WCDO Radio News

Members of the public will be able to instantly report poachers & polluters using a new toll-free hotline that will help to ensure strict enforcement of environmental laws, according to State DEC Commissioner Joe Martens. The toll-free hotline number is 1-844-DEC-3267, it will be 24/7 & it connects callers to a DEC police dispatcher.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman today announced that his office has obtained a judgment against home improvement contractors who ripped off customers in the Southern Tier and Central New York by going door-to-door seeking to pave and repair driveways. The contractors performed shoddy and incomplete work, intimidated customers into paying more than the negotiated price, and failed to abide by New York’s home improvement contract laws. Schneiderman entered into an agreement to settle his investigation against Joshua Cooper of Ovid and Robert Cooper of Romulus, who were doing business as Finger Lakes Asphalt. the Coopers will be required to pay $8,150 in restitution to 6 consumers

State Senator Jim Seward announced that the DOT rest area along I-88 eastbound between exits 18 and 19 in Worcester is set to reopen by November 21. In 2010, the New York State Department of Transportation closed six rest areas on interstate highways in what was touted as a temporary measure. To date, only the Worcester rest stop is scheduled to reopen. Seward also advocated for budget funds to reopen the I-88 Wells Bridge rest stop; it has not been funded in the state budget. The Worcester rest area will be open for parking only at this time. Renovation work on the restrooms is still being completed with a 2015 opening planned.

This week is College Application Week in New York, coordinated by the State Higher Education Services Program as part of a national effort to encourage students to apply for college. High school guidance counselors and volunteer college admission staff across the state will help thousands of high school seniors at nearly 200 high schools apply for admission to college, more information is available at GoCollegeNY.org.

State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli's office conducted an audit of the town of Sidney's budget. The Audit found that revenue and expenditure projections in the preliminary budget are reasonable, but the Town’s projections for rental income in the Hospital Fund were not based on amounts expected to be received according to current lease agreements. The Town did not budget for an additional $95,000 in nonrecurring rental income, but did include $30,000 of lease payments for which no lease agreement exists. The Town underestimated rental revenue by a total of $65,000 & they are currently reporting accounts payable in the Hospital Fund related to the hospital, which closed in 2005. The Comptroller's report recommends that if these payables are legitimate liabilities & if not remove them from the balance sheet.

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a Special Board of Education Meeting tonight in the District Conference Room at 5:30 PM. The board will move into executive session for personnel interview sessions.

The Otsego County Chamber of Commerce 15th Annual Small Business Banquet will be held today. The Lutz Feed Company will be awarded the KeyBank Annual Small Business of the Year and Fox Hospital will be awarded for the recent renovations of single patient rooms as the Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Breakthrough Business of the year. The Small Business Banquet will be held at The Otesaga Hotel in Cooperstown, beginning with a reception at 5:45 pm & dinner at 7:00 pm.

The New York State Office of General Services will hold surplus vehicle, highway equipment, and miscellaneous property auctions locally today. the Auctions will be at 9:30 this morning at 9:30 AM at SUNY Delhi and 1:30 PM at the State Police Troop C headquarters on route 7 in Sidney. A listing of auctions is on line at nysstore.com; specific items and terms of sale are at ogs.ny.gov.

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

An Otsego County man, charged with shooting his father, was sentenced yesterday. Michael Buck pleaded guilty to 1st degree manslaughter in June, for the fatal shooting of his 64-year old father, Joe Buck. Buck attempted to withdraw his plea earlier this month, but the motion was denied. Buck was sentenced to 20 years in state prison.

Sue Andrews has been appointed Chief Financial Officer of Bassett Medical Center effective September 1, 2014. Andrews, who has been with Bassett's Division of Finance for 34 years and vice president since 2008, will succeed Nicholas Nicoletta, who announced last month that he is retiring December 31, 2014 as CFO of Bassett Medical Center and Corporate CFO of Bassett Healthcare Network. Andrews is a native of Sidney.

