WCDO Radio News

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.

Commerce Chenango announced that they will Honor the Raymond Corporation at a luncheon soon as their "Manufacturer of The Year”, Commerce Chenango CEO Sal Testani explains:

(Sal Testani 9-30-25)

More information and registration for the October 9th Luncheon, at the Northeast Classic Car Museum in Norwich is available at Commercechenango.com.

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 3rd Annual down Home Fall Festival will be held Sunday from 12:00 Noon to 4:00 PM in at Baker Street Park in Sidney Center, with a variety of Activities for families and children, featuring live music, raffles, a bake sale and refreshments. More information is available at 607-369-3938 or at the Uplift Collective Facebook page.

A.M. NEWS TUESDAY 9-30-25

The Chenango County Board of Supervisors signed an agreement with Cayuga Addiction Recovery Services or "CARS" of Ithaca, to comply with federal and state regulations, Chenango County Attorney Zachary Wentworth explains:

(Zachary Wentworth 9-30-25)

Wentworth said that in 2023 The State Legislature passed the law that requires individuals in a correctional facility be given their opioid use disorder drug of choice. Methadone is a pain management and opioid addiction treatment drug, that has been used for decades for fighting addiction.

An American Red Cross Blood drive is being held in South Kortright from 11:30 am. - 5:30 pm., at the South Kortright Central School, on State Highway 10, to make an appointment, visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS or use the Red Cross Blood Donor App.

P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 10-3-24

19 year old Benjamin Wheeler of Norwich pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle, Wheeler admitted that on August 6, 2024, he knowingly possessed a “Spikes Tactical” AR-15 style rifle at his apartment in Norwich, New York, The firearm was not registered to Wheeler, Sentencing for his conviction for possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle is scheduled for February 12, 2025, in Utica, he faces a maximum sentence of up to 10-years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years.

Otsego County Sheriff's Office arrested 40 year old Whitney Bachanas of Milford on 3 counts of Aggravated Animal Cruelty, following a recent animal abuse investigation. Bachanas was charged following an investigation in collaboration with Susquehanna SPCA, Cornell University Veterinary Hospital and Upstate Veterinary Specialties, she was originally charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty in September, and has been additionally charged with 3 counts of Aggravated Animal Cruelty, she was issued an appearance ticket for town of Milford Court.

Local Efforts are underway to collect a variety dry goods and ship them in Tractor Trailers to Boone North Carolina, just East of the hard his City of Asheville, which had massive amounts of destruction from Hurricane Helene, Jeff Dean is a Trucker from Bainbridge helping to organize the local collection effort:

(Jeff Dean 10-4-24)

Dean Said that their trailer will be behind Bob's Diner in Bainbridge starting Saturday through Friday October 11th, and then they will head south with the donations.

State Police held a graduation ceremony today for the Canine Handler Basic School. The ceremony was held at the State Police Academy in Albany. A total of 12 canine teams graduated, The canines and their handlers underwent 20 weeks of training at the New York State Police Canine Training Facility located in Cooperstown, In Troop C, Trooper Shane Jones, Canine Hedges were part of the Graduating class, Canine Hedges is named after Trooper Richard L. Hedges, who was killed in a traffic accident while on duty in 1942.

A.M. NEWS Thursday 10-3-24

On September 26, 2024, the Broome County Special Investigations Unit Task Force executed a search warrant in the Town of Union. 43 year old Steven Whritenour of Endicott, was present during the execution of the warrant. During the search, Officers seized Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, 219 pills of s Controlled Substances, plus a Scale, packaging and cutting agent used to distribute narcotics & $170 of cash, Whritenour was charged with multiple counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, 5 Counts of Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia, he was transported to Central Arraignment and was remanded to the Broome County Correctional Facility.

Hospice & Palliative Care of Chenango County will have their annual Celebrity Dinner today at the Canasawacta Country Club in Norwich, Spokesperson Sarah Greene Explains:

(Sarah Green 10-3-24)

More information about Hospice programs can be found at chenangohospice.org.

Congressman Marc Molinaro's constituent service team will hold mobile office hours from 11:00am to 1:00pm today, at the Village of Afton Community Center from 12:00pm to 2:00pm & at the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce Meeting Room. Constituents will be able to connect with representatives from Rep. Molinaro's office to share comments and resolve issues they are having with federal agencies.

Commerce Chenango Announced recently that Unison has been selected as the Manufacturer of the year. A Manufacturing Appreciation Lunch will be held today starting at 11:30 at Lewis' Restaurant in Sherburne.

P.M. NEWS FRIDAY 11-4-22

The Bainbridge Central School District will host a free in-person breakfast for Veterans next Thursday Morning at the Greenlawn Elementary School in Bainbridge, BG Superintendent Tim Ryan comments:

(Tim Ryan 11-4-22)

Vets are asked to make a reservation by calling the District Office at 607-967-6321, the Breakfast will start at at 9:00 AM Thursday November 10th.

Daylight saving time ends at 2:00 AM this Sunday. A bill to end the practice of moving clock twice a year passed the US Senate on March 15, the bill stalled in the House of Representatives

Delaware County Chamber of Commerce is continuing to collect toys for the Annual Toys For Tots Campaign, they ask that people bring new, unwrapped gifts to a Toys for Tots collection box located throughout Delaware County. Delaware County Chamber President Ray Pucci said that the collection of toys will continue for the next several weeks:

(Ray Pucci 11-4-22)

Collection boxes can be found at Delhi Telephone Company, the Franklin Volunteer Fire Department, the Delaware County Sheriff's Office, Delhi, the Delaware County Office Building, Delhi, Robert's Eye Care in Sidney, The Arc of Delaware County, Hamden, Walton, Arkville & the Delaware County eCenter, Delhi This year's campaign runs until December 9th, to sign up a family in need of Christmas gifts, call Delaware Opportunities at 607-746-1715.

The Tri-Town Theater announced that the 1st show of the 22/23 season, will be the musical “Oliver.” Tickets are now on sale for 3 performances at the Sidney High School Auditorium, November 18-20, online at Tritown.Booktix.com.

A.M. NEWS Friday 11-4-22

State Police responded Wednesday to an SUV Rollover accident on Frost Hill Road in the town of Plainfield, where the vehicle driven by 28 year old Amber Brown of Rome went off the roadway, struck an embankment and partially overturned. 3 year old Amina Estrada was pronounced dead at the scene, 2 adults & 4 children in the Estrada family were taken to Saint Elizabeth Hospital in Utica for further medical care. The accident is still under investigation.

This Sunday would have been the 7th birthday of Trinity O'Connor of Sidney, the little girl who died from cancer earlier this year. The Trinity O'Connor Foundation will celebrate her birthday Sunday at 4:00 PM at Keith Clark Park, spokesperson Kim Ayres explains:

(Kim Ayres 11-4-22)

Ayres said that the donated Toys & Gift Cards will be brought to the Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital, and if more items are donated than anticipated, they will be brought to the Children's Hospital in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, 2 hospitals where Trinity O'Connor received treatment.

The Sidney Historical Association will present Terry McMaster, who is a direct descendant of Sidney Village Founder William Johnston this coming Saturday. Historical Society President Larry Halbert explains:

(Larry Halbert 11-4-22)

The event will be held at the Sidney Public Library starting at 1:30 PM.

The Chenango Arts Council will have presentation Saturday night of the showing of a silent movie from about 100 years ago, with musicians playing along to the movie live, Executive Director Alecia O'Neill explains:

(Alecia O'Neill 11-4-22)

Tickets are available at chenangoarts.org or by calling 336-2787.

P.M. NEWS Wednesday 10-19-22

Over 300 members of the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers local 1529 voted to approve a new 3 year Contract from Amphenol of Sidney this afternoon. Union Representative Kevin Weidman told WCDO News the issues of sick leave, & wage increases were included and the 2 tier system has been altered & will be phased out. 3rd shift workers will return to work at the Sidney facilities at 11:00 PM tonight.

Governor Kathy Hochul joined Acting Superintendent Steven Nigrelli in honoring 218 new New York State Troopers as they graduated today from the 211th session of the Basic School of the New York State Police Academy. The ceremony was held at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany. Today's graduation increases the State Police ranks to 4,742 sworn members. 29 of the new Troopers will report to Troop C in Sidney.

