WCDO Radio News

P.M. NEWS FRIDAY 10-10-25

State Police responded to a 3 vehicle crash on State Route 12 in the town of Greene, where a Mazda driven by 22 year old Makayla Cummings of Utica, was traveling south on State Route 12, when she crossed into the opposing lane, striking a Ford Focus head-on, driven by 44 year old Angel Kiekel of Nineveh. Cummings continued off the roadway and struck a parked Honda Civic, then she struck the exterior of a residence. Cummings & Keikel were both transported to Wilson Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, Cummings faces charges for the incident.

30 year old Karl Calhoun pleaded guilty in Broome County Court to Attempted Rape & Criminal Possession of a Weapon. On August 24th, Calhoun forcibly attacked a female, struck her multiple times, strangled her, and forcibly removed her clothing, she was able to resist the attack and escape to safety, the incident was captured on video surveillance, on September 5th, Vestal Police Department conducted a traffic stop on Calhoun, a search uncovered a loaded pistol with an extended magazine containing 9 live rounds, Calhoun will be sentenced to 10 years in state prison for Attempted Rape and 7 years for Criminal Possession of a Weapon, the sentences will run concurrently, and Calhoun will be required to register as a sex offender and an Order of Protection will remain in effect.

State Police are reminding the public to be aware of phone scams that tell a victim to withdraw large sums of money or buy gold bars to “protect their assets”. Scammers will call asking if the victim made a large purchase on Amazon, if they did not, the caller is told that their identity and social security number have been stolen, they are “transferred” to someone who claims to be from a credit union or a bank and advises that the victim to withdraw their money or purchase gold bars so that it can be held for “safe keeping”. The scammers will send a “courier” to collect the money or gold bars. State Police BCI announced the arrest of 41 year old Akash Thakkar of Hiawatha, New Jersey for Grand Larceny for a June 2024 larceny where scammers swindled $500,000 in gold bars, Troopers were able to identify Thakkar as the man who picked up the gold bars, he was processed & was turned over to the Tompkins County Jail for Arraignment.

A.M. NEWS Friday 10-10-25

Delhi Police Department arrested 23 year old Xavier Calderon of New City on 2 counts of Criminal Trespass, on September 27th Calderon allegedly broke into a residence and when confronted by the occupants, claimed he was retrieving property he had left there the previous night, the investigation revealed that Calderon had been inside the residence on September 26, when the tenants were away, and that he had slept in one of the bedrooms without permission. The tenants reported that they do not know Calderon and had never authorized him to be inside the home. Calderon was taken into custody, was processed and transported to for arraignment, where a Temporary Order of Protection was issued.

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 9-30-25

State Police responded Monday to a 4 vehicle crash in the town of Union. Investigators determined that 3 vehicles were stopped in traffic when 58 year old Michele Drossos of Endicott rear ended a Toyota driven by 28 year old Ryan Freita of Endicott, who was pushed into a GMC SUV driven by 63 year old Charles Mann of Endicott, which was pushed into a pick-up truck operated by 45 year old Joshua Malloy-Buczek of Endicott. 2 people were transported to Wilson Medical Center for non-life threatening injuries, Drossos was ticketed and faces court action at a later date.

The State Department of Health is urging eligible New Yorkers to get the seasonal flu vaccine, following new federal statistics showing severe complications in children, last year there were 26 pediatric influenza-associated deaths reported statewide. Pediatric flu deaths have been increasing year over year from 3 deaths in the 2021-22 season, up to last year's 26, More information about the influenza vaccine is available at health.ny.gov.

The Binghamton Black Bears announced that an AHL pre season hockey game between the Syracuse Crunch & Utica Comets will be played at the Visions Veteran's Memorial Arena in Binghamton this Friday at 7:05 pm. Binghamton Black Bears Spokesman Brooks Hill explains how this opportunity came about between the Arena & team owners:

(Brooks Hill 9-30-25)

Tickets can be purchased at 315-473-4444, at the Visions Veterans Memorial Arena Box Office and online through Ticketmaster.

The annual Recruit New York Days will be on April 26th or 27th, where fire companies & EMS squads are looking to add to their ranks, Roger Barnhart of the Bainbridge Fire Department told WCDO News that at the Bainbridge & Unadilla events, there will be additional programs for the community:

(Roger Barnhart 4-14-25)

The full list of Fire Department participating in the RecruitNY program can be found at recruitny.org.

