WCDO Radio News

A.m. news Tuesday 11-4-14
It's Election Day, with the big races on the ballot. The race for governor pits incumbent Democrat Andrew Cuomo, against Republican Rob Astorino & Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins is on the ballot again. In the State Attorney General's race, Incumbent democrat Eric Schneiderman faces Republican John Cahill. In the race for State Comptroller, incumbent Democrat Tom DiNapoli faces Republican Robert Antonacci. In races of local interest, for the 19th Congressional District, Republican Incumbent Chris Gibson faces democrat Sean Eldridge. In the 52nd State Senate district, Incumbent Republican Tom Libous faces Democrat Anndrea Starzak. In the State Assembly in the 121st Assembly District, incumbent Democrat Bill Magee faces a challenge from republican John Salka. In Sidney, Republican Loddie Marsh is running on the Democratic party line, while Jody Proffitt carries the Republican spot on the ballot for a town council seat. In Oneonta, Patricia Kent faces independent David Rowley for a town board seat. InFranklin, Republicans Donald Smith and Lisa Huyck are vying for two seats on the town council against independents Donald Hebbard and Bryan Babcock. There are also 3 propositions on the ballot; 1 proposal seeks to reform the redistricting process to an independent commission. The 2nd measure have lawmakers receive copies of proposed legislation digitally rather than on print out, the 3rd would allow the state to borrow up to $2 billion for high-speed Internet, equipment & high-tech security features for schools.

The 2015 General Clinton Canoe Regatta kickoff meeting will be held tonight in Bainbridge. The meeting will begin at 7:00 PM at the Highway 7 Bar and Grill in Bainbridge.

Insurance company AIG has agreed to pay New York state $35 million to settle claims that two former subsidiaries did business without licenses and misled regulators about their operations in the state. The deal was announced by the state Department of Financial Services. It comes after a $60 million settlement in March with MetLife, which purchased the subsidiaries from AIG. Authorities had alleged subsidiaries American Life Insurance Co. and Delaware American Life Insurance Co. sought customers in New York without licenses and without telling regulators. Under the settlement, AIG will drop a legal challenge to the state's probe and the state will not proceed with charges or a lawsuit

Governor Cuomo announced nearly 40 million dollars in grants to reduce water pollution and to protect bodies of water across the state; the grants will support 134 projects, with 23 million dollars going to projects that seek water pollution control by preventing floods and storm water runoff, which can carry pollutants into streams and lakes. More information is available at governor.ny.gov.

The sentencing of Ganesh Ramsaran is postponed until December 1st in Chenango county court. Ramsaran was convicted of 2nd degree murder for the death of his wife Jennifer in December of 2012, he is being held in the Chenango county jail without bail since his conviction on September 23rd.

A Bainbridge man has died following a rollover crash Tuesday night on I-88 in the town of Fenton, after he struck a deer. 35-year-old Sean Coleman was pronounced dead at Wilson Memorial Hospital of massive head trauma. Police investigators believe that Coleman hit the brakes after colliding with the deer & lost control, overturned and landed on the right shoulder of the highway. Police said that Coleman was found about 30 feet from his vehicle; an unidentified passenger suffered only a minor injury and was treated at an area hospital & was released.

Local fire departments are urging area residents to make sure that they carbon monoxide alarms are working properly. Carbon monoxide poisoning is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths nationwide, with about 200 new Yorkers being hospitalized each year. Those who are poisoned tend to exhibit flu like symptoms; a New York state law from 2010 requires carbon monoxide alarms in residential properties as wall as hotels, dorms & nursing homes.

Governor Cuomo announced the establishment of a strategic fuel reserve at 6 locations in the upstate counties, to ensure that gas & diesel fuels are available to emergency responders in the event of an emergency like severe storms. The reserve terminals are positioned to rapidly provide service to all areas of upstate in the event of a declared emergency. About 2.5 million gallons of gas & diesel will be housed and supplied to emergency responders if their own fuel supplies are disrupted.

The Otego fire department responded to a structure fire early this morning at 2:38 AM, at 17 Forster Street. The fire was reported in the basement, the fire was extinguished in a little over an hour, and no injuries were reported.

An autopsy conducted at Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton on 26-year-old Derek Prindle of Afton determined that the cause of death was from a gunshot wound to the chest, the death ruled as a homicide. State police are looking of eyewitnesses to the shooting in the parking lot of Peak Fitness in the town of Bainbridge Monday between 1:00 & 1:30 PM; they can call Troop C at 561-7400. Former New York City police officer and John Guzy of Bainbridge has been charged with 2nd degree murder, he is being held in the Chenango county jail without bail pending court action Friday.

