WCDO Radio News

P.M. NEWS Tuesday 7-14-26
The Cyclosporiasis outbreak is impacting 31 states, including New York, it is caused by a parasite that triggers a severe gastrointestinal illness, The CDC & the Food and Drug Administration are actively investigating the surge in the number of cases, about 3,000 people are sick with about 85 hospitalizations nationwide. The Potential Food Sources are lettuce or salad greens, a specific grower or distributor of the affected foods has not yet been identified, Symptoms include nausea & vomiting, those with symptoms are advised to contact their health care provider, the illness can be treated with antibiotics.

Governor Hochul signed an executive order establishing a statewide moratorium on the permitting and construction of large new data centers. The freeze will temporarily stop massive, facilities for up to a year while the state develops updated environmental, energy, and community standards. The ban applies to new data center facilities that require 50 Mega Watts or more of energy. however smaller data centers used by hospitals, universities, and financial back-office services are exempt.

The Broome County Sheriff’s Office is expanding and enhancing communication abilities with crime victims and community members with new technology that provides text updates to community members calling 911. Following a call to 911 or the Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line, callers using a mobile phone will receive an automated notification & incident number by text message, with updates related to the response, about the deputy being dispatched and access to helpful resources, callers will also be able to check the status of their cases at sheriffconnect.broomecountyny.gov.

A community-wide conversation about housing insecurity & homelessness will take place in Norwich on Friday at “A Conference on Housing and Belonging, from 9:30 am. to 2 pm. in the Norwich High School Auditorium. Chenango County Social Services Commissioner Daniel Auwarter explains:

(Daniel Auwarter 7-14-26)

Auwarter is part of the Hope & Housing Initiative, a collaborative partnership of agencies and institutions working together to address housing insecurity and homelessness in Chenango County, The conference will conclude with a panel discussion featuring regional experts and stakeholders, The conference is free and open to the public. Registration is recommended at (607) 334-8244, extension 242.

An Open House is being held today in Norwich regarding the 5 Court Street Construction project. The Open house will be held until 7:00 PM at the Board of Supervisors Chambers, county officials and engineers will be available to answer questions.

State Police are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying an individual in connection with an assault, On June 30, 2026, at approximately 11:35 a.m., at the Dollar General on State Route 12 in the town of Norwich. The investigation determined that a white male approached another male as he was exiting the store, yelled at him, and punched him in the face, causing the victim to fall to the ground and strike his head. The victim sustained a laceration above his eyebrow and was treated at the scene by members of Norwich Ambulance. He declined transportation to a hospital. The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 6 feet tall, with a muscular build and short light brown hair, the suspect left in a blue SUV. Anyone with information regarding the identity of the individual is asked to contact State Police at (607)561-7400, A picture of the suspect is available at the State Police Facebook Page.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 1-21-26

Local State Assemblyman Joe Angelino is looking over the Executive Budget Proposal from Governor Kathy Hochul, and he commented that he will likely be voting no on most of the budget pieces again this year:

(Angelino 1-21-26)

The budget totals 260 Billion dollars, lawmakers have until April 1st to get the budget passed by the beginning of the next fiscal year.

Chenango Health Network & Bassett Medical Center Research Institute, are calling on residents of Norwich and Sherburne to participate in a Community Health Survey, which is designed to gather comprehensive, confidential information to assess the community’s health status and needs. Kimberly Lorraine of the Chenango Health Network explains:

(Kimberly Lorraine 1-21-26)

The results will be used to develop and evaluate future diabetes prevention efforts. The survey is now open until February 28th, For more information, visit chenangohealth.org or contact Kimberly Lorraine at 607 337-4171or kimberly@chenangohealth.org.

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who is a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that several of her priorities were included in the 2026 Energy and Water Development, Commerce-Justice-Science, and Environment funding bills. $11.75 million in funding will go to the Delaware River Basin Restoration Program to support wildlife, improve water quality, and enhance recreational access to the basin, $28 million was allocated to help New York households increase the energy efficiency of their homes and lower their energy bills.

43 year old Kaycee Spawn of Port Crane, was sentenced in Broome County Court following her guilty pleas in October. Spawn was sentenced to 2 to 4 years in Prison for possessing Dangerous Contraband in Prison, 4 years in Prison with 3 years Post Release Supervision for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, the sentences will run consecutively due to her undischarged term of imprisonment resulting from a parole violation.

The Binghamton Rumble Ponies announced that Michael Collins takes over as the 19th manager in Binghamton team history. The Rumble Ponies open the 2026 season on the road against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on Friday, April 3. The Ponies' home opener is on Tuesday, April 7 against the Somerset Patriots at 6:07 pm. Season tickets, flex booklets, and ballpark passes are currently on sale at Mirabito Stadium, or bingrp.com.

A.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 1-21-26

The Broome County Sheriff’s Office released the autopsy findings following the death of Chelsey Davis of Port Dickinson that occurred shortly after entering the Broome County Correctional Facility on October 8th. Davis’ cause of death was listed as “Chronic Alcohol Use with Hepatic Cirrhosis,” with contributing factors listed as “hemorrhaging pancreas and heart disease. The toxicology report found no alcohol or controlled substances in her system at the time of her death. Davis was remanded to the Correctional Facility by the Town of Chenango Court., after booking procedures, she received a full medical and substance abuse screening with Correctional Facility medical staff before being housed in the Medical Unit. Over the next several hours, Davis was seen by medical staff 2 additional times, she was not exhibiting any issues, 20 minutes after the third visit with medical staff, Davis experienced a medical emergency, staff administered CPR and a Defibrillator but were unable to revive her.

The State Department of Motor Vehicles will launch a new technology system, All DMV offices will close at 2:00 PM on Friday, Feb. 13, with online and phone services also unavailable during the transition. DMV operations are expected to fully resume at the start of business on Wednesday, February 18, People who need to renew a license or non-driver ID, or complete other transactions before February 13, are encouraged to use the online options on the DMV website.

The Series "Her Health Matters" continues today with a focus on Nutrition and Metabolism, with Andrea Bryan, who is a clinical dietitian at UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital, the discussion will be held at the Canasawacta Country Club, in Norwich, at 6:00 PM. For more information on UHS Chenango Memorial’s Her Health Matters Series, call (607) 337-4510.

P.M. NEWS MONDAY 12-15-25

Sidney Police Department responded Friday Afternoon to a report of a male subject pointing a firearm at a female at the Circle Drive Apartment Complex. Officers arrested 21 year old Connor Steidle of South Carolina, a search of the residence resulted in the discovery of a large quantity of cocaine and 2 firearms, including a handgun. Steidle was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Sell, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Criminal Possession of a Weapon, Reckless Endangerment, Criminal Use of Drug Paraphernalia, Endangering the Welfare of a Child, & 3 counts of Menacing. Steidle was transported to Delaware County Central Arraignment, where he was remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $25,000 bail. Sidney Police Department was assisted by State Police with this arrest.

State Police responded Saturday to 438 County Highway 11, Lot 30 in the town of Laurens for to assist at a fully engulfed fire. West Laurens Fire, West Oneonta Fire, Mount Vision Fire and Laurens Fire were already on scene attempting to get the fire under control. It was determined that the resident, 62 year old Roger Delong was still inside and was later located deceased. Investigators from New York State Fire and the Otsego County Office of Emergency Services responded to the location and will determine the cause of the fire.

Deposit Fire fighters, with help from surrounding fire departments responded to a blaze on North Sanford Road, early Sunday Morning. early reports suggest that occupants & pets escaped, more information will be released shortly by the Deposit Fire Department.

State Police announced today that they are taking extra actions to ensure public safety during the Holiday Season, following the weekend attack of Jewish People in Australia on the 1st day of Hanukkah. State Police will maintain a presence at religious institutions, public gatherings, shopping malls and other venues, in order to deter criminal activity & be ready with a rapid response should an concern arise. If New Yorkers see suspicious activity, call the State Terrorism hotline at 1-866-safe-nys.

The Recent "Pawstruck" Fundraiser at Awestruck Ciders of Sidney, raised a substantial amount of money for the Delaware Valley Humane Society, WCDO's Grace Benkovitz  & Society Director Erin Insinga told WCDO how much was raised:

(Grace Erin 12-15-25)

Shelter Saviors donation matching program funded by local businesses: Alpine Roofing, Island Premium Printing, Lambrecht Auction, Inc., Oneonta Fence, McDowell & Walker, Roasted Coffee House, Deer run Collectibles and Forno Enterprise.

A.M. NEWS Monday 12-15-25

Last Wednesday, Broome County Sheriff’s Road Patrol responded to the latest in a series of reported thefts of returnable cans and bottles from the BSA Troop 152 at Valley Christian Reformed Church in the Town of Chenango. A camera was installed inside the bin, investigators identified the suspect as 69 year old John Dubrava of Chenango Forks, who had previously been arrested in Chenango County in a similar case. Investigators located Dubrava and the vehicle from the thefts at a residence in Chenango Forks, he was charged with 3 Counts of Burglary & Petty Larceny.

Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies in the Town of Delhi and observed an E-Bike traveling on State Highway 10, which is prohibited and the operator was not wearing a helmet as required by law. Deputies conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver, who was identified as 51-year-old Daniel White of Meridale, White was charged with felony DWI, Unlawful Operation of an E-Bike on a Highway, Operating E-Bike while Impaired, White was released on an appearance ticket and traffic summonses and is scheduled to appear in the Town of Delhi Court at a later date to answer the charges.

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced more than $300 million in new state funding to support health care transformation projects across New York. The awards, made through the Statewide Health Care Facility Transformation Program, to support 22 projects aimed at improving health information technology by expanding patient electronic medical records, strengthening cybersecurity and patient information security, and expanding telehealth services. Locally, UHS Hospitals will receive 1.5 million dollars to expand their Telehealth services.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 5-15-24

Sidney Police & EMS responded at about 6:10 this morning to the report of a Norfolk Southern Train & Pedestrian Accident at West Road. 34 year old Nikita Burns of Sidney was pronounced deceased at the scene, the investigation into the incident is continuing by the Sidney Police Department.

There is still time in the month of May to drop off metal to Waste Recovery Enterprises in Sidney, which in turns helps out the Delaware Valley Humane Society, according to Director Erin Insinga:

(Erin Insinga 5-15-24)

The fundraiser runs through May 31st, over the past few years it has raised about $8,000 for the Humane Society.

The Broome County District Attorney's Office reported that over the last several weeks residents have been targeted by individuals posing as representatives from Publisher Clearing House, informing victims that they have won a substantial prize, the scammers then request payment of various fees and taxes to claim the prize, ultimately defrauding people of their savings. Legitimate sweepstakes organizations do not require winners to pay fees upfront to receive their prizes, also, individuals should never provide personal or financial information over the phone or online unless they are certain of the recipient's identity. To report a scam contact the New York State Attorney General, Consumer Frauds Bureau at 1-800-771-7755, or the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov or call 1-877- 382-4357

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced her push to provide a boost in federal funding for the FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program in the Federal 2025

appropriations bill, follow recent cuts to the program:

(Gillibrand 5-15-24)

Senator Gillibrand said that the Grant provides funding for local fire departments to purchase equipment and emergency vehicles and to address staffing shortages.

A.M. NEWS Wednesday 5-15-24

The 214th New York State Police Academy Graduation, was held today this morning at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany. 228 new Troopers completed the Basic School of the New York State Police Academy, 26 of the new Troopers are being assigned to Troop C in Sidney.

