WCDO Radio News

P.M. NEWS FRIDAY 12-8-23

Breakfast with Santa will be held Sunday at the Community Cultural Center at 1 Bridge Street in Sidney, Sidney Chamber President Teri Schunk & Community Cultural Center Spokesperson Amy Williams explain:

(Teri-Amy 12-8-23)

More information about this & future programs at the Cultural Center can be found on their Facebook Page.

CHENANGO COUNTY Health Department will hold a free rabies vaccine clinic for dogs, cats & ferrets Saturday, from 9:00 to 10:30 AM at the South New Berlin Fire Station, registration is required at 337-1673.

West Windsor will hold their Santa Parade Saturday at 11:00 AM, line up starts at 9:30 at the West Windsor Fire Station, Santa & Mrs. Claus will arrive at the Community House at the end of the parade, where children can take pictures with and visit & hot cocoa will also be available.

A.M. NEWS FRIDAY 12-8-23

Bainbridge will be having their holiday celebrations this weekend, Bainbridge Chamber President John Payne explains:

(John Payne 12-8-23)

Sunday's Caroling originally scheduled to begin at 5:00 pm has been canceled due to the forecast of inclement weather.

A man was arrested Thursday afternoon after he fired a shotgun in the parking area of an Albany synagogue. No one was injured during the incident at the Temple Israel and the suspect was an unidentified 28-year-old man, who was quickly arrested, he made "threatening statements," during the incident. Police said that an early childhood center with at least two dozen preschoolers were on the premises. The parents were contacted, the facility went immediately into lockdown, Federal law enforcement is currently leading the investigation.

The Sidney Center Improvement Group will hold their annual "Holidays In The Hamlet" Saturday, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at the Sidney Center Fire Station. Children can get their pictures taken with Santa, a canned food donation is requested for the food pantry.

P.M. NEWS MONDAY 1-24-22

UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital's New Emergency Room configuration officially opens at 2:00 AM Tuesday morning, following a $30 Million dollar renovation, CMH Head of Nursing Dave Finney told WCDO News about the project:

(Dave Finney 1-24-22)

Finney said that the Emergency Department had not been renovated in more than 30 years & needed to be upgraded to handle the current needs of the Greater Chenango County Area residents for Health Care. WCDO will air the interview with Dave Finney & Garry Root of UHS Chenango Memorial Tuesday monring at about 8:40AM.

Chenango County Sheriff's Office responded to an attempted armed robbery at the Mirabito's Gas Station in the Town of South New Berlin Sunday. The employee stated that a male walked into the store and demanded money, when the suspect was unsuccessful in getting the money, he fled the scene. A State Police Unit came into contact with the vehicle that was reported in the crime, on State Highway 320 in the Town of Norwich with the assistance from the Norwich City Police Department. 28 year old Jesey Smith of Spencer was charged with Attempted Robbery, he was arraigned in the Town of New Berlin Court & was remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility without bail. Smith is scheduled to re-appear back in the New Berlin Court at a later date. The occupants of the Smith vehicle have not been charged and the case is still under investigation.

New York would extend the option to request an absentee ballot through the rest of 2022 under a bill that passed in the State Senate and Assembly. The bill will allow voters to request absentee ballots if they are concerned about voting in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill heads to Governor Hochul’s desk for her consideration.

New York sportsbooks took more than $600 million worth of bets from phones or computers in the first two weeks of the activity becoming legal earlier this month. The New York State Gaming Commission reported that the 4 operating mobile books; FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars and Rush Street Interactive, handled more than $603 million worth of bets for the weeks ending Jan. 9 and 16, an additional $8.5 million in bets were made at in-person sportsbooks, bringing the total to $611.5 million.

According to preliminary figures released today by the State Department of Labor, the number of private sector jobs in New York State increased by 45,400 to 7,667,400 in December. The State's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased from 6.6% to 6.2% in December.

