WCDO Radio News

Broome County Officials reported that 2 children pulled from a fire in Johnson City early this morning, have died. The fire at 145 Floral Avenue in Johnson City was reported at about 2:00 this morning. The identity of the victims has not yet been announced, the investigation is continuing. Johnson City Police announced this afternoon charged 38-year-old Dwight Burton with first-degree murder and first-degree arson.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies & Walton Police arrested 17-year-old Dylan Groat of Walton for Criminal Possession of Stolen Property, for allegedly stealing a dirt bike from Klinger’s Power Sports in Walton in December 2014, & selling that dirt bike in June of this year. Groat was arraigned in Colchester Town Court and was remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $1000 bail.

Broome County Sheriff's Deputies responded to the report of a head on collision this morning at about 10:30, in the town of Colesville. The accident occurred at the intersection of Colesville Road and Johnson Road in Harpursville, Initial reports suggest that one of the drivers may have fallen asleep at the wheel. The Unidentified drivers were taken to Wilson Memorial Hospital in Johnson City for treatment of non-life threatening injuries, tickets are pending.

State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman today announced that his office reached an agreement with Don’s Automotive Mall in Binghamton to resolve an investigation that revealed that the company was selling salvaged automobile airbags in violation of New York State law. Don's agreed that they would not sell any salvaged airbags without first complying with the law, New York requires anyone attempting to sell inflatable restraint systems salvaged from another vehicle to have it first certified according to standards established by a nationally recognized testing, engineering and research body approved by the DMV. Currently there are no approved standards from the State of New York, the sale of all salvaged airbags illegal.

Delaware County District Attorney Investigators and the Walton Police Department arrested 27-year-old Brandi Wyckoff of Walton for 2 counts of Forgery & 2 counts of offering a false instrument for filing. Wyckoff was arraigned in Delhi Town Court and remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility on $5,000 Bail or $10,000 Bond. Pending future court action.

State Senator Jim Seward announced that he is sponsoring a pair of free senior scam prevention forums in Oneonta and Cooperstown on Friday. Senator Seward is partnering with the State Department of State to notify senior citizens, caregivers, and others about the alarming trend of senior targeted scams. The forums will take place on Friday from 10:00 AM to 12:00 Noon at the Elm Park Church, 401 Chestnut Street in Oneonta & from 2:00 to 4:00 PM at the Cooperstown Village Offices, 22 Main Street in Cooperstown. The forums are free and open to the public.

On Saturday, the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office, & Norwich Police executed a no knock search warrant at 30 Classic Street in the Village of Sherburne. 50-year-old Frederick Harty of Sherburne was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to sell, Criminal Nuisance, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, & Criminally Possessing Drug Paraphernalia. 46-year-old Tabitha Harty was also charged with Criminal Nuisance. Frederick Harty was arraigned in the Town of Norwich Court and remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility on $20,000 cash bail. Tabitha Harty was arraigned in the Town of Norwich Court and remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility on $2,000 cash bail. The Sheriff’s Office recovered heroin, scales, packaging material, and unlawfully possessed prescription pills.

The Otsego County Sheriff’s Office arrested 69-year-old Frank Viscardi of St. Johnsville following a motor vehicle accident on state highway 28 in the town of Milford. Viscardi lost control and drove off the shoulder, struck an embankment, traveled across a lawn & hit a garage, causing significant damage. Viscardi was charged with felony DWI, criminal possession of a controlled substance, reckless endangerment of property, unlawful possession of marijuana, speed not reasonable, failure to keep right, driving on shoulder and consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle. Viscardi will appear in the town of Milford court on October 27th.

A forum for 5 candidates for various Franklin town government positions will be held at 6:30 tonight at the Ouleout Valley American Legion at 327 Main Street in Franklin. The moderator will be Franklin Mayor Tom Briggs.

The Greater Afton Area Chamber of Commerce will host the Next 4- Chambers meeting tonight, at The River Club in Afton, beginning at 5:30 PM. The Guest Speaker will be Lori Koblanski from LO-KO Social Media Management.

