WCDO Radio News

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.

State Police arrested 56 year old Kenneth Friedlander of
Oneonta for Assault & Harassment after Troopers were dispatched to Oneida
Street for a dispute.  2 people told
troopers they approached Friedlander, asking him to turn down his music, an
altercation ensued.  Friedlander was
arrested and arraigned in the town of Oneonta court and subsequently remanded
to the Otsego County Jail on $500 cash bail or $1,000 bond.

The Greater Chenango Cares event is underway through July
20th at the Norwich High School.  Vision
and medical needs are on a walk in basis. Veterinary & Dental appointments
are just about filled; there is no cost for participants. Military Service
personnel are trained physicians, dentists, and veterinarians; this is the 3rd
time that an IRT event has been held in Norwich.

The Binghamton Police Department and Binghamton Fire
Department responded this morning to reports of a strong chemical odor in the
West End of Binghamton.  Fire Department
officials reported that it was a combination of chlorine and antifreeze in a
garbage truck, workers noticed a burning smell & intense odors, prompting
the emergency response.  All 4 workers
were taken to the hospital as a precaution, the investigation is continuing.

Broome County Officials announced plans to upgrade the
Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena over the next several years.  The work include improvements to the
Concession and food service areas,  Sound
system upgrades, improvements to the Scoreboard, ribbon boards & exterior
marquee, plus Additional seating options with premium seating and party decks
& Parking solutions in the adjacent property.

Oneonta Police announced recently that they were seeking
candidates for the position of police officers.
So far, 75% of respondents have failed the physical agility tests, the
department is hosting a practice agility test on July 23rd at 6:00 PM at the
Tennis Courts in Neahwa, or in the Asa Allison building on Academy Street if it
rains.  The event is free & open to
the public, but RSVP's are requested at 432-0670 by Friday July 19th.

Heather Bucalos of Sidney is a cancer survivor who has
organized several fundraisers for area cancer patients in recent years, now her
friends are organizing an event on her behalf following a reoccurrence of her
cancer.  Tiffiney Harp is a lifelong
friend of Bucalos, she told WCDO news about their plans for a "Glow
Run" in September at General Clinton Park in Bainbridge:

(Tiffiney Harp 7-11-19)

More information is available at bainbridgeglowrun.com, also a go fund me page has been set up to assist with costs associated with Heather's treatment.

Super Heroes in Ripped jeans is kicking off their Capital
Campaign with an event at the Foothills Performing Arts center in Oneonta on
Saturday, spokesperson Anna Lipari explains;

(Anna Lipari 7-11-19)

Lipari said that the Fundraiser will raise money for the
purpose of purchasing the building on Winney Hill Road in Oneonta that they
have occupied since the efforts began about 2 years ago.  More information is available at the
Superheroes in Ripped Jeans Facebook page.

Tonight's Unadilla Summer
Concert series with "Country Express" will be moved to the Unadilla
Fire House at 77 Clifton Street, due to the inclement weather, the show will
run from 6:30 to 8:00 PM.

The City of Oneonta announced that today their contractor
will be replacing water valves at the intersections of Main and Pine Street,
and Main and Maple Street. Residents and businesses will be affected by a
temporary water outage, which may last a couple of hours: All businesses within
the work zone will remain accessible during the work. FOX HOSPITAL EMERGENCY
ACCESS will be maintained at all times. More information is available at
432-2100.

The NBT Bank Free Thursdays concert series will kick off
today with the Keeshea Pratt Band from Houston Texas.   The concerts will continue at 7:00 PM each
Thursday through August 29 in East Side Park in Norwich.

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

Chenango County Emergency
Services Responded to a number of reports for flooded roads following heavy
downpours last night & earlier this morning.  Flooded roads were reported at Butler &
State Streets in Oxford, there was washout damage to the grounds at the Oxford
School Playground, & flooding on North Broad Street in Norwich, in
Smithville at North End Road, & Chenango County Road 2 as well as County
Roads 7 & 10 in Pharsalia, County Road 7 in McDonough.  Officials remind motorists to turn around
& seek an alternate route if they encounter a road covered with water, and
to alert authorities.