A Delaware county sheriffs deputy was involved in a head on crash on state highway 10 in the town of Walton that resulted in a serious injury to the driver of the other vehicle.   Deputy Stephanie Proffitt was taken to Delaware valley hospital in Walton where she was treated for a leg laceration & was released. The 2nd driver, 27year old Amber Phraner of Walton was airlifted to Wilson Hospital in Johnson City where she was listed in critical condition. The investigation is continuing.

60-year-old Almond Upton of Florida pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and 10 other charges in Broome County Court this morning.  Upton is accused of intentionally swerving on northbound Interstate 81 & hitting Trooper Christopher Skinner, who was conducting an unrelated traffic stop on the side of the highway.  Upton is charged with 1st degree murder, 2 counts of 2nd degree Assault, 3 counts of criminal mischief & 5 counts of reckless driving, he faces court action again on August 29th.

State Police reported that 4 people were injured in an accident on State Route 7 in the town of Unadilla on Sunday.  The accident occurred at around 2:45 Sunday afternoon, between a car and motorcycle occurred in a driveway near the juncture of Sheep Pen Road and Sanly Road, Police said that 21 year old Benjamin Newman of Bainbridge; & 68 year old Richard Lewis of Birmingham, Alabama collided, 4 people suffered a variety of injuries.

State Police at Oneonta arrested 43-year-old Ramnarine Baldeo of Schenectady for False Personation and Aggravated Unlicensed Operation.  The arrest resulted from a stop for not wearing his seatbelt on I-88 in Oneonta; Baldeo is accused of giving the Trooper a false name and date of birth, to keep his suspended driver’s license from being found out.   Baldeo was arraigned and was remanded to the Otsego County Jail in lieu of $1,500 cash bail.

State Labor Commissioner Peter Rivera today announced that through a partnership with the US Department of Treasury, New York leads the nation in the number of recoveries made, with more than 19,000 individuals who filed fraudulent Unemployment Insurance claims & had their federal tax refunds intercepted.  The Program returned $21 million over the past 6 months to the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. New York was the first state in the nation to implement this program and has recovered more than $139.4 million since February 2011.

Hunting and trapping licenses, and Deer Management Permits for the 2014-15 season are now available for purchase through the State DEC.  Sporting licenses and permits can be purchased at one of DEC's 1,100 license sales outlets statewide. Licenses can also be ordered at dec.ny.gov/permits.  The 2014-2015 hunting and trapping licenses are valid for 1 year beginning this September 1st

Republican gubernatorial hopeful Rob Astorino, and the GOP statewide ticket, filed 4,400 pages of signatures in an attempt to create a "Stop Common Core" ballot line this fall.  Astorino's campaign filed 62,000 signatures from voters in support of the effort, if certified by the state Board of Elections, the effort would give Astorino a 3rd ballot line against Governor Cuomo in the November election.

New York is getting new restrictions on the sale of ivory or rhino horn to prevent the slaughter of the endangered animals. Gov. Cuomo signed legislation into law that prohibits the sale of ivory or items containing it unless they are antiques or used for educational or scientific purposes. The rules would also apply to rhino horn. Federal law already restricts ivory imports and interstate sales. The Wildlife Conservation Society said New York is the nation's No. 1 importer of ivory.

Governor Cuomo is using his campaign money to pay the cost of travel for himself and his staff to Israel. The three-day journey to Israel is officially a government trip. But members of the delegation are using campaign funds to pay their way. State Senator Jeff Klein and Dean Skelos and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver are also using campaign funds. The group was scheduled to meet with Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu today & return tomorrow.

The National Weather Service has confirmed that a tornado touched down near Reading, yesterday around 4:40 PM. The damages showed that this is an EF-1 tornado with wind speeds between 86 and 110 mph. Officials are continuing to investigate other sites across the state where other damage was reported.

The DCMO BOCES will hold an information night at the Sidney High School tomorrow. Spokesperson Martha Brower comments:

(Martha Brower 7-14-14)

More details on the Information night is available at the Sidney High School Distinct office.

State Police are teaming up with the Parks and Recreation Department for a new campaign, to ensure everyone is buckling up. More than 200 people killed in car accidents in New York last year were not wearing a seat belt. The agencies hope to reduce the number of fatalities by highlighting the importance of bucking up & the importance of using car seats for children. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration said car crashes are the leading cause of death for children age 1 to 13.

Assemblyman Bill Magee has filed petitions to force a September Democratic primary against Michael Hennessy, the party's pick in the 121st District. Democrats in Madison and Oneida counties dropped Magee and designated Hennessy, however, Magee won the endorsement of Otsego County Democrats. Magee has served 12 terms in office. This is his first primary challenge. Brookfield Town Supervisor John Salka filed petitions to run on the Republican and Conservative Party lines.