The Chenango County Department of Public works will close County Road 39 between Old Gifford Road and State Route 206 in Bainbridge, starting Tuesday for the replacement of a large culvert. The road closure is expected to last 1 to 3 days, depending on weather conditions.

The Sidney Chamber of Commerce is bringing back the Summer Music Series downtown, on the 3rd Wednesday of the month, Chamber President Teri Schunk explains:

(Teri Schunk 4-14-25)

Schunk said that more information about the music series & other events can be found at the Sidney Chamber of Commerce Facebook page.

A.M. NEWS Monday 4-14-25

State Police arrested 37 year old Christopher Banks of Nineveh for Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child. A search warrant was executed on April 4th, Banks was found to be in possession of images consistent with child sexual exploitation. During the course of the investigation, it was revealed that 38 year old Mark Banks of Nineveh sexually abused a dairy cow while employed at a farm in the town of Colesville. Banks was charged with Sexual Misconduct, both were issued appearance tickets to the Colesville Town Court on April 24th.

The Otsego County Solid Waste Department Plastic Film Recycling Challenge ends today. Participating schools collected film plastics such as Grocery Bags, Bread bags, Bubble wrap, The winner of the each division will receive an ice cream social event soon, last year over 6 tons of the plastics were diverted out of the waste stream in otsego county.

Utica University has announced its commencement speaker for the undergraduate ceremony in 2025 will be Hamdi Ulukaya, the founder and CEO of Chobani, Ulukaya will receive the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from Utica University, he emigrated from his native Turkey in 1994 to the US, he purchased a closed factory in Edmeston in 2007 with a small business loan, Chobani became he biggest seller of Greek Yogurt in the world by 2012. The undergraduate ceremony is set for May 9th at The Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium.

P.M. NEWS MONDAY 3-3-25

The Broome County District Attorney's Office announced that Patrick Proefriedt of Colesville, pleaded guilty to 2nd degree Murder in Broome County Court. On June 26th, 2023, the Broome County Sheriff’s Office was called to 2208 Route 41 in the Town of Colesville for a report of a shooting, it was discovered that Proefriedt had shot his wife and newborn daughter with a crossbow. The child was pronounced dead at the scene and his wife was released from the hospital later that day with non-life-threatening injuries, Proefiedt faces a sentence up to life in prison when sentenced at a later date.

State Police at Norwich were dispatched by the Chenango County 911 Center to State Route 12 in Oxford for a report of a vehicle on fire at about 1:20 AM Saturday.  When Troopers arrived on scene, members of the Oxford Fire Department were extinguishing the fire and discovered the driver of the vehicle was deceased.  An investigation determined that while northbound on State Route 12, the Nissan SUV went off the roadway, struck a guiderail then hit a tree and caught on fire.  The driver and only occupant, is identified as 25 year old Christopher Ojuro of New Hartford.

State Police responded Saturday to the State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision to the report of a deceased inmate at the facility in Marcy. 22 year old Messiah Nantwi was pronounced deceased at Wynn Hospital in Utica, the circumstances surrounding his death are part of an ongoing investigation by State Police & the Department of Corrections Special Investigations.

A.M. NEWS MONDAY 1-20-25

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies & the Delhi Police Department with a suspicious person/drug complaint in Delhi. The Delhi Police Department located 1 of the suspected vehicles, while Deputies located the second vehicle. Deputies located a quantity of Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia and a loaded handgun within the vehicle and on the occupants. Deputies arrested 29 year old Kenneth Dillmann of Stamford on various drug & weapons charges, plus Aggravated Unlicensed Operator, Also arrested was 23 year old Deanna Eignor of Delhi for various drug & weapons charges, Additionally, a third unidentified individual was arrested and charged with driving while ability is impaired by the use of drugs by the Delhi Police Department. All 3 were transported to the Delaware County Sheriffs Office to await the Centralized Processing Arraignment Court.

Chenango County Sheriff’s Office arrested 41 year old Shawn Taylor of Utica on a variety of drug charges following a a month-long investigation into drug sales, Taylor is accused of traveling to Chenango County from Utica and selling Crack Cocaine. On January 17th, 2025 a search warrant was executed in the City of Norwich on Taylor and his vehicle, a quantity of packaged Crack Cocaine was located. Taylor was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Chenango County Sheriff's Office for processing. Taylor is currently being held without bail at the Chenango County Correctional Facility.