Mel Brooks "The Producers" takes the stage at The Forum Theatre November 17th & 18th in Binghamton. Tickets go on sale this morning at 10:00 AM at The Arena Box Office and Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 or online at BroadwayInBinghamton.com.

Oneonta Mayor Gary Herzig has called a special meeting of the Oneonta Common Council today from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at City Hall. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the city's 2016 Budget; the meeting is open to the public.

2 residents were trapped inside a home at 3691 Fuller Hill Road in the town of Colchester when a Tractor Trailer truck crashed into a garage and a house at around 10:30 AM. 2 occupants inside the house were not injured, the unidentified driver of the truck was airlifted to an undisclosed hospital, the investigation is continuing.

State Police arrested 27-year-old Joshua Mizell of Johnson City, for menacing and criminal mischief, after a dispute in the Town of Newark Valley. Mizell allegedly waved a knife around, threatened another person & damaged a tire on a car by stabbing it with this knife. Mizell was arraigned and was remanded to the Tioga County Jail in lieu of $500 cash bail or $1,000 property bond.

Deputies investigated a 2-car personal injury car accident on State Route 10 in the Town of Kortright. 26-year-old Daniel Hitchcock of South Kortright failed to yield right of way to a vehicle traveling on Route 10 operated by 23-year-old Edward Wilson, Hitchcock’s vehicle struck Wilson’s vehicle and it overturned. Hitchcock was ticketed for failure to yield right of way and he will appear in Town of Kortright Court at a later date.

50-year-old Larry Servedio of Endicott was indicted in Broome County Court last week on rape & kidnapping charges. Servedio faces 24 counts, which included 1st degree kidnapping, rape, harassment, criminal mischief, & menacing, for alleged attacks on 2 women he met through the LinkedIn social media site, where he claimed to be with the FBI. Servedio is accused of raping a woman from Wisconsin, and forcing her to tell family that she was not returning home, against her will, her family filed a missing persons report. Servedio is being held without bail in the Broome County Jail.

Magic City Music Hall will be coming back to the Southern Tier; they will reopen at a new location at 1240 Front Street in the Northgate Plaza, at the site of a supermarket that closed 3 years ago. Magic city music hall was forced to leave their former site on Harry L Drive in Johnson City in 2008 due to roofing concerns.

Otsego county officials announced that another child safety seat check is being conducted this afternoon. The event is being held until 6:00 PM at the AAA at 195 Oneida Street in Oneonta, more information is available at 547-4230.

The United Way of Delaware & Otsego Counties kicked off their annual fundraising activities this week, spokesperson Susan Kurkowski comments:

(Susan Kurkowski 9-15-15)

More information is available at 432-8006 or at unitedwaydo.org.

The annual Sidney Center Tractor Parade will be held this Saturday. Terry Rendo of the Sidney Center Improvement Group explains:

(Terry Rendo 9-15-15)

Rendo said that the event is open to tractors, doodlebugs, antique cars, last year over 100 entries participated.

Otsego County held its 18th annual Hazardous Waste Collection Day this past weekend. On Friday morning, a satellite event was held at the Unadilla Town Highway garage, where approximately 90 cars dropped of hazardous material. The main event was held on Saturday at the Meadows Office Complex with approximately 390 cars dropping off hazardous materials from estimated 400 households. A total of about 500 households took advantage of the free program.

Gary Herzig will be officially sworn in as the new Oneonta mayor tonight at 6:30 PM. The ceremony will be held at the Common Council Chambers at Oneonta City Hall prior to the start of tonight’s regular Common Council meeting, which will begin at 7:00 PM.

Today is Primary Day in New York State, for those who want to decide on a candidate to represent their political party in the November elections. In Delaware County, The Democratic Party will hold Primaries for Town of Middletown Supervisor between Patrick Davis & Marjorie Miller. The Republican Party will hold a Primary for the Harpersfield Town Supervisors position between current Delaware County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jim Eisel and Edward Pick & In the Town of Walton for Town Supervisor, the race is between Charles Gregory & Bruce Dolph. In Chenango County, primary races of interest include the republican primary for District Attorney between incumbent Joe McBride and Zachary Wentworth. In the city of Norwich, there is a Republican Primary for Mayor between Incumbent Joe Mauirano & Christine Carnrike.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman will operate a statewide Election Day Hotline during the primary election this Thursday, September 10. Voters encountering barriers to access at their polling sites can report those issues to the Attorney General’s Office by calling the hotline at 800-771-7755, or by emailing the office at civil.rights@ag.ny.gov. The Hotline will be available until 9:00 PM. .

