WCDO Radio News

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.