WCDO Radio News

P.M. NEWS MONDAY 5-18-26

State Police responded Saturday Night to a 1 vehicle crash on County Highway 1 and Little Dingle Hill Road in the town of Andes. An investigation at the scene determined that 27 year old Ethan Ray Kennedy of Delhi lost control of his vehicle & went off the roadway and struck an embankment causing the vehicle to roll and land on its roof. Kennedy did not survive.

A raccoon tested positive for rabies in the town of Davenport, it's the 2nd confirmed positive case of rabies in Delaware County this year. 1 dog & 3 people were exposed to the rabid raccoon, the raccoon was sent for testing to the State Department of Health Wadsworth Laboratory. The exposed dog received a booster, the 3 people exposed have begun Rabies Post-Exposure Prophylaxis. Public Health recommends that pet owners take advantage of any of the free rabies clinics for dogs, cats and ferrets in Delaware County. Pre-registration is suggested at health.ny.gov/go2clinic, more information is available at 607-832-5200 or delawarecountypublichealth.com

New Yorkers will vote on School Budgets in New York State Tuesday, as well as Board of Education seats, school bus purchases or other ancillary costs associated with education. Sidney Superintendent Eben Bullock told WCDO News about their 35.5 Million Dollar Budget with 0% tax levy increase:

(Eben Bullock 5-18-26)

Voting will be at the Sidney High School from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM. Bainbridge Guilford Superintendent Tim Ryan told WCDO News that they had to deal with a $1 Million dollar gap before sending the proposal to voters:

(TIM RYAN 5-18-26)

The BG total budget is 26.9 Million dollars, the Tax Levy Increase is 1.59% Voting will be at the Greenlawn & Guilford Elementary school buildings. In the Unatego School District, Dr. Dave Richards told WCDO about their budget:

(Dr Dave Richards -18-26)

Voting for Unatego area residents will be from 12:00 to 8:00 PM at the Jr. Sr. High school.

The Chenango County Historical Society, Madison County Historian’s Office, and Columbus Public House are partnering for the fourth annual “History Where You Eat” – Chenango County edition. Chenango County Historical Society Executive Director Jessica Moquin explains:

(Jessica Moquin 5-18-26)

People can visit the Columbus Public House today for International Museum Day om State Route 80, Two seatings will be offered, with the first at 4:30 pm. and the second at 6:30 pm. Reservations are required by calling (607) 847-8422.

A.M. NEWS MONDAY 5-18-26

State Police arrested 40 year old Michael Sodomora of Richmondville for Reckless Endangerment, following a crash on May 12th. Troopers responded to Lowe’s on State Highway 23 in Oneonta for a report of a vehicle that struck the building. An investigation determined that Sodomora traveled through the Lowe’s parking lot at high rate of speed before striking the entrance of the building, traveling several feet inside and damaging a cash register counter and multiple shelves of merchandise. Sodomora and a 63-year-old female passenger from Pennsylvania were not injured, Sodomora was processed & turned over to the Otsego County Jail for arraignment.

Otsego County Sheriff's Office arrested 22 year old Jordan Kratochvil of Laurens, for Criminal Possession of a Firearm, Unlawful Imprisonment, Endangering the Welfare of a Child, Assault & menacing following an investigation into a physical domestic dispute with a firearm in Laurens. Deputies determined that Kratochvil struck the female victim multiple times in the head with an 8 month old child present, he unlawfully locked the victims inside their residence, and threatened to use a loaded semi-automatic rifle against them and others, he surrendered himself to Deputies and he was processed and turned over to Otsego County Corrections pending Arraignment

State Police arrested 30 year Patrick Mott of Homer following an investigation into a child sex abuse case. Mott was charged with Rape, Sexual Abuse, Endangering the Welfare of a Child, for allegedly, having inappropriate sexual contact with a child under the age of 11. Mott was processed and was being held for arraignment.

TOWN OF UNADILLA HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT WILL BE PAVING SEVERAL AREA roads starting today. Paving is scheduled for Dentwood Dr, Meadow Lane, Hill Top Lane, Old State rd., John Cook rd., Earl rd., Lovers Lane, Sand Hill Rd, and Sowles Rd, Starting today, WEATHER PERMITTING.

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 6-24-25

An Endicott man is facing a felony charge after allegedly stealing 27 iPhones from a FedEx facility while working for the company. Last Friday the Broome County Sheriff’s Office Road Patrol responded to a larceny complaint at FedEx Freight East, at Industrial Park Drive in the Town of Kirkwood. Security at the facility advised that someone had been stealing from iPhones since April by sneaking them out of the facility in his coat pocket. After reviewing footage, 22 year old Leon Roberts of Endicott was charged with 3rd degree Grand Larceny. Roberts was arraigned at Central Arraignment Part and released with an appearance ticket returnable to the Town of Kirkwood Court.

Organizer at the Gus Macker 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament in Norwich announced that the Registration period has been extended

(Tom Revoir 6-24-25)

A large number of teams were still trying to register yesterday, so registration was extended until midnight on Wednesday, June 25th, more information is available at Macker.com, Tournament Dates are July 12th & 13th

Afton Central School's Adult Education Program will be offering free G.E.D instruction into the ONC BOCES District, Program Director June White explains:

(JUNE WHITE 6-24-25)

The Programs will be available to adults 21 and over in ONEONTA, FRANKLIN, MILFORD, MORRIS, CHARLOTTE VALLEY, COOPERSTOWN among others, more information is available by calling 607-639-2811.

Catholic Charities of Sidney will hold their Roll The Dice LCR fundraising tournament on July 10th in Sidney, Spokesperson Penny McKnight explains:

(Penny McKnight 6-24-25)

The event will be held on July 10th from 5:00 to 8:00 PM at the Community Cultural Center in Sidney, more information is available at 607-604-4071.

A.M. NEWS TUESDAY 6-24-25

Today is Primary Day in New York State, The Chenango County Republican Party Primary Elections will be held in the towns of Afton, Plymouth, Smithville and Smyrna. Sample ballots can be viewed at chenangocountyny.gov; or by calling the Chenango County Board of Elections at 607-337-1760. In Delaware County: Republicans will vote for a candidate for County Treasurer between Ronda Williams & Carli Pinner; In the Town of Sidney 4 Republicans are running for 2 seats on the Town Board, between Richard DeCola, Frank Selleck, William Hunt & Andrew Hinkley. Republican primaries are being held for Town Supervisor in Colchester, Hancock, & Meredith, more information is available at the County Board of Elections page at co.delaware.ny.us. There are no Democratic Party primaries in Chenango or Delaware Counties & there are no primaries in Otsego County this year.

On Monday Morning, the Colchester Town Police Department, the Downsville Fire Department and Emergency Squad, responded to a reported motorcycle accident on State Highway 30 & Delaware County Highway 7. The operator of the motorcycle, a 42-year-old female, left the roadway and struck a ditch, she was ejected, sustained serious injuries and was transported by LifeNet of New York to Albany Medical Center for advanced medical care.

Amphenol of Sidney is celebrating 100 years in operation in the village of Sidney, with an Open House on Saturday July 19th, with a host of activities & exhibits at the Delaware Avenue facility. WCDO News interviewed Chris Cappello, who is helping to organize the event & wrote a book on the company's rich history in Sidney, that interview will be aired in its entirety following the 6:00 PM News tonight on WCDO.

2 American Red Cross Blood Drives are being held today, 1 in Delhi from 12:30 pm. - 5:30 pm., at the Delhi United Ministry, another in  Sidney from 1 pm. - 6 pm., at the Sidney Elks Lodge, Appointments can be made with American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS

P.M. NEWS MONDAY 5-19-25

A Delaware County Grand Jury handed down a Sealed Indictment Warrant for the arrest of 50-year-old James Amato. Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested Amato on the Warrant, he was arraigned in Delaware County Court, where the indictment was unsealed, alleging that in April of 2021 Amato had taken logs off multiple properties in the Town of Hamden, causing damage to trees and property and selling the timber for profit. Amato was charged with 3 counts each of 3rd & 4th degree Grand Larceny and 6 counts of Criminal Mischief, Amato was released on his own recognizance and directed to re-appear in court at a future date.

63 year old Daniel Schultz of Margaretville was sentenced to 6 months in the Delaware County Correctional Facility to be followed by 3 years of a conditional discharge for the crime of Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated with a Child in the Vehicle, commonly known as Leandra’s Law. On August 10, 2024, a State Trooper observed a pickup truck operated by Daniel Schultz, Schultz’s license had previously been revoked, a traffic stop was initiated, Schultz stopped the vehicle, a passenger quickly exited the truck, who was under the age of 16. Schultz failed sobriety testing & was charged with several crimes, Schultz pleaded guilty, Schultz was sentenced in Delaware County Court last week, his license was revoked, and if he obtains a license, he will need to install an ignition interlock device on any vehicle he owns or operates. If he violates any condition of his conditional discharge, he could be re-sentenced to 1 1/3 to 4 years in state prison.

School Budget votes will be held tomorrow across the state, Sidney Central School District Superintendent Eben Bullock told WCDO news about their proposed budget:

(Eben Bullock 5-19-25)

The Unatego School District is also seeking approval on a new budget, Superintendent Dr. Dave Richards explains:

(Dr. Dave Richards 5-19-25)

School Districts are also looking to fill Board of Education Seats, and in some cases capital projects and/or buss purchases around the state tomorrow.

The City of Oneonta announced a Traffic Alert regarding the Lettis Highway Lane Closures. Starting today, motorists can expect northbound lane closures on Lettis Highway (Route 23) between Fair Street and Main Street for approximately two weeks while drainage work is underway as part of State DOT's Oneonta Roundabout project. Drivers are reminded to slow down in work zones and obey all traffic control devices. Traffic updates can be found at 511, visiting 511NY.org or download the free 511NY mobile app.

Otsego County, in partnership with the Mohawk Valley Economic Development District, will host a public kickoff meeting on Thursday, May 29, to launch its Broadband Technical Assistance Project. The event will be held from 6:00 to 7:30 PM at the Meadows Office Complex, at 140 County Highway 33W, Cooperstown.

Residents in Broome, Chenango, Delaware and Otsego Counties have access to an expanded range of transportation services, thanks to the Getthere program, providing rides to medical appointments,emergency food access, and employment. Getthere is a program of the Rural Health Network of South Central New York, more information is available at (855) 373-4040 or rhnscny.org.

A.M. NEWS Monday 5-19-25

State Police is enhancing its approach to investigating animal cruelty through a new partnership with the State Animal Protection Federation. More than 200 Troopers and Investigators will receive advanced instruction on identifying and responding to animal cruelty cases so that they will be better equipped to detect, investigate, and document cruelty cases, Enhance collaboration with local law enforcement, animal welfare organizations, and prosecutors and it will allow for a more efficient response to these complex investigations.

The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce is rebranding and will host a first look at a launch party on Monday, May 19, at 4:00 pm in The Okun Theatre of Farrell Hall at SUNY Delhi. Chamber President Ray Pucci comments:

(Ray Pucci 5-19-25)

Pucc said that Josiah Brown of Famous Destination Marketing, has been working with the chamber Staff & Board of Directors Everyone is invited to attend. Advanced registration is not required but is appreciated at the Programs and Events tab at DelawareCounty.org.

P.M. NEWS MONDAY 4-8-24

The Southern Tier Music Festival will be held at the Sidney Airport on July 6th, featuring headline Nate Smith, organizers Ed Curley & Teri Schunk visited WCDO this morning to give an update:

(Ed Curley - Teri Schunk 4-8-24)

more information is available at southerntiermusicfest.com.

Long time Sidney businessman Bill Thomas passed away Friday at the age of 70, Thomas & his wife Linda ran Sidney Auto Body until 2018, Bill also served on the Masonville Town Board & The Sidney School District Board of Education, calling hours will be Thursday from 5:00 to 7:00 PM on at C.H. Landers Funeral Home, 21 Main Street Sidney, A memorial service will be held at the Sidney United Methodist Church, 12 Liberty Street in Sidney, at 11am on Friday.