Broome County Sheriff’s Office was awarded a grant totaling $834,118 from the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services. The majority of the funding will be utilized to purchase a county-wide License Plate Reader network, to help in identifying and locating wanted criminals and fugitives entering the community, as well as helping locate stolen vehicles and vehicles involved in ongoing investigations. Some of the funding will also go toward purchasing a new Digital Forensic Computer and provide tablet and smartboard training technology for the Broome County Law Enforcement Academy.

The Southern Tier Chapter of the American Red Cross will be hosting its 15th Annual Real Heroes event this morning at the Binghamton DoubleTree Hotel at 8:30 AM. Participating sponsors and donors will be handing out awards to recipient “heroes”, ranging from a 9-year-old who safely evacuated other members of her family during a rapidly progressing home fire, to a high school student and school resource officer who saved the student’s mom when she showed signs of a stroke, to a Firefighter who, while on his way to his own retirement party, coordinated the rescue of occupants of a car submerged in water, Awards will be presented in 12 categories.

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 5-14-24

State Police at Sidney arrested 61 year old Duane Gardepe of Masonville, after a domestic dispute at a residence on Axtell Road in the town of Masonville. Gardepe has been charged with 1st degree Rape, Criminal Sexual Act, Kidnapping, Sexual Abuse, Aggravated Sexual Abuse, Unlawful Imprisonment, Menacing & Criminal Mischief, An investigation revealed that Gardepe menaced and threatened a victim, prevented the victim from leaving, calling 911 and forced unwanted sexual acts. Gardepe was processed and arraigned, he was remanded to the Delaware County Jail without bail.

State Police arrested 22 year old Zachary Hoffman Kowatch, of Arkville for Reckless Endangerment as a Hate Crime, Endangering the Welfare of a Child and Aggravated Unlicensed Operation. On May 9, Hoffman Kowatch was in a vehicle on Main Street in the village of Fleischmanns when he began yelling anti-semitic remarks at a teenager who was riding a bicycle, he attempted to intentionally strike the teenager and an adult with his vehicle while yelling obscenities and making anti-Semitic remarks before fleeing the scene. Hoffman Kowatch was located at his residence in Arkville and arrested, he was arraigned & was remanded to the Delaware County Jail on no bail.

Local sales tax collections in New York state increased by 1.5% in April compared to the same month in 2023, according to data released today by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. Overall, local collections totaled $1.76 billion, up $26.1 million from the same time last year. New York City's collections increased 3.9%, County and city collections in the rest of the state decreased -0.5%. 25 of 57 counties experienced year-over-year decreases.

Governor Hochul announced the launch of Round 14 of the Regional Economic Development Council Initiative, which includes $445 million in grant and tax-credit funding combined with a wide range of programs from 8 state agencies, Empire State Development is launching the Capital Improvement Grants for Pro-Housing Communities Program and the Small Manufacturer Modernization Grants Program. A 2nd round of the Not-for-Profit Capital Grant Program will make up to $5 million available for organizations that can assist with facility improvements and upgrades.

The Butternut Valley Alliance has announced a partnership with SFCU, to take the necessary measures to open a full-service branch in Morris. This development comes after the "Save Our Bank" task force was formed, as Community Bank NA had announced plan last year to close their Morris Branch. Butternut Valley Alliance Vice Chair Maggie Brenner explains:

(Maggie Brenner 5-14-24)

Brenner said that the BDD process can take 6 to 12 months, meanwhile, SFCU plans to begin offering limited services with a representative assisting businesses and residents in opening accounts, The Alliance will try to find out Community Bank's plans with their former office in Morris, to see if it can become a new branch for SFCU.

A.M. NEWS Tuesday 5-14-24

Broome County Sheriff's Office arrested a Kirkwood man for 3 gas station robberies. The 1st Robbery was on May 9th, at the Speedway gas station on Route 7 in Sanitaria Springs, where a male with a black shirt wrapped around his hand, implying he had a weapon, and grabbed a cash register & fled the scene in a gray Ford F-150 pickup truck. The 2nd Robbery was at the Mirabito gas station on Old Route 17 in Windsor, Sheriff Deputies identified the suspect vehicle and potential suspect as 46 year old Clint Loomis of Kirkwood. On Friday, a 3rd Robbery occurred at a gas station in Greene, Loomis was located on Route 12 in the Town of Chenango, A Deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop, Loomis resisted, a Taser was deployed but Loomis drove off, Tire deflation devices were set up, Loomis damaged his tires but continued to flee, eventually leaving the vehicle on foot, he was apprehended. Loomis was wanted on a warrant, & was charged with Robbery, Obstructing governmental administration, reckless endangerment, unlawfully fleeing Police, Resisting arrest & 26 traffic violations, he was being held for arraignment.

Oneonta Fire Fighters responded to a fire Sunday morning on Columbia Street, several occupants escaped, the fire began on the 1st floor, The cause of the fire is under investigation, the house is uninhabitable.

Governor Hochul announced the opening of the application period for $50 million in funding for law enforcement agencies across New York State. The funding will allow police departments and sheriffs’ offices outside of New York City to purchase new technology and equipment to modernize their operations, More information is available at criminaljustice.ny.gov. Last year's efforts resulted in 378 Law Enforcement Agencies Outside New York City receiving funding for technology upgrades.

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 3-7-23

Delaware County District Attorney's Office announced that 31 year old Courtni Baker of Sidney was arraigned today on Grand Jury Charges in Delaware County Court . A Grand Jury handed up a 10 count indictment, including charges of vehicular assault, Aggravated vehicular assault, 2nd degree Assault, And Escape, for the February 15th incident where Baker is accused of Hitting 14 year old Anielle AK McEwan Lomnicki on Sharon Street in Sidney as she was walking home from school. Baker is accused of driving while intoxicated at the time of the incident, with a BAC of higher than .18, she is being held in the Delaware County Jail on $100,000 cash bail, $250,000 secured bond or $1 Million Dollars Partially Secured bond.

35-year-old Bruice Jeffrey of North Norwich was arrested by Chenango County Sheriff's Deputies Sunday after allegedly stealing more than $130,000 from an elderly person. The arrest followed an investigation into Jeffrey started by a claim from the Chenango County Social Services Department, he is accused of stealing from an elderly person's account for 7 years. Jeffrey was charged with 3 counts of grand larceny and petty larceny, he was released with an appearance ticket and is due back in court at a later date.

Delaware County Sheriff's Office arrested Timothy Taylor of Franklin for Endangering Welfare of a Child and Sexual Misconduct Taylor is accused of performing sexual acts with a 15 year old female in the Town of Hancock. Taylor was processed and issued an appearance ticket to appear before the Hancock Town Court at a later date.

Lisa Driscoll of Harpersfield has joined the Delaware County Board of Supervisors. Driscoll replaces long time Supervisor James Eisel , who retired recently due to health issues.

Governor Hochul announced that approximately $110 million was awarded to 86 projects through 2 grant programs to improve water quality across the state. Locally, Town of Chenango will get $10 Million for a new treatment technology at its Northgate facility to help meet State standards and improve water quality by reducing the amount of phosphorus entering the Chenango River and the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

State Attorney General Letitia James released a list today of the top complaints her office has received in 2022. Over 5200 complaints were received regarding price gouging defective merchandise & poor customer service at retail establishments, over 3,000 were landlord or tenants complaints. over 2800 were about credit, banking & mortgage issues, over 2700 complaints were about consumer services organizations like COVID testing facilities, dry cleaners, restaurants or movers, and over 2500 for automobile sales & service.

A.M. NEWS TUESDAY 3-7-23

The Broome County District Attorney's office announced that 53 year old Robert Randolph of Endicott was sentenced after pleading guilty to felony Criminal Possession of a Controlled substance. Randolph was caught with large quantities of methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl when police raided his motel room in Endicott in August of 2021, he was on parole from a previous conviction for selling methamphetamine. Randolph was sentenced to 5 years in state prison followed by 2 years of post-release supervision.

59-year-old Norman O’Neil of Endwell died Friday after he fell through the ice when he and 1 other man were ice fishing in Tioga County. Tioga County Sheriff's Office and area EMT's & Firefighters responded, The sheriff’s office reported that the other man fell through the ice but pulled himself out but was unable to save O'Neill, First responders pulled O’Neil out, he was not responsive attempts to resuscitate O’Neil, he died from the injuries he sustained. The unidentified companion was taken to an area hospital & was treated and released.

Commerce Chenango announced that they are looking for nominations for their Board of Directors. The requirements stipulate that a board member must be a Chamber member in good standing; Must agree to accept the responsibility of directorship; Must agree to represent the best interest of the membership of Commerce Chenango. Nominations should be received by March 15, 2023, at 5:00 pm, more information is available at 607-334-1400 or by email: info@chenangony.org.

The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office is looking to sponsor children ages 9 to 12 to attend the 2023 New York State Sheriff’s Camp this summer. The camp will be held from Sunday, June 25th, to Saturday, July 1st, on Keuka Lake in Yates County. Parents with interested children can submit an application to smithkr@co.chenango.ny.us by March 10th.

The Unadilla Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for the 2023 Business & Commitment to Community/Good Neighbor Awards. The awards will be given out at the chamber's annual dinner on June 11th, nominations must be received by March 30, more information is available by email to Unadillachamber@yahoo.com.

P.M. NEWS MONDAY 12-27-21

Governor Kathy Hochul is urging New Yorkers to get vaccinated & complete the entire series as quickly as possible, as the omicron variant spreads quickly & hospitalizations continue to increase:

(Governor Hochul 12-27-21)

The latest vaccine information is available at Vaccines.gov.

Now that the Christmas holiday is over, people will start removing their trees, decorations and getting rid of the wrapping paper from their gifts, Tyson Robb of Delaware County Solid Waste Management explains:

(Tyson Robb 12-27-21)

More information is available at co.delaware.ny.us/departments.

Governor Kathy Hochul announced $23 million in grants to help improve water quality across New York State while mitigating the effects of climate change. Locally, the Village of Sidney will receive $480,000 to install water meters equipped with advanced meter reading technology, the Village of Walton will get $30,000 to identify sources of inflow and infiltration, evaluate alternatives, and recommend improvements to the wastewater collection system.

Delaware County Department of Emergency Services has received a shipment of disposable masks from the State and starting today, they are being distributed to a variety of locations in the County. The masks can be found in Delhi at the Price Chopper & County Office Buildings, in Walton at the Big M & Delaware County Mental Health Facility, in Deposit at the Big M & DMV office & in Sidney at the Price Chopper, Great American and DMV. The masks will be free to anyone in the community and will be on a first come first serve basis.

New York’s ban on single-use Styrofoam food and beverage containers, as well as ‘packing peanuts,’ takes effect Saturday. The new law allows a civil penalty of up to $250 for the first offense, $500 for the second in the same calendar year, and $1000 for the third and subsequent violations in the same calendar year.

A.M. NEWS MONDAY 12-27-21

State Police have identified the Trooper who fired his issued firearm Last Wednesday in Unadilla as Trooper Justin Miller, who has been a trooper since 2016. Trooper Miller responded on December 22 to a domestic dispute in Unadilla, he was confronted by Mark Beilby who was armed with a knife inside the home. Beilby did not comply with Trooper Miller’s repeated commands to drop the knife and advanced at the trooper, Trooper Miller discharged his firearm, striking Beilby, and then administered first aid, Beilby was first takn to AO Fox Hospital’s Tri-Town Campus in Sidney & then to Wilson Hospital in Johnson City, where he was pronounced deceased. The State Attorney General’s Office is investigating the incident.