Delaware County Deputies were dispatched On April 29th to a report of a burglary at Herman’s Trailer Sales in the Town of Walton, followed by additional reports of larceny and burglary from the same location, The Investigation revealed that rare antiques and jewelry stolen from the Herman's property were sold for cash at a pawn Shop in Utica. Items were recovered from Utica, Sidney Walton, Unadilla & South New Berlin, Deputies arrested 39-year old Francis Lupo of Walton & 44-year-old Luke Lupo, of South New Berlin Petty Larceny, criminal mischief & Burglary Charges, and 33-year-old Mistyblue Decker of Hancock for criminal mischief and petty larceny. All 3 were released & will appear in Walton Court at a later date.

The Otsego County Sheriff's Office arrested 48 year old Wayne Brostek of Schenevus following a traffic stop in the Town of Milford on October 5th. Brostek was charged with Operate out of interlock restriction, Aggravated Unlicensed Operation, Operating Without Insurance among several other similar charges, Brostek was issued uniform traffic tickets returnable to the Town of Milford Court at a later date.

Delaware County Sheriff's office arrested 23 year old Anna Genao of Franklin for Aggravated Unlicensed Operator charges as well as other violations following an investigation of a motor vehicle accident involving property damage and personal injury in Davenport on October 13th. Genao & other occupants were transported to an area hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, after an investigation, Deputies arrested Genao, she was processed and released, & will appear in Town of Davenport Court at a later date.

The Board of Directors of Commerce Chenango announced the selection of Sal Testani as the organization’s new president and chief executive officer. Testani is a Norwich native , he has more than 16 years of experience as a senior leader with both MeadWestvaco and ACCO Brands in Sidney, & he will assume his new role on November 1. Testani will appear at today's Commerce Chenango Open House at their South Broad Street Norwich office.

The Delaware County Board of Elections reminds county residents that the GENERAL ELECTION is Tuesday November 8, from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Those who need an absentee ballot must have the application in to the County Board Office by October 24th, and they may also apply on the state portal at absenteeballot.elections.ny.gov; by oct6ober 24th. More information about absentee voting or early voting is available at the County Board's Delhi Office or by calling 607-832-5321.

A.M. NEWS Wednesday 10-19-22

State Attorney General Letitia James released a report on the role of online platforms like 4chan & Twitch in the Buffalo mass shooting at a Tops grocery store where 10 Black individuals were killed and 3 others were injured. James' Office reviewed thousands of pages of documents and social media content to examine how the alleged shooter Payton Gendron of Conklin used online platforms to plan, prepare, and publicize his attack. The report also said that the platforms lacked of oversight, transparency, and accountability in allowing hateful and extremist views to proliferate, leading to radicalization and violence. Gendron faces numerous state & federal charges in connection with the shooting, and could face the death penalty if convicted on the federal charges.

Commerce Chenango will host an open house today as part of "Support Your Local Chamber Of Commerce Day, Commerce Chenango Director of Communications & Tourism Audrey Robinson comments:

(Audrey Robinson 10-13-22)

Robinson said that the event is also open to the public at their South Broad Street Norwich location, beginning at 4:00 PM.

$13 million has been awarded to protect clean water across New York State and help New York's farmers continue their work to mitigate the impacts of climate change. In the Southern Tier over $1.5 million dollars will be sent to 5 entities to oversee the projects, the details can be found at agriculture.ny.gov.

Sidney Federal Credit Union awarded $10,000 in scholarships to selected graduating members this year, Vice President Sales and Marketing Andrew Smith explains:

(Andrew Smith 6-2-22)

SFCU Scholarship recipients were Kayla Houck of Downsville, Hannah Sulas of Schenevus, Sariah Vesterfelt & Christina Ritter of Walton, Autumn Madugno of Bainbridge-Guilford, Zoe Gifford of Deposit, Anna Dewey of Sidney, Madison Felter of Hancock & Sebastian Quarella and Skyler Nowalk of Greene.

Development Chenango Corporation announced the next phase of the ‘Hotel Norwich’ initiative. Last year, Development Chenango purchased 14 to 16 South Broad Street, Norwich, for the purpose of developing a boutique hotel. Development Chenango sent out a formal “Request for Qualifications” to identify a developer and operator, the DCC Board of Directors awarded the project to Mike and Dan O’Reilly, owners of Principle Design Engineering, they have 1 year to secure the funding necessary to get the project started.

Delaware County Board of Elections reminds county voters to Register to vote for the June 28th Primary Election, tomorrow June 3rd is the last day to register in person or postmark a registration form for the June 28th Primary Election. Republican and Democratic Parties have primaries for Governor this year. Registration forms and applications for absentee ballots may be found online at delcony.us, call 607-832-5321 or stop in at 3 Gallant Avenue in Delhi. Delhi NY.

The 73rd annual Sherburne Pageant of Bands takes place today through Saturday. Over 30 school districts are scheduled to participate in Saturday’s main event on main Street in Sherburne at 1:00 PM.

A.M. NEWS THURSDAY 6-2-22

18-year-old Payton Gendron of Conklin was charged Wednesday by an Erie County Grand Jury with domestic terrorism motivated by hate and 10 counts of 1st-degree murder. Gendron has been in custody since the May 14th shooting at a Buffalo TOPS Supermarket, the 25-count indictment also contains charges of murder and attempted murder as a hate crime and weapons possession.

State Police responded to a report of a head-on collision involving an SUV and a Trailways bus on State Highway 23 in the town of Davenport. The only occupant of the SUV, a 65-year-old woman of Stamford, was pronounced deceased on scene. Her name is being withheld pending notifications to family. 5 people were on the bus, the driver is a 44-year-old woman of Astoria, and passenger who is a 59-year-old female of Hartwick were transported to Bassett Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. 3 other passengers were not injured, The investigation is on-going.

A law introduced after the murder of Utica teen Bianca Devins has passed in the State Senate and Assembly. Bianca’s Law would create criminal and civil penalties for disseminating personal images of crime victims. In 2019, Bianca Devins was murdered by Brandon Clark in Utica, he posted photos of her body on social media, which were spread on various platforms and sent directly to members of her family. The law is headed to Governor Hochul’s desk for approval..

The Sidney Chamber of Commerce will host their Annual Dinner & Awards Ceremony tonight, with 3 awards to be given out, Chamber President Teri Schunk comments:

(Teri Schunk 6-2-22)

This year’s Organization of the Year award goes to the Sidney Alumni Association, Spokesman Brian Innes commented:

(Brian Innes 6-2-22)

Chamber President Teri Schunk was chosen as the Citizen of the Years, the Business of the Years award goes to Gavin’s Pizza. The Annual Dinner will be held at the Sidney Fire Hall on River street starting at 5:00 PM.

NY State of Health announced the affordable health insurance options available to New Yorkers in 2022. Open enrollment for coverage in a 2022 Qualified Health Plan starts November 16th for new and returning consumers and ends on January 31, 2022.   For additional information, visit the NY State of Health website at: nystateofhealth.ny.gov or call us at: 1-855-355-5777.

Commerce Chenango will hold their annual Legislative Breakfast on Thursday October 14th, at the Silo Restaurant in Greene, starting at 8:00 AM.  Representatives from the Economic Development Council and The Business Council of New York State will attend, local lawmakers State Senators Fred Akshar & Peter Oberacker and Assemblyman Joe Angelino have been invited to attend, and RSVP’s are required by this Thursday on the Commerce Chenango website, by calling the office at 334-1400 or email to register@chenangony.org.

The State DEC announced that the State’s new catch-and-release trout stream season begins on October 16th, as part of the DEC’s Statewide Trout Stream Management Plan.  The new season runs until March 31st of next year & requires anglers to use only artificial lures and immediately release trout they catch. More information about freshwater fishing in New York is available at dec.ny.gov.

Chobani and the Utica based non-profit Compassion Coalition donated & delivered $29,000 worth of food and supplies to help 4 local backpack programs in Central New York last week.  Chobani distributed more than 1,200 cases of their products to the Edmeston Central School, Unadilla Valley School District, Sherburne-Earlville Central School, and Norwich City Schools, to restock school food pantries, which helps to feed more than 200 children and their families throughout the year.  Chobani also announced that they are sending 200,000 Chobani products to those affected by Hurricane Ida; this follows a recent delivery of 100,000 products to Afghan evacuees in temporary housing across the country, and the US servicemen and women supporting them.

State Police arrested 24 year old David Kemp of Eaton for using a fake COVID 19 Vaccination card, after his employer turned him in.  Kemp could face 7 years in prison after being charged with possession of a forged instrument & the unauthorized use of a government agency’s seal on the fake card makes it a federal crime.