A.M. NEWS MONDAY 1-24-22

State Police and multiple fire agencies responded to a house fire Thursday on Old State Road in the town of Kirkwood. Once the fire was extinguished by fire crews, 2 deceased individuals were discovered, The victims have been identified as 81 year old Peter Cirba and 81 year old Stephanie Cirba, no criminal activity is suspected in the cause of the fire. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

This past week Delaware County Public Health Services has received 496 new cases and reports 4 additional deaths related to COVID-19, officials remind residents to Wear masks in public indoor spaces and wash hands regularly, All individuals 5 and older should get fully vaccinated & All eligible individuals should get their booster dose.

The State Health Department & the Governor's Office announced that over 244,000 were tested for COVID 19 Saturday, with 19,186 positives, for a positivity rate of 7.84%, the lowest in weeks. Patient Hospitalization were down by 630 to 9,847, Patients in ICU went down by almost 50 to 1,457 & the number of those on ventilators was down by almost 40 to 845. New deaths reported by healthcare facilities from COVID was 134 on Saturday.

P.M. NEWS FRIDAY 7-16-21

Governor Cuomo will be interviewed by investigators Saturday by the State Attorney General's Office regarding several allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct.  Cuomo acknowledge that he may make people uncomfortable but denied allegations of wrongdoing, many lawmakers have asked Cuomo to resign.

NY State of Health announced that more than 111,000 New Yorkers have newly enrolled in Qualified Health Plan or Essential Plan coverage since January.  In addition, since March 31, 2021, when NY State of Health implemented the American Rescue Plan Act insurance provisions, more than 140,000 New Yorkers are benefitting from the increased financial assistance available. Of these 140,000 enrollees, 121,000 are low or moderate income.

The Susquehanna SPCA in Otsego County will host their Ribbon Cutting & Open House at their brand new facility Tomorrow about 1 mile north of the old facility on State Highway 28 in Cooperstown, Director Stacie Haynes told WCDO News that they did a lot of preplanning to get this new facility right:

(Stacie Haynes 7-16-21)

The open house runs from 10:00AM to 4:00 PM, tomorrow, Haynes said that they started moving into the new facility earlier this week, more information is available at 547-8111.

The Greater Binghamton Airshow is this weekend at the Greater Binghamton Airport on Saturday and Sunday, with the United States Air Force Flight Demonstration Squadron, known as "The Thunderbirds".  The airshow runs from 12:00 Noon to 4:00 PM both days, more information is available at binghamtonairshow.com

A.M. NEWS FRIDAY 7-16-21

State Police arrested 49 year old Robert Coleman of McDonough and 43 year old Billie Harris of McDonough for Criminal Possession of a Weapon, after a trooper initiated a traffic stop, both Coleman and Harris were in possession of firearms; they cannot legally possess firearms since they have been previously convicted of a crime.  Both were arraigned, Harris was released on her own recognizance; Coleman was remanded to the Chenango County Jail on $10,000 cash bail or $20,000 bond.

The Unadilla Valley Central School District will host a 5K run/walk at 9:00 AM tomorrow for 14 year old Cooper Hine, who is a Unadilla Valley 8th Grader, who was seriously injured in an ATV crash in New Berlin recently.  Another fundraising chicken barbecue and Chinese auction will follow at the South New Berlin Fire Department.  Hine has been hospitalized at the Upstate Medical center in Syracuse.

Delaware County Public Health will be conducting a Single dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccination clinic on Saturday at the Bloomville Fire Department, on Scotch Hill Road from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM.  The vaccination clinic is open to people over the age of 18, No appointment or pre-registration is needed, and more information is available by calling Delaware County Public Health at 607-832-5200.

The 45th Annual Deposit Lumberjack Festival runs today & tomorrow, activities include games, rides, a firework show, live music, parades, and the professional lumberjack competition.  The Festival will also host a mobile vaccination clinic, which is in partnership with the Broome County Health Department; more information is available at the Deposit Lumberjack Festival's Facebook page.

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 6-29-21

The State Health Department reported today that almost 72% of adult New Yorkers have received at least 1 COVID 19 Vaccine & 65.1% have completed their vaccine series.   The Statewide 7 day rolling average for Positive COVID tests is .39%; The Southern Tier Counties is slightly higher at .42%.

The Unadilla Valley Central School District will host a 5K run/walk at 9:00 a.m. Saturday, July 17, for 14 year old Cooper Hine, who is a Unadilla Valley 8th Grader, who was seriously injured in an ATV crash in New Berlin recently.  Another fundraising chicken barbecue and Chinese auction will follow at the South New Berlin Fire Department on July 17th.  Hine is hospitalized at the Upstate Medical center in Syracuse.