The State Health Department tested over 650,000 people Friday & Saturday combined, with about 85,000 new positives, for a positivity rate of 14.1%. Patients Hospitalizations were close to 4900, patients in an ICU dropped slightly to 880, the number on ventilators went up by 6 to 501. The State reports over 60,700 deaths since the start of the pandemic. Vaccine Locations can be found at vaccines.gov.

The State Department of Health announced new guidance allowing healthcare workers and other essential workers who test positive for COVID-19 and are fully vaccinated to return to work sooner than previously allowed, in order to provide healthcare and other essential services. This decision follows new guidance from the CDC, after a surge of the Omicron variant. Workers can return if they have not had a fever for at least 72 hours without fever-reducing medication, have a resolution of symptoms & testing is not required.

Otsego County Sheriff's Office arrested 41 year old Brian Boore of Worcester following a traffic stop in the Town of Worcester. Boore was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance following a traffic stop on Main Street Worcester, Boore was a passenger in the vehicle and was found to be in possession of a small quantity of heroin and methamphetamine, he was an appearance ticket returnable to the Worcester Town Court at a later date.

The Village of Oxford has received $50,000 for tree planting from the DEC, the Village Tree Board will coordinate the planting of 175 street and park trees during the spring and fall of 2022 with guidance from the NYS DEC and a local certified tree expert. The grant was awarded in celebration of Arbor Day as part of a $1.18 million award to communities across the state to inventory, plant, and maintain public trees.

Starting Sunday March 1st, the bag
waste reduction law will take effect in New York State.   The Bag Waste Reduction Law bans Single Use
plastic bags in grocery stores, clothing shops or home improvement stores; more
information is available at dec.ny.gov/chemical.

The New York State Association of
Counties is calling on the Federal government to provide $3.1 billion in
emergency supplemental funding for the public health response to the novel
coronavirus. Of the $3.1 billion, at least $500 million should be directed to
local and state health departments.
Additionally, Governor Cuomo recently announced that he was seeking a$40
million emergency appropriation for the New York State Department of Health to
hire additional staff, procure equipment and other resources necessary to
respond to the potential novel coronavirus.

A.O. Fox Hospital recently received
the 2019 Financial Sustainability Silver Award from Centurion Service Group,
which annually recognizes top U.S. hospitals for financial and environmental
sustainability in responsible equipment management.  The Award acknowledges hospitals for
strategic participation in Centurion’s surplus medical equipment program for
creating revenue by freeing important resources to access new technology and
improve patient care.

Governor Cuomo
announced that New York State is now offering a free text message program to
help kids quit e-cigarettes as the state moves to reverse the alarming rise in
youth vaping.   To access this program,
text "DropTheVape" to 88709, more information about e-cigarettes is
available at health.ny.gov/NoVape

The Otsego County Office of Emergency
Services confirmed that 5 firefighters were injured in a Middlefield garage
fire from a series of explosions Wednesday night at 3679 Otsego County Route
35.  The firefighters were James Tallman,
Jon Roach & Scott Monington of the Cooperstown Fire Department & John
Sears & Ryan Smith of the Middlefield Fire Department, Roach &
Monington were taken to a Syracuse Hospital for treatment of injuries, the
other 3 were treated at Bassett Hospital & were released.  Firefighters from Middlefield, Cooperstown,
Westford, Cherry Valley, and Milford responded to the fire Wednesday
night.  State Police, State office of
Fire Prevention & Control & the Otsego County Sheriff’s department are
investigating the cause & origin of the fire.

41 year old Nasir Azmat of Franklin
appeared in Town of Franklin Court Thursday night to answer to more than 40
counts of charges relating to animal cruelty.
Azmat pleaded “not guilty” to all charges, he was ordered to check in
weekly with authorities prior to his next court appearance March 26th. Many
protesters showed up to Franklin to show their support for the dogs who are
known as the "Franklin 20", who were brought to area shelters
following Azmat's arrest.

State Police arrested 55 year old
Robert Horan of Unadilla for Endangering the Welfare of a Child and Forcible
Touching, after an investigation of an incident in Unadilla in January.  Horan is a case worker with Otsego County,
the incident did not occur as a part of Horan’s official work duties;  he was arraigned & was released on his
own recognizance and is due back in court on April 13th.

The total number of flu cases in New
York State has eclipsed the record number of since the State Department of
Health began tracking flu cases 22 years ago.
For the week ending February 22, there were 131,604 laboratory-confirmed
cases so far this season, last week, the number of laboratory-confirmed flu
cases decreased 26% and hospitalizations decreased 13%.

The Bainbridge "Rotary's Shrimp
Madness" will be held Sunday @ 4:00 & 6:00 pm @ Bob's Diner in
Bainbridge.  Tickets may be purchased @
Bainbridge SFCU, Bainbridge NBT or Bob's Diner for $20, Proceeds will benefit
Bainbridge Rotary programs, and more information is available at 604-4114.

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.

Governor Cuomo signed
legislation Friday to stop Pension Poaching, which occurs when financial
planners, insurance agents or others claim they are assisting veterans and
their families get federal benefits, but are really convincing veterans to
reposition their assets to qualify for benefits they are ineligible for, the
poachers then sell the veterans unneeded financial products or services.  The bill will take effect in four months.

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 Delaware County Fair Board has voted to prohibit its
vendors from displaying Confederate flags and related merchandise at the 2019
fair, but will not forbid their sale, according to Delaware County Sheriff
Craig Dumond.    The policy is the same
as last year; however, Confederate merchandise was on full display at that
fair, this year, Sheriff DuMond said the no-display policy will be
"aggressively enforced."  The
fair board's decision follows the efforts of “Fair for All” to end the sale and
display of the Confederate flag at the fair which they view as a symbol of
white supremacy & hatred which should not be at a county fair.

The State Senate and Assembly voted to exempt nursing
mothers from jury duty.  The legislation
would permit women to delay jury duty up to 2 years if they are breastfeeding a
baby, The bill now goes to Governor Cuomo,
who is expected to sign the measure into law.

The Otsego County Sheriff’s Office and NYS State Police
escorted runners in the annual New York "Run for the Fallen" Saturday
State Route 20 through Otsego County.
The annual New York "Run for the Fallen" spans more than 170
miles and honors New York military service members who died as a result of
serving the War on Terror.

Greater Chenango Cares is once again coming to Norwich with
free medical, dental, vision and veterinary services provided to the community
by military medical personnel.  Elizabeth
Monaco of the Chenango United Way is looking for volunteers for this event:

(Elizabeth Monaco 6-10-19)

Monaco said those interested in volunteering can call
334-8815.  Monaco also said that the
first 2 Chenango Cares events provided over 2 million dollars’ worth of
services to over 5 thousand patients, while readying military personnel for any
possible deployment for their medical services This year’s event will be held
at Norwich High School from July 11th through the 20th.

Don Clayton Memorial Trailside
Concert Series returns to Sidney on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM in July &
August.  The series will begin with the
Sidney Community Band performing on July 10th under the pavilion at Keith Clark
Park.  All concerts are free & open
to the public, more information is available at 764-9590 or at the Sidney
Community Band Facebook page.

The State DEC is asking the public to report moose
sightings, to assist a multi-year research project.  Moose sightings increase in the spring with
the rising temperatures and melting snow.
In 2018, a total of 220 moose observations were reported to DEC, a
noticeable increase from the 163 reports in 2017, Most moose sightings occur
within the Adirondacks, but neighboring states Connecticut and Massachusetts
also have moose populations, resulting in observations in the southeast portion
of New York.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Investigators arrested 43-year-old
Lisa Myers of Delancey, for Strangulation, Endangering the Welfare of a Child
& 3rd Degree Assault. Myers was arraigned in the Town of Delhi Court, and
released on her own recognizance, to re-appear in that Court at a later time
for further Court action.

For more than 25 years, the Youth Apprenticeship Program has
been an integral part of The Raymond Corporation’s commitment to science,
technology, engineering and mathematics education, as well as played a large
role in building the workforce of the future. Working with high schools
throughout the Southern Tier of New York area, this program provides a
hands-on, experiential approach to learning for junior and senior high school
students.   This year, Raymond celebrates
six graduates from its Youth Apprenticeship Program from Greene, Chenango
Valley and Maine-Endwell central school districts.  More information is available at
btboces.org/YAP or call 763-3254.

The City of Oneonta has been awarded funds from the State
Office of Community Renewal for a Microenterprise Business Assistance Program.
Grant awards will assist new and existing businesses throughout the City.  Eligible businesses must have 5 or fewer
employees and owners, and create jobs for persons meeting low-to-moderate
income limits. The funding is being offered in 2 rounds, the Round 1 deadline
is 4:00 pm on Friday, July 5th; the 2nd Round deadline is 4:00 pm on Friday,
August 16th. Application materials are available from the City’s website, or at
432-0114 or jpangman@oneonta.ny.us.

State Police arrested 25 year old John Mehne of Sarasota
Florida last night following an accident on I-81, which led to a manhunt.  State Police, Broome County Sheriff's Office
and Binghamton Police Department responded to the area of Duell Road,
Colesville Road and Springer Road in the town of Kirkwood, Troopers accuse Mehne
of attempted to flee the scene of the initial accident by jumping onto a van
& then into the bed of a pick-up truck, he eventually fled on foot into a
wooded area.  Mehne is accused of threatening
1 person with an axe, stealing an ATV, killing a chicken & a dog and was
apprehended while hiding naked in a chicken coop.  State Police encourage residents in that area
to check their property and call the State Police at 775-1241 if anything appears
disturbed.  The investigation is ongoing
& a multitude of charges are pending.

Chenango County Sheriff's Deputies arrested 26 year old
Uysef Guzman of Pennsylvania and 34 year old Heather Prince of Norwich on drug
charges following a traffic stop in the Town of Norwich Tuesday.   Deputies seized over 220 packets of heroin,
that was possibly mixed with fentanyl as well as over $1,900 in cash, the
incident is still under investigation and more arrests are expected.  Both defendants were arraigned in the City of
Norwich Court and were remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility on
$20,000 cash each. Both are to appear in the Town of Norwich Court on a later
date.

The state’s Medicaid program paid more than $60,000 for
sexual and erectile dysfunction drugs and treatments for 47 sex offenders,
according to an audit by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.  DiNapoli recommended that the Department of
Health provide Managed Care Organization’s with detailed lists of all ED drugs,
procedures, and supplies that are excluded or have limited Medicaid coverage;
and take corrective actions to ensure compliance with laws, policies, and
procedures; and Improve Department of Health’s computer system to apply sex
offender status in the processing of claims.

New York would be the first state in the U.S. to ban the
declawing of cats under legislation approved by lawmakers this session.  The bill would subject veterinarians to
$1,000 fines for performing the operation; it heads to the desk of Governor
Cuomo for approval.

The Chobani Community Impact Fund is now accepting letters
of inquiry from organizations, municipalities and school districts in Chenango,
Delaware, Madison and Otsego counties. The deadline for inquiries is June 28th,
2019. For more information about this opportunity, click
donorswhocare.org/chobani.