A.M. NEWS TUESDAY 10-5-21

State Police have identified the deceased individual shot by a Walton Police Officer as 66 year old Paul Weeden of Walton.  On Monday Morning, an officer from the Walton Police Department was dispatched to a mental health call on Griswold Street, the officer made contact with Weeden, who pointed what was believed to be a gun at the officer, the officer retreated, Weeden followed & ignored multiple commands to drop his weapon, he again pointed the suspected gun at the officer, who fired his weapon and struck Weeden.  The officer called for EMS and rendered emergency aid, Weeden was pronounced dead at the scene.  The investigation is continuing.

Dylan Robinson was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison in Otsego County Court on Monday, for the murder of his father, Kenneth Robinson in Worcester in October 2019.  Robinson & several others were accused of going to Kenneth Robinson's home to steal money & marijuana, it escalated to the killing of the elder Robinson & attempting to burn the house down to cover up the crimes.  Robinson was convicted after a 3 day trial in June.

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced State agencies, cities, towns, and Indian Tribal governments can now apply for federal funding  to assist with mitigation projects designed to strengthen resiliency against future national disasters. The application period is open through November 30th using FEMA GO online. The State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services will review the applications and assist applicants with questions on the process.

Otsego County Department of Health reported 24 new positive COVID tests Monday; they have 102 active cases, 6 hospitalized, and a 7 day rolling average positivity rate of 2.9%.  They have had over 5500 total cases & 69 deaths during this pandemic.

New York State officials and members of the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services' Office of Fire Prevention and Control will preside over the 24th Annual New York State Fallen Firefighters Memorial Ceremony at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany today at 11:00 AM.  The event will also be livestreamed at ny.gov.

Governor Cuomo directed State agencies to prepare emergency response assets as storms are forecast to bring heavy rain and high wind gusts this afternoon & tonight, possibly leading to localized flooding and isolated power outages.  The State DOT,  State Police,  DEC En-Con Police, Forest Rangers, Emergency Management staff are monitoring the situation and are patrolling areas and infrastructure likely to be impacted by more severe weather.   NYSEG crews had restored power in the Tri-County Region today; they are gearing up for more possible outages due to the severe weather expected in their service area.  Broome County announced several road closures in the town of Colesville & in Johnson City today, roads in other towns have been repaired and re-opened earlier today.

Catholic Charities in Sidney is once again offering their Free Backpack program with School supplies for children in need in the Sidney School district, Spokesperson Penny McKnight explains:

(Penny McKnight 7-12-21)

McKnight said that the Deadline to apply for the program is August 13th.

Former 22nd District Congressman Anthony Brindisi of Utica announced plans today to run for Supreme Court Justice in New York's 5th Judicial District.  Brindisi lost his re-election bid for his congressional seat to Claudia Tenney, whom he defeated 2 years earlier. Brindisi announced that he would not seek the Congressional seat again in 2022, and will run for the Supreme court seat after new positions were made available.

A.M. NEWS MONDAY 7-12-21

NYSEG crews are working to restore power throughout the region after last night's storms; about 200 are without power in the Tri-County region this morning.

On Saturday over 65,000 COVID tests were performed with 666 positives, which was a positivity rate just over 1%, and on Sunday, just fewer than 52,000 were tested statewide, with 573 testing positive, for a 1.1% positivity rate.  Patient Hospitalization were 348, there were 78 ICU Patients and 36 on ventilators, & 1 death from COVID Saturday & 1 on Sunday, over 21 million vaccines have been administered 65.1% of adult New Yorkers have competed their vaccine series.

Otsego County Chamber of Commerce is hosting a series of informational live webinars on the Small Business Recovery Grant process where we discuss eligibility, the application itself and what documents you need to apply.  The Dates are today at 10:00am, and the next three Monday's at 10:00 AM on ZOOM.

P.M. NEWS MONDAY 6-14-21

The Sidney Police Department is requesting the public's assistance in locating 2 Frontier Communications vehicles that were stolen.  Today, Sidney Police Department responded to the Frontier building at 2 Oak Avenue for a report of a burglary, officers learned that the 2 vehicles, assorted tools and equipment were taken from the property.   Police are looking for a 2008 Chevrolet Express Full-size van bearing a NYS license plate number of 64460JV & A 2012 Chevrolet Express Full-size van bearing a NYS license plate number of 74516MC.  Sidney Police believes the vehicles were taken sometime between Sunday night and early this morning, anyone with information is asked to contact the Sidney Police Department at 561-2301. Anyone who finds or observes either van should call 911 immediately.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Office arrested 33 year old Chad Ellis of Port Crane on an active Bench Warrant held by the Village of Sidney Police Department and a Delaware County Family Court Warrant held by the Delaware County Sheriff's Office.   Ellis was located last Thursday, he was turned over to members of the Sidney Police Department for arraignment in the Village of Sidney Court, following his release, Deputies arrested Ellis on the Delaware County Family Court Warrant committing him to the Delaware County Correctional Facility for a term of 6 months or until payment of arrears is made to the Delaware County Support Collection Unit.

Utica Police & State Police reported that a Utica area woman stole & ambulance Sunday Morning in Utica and drove it to the Rochester area, before crashing it into the Irondequoit Bay.   Kunkel Ambulance Service alerted Utica Police, they alerted State Police the ambulance was heading west on the Thruway, a Monroe County scuba team was able to pull the ambulance up from the water just after 5:00 PM Sunday, The woman was rescued shortly after the ambulance went into the bay, She was taken into custody, her name has not been released & The investigation is continuing.

On Sunday, the Sidney Police Department responded to a domestic dispute on Riverview Drive, the officer entered the home & was attacked by a 17 year old male.  The officer was able to draw his Taser and after warning was forced to use it when the 17 year old male appeared to charge the officer a 2nd time.  The 17 year old male was then taken into custody without any further incident, the officer was not injured and the 17 year old male was evaluated by EMS at the scene and released. The 17 year old male was charged with Harassment & was released on an appearance ticket to appear in Sidney court at a later date.

The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce's Third Thursday program continues this week, with Assemblyman Joe Angelino.  The event will run virtually Thursday from 8:30 to 9:30 AM, to register, go to delawarecounty.org.

A.M. NEWS Monday 6-14-21

State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation arrested 55 year old Ralph Smith of Brisben for the felony Sexual Abuse; he is accused of subjecting a child less than 13 years of age to sexual contact, in the Town of Greene.   Smith was arraigned & was released on his own recognizance.  Anyone with information about this investigation should contact State Police at Sidney at 561-7400.

Otsego County Sheriff's Office arrested 35 year old Randy Deese of Unadilla for violating a valid order of protection while incarcerated at the Otsego County Correctional Facility.  Deese was charged with 90 counts of Criminal Contempt following an investigation for continuously contacted the protected party in an order of protection.

The Unadilla Flag Day Parade will be held tonight beginning at 7:00 PM starting at the Elementary School. Anyone interested in being in the parade should contact Jeff Jones Jr. at 267-2494.

New York State had its single-day COVID-19 positivity rate dropped to 0.35%, a record low on Saturday.   The number of Test Results Reported was 110,437, with 383 Positive,  Patient Hospitalization were down to 630, Patients in ICU was at 170 & the number of ventilators was 95, there were 8 deaths.

Chenango County Public Health reported 11 new COVID cases today, with 87 Active Cases, 444 Active Quarantines & 7 Hospitalizations; they have had a total of 3342 cases during the pandemic.

Go Cart Racing is returning to Action Park East on River Valley Lane in the town of Greene tomorrow, local businessman Brandon Clapperton is reviving the races:

(Brandon Clapperton 4-28-21)

Clapperton said that more information is available on the Action Park East Facebook page.

Chenango County Department of Public Works is collecting county resident’s old paint, Spokesman Dustin Hendricks explains:

(Dustin Hendricks 5-7-21)

More information about the program is available at 337-1790 during normal business hours.

Chenango County Department of Public Works announced that starting May 24th, Cold In-Place Recycling will begin on County Road 17, between State Route 206 and State Route 41 in the Towns of Bainbridge and Afton.  The procedure should take 3 days to complete and weather permitting.   The traveling public is asked to find alternate routes if possible.  Local traffic shall be allowed to and from their homes.  More information is available by calling Director of Public Works Shawn Fry at 337-1710.

About 1,300 members of SUNY Oneonta’s graduating class will be recognized during 2021 commencement exercises that include virtual and in-person components, including an opportunity to cross the stage and hear their name called.  SUNY Oneonta’s virtual ceremony is a full commencement program that will air Saturday, May 15th, and will feature recognition of individual graduates and the official delivery of degrees.  4 ceremonies will take place based on academic major: School of Economics and Business at 9 a.m.; School of Education, Human Ecology, and Sports Studies at 11 a.m.; School of Liberal Arts at 1 p.m.; and School of Sciences at 3 p.m.