State Lawmakers also passed a
bill calling allowing farm workers to unionize, Assemblyman Cliff Crouch
opposed the plan:

(Crouch 6-20-19)

Crouch said that many of the
farm workers are migrant workers in the state for 90 days, & they tend to
work more than 40 hours a week in order to make as much as they can for their
families back home.

Oneonta police arrested 30 year
old Alexander Coffran of Oneonta for possession of cocaine and marijuana.   Coffran was reported to police for violating
the terms of his parole by possessing drugs in his residence, at the time that
a probation office made a visit.
Coffran is being held in Otsego County Jail without bail pending future
court action.

Congressman Anthony Brindisi
announced that he has secured an extra $10 Million Dollars for Department of
Defense programs that fund NextFlex.  The
funding will help the NextFlex Nodes at Binghamton University, which has
brought millions of dollars in economic activity to the area.  The bill now proceeds to the US Senate for consideration.

Sidney High School was one of
562 high-achieving and high-progress schools as part of the 2018-19 Recognition
Schools, as announced by New York State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia.

(Bill Christensen 6-20-19)

Sidney was one of just 234 high
schools statewide on the list, and the only high school in the immediate area
to be selected.  Of the 562 schools being
honored, 241 are located in New York City, 40 are public charter schools, and
280 are located in the rest of the state, 131 of those were also named as
Reward Schools last year.

Delaware County Sheriff’s
Deputies arrested 51-year-old Diane Dedominicis of Treadwell Tuesday for
Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a motor vehicle, following a traffic stop on
Griswold Street in the Village of Walton.
Dedominicis was additionally charged with Speeding, Unlicensed Operator,
and she was released on tickets returnable to Walton Village Court at a later
date.

The Delaware County Chamber of
Commerce announced that Leadership Delaware is seeking participants committed
to community service who would benefit from strengthening leadership skills and
developing a personal professional network.
The 2019 Leadership Delaware program is currently accepting applications
for its 8-month curriculum that begins in October.  Up to 20 individuals will participate in
half-day sessions, held twice monthly.
More information and an application is availbale at 746-2281,
delawarecounty.org, or by email: info@delawarecounty.org.

The State Senate passed legislation in honor of Sidney
veterans.  The bill sponsored by Senator
Jim Seward designates a portion of State Route 8 running to the newly developed
Sidney Veterans' Memorial Park as the "Sidney Veterans' Memorial
Parkway".  The special highway
designation was requested by the Village of Sidney.  Companion legislation sponsored by
Assemblyman Cliff Crouch has been introduced in the state assembly. The
legislation must still be approved by the state assembly and signed by the
governor to take effect.

The Otsego County Chamber will host an Informational Session
on Today, from 11:30 AM to -2:00 PM on the “Legalization of Marijuana” with
Featured Speaker Dawn Lanouette, Partner at Hinman, Howard & Kattell.
Topics will include the effect of legalization on employer-employee relations,
landlord-tenant relations, banking and real property and zoning
considerations.  The Event will be at
Foothills Performing Arts Center.

The Oneonta Department of Public Service will be planting a
new tree on Main Street, in front of the Yellow Deli, Today. Work will begin
around 9:30 AM and is expected to be completed within 2 hours.  During the work, flaggers will maintain
one-way traffic on Main Street; more information is available at 432-2100.

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a Board of
Education Meeting on 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.

25 year old Cody Franciscovich has been charged with 1st
degree murder, in connection with the death of his 8 month old daughter Ruby
last weekend.   Franciscovich was
arraigned this morning in Town of Tioga Court,
State Troopers responding to a report of a missing baby  Sunday morning at the Deep Well Motel, they
found Franciscovich naked near the motel, he eventually directed Troopers to a
pond where the baby was found.  She was
pronounced dead at Wilson Hospital.
Franciscovich was returned to the Tioga County Jail without bail pending
a felony hearing on Friday.

