WCDO Radio News

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 10-7-20

Governor Cuomo announced the "Crush The Cluster" initiative Tuesday, as more than 20 zip codes around the state have clusters of COVID 19 cases & more than 5% of the people tested, were positive for the virus:

(Cuomo 10-7-20)

The Governor announced that a section of Binghamton was one of the cluster hot spots in the state, A former BC Transit bus has been outfitted with a lab, to test people all over the Broome County for the virus if they are exhibiting symptoms.

The State Health Department announced that another 1360 people tested positive for COVID 19 Tuesday, out of more than 108,000 tests administered. 748 people were hospitalized, an increase of 43, 176 COVID patients were in ICU. 72 patients were in intubated. The state has had over 468,000 cases since March; the state death toll is up to 25,545 after 8 additional deaths were reported Tuesday.

SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras announced today that Binghamton University will be going to all-remote learning for at least the next 2 weeks. 1 of the state's 20 COVID clusters is in Binghamton, with a 5-6% positivity rate, plus there have been over 80 positive tests among the University population. Remote classes will begin tomorrow, all on-campus dining will switch to takeout only and all in-person extracurricular programs and other nonessential student activities will be halted, including clubs & intramural sports. The university’s bus service will run on a limited schedule.

State Police arrested 31 year old Manuel Ayala of Norwich for Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs, Criminal Possession of a Weapon and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance. Troopers initiated a traffic stop after observing a vehicle failing to maintain a lane on State Highway 8 in the town of Guilford. Ayala was arrested & was in possession of suspected drugs and metal knuckles. Ayala was processed then later released on appearance tickets to the town of Guilford court on October 20th.

9 Fire Departments & state Police responded early Sunday morning to a fire at Jones Road in the town of Otsego, that resulted in 1 fatality. 2 adults & 3 children escaped the blaze, 1 adult male went back in to the burning house to save a 77 year old male, who later died at Bassett Hospital, and the deceased has been identified as Robert Huestis. The cause of the fire is under investigation, no foul play is suspected.

Former State Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno has died. Bruno led the state Senate for 14 years, before being convicted on corruption charges, which were later overturned on appeal. Bruno died of Prostate Cancer, he was 91.

A.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 10-7-20

Governor Cuomo announced that New Mexico has been added to New York State's COVID-19 travel advisory. No areas have been removed. The advisory requires individuals who have traveled to New York from areas with significant community spread to quarantine for 14 days. The full list is available at coronavirus.health.ny.gov.

State Police arrested 22 year old Shawnee Porter of Sidney for Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated. Troopers on patrol on State Route 7 near County Road 1A in the town of Unadilla were nearly struck by Porter and initiated a traffic stop. Porter's B.A.C was .19%; she was processed and issued appearance tickets to the town of Unadilla court on October 19th.

The State Legislature has between 5 to 7 more sessions before the official end of the 2017 session, local assemblyman Cliff Crouch would like to see Ethics Reforms get passed this year:

(Cliff Crouch 6-12-17)

Crouch said that entrenched Assembly & Senate leadership since he starting serving in Albany in 1995, have wound up facing various corruption charges, rather than simply returning to the private sector. Former State Senate leaders Joe Bruno, Dean Skelos, Pedro Espada & Hiram Monseratte & Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver have all faces charges & court dates after their runs at the top in Albany.

Applications are now being accepted for the operation of custom craft beverage production centers to provide space and equipment to those looking to produce beer, wine, or cider for home consumption. The State Liquor Authority will provide new licenses to facilitate the production, to both current craft manufacturers looking to expand or businesses seeking to open a stand-alone custom homemade craft beverage production center. Governor Cuomo signed legislation last year, creating the new license authorizing the creation of custom craft production centers where craft beverage amateur brewers and cider makers can utilize the expertise, space and equipment of existing facilities to produce craft beverages for personal consumption. More information is available at sla.ny.gov.

Governor Cuomo announced that over $3.1 million dollars in wages and interest during the first quarter, has been returned to 1,367 workers by the State Department of Labor. In addition, more than $125,500 in civil penalties have been assessed against employers in violation of prevailing wage law and 14 individuals or business entities have been debarred since the beginning of the year. Locally, 76 Southern Tier area workers were awarded over $168,000 in back wages through this effort.

State Police responded Friday to a report of a 1-vehicle rollover fatal accident on State Highway 17 in the Town of Sanford. The investigation revealed that the operator of an Econoline van fell asleep at the wheel, the vehicle drifted off the road and overturned multiple times before coming to rest. 5 of the 7 occupants were transported to Wilson and Lourdes Hospitals to be evaluated for non-life threatening injuries, however, 1 Passenger; 70 year old Dennis Pitts of Rochester, was transported to Wilson Memorial Hospital, he was pronounced deceased. The investigation is continuing.