Broome County Sheriff's Office arrested 18 year old Steven Cook of Vestal for Attempted Use of a Child in a Sexual Performance, Endangering the Welfare of a Child, Obstruction of Governmental Administration, Cook is accused of soliciting pornographic images from a 12-year-old girl. Deputies responded last week to a 911 report from a 12-year-old victim in the Town of Union, who informed investigators that she had been talking and exchanging explicit messages with Cook where he allegedly attempted to initiate sexual contact with the minor and attempting to solicit pornographic images from her. During the execution of a search warrant, Cook was uncooperative with investigators, but was eventually taken into custody, Cook remains in the custody of the Broome County Sheriff’s Office awaiting arraignment.

Broome County District Attorney's office announced that 38 year old Andrew Bethune of Binghamton was sentenced in Broome County Court to 4 years in New York State Prison, followed by 3 years of post-release supervision for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance. On January 25, 2023, authorities conducted a search of Bethune's apartment located at 111 Oak Street, Apartment 4 in Binghamton, they seized cocaine, fentanyl & methamphetamines, plus packaging materials, a digital scale and $5,481 in cash from suspected drug sales.

National Baseball Hall of Fame Chairman of the Board Jane Forbes Clark announced that a Hank Aaron statue will be unveiled at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown on May 23. The bronze representation of Aaron will be installed on the first floor of the Museum. Aaron was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1982 following a 23-year big league career with the Braves and Brewers, Aaron launched his 715th career home run 50 years ago today. Aaron’s Hall of Fame plaque made a rare appearance outside of the Hall of Fame Plaque Gallery when it traveled to Atlanta for today’s event, the plaque will also be featured at Truist Park today for fans to view at this evening’s Braves-Mets game.

A.M. NEWS MONDAY 4-8-24

A raccoon tested positive for rabies in the town of Meredith. This is the first laboratory confirmed positive case of rabies in Delaware County in 2024. A rabid raccoon entered a cow barn in the town of Meredith and attacked and bit a cow. The raccoon was sent for testing to the State Department of Health Wadsworth Laboratory. The cow that was attacked and bitten has been euthanized. There were no human exposures, and no other domestic animals were exposed to the rabid raccoon. For more information call 607-832-5200 or visit our website at delawarecountypublichealth.com

Brian Mulder of Union Grove Distillery in Arkville, will appear on Discovery Channel’s Moonshiners: Master Distiller program. 3 distillers from across the United States compete to become Master Distiller. Mulder’s TV debut with Moonshiners: Master Distiller is scheduled to air on April 16th at 10:00 pm on Discovery Channel. Union Grove will host a screening party for the episode a few days later on Saturday, April 20th at 7:30pm.

The State Police are working alongside other state agencies in preparation for the solar eclipse at approximately 3:00 PM today, with a narrow path of totality across Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Watertown, Lake Placid and Plattsburgh. Motorists who must travel in the areas impacted by the eclipse are asked to allow for extra travel time due to expected large volumes of traffic.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 11-15-23

43 year old Misty Cintron and 50 year old Brandon Hendricks, both of Sidney, were indicted for 15 charges by the Delaware County Grand Jury last week. The Indictment charges the pair with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, for possessing $15,000 worth of fentanyl, crack, Methamphetamines and cocaine, with the intent to sell. Cintron was also charged with Tampering with Physical Evidence, Hendricks was also charged with Criminal possession of a weapon for allegedly illegally possessing a 12-gauge shotgun. The last count accuses the pair with having scales & packaging materials for illegally selling drugs.

State Police BCI are asking the public’s assistance in identifying a man who entered Delaware National Bank of Delhi on September 29, 2023 and used a fraudulent ID to withdraw a large sum of money from a customer’s bank account. The male left the bank walking south on Main Street, he is described as a man in his 50’s, bald and wearing a blue long sleeve shirt with black pants. The man was using a cane and appeared to have a limp. A video is available on the State Police Facebook page, anyone with information can contact State Police at Troop C at (607)561-7400.

Broome County Sheriff's Office responded to I-88 west bound near I-81 in Port Dickinson, which was closed for several hours following a multi-vehicle accident this morning near exit 2. The stretch of highway was closed for the investigation & subsequent clean up.

NYSEG crews responded to the report of a blown transformer at their Sidney Substation near Patterson Street. About 3300 were without power for about an hour this morning. This afternoon there were about 330 without power in Sidney and another 60 in Bainbridge. Amphenol 2nd shift workers are asked to report at 7:00 PM this evening, The Sidney Elks lodge is also closed, their member steak night is canceled.

The Broome County Sheriff’s Office is currently looking for Laura Juraska on an outstanding warrant for violating probation on a 2nd degree Grand Larceny charge. Juraska is described as a white female, 5'7" tall, 140 pounds, with red hair & blue eyes, she was last known to frequent the North Broad Street area of the Village of Johnson City. Anyone with information on the location of Juraska can file tips electronically using gobroomecounty.com/sheriff/warrants or by calling the Broome County Sheriff’s Office tip line at (607) 778-1196.

A.M. NEWS Wednesday 11-15-23

The Otsego County Solid Waste Department, Otsego County Conservation Association, and Casella announced that the Film Plastic Recycling Challenge is back, where area schools recycle plastic bags and other plastic film items which cannot be recycled through regular recycling programs. The challenge focuses on collecting clean, dry, plastic film to help keep it out of the landfill, it begins today until April 24th, Winners will be announced on Earth Day in April.

40 year old Jessica Furman formerly of Hancock appeared in Delaware County Court Monday and pleaded guilty to 3rd degree. Furman admitted that she was the manager of a Dollar General store in Hancock and she became addicted to gambling, she deposited $41,000 into her personal bank account instead of the store’s bank account, & lost all of that money gambling. she was sentenced to 5 years of felony probation supervision, she must repay $43,050.00 to Dollar General within 54 months. Failure to do so will result in a violation of probation & a potential state prison sentence of 2 and 1/3 to 7 years.

The Sidney Central School District has revealed its new nickname, During the monthly Board of Education meeting Tuesday night, where a group of students unrolled string backpacks to show the new nickname to the Board. The Sabers were selected out of three finalists, which also included the Lions and Rough Riders. The Sidney School District was 1 of about 60 New York State public school districts that used a nickname or mascot connected to Native Americans, a State Supreme Court ruling in June 2022 established that public school districts are prohibited from utilizing the nicknames and mascots.

Attorney General Letitia James today secured agreements from the nation's largest insulin manufacturers to cap the price of insulin at $35 per monthly prescription for uninsured New Yorkers for 5 years. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General found that From 2002 to 2013, the average list prices for insulin products tripled, about 10% of New Yorkers have diabetes, about 464,000 of them rely on insulin every day.

The Hospice & Palliative Care of Chenango County Spring Plant Sale's deadline to order is tomorrow, for those who would like to have their plants for the May 9th pick up Date, spokesperson Sarah Greene explains:

(Sarah Greene 5-2-23)

Orders can be placed at hospicechenango.org/spring-plant-sale. More information is available at 334-3556.

The General Clinton Canoe Regatta will be held later this month, with canoe races on area waterways & many items of interest at General Clinton park, Co-chair Christine Smith told WCDO News about a new item at this year's Regatta:

(Christine Smith 5-2-23)

The General Clinton Canoe Regatta will be held Friday May 26th through Sunday May 28th this year.

The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce & the Leatherstocking Education Addiction Foundation are teaming up for a discussion on May 17 at the Sidney Memorial Public Library. Delaware County Chamber President Ray Pucci explains:

(Ray Pucci 5-2-23)

Those interested in attending can register by calling Kyleen Joslyn at LEAF at 607-433-0090, extension 108 or email Kyleen.Joslyn@leafinc.org.

A.M. NEWS TUESDAY 5-2-23

Otsego County Sheriff's Office arrested 26 year old Tyler Rose of Exeter for 1st, 2nd & 3rd degree Assault, Unlawful Imprisonment, Criminal Possession of a Weapon, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Aggravated Harassment among other charges, Deputies were dispatched to the West Exeter Fire Department after fire personnel located an adult victim with serious physical injuries, who was transported to Bassett Hospital with multiple fractures, lacerations and contusions. The investigation revealed that the victim was imprisoned at Rose's residence for days while subjected to continued assaults with a variety of tools and implements.

Congressman Marc Molinaro will make local appearances Today. At 11:45 am, Molinaro will tour Amphenol Aerospace in Sidney & at 1:45 pm he will meet with students at the Delaware Academy Central School District at Delhi.

The Commissioners of the Delaware County Board of Elections will hold a public meeting at their offices at 97 Main Street, Suite 5, in Delhi as 12:00 Noon. The Commissioners are expected to make a final determination on the validity of the petition for District Attorney candidate Joe Ermeti, who is seeking the Republican Party nomination, if his petition is approved, he will face acting DA Shawn Smith in a Republican Party Primary on June 27th.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 3-8-23

Norwich Police Department's new Chief Reuben Roach was sworn in by City of Norwich Mayor Brian Doliver Tuesday. Roach has had a 19-year career in law enforcement, serving in multiple positions over his career.

The Broome County Sheriff’s Office is currently looking for Brian Dart on multiple outstanding warrants and asking the residents of Broome County for assistance. Dart was last known to frequent the Route 7 area of Port Crane. Anyone with information on the location of Brian Dart is asked to contact the Broome County Sheriff’s Office. Dart is described as a white male, 5’ 5”, about 205 lbs with blue eyes, brown hair, he is wanted for Criminal Contempt, Burglary, Aggravated Harassment, Criminal Mischief, anyone with information can go to gobroomecounty.com/sheriff/warrants or call the Broome County Sheriff's Office tip line at 607-778-1911.

SUNY Oneonta & the Sidney Central School District have set up a teacher pipeline initiative to bring SUNY Education students into the Sidney School District, which could lead to a teaching position in Sidney for the SUNY graduates, Sidney Superintendent Eben Bullock explains:

(Eben Bullock 3-8-23)

Bullock said that the program started last fall and doubled in size from 22 students in the fall to 22 students on campus and 19 working at the Pre-K off campus program at the Cullman Center this spring. Bullock said that there has been a teacher shortage and this program may help alleviate that issue in Sidney.

A Cortland man charged with DWI after colliding with Broome Sheriff’s Office patrol car in the Town of Lisle Sunday. Additional Sheriff’s deputies responded to the accident, conducted the investigation and interviewed the driver, 26 year4 old Zackary Kohout of Cortland. Kohout was arrested and charged with Driving While Intoxicated, Following Too Closely, Speed Not Reasonable & Prudent, & Consumption of Alcohol in a Motor Vehicle, he was arraigned and released on an appearance ticket for the Town of Lisle Court later this month. The deputy whose patrol car was struck sustained minor injuries and was transported to Wilson Hospital for evaluation. He was subsequently treated and released.

19th District Congressman Marc Molinaro announced that Opportunities for Otsego will receive $4.3 million dollars. The funds will be used to support the Head Start program, which provides early childhood education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to children from low-income families.

A.M. NEWS Wednesday 3-8-23

Broome County District Attorney Mike Korchak announced that Michael Seaman of New Berlin pleaded guilty in Broome County Court to felony Attempted Assault. Seaman admitted that on October 18, 2022, in the Town of Fenton he attempted to cause serious injury to an 18-year-old male by stabbing him in the leg with a knife during a road rage altercation. The victim was hospitalized and required surgery. Seaman will serve 4 years in State prison followed by 5 years post release supervision, he also waived his right to appeal. He will be sentenced on May 24th.

Delaware County District Attorney's Office announced the conviction of 43 year old Jonathan Sanchez of Meredith for criminal contempt, harassment. Sanchez was accused of contacting a protected party who had an order of protection filed against him, he is accused of violating that order, he will remain incarcerated at the Delaware County Correctional Facility until an opening at a rehabilitation center becomes available, where he will spend a 3 year term of probation supervision.