Broome County executive Jason Garnar announced today that free rapid Covid-19 testing will be offered before the first 6 Binghamton Rumble Ponies home games at NYSEG Stadium, then on May 19th, the guidance changes:

(Jason Garnar 5-7-21)

The first home game is Tuesday, tickets are available at BINGRP.com.

Fire Fighters from Sidney & Unadilla responded this afternoon, at around 2:00 PM, to the report of a barn fire, on the Back River Road, near Carr's Creek.  The fire was fully involved; WCDO will have more details as they become available.

Construction is continuing on the building of a new road in Sidney, Village Mayor Andy Matviak explains:

(Andy Matviak 5-7--21)

Mayor Matviak said that the money was promised to Sidney as long as the project was completed by February of 2022.

Delaware County Public Health will be conducting a Single dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccination clinic on Wednesday May 12, at 97 Main Street Delhi,  from 1:00 to 3:00 PM.  This vaccination clinic is open to all New York state residents or people who work in the State over the age of 18. Registration is mandatory at apps2.health.ny.gov.  For more information or assistance getting registered call Delaware County Public Health at 607-832-5200.  Public Health reported 2 new cases out of 790 tests Thursday, with 4 hospitalized, 44 active cases & 83 quarantined.

The Otsego County Department of Health is partnering with local high schools to bring the COVID 19 vaccine to the schools. Clinics will be open to students 16 and older, parents, staff and community members. To register go to otsegocounty.com.  Clinics are May 11 at Cherry Valley Springfield, May 13 at Richfield Springs Central School, May 17th at Schenevus, and May 18th at Morris Central School, all clinics are from 3:00 to 6:00 pm.

The Utica Comets confirmed Thursday that they have entered into a 10-year agreement with The New Jersey Devils to move their AHL team back to Utica, and the request was approved by the AHL Board of Governors. The board also approved the move of Vancouver's AHL team, from Utica to Abbotsford, British Columbia.  The move leaves Binghamton without an NHL affiliation after the seasons.

The State Department of Transportation is advising motorists of a milling and paving project on a portion of State Route 10/ Main Street beginning Monday, May 10th, in the Village of Delhi. Flaggers will be controlling alternating, one-way traffic on Route 10 from Sherwood Road to Meredith Street for approximately 5 days, weather permitting. Alternate side of the street parking will be established within the scope of the project during that time frame.

The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce announced their 1st Friday Networking event to be held virtually on Friday May 7th @ 12:00 Noon.   Chamber members will have the opportunity to promote their businesses to other members in speed-dating style.  To register go to delawarecounty.org.

Sidney Village residents can drop off certain items  at the Village Garage on Sherman Avenue today & tomorrow from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM, accepted items include Computer monitors, TV’s, Copiers, Fax Machines, Cell Phones, Radios, Microwaves, Gaming Devices, Metal & non-Freon appliances.  More information is available on the village of Sidney website.

P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 8-27-20

The Broome County Sheriff’s Department announced the arrest of Caleb Casteline of Apalachin for the fatal stabbing of Q-Quan Richardson of Binghamton, at a party in Endwell Wednesday.  Casteline was charged with 2nd degree murder and faces court action on the charge shortly.

The Delhi Village Police Department executed a search warrant on August 21st at 219 Main Street; they seized concentrated cannabis in a variety of forms, as well as LSD, cocaine, marijuana, oxycodone, packaging materials & $1,500 cash from suspected drug sales.  Delhi Police arrested 20-year-old Alana Blaustein of Delhi & 22-year-old Connor Guiseppone of Delhi on a variety of drug charges, both were arraigned in Delhi Town Court where & were released on their own recognizance pending future court action.

State Police responded to a report of a tractor trailer rollover north of the Pennsylvania state line on I-81 at about 11:45 AM Wednesday.  A trooper responded & discovered that the tractor trailer struck the guide rail, continued off the roadway and overturned.  The driver was a 57-year-old male from Quebec who declined hospital treatment, the investigation is ongoing.

State Troopers were dispatched by Broome County 911 to a one-car crash near the intersection of Fox Farm and Reagan Roads in the town of Windsor Wednesday morning.  Troopers discovered that the vehicle went off the roadway and struck a utility pole, the driver was still in the vehicle and unresponsive.  The unidentified driver was pronounced deceased at the scene and an autopsy was ordered.

Former State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver started his prison sentence Wednesday at a federal prison in Otisville, where he will serve 6 1/2 years following a corruption conviction.  Silver left the Assembly in 2015, was convicted a short time later & various appeals & a retrial kept him out of prison.    Silver was convicted twice for administering political favors, as a new inmate, Silver will be tested for COVID-19 and placed in quarantine for 14 days.

Utica Firefighters were called to a massive fire at the former CharlesTown Mall in Utica.    Firefighters from the Utica & surrounding Fire Departments responded at about 1:30 this morning, Utica city officials are advising residents in the eastern sections of the city to remain indoors with their windows shut due to the high winds whipping the smoke & ash around from the blaze.

Chenango County Public Health reported that they are still at 223 total cases of COVID 19 since March, with 75 active Quarantines, 1 person is hospitalized, there have been 201 recoveries, 7 deaths & over 21,600 tests have been performed.

The National Transportation Safety Board released documents this week regarding the Prestige Limousine crash in Schoharie on October 6th 2018.  The Board’s Investigators said that The ownership of Prestige Limo took great pain to register the vehicle in a many to avoid safety regulation & twice a year required inspections.  The vehicles brakes failed approaching a t intersection, it crashed into a gas station, killing 2 people in the parking lot & all 18 in the limo.   Nauman Hussain faces 20 charges each for manslaughter & criminally negligent homicide as the operator of Prestige Limousine.

The Otsego County District Attorney’s office announced that Nicolas Meridy of Oneonta has pleaded guilty in a plea bargain arrangement & will serve 22 years to life.  Meridy was arrested along with several others following the murder of Kenneth Robinson in Worcester & the arson fire at Robinson house after the fatal shooting, in October of last year.

Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies arrested a New York City man Tuesday following a property damage accident on County Highway 26 in the Town of Colchester.  23-year-old Evian Camacho of New York City had a suspended driver’s license, for failure to answer summonses in both Bronx and New York counties and for failure to pay a State DMV driver responsibility assessment.    Camacho was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and moving from a lane unsafely.  Camacho was released and directed to appear in the Town of Colchester Court on a later date.

A variety of severe weather warnings have been issued throughout the region this afternoon, as severe weather pounded the region.  Meteorologist Rich Townsend comments:

(Rich Townsend 8-27-20)

A Tornado watch remains in effect through 7:00 PM throughout the WCDO Listening area .

Otsego County Department of Health is investigating 9 cases of coronavirus reported Wednesday, 5 of the cases are SUNY Oneonta students. The other 4 cases have been associated with a gathering of high school students. All cases are have been investigated and contacts are being notified.  Currently, Otsego County now reports 128 total confirmed cases, with 15 active cases, 1 person is hospitalized.  The Otsego County Health Department is holding another free COVID 19 testing this morning from 9:00 AM to 12:00 NOON at the former "Greenies" site on state route 7 in Otego, This testing site is for Otsego County residents only who preregister by calling 547-4279.

Commerce Chenango announced that they are hosting a virtual special awards presentation today going to Congressman Anthony Brindisi at 12:00 Noon.  Commerce Chenango CEO Kerri Green comments:

(Kerri Green 8-27-20)

Green said that the event can be viewed by the general public by email to register@chenangony.org.

The Broome County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a 22 year-old Q-Quan of Binghamton, following an investigation into an altercation early Wednesday Morning.  Quan was taken to Lourdes and later Wilson hospital with stab wounds, he apparently was stabbed at a large gathering in the town of Union, The suspect fled the area, and anyone with information should call the Sheriff’s Office at 778-1196.

The Broome County Sheriff's department arrested 25 year old Keenan Johnson of the town of Chenango twice Tuesday.  Johnson reportedly had a dispute with his girlfriend, he was confronted by neighbors & displayed a handgun, he fled the scene, was located by deputies & was charged with Menacing and Criminal Possession of Marijuana before being released on an appearance ticket, he was arrested a short time after his release at the girlfriends residence, fled on a Motorcycle the chase was terminated due to public safety concerns.  Additional charges against Johnson are pending.

With the extreme temperatures expected through the weekend,
state & local officials are reminding area residents to try to find air
conditioned places during the peak hours, avoid strenuous activities &
rigorous exercising outdoors, Wear light clothing, Check on family members and
neighbors, Drink plenty of water, Watch out for heat cramps, heat exhaustion,
and heat stroke.  With regards to pets,
or children, do not leave them in a closed car.