Norwich Police unveiled 20 new officer body cameras to increase transparency and accountability while improving relationships between law enforcement and the community. Officers began utilizing the body cameras on patrol and in the field earlier this year. The cameras are always on and rolling footage, the officer maintains control over when the camera starts to record and save footage. Funding for the equipment was secured through a $50,000 Public Protection Grant by State Senator Fred Akshar in the State Budget.

Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul will make several stops in Cooperstown today. Hochul Discusses New York State Agriculture at North East Association of State Departments of Agriculture Conference at the Otesaga Hotel celebrates the 78th Birthday of Baseball Hall of Fame & visits the Fenimore Art Museum this afternoon.

Former State Senate leader Dean Skelos was sentenced to 5 years in prison on corruption charges today, his son, Adam received a 6 1/2 year sentence in a Manhattan federal courtroom today. Skelos used his position in state government to pressure businesses to provide his son with $300,000 no-show job in exchange for political favors.

With Former State Senate Leader Dean Skelos following former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver to jail, Area Assemblyman Cliff Crouch said that there needs to be term limits on leadership oisitions, to try to stop this constant abuse of power:

(Crouch 5-12-16)

Other former Senate leaders that faced prison time in recent years included Joe Bruno, Pedro Espada Jr, & Hiram Monseratte.

State Senator Jim Seward will have a challenge from Democrat Audrey Dunning, who announced her candidacy for the 51st state senate District seat this week. Dunning is an attorney from Ilion, announced her candidacy Tuesday, Seward has served since the 80's in the State Senate, many times running unopposed in the November elections.

State Police arrested 32-year-old Bo Angell of Harpursville, & 37 year old Roy Bolster of Windsor, for 3rd degree Burglary, after troopers checked a vacant property on Fox Farm Road in the Town of Windsor & finding both men stealing scrap metal from a trailer. Angell and Bolster were remanded to the Broome County jail with no bail set.

Governor Cuomo today announced that The State has revised its Domestic Incident Report, which will allow law enforcement to collect more detailed information to enhance investigations, improve officer safety and connect domestic violence victims with support services. Police officers are required by law to complete the report whenever they respond to a domestic incident call, on average, officers statewide complete an estimated 400,000 Domestic Incident Reports every year.

with the parade of top level State Leaders heading for jail, Area Assemblyman Pete Lopez said that his fellow lawmakers talk a big game about ethics reforms, but nothing has been done:

(Lopez 5-4-16)

Other top lawmakers beside Silver & Skelos that have been charged with corruption related crimes include former State Senate Leaders Joe Bruno, Pedro Espada & Hiram Monserratte, & former Governor Elito Spitzer resigned due to a prostitution scandal, and a top level aide to Governor Cuomo is being investigated.

Former state Senator Tom Libous of Binghamton died Tuesday, following a lengthy battle with cancer. Libous was 63. Funeral services will be announced shortly.

The State Senate passed legislation renaming a portion of State Route 357 in Delaware County in honor of United States Marine Corporal Nicholas Uzenski. The bill sponsored by Senator Jim Seward pays tribute to the Uzenski, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2010 when his unit was ambushed during a reconnaissance mission. The bill designates the portion of Route 357 from the intersection with State Route 28 in the town Franklin to the Franklin-Sidney town line, The Town of Franklin requested the special highway designation. Companion legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Cliff Crouch has been introduced in the state assembly.

State Police today announced a statewide crackdown on distracted driving, as part of April's designation as National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. From April 10th to April 15th, Troopers in marked and unmarked vehicles will aggressively ticket drivers using handheld devices during Operation Hang Up. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,154 people were killed and 424,000 were injured nationwide in crashes involving a distracted driver in 2013. During the campaign last November, State Police issued 550 tickets for distracted driving, for either talking on a cell phone without a hands-free device while driving, texting, or using an electronic device while driving. More information is available at safeny.ny.gov.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs facilities in New York are relatively good at seeing patients promptly, though some upstate veterans face waits of a month or more. 36 of the 58 VA facilities analyzed met the VA's timeliness goal, which calls for patients to be seen within 30 days - better than 99% of the time. Locally, the Binghamton VA Clinic successfully saw their patients within a month at a 96.5% rate.