The New York State Senate passed a bill Tuesday to legalize
paid gestational surrogacy for couples who are unable to have their own
children.    The measure is part of a
package of bills along with LGBTQ rights, the elimination of the Gay or
Transgender Panic defense used in court cases for violent attacks against a gay
or transgender person,   the bill faces
an uncertain future in the state Assembly where there is opposition among key
Democratic Party majority members.

Appointments are filling up & volunteers are still
needed for the upcoming Greater Chenango Cares Event.  Chenango United Way Spokesperson Elizabeth
Monaco explains:

(Elizabeth Monaco 6-12-19)

Monaco said that those wishing to volunteer to assist at the
event can call the Chenango United Way at 334-8815, The Greater Chenango Cares
event will be held at the Norwich High School July 11th through 20th.

State Senator Fred Akshar released the results of his latest online surveys asking constituents to weigh in on a proposal to end religious and any other non-medical exemptions for vaccination for children attending school in New York State.   All 50 states require that students be vaccinated for diseases like measles, mumps, whooping cough, chickenpox and polio,  but 47 state including New York allow exemptions for religious reasons.  Measles cases nationwide have more than doubled from 2018 to over 1000 this year, with at least 850 cases in the New York City and Rockland County regions of New York.  The Survey Results in the 52nd Senate District show that 70% of respondents support removing all non-medical exemptions for vaccinations, Akshar said that the results from his district were similar to a recent Siena Poll, which showed 84% of New Yorkers statewide support ending the religious exemption for vaccinations.

The Guilford Town Board will meet tonight to discuss a
controversial Wind Farm proposal by Calpine, to place large Wind Turbines in
the town; Priscilla Welden is co-Chairperson of Concerned Citizens of Guilford
who are opposed to the High Bridge Wind Farm plans:

(Priscilla Welden 6-12-19)

Tonight's Guilford town board meeting is expected to be well
attended, and the meeting has been moved to the Guilford Town Garage at 7:00 PM
to accommodate the larger attendance.

CID Entertainment, the production company that "had
been engaged to provide camping, travel packages and transportation for
Woodstock 50," has pulled out of the event.  Woodstock 50 principal Gregory Peck released
a statement announcing that festival organizers are in discussions with another
venue to host Woodstock 50 on August 16th-18th, and that they looked forward to
revealing the new location when tickets finally go on sale in the coming weeks.

The Sidney Central School District Board of Education has
named Eben Bullock as the district's new Superintendent.  Bullock served as the Sidney's high school
principal for the past 10 years, will succeed Dr. William Christensen, who is
leaving the district after more than 8 years at the helm.  Bullock was approved for a 3-year contract at
the Board of Education meeting Tuesday; he will begin the position on July 1.

Delaware County Sheriff Craig DuMond announced that he has
implemented a body worn camera program and has equipped his Patrol Deputies
with Axon Body Worn Cameras:

(Sheriff Dumond 6-12-19)

Sheriff Dumond said that the body cameras can also be a
valuable tool in the prosecution of criminal cases by supplementing a Deputy's
court testimony with audio and video evidence associated with an incident. The
Body Cameras are being deployed today after all Deputies received training.

State Senator Jim Seward opposes the state issuing
driver's licenses to illegal immigrants.
The legislation would permit illegal immigrants to apply for standard
driver's licenses using forms of foreign identification, leaving county clerks
and employees at local Departments of Motor Vehicles unable to truly verify
authenticity:

(Seward 6-6-19)

The New York Association of County Clerks opposes
the legislation since they cannot vet documents from other countries.

Fire fighters responded Friday night to a fire at
630 Sutherland Road No. 2 in the town of Meredith.  Fire investigators determined that 78 year
old Bart Misiewicz tripped & fell while carrying a kerosene lamp, his house
was completely destroyed.  Fire fighters
from the Treadwell, Franklin, Delhi, Meridale, East Meredith and Pindars
Corners fire departments assisted, no injuries were reported.