Chenango County Public Health announced that due to the continued decline in COVID 19 cases, they will release updates once a week.  Currently Chenango County reported 7 active cases, 14 quarantines & no hospitalizations; they have had a total of 35212 cases, 3331 recoveries, & 77 deaths since the pandemic started 15 months ago.

A.M. NEWS TUESDAY 6-29-21

State Police responded Saturday to an ATV crash in the town of Davenport.   35-year-old Raina Andrews of Davenport was operating the vehicle, when it exited the roadway, struck a ditch and she was ejected.   Andrews was transported by LifeNet to Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse with serious injuries.  The investigation is on-going.

The American Red Cross continues to experience a severe blood shortage, Donors of all blood types; especially type O are urged to make an appointment by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS.  Blood drives this week include Today in Sidney at the Fire training Center on River Street from 12:00 to 5:00 PM, Today in Oneonta from 1:00 to 6:00 PM at the Foothills Performing Arts Center on market Street & tomorrow in Morris from 12:00 to 5:00 PM at the Episcopal Church, at 162 Main Street.

A Chenango County COVID vaccination clinic is being held today from 11:00 to 1:30 PM at the South Plaza in Norwich.  The Moderna vaccine is being offered, no appointments are necessary.  More information is available at 337-1660.

P.M. NEWS MONDAY 6-28-21

Governor Cuomo announced that over 55,300 people were tested for COVID on Sunday, with only 290 positives, of .5% of all tested.  Hospitalization, ICU Patients & Patients on Ventilators continues to trend downward, there were 3 deaths attributed to the virus Sunday; one of those was in Chenango County.  Just fewer than 72% of New Yorkers have had at least 1 Vaccination, 65% have completed the series of shots.

The American Red Cross continues to experience a severe blood shortage, Donors of all blood types; especially type O are urged to make an appointment to ensure hospital shelves are stocked with blood products over the Fourth of July holiday and beyond.   Appointments can be made by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS.  Blood drives this week include Tuesday in Sidney at the Fire training Center on River Street from 12:00 to 5:00 PM, Tuesday in Oneonta from 1:00 to 6:00 PM at the Foothills Performing Arts Center on market Street & Wednesday in Morris from 12:00 to 5:00 PM at the Episcopal Church, at 162 Main Street.

A New Jersey fugitive was arrested June 19th by Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies following an incident in the Town of Colchester.  Deputies responded to a report of a vehicle in the East Branch Delaware River near the Corbett bridge, the Investigation revealed that a New Jersey couple were attempting to drive their pickup across the river when it became partially submerged and disabled in deep water, also a passenger, 30 year-old Brian Olin, of New Jersey was wanted by authorities in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, on an outstanding warrant for failure to appear in court on a felony drug charge in September, 2019.  Olin was charged with being a fugitive from justice and was later arraigned and remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility without bail pending his extradition by New Jersey.

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum announced that Josh Rawitch has been named President; he will begin serving in that capacity on September 9th.  Jeff Idelson will continue in his current role as Interim President until September 9th.  Rawitch was the Arizona Diamondbacks Senior Vice President of Content and Communications for the past 6 years; he previously served for 15 years as part of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ front office.

A.M. NEWS MONDAY 6-28-21

Attorney General Letitia James announced an agreement with Johnson & Johnson that will deliver up to $230 million to New York state, it resolves claims made by James for the company's role in helping to fuel the opioid epidemic and would allocate payments over 9 years, it also requires J&J to pay $30 million more in payments in the first year if the Governor signs into law new legislation that creates an opioid settlement fund, and other criteria are met.

Otsego County Sheriff's deputies arrested 36 year old Thomas Palmatier of South New Berlin, for Fleeing an Officer in Motor Vehicle, Aggravated Unlicensed Operation, Unregistered Vehicle & several other similar charges, following a recent traffic stop in the Town of Pittsfield.   Palmatier allegedly drove off from the traffic stop while emergency lights were activated; he was issued appearance ticket returnable to the Town of Pittsfield Court at a later date.