The Next Chenango County Health Department free rabies
clinic will be held today in Preston.
The Clinic for dogs, cats & Ferrets will be held from 5:30 to 6:30
at the Preston Town Garage, more information is available at 337-1673 of
co.chenango.ny.us.

Sidney Police Department reports
that some village residents have reported their vehicles have had items removed
from them. Police remind car & truck owners to close your windows &
lock your doors, & keep all valuables hidden from eye sight. If anyone sees
suspicious activity, they should call Sidney Police at 561-2301.

State Police issued 13,693 tickets for impaired driving over
Memorial Day weekend, as part of the STOP-DWI traffic enforcement period. The
initiative targeted impaired and reckless drivers from Friday, May 24 and
through Monday, May 27.   State Troopers
arrested 225 people for DWI and investigated 134 crashes, which resulted in 190
injuries and 4 fatalities.

Governor Cuomo today announced that the 22nd Annual Cyber
Security Conference continues today in Albany, bringing over 1,300 cyber
security professionals from state and local government and the private sector
to discuss emerging developments in the industry and best practices designed to
improve the security of New York State. The conference is being held at the
Empire State Plaza again today, the annual Conference is hosted by the State
Office of Information Technology Services in partnership with the University at
Albany School of Business and the New York State Forum, Inc.

The State Senate passed State Senator Jen Metzger's bill to
aid dairy farmers in complying with regulations to address water that can
collect in waste tires used by farmers use to hold down tarps over silage and
feed, which the DEC has determined creates a risk of mosquito breeding
grounds.  The DEC regulations require
cutting waste tires in half, drilling holes in them, or disposing of them and
finding new methods of covering silage, Metzger's bill is sponsored in the
Assembly by Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo, it instructs the Commissioner of
Agriculture and Markets and the Commissioner of Environmental Conservation to
develop a plan to remove used tires from farms at no cost to the farmers.

Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul announced today state funding to assist Unison in Norwich with a major expansion project:

(Kathy Hochul 10-17-17

Site Leader Dan Ketchum told WCDO News about the product line that will benefit from the expansion Project:

(Dan Ketchum 10-17-17)

Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul said that the project expansion at Unison is part of the Southern Tier Soaring economic development initiative.

Governor Cuomo today announced General Motors and Cruise Automation are applying to begin the first sustained testing of vehicles in fully autonomous mode in New York State in early 2018. GM and Cruise are applying to begin the testing in Manhattan, All testing will include an engineer in the driver's seat to monitor and evaluate performance, and a second person in the passenger seat. The legislation in the current state budget, allows for the testing of autonomous technology through a pilot program.

A Sidney 5K Walk or Run will be held this Sunday, with a variety of events scheduled to go along with the run, to raise money for the fight against childhood cancer. Sidney Heath Education Teacher Jonathan Yurka explains:

(Jonathan Yurka 10-17-17)

More information about the race is available at localraces.com, and then search for "Warriors” the event will be held between the Sidney High School & Middle school buildings Sunday afternoon.

State Senator Fred Akshar & Assembly Members Donna Lupardo and Cliff Crouch will hold a public Town Hall Meeting to discuss the repurposing of the Broome Developmental Center to provide substance abuse treatment to individuals struggling with addiction. Officials from the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, Syracuse Behavioral Health, Broome County Department of Social Services and the Broome County Health Department will answer questions and address concerns related to the repurposing project. The Meeting will be held on Thursday, October 26th from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Chenango Valley High School at 221 Chenango Bridge Rd.

Delaware County Sheriff Deputies arrested 36-year-old Harold Wilson of North Branch for Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a motor vehicle. Wilson was observed traveling on State Highway 206 in the Town of Colchester at a high rate of speed where he was stopped, Deputies determined that Wilson was driving with 13 active suspensions, he was arraigned in the Town of Colchester Court, he was remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $750 cash bail or $2,500 secured bond.

Governor Cuomo announced more than $3.7 million in grants to help further reduce motor vehicle theft and insurance fraud.. Police departments, sheriffs' offices and district attorneys' offices will share the funding for anti-theft and anti-fraud training programs to law enforcement professionals. The grants are awarded by the state's Motor Vehicle Theft and Insurance Fraud Prevention program, the state Division of Criminal Justice Services provides staff to the board and administers the grant program.

The Chenango County Health department & the Chenango County Area Office on aging are co-sponsoring a flu clinic today in Oxford. The clinic will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at the Oxford Firehouse, more information & registration is available at 337-1660.

New York State of Health announced that the Open Enrollment Period for 2018 Qualified Health Plan coverage will begin November 1st & end January 31st. More information is available at nystateofhealth.ny.gov or at 1-855-355-5777. .

Attorney General Schneiderman today announced that New York has joined with 31 other states in a settlement with technology company Lenovo to resolve allegations that the company violated state consumer protection laws by pre-installing software on laptop computers sold to New York consumers that made consumers' personal information vulnerable to hackers. New York will receive $154,544 from the settlement funds pending approval in New York State Supreme Court.

Broome County Sheriff’s Office is currently looking for Bryan Getchell on an outstanding warrant and they are asking area residents for assistance. Getchell is described as a White Male, 5’ 11" & weighing about 190 pounds, with Hazel eyes, & Blonde Hair, he is wanted for a Violation of Probation for a DWI Related charge. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Broome County Sheriff’s Office at gobroomecounty.com/sheriff/mostwanted or 778-1196 or 778-2923 or 778-2933.

State Police arrested 37-year-old Barbara Vazquez of The Bronx for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Unlawful Possession of Marihuana and several other traffic violations. This arrest occurred after a trooper observed Vazquez using a cell phone while driving on Interstate 81 in the town of Kirkwood, When he attempted to conduct a traffic stop, she refused to stop & continued for another 5 miles before stopping for Police. Vazquez is accused of driving without a license, possessing a cocaine & marihuana. Vazquez was arraigned in the town of Kirkwood court and was released without bail required. Her next court date is pending.

The Cancer Services Program of Delaware, Otsego and Schoharie will offer free health screenings to women 40 or older that are uninsured/underinsured, in partnership with Bassett Healthcare. The screenings will be offered at the Unadilla Great American Food Store on Thursday, September 28th, from 9:00am to 3:00pm. Appointments or More information is available at 1 -888-345-0225.

State Police arrested 56 year old Rhonda Koban of Norwich for felony Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated with a B.A.C. result of .19%, plus other traffic violations. The arrest occurred after a traffic stop when Koban failed to keep right on State Route 12 in the town of Norwich. Koban was arraigned in the town of Norwich court and was released without bail required.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman & a coalition of 16 Attorneys General filed a lawsuit to protect Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals grantees. The lawsuit details how the Trump administration has violated the Equal Protection clause of the Constitution by discriminating against DREAMers of Mexican origin, who make up 78 percent of DACA recipients; violated Due Process rights; and harmed States' residents, institutions, and economies. A copy of teh lawsuit is available at ag.ny.gov.

The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce is holding its "End of Summer Hootenanny" today in Delhi, Chamber President Ray Pucci explains:

(Ray Pucci 9-7-17)

The event location is at 5 1/2 Main Street in Delhi, the event is free to Chamber members, more information is available at 746-2281.

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

The State Office of General Services announced that a surplus vehicle, highway equipment, and miscellaneous property auction will be held today at 9:30 AM at the State Police troop C headquarters. Information on specific items and terms of sale is available at ogs.ny.gov, or (518) 457-6335.

Sidney Chamber of Commerce meeting has been changed to today @ 7:45am to be held at the Sidney Golf Course. Chambers members & directors are urged to attend...

The Oneonta Board of Public Service will hold their next meeting this afternoon. the board will meet at 4:00 PM in the Common Council Chambers at City Hall.

Delaware County Sheriff Tom Mills Announced his retirement today, effective August 28th. Mills has served as Delaware County Sheriff for almost 19 years & has served in Law enforcement for over 50 years. Undersheriff Craig DuMond will officially become Acting Sheriff until Mills vacancy is filled by appointment or by election in November.

3 people were indicted by a Chenango County Grand Jury last week, on a variety of assault charges, following the beating of a man in Norwich in June. Joseph P. Hughes, Joseph C. Hughes & Nicholas Hughes were indicted following the attack on an individual on Silver Street in Norwich, the victim suffered face & skull fractures & brain bleeds, the 3 were remanded back to the Chenango county jail without bail pending future court action.

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced $1,061,034 for Head Start programs at Delaware Opportunities. The federal funding was allocated through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and will be used to support child care services for low-income families in the Southern Tier Region. Head Start provides comprehensive child development programs for low-income children at ages 3 & 4, as well as supports and services for their families.

Governor Cuomo today announced that the Department of Motor Vehicles' Facial Recognition Technology Program has identified more than 21,000 possible cases of identity theft or fraud since its launch, with more than 7,000 of those cases generated in the last 18 months alone. The milestone is due in part to a major technology upgrade in January 2016 that doubled the number of measurement points mapped to each driver's photograph, which has resulted in more than 4,000 arrests and more than 16,000 individuals facing administrative action.

Catskill Area Hospice will complete a consolidation of their facilities into one building in Oneonta by the end of the year. The organization will be located at the former Mang Insurance office on River Street in Oneonta, they previously were housed in 2 locations in Oneonta, where both of those buildings are for sale, and previous location in Delhi & Cobleskill closed earlier this year.

Since the 2006 & 2011 floods that devastated much of the Upstate region, Progress has been slow in order to safeguard people & property from any future catastrophic weather events. Area Assemblyman Pete Lopez comments:

(Pete Lopez 8-21-17)

Lopez said that a key issue is that, it's not a matter of "If" harsh weather hits the upstate counties again, but "when", and he is concerend that necessary measures might not be completed in time.

The Greater Afton Chamber of Commerce has taken over the "Afton Sidewalk Days" Saturday, to keep a long time local tradition going forward, Chamber President John Hinman explains:

(John Hinman 8-21-17)

The Event will run this Saturday from 9:00 to 4:00 on Afton's Main Street, shuttles will be available to & from the event.

The Otsego County Northern Transfer Station in Cooperstown will be closed for construction starting today through September 30th. Information on other locations for disposal can be found online at otsegocounty.com or by calling 547-4225.

A Chenango County Grand Jury will convene shortly to hear the cases against James Brower and Tobias Rundstrom-Wooding. Both men are accused of raping & murdering 11 year old Jacelyn O'Connor in their Norwich Trailer July 30th. Brower faced court action in Norwich yesterday, where it was determined that there was enough evidence against the men to send the case to a Grand Jury. Both men are being held without bail in the Chenango County Jail pending Grand Jury Action.

Governor Cuomo today announced that $3.6 million has been awarded to 45 farms through round two of the Southern Tier Agricultural Industry Enhancement Program. The program helps farmers and agribusinesses expand and improve their operations, while promoting the responsible use and protection of the state's natural resources.  Locally, 10 projects in Chenango County will receive Chenango County over $1,000,000 dollars.

Oneonta Police are reminding area vehicle owners to always lock up their vehicles, after the report of a few vehicles being ransacked around the city. Police also remind vehicle owners to never leave valuables in plain site inside vehicles. Oneonta Police urge that is you see suspicious activity, call them at 432-1111.

