WCDO Radio News

30th Anniversary Stagecoach Run Art Festival will be held Saturday & Sunday, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, at various locations around Franklin & Treadwell, More than 40 artists in various disciplines will be displaying their work, more information is available at stagecoachrun.com.

A.M. NEWS Friday 7-10-26

Chenango County Sheriff’s Office arrested 35 year old Ross Scribner of Greene for 2nd degree strangulation, from a domestic incident, where he allegedly choked a victim, he was arrested and processed & was taken to the Chenango County Correctional Facility on $2,000 cash bail, He is scheduled to appear in the Town of Greene Court at a later date.

51 year old Joseph Amato of Treadwell was indicted by a Grand Jury on for Driving While Intoxicated and Obstructing Governmental Administration, this would be Amato’s third DWI within four years. It is alleged that on June 26, 2025, Deputy Elderkin conducted a routine traffic stop and found Amato to be slurring his words with the odor of alcoholic beverages, Amato refused to submit to field sobriety test, He was also uncooperative with law enforcement and impeded their ability to perform the traffic stop.

P.M. NEWS MONDAY 6-10-24

State Police responded Saturday Afternoon to a report of a single car crash with entrapment in the town of Franklin. 74 year old Gjeto Vulaj of Delhi was traveling south on County Highway 16 in a 2005 Jeep Wrangler, he went off the road into a ditch and his vehicle became engulfed in flames. Vulaj was trapped in the vehicle when a family member who was traveling behind him and another citizen attempted to remove him from the vehicle but they were unsuccessful. Vulaj was ultimately extricated by fire personnel from Franklin and Treadwell Fire Departments. He was transported to A.O Fox Hospital but did not survive. The family member who attempted to free Vulaj suffered smoke inhalation and burns. The investigation is continuing.

59 year old Michael Frascatore of Treadwell was sentenced in Federal Court last week to 18 months’ imprisonment after previously pleading guilty to failing to register and update his registration as a sex offender, and to violating the terms of his supervised release for a prior sex offense conviction. Frascatore admitted that he was a Level I sex offender in New York , he created an email address & had an unauthorized, internet-capable phone; and he communicating with minors online, including by sending explicit photos of himself to minors. Frascatore’s sentence includes 8 months’ imprisonment on the new criminal charge followed by a consecutive term of 10 months’ imprisonment on the supervised release violation. Frascatore will also serve 10 years on supervised release as part of his sentence.

The Delaware County DPW announced road work on county Routes 16 and 21 will take place in the coming weeks. Pavement rehabilitation work began today on county Route 21, from at the Walton village line heading north about 6 1/2 miles, that project will be complete by June 30. The department will begin work on county Route 16 on Monday, June 5, starting in Treadwell and progressing to state Route 10 in Fraser. that project should be completed by June 15. Drivers should expect extended delays during this work. Alternate routes are suggested.

A.M. NEWS Tuesday 5-30-23

The 61st General Clinton Canoe Regatta was held over the Memorial Day Weekend, with over 1500 paddlers ranging in age from 5 to 83, low water & the Hot Sun made things difficult for the 70 mile racers.

The 4 Person Pro Division Winners were New York Paddlers Ed Curley, Ben Schlimmer, Jake Crotser & Patrick Madden, Curley summed up the conditions to WCDO after the race:

(Canoe 23 -Curley)

The 4 man team beat the 2nd place canoe by about 20 minutes.

In the C1 Pro Race, Canadian Christoph Marchan also won by over 20 minutes with a time of 8:55:17, it was only his 2nd time at the Clinton Regatta, he told WCDO of his strategy:

(Canoe 23 Marchan)

In the 2 person pro endurance race, Canadian Steve Lajoie won for the 12th time with Michigan paddler Wes Dean, , it was his 1sty pro win, , taking home the $3,000 winning purse, they talked to WCDO's Craig Stevens after the race:

(Canoe 23- Lajoie-Dean)

Lajoie & Dean won their race in 8:05:51.