21 year old Brandon Clark of Cicero was released from a
Utica Area Hospital & has officially been charged with 2nd degree murder,
for the death of 17 year old Bianca Devins of Utica last weekend.  Clark was remanded to the Oneida County Jail,
he is accused of Killing Devins, posting pictures of her body on 4chan & Discord
social media sites, discord followers & Clark himself notified police,
police found Clark stabbing himself in the neck.  Clark faces court action in Utica City Court
next week, Devin’s funeral mass is being held a church in Utica this afternoon.

Delaware County continues to sell it recyclable at about the
same rate as it has over the last several years, County Solid Waste Coordinator
Tyson Robb explains:

(Tyson Robb 7-19-19)

Robb said that China has restricted the importing of
recyclables there, Delaware county remains somewhat unaffected by that, as
volume out remains the same, however revenue from the recyclables has suffered
a significant decline.  Delaware County
Residents are still urged to recycle as they have been in the recent past.

The Otsego County Chamber of
Commerce announced that there 33rd Annual Golf Classic will be held on August
8th, at the Oneonta Country Club.
Registrations can be accessed at otsegocc.com.

The 2019 edition of National Baseball Hall of Fame Weekend
starts today, with the annual Induction Ceremony on Sunday, July 21 at 1:30
PM.  This year’s inductees are the late
Roy Halladay, plus Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina, Mariano Rivera, Harold Baines
and Lee Smith at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown.   The complete schedule of events is available
at baseballhall.org/hofw.

The Chenango County Republican Committee's annual
fundraising Lobster fest will be held Sunday at the Canasawacta Country Club in
Norwich.  The event raises funds for
Republican running for office in the Chenango County region; more information
is available at 334-7693 or 226-3271.

The Bainbridge Old Time Band will have their next concert
tonight at 7:00 PM.  The concert will be
held in the Bainbridge Village Green Park, in case of inclement weather, the
concert will be moved indoors to the Bainbridge Town Hall Theater.

Today & Tomorrow Morning are the last Opportunities to
take advantage of free Medical, Dental, Optical or Veterinary Services by
military medical personnel, at the Greater Chenango Cares IRT Event at the
Norwich High School.  More information is
available at the Greater Chenango Cares Facebook Page.

AO Fox Hospital CEO Jeff Joyner addressed the Sidney Chamber
of Commerce this morning, to discuss the future of the Tri-Town Campus and
Healthcare in general.  He told WCDO News
what he sees for the future of Health care:

(Jeff Joyner 5-14-19)

Joyner said that they are formulating plans to upgrade
services for the future at Fox Hospital in Oneonta & the Tri-Town Campus in
Sidney, for possible implementation next year.

Congressman Anthony Brindisi made appearances around his
22nd district yesterday, to push for The “Stop for School Buses Act”, following
the release of dramatic video in Norwich last week, of Samantha Call keeping a
student from leaving her bus, when she saw a car passing the bus illegally.
Brindisi is looking for a sponsor in the Senate, he said that the National
School Transportation Association reports that 9 to 15 children a year are
killed getting on or off their school bus.

Thousands of NYSEG residents & businesses in Broome County
lost power early this morning, after a
tree fell onto a transmission line in a wooded area near the Broome County
Sheriff’s Office in the town of Dickinson at around 12:35 AM.  NYSEG official said that the tree impacted
numerous substations, more than 5,000 customers lost electricity in Binghamton,
Castle Creek, Chenango Bridge and Whitney Point, all the power was restored at
about 5:00 AM

State Police arrested a Utica man for allegedly meeting up
with a 17-year-old and paying her to perform sexual acts.  57 year old John Stemen was charged with
patronizing a prostitute,  Stemen had
been working as an aid in Congressman Anthony Brindisi's Utica office, the
Congressman fired Stemen last week when he was notified, Stemen faces court
action on May 20th.

The Centers for Disease Control
announced that this year, the United States has seen the highest number of
confirmed cases since the disease was declared eliminated 19 years ago.  Currently there are than 760 confirmed cases
nationwide, Queens County ranked 4th nationwide currently in the nation for measles
risk factors, the biggest outbreak occurred in Rockland County earlier in the
year.

A public hearing will be held by the Unadilla Town Board
tonight at 6:30 PM at the Town Hall on State Highway 7 in Unadilla regarding
the adoption of Local Law No. 1, establishing the office of sole appointed
assessor.    The proposed Local Law will
be subject to a permissive referendum.  A
copy of the proposed Local Law is on file and may be examined in the Town
Clerk’s office during regular business hours.

The Bainbridge Guilford Central School District is having a
follow up Safety Forum tonight, to address a variety of Safety concerns for
students in & outside of the School, Superintendent Tim Ryan comments:

(Tim Ryan 5-14-19)

The program will be held on Tuesday evening May 14th at 7:00
PM at the BG Junior Senior High School, parents are urged to attend &
participate.

The State Assembly voted in favor of raising the Smoking age
from 18 to 21 years old this week.  The
bill would prohibit the sale of tobacco & E-cigarettes to anyone under
21.  The bill is expected to pass the
state Senate later in the session & it has the support of Governor Cuomo.

State Police reported that a section of State Route 79 in
Windsor was closed to traffic after a trailer hauling a mobile home became
detached, and flipped onto its side at about 9:45 AM today.  State DOT officials said that Route 79 was
closed in both directions between Doolittle Road and Ouaquaga Road for the
clean-up & Investigation.   No
injuries were reported & no tickets have been issued.

Mortgage foreclosure filings across New York dropped 46%
from 2013 and 2018, from about 46,000 to 25,000, according to a report issued
today by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.
DiNapoli last reported on mortgage foreclosures in 2016 when New York
State was experiencing high levels of foreclosure activity nearly a decade
after the housing bubble burst. DiNapoli’s new report highlights improvements
since then, with most counties reporting foreclosure rates at about .5%.

Anthony Pacherille Jr. of Cooperstown was released on parole
from the Clinton Correctional Facility this week.  Pacherille had been sentenced to an 11-year
prison term after shooting his classmate, Wesley Lippitt in the arm at the
Cooperstown police Station in a racially motivated attack; he then turned the
gun on himself, shooting himself in the chin in April of 2010.

Oneida County STP DWI coordinator Thomas Giruzzi has been
fired, after being stopped in Utica for driving while intoxicated &
Criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Giruzzi was originally pulled over for not wearing a seatbelt 7 talking
on his cell phone while driving, police also accused Giruzzi of possessing
cocaine, and he failed a field sobriety test.

Governor Cuomo today announced
$128 million in new State funding for fixing State roadways impacted by this
year's harsh winter weather. Funding will support 91 paving projects and the
renewal of approximately 1,000 miles of pavement across the state, with at
least 1 project in every county.  The new
funding complements $100 million previously committed earlier this year for
local projects that renew approximately 3,700 miles of road across the
State.  The current State Budget provides
a record level of $743 million in direct state aid to local governments for
road and bridge repair and modernization.

State Police arrested 39 year old Robert Stutzer of
Middletown for Driving While Intoxicated, Aggravated Unlicensed Operation,
& Leaving the Scene of a Property Damage Accident.   Troopers were dispatched to the Kwik Fill
Gas Station in the village of Unadilla, An investigation revealed that Stutzer
was impaired and had also been involved in an accident on State Route 357, He
was arrested and refused to submit to a breath sample, he was arraigned and
remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $2,500 cash bail or $5,000 property
bond. His next court date is March 14, 2019.

The Jericho Arts Council has been able to reschedule
"Storm Front, The Music of Bill Joel” for this Sunday at 4:00 PM at the
Bainbridge Town hall Theater, spokesman Phil Wade explains:

(Phil Wade 3-7-19)

Ticket reservations can be made at 288-3882 for Sunday
Afternoon's show.

The Otsego County Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours
Will be held today from 5:30 to 7:00 PM at The Foothills Performing Arts and
Civic Center in the Atrium.  The event
will celebrate 10 & 20 year member anniversaries.   More information is available at 432-4500 or
karen@otsegocc.com.

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a Board of
Education Meeting today in the Guilford Elementary School at 6:30 PM. The
business portion of the meeting will start at 7:00 PM.

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.

Governor Cuomo announced that the State DEC released
proposed regulations to improve air quality and protect public health with new,
stringent requirements on peak-use power plants. The proposal will establish
lower thresholds for emissions of nitrogen oxides, which contribute to harmful
levels of ozone, or smog, on hot summer days. Dozens of simple cycle and
regenerative combustion turbines at power plants are still in limited use across
the state, & they emit Nitrogen Oxides at levels that are 30 times more
than newer turbine emissions.