The Broome County Sheriff’s Office is currently looking for 18-year-old Noah Venth-Costick, who is wanted on an outstanding warrant for Grand Larceny. Venth-Costick is described as a white male, 5’ 9” tall, weighing about 150 pounds, he has Hazel Eyes, Brown Hair, anyone with information is asked to contact the Broome County Sheriff’s office at 778-1196 or 778-2923 or 778-2933.

SUNY Delhi ranks among the top 25 "Top Colleges of 2017" in New York State by OnlineColleges.com. SUNY Delhi's ranked at #22, based on the college's focus on affordability, student services, and the availability of its online programs. U.S. News and World Report also ranked SUNY Delhi among the Best Online Bachelor's Programs offered across the nation based on student engagement, faculty credentials and training, peer reputation, and student services and technology. The latest rankings are available at onlinecolleges.com.

State Senator Fred Akshar joined local librarians at the Fenton Free Library to announce over $150k in library funds for 24 libraries through the BOOKS Program. These funds will go towards children's programming and new books for the children and young adults collections at libraries across the 52nd Senate District. Local Libraries receiving funding includes Afton, Bainbridge, Deposit, Fenton, Oxford & Windsor as well as the 4 County Library System Cybermobile

The Sidney Central School District announced that they would offer after-school programs for no charge, starting in September. The District will offer an after-school program for students in grades K through 6th Monday through Friday until 5:00 PM, on full-length school days & Transportation is available. The After-school programs will begin on Monday, September 11th, more information and registration will be posted on the school website by the end of this month.

Delaware County Sheriff's Investigators arrested a New York City woman on a Sealed Indictment Warrant, regarding the distribution of heroin from New York City into Delaware and surrounding counties. 24-year-old Courtney Williamson of Queens and 34-year-old Monica Iannarelli, of Brooklyn were charged by the Grand Jury with 3 counts of Criminal Sale of Controlled Substance & 3 counts of Conspiracy. Williamson was arrested in April in the Town of Middletown; officers seized 83 bags of heroin and 30 bags of cocaine, she is being held in the Delaware County Jail on $100,000 bail. On July 28th, Iannarelli was apprehended in Brooklyn by U.S. Marshal’s and was turned over to Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies; she was arraigned on Monday and was held on $50,000 cash bail.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 29-year-old Todd Tripp of East Meredith, for Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle, following a report of an accident in the Town of Franklin. Tripp was will appear in Town of Franklin Court to answer to the charges at a later date.

Delaware County Public Health announced a Free Rabies Vaccination Clinic For dogs, cats and ferrets today from 4:00 to 6:00 PM, at the Franklin Fire Hall, 351 Main Street. More information about rabies is available at 832-5200 or delawarecountypublichealth.com.

Area HazMat teams were called to 54 South Street in Walton this morning, for a reported gas leak at the Waste-water treatment plant. State Route 10 was closed from the village of Walton to the Beerston area, and there were some evacuations. WCDO NEWS will have more details as they become available.

New York State is now accepting applications from companies interested in testing or demonstrating autonomous vehicles on public roads. New legislation allows for testing autonomous technology through a year-long pilot program. Applications for testing may be submitted by manufacturers, all vehicles will also have to comply with federal safety standards as well as State inspection standards, and a person holding a valid driver license must be present in the driver's seat at all times while it is operated on public highways. Testing results must be sent to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles no later than March 1, 2018. The law permitting demonstrations will expire April 1, 2018.

State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced settlements with 6 ticket brokers that illegally purchased and resold hundreds of thousands of tickets in New York State since 2011, including on popular ticket resale platforms like StubHub and Vivid Seats. 5 of the companies violated New York’s ticket laws by using illegal ticket “bots” to purchase large numbers of tickets on websites such as Ticketmaster.com before the tickets could be obtained by consumers, then resold them at a large profit. The settlements require the six companies to pay a combined total of $4.19 million in penalties, a separate settlement was reached with Componica of Iowa, that developed software libraries used by ticket bots to try to get around security tests used by ticket selling websites.

State Senator Jim Seward announced that he has signed on as the co-prime sponsor of legislation to fast track the start of ridesharing services in New York State. The bill would allow transportation network companies to begin operating in time for the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Ridesharing regulations were included in the recently adopted state budget, but the law allowed Uber & Lyft to begin operating on July 9th. The new legislation would allow ride sharing to start on June 29th.

The Chenango United Way is doing their annual '2017 Annual Personal Hygiene Collection' throughout the end of the month of May. Items that are being accepted are shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrushes, feminine products, diapers, baby wipes and baby shampoo. Full size is preferred. Items can be dropped off at NBT Bank branches, Guernsey Memorial Library and at the United Way office at 83 North Broad Street in Norwich. More information is available at 334-8815.

New York State's tourism industry set new records for total number of visitors, economic impact and direct spending in 2016. a record 239 million visitors traveled to New York State, generating an economic impact of $104.8 billion, visitors generated an all-time high $64.8 billion in direct spending.

The Town of Unadilla Highway Department announced that they would have their Spring Clean Up on Thursday May 18th this year, from 6:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Items will be accepted at the Town Highway Garage on County Highway 3, they will accept white goods, scrap metal, electronics, waste oil & up to six tires, more information is available at 369-5466.

A public education session will be held at the Unadilla Fire Station tonight, where residents of the Village and Town of Unadilla can learn about Community Choice Aggregation, which is a new residential bulk electricity-purchasing program. Unadilla Mayor Dave Welch comments:

(Dave Welch 5-11-17)

The session will be held at 7 PM at Fire Station on Clifton Street. Residents are encouraged to bring their questions and electricity bills. More information is available at megacca.org to learn more.

State Police arrested 69-year-old Leroy Bigelow of Little Falls, for Criminal Sexual Act, 2 counts of Sexual Abuse and 2 counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child. Bigelow is accused of having sexual contact with 2 different victims less than 11 years old while in the Town of Guilford. Bigelow was arraigned in the Town of Guilford Court and was remanded to the Chenango County Jail on $50,000 cash bail.

Animal Adventure Park announced that they will delay their opening day due to the weekend storm. The park had planned to open the gates on Saturday morning at 10:00 AM; the opening has been postponed to Monday, at 10:00 AM. Due to the weather, a number of species would be off exhibit and indoors for their safety if the opening occurred on Saturday. Animal Adventure Park recently became an international known park as the live stream of April The Giraffe giving birth was watched by Million worldwide.

During Trauma Awareness Month in May, the American Red Cross urges eligible donors to help ensure that blood is available for patients with traumatic injuries and other serious medical needs by donating blood. A Blood drive will be held in Sidney today from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM at SFCU on Union Street & in Walton from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM at the Walton O'Neil High School. Donors of all types are currently needed, Donation appointments can be scheduled by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.

State Police responded to a report of shots fired on Algerine Street in Afton, at about 11:30 this morning. Troopers found one person with a Gunshot wound that required medical treatment, who was in police custody. The investigation is continuing.  The Afton School district Superintendent Betty Briggs told WCDO News that the building was placed in "Lockout" following the reported shooting, but there was only staff and no students in the school today, due to a scheduled "Conference day".

State Police is currently investigating 2 burglaries that have occurred in Otsego County, 1 in the Town of Pittsfield and the other in the Town of Burlington. Both burglaries occurred on January 19th, and involved the theft of property from homes on County Highway 13 and State Route 80. Anyone with information is asked to contact the State Police at (315) 858-6014.

Governor Cuomo announced $14 million in Grants is available to protect soil and water resources on farms across New York State ram, to address water quality challenges on farms in watersheds across the State. The program complements the Governor's proposed $2 billion Clean Water Infrastructure Act of 2017, which would provide additional funding for source water quality protection initiatives, including projects to ensure proper management and storage of manure on farms across the State.

Governor Cuomo announced that 41 million dollars in Grants are available to cultural & Arts organizations around the state. The State Council on the Arts grants is awarded in 16 programs in all 62 counties in the state.

Maiorano & Associates held a grand opening & Ribbon Cutting at the new location at 7 Main Street in Sidney Friday. CEO Serafino Maiorano commented about moving a branch of his financial services business to Sidney:

(Serafino Maiorano 1-30-17)

Maiorano & associates also has an office in Brooklyn, their local office number if 604-4351, their website is at Maiorano and associates.com.

A new Siena research poll says Governor Andrew Cuomo's 2017 agenda is largely supported by New Yorkers. Cuomo maintains a 56 percent to 37 percent favorability rating, unchanged since late last year. His job performance rating stands at 45 percent approve, 53 percent disapprove -- also little changed from last month. Meanwhile, 47 percent of voters are ready to back the governor for a third term, a job Cuomo is seeking again next year.

State Police arrested 28-year-old Tammy Roe of Davenport for Criminal Possession of a Weapon & Menacing, after troopers responded to a dispute in Davenport. An investigation determined that during a verbal dispute with her ex-boyfriend Roe had threatened him while holding a knife. No one was injured. Roe was arraigned in the Town of Davenport and was released, pending court action on February 14th.

The Binghamton Senators have called a Press Conference for Tuesday afternoon at the Holiday Inn of Binghamton, they are expected to address the replacement team for the Senators, after Ottawa team officials announced that they are moving the their top Farm team out of Binghamton after this current season. Published reports out of Albany suggested that New Jersey Devils would be moving their farm team from Albany to Binghamton; an official comment is expected at tomorrow’s press conference.

State Police and Broome County SIU Task Force executed a search warrant at 475 Popple Hill Road in the Town of Lisle as a result of an investigation into the sale and manufacturing of methamphetamine. Police seized items associated with one pot meth manufacturing, Arrested were Matthew Crowningshield, Heather Clark, Scott Doty & Andrew Kuhr. They were charged with Criminal Possession of Controlled Substance and Unlawful Manufacturing Methamphetamine; they were arraigned and were remanded to the Broome County Jail without bail.

State Senator Fred Akshar and Senator Chris Jacobs of Buffalo were appointed as the 2 new co-Chairs of the Senate's bipartisan Joint Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction. The Task Force will again hold forums, meet with experts, and evaluate what further state measures are needed to reduce drug abuse.

The Harm Reduction Work Group is coordinating today's Medication Take Back Event. Residents are asked to remove outdated or unused prescription medications from their homes for safe disposal. Today's event will be held from 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon at the North Norwich Town Hall located on County Road 23. The program is in collaboration with The Chenango County Sheriff's Office and The Norwich City Police Department.

Law enforcement cell phone tracking devices are coming under scrutiny in several states, where lawmakers have introduced proposals ranging from warrant requirements to a ban on the technology. The devices mimic cell phone towers and allow law enforcement to collect unique subscriber numbers and other basic data from cell phones in a particular area, Law enforcement officials say the devices help to find suspects and victims, and to solve crimes. This year, lawmakers in at least 6 states are proposing bills to require warrants to use cell phone surveillance devices, including New York State.

The next Reunite Bainbridge Committee Meeting will be hold tonight at 7:00 PM at Bob's Diner. David DeClue, President of the Bainbridge Development Corporation, will be asking committee members and other interested parties to brainstorm ideas for potential uses of the Jericho Tavern if & when it is ever purchased. Also, the committee is looking to Form of a committee to explore places where murals could be designed.

An estimated 3000 people attended the Funeral of New York State Trooper Timothy Pratt today in South Glens Falls. Trooper Pratt was killed last week, while he was assisting a tractor-trailer driver stuck on a median in the town of Wilton, & was accidentally struck by a second vehicle driven by 59 year old Joel Duguay of Corinth. Trooper Pratt was a 30-year veteran of the State Police and also served in the United States Air Force for 7 years prior to becoming a New York State Trooper.