Otsego County Sheriff Deputies arrested 48 year old Brett Brooks of New Berlin after providing Deputy’s with false information of his identity in the Town of Pittsfield on June 13th.  Brooks was a passenger in a vehicle that had been stopped; he had an active bench warrant issued out of Chenango County & gave a false name to law enforcement. Brooks was issued an appearance ticket returnable to the Town of Pittsfield Court & was turned over to the custody of Chenango County Sheriff Office for the warrant.

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 12-29-20

Chenango County Public Health reported 2 additional COVID-19 deaths today, bringing their total to 18. Chenango County has 137 active cases, 6 hospitalized and 521 quarantined, and they have had 1129 confirmed cases of the virus.

Delaware County Sheriff's Office arrested 44 year old Joseph Garone of South Kortright for driving while ability impaired by drugs for the 2nd time in 2 weeks, after Deputies responded to the front of the County Public Safety building after Garone's vehicle drove over a concrete parking block and became lodged by the main entrance.   Garone was charged with operating a motor vehicle while ability impaired by drugs, on December 4th, he was charged with driving while ability impaired by drugs following their investigation of a two car motor vehicle accident in the Town of Delhi.

Broome County's Festival of Lights returns tonight, after crews cleaned up Otsiningo Park following recent flooding and subsequent damage.  Officials said that that the New Year's Eve fireworks display should go on as scheduled at 7:00 PM; more information is available at the Spiedie Fest Facebook page.

State Police arrested 54-year-old Robert Trella on an arson charge following the investigation of a suspicious fire at 305 Pease Hill Road in the town of Barker Monday afternoon.  Trella lived in the home, no one else was inside at the time of the fire, he was arraigned and released on his own recognizance & will appear in court at a later date.

A.M. NEWS TUESDAY 12-29-20

Governor Cuomo signed the COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2020, which prevents residential evictions, foreclosure proceedings, credit discrimination and negative credit reporting related to the COVID-19 pandemic. It also extends the Senior Citizens' Homeowner Exemption and Disabled Homeowner Exemption from 2020 to 2021. The Act adds to New York State's efforts to protect tenants and homeowners from the economic hardship incurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Otsego County Department of Health reported 9 new COVID 19 cases Monday, they have 16 hospitalized, and they reported 4 new deaths from the virus, bringing their total to 16 deaths.  Also, Delaware County Public Health announced 18 new COVID 19 cases Monday; they report 97 active cases with 3 hospitalized & 276 in quarantine.

Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies arrested 44 year old Gregory Schaub of South New Berlin on a variety of Charges after Deputies observed a vehicle with a non-functional brake light in front of them. Deputies initiated a traffic stop and a routine inquiry revealed that Schaub only possessed a non-driver’s ID and that his driving privileges in the State of New York were revoked from a previous DWI charge.  Schaub was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, unlicensed operator and operating a vehicle with insufficient stop lamps.  Schaub was released on appearance tickets directing him to appear before the Town of Meredith Court on a later date.

The annual Blood Drive in Honor of Trooper Christopher Skinner will be held today at the 5 Mile Point Fire Station in Kirkwood.  The Drive will be held from 12:00 Noon until 6:00 PM, Trooper Skinner was killed in the line of duty while conducting a traffic stop on I-81 in Broome County in 2014.

P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 10-22-20

Pre-Trial procedures are going to be held in Town of Franklin court this afternoon, regarding the animal cruelty & dog fighting case against Nasir Azmat of Franklin. Jill Stafford is a volunteer at the Delaware Valley Humane Society, who was one of the first people to help rescue the animals, known as the "Franklin 20":

(Jill Stafford 10-22-20)

Azmat is facing over 40 counts relating to torturing & overdriving animals, failing to provide sustenance to the animals and for having dog fighting paraphernalia at his property in Franklin earlier this year, he was arraigned & released pending future court action.

Hartwick College reported one new case of COVID-19 has been detected. There is one active case on campus; the total number of cases detected on campus since August 1, 2020 is 22.

The Friends of the Rogers Environmental Center of Sherburne announced the winner of this year’s raffle of an electric car.  The Winner of the Tesla is Virginia Huerfeld of Glenmont, New York.  All proceeds of the Electric Car Raffle benefits Friends of Rogers Environmental Education Center.