The Board of Directors of The Otsego County Chamber of Commerce meet this morning at 9:00 AM at the Barnyard Swing Mini golf and Family Fun Center in Milford, to announce the 16th Annual Small Business of the Year award & the Breakthrough Business of the Year. The award winners will be honored at the Chamber’s Small Business Banquet that will be held on Thursday, October 15th at The Otesaga Resort Hotel in Cooperstown.

The Delaware County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Division obtained a Search Warrant for the residence of Michael and Toni Spencer of Walton; they seized 10 marihuana plants, processed marihuana, a video surveillance system, growing equipment, firearms and public assistance benefit cards. Investigators charged 47-year-old Michael Spencer, 39-year-old Toni Spencer and 18-year-old Bradley Jackson with Criminal Possession of Marihuana & Unlicensed Cultivation of Cannabis, for allegedly growing and possessing more than 16 ounces of marihuana. All three were arraigned in the Town of Walton Court and were remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility in lieu of $10,000 cash bail.

The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Division arrested 44-year-old Shannon Hunter of Oxford and 45 year old William Miller of Gilbertsville. Deputies stopped a vehicle just off of State Hwy 12 in the Town of North Norwich, Shannon Hunter was found to be in possession of heroin and drug paraphernalia, the driver, William Miller was found to be in possession of Hydrocodone pills and drug paraphernalia. Hunter was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Sell, Miller was charged with Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance, both were arraigned in the Town of North Norwich Court and remanded to the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office on $5,000 cash bail.

Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies are investigating a late August hit and run accident that has resulted in the closure of the Corbett Bridge spanning the East Branch of the Delaware River in the Town of Colchester. A DOT supervisor discovered recent structural damage to the bridge located at the intersection of Corbett Road and New York State Route 30, a Subsequent inspection by engineers determined that the structural integrity of the bridge was compromised as a result of the accident and the bridge was immediately closed to all traffic. Officials anticipate the bridge will remain closed for an extended period of time for appropriate repairs, they believe the structure was struck by a large vehicle, anyone with information should contact Deputy Christopher Erwin at 287-4756.

Gary Herzig will be officially sworn in as the new Oneonta mayor on Tuesday September 15th at 6:30 PM. The ceremony will be held at the common council chambers at City hall prior to the start of the common council meeting, which will begin at 7:00 PM.

The Greater Chenango Cares Event is continuing at the Norwich High School, with a variety of "no cost" medical services. Chenango County Planning Department Spokesperson Rena Doing comments:

(Rena Doing 7-14-15)

Dental appointments must be made at 337-1643, veterinary services were booked up in advance, there may be limited slots open, and more information is available at 334-9724, extension 6. The program will run through July 22nd.

A jury was seated in a federal courtroom in White Plains Monday in the trial of State Senator Tom Libous of Binghamton. Libous is accused of lying to the FBI about using his political influence in getting his son Matthew at a Westchester law firm. Matthew Libous faces prison time for tax evasion. Tom Libous still holds a seat in the New York State Senate.

Federal officials have scheduled hearings on the 2nd natural gas pipeline proposal through the Southern Tier. The sessions hosted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will begin at 7:00 PM Thursday at the Foothills Performing Arts Center in Oneonta, & at the Days Inn in Schoharie. Kinder Morgan proposes constructing a pipeline along the same corridor as the recently approved Constitution Pipeline, to move gas from Pennsylvania into New England. The Kinder Morgan Pipeline still needs approval from FERC.

State Police at Oneonta arrested 46 year old Nicholas Mihalik of Davenport for 3rd degree Assault. The arrest resulted from a complaint at a residence in the Town of Kortright, Mihalik was arraigned and remanded to the Delaware County Jail on bail.