Governor Cuomo announced the availability of $45 million for counties to improve their emergency communications systems and upgrade technology. Each county and New York City can submit applications to fund projects involving infrastructure, equipment and technology upgrades. The grant is administered by the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. Applications must be received via email by December 8th at Grant.Info@dhses.ny.gov.

The 2016 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree will be a Norway Spruce tree, that will be removed from the property of Angie & Greg Eichler at 72 Country Club Road in the town of Oneonta. The Tree will be cut down November 12th and will be taken to New York City November 12th, and will be lit up in Rockefeller Plaza November 30th, live on Network Television.

Norwich City Police, Fire fighters & EMT's responded to a 2 vehicle crash, into a house at 88 South Broad Street. 1 person was removed from the scene by ambulance, following the noontime accident. More details are expected to be released following the conclusion of the accident investigation.

Delaware County Deputies arrested 22-year-old Courtney Jennings of Walton Thursday on an arrest warrant for Menacing, Criminal Trespass & Endangering the Welfare of a Child, On Sunday, Deputies then arrested 45-year-old Donald Jennings of Hancock, for Menacing & Endangering the Welfare of a Child. Both were charged in connection with a recent altercation at a residence in the Town of Colchester. Both were arraigned & were released pending future court action.

A holiday tradition of the American Red Cross New York kicks off tomorrow, November 1st, as they will give away a $50 VISA gift card every day throughout the month. Also, All donors during November will be entered in the daily Turkey-A-Day Giveaway. To donate blood, download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS.

Tickets went on sale today for the Musical "Once" which will be performed for 2 shows on Sunday December 11th at the Forum Theater on at 3 & 7:30 PM. Tickets for "ONCE" go on sale at the Arena Box Office, through Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com, more information is available at BroadwayInBinghamton.com.

Fire fighters from several area fire department responded to the report of a structure fire at a garage near Center Street in Oneonta, at about 4:30 this morning. Fire fighters were attempting to keep the garage fire from spreading to nearby structures, Oneonta fire fighters were assisted by fire departments from Otego, West Oneonta, Worcester, Franklin & Sidney. All fire fighters were dismissed at around 8:30 this morning, no injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer is calling on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate "spying billboards". Schumer’s office reports that the billboards are being used to collect data from any mobile device that passes by them. Schumer said that companies want to use this technology to track peoples travel patterns and behaviors through location services on their cell phones, Schumer is pushing to allow consumers to be able to opt-out of the tracking program and to be notified if this new technology is tracking them.

On Saturday, Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 23-year-old William Caiati of Walton, for unlawful imprisonment, Petty larceny, harassment and aggravated harassment following a report of a Domestic incident in the Town of Tompkins. Caiati was arraigned and was remanded to the Delaware County Jail in lieu of $1000 bail.

Plans are continuing to move forward to move childbirths from fox hospital to the Bassett birthing center in Cooperstown, as well as any other services that may be shifted around between fox & Bassett since their agreements began to be forged. Fox CEO Jeff Joyner comments:

(Jeff Joyner 5-2-16)

Joyner said that childbirths are way down at fox rapidly, while the Bassett birthing center has continued to see an increase, fox & Basset transition teams will continue to look at the numbers & see which services best fit each location.

There are some changes to some of the races at the General Clinton canoe regatta this year. Regatta Chairman John Harmon explains:

(John Harmon 5-2-16)

Harmon said that the final meeting of the Clinton Canoe regatta committees, prior to the Memorial Day Weekend, would meet tomorrow night in Bainbridge.

Whitney Point school district will be closed today, following vandalism to 19 busses and the bus garage over the weekend. District officials announced that school is closed as there are not enough vehicles to collect the students this morning, the busses will be checked & out repaired today, surrounding district have offered to loan Whitney Point busses for Tuesday’s commute, officials hope to have classes open again Tuesday, & the state police are investigating.

The Chenango County Sheriff's Department arrested 19-year-old David Gavett following traffic stop in North Norwich, where Gavett was pulled over after being observed driving at a speed of 72 mph in a 55 mph zone. Gavett failed to pull over, and attempted to drive off, he was stopped & was found to be possessing alcoholic beverages while being under the age of 21, plus Gavett’s motor vehicle had no valid insurance and was not legal to be driven on the road. Gavett was charged with Obstruction of Governmental Administration, Resisting arrest, & several traffic offenses, he was arraigned in the Town of North Norwich Court and remanded to the custody of The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office in lieu of $1,000 cash bail to reappear at a later date.

State arrested 60-year-old Virginia Reichhold of Oneonta for 2nd degree Grand larceny, after troopers received a report of fraud. Trooper accuse Reichhold of fraudulently opening new credit card accounts under another name and illegally charging over $70,000, in November 2014 through October 2015. Reichhold was arraigned in the Town of Richfield court and was remanded to the Otsego County jail in lieu of $2,000 cash bail or $4,000 property bond.

State Police arrested 24-year-old Andrew Kaiser of Norwich for aggravated DWI, with a B.A.C. result of .19%. This arrest resulted from a traffic stop when Kaiser was seen driving with an inadequate muffler while on State Route 320, in the Town of Norwich. An investigation determined that he was driving while intoxicated. Kaiser was issued tickets returnable to the Town of Norwich court on May 19th.

The State DOT today announced that debris clean up will be performed today and Tuesday,from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, on the right lane on State Route 17 westbound between the Route 17/Interstate 81 interchange and Exit 72 Prospect Street, that section will be closed. The left lane on Interstate 81 southbound to Route 17 westbound between the I-81/Route 17 Interchange and Exit 72 Prospect Street, will also be closed. All work will be performed weather permitting.

The city of Oneonta will be sweeping all 3 levels of the parking garage tonight at 10:00 pm until Tuesday morning at 11:00 AM. The parking garage will be closed at that time, all other city lots plus the Clarion Hotel lot may be used. More information is available at 432-6465.

The Delaware county sheriffs department arrested 2 Walton men on drug charges following the execution of a Search Warrant Friday. Arrested were 29-year-old Cory Costello and 27-year-old Antonio Felice, deputies seized . heroin, prescription controlled substances, hypodermic instruments, marijuana and nearly $500 cash. Felice was also in possession of a Public Assistance Benefit card. Costello and Felice were each charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, more charges are expected. Both were arraigned in the Town of Walton Court & were remanded to the Delaware County Jail, Felice was ordered held on $100,000 cash bail, Costello was held on$50,000 cash bail.

Governor Cuomo announced $74.2 million in grant awards for 6 projects to transform and improve the delivery of health care in Southern Tier. The awards are being made through the Capital Restructuring Financing Program and Essential Health Care Provider Support Program. Locally, the United Health Services Hospitals will receive $14,332,500 for the STRIPPS Information Technology Infrastructure & Delaware Valley Hospital will receive $1,400,000 for the Telemedicine Project in Partnership with UHS.

The percentage of school districts initially planning to override New York’s property tax cap in 2016-17 has nearly doubled when compared to last year, but still remains relatively small, according to preliminary data filed with the office of State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. As of March 2nd, 6 percent, or 36, of the 601 school districts that reported, indicated that they would seek an override of the tax cap. Last year, 3.5 percent, indicated plans to override the tax cap. Property tax levy growth for school districts is capped at 0.12 percent above current levels for the 2016-17 fiscal year. School budgets head to voters for approval on Tuesday, May 17th.

A Town of Columbus resident was arrested by the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office on an active Arrest Warrant for Grand Larceny. Deputies arrested 40 year old Shawn Loomis, following an investigation into the report of $1,600 worth of stolen equipment, Loomis is accused of possessing & selling the equipment, he was taken into custody without incident and arraigned in the Town of Columbus Court to reappear at a later date.

On Sunday, Chenango County Deputies arrested Bernt Hansen of Afton for DWI, after an investigation of a motor vehicle accident. Hansen was also issued tickets for Failure to keep right, leaving the scene of a property damage motor vehicle accident and refusal to take a breath test; he was released to a sober third party and is to appear in the Town of Greene Court at a later date.

A 20-year-old Bashiem Jenkins of Norwich was arrested Saturday for criminal possession of a controlled substance following a traffic stop in the city of Norwich. Jenkins was arraigned and remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility on bail pending future court action.

State Police arrested 47 year old Steven Scott of Unadilla, Saturday for the felony of criminal possession of a weapon, plus petty larceny & possession of a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle. Trooper reoponded to the report of clothing being taken from the House of Consignment on Main Street in Unadilla. Scott was located nearby in his vehicle, a search of the vehicle found that Scott unlawfully possessed a loaded .22 caliber rifle and the stolen clothing from the store. Scott is a convicted felon & is not legally allowed to possess firearms. Scott was arraigned & was remanded to the Otsego County jail on $5,000 cash bail or $10,000 property bond pending court action on March 11th.

The Delaware County Department of Economic Development is pleased to announce the acceptance of grant applications for consideration under the County’s recently awarded Agricultural Microenterprise Program. The $200,000 federally-funded Agricultural Microenterprise Program is a continuation of the program which began in 2015 and will continue to focus on two primary components of business development: education and financial assistance.  Applications for grant assistance under this program must be hand-delivered or postmarked by 5:00 pm on April 22, 2016.

State Senator Jim Seward announced the approval of a $21.45 million state grant for A.O. Fox Memorial Hospital in Oneonta. The $21.45 million state grant awarded to A.O. Fox Memorial Hospital through the Essential Health Care Provider Support Program will be utilized to shore up financial concerns and as capital support for the creation of a major joint center.

Baseball’s biggest stars will make their annual return to the home of baseball on Memorial Day Weekend at the Hall of Fame Classic. Hall of Fame members Andre Dawson, Phil Niekro, Ryne Sandberg and Ozzie Smith will be joined by recently retired players representing all 30 major league teams for a seven-inning legends game on Saturday, May 28 at Doubleday Field, the pre-game Home Run Contest at noon and first pitch scheduled for 1:05 p.m. Tickets are now on sale via phone at 877-726-9028 or at baseballhall.org.

The Tri-Town Relay for Life will hold their next meeting at the United Methodist Church at 12 Liberty Street Sidney, today at 5:30 pm. Previous team captains, new team captains, and anyone who would like to volunteers may attend; more information is available at 563-8841 or the American Cancer Society Tri Town Relay for Life at 1-800-227-2345 or the local office at 563-9634.

The City of Oneonta will have 3 meetings today at the Common Council Chambers at City Hall. the Operations, Planning & Evaluation Committee will meet at 4:00 PM, the Finance/Human Resources Committee at 5:00 PM and the Parks & Recreation committee at 7:00 PM. All 3 meetings are open to the public.

The Otsego County Sheriffs department arrested 20-year-old Eric Ferguson Jr of Oneonta for allegedly selling narcotics and marijuana to undercover officers at the Oneonta Wal-mart parking lot. Ferguson was charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance, the investigation continued and Officers arrested his father, 43 year old Eric Ferguson Sr. & 45 year old Linda Lee Clow, of Oneonta for allegedly supplying the narcotics to his son to sell. Ferguson Sr. was charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance, Clow was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance. All 3 were arraigned & were remanded to the Otsego County Jail on bail pending future court action.