Officials gathered in New Berlin to break ground at the site of the new fire house and Chobani Community Center, located on South Main Street in the village.  The fire station will have 6 garage bays, offices and rooms for training and storage and a space for community meetings.  The village received a $150,000 grant from the state, plus donations from Chobani for $650,000 & Preferred Mutual Insurance for $150,000.

A.M. NEWS THURSDAY 10-22-20

Otsego County Department of Health reports 5 new cases of COVID 19 Wednesday, and 10 cases reported over the past 5 days, 5 of those cases have been traced back to a recent wedding. Since October 1st The Health Department reports 12 cases related to 2 separate weddings. The County reports 942 total confirmed cases,  19 are active cases with 2 hospitalizations, 7 deaths,  746 probable and confirmed cases linked to SUNY Oneonta & 21 confirmed cases in Hartwick College students

Delaware County Public Health reports no new cases Wednesday, there are still 10 active cases & 1 hospitalization, and 70 people are in quarantine.  Since March, Delaware County reports 145 total cases of COVID 19, 127 recoveries & 8 deaths.

P.M. NEWS Thursday 10-1-20

Governor Cuomo reported that Clusters of COVID 19 cases increased several of the state’s numbers on Wednesday.  There were 1382 new cases diagnosed out of over 109,000 tests administered, which was a 1.27% positivity rate.  Patient Hospitalizations went up to 612, there were 141 Patients in ICU beds, 63 were on ventilators, and there were 11 deaths Wednesday, bringing the state death toll to 25,490.

The town of New Berlin will hold a public hearing at 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday, October 13th at the New Berlin Town Office at 30 North Main Street, to discuss possible cuts to the town budget, including saving about $180,000 dollars by eliminating their Town Police Department.  Municipalities around the state are waiting to see if New York State will receive any federal aid because of the COVID 19 pandemic, New York has lost about 20% of their revenue stream since March.

Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies  & Downsville Fire & EMS were dispatched to a roll-over accident on County Highway 7 in the Town of Colchester that was reported by “On-Star”.   19-year-old Parker Rosencranse of Roscoe lost control of his vehicle which ran off the roadway, into a ditch and overturned.  Rosencranse was arrested and charged with the DWI, failure to keep right, moving from lane unsafely, unauthorized sticker, among other charges, Rosencranse was released on traffic summonses directing him to appear in the Town of Colchester Court on a later date to answer the charges. Rosencranse & an unidentified passenger were not injured.

With cold weather just around the corner, customers will be firing up furnaces and other appliances for the first time this season. NYSEG officials urge the public to recognize the potential signs of a natural gas leak and review the following safety tips about what do if a leak is suspected.

(Ridge Harris 10-1-20)

NYSEG officials report that you should leave immediately & call NYSEG at 1-800-572-1121 from a safe location, Do not smoke or operate electrical switches or appliances, as those items may produce a spark that  might ignite the natural gas and cause an explosion.

A.M. NEWS Thursday 10-1-20

Otsego County Department of Health reported 4 new cases of COVID 19 Wednesday, all 4 were SUNY Oneonta students, and also 3 cases were reported in SUNY students that had not previously been reported.  Otsego County reports 893 total confirmed cases, 17 are active cases with 1 hospitalization, there have been 7 deaths.   722 cases are linked to the SUNY Oneonta outbreak, 19 confirmed cases in Hartwick College students

Delaware County Public Health reported no new cases of COVID 19 Wednesday, they have had 121 positive cases since March with 7 deaths, 110 recoveries, currently they have 4 active cases with 1 hospitalization, and 31 in quarantine.

Chenango County Health Department announced that they will have 3 Drive-through rabies clinics this year.  The next one will be in Bainbridge at General Clinton Park Today from 9:00 to 11:00, one is also scheduled at the Sherburne Earlville High School bus garage on October 31st from 9:00 to 11:00 and another will be held at the South New Berlin Fire Station on December 5th from 9:00 to 11:00, Pre-Registration is Required at health.ny.gov/go2clinic/9 or by calling 337-1673.