Binghamton Police Department responded to the report of shots fired & a vehicle fleeing the scene. The vehicle was eventually stopped, with Skylar Pierre Louis and Juan Genao in the vehicle. Drugs, drug paraphernalia and money were also found in the car. Genao was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance and Criminal Use of Drug Paraphernalia, Louis was charged with Unlawfully Fleeing a Police Officer in a Motor Vehicle, the investigation is continuing and more charges are expected.

The Delaware County Office for the Aging announced that there annual Big Wheels Golf Tournament will be held on Friday May 12th ant the Delhi College Golf Course. The event is the primary fundraiser for the office for the aging, registration is available by calling 607-832-5750.

A free virtual job fair will be held today from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Businesses in 6 area counties are looking to fill positions, including in Chenango, Delaware, and Otsego Counties. The online Fair is sponsored by the Workforce Development Board, more information is available at working-solutions.org.

P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 12-29-22

The State Health Department continues to see a high positivity rate for COVID 19 testing across the state. The most recent test period had over 3600 positive tests out of 38,200 tested, for an 8.66% rate. Patient hospitalization have surged back up to over 3800. with 403 ICU patients & 179 on ventilators, and 128 deaths reported at hospitals & nursing homes.

Schenevus Central School District Superintendent Theresa Carlin resigned during a special board of education meeting earlier this week. Carlin's resignation takes effect on Saturday, she has served as the Schenevus Superintendent since 2018.

Delaware County Chamber of Commerce is exploring the possibility of public transportation. A survey is currently available regarding what county residents have or need for transpiration, some County residents are using the GetThere mobility program, more information is available t For more information at gettherescny.org or 833-373-4040.

State Police are reminding state residents that if they get a fundraising call from someone claiming to be with the State Police, the call is a scam. State Police will never solicit funds by phone, email or social media, anyone who receives such a call should hang up.

A.M. NEWS Thursday 12-29-22

The Otsego County Office of Emergency Services announced that resources were deployed to assist Erie County recover from a historic series of storms. On Tuesday, Otsego County Special Operations Team members were activated to respond with equipment & personnel for a 72-hour deployment to assist with stranded residents or those in need of medical attention. On Wednesday, December 28, Otsego County Highway Department deployed 10 personnel with various pieces of equipment to assist with the clearing of roadways and impassable streets, they are expected to be working 12-hour periods each session into Monday

An American Red Cross Blood Drive is being held today at the A.O. Fox Tri-Town Campus, from 1:30 PM to 6:30 PM, in the Conference Room N-112. The Red Cross is experiencing a blood shortage due to the cancellation of blood drives and has issued an emergency request for all blood types. Appointments may be made at redcrossblood.org, or by calling 1-800-RedCross (1-800-733-2767).

The New York Textile Act goes into effect in the new year. The Act aims to accelerate the growth of the animal and plant fiber growing, processing, and textile manufacturing industry in New York, it includes expanding annual farm recognition awards, state procurement process training for small businesses, It goes into effect January 1.

The New York State Thruway re-opened to traffic yesterday in Western New York, as crews have cleared the roads after the recent 4 foot snowstorm. The City of Buffalo lifted it's travel ban today, as crews from all over the state are assisting with removing cars that were stuck.

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 9-13-22

Residents of the Sidney Central School District are voting today on an 8 Million Dollar project dealing with outdoor spaces, playgrounds, Tennis Courts & parking. Voting today from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM in the Sidney High School Cafeteria, the project would be paid for by State Aid, a Capital Reserve Fund, with no affect to taxpayers.

Chenango County Sheriff's Office arrested 34 year old Kaitlyn Franklin of Sherburne for Harassment and Endangering the Welfare of a Child. Franklin is accused of subjecting a female under the age of 17 years old to unwanted physical contact, she was arrested without incident, processed, and released on an appearance ticket to appear in the Village of Sherburne Court at a later date.

The Sidney Chamber of Commerce will hold a Cruise In & Vendor Marketplace this Saturday in downtown Sidney, Chamber President Teri Schunk told WCDO News that Vendors can sign up at no charge:

(Teri Schunk 9-13-22)

More information is available by calling the Sidney Chamber at 607-561-2642 or by email: Office@SidneyChamber.org.

The Bainbridge-Guilford Board of Education voted to honor former soccer coach and technology teacher, Peter Feltham, by naming the soccer field after him, BG Board of Education President Keith Hanvey explains:

(Keith Hanvey 9-13-22)

Coach Feltham was recently diagnosed with brain cancer and is undergoing treatments. The dedication will be this Friday, People can visit with Coach Feltham at 5:00 PM followed by the dedication at 6:00 PM, followed by the varsity boys’ soccer game at 7:00 PM. Coach Feltham was instrumental in starting the soccer program at B-G 30 years ago and has been involved with the program ever since.

The Broome County’s District Attorney’s Office announced that 23 year old Muhammad Aziz of Johnson City pleaded guilty to Criminal Possession of a weapon, State Police executed a search warrant at the Aziz residence on June 15th in Johnson City, police confiscated cocaine, methamphetamine and an illegal firearm. Aziz will be sentenced on December 12th.

A.M. NEWS TUESDAY 9-13-22

In Monday's State COVID 19 report, Governor Hochul announced that masking will now be optional in multiple settings, including on public transportation, for-hire vehicles, airports, homeless shelters, correctional facilities, and detention centers. Masks will continue to be required at adult care and health care facilities. In Monday's testing, the positivity rate decreased to 6.95%, the 7-Day Average rate was 6.56%, Patient Hospitalization were down to 2,143, with 230 ICU Patients & 84 on Ventilators, there were 30 deaths in Hospitals & nursing homes from the virus.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies observed a vehicle fail to dim its headlights when approaching oncoming traffic Saturday Night. Deputies stopped 20-year-old Louis Manzanares of Uniondale, , whose driver’s license was suspended. Deputies arrested Manzanares for Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle, Failure to Dim Lights and Uninspected Motor Vehicle, he was released and is scheduled to appear before the Town of Delhi Court at a later date.

Delaware County Sheriff's Office arrested 56-year-old Carolyn Brenna of Colchester, back on August 29th, after Deputies received a complaint from a female party where people on her property and refused to leave. Brenna allegedly purchased alcoholic beverages for minors, which they consumed at her residence, became intoxicated, resulting in the disturbance. Deputies charged Brenna with 2 counts of Criminal Nuisance 1 count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, she was processed and released on an Appearance Ticket returnable to the Town of Colchester Court at a later date.

P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 8-18-22

Delaware County Clean Sweep returns in October for County residents to properly dispose of hazardous materials, Delaware County Solid Waste Coordinator Tyson Robb explains:

(Tyson Robb 8-18-22)

Registration is underway online at cleansweepdelaware.eventbrite.com, farms & businesses will bring their items on Friday October 7th, households on Saturday October 8th.

The Village of Sidney DPW announced that East Main Street is closed today between Chestnut Street and Main Street, to repair a service leak, officials hope to have the road was re-opened to traffic early this afternoon.

Former Governor Andrew Cuomo won a lawsuit Tuesday in which he challenged New York’s defunct JCOPE agency’s attempt to seize his profits from a $5.1 million book deal his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. JCOPE determined that Cuomo improperly used state staff and resources while writing his 2020 memoir, "American Crisis.” they ordered him to surrender his compensation to the state. Albany County Supreme Court Justice Denise Hartman ruled in Favor of Cuomo Tuesday, JCOPE no longer exists & current Governor Kathy Hochul is looking to establish a new ethics commission.

The State Department of Labor announced that safety inspections of amusement rides statewide have been underway as the peak of fair season approaches. The Great New York State Fair starts on August 24th, Labor Department inspectors have been on site performing pre-inspections, with staff also meeting with vendors prior to Opening Day to go over safety precautions.

The Bainbridge Guilford Central School District Board of Education meeting originally scheduled for tonight, has been postponed, the next meeting will be held on Thursday August 25th at 6:00 PM at the Guilford Elementary school.

A.M. NEWS THURSDAY 8-18-22

Governor Hochul announced that the VaxtoSchool campaign will begin soon, in order to get children vaccinated against COVID before the start of school. The latest COVID Positivity rates were just under 8%, the 7 day average was down to 5.72%, Patient Hospitalization were 2,509, with 249 ICU Patients, 96 on Ventilators, there were 24 deaths reported from nursing homes & hospitals.

Tri-Town Theater will be holding auditions for "Oliver" next week in Sidney, Director Wilson Wells visited the WCDO Studios to talk about the auditions & the number of people needed for this Production:

(Wilson Wells 8-18-22)

Performance Dates for "Oliver" are November 18, 19, and 20. More information is available at the Tri-town Theater Facebook Page.

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 5-17-22

Bassett Healthcare Network warns parents to be aware of the right and wrong approaches to the during the baby formula shortage. Fox Hospital Pediatrician Dr. Bill Fredette told WCDO News that parents should NOT water down existing formula to stretch out supplies, they should avoid using home-made recipes online for baby formula, which commonly lack required nutrients, he did suggest what new parents should try to do:

(Dr. Bill Fredette 5-17-22)

Abbott Laboratories and the FDA reached a deal Monday to restart production of baby formula at the Michigan plant that has been shut down after the recall, where 2 babies died from a rare bacterial issue traced back to that Abbott plant months ago. Dr. Fredette said that to HealthyChildren.org is a good source for information, but the best is to consult with your own pediatrician. WCDO will air the full interview with Dr. Fredette tomorrow morning at about 8:40 AM.

School Budgets are being voted on across the state today, Unatego Superintendent Dr. Dave Richards told WCDO News about their budget proposal:

(Dave Richards 5-17-22)

Polls will be open at the Unatego District Office at 2641 State Highway 7 in Otego until 9:00 pm

The Sidney School District has submitted a 28.7 Million Dollar Budget that voters are deciding on today, which represents a 3.9% increase over last year, but with no increase to the tax levy, according to Superintendent Eben Bullock:

(Eben Bullock 5-17-22)

Bullock said that 3 people are running for 2 seats on the school board, voting will be until 8:00 PM at the Sidney High School Cafeteria.

The State Police in Troop “C” will be holding their Memorial Service tomorrow, at 11 AM, at the their State Route 7 facilities. Troop C has been holding this event in May for many years, to honor the deceased members of Troop C during the Memorial Day holiday period.

Friends of Rogers in Sherburne was this week’s winner of a $2,000 grant from Upstate Shredding through their philanthropic endeavor; Southern Tier Tuesdays. Friends of Rogers is a nonprofit organization with a variety of nature based programs & exhibits held year-round.

A.M. NEWS Tuesday 5-17-22

School Budget votes will be held around the state today, some district also have propositions for capital improvements or vehicle purchases, many also have Board of Education seats to decide on. At the Bainbridge Guilford District, Superintendent Tim Ryan told WCDO News that they were able to keep the tax levy under the state cap and maintain staffing:

(Tim Ryan 5-17-22)

BG voters will vote at the Greenlawn or Guilford Elementary school from 12:00 Noon to 9:00 PM today on their 21.4 Million Dollar Budget proposal, & a vehicle purchase proposition.

The State Office of General Services announced that surplus vehicle auctions have been scheduled through the month of July. The 1st auction is today at 249 Glenwood Road, Binghamton & tomorrow at the State Department of Transportation 241 Colesville Road and on Tuesday, July 12th at State Police Troop C Headquarters on State Route 7, between Sidney & Unadilla. All auctions are scheduled to begin at 9:30 AM, more information is available at ogs.ny.gov/nysstore,

The Bainbridge Chamber of Commerce will hold their next meeting Today @ 7:30 am at the back of Bob's Diner. Chamber members & Directors are urged to attend.

The Otsego County Department of Emergency Services announced that Dry ice and bottled water will be available for pick up this evening at the Unadilla fire station and the West Exeter fire station from 6 PM – 9 PM or while supplies last. They also announced that the Emergency shelter at the Armory in will cease operations tomorrow, at 12 Noon. The Clark’s Sports Center will remain open until further notice. Edmeston Central School will be open this evening from 5:00M – 9 PM for Edmeston residents to come and get warm, get a hot meal and a hot shower.