This year is the 50th Anniversary of the Oneonta Job Corps Academy; they are holding a variety of events to celebrate this month throughout the region. Spokesperson Lynn Price told WCDO News what prospective students can expect:

(Lynn Price 8-19-14)

Tonight, from 6:30pm to 9:30pm at Damaschke Field, the Oneonta Job Corps Academy students will take on staff in a baseball game, plus refreshments, games, contests and fireworks, as well as more information for the public on the Oneonta Job Corps Academy, the event is free to the public. More information is available at 431-1455.

The Chenango County Sheriff's Department arrested 40-year-old Richard Maricle of Oxford for Criminal Mischief & Criminal Contempt. Maricle was arrested following an investigation of domestic dispute in the Town of Oxford, where he is alleged to have destroyed property belonging to the victim and violated an order of protection. Maricle was arraigned in the Town of Norwich Court & was ordered to the Chenango County Jail on $250 bail pending future court action.

Governor Cuomo signed legislation to Expand and strengthen services for veterans, active service members and their families. The new law eases the transition to a new school for children of military families that relocate as a result of military orders, lowers the cost of higher education for Veterans receiving benefits under the GI bills, and offers military family members greater flexibility with professional licenses received from other states or jurisdictions. The new law also strengthens the supplemental burial assistance provided by the state to military families when a service member dies in combat or as a result of injuries sustained on the battlefield.

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School District Board of Education is currently seeking individuals interested in filling the remaining year (one) of a board member term of office. A School Board candidate must be a qualified voter and district resident at least 18 years old, interested candidates should contact the District Clerk at 967-6321 by September 2nd.

A Siena College poll shows Governor Cuomo leading Republican Rob Astorino by a large margin in the race for governor.  57% would re-elect Cuomo, while 18% have a favorable opinion, & 69% have no opinion about Astorino.  In the attorney general’s race, 41% percent would re-elect Eric Schneiderman, while 12% have a favorable opinion of Republican John Cahill, 78% have no opinion.

By the end of this week, New York State will have trained about 600 police officers and sheriffs’ deputies in the use of naloxone, a medication that can save lives by reversing the effect of heroin or other opioid overdoses, including Hydrocodone & Oxycodone. The state also is providing agencies that send their officers to the trainings with supplies of naloxone at no cost. According to the CDC, someone dies every 19 minutes from a drug overdose.

The Unatego school district board of education will hold a special meeting this morning at 8:00 AM.  The meeting has been called in order for the board to select a member for the BOCES board.

The Cancer Services Program of Delaware, Otsego and Schoharie counties will offer free health screenings with the Bassett Cancer Institute’s mobile screening coach today.  The screenings will be available without charge to those women, 40 or older, who are without health insurance or underinsured. The screening will be available today between 9:00 AM & 3:00 PM at the Tri-Town Regional Hospital on Pearl Street in Sidney.  Appointments are requested at 1-888-345-0225.

New York state is partnering with a British company, to hold clinical trials for marijuana-based medication for children, who have seizures that are resistant to their medicine. An agreement was signed between Gov. Cuomo and GW Pharmaceuticals. The state health department, and the company, will develop the framework for a clinical trial for a marijuana-based drug for people under the age of 18. The health department is working on the framework for the protocol, which needs to be approved by the FDA before it is enacted

The Sidney town board has scheduled a special meeting for today. The meeting   will begin at 6:00 PM in the Civic Center Board room; the board will discuss the Sidney center stream relocation project.

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a Board of Education Meeting in the District Conference Room at 6:30 PM. The business portion of the meeting will start at 7:00 PM. They will also hold a public hearing on the CODE OF CONDUCT at 7:00 PM.