2 State lawmakers are considering a proposal to legalize
prostitution in New York State.  2 New
York City State Senators, Julia Salazar & Jessica Ramos forwarded the
proposal this week, only a few counties in the state of Nevada have legalized
Prostitution, none of t5he 50 states as a whole, have legal prostitution, the
proposal is not expected to make it the Governor's desk this year.

Emergency crews responded to the report of a 2 vehicle crash
on state route 166 in the town of Middlefield this morning.  1 unidentified person was injured in the
crash, State DOT officials remind residents to try to steer clear of snow plows
doing their jobs during the winter weather.

Cornell Cooperative Extension of
Delaware County announced the availability of programs to make homes more
energy efficient through the Weatherization Assistance Program and Empower NY,
which can provide over $10,000 of energy improvements for income eligible
households.  These programs cover such
improvements as: Insulation and air sealing; replacement of inefficient heating
equipment; installation of high-efficiency lighting; replacement of refrigerators
and inefficient appliances.  More
information is available at 865-6531 or by email to jmd30@cornell.edu (mailto:jmd30@cornell.edu).

The Oneonta Comprehensive Steering Committee meeting will be
held this evening at Oneonta City Hall.
The meeting will begin at 6:00 PM in the Common Council Chambers; it was
moved from Wednesday night to tonight due to the wintry weather.

The Commerce Chenango Economic Outlook Breakfast will be
held this morning at the Canasawacta Country Club, on County Road 44 in
Norwich, 13815.  Registration begins at
7:30; the presentation begins at 8:15, Featuring NBT Bank keynote speaker,
Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer, Kenneth Entenmann.

The Tri Town Coalition on Substance Abuse Prevention meeting
will be held this evening in Sidney.  The
meeting will begin at 6:00 PM at the Sidney High School Library; the Guest
Speaker will be Megan Walradth of the Central Region Prevention Resource
Center.

The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office announced the arrests of 34 year old Corey Weldman & 22 year old Cheyenne Moore following the execution of a search warrant at 93 East Main Street in Norwich. Police seized crystal meth, cocaine, marijuana, MDMA, suboxone, a loaded handgun and more than $35,000 in cash. Weldman and Moore were charged with Criminal possession of a controlled substance & Criminal possession of drug paraphernalia, more charges are pending.

A Delaware County Grand Jury handed down Sealed Indictments Thursday afternoon, relating to 3 separate drug trafficking investigations in Grand Gorge, Roxbury and Delhi. Arrested were Ramar Hassell & Valerie Alexander of Delhi, for allegedly selling Heroin in the Village of Delhi, also William Effner of Delhi was indicted for possession of packaged heroin plus marijuana, a scale and drug packaging paraphernalia. Deputies also arrested Lorelei Hayden of Grand Gorge for allegedly selling Oxycodone and Hydrocodone, and Michael Johnson of Roxbury for allegedly selling Suboxone, all 5 were arraigned in Delaware County Court Friday, and they were all remanded to the Delaware County Jail pending future court action.

Voters in the Unadilla Valley School District approved of the 10 million dollar capital improvement project last week. The project calls for various improvements to school buildings & the athletic field, with the work covered by a combination of State Aid & the district's Capital Reserve Fund.

State Police & Local law Enforcement agencies or participating in the "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign again this year, during the Christmas & New Year’s Holiday season. Checkpoints will be established all over the state, last year, police issued over 40,000 tickets from DWI, Speeding, Distracted driving & failing to obey the "Move Over Law", among other infractions

The Government Justice Center filed a lawsuit Friday challenging the legality of a panel's vote last week to raise New York State Lawmakers' pay for the first time in 20 years. The group claims pay raises must be voted on by the state Senate and Assembly themselves. The 63% proposed increase will be phased in over 3 years, from $79,500 a year to $130,000. Some Lawmakers oppose the plan because it would limit how much money they could make outside of their salary as lawmakers.

The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce, the United Way of Delaware & Otsego Counties, Delaware Opportunities, and the Delaware County business community joined forces to participate in the 2018 Toys for Tots campaign. 420 toys, 37 books and 235 stocking stuffers were collected over a 3 week period; the toys were delivered to Delaware Opportunities in Hamden on Friday and will be distributed to Delaware County families this week in time for Christmas.

Congressman Elect Anthony Brindisi is hosting ‘Thank You Celebrations' today, to show appreciation to supporters and volunteers of his campaign. Thank-you events have also been held in Binghamton, Cortland, and Utica. The Congressman-Elect will be present at a party this afternoon & this evening at the Bohemian Moon at 103 East Main Street in Norwich.

State Troopers closed down Chenango County Road 25 in the town of Columbus following a fatal car crash. State Police responded to a head-on collision at approximately 1:34 AM Saturday, where a 27-year-old male from Sherburne, crossed into oncoming traffic, he was pronounced dead at the scene. His passenger, a 26-year-old female of Edmeston sustained minor injuries; she was transported to Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown. The operator of the 2nd vehicle, a 46-year-old female of Schuyler Lake was airlifted to Upstate Medical Center, after she sustained severe injuries. Troop C’s Collision Reconstruction Unit continues to investigate the crash.

Charter Communications, the parent company of Spectrum cable, was ordered by New York regulators Thursday to pay a $2 million fine for not building out its cable network and expanding high-speed internet service as they promised at the time of their Time Warner cable takeover in 2016. The Public Service Commission also threatened to revoke its approval of the merger if Charter doesn't agree to the penalty.

State lawmakers on Wednesday passed a bill to toughen New York’s child sex trafficking laws. The new law would punish anyone over the age of 21 who intentionally promotes or profits from the prostitution of minors with a felony sex trafficking charge, facing up to 25 years behind bars. Currently, prosecutors have to prove minors were forced or coerced into the sex trade to secure a trafficking conviction.

Governor Cuomo announced a $150 billion infrastructure plan for the next 5 years, starting in 2020. the capital projects would rebuild transportation and mass transit systems, construct affordable housing, build new school buildings for 21st century learning, create new environmental and park facilities, support sustainable energy projects & possibly generate 675,000 jobs.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 37 year old Jarred Cutting of Masonville for 8 counts of Criminal Contempt, for allegedly violating a court order of protection. He was arraigned at the Town of Delhi Court, and was released upon his own recognizance and scheduled to appear before the Town of Delhi Court at a later date.

The Chenango County Industrial Development agency announced that for the first time in 12 years, commercial freight was shipped on the Utica mainline railroad tracks through Chenango County. Train traffic was halted by washouts from the 2006 floods. The first train consisted of a locomotive pulling 2 flat cars carrying steel beams from the Bull Moose Tube Company of Elkhart Indiana; they were being shipped to Di Highway Sign 7 Structure Company in New York Mills Wednesday.

Governor Cuomo announced that New York is now home to 1,005 craft beverage manufacturers operating in 60 counties across the state. New York now ranks 2nd in craft distillers, 3rd in breweries, and 4th for the total number of wineries. The Southern Tier led the state with a 600% increase in the number of hard cider producers & has the 2nd most offsite tasting rooms in the state at 18.

The Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce is holding another Job Fair today will be held at the SUNY Broome Ice center. Dozens of area businesses are participating and hundreds of job seekers are expected to attend. The Job Fair runs from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

The 2018 Chenango County Dairy Day celebration will be Saturday at the Chenango County Fairgrounds. The day will begin at 10:30AM with a parade in the City of Norwich leading to the Fairgrounds, beginning at the CWS parking lot and proceeding down Maydole Street to the Fair grounds.

The City of Oneonta will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, at 7:00 pm at Council Chambers, City Hall, 258 Main Street, Oneonta, for public comments on the City’s community development needs, and to discuss the possible submission of one or more Community Development Block Grant applications for the 2018 program year. The City is currently considering a grant application for $230,000 for Nick’s Diner on Chestnut Street that will result in the creation of 15.5 full time equivalent jobs.

After decades of allegations of corruption & ineffectiveness surrounding New York’s Economic Development programs, The Assembly Minority Conference called for immediate Assembly action on bills aimed at improving the transparency and effectiveness of those programs, Assemblyman Cliff Crouch commented:

(Cliff Crouch 6-13-18)

1 Assembly bill seeks to provide stronger oversight of taxpayer-funded programs, enact penalties for missing reporting deadlines, as well as require a comprehensive review of economic development programs and the tax code, and prohibit political contributions to appointing authorities. It also calls for the creation of an Advisory Committee made up of the comptroller, the attorney general and the director of the Division of the Budget.