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 9-22-20

Governor Cuomo reported that the state had 754 new Positive COVID 19 tests Monday, out of almost 84,000 tests administered.  451,227 New Yorkers have tested positive for the virus since March, there were 470 people hospitalized Monday, there were 3 deaths state wide, the number of deaths since March is 25,431.

New York added five states to its official 14 day quarantine list on Tuesday; the states are Arizona, Minnesota, Nevada, Rhode Island and Wyoming. No states were removed from the list.  The Full list is at coronavirus.health.ny.gov.

Chenango County Health Department announced that they will have 3 Drive-through rabies clinics this year.  The next one will be in Bainbridge at General Clinton Park on October 10th from 9:00 to 11:00, one is also scheduled at the Sherburne Earlville High School bus garage on October 31st from 9:00 to 11:00 and another will be held at the South New Berlin Fire Station on December 5th from 9:00 to 11:00, Pre-Registration is Required at health.ny.gov/go2clinic/9 or by calling 337-1673.

The Greater Oneonta Historical Society's 14th annual benefit auction will be 2 virtual auctions this year, they have contracted with 32Auctions, and the 1st auction has about a dozen items. The auction will open on Friday September 25 at 10:00 AM, and will close on Sunday September 27 at 9:00 PM, Society Executive Director Bob Brzozowski told WCDO news of some of the items offered this weekend:

(Bob Brzozowski 9-22-20)

The link for the preliminary auction is 32auctions.com/GOHSMiniAuction; a 2nd bigger auction is scheduled online November 15 to November 21. More information is available at 432-0960 or by email:  info@OneontaHistory.org. The History Center at 183 Main Street in Oneonta will be open during the auction on Friday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM and Saturday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and can assist visitors with online auction questions.

A.M. NEWS TUESDAY 9-22-20

The Otsego County Department of Health, Bassett Medical Center & the State Department of Health have partnered to provide a rapid testing to Otsego County residents Today & Wednesday from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM at the Foothills Performing Arts Center on Market Street in Oneonta, pre-registration is required at 547-4279.

Otsego County Department of Health reported 3 new COVID 19 cases over the past 2 days & 1 death has also been reported.  The 3 new cases gives Otsego County 869 total confirmed cases, there are 19 active cases, 1 hospitalization, 7 deaths, 694 confirmed cases are linked to SUNY Oneonta & 16 confirmed cases in Hartwick College students.

The Regional Economic Development Council local Awards have
been announced.  In Delaware County,
Saputo Dairy, will be able to Purchase and Install New Equipment in their Delhi
facility with their $599,000 award, Trout Unlimited, Federal Hill Culvert
Aquatic Connectivity Restoration in Hughes Brook in the Town of Delhi received
$109,264, the Village of Delhi Water Treatment Plant will receive $82,000 for
improvements, & Delaware County will receive $50,000 for their
Comprehensive Housing Study.

The Morris fire department was dispatched to the Brian
Madden residence at 287 West Hill Road home at just Monday afternoon.   Mutual aid was provided by from
Gilbertsville, West Laurens, Laurens, Mt. Vision, South New Berlin, New Berlin,
Pittsfield, and Mt. Upton, no injuries were reported, Madden escaped without
injury.

Firefighters responded Monday
afternoon to a fire at 959 County Highway 10 in Laurens.  The fire at the Decker residence was
attributed to a clogged chimney, the Deckers & their dog escaped without
injury, friends & relatives have started a go fund me page to assist the
family.

Governor Cuomo announced a proposal for eliminating the
"Pink Tax" on products aimed specifically for women.  A study in 2015 that analyzed prices of toys,
clothing, personal care products and home health products that were substantially
similar and found that 42% of the time, products targeted towards women are
more expensive than men's.   Women’s
merchandise costs 7% on average more than similar items for men, with personal
care products for women found to be priced 13% higher than men's products.

The Annual free Christmas dinner put on by Gene Schmidt
& his family will be held tomorrow Christmas Day in Sidney.  The dinner will be held at the River Street
Fire Station from 1:00 to 4:00 & it is free to the public.