State police at Troop C in Sidney held their annual Memorial Service today, to honor those who lost their lives in the line of duty. Troop C Commander Major Donald Faughnan comments:

(Major Faughnan 5-20-14)

Major Faughnan noted that 4 troopers died in the line of duty in the last year, he also noted that it was 20 years ago today, that Investigator Rick Parisian died while trying to stop an armed robbery at an Oneonta Supermarket.

New traditions will continue at this year’s General Clinton Canoe Regatta on Saturday. Regatta Chairman John Harmon explains:

(John Harmon 5-20-14)

Also on Saturday, the next class of Regatta Hall Of Fame will be inducted at a dinner & ceremony at General Clinton Park at 4:00 PM

The Utica School of Commerce will begin offering classes at a Sidney location starting next month. USC Vice President of corporate & workforce development Don Reese gave WCDO News the details:

(Don Reese 5-20-14)

Reese said that courses would be available day & evenings accounting, computer skills, business math, & medical coding & billing as well as their businesses courses.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 52-year-old Donna Whelan of Long Beach for Promoting Prison Contraband & Criminal Possession of a Controlled substance. Whelan was being booked in at the Delaware County Jail on unrelated criminal charges, a quantity of cocaine was found while searching her purse.   Whelan was arraigned in Delhi Town Court and was returned to jail on $1000 cash bail or $2000 bond, pending future court action.

Senator Chuck Schumer announced his support for a plan that would allow young professionals, with outstanding student debt, to refinance at the lower interest rates currently offered to new borrowers. Under the Senate Democrats’ new plan, students would get an opportunity to apply for an affordable college education, by allowing borrowers with both federal and private undergraduate loans, at interest rates of up to 14 percent, to refinance at today’s lower rates of 3.86 percent

A groundbreaking ceremony will be held on Tuesday May 27th, for the new Skateboard Park in Keith Clark Park in Sidney.   The groundbreaking ceremony will begin at 6:30 PM at the site, preparations & groundwork is scheduled to begin this week.

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

SCHOOL BUDGET VOTES 5-20-14

School Budget Votes May 2014:

Sidney Central School: Budget approved 186 to 58, Sidney Library Budget passed.

Walton Central School District: Budget approved 597 to 380

Deposit School Budget passed- 275 in favor, 100 Opposed, Voters approve of Bus Purchases & Land Acquisition.

Afton Central School District: Yes: 142 No: 64 Bus proposition also passed

Bainbridge-Guilford Budget - passed - Yes-205; No-94 Bus Proposition Passed.

Greene Central School District: Budget Votes: Yes: 181 No: 73

Unadilla Valley Voters approved budget, school bus & library budgets, elected Victoria Gregory, Richard Potter and Kimberly Murray to school board.

Norwich City School District: Budget approved 335 to 104

Oxford Academy Budget passed 201 to 59. Bus Purchase & Library Appropriation propositions passed. Board of Education Vote: Julie Gates -196, Eugene Rood 172.

Unatego Budget passed 161-59

Laurens budget vote was 163 Yes and 40 No. The bus passed 184 Yes and 17 No.

Gilbertsville Mount Upton Budget vote: Yes: 161     No: 52

Oneonta City School District: Yes: 657 No: 158, Amy Burnsworth and Daniel Buttermann were elected to school Board to 3-year terms.

Morris school Budget approved 145 to 53

Harpursville School District: Budget approved 169 to 66

Windsor School District budget approved 366 to 100

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

Vendors are still needed for this year’s general Clinton canoe regatta in the park for the Memorial Day weekend. Regatta Chairman John Harmon explains:

(John Harmon 5-5-14)

Harmon said that there would be plenty of rides on the Midway, as well as musical acts performing throughout the weekend, the 3rd annual Hall of Fame Induction Dinner on Saturday afternoon and of plenty of canoe racing from Friday night through the 70-mile endurance races on Monday.