There will be a Federal Primary Election on Tuesday, June 26th; Polls will be open from 12:00 Noon to 9:00 PM. Those registered in the Democratic Party will chose a candidate for the 19th congressional district race, as will the Women’s Equality Party. June 19th is the last day an absentee ballot application may be mailed to the Board of Elections. June 25th is the last day to apply in person for an absentee ballot and the last day to mail a completed ballot to the Board of Elections. June 26th is the last day for a ballot to be delivered by agent to the Board of Elections. More information is available at 832-5321 Voters can view sample ballots at the Board of Elections website: co.delaware.ny.us.

Another winter storm is heading our way starting later tonight, Sidney High School Science Teacher & Meteorologist Rich Townsend comments:

(Rich Townsend 3-6-18)

3 school districts already announced that they will be closed tomorrow, those are Walton, Delaware Academy in Delhi & South Kortright.

The DCMO Robert W. Harrold BOCES Campus in Masonville was evacuated at the end of the school day today, after a threatening note was found in a boy’s bathroom, according to Superintendent for Instructional Service Michael McDonald. The Delaware County Sheriff's Department & the State Police Bomb Sniffing K9 unit responded, McDonald told WCDO News that more information will be released later on their website DCMOBOCES.com

Governor Cuomo updated the status of storm recovery operations in the Hudson Valley as a second winter storm is being forecast to impact New York.  Last week's storm caused extensive damage to electric utility infrastructure, including hundreds of broken utility poles and damage in remote locations, however power outages have continued to steadily decrease. Thousands were still without power in the Hudson Valley, about 800 were without power in Delaware County early this morning.

The lock-down on the Utica College campus was lifted late Monday Afternoon, with Residential students returning to their dorms, & Commuter students, faculty and staff were allowed to leave the campus last night.  Law enforcement remained on campus last night as they continued the investigation, following the school receiving a report of a gunman on campus, which officials deemed as "Not Credible". Classes were back in session today, so far, no arrests have been made.

State Police arrested 42 year old Kenneth Barrows of Binghamton for Criminal Obstruction of Breathing and Assault,  after Troopers responded to the Upper Delaware Inn, in Hancock after Barrows allegedly struck & choked a woman. Barrows was remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $2,500 bail or $5,000 bond.

State Senator Jim Seward announced that the State Senate passed a package of school safety measures to strengthen security in schools:

(Senator Seward 3-6-18)

The bills will be sent to the assembly.

State Police arrested 37 year old Lisa Keyes of Fenton for Aggravated DWI with a B.A.C. result of .21%, plus Reckless Endangerment and multiple traffic violations. Troopers arrested Keyes after she led Broome County Sheriff’s Deputies in a pursuit where she was observed traveling in the wrong direction on I-88, I-81 and State Route 17. Troopers went ahead of Keyes on Route 17 in the town of Union where she finally stopped. Keyes was released and is scheduled to appear in the town of Union Court on April 3rd.

State Police arrested 29 year old Astrid Paulis of Worcester for Aggravated DWI with a B.A.C. result of .22% and other traffic offenses. A motorist on State Route 23 in the town of Davenport contacted 911 after they observed a 1-car motor vehicle accident. Troopers located Paulis at her residence, she was released on tickets for town of Davenport Court on March 27th.

Delaware County Sheriff Deputies observed a vehicle recently in Walton, at 52 miles an hour in a posted 30 mile an hour zone. Deputies arrested 19 year old Joseph Butler of Cortland Manor, deputies seized a large amount of marijuana, Butler was charged with Speeding & Criminal Possession of Marijuana, he was arraigned in the Village of Walton Court & was remanded to the Delaware County Correctional facility in lieu of $2,500 cash bash, pending future court action. Deputies were assisted by Walton Police.

The Oneonta Common Council will hold their next regular meeting this evening. The meeting will be held in the Council Chambers at the 2nd floor of Oneonta City Hall.

The Next Meeting of the UNADILLA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE will be held tonight. the meeting begins at 5:50 PM at the "Meeting Place" at 187 Main Street in Unadilla, members & directors are urged to attend.

A Chenango County area Drug Take-Back Day has been announced for July 19th starting at 10:00 AM until 12:00 Noon at the Afton Free Library at 105 Main Street, Afton. Various organizations are teaming up for the event, where people can dispose of old, expired & unused medications, in order to keep them out of the wrong hands & out of the Waste Stream.

Utica Democratic Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi already announced his intentions to run for the 22nd congressional district in November 2018, at a press conference in Utica this morning. Brindisi seeks to unseat Republican Claudia Tenney, who is only 6 months into her first term in Congress. The 22nd congressional district covers part of Chenango & Broome Counties locally. Brindisi will reschedule a press conference for Binghamton that was postponed today due to the extraordinary session of the Assembly called by Governor Cuomo for today in Albany.

Lawmakers were called back to Albany today for an Extraordinary session to deal with some left over legislation that was not dealt with before the end of the 2017 session last Wednesday. Local Assemblyman Cliff Crouch said that some of the bills really should be dealt with by the local municipalities, and not the state legislature:

(Cliff Crouch 6-28-17)

In the last weeks of the legislative session, state lawmakers had to decide on what Crouch called "Home Rule" issues, like allowing for counties to continue to collect sales tax, in addition to the issue of New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio overseeing the City schools.

The Catskill Area Hospice is holding their annual fundraising concert in Oneonta this evening. The headlining act will be Daughtry, with opening acts Brett Young & Night Ranger, at the 6th Ward Booster Club Field at Scramling Avenue off of River Street in Oneonta. Tickets for the 5:45 PM show are available at hospicetickets.com; proceeds will help the Catskill area Hospice, serving those with end of life issues.

Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies & local EMT’s responded to a 1 car roll-over accident with entrapment, at approximately 2:00 PM Tuesday on State Highway 28 in the Town of Middletown. 78 year old Doris Hubar of Margaretville was extricated from the overturned vehicle & was transported to Margaretville Memorial Hospital and was transferred to Albany Medical Center for further treatment. Hubar may have experienced a medical emergency while driving, causing her to lose control & flip her vehicle after striking a tree. No tickets have been issued, the investigation is continuing.

The Guernsey Library of Norwich will host a “Movies Under the Stars” event tonight with a showing of “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” in conjunction with the Norwich Merchants Association. The movie will start at about 8:30 PM; movie goers are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs & blankets for tonight’s presentation.

The Tri-Town Coalition On Substance Abuse Prevention meeting will be this evening at 6:00 pm in the Sidney Middle School Cafeteria-Gym. The agenda for the meeting will be action planning for the upcoming 2017/2018 coalition year. This meeting will be led by the Prevention Resource Center and the National Guard Counterdrug Task Force.

Delaware County municipal leaders will listen to suggestions on ways in which they might be able to save money by sharing services or eliminating duplicated services at a public hearing today. The hearing will begin at 3:00 PM at the Delaware County Office Building on Main Street in Delhi. Delaware County Chamber staff will present cost-saving initiatives to those who have been tasked with presenting ideas to the Governor's office. Governor Andrew Cuomo has encouraged municipalities to come up with ways to share services to save taxpayer dollars.

Work is beginning on restoring miles of track bed for the Utica Mainline railroad in Chenango County, which was heavily damaged in the 2006 floods. Steve Craig of Commerce Chenango & The Chenango IDA told WCDO News where the money is coming from to pay for the project:

(Steve Craig 4-7-16)

Craig said that they expect to see freight trains coming through Chenango County again in the spring or summer of 2017.

Governor Cuomo announced $20 million to support Binghamton University in its leading role as home to new NextFlex Flexible Hybrid Electronics Manufacturing Innovation Institute. The state’s $20 million commitment, from the Southern Tier’s $500 million Upstate Revitalization Initiative, will support the retrofitting of space in the former IBM facility in Endicott, it is expected to create up to 200 academic and private sector jobs, & up to 1,000 new jobs over the five years of the Flex Tech Alliance Program.

State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli announced today his office stopped $25 million in questionable or fraudulent personal income tax refunds from being paid so far in 2016. DiNapoli’s office paid out 4.5 million state refunds totaling $4.2 billion. Another 152,000 refunds totaling $134 million are expected to be paid in the coming days. The average state tax refund from the state is $840.