Delaware County Sheriff Craig DuMond announced the
acquisition and implementation of a new K9 Deputy and K9 Handler to the
Sheriff’s Department.  K9 “Eli”, is a
2-year-old German Shepherd from Hungary who was acquired from Shallow Creek
Kennels in Pennsylvania.  Deputy Kyle
Karcher of Hancock was selected to be K9 Eli’s handler; they will be trained in
narcotics detection, search and rescue, tracking and handler protection.

12 organizations in the region received grants totaling $111,500 from the Community Foundation for South Central New York’s Community Fund and by the Young professional Advisory Committee. The Community Fund awarded funds to the  Unadilla Valley Central School District, the Windsor Central School District, the Deposit Foundation & the SUNY Delhi Research Foundation, the Young Professional Advisory Committee awarded funds to the Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park & Commerce Chenango.

The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse
Services announced a name change today; the new name is the Office of Addiction
Services and Supports, to replace of the stigmatizing language in the system of
addiction care in the State.  The new
name also coincides with the launch of a new website at oasas.ny.gov.

Starting this Friday, November 1st The Otsego County
Planning Department & Solid Waste, Televisions, monitors, and commercial
grade electronics will be charged at $12 per unit at the Oneonta Transfer
Station.  All other electronics will
remain free.  Officials said that the
change is to help cover rising recycling costs related to electronics, more information
is available at 547-4256.

The New Berlin Art Forum presents the Navy band Commodores
for a free concert Wednesday night at the Unadilla Valley Central School
Auditorium.  Forum Spokesperson Margaret
Murray said that the show is free but tickets are required for this Jazz
Concert:

(Margaret Murray 10-29-19)

Murray said that she will take
ticket reservations through 3:00 PM Wednesday 263-2115, Tickets are also
available at The New Berlin Library & the New Berlin Service Pharmacy.

47-year-old Andrew Menke has died following a Saturday
Afternoon Fire in his 3rd Floor Apartment above the Little Venice Restaurant in
Binghamton over the weekend.  Menke was
discovered in the hallway at 111 Chenango Street, he was taken to Wilson
Medical Center, and He was moved to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse.  Fire damage was confined to the third-floor
apartment where the blaze originated. The restaurant sustained some water
damage, but was able to re-open Sunday.
The investigation is continuing.

The New York State of Health announced that in more than 1/2
of New York's counties, the rate of uninsured New Yorkers declined according to
statistics released by the U.S. Census Bureau.
New York was 1 of only 3 states nationwide to see a decrease in its
uninsured population in 2018.  More
information is available at nystateofhealth.ny.gov.

Another Chenango County Free rabies Clinic will be held
today at the South new Berlin Fire Station.
The clinic will run from 5:30 to 6:30 PM.

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

Afton Central School's Adult & Continuing Education
Program is continuing to offer High School Equivalency courses at several area locations,
program director June White said that there is
new program regarding the Math portion of the program:

(June White 9-10-19)

More information about the program is available at 639-2811.

The Chenango County Department of Public Works will close
County Road 29, between the Bryant / Dilly Hill Road Intersection and Lake
Road, in the Town of New Berlin tomorrow, for the replacement of a large
culvert.  The road is expected to be
closed for 1 to 2 days, the traveling public shall be asked to seek alternative
routes. Local traffic shall be allowed to and from their homes.  More information is available at 337-1710.

Commerce Chenango, Chobani and Preferred Mutual are
co-sponsoring the 4th annual Trail Run on the trails in the state lands of
Pharsalia Forest on Sunday September 29th.
Entry forms can be obtained at Commerce Chenango, 15 South Broad Street,
Norwich, by E-Mail to register@chenangony.org, or by calling 334-1400.  The deadline to register is September 23rd.

The Next Chenango County rabies clinic will be held this
evening in Smyrna.  The clinic will run
from 5:30 to 7:00 PM at the Smyrna Fire Station, for dogs, cats &
Domesticated Ferrets.

Governor Cuomo directed the State Department of Health to
take a series of measures to address Vaping:

(Cuomo 9-10-19)

The Governor announced that the new legislation to ban
flavored e-cigarettes will be addressed to the new legislature in January.

a family of 4 escaped a fire in New Berlin, but lost all of
their belongings early Tuesday morning.
the fire at the Richard Miller family residence was reported at about
1:30 AM Tuesday, The fire was fully involved when fire fighters from New
Berlin, Morris and South New Berlin responded, and no injuries were reported.