State Senator Jen Metzger has introduced a bill to
protect owners of mobile homes and other manufactured housing from unreasonable
lot rent increases. In recent years, some mobile home lot owners have taken
advantage of tenants, who do not own the land on which they place their homes,
by implementing large rent increases which have resulted in loss of housing and
homelessness.   Metzger's bill limits rent
increases in manufactured home parks to the three-year average of inflation
plus acceptable allowances. The bill has an Assembly Co-Sponsor.

Delaware County Public Health and Friends of Recovery
of Delaware Otsego in conjunction with Sidney Memorial Library are offering
free Narcan trainings to the public today. Each person will receive a Narcan
Rescue Kit after their training; Narcan is a nasal spray to reverse the effects
of opioids.  The event will be held at
the 6:00 pm at the Sidney Memorial Public Library- Smart Community Room at 8
River Street in Sidney.

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 with a Public Hearing on the Code of Conduct.

State Police have charged 25 year old John Mehne of
Sarasota, Florida for 1st degree Burglary, Robbery, Aggravated Cruelty to
Animals & Criminal Possession of Stolen Property after they were dispatched
Tuesday to an accident on I-81.  Troopers
located a stolen Audi disabled in the driving lane and facing the wrong
direction with no operator.  Mehne struck
the guiderail & attempted to jump on the back of a van, and then he jumped
into the back of a pick-up, eventually escaping into the woods.  State Police received a call from a resident
on Duell Road reporting Mehne was in his chicken coop, Mehne picked up an ax
and began chasing the resident, then stole his ATV.  A short time later, troopers received a call
that a white naked male was in a chicken coop on Springer Road & Mehne was
taken into custody.  State Police accuse
Mehne of several area burglaries & for the killing of a dog, he was treated
at Binghamton General Hospital from a Police Dog Bite; he was arraigned &
was remanded to the Broome County Jail without bail.  The investigation is ongoing; anyone with
damage in Kirkwood should call police at 775-1241.

The Sidney Chamber of Commerce will honor Lori
Roach as the Citizen of the Years & ABC Dance Studio as the Business of the
years, at tonight’s annual Dinner.  Lori
Roach commented:

(Lori Roach 6-6-19)

Amy Burns Cuozzo, owner of the ABC Dance Studio also
commented:

(Amy Burns Cuozzo 6-6-19)

Tonight’s Sidney Chamber of Commerce Dinner will be
held at 5:30 at the Sidney Fire Department Training Center on River Street,
both will be in the SFCU Hometown Parade Saturday.

Delaware County Chamber of Commerce has
collaborated with the Walton Chamber of Commerce and the Delaware County
Industrial Development Agency to present a session on Walton's designation as
an "Opportunity Zone" by New York State.  The designation allows for incentivized
business development in Walton, today at Molto Espresso, 151 Delaware Street,
Walton from 11:00 AM to 12:00 Noon.

Commerce Chenango is hosting the 1st in a series of
workshops Friday Morning in Norwich regarding the setting of Goals in Business
& how to get them completed on time, Commerce Chenango CEO Steve Craig
comments:

(Steve Craig 4-24-19)

Registration for this Friday’s Workshop will be accepted
through Thursday afternoon at 2:00 PM by phone to 334-1400 or
register@chenangony.org.

The Opening day of the “Regatta Row 2019 – Street Art Fest”
will be this Saturday, April 27, 2019, from 2:00 to 4:30 PM in Bainbridge,
followed by a display of the Adirondack chairs, Planters & canoe paddles
that have been decorated, and will be auctioned off at the General Clinton
Canoe Regatta, spokesperson Nancy Kitchen comments:

(Nancy Kitchen 4-23-19)

The Live Art Auction will be held on Saturday May 25, at the
General Clinton Canoe regatta in the big tent at 5:30 PM.  Interested purchasers can bid in advance
online at jerichoarts.com/regatta-row-2019.

The 40th Annual Jericho Arts Fine Arts Show will be held
from Saturday April 27th through May 4th, in the Gallery on the 2nd floor at
the Bainbridge Town Hall.  Show organizer
Elise Craver told WCDO News that people from all over have submitted various
types of Art for the Gallery to display:

(Elise Craver 4-23-19)

More information is available at 208-5037 or
jerichoarts.com/fine-arts-show

39 year old Jason Phoenix of Walton was arrested by State
Troopers for DWI with a BAC that was almost twice the legal limit.  Phoenix was stopped during a road check on
Lower Main Street in the town of Oneonta, Phoenix was arrested, and he was ordered
to appear in the town of Oneonta court on May 7th.