4Towns Forward will hold their Community Yard Sales Saturday, spokesperson Teri Schunk told WCDO news where people will be set up:

(Teri Schunk 4-21-22)

The event runs from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm in Afton, Bainbridge, Sidney & Unadilla.

SFCU announced that they have expanded its field of membership to an additional 4 counties, they are Onondaga, Cortland, Essex and Hamilton counties. SFCU Vice President of Sales & Marketing Andrew Smith told WCDO News how this happened:

(Andrew Smith 4-21-22)

Smith said that people in the 4 Counties can take advantage of SFCU Memberships immediately, future locations of new facilities have not yet been determined, more information on SFCU can be found at www.sfcuonline.org.

Friends of Rogers Environmental Education Center is hosting an Earth Fair today through Saturday at the Rogers Center in Sherburne, Spokesperson Heather Tehan explains:

(Heather Tehan 4-12-22)

Tehan said that the Friends of Rogers Visitor Center will have all of the activities, Seasonal hours of the Visitor Center are from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

40 organizations in the region were awarded grants totaling $287,684 from the Community Foundation for South Central New York. Funded Organizations included museums, theater groups, libraries, human service agencies, animal welfare organizations, chambers of commerce, food banks, housing programs, and public safety agencies and other nonprofits, municipalities, and school districts. More information about the Foundation can be found on its website at www.donorswhocare.org.

A.M. NEWS THURSDAY 4-21-22

Attorney General Letitia James distributed the 1st round of payments from the opioid settlements to the Southern Tier. In 2022, the Southern Tier will receive a total of $4.8 million, from the $1.5 billion settlement Attorney General James secured with the manufacturers and distributors of opioids for prevention efforts. Later this year, the Southern Tier will receive additional payments from the settlements with Endo Health Solutions, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and Allergan. Locally Broome County receives $1.6 Million dollars, Chenango County, $308,000, Delaware County: $327,000.

The Board of Trustees of Hartwick College announced today that they have selected Darren Reisberg, executive vice president and chief strategy officer at the Joyce Foundation, as the College’s 11th president, he will take office on August 1, replacing Dr. Margaret Drugovich, who announced her retirement earlier this after serving as Hartwick College President for 14 years.

Delaware County Sheriff Craig DuMond awarded Deputy Samantha Acuna with the Sheriff’s Superstar Award for meritorious service while in the performance of duty. On April 8th, Deputy Acuna was dispatched to a “routine” welfare check following a call to 911 with an “open line”. Upon gaining entrance to the residence, Deputy Acuna found a male victim suffering from an apparent stroke, rendered first aid and immediately called for medical assistance, and likely saved the victim’s life.

State Police members from Troop C removed 42 impaired drivers from the roadways in the Southern Tier in March. The majority of the charges stem from misdemeanor Driving While Intoxicated charges, several people were charged with other crimes, including robbery, and drug possession.

42-year-old Jeremie Hoyt of Davenport, New York, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to 2 counts of sexual exploitation of a child, 2 counts of distribution of child pornography, and 1 count of possession of child pornography. Hoyt is being held pending sentencing scheduled for August 24, 2022, he faces at least 15 years and up to 110 years imprisonment on the charges, and a fine of up to $250,000.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 2-9-22

Governor Kathy Hochul announced the end of the indoor mask mandate in New York State effective tomorrow. Previously, the state had required masks to be worn inside businesses where vaccination status was not being checked. The mandate will remain in effect at homeless shelters, healthcare centers, state-run nursing homes, schools and childcare centers, and correctional facilities. Statewide COVID-19 Cases Down 93% Since January 7th Peak, the COVID-19 Hospitalizations is down 63% since the peak on January 12th, the positivity rate for COVID 19 tests decreased to 3.67% on Tuesday

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced the reintroduction of the STOCK Act 2.0 earlier today. The original STOCK Act strengthened disclosure rules and prevented public servants, including members of Congress, their families, and their staff, from using their access for self-enrichment. The STOCK Act 2.0 would impose additional disclosure requirements and restrictions for high level officials to ensure that members of Congress and public servants aren’t lining their pockets with taxpayer dollars.

Edmeston Fire Fighters responded to a structure fire Tuesday evening at 9:00 PM. The fire was reported near State Route 80 and Dinky Joe Road, the structure was completely destroyed, no injuries have been reported & the cause of the fire is under investigation.

The Chamber Alliance of New York State, a statewide association of over 70 Chambers of Commerce, has elected Kerri Green, President and CEO of Commerce Chenango, to its Board of Directors. Green officially began her term last month, she has been with Commerce Chenango since August 2019. The Chamber Alliance of NYS is an association of Chambers of Commerce dedicated to providing members with education and insight into the latest trends and issues, as well as a forum with Chambers to connect and collaborate throughout the State.

20 year old Makahi Bryant of Brooklyn, was sentenced today in a federal court in Binghamton unemployment fraud. Bryant made thousands of dollars in illegal transactions when he was a student at SUNY Delhi, he admitted that he obtained 2 debit cards containing unemployment insurance benefits by the state of California, he illegally made over $13,000 in transactions using the debit cards for cash or other items. Bryant was sentenced to 3 years probation, 60 hours of community and he was ordered to pay restitution to California.

A.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 2-9-22

The City of Norwich recently won a 10 Million Dollar Downtown Revitalization Initiative Grant, to help transform the downtown area & boost the city’s economy. The Local Planning Committee will have its next meeting through ZOOM this afternoon at 3:00 PM, more information is available by calling Commerce Chenango at 334-1400.

The Sidney Central School District will be holding 2 COVID-19 at-home test kit distributions, with a drive-thru service at the Jr./Sr. High School horseshoe parking lot. The distributions dates will be Today from 11:00am-1:00pm and Thursday, from 11:00am-1:00pm. Anyone unable to make the distribution times and need at-home test kits, should call the Elementary Main Office (607) 561-7701 or the Jr./Sr. High School Main Office (607) 561-7703.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies on Patrol on State Highway 97 in the Town of Hancock last Friday observed a pick up truck driving in a reckless manner in the parking lot of a commercial facility. At the conclusion of their investigation, Sheriff’s Deputies determined that the operator, 21-year old Porter Crawson, of Long Eddy was operating his motor vehicle while both his driver’s license and registration were suspended. Crawson was charged with Aggravated Unlicensed Operation and Operating with a Suspended Registration. Crawson was later released on traffic tickets returnable to the Town of Hancock Court at a later date.

An off-duty sheriff’s deputy and his 21-year-old son were killed and the deputy’s wife was in critical condition Tuesday after the three were shot inside their home. Off-duty Onondaga County Deputy Isaac Eames was found shot to death inside his home in the town of Clay at about 7:30 a.m. Monday, the deputy’s wife, 46 year old Karen Eames and son, 21 year old Troy Eames were also shot inside the home and were taken to Upstate University Hospital. Troy Eames died later Monday and his mother was listed in critical condition, The investigation is continuing.

P.M. NEWS Thursday 8-12-21

New York Attorney General Letitia James and the U.S. Department of Labor announced landmark agreements with United Healthcare to resolve allegations that United unlawfully denied health care coverage for mental health and substance use disorder treatment for thousands of Americans. United will pay approximately $14.3 million in restitution to consumers affected by the policies, including $9 million to more than 20,000 New Yorkers with behavioral health conditions who received denials or reductions in reimbursement.

Catholic Charities Sidney office is taking pre-registration through tomorrow for their School Supplies & Backpack Program for the 2021-2022 school year. Households who have children enrolled in the Sidney Central School district and meet our income requirements may qualify for FREE school supplies and backpack, call 604-4071 for more information.

Downtown Norwich continues with the Thursday evening NBT Bank’s free Summer Concert Series. The weekly musical performances are presented by the Chenango Blues Association, to East Park, tonight, Johnson & Johnson 1-shot COVID vaccines are available from UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital. “We will have several doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on-hand on a first come, first serve basis with no appointment necessary, set up opposite the stage near the gazebo; from 6:30 pm. to 8:30 pm., for those 18 & older.

State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli today announced the audit of the Town of Butternuts. The audit found that the board did not provide adequate oversight of the disbursement process and exceeded its authority under New York State Town Law by authorizing insurance claims and annual contracts to be paid before audit and approval. The board also exceeded its authority by allowing a third-party vendor direct access to the town's bank account that, at times, had more than $500,000 on deposit. In addition, the board allowed debit cards to be used, which resulted in a circumvention of the town's disbursement controls. Auditors found that the142 disbursements totaling $142,200 they reviewed were for proper purposes and adequately supported. However, the board, did not audit and approve 53 of these claims totaling $15,600 before payment as required.

Delaware County Sheriff's Office announced that State Route 206, between the Village of Walton and Lower Third Brook Road, was closed to traffic for several hours Tuesday morning as a result of a tractor trailer accident. At approximately 9:30 am., Tuesday morning, Deputies, members of the Walton Volunteer Fire Department and Emergency Squad and State DOT workers responded, the driver, 59 year-old Rogelio Rodriguez, of Decatur, Indiana, was driving an empty milk tanker when he momentarily took his eyes off the road causing the truck to strike the guide cables and a tree. Rodriquez was not injured in the collision.

Delaware County Sheriff's Office announced that a Downsville man is facing a charge of criminal contempt following a report of a domestic dispute in the Town of Colchester. On Tuesday evening, Deputies responded in the Town of Colchester, 53 year-old Michael Colao, of Downsville violated the terms of an order of protection issued by Delaware County Family Court. Colao was charged with criminal contempt, he was released & will appear in the Colchester Town Court on a later date.

Delaware County Sheriff's Office arrested 21 year-old Shawn Zimmerman, of Gloversville, for endangering the welfare of a child and forcible touching, Zimmerman is accused of inappropriately touching a juvenile female in the Village of Stamford. Zimmerman was arraigned in the Town of Harpersfield Court where he was issued a temporary order of protection prohibiting him from having contact with the victim, he was released in his own recognizance pending a future appearance in that court.

Due to an increased spread of COVID-19, Chenango County is requiring mandatory face masks in all County Buildings and Offices at the start of business on Monday, August 16, 2021. All employees and members of the public (vaccinated and unvaccinated) fall under this requirement. It is also at this time recommended that Chenango County businesses, organizations and schools immediately implement a face mask requirement for their vaccinated and unvaccinated employees, patrons and students.

Otsego County is currently at a SUBSTANTIAL level of community transmission, and is on the verge of becoming HIGH level of community transmission. CDC & Otsego County Department of Health recommends everyone to wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission, to maximize protection from the Delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others. This week there have been several cases of individuals having a repeat COVID-19 infection. This occurs when someone is infected with COVID-19 and 90 or more days later tests positive again for COVID-19. These repeat infections are mostly occurring in unvaccinated individuals. This reinforces that immunity from natural infection diminishes after 90 days. It is important if you have had COVID-19 and are not vaccinated please consider getting vaccinated to prevent a reinfection. In Otsego County. there are 82 active cases, 19 new cases reported today, with 5 hospitalized, there have been 2614 total cases in 2021.

A.M. NEWS Thursday 8-12-21

Broome County Sheriff’s Office responded to a fatal motorcycle crash Tuesday night in West Corners at Glendale Drive & Campville Road at 11:44 pm. 42-year-old Jason Krissel of the Town of Union was ejected off of his motorcycle & was pronounced dead, Krissel applied the brakes aggressively at the intersection, after traveling at a high rate of speed. The investigation is continuing.

The State Education Department today released a health and safety guide to help schools and school districts as they plan for the 2021-22 school year. The guide provides strategies, based on information from the Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics, to position schools and districts to manage the risks for students and staff from COVID-19. The health and safety guide, as well as other back to school resources, are available on the Department’s Back to School website.

Bassett Healthcare Network’s FoxCare Center in Oneonta remains closed today due to a water outage. Officials say all patients with scheduled appointments will continue to be contacted by their provider’s offices. Pharmacy patients are encouraged to call the Cooperstown clinic at 607-547-5127 for medication assistance.