And, the General Clinton welcomed back 28 time pro champion Serge Corbin back for his 32nd Clinton race, the 66 year old Canadian paddled in the mixed division for the 1st time, with his 31 year old partner Ev Chamberland, they spoke to Craig After the race:

(Canoe 23 Corbin-Chamberland)

The pair finished 1st in the mixed Pro Division & 12th overall, it was Chamberland's 2nd 70 mile finish at the Clinton regatta.

Walton Fire Department responded Sunday afternoon to a structure fire at 3664 East Brook Road. Firefighters found that the garage was fully engulfed, and had spread to a nearby house mutual aid was requested from Delhi, Franklin, and Treadwell firefighters, The occupants escaped, 1 cat died from the blaze. Walton Firefighters returned Monday morning to extinguish hot spots. The house and garage were a total loss. A pellet stove is believed to have started the fire, which has been ruled as accidental.

The Delaware County Sheriff's Office arrested 68-year-old Jeffrey Hall of Treadwell, after Deputies observed a vehicle fail to obey a traffic control device in the Village of Delhi. Deputies conducted a traffic stop, Hall's Registration was suspended, his driver’s license was revoked , Hall was charged with Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle, operating a Motor Vehicle While Registration is Suspended, Unlicensed Operator and Failure to Obey a Traffic Control Device, Hall was released on tickets for the Town of Delhi Court at a later date.

The Delaware County Department of Public Works will continue work on a catch basin on County Route 14 in the Town of Franklin for the next 2 weeks. The work will take place in the hamlet of Treadwell just east of the intersection of County Route 14 and Case Hill Road. Traffic will be controlled with temporary Stop signs, the traveling public should expect minor delays during the work period.

The Delaware County Department of Public Works announced that several County Roads are temporarily closed to any vehicle with a gross weight in excess of 4 tons on any one axle. Affected roads include County Route 10, from State Route 28 to County Route 12, County Route 16, from State Route 10 to Treadwell, County Route 23, from County Route 21 to Sidney Center & County Route 35, from County Route 23 to State Route 206

Norwich Native Matt Beadle has formed a Billy Joel Tribute Band with top musicians in the state, and they will be performing in Norwich on Saturday November 20th at 7:30 PM the Martin W. Kappel Theater. Beadle told WCDO News about "The Billy Joel Guys"

(Matt Beadle 11-4-21)

Beadle said that tickets are available at Nazzitto's Wines & Liquors, the Chenango County Council of the Arts, at eventbrite.com, or through the "Billy Joel Guys" Facebook page.

A.M. NEWS THURSDAY 11-4-21

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to the report of a Domestic Dispute, they observed 62-year old Timothy Lynch of Treadwell, leaving the scene of the incident in a motor vehicle. Deputies stopped the vehicle and they determined that Lynch’s license was revoked due to numerous prior convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Lynch was charged with Aggravated Unlicensed Operator of a Motor Vehicle, he was later released on traffic tickets and directed to appear at the Hamden Town Court at a later date to answer the charge.

Delhi Fire Department was dispatched last night to Spring Valley Road for a report of a skid steer on fire inside a barn with hay. Firefighters arrived to see the structure fully engulfed; Mutual aid was requested from Bovina, Treadwell, Meridale, East Meredith, Franklin, Andes Oneonta and Walton. 2 firefighters suffered minor injuries, and were released.  The cause of the fire is still under investigation, there were no animals in the barn.

State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli released the latest Municipal Audits, Locally; Otsego County officials adequately assessed the impact of the pandemic on financial operations while developing estimates for revenues and expenditures in their 2021 budget.  DiNapoli's Audit of the East Meredith Fire District stated that the board did not establish adequate controls over cash receipts and disbursements, did not segregate duties or provide oversight to ensure the treasurer accurately recorded transactions.   The Audit of the Franklin-Treadwell Fire District reported that district officials had good controls over disbursements, the board did not always provide adequate oversight of the treasurer's activities & their Board of Fire Commissioners did not properly segregate duties over disbursements that could lead to

inappropriate transactions.