The Sidney Chamber of Commerce
& the Sidney Emergency Medical Services have announced that Jeff
Joyner,  the CEO of Fox Hospital and the
Fox Tri Town Campus will be discussing the relationship with Sidney and the
surrounding area with Fox hospital, & the expected growth of FOX services,
on May 14th at 8:00 AM at Sidney Country Club.
The Sidney Chamber is asking for interested members to RSVP as soon as
possible at 561-2642.

Oneonta police arrested Gabriel Truitt Tuesday afternoon; he
was recently indicted on charges of arson and murder in connection with a
December 29th fire at 5 Walling Avenue that claimed the life of former
firefighter John Heller.  Oneonta Police
obtained a search warrant for Truitt's Sister in Law residence, right next door
to the Police Station at 95 Main Street, he was found hiding in the basement,
and was taken into custody without incident.
Truitt was taken to the Otsego County jail, he faces arraignment this
morning.

22nd District Congressman Anthony Brindisi will hold his
April town hall at 6:00 pm at Stanford Gibson Primary School in Norwich. The
event is free and open to all members of the community.

State Police arrested 27 year old Danielle Scott of Sidney
for DWI, Unreasonable Speed and Moving from A Lane Unsafely, after a trooper
was dispatched to County Road 35 in the town of Masonville for a vehicle
rollover.  The trooper located Scott with
Emergency Medical Personnel but she declined medical assistance.  After an investigation, she was arrested for
DWI. She was processed and released on appearance tickets returnable to the
town of Masonville court on May 28th.

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.

NYSEG officials announced that with the high wind advisories
around the region, power outages are anticipated from downed tree limbs &
power lines from the wind gusts.  NYSEG
urges customers to avoid downed power lines. Even lines that appear dead can be
deadly. NYSEG customers should call 800.572.1131 to report downed power lines
or other hazardous situations.

Governor Cuomo announced that New York is making up to $31.6
million available to ramp-up the expansion of electric vehicle fast charging
stations to serve the future electric vehicle market.  The plan approved by the Public Service
Commission will leverage existing State Energy Research and Development
Authority and New York Power Authority funds to spur the private-sector
development of the charging infrastructure to support the goal of 800,000
zero-emission vehicles in New York by 2025.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 31-year-old
Shawn McGrath of Hamden on charges of Endangering The Welfare Of a Child and
Harassment following a report of a domestic incident. Deputies accuse the
defendant of engaging in a physical altercation in the presence of a child.
McGrath was arraigned and was released on his own recognizance; he is scheduled
to re-appear at Hamden Town Court at a later date.

Delaware County Sheriff Deputies arrested 32 year old
Bradley Wallace of Delhi, on charges of Criminal Contempt, Unlawful
imprisonment & harassment following a report of a Domestic Dispute in the
Town of Delhi. Wallace is accused of restraining another person while violating
an order of protection issued by Delhi Town Court. Wallace was arranged in the
Town of Delhi Court, he was releases on his own recognizance.

The Sidney Central School District Board of Education has
begun a search for a new Superintendent of Schools.  Sidney community, parents, staff and students
can assist in developing a profile of desirable attributes/qualities of this
individual, at the District's Facebook page or website sidneycsd.org and
complete the survey. All entries are anonymous.

Delaware Valley Humane Society
announced that they will hold a Bake Sale Tomorrow at the Sidney Great American
from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.  All Proceeds
will go to the Delaware valley Humane Society.

State Police responded to a one-car fatal motor vehicle
accident in the town of Harpersfield Monday Night.  The driver of a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado has
been identified as 20 year old Clayton Collins of Jefferson; he was confirmed
deceased by emergency responders.  Collins
traveled off the roadway for an unknown reason and into a large tree.  The investigation continues.