The Unadilla Cadette Girl Scout Troop is putting together Emergency packets for residents to fill out & put on their refrigerator, in Emergency personnel responding to any kind of emergency, Troop Spokesperson Nicole Seymour explains:

(Nicole Seymour 5-20-21)

Community members will be able to pick up the Girl Scouts Emergency Packets at the Unadilla Fire House on Saturday June 5th from 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon, more  information is available at 760-8408.

The Morris Central School Board of Education appointed Dr. Shannon Babbie as the district’s next Superintendent of Schools.  Babbie will succeed Matthew Sheldon, who is finishing his 12th year of service at Morris,  Babbie will assume his new position on July 1st.

The Statewide COVID-19 Positivity rate dropped below 1% Wednesday after 186,000 tests were conducted.  The rate dropped to .85%, the lowest since last September  11th, the 7 day rolling average has declined for the last 45 days.  Hospitalizations dropped to 1490, there were 339 ICU patients, 208 were on ventilators, there were 18 deaths attributed to the virus Wednesday.

A.M. NEWS THURSDAY 5-20-21

Chenango County Public Health announced that they have administered 6267 COVID Vaccines so far, 44.2% of the Chenango County Population has received at least 1 vaccine dose.   Public Health will have 70 first doses of Moderna vaccine at the Old Label Shopper store in Norwich from 2:30 to 4:00 PM today, by appointment only at co.chenango.ny.us/public-health.  More information is available at 337-1660 or on their Facebook page.

Sidney Police Department and the Sidney Fire Department responded Last Sunday Morning to 242 Bird Ave for a report of a vehicle fire. After a preliminary investigation it was determined the cause of the fire to be intentional. The investigation is ongoing. The Sidney Police Department is asking that if anyone has any information to contact the Sidney Police Department at 607 561-2301.

State Police are searching for 15-year-old Adrianna Leidecker,  who was last seen at a residence on Hyde Street in Whitney Point.  It is believed that Adrianna left the residence sometime after 1:00 a.m., she has runaway on several other occasions, she was previously been located in the Dryden area and in Pennsylvania.  Anyone who knows the whereabouts of Leidecker should contact State Police at 775-1241.

P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 3-11-21

Sidney Village Police, Delaware County Sheriff's Office & State Parole arrested 40 year old James Reigles of Sidney Tuesday on 5 counts of Criminal possession of a controlled substance & 1 count of Criminal Possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell.  Police seized methamphetamines, suboxone packing materials & drug paraphernalia during a search of Reigles' residence.   Reigles was arraigned in Village of Sidney Court, he was released on his own recognizance & was then turned over to New York State Parole, more charges may be forthcoming & the investigation is ongoing.

Chenango County Public Health reported 17 new COVID 19 cases today, they have had a total of 2527 cases in the year since COVID hit New York State, they report 75 Active Cases, 257 Quarantines & 9 hospitalized.

Domestic travelers will no longer be required to quarantine after entering New York from another U.S. State or U.S. Territory starting April 1st.   The State Department of Health still recommends quarantine after domestic travel as an added precaution, Mandatory quarantine remains in effect for international travelers. All travelers must continue to fill out the Traveler Health Form at coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19-travel-advisory. Individuals should continue to wear masks, practice socially distancing and avoid gatherings.

SUNY Oneonta’s educational technology specialist program has been named among the Top 50 Master's in K-12 Education Degree Programs for 2021 by Intelligent.com. SUNY Oneonta’s graduates meet the educational requirements to be recommended for professional teaching certification, they are also eligible for initial certification as Educational Technology Specialists.  The rankings are calculated through a scoring system that evaluates student engagement, the potential return on investment, the complete Top 50 list can be found intelligent.com.

A.M. NEWS Thursday 3-11-21

The New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment will meet by Webcast on Today, at 10:30 A.M.  The Siting Board agenda includes the Application of High Bridge Wind, LLC for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need, to construct a Wind Powered Electric Generating Facility in the Town of Guilford.  The webcast can be accessed on the Internet at dps.ny.gov/Webcasts.html.

Delaware County Public Health reported 18 new COVID cases out of 358 tested Wednesday, they report 13 hospitalized, 125 active cases and 265 quarantined.

The Sidney Central School District was just notified that a 9th grade student and a staff have tested positive for COVID-19. They have not been on campus since 2/25 and 3/3 respectively. The Health Department has conducted an investigation and the contact tracing has been completed. There will be no change to the instructional model at this time.

The Otsego County Department of Health announced that in light of Governor Cuomo's announcement, local health departments can vaccinate anyone that is eligible & the county will no longer collect names or emails. Beginning next week, all clinic announcements will be made on the Otsego County Public Health mobile app, Facebook, The Otsego county website or through local media.  The Otsego Health Department Mobile App can be downloaded free at the iOS/Android app store.

P.M. NEWS FRIDAY 1-8-21

Governor Cuomo held a COVID 19 briefing today in Albany, he said that the Hospitals need extra help in ramping up the vaccinations of 1A & 1B workers, starting Monday, they will get that help:

(Cuomo 1-8-21)

The Governor said that there were over 243,000 COVID tests administered Thursday, with over 18,700 positives, 8500 hospitalizations, over 1400 in an ICU & 912 on ventilators, there were 161 deaths Thursday from the virus.

Chenango County Public Health reported 7 news deaths form COVID-19 Thursday, bringing their death toll to 28, they had 36 new cases reported, bringing the total number of cases to 1393. Chenango County has 190 total cases, 15 are hospitalized, and 452 are quarantined.

The Broome County Health Department continues to see an increase in COVID 19 cases, with more than 1100 new cases since start of the New Year. They are up to 9090 cases and 189 deaths from the virus, 58 of the deaths have come since the end of November. The county has had over 7400 recoveries and they are monitoring over 220 people.

Bainbridge Guilford School Superintendent Tim Ryan is holding a Zoom Meeting with parents today, regarding how the school district is dealing with the uptick in Chenango County COVID cases, he told WCDO News that their hybrid model seems to be working well:

(Tim Ryan 1-8-21)

Ryan said that they have had 4 students recently test positive, 2 of those were remote only students & they did not expose anyone in the school itself.

Governor Cuomo announced that New York has administered approximately 430,000 vaccine doses, New York hospitals had previously jumped from administering an average of 10,000 doses per day to approximately a high of 50,000 per day on Wednesday & Thursday. Hospital staffs are in the first phase for getting the COVID 19 vaccines.

A new session of Congress is underway but the seat for the New York 22nd District in the House of Representatives remains empty. Oswego County Supreme Court Justice Scott DelConte continues to review challenged ballots, the most recent tally had Republican Claudia Tenney with a slim lead over incumbent Democrat Anthony Brindisi, there will be no Representative in the 22nd district until Judge DelConte renders a final decision on the disputed ballots.

State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli is urging New Yorkers to read the fine print for details about fees and expiration dates, and to spend the gift cards in a timely fashion. If gift cards expire, the money would get turned over to the Office of Unclaimed Funds. New Yorkers should visit osc.state.ny.us to see if they are owed money from unused Gift cards or for other reasons. The state currently has 16 Billion Dollars in unclaimed funds.

A.M. NEWS FRIDAY 1-8-21

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer is demanding President Donald Trump be removed from office immediately following a violent protest in Washington D.C. Wednesday.

(Schumer 1-8-21)

5 people were killed, many were injured & there were over 50 arrests after rioters supporting President Trump breached the US Capitol building to defy the election results as members of congress validated the electoral votes Wednesday.

Governor Cuomo released statistics regarding Wednesday's statewide COVID 19 tests; over 238,000 tests were conducted with over 17,600 positive, which was 7.39% of all tested, there were 8,548 Patient Hospitalizations Statewide with 1,424 Patients in the ICU; & 859 Intubated on ventilators, 197 COVID-19 Deaths were reported Wednesday.

The Sidney Central School District reported 2 new COVID 19 cases, they report 2 middle school students are presumed positive, they have not been on campus since Monday, January 4th. The Delaware County Health officials have conducted an investigation and the contact tracing has been completed. There will be no change to the instructional model at this time.

Otsego County Department of Health reported 25 new cases of COVID Thursday, they have 16 hospitalized and there were 2 more deaths, bringing the County total to 20.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 11-25-20

State health department tested over 173,000 New Yorkers Tuesday, with 6265 testing positive, or 3.6% of all tested.  41 died from the virus Tuesday, the state death toll is 26,482 & 2982 are hospitalized.

Broome County Health Department reported 85 more cases of COVID 19 today; they have had a total of 4937 cases.  They report 116 deaths, 4202 recoveries & about 2900 are being monitored by the department.

Rockefeller the Owl was released back into the wild early this morning.  The owl made the trip from West Oneonta to New York City on the tree that will be the official Rockefeller Center Christmas tree this year, the owl was found by workers & was turned over to the Ravensbeard Wildlife Center in Saugerties, it is expected to acclimate itself to the local Owl Population.

The Norwich City School District Board of Education announced that Scott Ryan will be the next Superintendent of the District; Ryan is expected to take over for Interim Superintendent Diana Bowers in January.

Oswego State Supreme Court Justice Scott DelConte has ordered an injunction stopping the review of ballots in the 22nd Congressional District race between Anthony Brindisi & Claudia Tenney.  Judge DelConte stated that any new motions need to be filed by the campaigns’ attorneys by 5:00 p.m. Monday, November 30th; however, the State Board of Elections set a deadline of November 28th for county boards of elections to certify and transmit their election returns to the state.  Tenney was leading Brindisi by about 200 votes when the counting of absentee ballots was stopped.

A.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 11-25-20

Otsego County Department of Health reported 21 new COVID 19 Cases reported Tuesday, 42 recent cases are linked to the Copper Fox in Oneonta, the department also reports a Potential exposure to COVID at the Red Jug Pub on Friday November 20th, patrons at that time should monitor for symptoms until December 4th.  Currently, Otsego County has had 1236 total confirmed cases, with 115 active cases, 6 hospitalized; there have been 8 deaths since March.  764 cases are linked to SUNY Oneonta & 71 confirmed cases linked to Hartwick College

Oneonta City School District announced that they have learned of a 5th staff member COVID 19 positive case & 1 confirmed case in a student. All District schools will go fully remote until Tuesday, January 19th & then return to hybrid instruction on January 19th.  81 students are in quarantine & 27 staff members are also in quarantine.   Meal distribution will continue to take place at the designated meal distribution points on Wednesdays.

Delaware County Public Health announced that they had 9 more cases of COVID 19 Tuesday, with 5 hospitalizations, 49 active cases & 222 in quarantine.  Delaware County has had 324 total cases of COVID 19, with 266 recoveries & 9 deaths.

The Sidney Central School District has been notified that 3 members of the District have tested positive for COVID-19. The Department of Health Services is conducting and completing the contact tracing. The Health Department will be contacting people impacted by a potential exposure. There will be no change to the instructional model at this time. The district is working in collaboration with local health departments to make sure all necessary procedures are followed.

The State Department of Labor released preliminary local area unemployment rates for October, the State’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased from 9.7% to 9.6%. Locally, Chenango County had 5% unemployment, Delaware County had 5.2% and Otsego County had 5.6% in October.

State Senator Jen Metzger of the 42nd Senate District, conceded the race to Republican Michael Martucci Tuesday.  There were 30,000 absentee ballots that needed to be counted in that district; the results confirmed Martucci's Election Day lead in the race.

The Delaware County Board of Supervisors adopted the county budget at their meeting Tuesday, several department heads received pay raises.  The budget has a property tax levy increase of about 1.7%

2020 SCHOOL BUDGET VOTES

DELAWARE COUNTY
Voters in the Sidney Central School District approved the district's proposed budget 538-131 & also approved a capital reserve fund 547-113.
Voters in the Walton Central School District approved the budget 796-292.
Voters in the Franklin School District approved their budget 289-130, and their bus proposition 289-147.
Voters in Deposit approved their budget 472-177, they also approved of their bus & library propositions.
Voters in the Charlotte Valley District voted in favor of their budget 336-188 & their capital reserve proposition 357-164
Voters in the Hancock Central School District voted for their budget 352-135.
Voters in Downsville approved of their budget 199-61
Voters in South Kortright approved their budget 196-64
Voters in the Delaware Academy District approved their budget 845-399 they also approved of the bus proposition & the asbestos abatement proposition.

