WCDO Radio News

The Binghamton Devils will be starting a new season shortly
at the Floyd L. Maines Broome County Arena.
Team practices are being held this week at the Arena; Single-game
tickets are on sale at Binghamton Devils.com, or at the Arena Box Office.  The Devils will open up the 2019-20 season at
home on Saturday, October 5 at 7:05 p.m. against the Utica Comets.

The 13th annual O’Connor
Hospital Invitational took place on September 18th at The College Golf Course
at Delhi, raising more than $40,000 to support hospital equipment and building
upgrades.  Numerous area businesses
sponsored the event; those interested in sponsoring for next year can call the
Friends of Bassett Healthcare Network office at 547-4799 or email
sheila.lemaster@bassett.org.

The New York Mets Monday announced
the winners of the 2019 Sterling Awards, emblematic of the top minor league
performers in New York’s farm system. Three of the seven honorees spent at
least part of the season with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies.  Mark Vientos was the Hitter of the Year; LHP
Kevin Smith was named Pitcher of the Year; Andrés Giménez was the Mets’
Defender of the Year; and Sam Haggerty was the system’s top baserunner. Haggerty
was a September call up to New York, he scored his first big league run September
6th against Philadelphia.

Fahrudin Omerovic of Utica was sentenced to 12 years in prison
plus 4 years of post-release Supervision, after being convicted of in Oneida
County Court for making a terroristic threat on the Utica College campus in
March of 2018. Omerovic admitted to making the threats, which forced many to
clear the campus for 2 days to investigate the threat & find the party responsible.

State Senator Fred Akshar released the 1st in a
series of new online surveys this week in an effort to listen to constituents
of the 52nd Senate District on the many issues set to come before the State
Senate this year.    The first question
is on the “DREAM Act”, which would allow children of undocumented immigrants to
apply for state-funded, free college tuition assistance programs for New York
State colleges or universities. The DREAM Act would also create a private
scholarship fund specifically for undocumented students.   Constituents are urged to visit
nysenate.gov/questionnaires/fred-akshar.

Governor Cuomo
announced that $22 million in Upstate Revitalization Initiative grant funding
has been awarded to the Upper Mohawk Valley Memorial Auditorium Authority for
the construction of the Nexus Center in downtown Utica. The Nexus Center will
be a 169,000 square-foot facility for hockey, lacrosse, soccer and other field
sports.  The $44-million facility will be
adjacent to the Adirondack Bank Center, the home of the AHL Utica Comets.

Governor Cuomo today announced a proposal to
increase criminal penalties for assaulting the press is included in the 2019
Executive Budget.  the legislation would
increase the penalties of assault against a journalist while performing their
duties to a felony level offense.
Similar elevated protections exist for other professions, including
nurses, utility workers, MTA employees, emergency medical service technicians
and process servers.