The Chenango Arts Council will feature the Popovich Comedy
Pet Theater will be at the Martin Kappel Theater Saturday at 7:00 pm.  Council Executive Director Alecia O’Neill
comments:

(Alecia O'Neill 2-8-19)

Tickets can be purchased online at ChenangoArts.org or by
calling the box office at 336-ARTS.

The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce has collaborated
with industry expert and consultant Jeff Bump of Grow Hemp New York, LLC for an
informal, informational seminar and question and answer session about growing
hemp today.   The discussion will be held
at the Delaware County Business Center, 5 1/2 Main Street, Delhi from 10:00 AM
to 12:00 Noon,  More information about
the Delaware County Chamber is available at 746-2281.

6ZERO7 Advertising will be hosting a *Valentine's Day Gift
Shop* at the United Methodist Church of Afton located at 34 Spring Street on
Saturday, February 9th from 10am to 2pm.
Local vendors will be selling merchandise for Valentine's Day shoppers,
Tabitha’s Closet will also be open for the community and supporters to get a
look at the mission.  Proceeds from the
event will benefit Tabitha's Closet; more information is available at 208-4077.

Judge John Lambert ordered tenants of 195 Main Street in
Oneonta out by this afternoon, after the Owner Melania Pervu failed to meet
deadlines to get safety violations taken care of, that were established by the
City of Oneonta.  Pervu had until January
11th to comply with the city's building codes, and failed to do so, the retail
spaces on the 1st floor will be allowed to remain; Judge Lambert declared that
anyone left in the building after 4:30 this afternoon will be removed by Otsego
County Sheriff's deputies.

A “vulnerable adult” was reported missing after he was last
seen leaving Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown in January. 67 year old Chester
Kucharski Jr of Oneonta was last seen leaving Bassett around 3:50 PM on Friday,
January 25th. Kucharski is described as 5’11, 150lbs, Gray Hair,
Hazel Eyes, Police reported that he had been evicted from his residence in
Oneonta and had been transported to Bassett Hospital. He was discharged from
the hospital and has not been located.  Anyone
with information on Kucharski is asked to contact the Cooperstown Police
Department at 547-2500 extension 1.

Officials from the New York Sherriff’s Association, the New
York State Association of the Chiefs of Police along with the Association of
County Health Officials, the state Parent Teachers Association and Triple-A New
York all announced their opposition to a proposal to legalize recreational
marijuana in New York State, at a press conference in Albany today.  The concerns raised included the expected
negative impact on road safety with more impaired drivers, as well as an impact
on children and overall public health. Despite support from many at the state
level, those opposed say the risk is not worth the reward.

The Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY)
will kick off the Annual Firefighter Winter Games in Cortland this weekend.   Hundreds
of volunteer firefighters from across the State, dressed in full turnout gear,
will participate in a variety of events and races throughout the weekend.   More
information is available at fasny.com

Sidney Village Public Works Superintendent Mike Mercurio
announced that crews have repaired a water main break near Bird Avenue area
this morning.  Residents in that section
of the village are advised to let their water run for a short period of time is
it appears discolored.

The Oneonta Police Department is
reminding area residents to not fall for Scam Calls and Emails Impersonating
the IRS.  At this time of year, Scammers
and cyber thieves use the IRS as bait to scam unsuspecting & less tech
savvy people, the most common tax scams are phone calls and emails from thieves
who claim to be from the IRS & ask for personal financial information.  The IRS Does not make such phone calls, and
complaint forms can be filed online at ftccomplaintassistant.gov.

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

The 2nd murder Trial of Aaron
Powell of Binghamton continues in Broome County Court.  Powell is accused of killing his estranged
wife Christina & Mario Masciarelli at Christina's Residence on Lisi Lane in
Binghamton on March 21st 2013.  Powell
was found guilty of several felony counts in his first trial; a higher court
overturned the original conviction & ordered a new trial.