CHENANGO COUNTY
Voters in the Afton School District approved of their budget 326-169, their bus proposition 285-207 & their building project 247-244.
Voters in the Bainbridge-Guilford Central School approved their Budget 541 to 255 & approved the bus proposition & the proposition for a Student on the Board of Education.
Norwich City School District voters approved their budget 1179-522, they approved the Leased Vehicles Proposition & the Library Budget.
Greene Central School District Voters approved their Budget 794-436 & passed both Propositions
Unadilla Valley district voters approved a $22.2 million budget by a vote of 534 to 219; Voters also approved a bus lease proposition by a vote of 557 to 194.
Oxford Academy district voters approved their budget School Budget 535 to 236; they also approved a Vehicle Purchase & the Oxford Memorial Library budget

OTSEGO COUNTY:
Voters in the Unatego School District voted in favor of their budget 594-293
Voters in the Edmeston School District approved their budget 171-18, they also approved of 3 vehicle purchases.
Gilbertsville Mount Upton Voters approved of their budget 267-133
Laurens School district voters approved of their budget 231-24, & voted in favor of purchasing busses by a similar margin.
Milford central School District voters approved their budget 467-272

Voters in the Morris District approved their budget 245-38
Voters in the Oneonta City School district approved of their budget, Bus proposition & Capital Project

BROOME COUNTY
Harpursville District Voters approved their budget, 508-194.

WINDSOR Central School district voters approved of their budget 991-537.

Governor Cuomo today said that the & The State Health department are carefully watching the numbers in the coming weeks, to see if the mass gathering protests will show a spike in Coronavirus cases:

(Cuomo 6-4-20)

The State Health Department reports the number of Hospitalizations from the Coronavirus is below 3000 statewide, the number of Deaths Wednesday was 52, the state death toll during this pandemic is 24,133, and the total number of cases is over 375,000.

A traffic-stop by Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies on May 30th resulted in 24 year old Garrett Gascon of Sidney being arrested on State Highway 10 in the Town of Walton.  Deputies discovered that Gascon's driving privileges were suspended for failure to answer summonses in Chenango and Otsego Counties & he was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and speeding & will appear in the Walton Town Court on a later date.

Delaware County Sheriff Deputies arrested 68 year old Thomas Lima of Franklin after they responded to a harassment complaint in the Town of Franklin on May 27th.  Lima allegedly made contact with, and harassed, a protected party for whom an order of protection was issued by the Delaware County Family Court, Deputies arrested Lima for harassment & criminal contempt, during processing at the Delaware County Sheriff's Office, Lima is accused of spitting on and attempting to trip Deputies, he was additionally charged with obstructing governmental administration & attempted assault on a police officer.  Lima was arraigned & was remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility on cash bail, pending future appearances in the Town of Franklin and Delhi Courts.

Chenango County Public Health announced that they are up to 133 confirmed cases of the Coronavirus since early March.  1 patient is currently hospitalized, 106 are quarantined, there have been 98 recoveries & 5 deaths, over 4900 tests have been performed.

The Broome County Health Department announced that they have had 583 positive cases of the Coronavirus since Early March.  There have been 45 deaths, 431 recoveries, 320 patients are being monitored by the Health Department, and they have conducted over 13,700 tests.

The Walton Central School District Board of education announced that they have appointed Michael MacDonald as the new Superintendent, starting on July 1st.  MacDonald will succeed interim Superintendent Larry Thomas; MacDonald started his education career as a Special Ed Teacher in Walton in the early 90's

Cornell Cooperative Extension, Catholic Charities, the SUNY Morrisville Norwich Campus will be holding dairy and ag product drive-thru event today at the Chenango County Fairgrounds.  A variety of dairy products, including Chobani yogurt, will be donated to those families in-need beginning at 2:00 p.m. until supplies are gone.

Oneonta City officials announced that Center Street will be closed today between 7:00 AM & 3:00 PM between Maple & East Street.  Crews will be repaving the street in that area, local traffic will be allowed where possible.

Governor Cuomo announced Thursday that the State has over 159,000 cases of the Coronavirus; they have reported 7,067 deaths so far, with another record breaking amount on Wednesday of 799 deaths.  Governor Cuomo said that people still need to stay at home, and there is no good estimate as to when this ends:

(Cuomo 4-9-20)

Meanwhile, over 800,000 New Yorkers are filing unemployment claims in recent weeks, crashing the state labor department’s system, Secretary to the Governor Melissa DeRosa said that the systems gets a reboot & new application tonight:

(DeRosa 4-9-20)

State Budget Director Robert Mujica said that the state will freeze the 2% increase in wages for state workers for 90 days, and they hope for Federal assistance:

(Mujica 4-9-20)

Governor Cuomo said that there are over 18,200 Hospitalized, the Number of people in ICU beds went up by only 60 Wednesday, the number of recoveries continues to increase.

Chenango County Health officials announced Thursday that they have 53 confirmed Coronavirus cases, there are 62 Precautionary Quarantines, 358 Mandatory Quarantines,  9 people are being treated in Hospitals, 10 people have Recovered they have administered 265 tests.

Delaware County Solid Waste Management Center & Compost facility is open but with reduced staff.  Spokesman Tyson Robb asks that County residents try to hold off on bringing recyclables to the Center at this time:

(Tyson Robb 4-9-20)

Robb said that hours are currently Tuesday through Saturday from 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM, they also suggest that visitors to the Center try to get in & out as quickly as possible.

Good Shepherd Communities Board and Senior Management announces $2 per hour differential for staff at their Binghamton Facility.  The Board reported that this is their way of thanking employees for the exceptional care they are providing to residents at all facilities during the Covid-19 crisis. All employees, except senior management, will receive a $2 per hour differential along with a free meal during lunch periods.

Caregivers at UHS Chenango Memorial are in for a sweet treat thanks to The Parson's Daughter chocolate shop of Norwich, by donating their stock of Easter candy to the UHS staff.  The Parson’s Daughter will re-open as soon as it’s safe to do so.

Broome County Health department announced that they have 93 confirmed cases of the Coronavirus.  Officials reported 6 deaths, 14 recoveries, 53 in Precautionary Quarantine, 194 in precautionary quarantine, they have conducted 700 tests.

Delaware County is reporting no new cases of the Coronavirus.  There are 42 confirmed positive cases, with 36 people under mandatory quarantine and 2 people under precautionary quarantine. To date 289 people have been tested, 5 confirmed cases have been transferred out of the county to where the person actually resides. Of the 37 confirmed positive cases, 6 are isolated in a hospital, 23 are recovering at home, 1 person is deceased and 7 have fully recovered.

The Otsego County Department of Health is reporting a 2nd death from COVID 19, they currently have 35 confirmed cases, 5 are hospitalized, 12 have recovered, 94 people on mandatory quarantine, 4 people on precautionary quarantine, 46 people have been released from quarantine.

The State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment will meet today at 10:30 AM to consider petitions for rehearing of the Siting Board’s December 2019 approval of Bluestone Wind, LLC’s application for Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need to build and operate a 124-megawatt wind facility in the Towns of Windsor and Sanford.   The parties seeking rehearing are Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society, Broome County Concerned Residents and a resident of the Village of Johnson City. Bluestone Wind applied to construct and operate 27 wind turbines & its associated network, to reduce the potential spread of the COVID-19 virus, member of the public will be able to listen at dps.ny.gov/Webcasts.

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a SPECIAL Board of Education Meeting  Today in the District Conference Room at 6:30 PM with open session starting at 7:00 PM. Check the BGCSD website for information on on-line or phone-in options for public viewing that will be available or call the District Office at 607-967-6321.

Due to the Coronavirus situation, The Village of Afton will be conducting their monthly board meeting through Zoom; the next meeting will be April 13th at 7:00 PM.

The Sidney, Sidney Center & Masonville Libraries will remain closed through April 29th.

Delaware County Sheriff Craig DuMond announced that the CDC
COVID-19 Alerts are available free from the Delaware County Sheriff’s
App.

(Sheriff Craig DuMond 3-18-20)

The app and the upgrade are available free for Android and
Apple.   The upgrade also includes
an Inmate Search, A map of sex offenders in Delaware County, press releases
& more.  Search for Delaware
County Sheriff's Office in the App Store or Google Play, or
apps.myocv.com.

1 Chenango County resident is among the newly confirmed
cases of the Corona Virus.  The
unidentified person is in quarantine, the County Health Department is not at
liberty to discuss the location of the quarantined patient.

State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli issued a revenue projection
for the 2020-2021 state budget which reflects an estimate of the economic
impact and ongoing volatility stemming from the spread of the coronavirus.
DiNapoli estimates tax revenue will be at least $4 billion below the
projections in the Executive Budget, he also offered an alternative scenario if
a more severe recession or sharper declines in the stock market occur, which
could lower tax revenues by more than $7 billion.  Governor Cuomo requested that DiNapoli
examine the revenue projection before the adopt a new budget, which is due
April 1st.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a domestic
dispute in the Town of Walton last Friday.
Deputies arrested 32 year old Heather Norton of Walton for Harassment,
Endangering Welfare of Child and Unlawful Imprisonment, for allegedly
restraining a person while acting in a manner likely to be injurious to a child
less than 17 years of age.  Norton was
arraigned in the Hamden Town Court and released on her own recognizance pending
her appearance in the Town of Walton Court on a later.

The New York State Department of Labor today released
preliminary local area unemployment rates for January 2020, which decreased
1/10th to 3.8%.   Locally, Chenango,
Delaware & Otsego County all had 5.6% unemployment in January.

Delaware Valley Humane Society officials
announced today that the office is open by appointment only, & dog &
cat food is available for those in need.
Adoptions services are still available; all inquiries should be made by
calling 563-7780.

Delaware County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Tina Mole
has declared a State of Emergency and County offices will be closed until
further notice, Mole said that maintaining “Social Distancing” is extremely
import during this COVID 19 Pandemic:

(Tina Mole 3-18-20)

The Delaware County Clerk’s office will remain open Tuesdays
and Thursdays, & Department of Motor Vehicles in Deposit, Margaretville and
Sidney will be closed until further notice.

Governor Cuomo announced that as of today, all New York State
schools are closed through at least April 1st.
Many area school districts announced that they would stay closed until
April 14th, due to concerns regarding COVID-19.

The STATE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR is implementing a filing
system & extending Unemployment office hours to address the increase in
Unemployment Claims.  A new more
efficient filing system based on the first letter of the applicants last name
will be put in place, A  - F will come on
Monday, G – N on Tuesday,  O – Z :
Wednesday, if you Missed your day go on Thursday and Friday

The Otsego County Sheriff’s Office has received information
of a possible scam occurring. Allegedly subjects are approaching residences
identifying themselves as being from the CDC and looking for test samples for
the Coronavirus.  Neither the Center for
Disease Control or the Otsego County Health Department has agents in the field
soliciting test samples.  If you
encounter such a situation request identification and DO NOT allow anyone into
your residence.  Report the matter to law
enforcement, any information as far a description of the subjects, vehicle info
would be helpful.

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central
School District will hold their Board of Education meeting today in the
District Conference room at 6:30 PM.
This is a date and place change from the originally scheduled meeting on
March 19, 2020.

Chamber & O’Hara Car & Truck Center of Sidney &
The Sidney Great American Supermarket are teaming up to put together grocery
orders and deliver them to those who cannot or should not come out during this
time with the Corona Virus issue so prevalent, Cork O’Hara explains:

(Cork O’Hara 3-18-20)

O’Hara said that they would start this endeavor tomorrow;
the number to place the order or get more information is 563-3404.

Governor Cuomo will issue an executive order directing
non-essential businesses to implement work-from-home policies effective this Friday.
Businesses that rely on in-office personnel must decrease their in-office
workforce by 50%, exemptions from the order will include shipping, media,
warehousing, grocery and food production, pharmacies, healthcare providers,
utilities, banks and related financial institutions.