Governor Cuomo announced more than $233 million in federal grants that will support counterterrorism and emergency preparedness activities in counties across the State. The funding is provided by FEMA through its Homeland Security Grant Program, it supports regional preparedness efforts, including planning, organization, and training activities that are critical to sustaining and improving community prevention, protection, response, and recovery capabilities. Locally, grants have been awarded to Broome County $365,000, Chenango County $110,000, Delaware County $100,000, & Otsego County $110,000

State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli says some $606,000 in legal defense fees incurred by ex-Senate Leader Joseph Bruno are unjustified and shouldn't be reimbursed by taxpayers. DiNapoli's office has approved another $1.8 million for Bruno's legal expenses. Bruno was acquitted last year on charges that he took bribes to direct state grants to a businessman he had previous convictions overturned & he has sought state reimbursement for $2.4 million of his legal bills. Bruno led the State Senate majority for 14 years before stepping down in 2008 as a federal probe continued about his alleged corruption, his attorneys reported that they will refile to get the rest of the reimbursement.

The State DEC today issued guidance on preventing conflicts with coyotes. Officials said that Coyotes usually avoid contact with people, however, conflicts with people and pets can occur as coyotes tend to be territorial around den sites during the spring as they forage almost constantly to provide food for their young. Officials recommend that you never feed coyotes, don’t feed your own pets outside, make sure that your garbage is secured, Fence or enclose compost piles so they are not accessible to coyotes. Also, contact your local police department and DEC regional office for assistance in dealing with coyotes on your property on a regular basis

NEWS 7-2-14

An indictment was unsealed Tuesday morning in Federal Court, accusing State Senator Tom Libous of using his political influence to get his son a job with a law firm in Westchester County, following an investigation by the FBI and The IRS.   Libous is accused of giving   false statements to investigators, his son Matthew is charged with 6 counts of charges of impeding or obstructing the IRS and filing false tax returns. Following yesterdays’ arraignment in a federal court in Westchester County, Senator Libous released a statement: claiming that he has spent 26 years working for the people of his district, and he will continue to do so.   Libous claimed his innocence from the charge; his office issued a statement that Libous intends to run for re-election this year, as originally planned.

The District 5 Ultimate Idol contest will get underway shortly, where area singers can showcase their abilities, with finalists possibly making onto the TV Talent show "The Voice” Lisa Jones of the Otsego County fair explains:

(Lisa Jones 7-2-14)

The fairs participating in the Ultimate Idol contest are Afton, Madison, Broome, Otsego & Delaware Caseloads continue to grow in family courts in New York State, and the lack of family court judges has caused a major backlog, but some relief is on the way. Family courts in 16 counties across the state will get help. Lawmakers recently approved a bill allowing for the addition of 20 new judges by 2015 and five more by 2016. Locally, a new family court judge will take office January 1, 2015 in Broome County, and a new family court judge will be seated in 2016 in Delaware County

The New York State Fair's new "Up Close With..." series kicks off at the 2014 Fair with stories from some of the former children from the TV series "The Brady Bunch," and from some of the comedians featured in the roundtable on the late-night "Chelsea Lately" talk show. The events take place August 23 and 24 at 7:30 p.m. in the Empire Theater of the Art & Home Center. General admission tickets to each event are $20 and will only be available at the State Fair Box Office beginning July 18th

Now that he has been acquitted on corruption charges, former State Sen. Joe Bruno wants the state to reimburse him for $2.4 million in legal fees. Bruno, the former Republican majority leader, filed for the money with the state attorney general, under a statute that permits recovery of legal expenses, by state employees, accused of criminal wrongdoing related to official duties. Bruno was acquitted of receiving kickbacks disguised as consulting fees. Bruno led the GOP majority in the state Senate for 14 years before stepping down in 2008

The Town of Masonville will be conducting a dog enumeration starting August 1st, State law requires that ALL dogs over the age of 4 months MUST be licensed within the municipality they are "Harbored" in, any dogs found to be unlicensed after Aug 1st will be subject to an additional $5 enumeration fee and could also receive an Appearance ticket + fine. More information is available at 265-3537

Chenango county sheriff’s department and State Police arrested 33-year-old Douglas Scherr of Budd Lake, New Jersey, at a residence in the Town of Afton. Scherr was a reported as a Fugitive from Justice out of the State of New Jersey on an active arrest warrant for Arson, he was arraigned in the Town of Norwich court and remanded to the Chenango County Jail without bail pending court action today.

Jury selection is underway in the latest trial of former State Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno. Bruno is accused of taking bribes from a business associate who also had dealings with the state, while Bruno headed up the State Senate.   Bruno was Acquitted of 5 charges & was found guilty of 2 others in his 2009 trial; the convictions were overturned on appeal.