A.M. NEWS FRIDAY 6-4-21

Delaware County Public Health announced their weekly COVID statistics Thursday.  They had 12 new cases in the last week, with 16 active cases, 3 hospitalized & 23 in quarantine.  Delaware County has had a total of 2397 cases since the pandemic started with 47 deaths & 2334 recoveries.

P.M. NEWS MONDAY 5-10-21

Otsego County Sheriff's Deputies arrested 46-year-old Joseph Amato of Treadwell on I-88 in Oneonta for DWI.  Amato refused to take a sobriety test and locked himself in his vehicle; he was eventually removed from the vehicle and placed under arrest.   Amato was found to be in possession of an illegal weapon, he was also charged with obstruction of governmental administration and criminal possession of a weapon as well as several traffic violations & faces court action at a later date.

Delaware County Sheriff's Office announced that an Oneonta taxi driver has been arrested for soliciting sexual acts in exchange for the cab fare Thursday evening.  Deputies responded to Treadwell to investigate a report of an individual being solicited by a taxi driver, 40 year-old Jeremy Wilcox of Oneonta was charged with 1 count of patronizing a person for prostitution, he was issued an appearance ticket and was released to appear in the Town of Franklin Court to answer the charge on a later date.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to County Highway 14 in the hamlet of Treadwell Wednesday to investigate a report of a female slumped over in the driver’s seat and causing a traffic obstruction.  60-year-old Lora Leitenberger of Treadwell is accused of operating a motor vehicle in an intoxicated condition, she was charged with the felony DWI, for having 2 prior DWI convictions within the previous 10-years.  Leitenberger was also issued traffic summonses for parking on pavement & open container; she faces court action at a later date.

State Police have charged 26 year old Shane Santiago of Otego for 2 counts of 2nd degree Manslaughter, in connection with a July 15th early morning accident that killed 2 area women.   The investigation revealed that Santiago was driving an SUV, when the vehicle went off of Otsego County Highway 13 in Pittsfield, causing the death of Cheyenn Aubry of Treadwell & Tehya Gonzalez of Bainbridge, Santiago suffered minor injuries, he was arrested Tuesday, he was arraigned virtually and remanded on $2,000 cash bail or $4,000 bond, the investigation into the crash continues.

Employees at UHS Primary Care Norwich coordinated a food and personal care product drive at UHS Chenango Memorial Hospital and its outpatient office locations, in order to donate the items to the Catholic Charities Roots & Wings program.    Items such as diapers, formula and hygiene products were donated, 5 collection bins with over 80 items were donated & were distributed to those in need.

State Police identified the 2 women who died after a one-vehicle crash in the town of Pittsfield Wednesday as 21 year old Tehya Gonzalez of Bainbridge and 21 year old Cheyenn Aubry of Treadwell.  The driver is a 26-year-old male who is facing criminal charges; his name will be released after he is formally charged.   Police responded early Wednesday to a report of a vehicle that went off of County Route 13 in the town of Pittsfield.

Delaware County
Sheriff Deputies’ conducted a traffic stop on Warner Hill Road in the Town of
Meredith.  30 year old Natasha Reed of
Treadwell, she had a revoked Driver’s License for a total of 13 revocations and
suspensions. Reed was arrested for Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a motor
vehicle, Obstructed License Plate, Failure to Notify the DMV of an address
change, she was released in her own recognizance pending future court action.

The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce will hold their
Annual Business Awards ceremony at 6:00 PM at Meredith Inn, 4206 Turnpike Road,
Delhi, which is a change in venue due to the likelihood of Showers &
Thunderstorms.  The Honorees include the
Delhi Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, as the 2019 Business of the Year,
Stagecoach Run Art Festival, headquartered in Treadwell and Franklin, and Table
to Farm Tours of Roxbury, will receive the 2019 Tourism Award.

