful Imprisonment, Obstruction of Breathing & Forcible Touching

The Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament in Norwich will be back this summer July 8th and 9th in the parking lot at the Norwich High School and Middle School. Organizer Tom Revoir said that they are hoping to approach pre-pandemic numbers for teams participating this year:

(Tom Revoir 3-9-23)

Revoir said that there are 3 divisions: Junior Divisions (18 years of age and below), Adult Divisions (19 years of age and above), and Top Divisions (Most experienced level of play). More information is available at Macker.com.

A.M. NEWS Thursday 3-9-23

Delaware County Sheriff's Office arrested 35 year old Michael Catapano of Oneonta for DWI, following the report of an accident Sunday on State Highway 28, near Frank Slawson Road in the Town of Franklin. Deputies observed a vehicle that had left the roadway and came to rest in the Ditch. Deputies charged Michael Catapano with DWI, Driving with a BAC greater than 0.08%, Failure to keep Right, Catapano was released on uniform traffic summons returnable to the Town of Franklin Court.

The American Red Cross is experiencing a blood shortage due to the cancellation of blood drives and has issued an emergency request for all blood types. Donate blood Today, at the A.O. Fox Tri-Town Campus Lab on Pearl Street in Sidney between 1:30 PM and 6:30 PM in Conference Room N-112 . Appointments may be made at redcrossblood.org or by calling 1-800-RedCross.

The Mid York Concert Band is looking for more musicians to join, as they prepare for their Spring Concert on Sunday, May 21,, at 2:o0 PM in the Norwich High School Auditorium. Band Director Doug Ernst told WCDO news what they are looking for:

(Doug Ernst 1-30-23)

Ernst said that the next rehearsals will be Tuesday Night at 7:00 PM in the Norwich Middle School Band room, followed by rehearsals on February 7th & 14th, more information is available by calling Ernst at 607-263-2618 or by email: midyorkband@gmail.com.

Sidney 7th grader Isabella Phelps competed in the first ever New York State High School Girls Wrestling Tournament on Friday in Syracuse. She finished a 3rd overall in her weight class of 107 pounds. Bella's record was 5-1 for the one day event and she avenged her only loss by beating the same wrestler in the 3rd place match. More information on local results from the tournament, please visit Nate Lull dot com and click on the all-star tab.

Laurens Fire Fighters responded Sunday Morning to a fire in a garage on Brook Street, which spread to a shed and then to a building on Laurens Central School property. Surrounding structures suffered heat damage, no injuries have been reported, the cause of the fire is under investigation.