State Police report that 50-year-old Daniel Smith was
working on the vehicle at his home on Oak Hill Spur Road in Afton when it fell
on him & killed him Tuesday evening at 6:34 pm.  State Police said that the driveway where
Smith was working on his truck was sloped; the incident has been ruled as an
accident.  The Chenango County Sheriff’s
Office and Harpursville Fire & EMS also responded.

The next Delaware County Public Health Free Rabies Vaccination Clinic is Today from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at Sidney Fire Station.  More information is available at 832-5200 or delawarecountypublichealth.com

The number of Animal Cruelty cases or cases of animal hoarding have spiked recently in the Southern Tier, which creates a difficult situation for area Shelters. Erin Insinga of the Delaware Valley Humane Society told WCDO News that if you know of those situations, the first call is to your local sheriff's department:

(Erin Insinga 12-12-18)

Insinga said that the animals are removed by law enforcement, they get checked by vets and can then be adopted following a brief process, and more information is available at 563-7780.

A Free Christmas Dinner will be available in Sidney this year on Christmas Day at the Sidney Fire Station, organizer Gene Schmidt said that donations & volunteers are needed:

(Gene Schmidt 12-12-18)

Schmidt said that he can be reached at 607-610-4030. This year will be the 6th year that Schmidt & his family have offered the free Christmas dinner.

Almond Upton of Florida has died in Prison, where he was serving time for the murder of State Trooper Christopher Skinner on I-81 In Broome County in May of 2014. Upton was serving his sentence in the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora. Upton claimed he was in a manic state at the time he intentionally ran over Trooper Skinner, who was ocnducting an unrealted traffic stop, Upton was found guilty & was sentecned to life in prison, he died Sunday & the cause of death has not yet been released.

The Department of Environmental Protection announced plans to build a $34 million hydroelectric facility at Cannonsville Reservoir, which should produce enough electricity to power more than 3,500 homes each year. DEP officials announced that they will host 2 public meetings on Friday, one at 9:00 AM at the Deposit State Theater, at 148 Front Street in Deposit, & at 12:30 PM at the Upper Delaware Council office, 211 Bridge Street in Narrowsburg. More information is available at nyc.gov.

Residents in South New Berlin are voting today on a proposed $1.1 million project to purchase property and construct a new fire department building. Voting will be held from 12:00 Noon until 9:00 PM at the South New Berlin Firehouse.

Voters in the Unadilla Valley School District will vote Thursday on a capital improvement project involving heating, parking lots, roof replacement, and auditorium improvements, among many other projects. The project would be paid for through a Capital Reserve Fund & State Aid, the $10 million dollar project vote will be held from 12:00 Noon to 8:00 PM in the District Office lobby Thursday.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 21 year old Rebecca Kole of Delancey, for moving from a lane unsafely, DWI, and other charges, following an investigation into a Motor Vehicle accident in the Town of Walton. Kole was later released on traffic tickets and is scheduled to appear at Walton Town Court at a later date to answer the charges.

The City of Oneonta and the Otsego County Conservation Association will be co-sponsoring a talk on the emerald ash borer on today, at 6:30pm. The insect is highly destructive; the first one was discovered in the town of Unadilla in 2014. The free talk will take place at the Otsego County Chamber of Commerce, 189 Main Street, Suite 500; it is free and open to the public. More information is available by calling OCCA at 282-4087.

The City of Oneonta has listed a number of items available for public auction. The items can be viewed & bidded on at publicsurplus.com/sms/oneonta,ny

The Unadilla Chamber of Commerce will meet on today at 8:00 am at The Unadilla Fire Station on Clifton Street. All directors and members are urged to attend

Delaware Opportunities will continue its participation in the Nutrition Outreach and Education Program for 4 more years through a contract with Hunger Solutions New York. The goal is to increase the number of eligible people participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the School Breakfast and Summer Food Service programs. More information is available at 746-1670.

The Chenango county health department will hold a free rabies clinic today for dogs, cats & ferrets. The event will be held at the South New Berlin fire station from 6:00 to 7:00 PM more information is available at 337-1673.