Today is Election Day, with voters in the Tri-County Area
heading to the polls for a variety of local races. Voters in all 3 local
counties will vote for 3 justices to serve on the State Supreme Court in the
6th district.  In Oneonta, several Common
Council seats are up for grabs; Otsego County has 3 contested races for seats
on the Board of Representatives.  In
Chenango County there are several Town Supervisors races to be decided, in
Norwich, 4 people are running for Mayor plus there are races for 2 seats for
Alderman Positions. In the Town of Sidney, there is a race for Town Clerk
between incumbent Lisa French & Republican Sheila Paul.  Voters will go to the polls until 9:00
tonight

The Deposit Fire Department responded to the report of a
Man working on a stationary trailer under a bridge in a work zone, getting
struck by a tractor trailer on State route 17 Monday.  The worker fell to the ground & sustained
only minor injuries, This accident is in the bridge construction zone near mile
marker 268 on Route 17 East in the Town of Sanford (just prior to Exit 82).
State DOT officials remind motorists to slow down in work zones, so far, no
tickets have been announced.

A.O. Fox Hospital is partnering with Oneonta Job Corps
Academy to host the 3rd annual blood donor dash in support of the American Red
Cross on Wednesday & Friday, AO Fox Hospital Spokesperson Gabby Argo
explains:

(Gabby Argo 11-5-19)

The Oneonta Job Corps Academy will host the first blood
drive on Wednesday from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM in their gymnasium; Fox Hospital
will follow on Friday, also from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM at FoxCare Center.  Blood Donors can register to give at either
location at redcrossblood.org or by calling 1-800-733-2767.

Following a recent
inspection, State DOT engineers are recommending immediate repairs with a
temporary closure and 5-ton weight restriction on the large culvert carrying
State Route 80 over Hayden Creek in the Town of Springfield in Otsego
County.  A new traffic pattern consists
of a 1-lane, 2-way operation controlled by a temporary traffic signal. Traffic
information is available at 511NY.org.

Congressman Anthony Brindisi is hosting a Veterans
Resource Fair Today at the SUNY Broome Community College West Gymnasium from
3:30 PM to 6:30 PM, to connect Southern Tier Veterans with resources and
services.  More than a dozen
organizations will be in attendance including Clear Path for Veterans, the
Southern Tier Veterans Support Group, representatives from the VA, More
information is available at Congressman Brindisi’s Binghamton office at
242-0200.

The Unatego Central school District Board of Education
has approved of the proposal from the Oneonta Christian Academy to purchase the
former Otego Elementary School.
Superintendent Dr. Dave Richards comments:

(Dave Richards 11-5-19)

Dr. Richards said that the purchase price was $100,000
for the building, which was built back in the 1930's.

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.

16 year old Alexis Lotterman of Walton & 17 year old
Tatiana Febo of Downsville will have their 1st degree Burglary cases moved to
Otsego County Family Court, in connection with the murder of 53 year old
Kenneth Robinson in Worcester on October 10th.
15 year old Dylan Robinson, 16 year old Alexander Borggreen  15 year old Anais Soto & 32 year old
Nicolas Meridy are all charged with 2nd degree murder & 1st degree Burglary
for the Robinson Murder, all are being held pending future court action.

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.

Congressman Anthony Brindisi announced that Chenango Health
Network would receive a Drug Free Communities grant of more than $100,000 per
year for five years. The Drug Free Communities grant program provides grants to
community organizations to strengthen partnerships in the region and help
reduce youth substance abuse.

The Unatego Board of Education received 3 proposals after
their recent Request for Proposals to repurpose the former Otego Elementary
School building, Unatego Superintendent Dr. Dave Richards’s comments:

(Dave Richards 10-10-19)

The 3 proposals are from Dirig Design, a drafting and design
firm located in Wells Bridge, Granite Data Solutions of California which is an
IT service provider & the Oneonta Christian Academy, who wish to move their
private school from Oneonta to Otego.  More
information is available at unatego.org.

Another development in the October 6th 2018 Schoharie
Limousine crash has come out, where a former repair shop manager told
investigators that brake work was billed but not performed on the stretch
limousine that crashed & killed 20 people.
The former manager of a Mavis Discount Tire shop told investigators that
a brake system master cylinder was invoiced but not installed at the time of a
May 2018 inspection on the 2001 Ford Excursion limo, the vehicle did not stop
& blew through an intersection and crashed into a convenience store parking
lot, killing all 18 on board & killing 2 people in the parking lot.   Limo company operator Nauman Hussain is
facing numerous felony counts in connection with the crash; He is expected in
court in January.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released the new East
Sidney Lake Master Plan to serve as a guiding document for decision making at
the lake for the next 15 to 25 years.
The Plan includes land use classifications that govern the way land is
managed and used as well as outdoor recreation to meet the needs of the
public.    The final Master Plan, previous
master plans and additional information can be found on the project website
nab.usace.army.

The City of Norwich has appointed Lorraine Keckeisen as
their new Grants Coordinator; she will identify potential Federal, State,
County and private grant funds to address the needs of the City of
Norwich.  Keckeisen is a member of the
Sidney Rotary Club & She leads the Tri-Town Coalition on Substance Abuse
Prevention.

Governor Cuomo today announced
that $1.5 million is available for eligible school districts to support the
growth of Farm-to-School programs across the state. Grant funding of up to
$100,000 per project will be awarded for employing a local or regional
farm-to-school coordinator; Training of food service staff & the Purchase
of equipment needed to increase capacity of school kitchens.  More information is available at
agriculture.ny.gov

The Otsego County Chamber of Commerce will hold their 2019
Workforce Summit this morning at Morris Hall at SUNY Oneonta starting with 9:00
AM.    The Chamber joins with Educators,
Students, Workforce and Economic Developers, Community Leaders, Employers &
others to try to improve the overall quality of the region's workforce.

The Sidney Central School District and Village of Sidney
will co-sponsor an American Red Cross Citizen Preparedness Corps training this
evening, Sidney Village Mayor Andy Matviak urges area residents to attend:

(Andy Matviak 10-10-19)

The training session will run from 6:00 to 7:30 PM at the
Sidney Central School auditorium. There is no cost to attend, No RSVP is
necessary, but residents are encouraged to arrive early.

The Delaware County Board of Elections announced that
tomorrow October 11th is the last day to register in person and to postmark a
registration form for the November 5th General Election.  Offices that are up for election in November
include Supreme Court Justice & many Town Offices.  Early voting will be from October 26th
through November 3rd, more information is available at co.delaware.ny.us or by
calling 832-5321 or stop into their Delhi office.

A Chenango County Grand Jury has indicted 39 year old Gary
Nichols of Norwich, in connection with the stabbing of a Norwich resident in
July, and escaping from police custody while being treated for injuries at
Chenango Memorial Hospital.  Nichols
faces court action on the Indictment shortly.

Leadership Delaware classes will begin in October through
the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce.
Chamber President Ray Pucci told WCDO News that they are taking a
different approach than the state model for successful economic development:

(Ray Pucci 9-19-19)

Additional information about the course & the topics
discussed in each session, can be located at
http://delawarecounty.org/about/leadership-delaware,

The number of private sector jobs in New York State grew by
8,900, to 8,280,700 in August according to preliminary figures released today
by the State Department of Labor.  The
State’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.0% for the fourth
consecutive month.   Upstate Counties saw
the unemployment rate go up .1% to 3.8% in August.

The United Way of Delaware & Otsego counties will hold
their "Community Matters Mixer" at Awestruck Ciders in Sidney
today.  The event will be held from 5:30
to 7:30 PM in the Sidney Industrial Park on Winkler Road, more information is
available at 432-8006.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 34-year-old
Joshua Gardepe of East Branch, Wednesday on the charge of endangering the
welfare of a child, following an investigation of a report of child
maltreatment in the Town of Hancock. Gardepe was arraigned at Town of
Colchester Court and was released to appear at Town of Hancock Court at a later
date to answer the charge.

The Bainbridge Chamber of
Commerce Announced That Tomorrow is the last day to vote for the “Business of
the Year”.  The survey can be filled out
at surveymonkey.com.

Governor Cuomo signed legislation extending the statute of
limitations to 20 years for rape in the 2nd degree and to 10 years for rape in
the 3rd degree. The law also extends the statute of limitations to 20 years for
2nd degree criminal sexual act & 2nd degree incest & to 10 years for
3rd degree criminal sexual act.  Prior to
this new law, victims only had 5 years to bring a legal case alleging 2nd &
3rd degree rape or criminal sexual act.

Delaware County Public Health certified Child Passenger
Safety Technicians will be offering free car seat safety checks and education
to parents today from 3:00 pm to 5:30 pm at Little Lambs Children’s Center, 383
Delaware County Highway 11 Oneonta.  The
event is part of National Child Passenger Safety Week, more information is
available at 832-5200.

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a Board of
Education Meeting will be held today in the Guilford Elementary School at 6:30
PM. The business portion of the meeting will start at 7:00 PM.

The Annual Bainbridge
Glow Run will be held on September 14th at General Clinton Park in
Bainbridge.  The event began in 2015
after Heather Bucalos of Sidney finished her treatment for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
and decided to hold fundraisers for area cancer patients.  This year, Heather has suffered a relapse
& her friends are teaming up to raise funds for her with the Glow Run
Fundraiser, Bucalos talked to WCDO News this morning about the activities
scheduled for that day:

(Heather Bucalos
8-26-19)

More information is
available at www.bainbridgeglowrun.com.
Heather’s treatment is expected to begin again in the next few weeks.

Delaware County
Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 25-year-old Alizabeth Ramos of Brooklyn Friday
evening, on a charge of Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle,
following a traffic stop on in the Town of Masonville. Ramos was also issued
tickets for Unlicensed Operator, and Speeding, she was released on an
appearance ticket and is scheduled to return to the Town of Masonville Court at
a later date.

The New York State DOT
is actively preparing for the arrival of winter weather by making applications
available for approximately 500 positions as permanent and seasonal maintenance
staff.  The DOT intends to hire about 38
in the Southern Tier and another 34 in the Central New York Counties, more
information is available on Twitter @NYSDOT or facebook.com/NYSDOT.

CDO Workforce is
offering Supervisory Training Classes at the Delaware County eCenter, 5 1/2
Main Street, Delhi on September 6, 13 and 20th.
This 9-hour course is divided into 3 segments and will give participants
an advanced foundation of management skills. More information is available at
832-5781.

Oneonta Police responded Saturday to
a residence on Chestnut Street, for a report of a deceased person.   Officers discovered 20 year old Nicolas
Stagnitta from Patchogue, Long Island, who was a student at the State
University at Oneonta, the initial investigation and autopsy revealed that
Stagnitta took his own life; however, the investigation is continuing pending
results of toxicology testing.

The Hancock Fire
Department and EMT’s were dispatched Saturday to Jensen’s Ledges for a report
of a 10 year old boy who had fallen off the ledges.  The Hancock Fire Department  rope rescue team performed a high angle rope
rescue to extricate the boy within 1 hour and he was transported down the
mountain in a UTV & was transported by LifeNet to a pediatric trauma center
with life threatening injuries.

The Dormitory Authority has issued
approximately $482 million in low-cost, tax-exempt bonds on behalf of 54 school
districts across the state as part the School Districts Revenue Bond Financing
Program, for fire protection, security, and air quality systems upgrades;
renovations, Athletic field improvements; and technology updates.  Locally, the Norwich City School District
receives $7,430,000, Sidney Central School District gets $9,820,000 &
Unadilla Valley Central School District gets $6,890,000.

The City of Oneonta announced that
there will be a special meeting of the Common Council today at 5:30pm.  The purpose of the meeting will be for the
discussion & approval of a bond resolution and discussion concerning Common
Council guidelines for the City staff’s preparation of the City’s 2020 budget.

The Afton Central School District
will hold a Special Board of Education Meeting Today at 7:00 AM in the District
Office of the Afton Central School.  More
information is available at 245-9894.