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

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

The Sidney central school district announced that the Community Budget Presentation would be held on Thursday, May 8th at 6:00pm in the High School Library. The Annual Public Hearing for the School Budget will be Tuesday, May 13th at 7:00pm in the High School Library. The District Budget Vote and Election is Tuesday, May 20, 2014 at the HS Auditorium Lobby.

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

The village of Bainbridge board of trustees will hold a special meeting Tuesday at 5:00 PM. The purpose of the special meeting will be to select a consultant to update the comprehensive plan and provide grant-writing services for the 2014-2015 fiscal year.

The Unatego Central School District Board of Education will hold their next meeting tonight, at the 7:00 PM at the Junior Senior High School in Wells Bridge.

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

(Bonacic 4-21-14)

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

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

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

The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office arrested 65-year-old Carolyn Steifel of Oxford Saturday, on charges of Felony Burglary and Petty Larceny.  Stiefel was charged following an investigation into a reported larceny at a Norwich business, where she had been ordered to never return, due to previous larceny issues.  Stiefel was arraigned in the Town of Norwich Court and remanded to the custody of The Chenango County Sheriff’s pending court action.

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

The Delaware Valley Humane Society announced today that they would celebrate their 50th anniversary in June.  The event will be held on Saturday June 21st from 12:00 Noon to 3:00 PM at the shelter in Sidney.

The Bainbridge Chamber of Commerce will hold their next “Business After Hours” event today.  The program will be hosted by Snips & Snails Children’s Consignment, the Bainbridge Main Street Guild & Buttercup Bakery & Culinary Center, the Snips & Snails location at 28 North Main Street.  The event runs from 6:00 to 8:00 PM.

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

The Village of Bainbridge Planning Board will hold their regular monthly meeting tonight at 7 PM in the Village Clerk’s Office at 33  West Main Street in Bainbridge.  The public is welcome

Over 300 firefighters responded to the 6-alarm fire at the 7-story Rexmere Hotel on west Main Street in Stamford yesterday. The building was constructed in 1898, and was currently in the process of being sold for eventual restoration.  10 fire departments responded to the blaze, which was reported about 10:30 Tuesday morning.  The cause of the fire is under investigation, no injuries were reported.

Fire crews responded to 794 Castle Creek road in the town of Chenango yesterday morning, crews responded at around 11:00 AM Tuesday.  No one was home when Firefighters arrived, the house was a total loss & 2 family pets died in the fire.   Several area fire companies responded,  Broome County Fire Investigators are trying to determine the  cause of the fire.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 26-year-old Jonathan Shaw of Delhi on 2 counts of Aggravated Harassment.  Shaw is accused of sending numerous harassing text messages to another person after being directed to stop; he is also accused of leaving a voicemail threatening physical violence to the victim.  Shaw was issued appearance tickets to appear in the Hamden Town Court on April 7th, 2014 to address the charges.

The Cancer Services Program of Delaware, Otsego and Schoharie counties will offer free health screenings to women 40 and older that are uninsured, in partnership with the Bassett Cancer Institute’s mobile screening coach.  The screenings will be available today from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at The Sidney Great American.  Appointments can be made toll-free at 1-888-345-0225.

The Sidney Chamber of Commerce will hold their annual “New Member Coffee hours” this morning.  The event will run from 7:30-8:30 am at Trackside Dining on Main Street in Sidney.

The “Give America a Raise” Bus Tour Comes to Binghamton this afternoon.  Various groups including “Americans Untied For Change” are calling on local congressman Richard Hanna to raise the federal  Minimum Wage to $10.10 an hour, in order to keep full time workers from falling below the poverty line.  The Bus Tour will stop outside Congressman Hanna’s Binghamton office at 49 Court Street at 1:00 PM.

A Public Hearing on the Sidney Central School District 2014-2015 Budget will be held at the High School Library on Tuesday, May 13th at 7:00 PM.  The School & Public Library Budget vote and Board of Education elections will be held in the Sidney High School Lobby on May 20th between 7:00 AM & 8:00 PM.