Heavy ice flows on the Hudson
River caused by recent warming and heavy rains dislodged 8 vessels from their
docks early this morning. DEC, state and local officials quickly responded and
secured the vessels.  1 large boat became
stuck under a railroad bridge south of the Capital District this morning, DEC &
Emergency Crews from various district are assisting with attempting to capture
the boats as they continue to be pushed downstream by large ice flows.  Video footage shot from drones are available
for public viewing on the DEC YouTube channel.

Delaware County Department of
Public Works Commissioner Sue McIntyre announced the hiring of Tyson Robb as
coordinator of the county’s Solid Waste Division of DPW.  McIntyre held that position for many years
prior to her promotion to Commissioner.

Convicted murderer Jeremy Coates
has died in the Auburn correctional facility.
Details of Coates's death were not announced, Coates was serving time
for the murder of David Green in Green's Oxford home in September of 2016.

Governor Cuomo signed legislation Thursday to upgrade New
York State's voting laws.  The new laws
will allow for eight days of early voting before an election, synchronize
federal and state primary elections, allow voter preregistration for teenagers,
provide voter registration portability within the state, and close the LLC
loophole, by limiting political spending by an LLC to a total of $5,000 annually.

The Sidney Central School District Board of Education has
begun a search for a new Superintendent of Schools.  The District invites the Sidney community,
parents, staff and students to assist in developing a profile of desirable
attributes & qualities of this individual at the District Facebook page or
website sidneycsd.org and complete a survey. All entries are anonymous.

The Village of New Berlin has scheduled a seminar of today
at 10:00 AM, regarding an issue with particles in the water.  New Berlin mayor Terry Potter comments:

(Terry Potter 1-25-19)

The meeting will be held in the New Berlin Village Hall
& engineers from Delaware Engineering will answer questions from citizens,
regarding the water issue and the safety of the water supply.

The Annual Bruce Haak Memorial Sleigh Rally will be held on
Saturday in General Clinton Park.
Bainbridge Chamber of Commerce President John Payne explains:

(John Payne 1-25-19)

The event will be held from 12:00 to 3:00 pm in General
Clinton Park; it will be free & open to the public.

A State Budget presentation will be held today in
Oneonta.   RoAnn Destito, Commissioner of
the Office of General Services, will deliver State of the State and Budget
Presentations at 10:00 AM at SUNY Oneonta

34 Year Old Terrence Truitt of Oneonta will have his arson
case go before a Grand Jury shortly.
Truitt is accused of intentionally setting the fire at 5 Walling Avenue on
Saturday December 29th, where former Oneonta fire fighter John
Heller died in the blaze. Truitt was originally charged with 1st
degree arson, he is being held without bail in the Otsego County jail pending Grand
Jury action.

Former New York Republican State Senate leader Dean Skelos
reports to prison today to begin serving his 4+ year prison term for
corruption.  Skelos reports today to a
federal prison at Otisville, New York,
His son, Adam, reports to the federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut, to
begin serving his four-year sentence. Dean Skelos and his son were both
convicted in July on charges of extortion, wire fraud and bribery, with the
elder Skelos using his political influence to get his son high paying no-show
jobs.

Governor Cuomo today announced up to $10 million in capital
funding is available to expand addiction treatment services.   The funding is being administered by the New
York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, and will be
distributed through a Request for Applications process.   Selected applicants must develop and support
a minimum of 16 beds up to a maximum of 40 beds. Funding is only available for
new beds, not conversions of currently operating programs. The Request For
Applications can be viewed at oasas.ny.gov. Responses are due by February 19.

Broome County is offering grants through the Small Community
Fund for 2019, for local municipalities, non-profits, and local economic
development entities that are working on projects to assist in carrying out the
Broome County Comprehensive Plan.   A
total of $150,000 is available, last year, funds were provided for the
demolition of a smokestack in Deposit to make way for their new community park,
among several other projects around the county.
Grants ranged from $2,500 to $50,000, with the average grant being
approximately $16,000. The initial deadline for applications is March 31, 2019.
The full plan is online at gobroomecounty.com/comprehensive plan

Several upstate cites are
teaming up for a lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies, for misleading
health care providers about the addictive dangers of opioid medications they
manufactured.  so far, the cities of
Albany, Schenectady, Troy & Plattsburgh are on the lawsuit against several
top manufacturers of prescription opioid medications, more are expected to join
the suit, as the opioid crisis has continued to grow across New York State.