New York State is moving into the forefront for the future push toward using renewable energy sources. Governor Cuomo discussed that at a recent forum in Albany:

(Cuomo 2-23-16)

141 clean technology companies have been supported and through the Governor’s Cleantech Business Incubator initiative, which has attracted more than $215 million in private capital and created 980 jobs at businesses statewide.

State Police arrested 42-year-old Daniel Mowers of Delhi for Felony DWI, 12 counts of Felony Leandra’s Law, and 13 counts of endangering the Welfare of a Child. Troopers accuse Mowers of driving a Gilboa School bus while intoxicated after a phone call from a concerned parent whose child reported to the parent that the bus was being operated erratically. Mowers was arraigned & was remanded to the Schoharie County Jail on $15,000 cash bail or $30,000 bond, pending court action Thursday

The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services today announced a new webinar series aimed at educating prescribers about responsible prescribing of opioid medications. The four-part webinar series runs today through March 10th. More information is available at combatheroin.ny.gov or 1-877-8-HOPENY.

Governor Cuomo announced a plan to protect residential and small commercial consumers from unfair business practices in the retail energy service industry following a review by the State Public Service Commission. The review found that multiple energy services companies were overcharging for electric and gas service, as well as failing to deliver on promises for savings and clean energy. Today's actions will both enhance consumer protections and ensure that violators of the regulations will not continue operating in the State.

The body of 53-year-old Carolyn Weeks of Newfield was found Friday morning near her car on a remote stretch of road in Tompkins County, according to the State Police. There was no indication of foul play, but the investigation into the cause of death is continuing. Weeks was last seen Feb. 9 leaving work around 3 p.m. at Titus Towers in Ithaca. Snowmobilers found Weeks' car late Thursday, and her body was found about 150 yards from her car Friday morning.

State Senator Jim Seward announced that the Joint Senate Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction will be at SUNY College in the Hunt Union Ballroom today. Seward is a member of the task Force; they will be getting input regarding the heroin epidemic, from 12:00 Noon until 2:00 PM. The roundtable forum is one of several being conducted around the state to solicit input and develop recommendations for legislative action.

The Delaware County Sheriff's Office is seeking 64-year-old Leon Squires, Jr., formerly of Walton, on an outstanding Arrest Warrant issued by Delaware County Court in December 2015. Leon Squires was last observed in the Hancock, and northeast Pennsylvania, in late December. Squires is described as being approximately 5’7”, 165 pounds, with blue eyes and gray hair. Anyone with information can call (607) 832-5555 or 1-888-914-9111. All calls will be kept confidential.

Sidney Chamber of Commerce will hold their next Business After Hours Event today at the Super 8 Hotel. The program will run from 5:00 to 7:00.

Governor Cuomo today issued an Executive Order to protect homeless individuals from inclement winter weather where temperatures decline to 32 degrees or below. The order will ensure that homeless individuals are directed to shelter during inclement winter weather which can cause hypothermia, serious injury and death. It also requires homeless shelters to extend their hours of operations so that those without shelter can remain indoorsý. The State will assist local social services districts if they are lacking facilities, resources or expertise.

Broome County Sheriffs arrested 31 year old Courtni Rozelle of Dickinson on a variety of drug charges, after pulling her over for driving a vehicle with a cracked windshield & driving without wearing a safety belt. Police accuse Rozelle of giving a false name, as she was wanted a warrant for her arrest & she was driving with a suspended license. Rozelle was charged with 3 counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, plus Criminal Impersonation, Criminal Possession of a Hypodermic Instrument and Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle. She is being held at the Broome County Jail on $1,000 bail.

A new law is in effect in New York State that will update the Breastfeeding Mothers’ Bill of Rights to add a provision that allows women to take reasonable, unpaid breaks at work in order to pump breast milk for up to three years following childbirth. Including this provision in the Breastfeeding Mothers’ Bill of Rights, which is publicly posted in maternal healthcare facilities, nurseries, maternity floors, and post-delivery rooms, would ensure that women are aware of this right and would prevent employers from discriminating against them based on their decision to express breast milk at work

Colleen Ayres of River Street in Sidney is one of the first homeowners in the area to get her house elevated, a process that started on December 9th. Ayres told WCDO News about the process:

(Colleen Ayres 1-4-16)

Ayres said that she had to get Blueprints made up as her home is in the Sidney Historical Section of town, various landscaping and other projects will need to be performed to maintain the historical appearance once the elevation process is complete.

State Police arrested 19-year-old Kobe Hanns of Conklin for felony-aggravated cruelty to animals, after troopers responded to a report of a dog being shot in the Town of Conklin. Hanns is accused of being in a dispute with his sister; he shot & killed her dog outside the residence. Hanns was arraigned in the Town of Conklin court and was remanded to the Broome County jail with no bail set at this time. His next court date is pending.

State Police arrested 24-year-old Trevon Clement of Newark for unlawfully fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle and numerous other traffic violations, after a pursuit. This arrest occurred after a troopers first observed Clement speeding at almost 100 miles an hour, he continued try to flee Police at speeds up to 127 miles per hour on State Route 17, where he crashed into guide and stopped. Clement was arraigned at the Town of Chenango court and then remanded to the Broome County jail in lieu of $1,000 cash bail or $2,000 bond, his next court date is pending.

The Raymond Corporation of Greene has donated a forklift to the Conservation and Equipment technology program at DCMO BOCES. Students will have an opportunity to work with state of the art technology with a leading brand and the equipment enables instruction for 3 different classifications of forklift certification. The donation is valued at $5,250 dollars.

The Broadway Theatre League, Broadway in Binghamton is delighted to announce that the national tour of “JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT”, at the Forum Theatre in downtown Binghamton on Sunday, February 14th for 2 performances. Tickets are on sale now at the Arena Box Office and Ticketmaster. To charge by phone call 800-745-3000 or order on-line at ticketmaster.com. For more information call 607-778-6626 or visit our website BroadwayInBinghamton.com.

The city of Oneonta Parks & Recreation committee will hold their next meeting this evening. The meeting begins at 7:00 PM in the Common Council Chambers at City Hall.

A new state law that went into effect in the New Year will provide expanded access to health care by providing for the delivery of services via telehealth under Medicaid coverage and private insurance parity. 2 other new laws include dentists and physical and occupational therapists within the covered telehealth services under Medicaid. These practitioners would then be able to provide services from a distant location to benefit the patient where and when they need it most.

New York State Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul continues delegation meetings with elected officials at various health care facilities throughout Puerto Rico to further Governor Cuomo's commitment to assist with the health care crisis. At 4:00 PM the Lieutenant Governor and State Elected Officials Hold a Press Conference with the Puerto Rican Delegation.

Coldwell Banker Timberland Properties will celebrate the grand opening of a new office at 19 Union Street, Sidney with an open house on Wednesday, Oct. 21 from 4:30-7 p.m. The public is invited to stop at Coldwell Bankers’ fifth office, located in the Community Bank Building, to meet the staff and learn more about the region’s largest real estate company. The event will include office tours, refreshments and live music. Jackie and Steve Rose, two of the most well respected real estate professionals in the Sidney area, are managing the new Coldwell Banker Timberland Properties office.

State Police responded to a report of a motorcycle accident on State Route 28 in the Town of Exeter. 86-year-old Herbert Black of Remsen was operating his motorcycle on State Route 28 when he entered a curve in the roadway, he was unable to maintain his lane and struck a street sign & was ejected and suffered serious injuries to his head, neck and chest. Black was transported to Bassett Hospital where he was pronounced deceased, no autopsy would be required.

On Monday October 8th, Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies and State Police responded to a reported bomb threat at the DCMO BOCES, Harrold Campus, in the Town of Masonville. The bomb threat was discovered written on a bathroom wall. The building was evacuated, a search found no explosive devises. Deputies have determined that a 14-year-old male was responsible for making the written threat. The youth and his legal guardian were subsequently issued a juvenile appearance ticket for the Delaware County Probation Department where the juvenile will answer a charge of Filing a False Report in the First Degree.

State Police in Norwich observed a 2007 Hummer traveling on State Route 12 in the Town of North Norwich; the vehicle matched the description of a stolen vehicle from Utica, and had been in a pursuit earlier in Oneida County. Several attempts to stop the driver were made and were stopped for safety reasons as the suspect approached the City of Norwich and then the Village of Greene. Troopers reported that as the vehicle entered Broome County, 2 Tire Deflation Devises were deployed, the front tires were disabled & the suspect continued to the Town of Chenango, and then fled the disabled vehicle and ran into the woods, A search by a State Police & Broome County Sheriff’s K-9 teams led to 17 year old La-Tee Baker of Utica, who was located near Otsinigo Park. Baker was charged with reckless endangerment and criminal possession of stolen property, he was arraigned at the Town of Chenango court and remanded to the Broome County jail with no bail set at this time.

The Oneonta police department special response team is scheduled to work in cooperation with the Greater Plains Elementary School to conduct a school lockdown drill on Thursday. The event will provide the Oneonta SRT Team to train in full gear, and it will give students & faculty a chance to become familiar with evacuation procedures in case of an emergency.

The New York State Office of Information Technology Services is offering a number of resources and activities to help all users learn more about cyber security and how to safeguard themselves from cyber-based threats. The 2015 Cyber Security Toolkit features awareness resources geared to a broad audience, including government, businesses, schools, and the general public. New York ITS is also coordinating a statewide cyber security poster contest for students in grades K through 12 promoting online safety, winners will be featured on the ITS website and entered into a national contest, more information on the poster contest is available at its.ny.gov/eiso.

The Commerce Chenango College & Career Connection Day will be held tomorrow at the Morrisville State College Norwich Campus, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Commerce Chenango spokesperson Jill O’Hara explains:

(Jill O’Hara 10-13-15)

More information about the college & Career Connection Day is available at 334-1402.

The city of Oneonta FTO-CIC committee will hold their next meeting this afternoon at 4:00 this afternoon, the Oneonta Finance/Administration committee will hold their next meeting at 5:00 PM, both meetings will be held at Oneonta city hall.

Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies, with the assistance of Bronx County Sheriff’s Deputies, arrested 31-year-old Crest Wood of the Bronx for Manslaughter and Criminally Negligent Homicide. Wood was indicted by a Delaware County Grand Jury, for her role in the August 21, 2014 two car, head-on collision on Cat Hollow Road in the Town of Colchester that claimed the life of 48-year-old William Sharpless of Nineveh. Wood was arraigned in Delaware County Court and remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility in lieu of $3000 cash bail pending further court action.

The Governor's Traffic Safety Committee announced that resources are available to help young people stay safe as graduation season gets into full swing including free toolkits to help young drivers, and a brand new website recently launched by the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (NYS OASAS) that gives parents the tools to talk to their children about the risks of underage drinking. For more information about the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee and its partners, visit www.safeny.ny.gov.

3 committees of the Oneonta Common Council will meet today. The facilities, technology, operations -community improvement committee will meet at 4:00 PM, the finance & administration committee will meet at 5:00 PM, the zoning & housing board of Appeal will meet at 7:00 PM. All of the meetings will be held in the Common Council Chambers at City Hall.

The Greater Oneonta Economic Development Council will hold their next meeting today at the Oneonta Holiday Inn at 7:00 PM. Residents of the town & city of Oneonta are encouraged to attend; the topic is the possible savings in taxes by consolidating the town of Oneonta into the City of Oneonta.