Officials with the Constitution Pipeline, Leatherstocking Gas Company & Amphenol in Sidney announced on Tuesday a plan to get natural gas services to Amphenol’s new plant, as well as to towns and businesses along the I-88 Corridor.  Rick Aiken of Amphenol said that Amphenol would be one of the “tap” locations, where natural gas would come directly into the facility, at a great savings to the company:

(Rick Aiken 3-20-14)

The Constitution Pipeline would run 125 miles from northern Pennsylvania to parts of New York State for eventual distribution into New England.  Construction of the pipeline could start in January 2015 pending federal approval.  The full story is available in this week’s Tri-Town News.

Supporters of the Dream Act pressed Governor Cuomo to include the measure in the state budget. The bill calls for providing state tuition aid to the children of illegal immigrants.  The measure failed to pass the state senate by 2 votes after passing the Assembly.  The measure was included in the Assembly passed budget, with a 25 million dollar appropriation, the next step would be for Governor Cuomo to include the initiative in the final state budget for the fiscal year that starts April 1.

It's pothole season and driving on State & Local roads resembles an obstacle course, with a great potential for damage to your vehicle.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers state that the weather is the biggest contributor, where the Asphalt is soft at high temperatures and brittle at low temperatures. When the temperatures dip, roads are more prone to cracking, which lets water pool underneath the surface & lead to potholes.  DOT Crews are scheduling their repair work during upcoming dry and warm weather, with some preliminary work performed on some of the Interstate Highways.  More information is available at dot.ny.gov

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a Board of Education Meeting on Today in the Guilford Cafeteria at 6:30 PM. The business portion of the meeting will start at 7:00 PM.

State Police remind drivers to not drink and drive again today, as they will continue their efforts to crack down on drunk driving on Saint Patrick’s Day.  Drivers can expect a number of sobriety checkpoints; additional DWI patrols and Police will also be ticketing distracted drivers using handheld electronic devices.  State Police remind residents that if they are drinking at a party, to have a designated driver, and if you are driving & witness an obviously impaired driver, top call police immediately.

Cornell Cooperative Extension will sponsor three Farmers’ Markets in 2014, one in Walton, one in Sidney and one in Deposit.  The Deposit Farmers Market Will be on August 21st & September 18th from 10:00am-2:00pm.  The Sidney Farmers Market will be Every Tuesday, between July 1st and September 30th from 10:00am-2:00pm, and the Walton Farmers Market will be held on the 1st & 3rd Wednesdays from July 2 through October 15, from 10:00am-2:00pm.  More information is available at 865-6531.

Registrations for Sidney central school district students eligible to enter kindergarten in the fall will continue this week.  Parents are requested to call 561-7728 to set up an appointment; birth certificates, immunization records & proof of residency are required.

The Unatego school board of education will hold a budget workshop this evening.  The session will begin at 7:00 PM in room 93 of the Middle-Senior High school in Wells Bridge.

Attorney General Eric  Schneiderman joined Facebook, Instagram and leading gun safety organizations in announcing new policies that will help curb illegal sales of firearms on those platforms.   Facebook and Instagram agreed to remove reported user posts that seek to circumvent gun laws, take action to prevent minors from viewing posts that aim to sell firearms, and provide education to better inform law-abiding private sellers of guns.

Delaware County District Attorney’s Investigators issued an appearance ticket to Nathaniel Codington of Sidney for 1 count of Criminal Contempt in the 2nd degree.  The arrest stemmed from an incident that occurred on January 24th in the Town of Masonville.  Codington is scheduled to appear in Masonville Town Court at a later date.

The New York State Office of General Services announced that surplus vehicle auctions have been scheduled over the next few months. Vehicles up for auction can be found at nysstore.com. (http://www.nysstore.com/)Locally, the next auction will be on Thursday, May 22nd  at 9:30 AM at the DOT location at 241 Colesville Road, Binghamton.

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