The Delaware County Chamber of
Commerce will honor businesses at their 2019 Annual Business Awards ceremony on
Wednesday at 6:00 PM.  The Chamber announced
today that the event has been moved to the Meredith Inn at 4206 Turnpike
Road,  Delhi, due to the likelihood of
Showers & Thunderstorms.  The
Honorees include the Delhi Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, as the 2019
Business of the Year, Stagecoach Run Art Festival, headquartered in Treadwell
and Franklin, and Table to Farm Tours of Roxbury, will receive the 2019 Tourism
Award.  More information is available at delawarecounty.org.

1 person was injured in a fire Friday at the Mayrose
Apartments on Lewis Avenue in Oneonta.
The fire started in apartment 206, the occupant was taken to fox
Hospital for an undisclosed injury, and 1 other person in another apartment was
displaced due to smoke & water damage.
The investigation is continuing.

The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce will honor
businesses from every corner of the county at its 2019 Annual Business Awards
ceremony on July 17 at 6:00 PM at Bird Song Farm on state Highway 10 in Delhi.
The Honorees include the Delhi Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, as the 2019
Business of the Year, Stagecoach Run Art Festival, headquartered in Treadwell
and Franklin, and Table to Farm Tours of Roxbury, will receive the 2019 Tourism
Award.  Tickets are $50 per person or a
table of 8 for $350, more information or to purchase tickets, visit
delawarecounty.org.

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

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

The Delaware County Department of public Works announced
that several roads that had temporary weight limits have had those limits
lifted.  The roads include County route 7
from State Route 30 to the Sullivan County Line, County Route 23 from County
Route 21 to Sidney Center, County Route 26 from State Route 10 to Downsville,
County Route 35 from Sidney Center to state route 206 in Masonville, &
County Route 67 from Route 10 to the village of Hancock.  The Limits are still in existence for County
Route 10 from State Route 28 to County Route 12 & County Route 16 from
State Route 10 to Treadwell.

The Delaware County Department of Public Works announced
that certain county roads are temporarily closed to any vehicle with a gross
weight in excess of 4 tons.  Some of the
roads affected include county route10 from state route 28 to county route 12,
County Route 16 from State Route 10 to Treadwell, County route 23 from county
route 21 to Sidney center, County route 35 from county 23 to state route 205,
& County Highway 67 from State Route 10 to the Hancock Village line.  More information is available at 832-5800.

Franklin Fire Fighters along
with assistance from firefighters Sidney Center, trout Creek & Treadwell
responded to a structure fire to an unoccupied farm house at 6402 County
Highway 21 at about 1:30 AM Tuesday.  The
building had been in the process of being renovated, it was listed as a total
loss; the cause of the fire was under investigation.

Firefighters from a dozen area companies responded to a blaze on Porter Hollow Road in Port Crane at about 8:00 PM Sunday. Firefighters were on the scene for about 4 ½ hours, No injuries were reported , and the unidentified family of 4 were left homeless.

Sheriff Cutting reports on December 6th, 2018 the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office arrested an inmate for assaulting a Corrections Officer. Members of the Detectives Division arrested Michael J. Perry, age 42 who was incarcerated on a separate charge. It is alleged that Perry assaulted a Corrections Officer in an attempt to get to another inmate within the facility. Perry was processed for Assault in the Second Degree and arraigned in the Town of Norwich Court. He was remanded back to the Chenango County Correctional Facility.

Firefighters from Franklin, Oneonta, West Oneonta, Otego, Sidney, SIdney Center, Treadwell & Wells Bridge responded early this morning to a fire at 161 HODGE ROAD in the town of Franklin. The fire was called in at about 12:10 AM; The home was destroyed in the blaze, the cause of the fire is under investigation.

SFCU announced that James Reynolds will replace Jim Doig as the President & CEO of SFCU shortly, both talked to WCDO News about the change in leadership:

(Reynolds/ Doig 12-10-18)

Doig announced his retirement recently after serving for 22 years as the President & CEO of SFCU.