The Broome County Sheriff's Department is searching for a
missing teenager from Port Crane.  15
year old Rebecca Sabrina Cortez left her parent's home in Port Crane last
night; she is described 5', 6" tall weighing between 115-120 pounds and
has dark hair with highlights in it.  She
was last seen wearing light brown pajama pants and a dark blue sweat
shirt.  Anyone with information should
contact the Broome County Sheriff's office at 778-1911, option 1 or the Broome
County Sheriff’s Office tip line at 778-1196.

Delaware County Public Health announced that a raccoon in
the Town of Bovina has tested positive for rabies. The rabid raccoon exposed 1
dog that was not up to date on its rabies vaccinations; Public Health is
working with the dog owner and Town of Bovina officials to implement six-month
quarantine on the dog. The Remaining 2019 rabies clinics in Delaware County are
listed at delawarecountypublichealth.com.

Governor Cuomo today announced $187 million in funding to
support 25 statewide projects that will protect and transform New York State's
health care system. This funding from the Statewide Health Care Facility
Transformation Program will improve patient care through the development of
high-quality medical facilities and programs serving the inpatient, primary
care, mental health, substance use disorder and long-term care needs of
communities throughout the State.  The
Southern Tier will get 11.5 Million Dollars.

Now that the Woodstock 50 festival has been completely
cancelled, fans who want to commemorate the original festival can still see a
series of concerts at the original Woodstock 1969 site, over the August 16th
through 18th Weekend.  Bethel Woods will
have the Ringo Starr All Star band August 16th, Santana & the Doobie
Brothers on Saturday August 17th, & John Fogerty on August 18th, Santana
& John Fogerty played at the original festival in 1969.  More information is available at
bethelwoodscenter.org.

Local law enforcement officers
will take to the rooftops of several Dunkin' restaurants Friday Morning for the
annual "Cops on Top" event in order to raise awareness and funds for
Special Olympics New York. Locally, Law enforcement agencies are participating
Friday morning at the Dunkin Donuts at 117 State Route 7 in Sidney.

Governor Cuomo signed legislation authorizing firefighters
and other emergency medical responders to remove animals in unattended motor
vehicles under conditions that endanger their health or well-being. This
legislation will help reduce wait times when calls are made to 911 that a pet
is in danger, especially in areas and at times when law enforcement or animal
control availability is limited. The bill goes into effect immediately.

19th District Congressman Antonio Delgado will be holding a
town hall meeting today at Awestruck Ciders at 8 Winkler Road in Sidney.  The meeting will be held from 6:30 to 7:30
PM.

State Police continue to search for 32-year-old Brandon
Williams of Endwell, who has not been heard from since March 5th. Williams was
last seen in the area of State Highway 38B and State Route 26 in Maine.  Williams is described as 6'2", 220
pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information can contact State Police at 775-1241.

The Sidney Village Planning Board's regularly scheduled
meeting for Today at 6:00 PM has been cancelled.  The next meeting will be held Thursday
September 5, 2019 at 7:00 pm.

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a Board of
Education Meeting today in the District Conference Room at the Jr-Sr High
School at 6:30 PM. The business portion of the meeting will start at 7:00 PM.

Commerce Chenango announced today that Kerri Green of Sidney
will succeed Steve Craig as President & CEO of Commerce Chenango starting
in August.  Green told WCDO News that she
is excited for this opportunity:

(Kerri Green 7-29-19)

Green previously served as
President of the Sidney Chamber of Commerce while she worked in Sales at WCDO,
she is also currently president of the Sidney central School District Board of
Education & also previously worked as Senior Assistant to the President at
Hartwick College in Oneonta.

The Otsego County Fair kicks off Tuesday at the Fairgrounds
in Morris.  Fair Spokesperson Lisa Jones
told WCDO News that Wednesday will have 2 new events:

(Lisa Jones 7-29-19)

The full line-up is available at otsegocountyfair.org.

Governor Cuomo signed legislation to establish a 30-day
waiting period for individuals who are not immediately approved to purchase a
firearm through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.  The bill closes loopholes to prohibit
ownership or sale of a bump stock, & gives law enforcement sufficient time
to complete a background check and help ensure that only those eligible to
purchase and own a firearm are able to do so.

Delaware County Sherriff’s Deputies arrested 72 year old
Franklin Purdy of Baldwinsville Thursday for Unlawful Fleeing a Police Officer
in a Motor Vehicle, Reckless Driving, Speed not reasonable and prudent,
Speeding at 95 miles an hour in a 55 mile an hour zone, Moving from lane
unsafely, & driving an unregistered & uninsured motor vehicle.  Purdy was observed by Deputies on State
Highway 17 in the Town of Hancock driving at a high rate of speed, they
attempted to conduct a traffic stop, and Purdy fled & was apprehended by
Deputies in Sullivan County.  Purdy faces
additional charges in Sullivan County as well as in Delaware County; he will
appear in the Town of Hancock Court at a later date.

A new law signed by Governor Cuomo decriminalizes marijuana
use in New York.  Under the new
legislation, the penalty for unlawful possession of marijuana will be reduced
to a violation punishable by a fine. The penalty is $50 for possessing less than
an ounce or a maximum of $200 for 1 to 2 ounces.  There will be no criminal penalties for
possession of any amount of marijuana under two ounces.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 23 year old
Thomas Conkling of Long Eddy, early this morning for Aggravated Unlicensed
Operation of a motor vehicle, driving an Unregistered & uninsured motor
vehicle, operating with switched plates, and unsafe tire. Conkling was
arraigned at the Town of Colchester Court and was released on his own
recognizance. Conkling is scheduled to appear at the Town of Hancock Court at a
later date to answer the charges.

State Police are looking for the public’s help in locating
approximately 75 escaped buffalo from the Honey Hill Road in Roseboom.  State Police warn the public not to approach
the buffalo since they are a wild animal and can be unpredictable.   Troopers were dispatched Thursday & learned
that a buffalo broke a gate allowing approximately 75 buffalo to escape from a
farm in the town of Sharon.  Troopers
worked with a DEC officer and the owner of the buffalo to devise a plan to
convince the animals to return home, some were reported in the town of
Schoharie & the town of Roseboom.
Anyone who sees any of the buffalo should contact the owner at (518)588-1402
or State Police at (315)858-1122.

Several local fire departments responded to a barn fire at
125 Corbin Road in the town of Bainbridge last night.  The fire started in a barn filled with hay at
about 10:30 last night, according to owner & Bainbridge Fire Chief Fred
Bell.  Fire departments from Afton,
Bainbridge, Sidney, Masonville, Trout Creek, and Coventry responded, No
injuries were reported, Bell said that the fire did NOT spread to his house,
the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

The American Red Cross announced that today through August 29th,
blood donors will receive a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card by email. Currently, the
Red Cross has less than a 3-day supply of most blood types & less than a
2-day supply of type O blood.
Appointments can be made through Amazon’s Alexa or by using the Red Cross
Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS. A
blood drive is being held today in Oneonta from 2:00 to 6:00 PM at The
Salvation Army, 25 River Street.

16 year old Nicholas Pheilshifter pleaded guilty Thursday to
criminal possession of a weapon as a crime of terrorism, as a participant in
the plot against Islamberg in Delaware County.
Pheilshifter will be sentenced to 7 years in state prison, after serving
the first 2 years in juvenile detention.
Previously, Vincent Vetromile pleaded guilty to a weapons charge and
faces seven to 12 years in prison. Brian Colaneri and Andrew Crysel pleaded
guilty to terrorism-related conspiracy and face four to 12 years in prison.

Corey Weidman of Norwich pleaded guilty this week in federal
court on a variety of drug charges stemming from his arrest in Norwich in
December of last year.  The Chenango
County Sheriff’s Office raided Weidman’s apartment after a 2-month
investigation, officers seized Crystal Meth, Cocaine, marijuana, LSD, suboxone,
a loaded handgun and more than $35,000 in cash. Weidman will be sentenced on
November 25th.

State Police have reported that a 17-year-old male has been
arrested in connection with a homicide in the town of Cobleskill.  Police responded to a residence at 435 Lamont
District Road in Cobleskill and found the 50-year-old unidentified male victim
with a fatal gunshot wound to the back of the head.  A 17-year-old has been remanded to the
Schoharie County Jail and is currently charged with Assault, Criminal Use of a
Firearm, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon, Additional charges may be
pending. The incident remains under investigation.

The State Public Service Commission approved an agreement
with Charter Communications/ Spectrum, to resolve disputes over the
Commission’s network expansion condition that was contained in the Commission’s
approval of the company’s merger with Time Warner Cable in 2016.  Under the terms of the agreement, Charter
will expand its network to provide high-speed broadband service to 145,000
residences and businesses entirely in Upstate New York and will pay an
additional $12 million to expand broadband service to additional premises.

The annual Gus Macker 3 on 3 basketball Tournament will be
held this weekend on the streets of Norwich; Organizer Tom Revoir said that
they could still use a few more people to volunteer for the event:

(Tom Revoir 7-12-19)

Revoir said that about 340 teams are participating in the
tournament this weekend.

Catholic Charities in Sidney is once again offering free
backpacks to local children in need for the 2019-202 school year, Spokesperson
Penny McKnight explains:

(Penny McKnight 7-12-19)

McKnight said that the deadline to apply is August 12th,
also donations of school supplies will be accepted, and more information is available
by calling the Sidney Office at 604-4071.

The Greater Afton Area Chamber of Commerce is holding their
inaugural Sunday Summer Concert Series, at various locations around Afton
through September 8th, Chamber Vice President Melissa Matthews explains:

(Melissa Matthews 7-12-19)

More information about the Sunday Summer Concert series in
Afton can be found at gaacoc.com.

The "Help After Loss" nonprofit
group, which is also known as HALos, announced that they are purchasing the
former Afton Great American building.
HALos purchased the building at an auction in June, closing is
anticipated in late July or August, plans call for some of the space to be used
by HALos, and additional space can be rented out to interested businesses
following renovations. Donations like building supplies, paints, or gift
certificates will be accepted, more information is available at 639-4256 or
240-1550 or by email at HALosOrg@aol.com. or online at helpafterloss.com

The Sidney Town Board received a petition at Thursday’s
meeting from Muddy Rivers farm Brewery Owners Dustin & Jared Wood, in favor
of changing the zoning laws to allow the business to continue at their current
site on the Back River Road at Tryon’s Corners, past a July 25th
deadline.  Sidney Town Supervisor Gene
Pigford Told WCDO News about potential Town zoning Board & Subsequent Town
Board Action on Muddy Rivers:

(Gene Pigford 7-12-19)

Pigford said that the final actions my take beyond the July
25th deadline, he does not anticipate the business will close at
that time.

Delaware County Social Services Commissioner Dana
Scuderi-Hunter has taken an indefinitely leave of absence from that
position.  No timetable was announced for
the commissioner's return, or reason for the leave of absence.

A Red Cross Blood Drive will be
held at the Baptist Church in Oneonta tomorrow at 333 Main Street.  All Blood Types are needed, the Blood Drive
will be held from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

Property tax levy growth for local governments with fiscal
years that close on December 31 will be capped at 2% for the 2020 fiscal year,
according to State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. This figure affects the tax cap
calculations for all counties, towns, fire districts, 44 cities and 10
villages. The tax cap limits tax levy increases to the lesser of the rate of
inflation or 2% with some exceptions, including a provision that allows
municipalities to override the tax cap.

The 43rd Annual Carnival of Sales will be held tomorrow
throughout the village of Unadilla, Chamber of Commerce Spokesperson Jackie
Carey explains:

(Jackie Carey 7-12-19)

The event will run from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, More information
is available at the Unadilla Chamber web site: unadillachamberofcommerce.org

Delhi Telephone Company representatives will be in Sidney
Center tomorrow as they continue to expand broadband services locally, with
High Speed Internet, Cable TV including HD & DVR & phone services.  Jason Miller of DTC comments:

(Jason Miller 7-12-19)

Miller said that the Meet & Greet with the Sidney Center
Fire Department tomorrow will run from 11:00 to 2:00 PM.

The Sidney Central School District will be holding a special
Board of Education meeting today, at 4:30pm in the high school library. This
meeting is open to the public.