Michael Kicinski of Earlville will not be on the Republican Primary ballot in the 22nd congressional district. Kicinski lost his spot because he did not have enough valid petition signatures from the district’s registered Republican residents, with several of the collected signatures being deemed invalid by the state Board of Elections. Assemblywoman Claudia Tenney and incumbent Richard Hanna will appear on the June 24th primary ballot.

Police agencies from across the state will head to Albany this week to pay tribute to those who have died in the line of duty. A ceremony will be held tomorrow at the New York State Law Enforcement Officers Memorial at the Empire State Plaza. Before the ceremony, there will be a church service for police officers that have died. That will be followed by a march to the Law Enforcement Memorial at the Plaza. The memorial is inscribed with the names of more than 1,300 police officers that have died in the line of duty across the state.

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer is asking the FDA to prevent a powdered alcohol from reaching store shelves. Schumer said “ Palcohol” can be mixed with water, sprinkled on food or even snorted and is easily concealed. Palcohol's parent company Lipsmark disagrees, saying it will be sold under the same restrictions as liquid alcohol.   Schumer said the FDA should intervene like it did with caffeinated, fruit-flavored alcoholic beverages that appeal to young people. The federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau gave Palcohol label approvals April 8th, they were later withdrawn.

The Delaware County Board of Supervisors announced that they have set up a hotline, to inform law enforcement agencies of possible drug issues, mainly with heroin.  State senator John Bonacic said that while the “I-Stop” program has cut down on doctor shopping, there were unintended consequences:

(Bonacic 4-21-14)

The Delaware County hotline to inform police of heroin & drug related problems is 888-914-9111, all calls will be confidential.

State police issued 748 tickets to drivers in Otsego & Delaware counties for using their cell phones or other electronic devices while driving this year.  The statistic was released following  ”Operation Hang Up.”, the 1st national distracted driving high-visibility enforcement crackdown, which was coupled with advertising and media outreach about the law, and the potential fatal consequences of texting and driving.

State Troopers arrested 49-year-old Patrick Keigel of New Lisbon for Unlawful Imprisonment, Menacing and 3rd degree Assault.  The arrest followed a dispute in New Lisbon, where Kiegel allegedly pulled a victims hair out, threatened to strike the victim with a hammer & held the victim against their will.  Kiegel was arraigned in the Town of New Lisbon Court and was remanded to the Otsego County Jail on $1,000 cash bail.  An  order of protection was issued against Kiegel for the victim.

The former State Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno will go on trial again next month, he is accused of 2 charges under a revised fraud case alleging the he took bribes or kickbacks.  Bruno is accused of accepting more than $400,000 from a businessman for helping with state grants. Bruno led the Senate’s majority for 14 years before stepping down in 2008.  Bruno was acquitted in 2009 of 5 fraud counts and convicted of 2 others. The convictions were overturned on appeal.  The trial is scheduled for May 5th

Governor Cuomo today unveiled “The Public Trust Act” following the recent arrests of 3 state lawmakers:

(Cuomo 4-9-13)

Democratic State Senator Malcolm smith was arrested last week for trying to sway new York city republican party leaders for allowing him to run for mayor as a republican. 2 assemblyman were also arrested last week by undercover officers, others who have been arrested in recent years include former senate leaders Joe Bruno & Pedro Espada.

State Troopers arrested 20-year-old Christopher Bracci of Delhi for Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of a Hypodermic Needle and Unlawful Possession of Marihuana. The arrest resulted from a traffic stop on State Route 10 in Delhi,  Bracci was issued Appearance Tickets returnable in the Town of Delhi Court on April 16th.

New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli announced today that he has reached agreement with five Fortune 500 companies, Southwest Airlines, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Plum Creek Timber Company, Harley-Davidson and Noble Energy, to disclose political spending made with corporate funds. All 5 agreements include commitments to make public all direct and indirect monetary and non-monetary political contributions, including contributions to trade associations that are used for political purposes.

State University of Oneonta officials announced that the college has set aside more than $600,000 to fund programs that will further enhance student learning.  The money will fund proposals ranging from a language immersion program to the acquisition of specialized equipment for several disciplines, SUNY Oneonta is beginning the third year of its five-year strategic plan.

State troopers  arrested 23-year-old Justin Yap of Binghamton, for DWI, Aggravated DWI,  Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle, and Operating A Motor Vehicle Without Insurance. The arrest was the result of a vehicle stop in Binghamton,. Yap was issued an Appearance Ticket returnable to the City of Binghamton Court on April 19th.