Lee Smith and Harold Baines have been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Today’s Game Era Committee, it was announced today on MLB Network. The Today’s Game Era Committee considered a ballot of six former players, 3 former managers and 1 former executive whose contributions to the game were most significant from 1988 through the present. The Today’s Game Era Committee held meetings today in Las Vegas, site of Baseball’s Winter Meetings. Smith and Baines will be joined in the Hall of Fame Class of 2019 by any electees who emerge from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America voting, which will be announced on Tuesday, January 22nd.

Retiring State Senator John Bonacic announced that he will be closing his Delhi Office on Friday December 21st. anyone needing to contact Senator Bonacic can call the Middletown Office at 845-344-3311 until the end of the year. Bonacic decided to retire this year after serving for decades in both the State Assembly & State Senate.

State Police arrested 30 year old Dustin Freeman of Morris after he allegedly threatened a victim with a knife and sexually assaulted the victim in the New Berlin area. Freeman was charged with 1st degree Rape, Criminal Sexual Act and Unlawful Imprisonment, after Troopers located Freeman in the city of Rome, where he fled on foot. He was taken into custody & was transported to Norwich where he was processed and later arraigned in the town of Norwich Court where he was remanded to the Chenango County Jail without bail. An order of protection was also issued by the judge to the victim. The investigation is still on-going.

A Town of Norwich resident was arrested by the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office for Endangering the Welfare of a Child and Harassment. Deputies arrested 61 year old Larry Conant after an incident that occurred on a Norwich Central School bus in the town of Guilford. Conant, was a school bus aid, he allegedly used unnecessary force on a 7 year old child. Conant was released on an appearance ticket for a later date.

A Town of Norwich resident was arrested by the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office for Criminal Contempt. Deputies arrested 20 year old Jeremy Thomas After responding to a complaint at a business in the Town of Norwich it was found that Thomas violated an order of protection. Thomas was processed and released on an appearance ticket. Thomas is to appear in the Town of Norwich Court at a later date.

The American Red Cross is hosting a Blood Drive in Sidney today from 2:30 p.m. - 6:30 pm, at the A.O. Fox Tri-Town Campus. Blood donors of all blood types, especially type O, and platelet donors are urged to make an appointment to donate at RedCrossBlood.org or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS

Luis Rojas will join the New York Mets Major League coaching staff for the 2019 season, filling the new position of Quality Control Coach. Rojas served as the Binghamton Rumble Ponies manager for two seasons, The Mets have yet to name a replacement for Rojas in Binghamton. The Rumble Ponies will start their 2019 home schedule at NYSEG Stadium on April 11, 2019 against the Erie Sea Wolves.

Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies investigated a fatal motor vehicle accident on State Highway 10 in the Town of Walton Friday Night. 21 year old Aaron Tubbs of Treadwell was operating a bicycle on State Hwy 10, when he was fatally struck by a vehicle operated by 66 year old Michelle Mason of Hamden. Mason and her passenger were uninjured. The cause of the collision remains under investigation.

The Franklin Farmers' Market & the Stage Coach Run Art Festival will be hosting a free children's rock painting activity Sunday from 10:00 am to 1:30 pm. Children and Families are invited to use paints provided for artistic expression on the rocks. The Franklin Farmers' Market is located at 25 Institute Street, Franklin, every Sunday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. The Stage Coach Run Art Festival runs Saturday & Sunday at various locations in Franklin & Treadwell; more information is available at stagecoachrun.com.

State Police arrested 57 year old Lora Leitenberger from Treadwell for felony Aggravated Driving While Intoxicated with a B.A.C. result of .27%, Police accuse Leitenberger of being highly intoxicated when she pulled into a driveway, and passed out behind the steering wheel. This DWI arrest was raised to a felony due to a prior conviction for DWI within the last 10 years. Leitenberger was arraigned in the town of Walton Court and was remanded to the Delaware County jail on $1,000 cash bail or $2,500 property bond.