The village of Bainbridge board of trustees will hold a special meeting this afternoon, at the village clerk's office at 33 west Main Street. The purpose of the meeting is to hold a work session on the Comprehensive plan; the meeting is open to the public.

The Chenango County Sheriff's department arrested 51-year-old William Smith & 46 year old Lisa Marie Labouf for 2nd degree Assault, Endangering the Welfare of a Child and 2nd degree Harassment. The 2 are accused of assaulting a female victim and harassing another female victim, in front of 2 children. Smith was arraigned in the Town of McDonough Court and remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility on $20,00 cash bail. Labouf was arraigned in the Town of Pharsalia Court and remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility in lieu of a $20,00 cash bail. Both are to reappear in the Town of German Court at a later date.

The Chenango county Sheriff's department arrested 29-year-old Bradley Short of Otego for Unlawful Fleeing of a Police Officer and Reckless Endangerment. Short was charged after failing to stop for law enforcement for allegedly speeding. Short was arraigned in the Town of Plymouth Court and remanded to the Chenango County jail. Short was charged the following day with 1 count of Promoting prison contraband, where he is accused of possessing marihuana in the county jail, he was issued an appearance ticket for Town of Norwich court at a later date.

After an extensive review of New York City’s 2007 Filtration Avoidance Determination, State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker announced that revisions to the document have been finalized.  The revisions will enhance NYC’s existing watershed protection plan and they respond to the significant flooding events in the Watershed by introducing new program elements that mitigate future flood hazards, protect lives and property while protecting water quality.  The revised document & the Health Department's responses to public comments on the draft may be viewed at health.ny.gov.

Cornell University’s Wildlife Damage Management Program reports that tick populations are still high in New York, despite the long, cold winter.  Persistent snow cover helped insulate ticks in the leaf litter so deer ticks that carry Lyme Disease are in large numbers this year, in direct correlation with the high Deer population. Cornell officials warn New Yorkers to wear light-colored clothing with long pants and sleeves, Tuck your pants into your socks, and your shirt into your pants, Use spray repellents as directed, Walk along the center of trails and avoid contact with shrubs or brush, move lawn furniture and children’s toys away from the yard edges and wooded areas & when you return home from hiking in wooded areas, put clothes in the dryer on highest setting for 10 minutes to kill any ticks.

The town of Sidney Spring Clean up will be held today at the town Highway Garage on County Route 23.  Metal, appliances, bedsprings, & Tires that have been removed from rims will be accepted, from 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM today.

The next Chenango county free rabies clinic will be held today in Bainbridge.  The clinic will be held at the village highway garage from 5:30 to 6:30 PM for dogs, cats & Domesticated ferrets.

The Chenango county sheriffs department arrested 26-year-old Kristin Rogers of Poughkeepsie on a Warrant from the town of Columbus for criminal mischief.  Rogers was originally charged for causing damage to another person’s property, she was arraigned & was remanded to the Chenango County Jail on $1,000.00 cash bail pending future court action.

The Chenango county sheriffs department arrested Elizabeth Polasik of Norwich for failure to appear in Guilford town court on an earlier charge.   Polasik was arraigned in the Town of Guilford Court and held at the Chenango County Correctional Facility on $5,000 cash bail pending future court action.

Firefighters from several area companies responded to a structure fire at 4490 state route 206 near I-88 yesterday afternoon.  The fire was reported at around 2:00 PM.  Crews were still on the scene several hours later, initial reports said that all of the residents got out safely, but family pets may have been trapped inside.  More information is expected to be released today.

1 woman was killed in a house fire in the town of Fenton.  The Port Crane Fire Department responded to1080 Route 369, where a small fire was located in a living room, Fire Fighters found the woman unconscious in the living room. The fire was knocked down quickly; the cause of death and the cause of the fire are still under investigation by Broome County Fire Investigators and the sheriff's office.

The Oxford Fire Department was called to the intersection of Turner Street and State Highway 12 last night for a 2-car accident where a car & bus collided, and 1 person was trapped in a vehicle.  The unidentified patient was taken to Wilson Hospital by Life Net helicopter, no other injuries were reported, the investigation is continuing.

State Senator Jim Seward will announce Otsego County’s new economic development leadership team.  The action follows Senator Seward’s recent economic development summit, which pinpointed specific needs and united Otsego County’s public and private sector leaders.  Oneonta Mayor Dick Miller, Otsego County Board of Representatives Chairman Kathy Clark, and representatives from the Otsego County Economic Development Corporation are also expected to attend.  More details will be released later this morning in Oneonta.