Delaware County Public Health will hold a Free Rabies Vaccination Clinic For dogs, cats, and ferrets today. The clinic will run from 5:00 to 6:30 PM in the Colchester Highway Garage in Downsville.

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.

An increase in the abuse of synthetic marijuana, led to Governor Cuomo issuing a health alert for the state. Cuomo's office stated that there were more than 160 people have reportedly been hospitalized due to abusing the drug, most of the abuse has been by teens or young adults. Cuomo’s banned the selling of Synthetic marijuana & bath salts in 2012.

More than 115,000 available jobs are now listed on the State Labor Department Jobs Express website at jobs.ny.gov. The site sorts thousands of jobs by region and occupation, and also allows users to search jobs based on zip code and travel distance. The 115.000 job listings are a new record high, with new listings added every day.

On Friday, Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to Gardner Road in the Town of Colchester for a reported violation of an order of protection, issued by the Delaware County Family; Deputies arrested 33-year-old Roger Vernold of Downsville for Criminal Trespass, Criminal Contempt, and Aggravated Harassment. Appearance tickets were issued for Town of Colchester Court at a later date.

Sidney village officials announced hydrants flushing would continue for the next 2 weeks. Flushing throughout the village will be from 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM daily, residents may experience roily water during those hours.

The annual Big Wheels Golf Tournament, held at the Delhi College Golf Course, will take place on Friday, May 8, 2015, according to the Big Wheels tournament committee. The event serves as a primary fundraiser for programs and services, which provide assistance to Delaware County senior citizens.  Applications for the tournament can be obtained by contacting the Delaware County Office for the Aging at 607-746-6333.

Today at the Boston Marathon, WCDO Sports Director Nate Lull finished the 26-mile race in 3 hours 19 minutes & 1 second, with a pace of 7 minutes 35 seconds per mile.

Governor Cuomo today said that the "State of The State" address that he will deliver tomorrow afternoon would be his most ambitious one yet:

(Cuomo 1-20-15)

Cuomo outlined a transportation and infrastructure plan in New York City this morning, as part of his "Opportunity Agenda 2015"

State Police responded Sunday to a report of a 1-car fatal accident in the town of Otsego. The accident occurred at around 12:40 early Sunday morning on County route 22, where 18-year-old Jacob Matteson of Richfield Springs drifted into the opposing lane, overcorrected & overturned & landed on the roof. Matteson was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Delaware County Sheriff's Office and the State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit are investigating a 1-car accident from Sunday morning on State Highway 30 in the Town of Colchester. 44-year-old Shawn Maynard of Randolph, New York failed to negotiate a curve and struck an earth embankment, causing the vehicle to overturn, 20 year old Candice Brown of Salamanca New York was ejected from the vehicle. Maynard and Brown were taken to Delaware Valley Hospital in Walton; Brown was later transferred to Wilson Hospital in Johnson City, where she was listed in critical condition. Maynard was treated at Delaware Valley Hospital and released. Sheriff’s Deputies are waiting for toxicology results; Maynard may face criminal charges upon completion of that testing and the collision reconstruction investigation.

The State Department of Labor today announced the Region’s Top 5 Trending Jobs for 2015, selected by labor market analysts based on occupational survey data and the projected needs of their region. Job expected to see greater than normal growth are Industrial Machinery Mechanic, Certified Nursing Assistant, Electrician, Welder, & Registered Nurse. The Jobs Express website at jobs.ny.gov, has tens of thousands of jobs available.

State tax collections of just under $8 billion were $474.2 million higher than expected in December according to the December cash report issued by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. The state has also collected $4.2 billion from financial settlements since April, approximately $3.9 billion more than initially anticipated, with another $1.3 billion expected. Total receipts increased 6.5% through December 31st due to settlements and assessment revenues. Tax collections through the first three quarters increased 1.5% Spending from All Funds through December 31st was up by 5.3% from a year earlier, because of Medicaid and spending for education.

Matthew Libous has waived his right to a jury trial, according to U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, which will bring his case will go before a judge in a bench trial. Matthew Libous was indicted by a federal grand jury following allegations of obstructing the IRS & filing false tax returns. Matthew Libous is the son of Area State Senator Tom Libous.