Bainbridge Fire fighters responded to 1025 Searles Hill Road
Monday afternoon for a structure fire at a Barn that had been converted into
Apartments.  Fire Fighters from Afton,
Coventry, Sidney & Masonville responded, no injuries were reported, but 1
dog died in the fire.  The cause of the fire
was a malfunction with the propane system, according to Bainbridge Fire Chief
Fred Bell.

The Unadilla Town Board will hold their next regular meeting
today.  The Meeting will be held at the
Town hall on State Route 7 beginning at 7:00 PM.

The Walton Central School District Board Of Education will
hold their next meeting today at 6:00 PM.
The meeting will be held in the Board Room at the High School.

Governor Cuomo signed the "Cancer Bill” for volunteer firefighters into law late last year, and it went into effect January 1st. The gap insurance policy that volunteer fire departments are required to carry for each member will provide tax-free disability and death benefits to volunteers with 5 years of service if they're diagnosed with specific cancers covered under the new law. New York's previous law did not cover all types of cancer. There are an estimated 96,000 volunteer firefighters in New York State.

Sears Holdings, owners of Kmart and Sears stores, announced that 80 more stores will be closed this year. The stores will all be closed by the end of March, with Texas and Florida having 7 stores closed, New York State had 5 stores closing; however no local stores were affected.

Broome County District Attorney Steve Cornwell today released drug overdose death statistics for 2018. Cornwell reported that there were 31 overdose deaths in Broome County, there were 76 overdose deaths in 2017. Cornwell said that the average age for opioid deaths was 40, 71% were male & 29% were female, 56% were in the city of Binghamton, while 44% were in other parts of Broome County. Cornwell said that 94% of the overdose deaths were from heroin or other opioids; 6% attributed to other drugs.

New York State passed legislation requiring all New York businesses - regardless of size - to provide sexual harassment prevention training to their employees. The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce has partnered with New Haven Consulting Group to provide members with an online "Preventing Sexual Harassment" workshop that meets New York state requirements and can be taken by your employees online. More information is available through the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce at delawarecounty.org or at 746-2281.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 40-year-old Crystal Gager of Franklin for Endangering the Welfare of a Child and Harassment, following an investigation of an altercation in December in the Town of Franklin. Gager is accused of knowingly acting in a manner likely to be injurious to the physical, mental or moral welfare of a child less than 17-years-old; Gager also allegedly subjected another individual to unwanted physical contact by striking the individual in the face. Gager was arraigned in the Town of Sidney Court and released on her own recognizance. Gager is scheduled to appear in the Town of Franklin Court at a later date.

UHS Chenango Memorial, Commerce Chenango, Chenango Health Network and Care Compass Network are hosting an event related to Substance Use/Abuse in the Workplace on Thursday, January 31st at 7:45 AM at The Canasawacta Country Club in Norwich. Speakers will be from the legal & health care communities, Registration is requested at 334-1400 or by email: register@chenangony.org, no later than January 23rd.

Oneonta Police & Fire Department officials held a press conference Wednesday regarding the fatal fire at 5 Walling Avenue Saturday morning that killed former Oneonta Fire Fighter John Heller. Oneonta Police Chief Douglas Brenner commented:

(Chief Brenner 1-3-18)

Chief Brenner said that Truitt resided in an apartment at 5 Walling Avenue at the time of the fire, the investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information can contact the Oneonta Police Department at 432-1111, or through the department Facebook page, or through the city's Nixle web page. The Calling hours for John Heller will be held today from 5:00 to 8:00 PM at Bookhout Funeral Home, 357 Main Street in Oneonta. Funeral services will be at 1:00 PM Friday at the Foothills Performing Arts Center, a celebration of Heller's life will be held at the East Meredith Fire Department, immediately following the funeral service.

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