The prosecution & the defense rested in Chenango county court in the murder trial of Ganesh Ramasaran yesterday. Ramsaran is accused of killing his wife Jennifer in 2012, her body was found several months later in the town of Pharsalia. The biggest twist in the trial was Ramsaran’s decision to testify last Thursday, his testimony wrapped up yesterday in Norwich, the jury will get the case shortly. Closing Arguments will begin at 9:00 this morning.

Governor Cuomo launched the “Combat Heroin,” campaign, to inform and educate New Yorkers about the risks of heroin and prescription opioid use, the signs of addiction, and the resources available to help. In 2013, there were 89,269 admissions for heroin and prescription opioid abuse treatment in New York State alone, with New Yorkers ages 18 to 24 with the largest increase in such admissions. A website can be found at combatheroin.ny.gov, it includes information about warning signs of heroin and opioid abuse and misuse, access to Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services treatment providers, and guidance to help parents talk to their children and healthcare professionals talk with their patients.

Governor Cuomo signed into law the Community Risk and Resiliency Act to strengthen New York State’s preparedness for the effects of climate change and help protect communities against severe weather and sea level rise. The Act advances recommendations of the NYS 2100 Commission, which the Governor convened after Superstorm Sandy, to develop more resilient infrastructure systems across the state. The Act requires State agencies to consider future physical climate risks caused by storm surges, sea level rise or flooding in certain permitting, funding and regulatory decisions. The standards would apply to smart growth assessments, siting of wastewater treatment plants and hazardous waste transportation, storage and disposal facilities, design and construction regulations for petroleum and chemical bulk storage facilities and oil and gas drilling permits, and properties listed in the state’s Open Space Plan, as well as other projects.

The next Citizen Voices General Membership meeting will be held today at 4:00pm at at the Carriage House at 790 Southside Drive, Oneonta. The topic will be Solar Energy, Net-Zero construction and how to apply current technology to existing structures. the event is open to the public, reservations are requested at CitizenVoices@hotmail.com.

State lawmakers should receive the annual state revenue estimates, and get ready to get down to work on the state budget plan.  Local assemblyman Cliff crouch explains:

(Cliff Crouch 3-3-14)

The deadline to get the state budget passed in April 1st.

The new 5-year federal farm bill has provisions to tackle Lyme Disease, with important research already being accomplished in New York.  Congressman Chris Gibson explains:

(Gibson 3-3-14)

Farmers who need assistance with learning all of the changes in the new farm bill can contact Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Governor Cuomo announced that the State DMV is making additional information available to prosecutors about a driver’s ticket history so that the prosecutors can make more informed judgments when considering a plea for a current driving charge. The information will be available for tickets issued during the past 10 years when the original charge was a point bearing violation, a drug or alcohol related offense, or was for aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle. Currently, only data on convictions is available to prosecutors.  Access to this information is restricted to District Attorneys, paralegals and investigators working under the supervision and control of the DA’s and other prosecutors authorized by a DA’s office.

US Senator Charles Schumer is calling on federal regulators to set guidelines to protect consumers as car companies collect personal information through "smart car" technology and sell it to third parties.  Schumer announced Sunday that he's asking the Federal Trade Commission and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to establish guidelines requiring carmakers to notify drivers when they are being tracked and allow drivers to opt out completely from sharing information.

Governor Cuomo will hit the airwaves to promote his property-tax freeze.  The governor will appear in a TV ad to push lawmakers to support his proposal to freeze property taxes for two years, if local governments and schools stay under the tax cap and move to streamline services. Cuomo said New York couldn’t thrive by having among the highest property taxes in the nation. He started a website to promote the tax freeze at cutpropertytaxes.ny.gov.

Maple producers in New York are planning open houses the last two weekends in March, but so far the season is off to a slow start because of frigid weather. The best weather for sap is daytime temperatures in the low 40s and nighttime lows in the 20s. This winter has been so cold that many producers haven’t been able to get any sap yet and they are several weeks behind.

Public meetings begin this week on proposals for high-speed passenger rail service in New York. The 1st of 6 hearings is tomorrow in Albany. Meetings are also planned in Syracuse, Buffalo, Rochester, Utica and Poughkeepsie. The state Department of Transportation said 5 options are proposed in an environmental review required for federal funding. Under the options, trains would have top operating speeds of 79, 90, 110 and 125 mph. The costs of the plans range from $1.7 billion to $6.2 billion.

Governor Cuomo announced regulations that will better protect New York consumers who hire a tax preparer. The rules will reduce errors and omissions on tax returns, reduce fraud and increase the level of competence and ethics among preparers. The governor said that unethical preparers will advertise low fees & then increase them after the fact, they also seek to have refunds placed into their own accounts and then redistribute the money later, while stealing a portion of the refunds, more information is available at 518-530-HELP.

Regional Lawmakers are responding to governor Cuomo’s plans that were outlined in yesterday’s “State of The State” address in Albany.  State Senator Jim Seward of Milford said that he liked the tax cut agenda:

(Seward 1-9-14)

State senator Tom Libous of Binghamton also responded favorable to the governor’s tax plans:

(Libous 1-9-14)

Libous said that he was a bit surprised that the Governor did not mention Hydrofracking during the speech, which has been on hold in New York for over 5 years.  Next, the governor will unveil his executive budget proposal to lawmakers on January 21st.

The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office along with the City of Norwich Police Department arrested three individuals Wednesday, following a lengthy investigation into the distribution of crack cocaine.  Charged were 32-year-old Tarik Patterson of Utica, 41-year-old Mary Franklin of Norwich and 36-year-old Rachel O’Neill of Norwich, for 3rd degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.  Law enforcement confiscated 6 individual Baggies of crack cocaine weighing approximately seven grams, cash, and drug paraphernalia.  All 3 were arraigned in the Town of Norwich Court and remanded to the Chenango County Jail on cash bail pending court action in the Town of Norwich Court at a later date.

The Delaware county board of supervisors have re-elected Jim Eisel of Harpersfield as chairman of the board for another term.  Walton Supervisor Bruce Dolph was selected as the county budget director.

US Senator Charles Schumer is asking the federal government to release more than $35 million to subsidize home heating for New Yorkers affected by a run of frigid weather. Schumer said some money from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program is currently being held back. As of November, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services only obligated $316 million of the $351 million available for state residents this winter. With cold weather across the state, he says the money should be released now

New York’s long-term energy plan focuses on increased use of renewable energy and clean technology, while reducing consumer utility bills. The plan, released this week for a 60-day public comment period, calls for expanding use of natural gas instead of oil to reduce air emissions. But it doesn’t include expanding gas production through hydraulic fracturing in the Marcellus Shale. New York has had a moratorium on fracking since an environmental review was launched in 2008. Six public hearings will be held on the plan.

The Catskill Mountains Film Festival announced that they are accepting submissions for the festival exhibition & competition. The event will take place on May 2nd through May 4th primarily on the SUNY Delhi campus but also at suitable venues in Delaware County.   More information is available at catskillmountainsfilmfestival.org.

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

Police arrested a Windsor a man for allegedly stealing nearly $20,000 worth of merchandise from a Conklin business. Broome County deputies arrested 44 year old Greg Rought, who is charged with stealing tools and gift cards from E. Systems Group in Conklin on Aug. 14. Rought was arraigned in Town of Dickinson Court and sent to the Broome County jail. Anyone with any information should call the Sheriff's Office at 778-2053

In an effort to promote economic growth, community leaders in Delaware County are proposing a new project at SUNY Delhi to create more business opportunities by recycling waste water. The project would take waste water from the Delhi Waste Water Treatment facility and recycle it through an irrigation system on campus golf course. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand joined campus and community leaders earlier this week in support of the project. Leaders hope Gillibrand will go to bat for them, as about half of the funding for the $2 million plan is still needed and the project is eligible for federal grants. Construction is anticipated to begin next spring.

State Police arrested 66 year old Stephen Hay of Sidney Center for DWI with a BAC of .09% following an investigation into a property damage accident on Sherman Hill Road in Franklin. Hay was issued tickets for Town of Franklin Court September 12.

About 1,200 homeowners, renters and business owners affected by the June floods received checks yesterday to help them repair and rebuild. Gov Cuomo appeared at Herkimer County Community College to give an update on the flood recovery and state funds to assist with that effort. The checks represent $13.6 million in state funds awarded to those affected by the flooding in the Mohawk Valley, Central New York and Niagara County. Additional checks will be issued as more applications are processed.

US Senator Charles Schumer is trying to make a connection that would bring up to 600 jobs to Delaware County. The jobs would be created at a call center to be built in Hancock. Schumer says he's pushing for funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. For more information, go to scumer.senate.gov.

A new report on New York’s economy calls the last 10 years a “lost decade” for typical workers, with median wages dropping almost 7 percent for men and about 1 percent for women. The Fiscal Policy Institute said the recovery from the Great Recession shows more underemployment despite the state restoring overall jobs lost in the downturn. The institute said most growth has come in lower-paying businesses like retail and restaurants, while a decline in middle-wage jobs continues, partly from government cuts. The report was based mainly on federal and state labor data.

Celebrating the end of the summer? Make sure you’re not drinking and driving, or you may end up with a Labor Day ticket. State and local law enforcement agencies have been out in force since Aug. 16 with sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols to deter drunk driving. Law enforcement agencies will also crack down on drivers whose ability is impaired by drugs, both illegal and prescription. Nationally, someone is killed every 51 minutes on average in a drunk-driving crash. The majority of these crashes involve drunk drivers who have nearly twice the legal BAC of .08 or higher.

Governor Cuomo announced 16 winners, across the state, of a statewide competition to form public-private partneships to prepare high school students for high skill jobs in technology, manufacturing and healthcare. Students can earn an associate degree at no cost. Partnerships include Broome Community College, Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton and United Health Services. For more information, go to governor.ny.gov.

Governor Cuomo announced that most DOT construction projects in New York state wil be suspended over the Labor Day weekend. The Governor's "Drivers First" inititatve prioritizes the convenience of motorists and ensures that disruptions are as minimal as possible to motorists. For real time travel information, call 511 or go to 511ny.org

The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office arrested 31-year-old Christopher Cox of Utica for 3rd degree Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance.  The Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division along with the City of Norwich Police Department closed out an investigation into the sales of Heroin in the County; Cox was arraigned in the Village of Sherburne Court and remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility on $10,000 cash bail. buy levitra online with fast delivery (http://familycareintl.org/blog/1970/01/01/buy-levitra-online-no-prescription/)

Governor Cuomo warned New Yorkers to beware of tax collection letters that appear to be government notices, but are actually solicitations from private entities.  The deceptive notices are titled “state tax warrant notice” and “bank accounts and asset seizure pending.” When recipients call the toll-free number it is from a business claiming to be able to remove the debt for a fraction of the amount owed. Anyone who believes that they have been the victim of this type of scam should contact the New York State Department of Financial Services’ Consumer Help Line at 1-800-342-3736.

Governor Cuomo announced that 63 programs from 36 SUNY campuses will receive more than $12 million in funding over the next three years to support workforce development in high-need career fields of Engineering, Healthcare, Renewable-Clean Energy, Biomedical-Biotechnical, Agriculture-Agriculture Business, and Information Technology. Locally, Binghamton University will get $1.7 million dollars, BCC will get $191,301, SUNY Delhi will get $70,000, Morrisville State College will get $253,000.