Christopher Winkler of Unadilla has conceded the tied race for the Unadilla Village Board seat, to Jeff Jones. Both Jones & Winkler received the same number of votes for the seat in the March village election, leaving local officials looking for answers from county or state election law on how to handle the tie. The race could have been decided with another election, a drawing, or the concession of one of the candidates to the other.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies investigated a personal injury head-on collision Tuesday involving a tractor trailer and a car on State Highway 10 in the Town of Delhi, just south of Peakes Brook Road. The tractor trailer driver, 30 year old Michael Thompson of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania attempted to pull into a parking lot when he struck a car being driven by 56 year old Tammie Wycoff of Grand Gorge. Wycoff and her passenger were transported to O’Connor Hospital with minor injuries and were later released. Thompson was issued a traffic summons for moving from lane unsafely, he faces court action in Town of Delhi Court on April 25th.

The Greater Chenango Cares IRT event will again be occurring in Norwich this summer. The 10 day initiative that will offer no cost medical, dental, optometry and veterinary care for children and adults in our region. The event is being led this year by the Chenango United Way and its volunteers and is occurring because of a partnership between many local health and human service organizations, local government agencies and the Department of Defense. The event will run from Friday, July 15 through Sunday, July 24 and will be held once again at the Norwich High School. Last July, 171 service personnel, both active and reserve service members, came to our community to provide medical, dental, vision and veterinary services as a training exercise and as a way to give back to local communities.

57 year old John Guzy of Bainbridge was found guilty of 15 of 17 counts including 2nd degree murder, attempted murder in Chenango County Court Wednesday, by Judge Frank Revoir.  Guzy was found guilty of shooting and killing 26-year-old Derek Prindle of Afton, in October 2014 on route 7 in Bainbridge.  Guzy also shot & wounded Prindle’s father during a confrontation following a road rage incident that ended in front of Peak Fitness.

The Broome County Sheriff’s Office arrested 2 people for allegedly manufacturing methamphetamines in the town of Dickinson Wednesday morning. Deputies arrested Matthew Najarian and Jessica Palmatier. For operating a one pot meth operation at a gas station in Dickinson, the gas station had to be shut down for several hours to remove the hazardous meth making materials. Palmatier and Najarian were arraigned & were remanded to the Broome County Jail without bail.

New York State Division of Veterans’ Affairs Director Eric Hesse Delivers Regional Budget Briefing this morning in Oneonta. Hesse will deliver the presentation at the Foothills Performing Arts Center at 24 Market Street at 9:00 AM

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a Board of Education Meeting on Today, the meeting will be held in the District Conference Room at 6:30 PM.

The Broome County Special Investigations Unit Task Force executed a search warrant at 174 Murray Street in Binghamton. 27 year old Angel Feringa was arrested on a variety of drug charges for allegedly possessing powdered heroin, 22 bags of packaged heroin, crack cocaine and $550 cash from drug sales, she was also wanted on an arrest warrant for Grand Larceny out of the City of Binghamton Court. 48 year Stacey Taylor was wanted on a Probation Violation warrant and was also arrested. Feringa and Taylor face arraignment today in the City of Binghamton Court.

The Broome County Special Investigations Unit Task Force arrested 4 Walton area residents in Binghamton Wednesday afternoon. Arrested were 28-year-old Daniel Jamieson, 26-year-old Melissa Brannock, 19-year-old Kyle Buckley and 36 year old Jaclyn Calabrese, police seized 150 bags of heroin, & other narcotics. They were charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance among other lesser charges. Brannock, Calabrese and Jamieson were held for arraignment in Binghamton City Court; Buckley was released on a ticket to appear in court at a later date.

State Police today announced that it issued more than 17,000 tickets during this year’s St. Patrick’s Day enforcement initiative. The campaign ran for a total of 143 hours, starting on Saturday, March 12th until Thursday, March 17th. State Troopers arrested 257 people for DWI and investigated 947 accidents, which resulted in 243 people being injured and four fatalities.

Chenango County Farm Bureau has scheduled a public informational meeting to be held at the Oxford High School from 1:00 pm to 3:00pm Saturday, regarding solar company land leases on farms. Chenango County Farm Bureau President Bradd Vickers comments:

(Bradd Vickers 3-25-16)

Vickers said that the Farm Bureau would present an attorney, an Environmental Scientist and an Accountant to discuss potential hazards of leasing land to solar companies; RSVP's are requested at 334-6061

Repairs are underway on the Utica Main Line railroad tracks in Chenango County, Steve Craig of Commerce Chenango & The Chenango IDA Explains:

(Steve Craig 3-22-16)

The $5.8 million dollar project will repair tracks that were washed out between Binghamton & Norwich during the 2006 flooding, trains should be running by the summer of 2017.

In February, New York State's private sector job count increased by 18,700, according to preliminary figures released by the State Department of Labor. The statewide unemployment rate decreased to 4.8% in February, slipping below the national rate of 4.9%.

Dr. Michael Laliberte, who was Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, was named SUNY Delhi president by the State University Board of Trustees Thursday. Laliberte will become Delhi’s 10th chief executive on July 21, succeeding Dr. Candace Vancko, who has served as SUNY Delhi president since August 1999.

The Walton police department responded to the report of a pedestrian being hit by a vehicle Thursday night. Walton police reported that 31 year old Chad Stadler of Walton was hit by a vehicle driven by 51 year old Bryan Mead of Walton at about 8:00 PM Thursday, he was taken to Wilson Medical Center in Johnson City, where he died from his injuries.

2 LOCAL SIDNEY HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES WILL BE TRAVELING OVERSEAS THIS SUMMER TO COMPETE IN SPECIAL INTERNATIONAL EVENTS IN TRACK & FIELD AND FIELD HOCKEY. SIDNEY'S MALLORY STILLMAN HAS BEEN SELECTED FOR THE "DOWN UNDER SPORTS" TRACK & FIELD TOURNAMENT IN JULY ON AUSTRALIA'S GOLD COAST. STILLMAN IS AN ALL-STATE SPRINTER FOR THE WARRIORS AND SAYS IT WILL BE MOSTLY THE SHORT, FAST RACES THAT SHE WILL BE COMPETING IN AT THE TOURNAMENT:

(Stillman 1-18-16)

SIDNEY FIELD HOCKEY STANDOUT & 3-SPORT ATHLETE LILLY HINKLEY WAS INVITED TO TRY OUT FOR THE 2016 USA ITALY FIELD HOCKEY EXHIBITION TOUR ALSO IN JULY. HINKLEY EXPLAINS HOW SHE FIRST HEARD ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY:

(HINKLEY 1-18-16)

BOTH ATHLETES HAVE TO RAISE FUNDS FOR THEIR TRIPS. STILLMAN HAS A CHICKEN & BISCUIT DINNER AT THE SIDNEY ELKS CLUB ON FEBRUARY 6TH & HINKLEY IS SELLING GERTRUDE HAWK CANDY BARS AS WELL AS HAVING A BOTTLE DRIVE AT THE REDEMPTION CENTER ON CARTWRIGHT AVENUE IN SIDNEY. Both athletes will announce future fundraisers this Spring shortly.

The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, New York Farm Bureau and New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health have announced the establishment of a fund to help New York farmers enhance safety on the farm. The program will allow farmers to make safety upgrades by paying for 50% of the cost of the proposed project up to a $5,000 maximum. Farmers can apply for any type of safety upgrade on their farm, Applications may be obtained online at nycamh.org, or by calling 800 343-7527 or by emailing info@nycamh.org.

The Bainbridge Chamber of Commerce and other area organizations are teaming up for the annual Bruce Haak memorial Sleighride later this month. Chamber member Phil Canonaco comments:

(Phil Canonaco 1-18-16)

Canonaco said that the event even if there is no snow, as arrangements have been made to bring wheeled units on January 30th to General Clinton Park.

The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office concluded their investigation off last week’s 2 vehicle crash on State Highway 12 in the Town of Sherburne. The accident occurred at about 10:23 am. Lance Yerton of Sherburne was Southbound on State Highway 12, when a vehicle operated by 69 year old Larry Cooley of Sayre Pennsylvania crossed the center line and struck Yerton’s vehicle. Cooley was pronounced dead at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Utica, Yerton was also transported to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital with face and leg injuries. It appears that Cooley suffered a heart attack prior to the crash which caused him to cross the center line into Yerton’s lane.

Delaware County Public Health sent a raccoon found in the Town of Hamden for testing to the State Rabies Lab, it tested positive for rabies. There were no human exposures reported. A total of three animals tested positive for rabies in 2015; this is first animal of 2016 to test positive for rabies in Delaware County. To report a suspected rabid animal call Delaware County Public Health Services at 832- 5200. More information is available at delawarecountypublichealth.com

An observance of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. will be held this morning at 9:30 a.m. in the Empire State Plaza Convention Center. The public is invited to attend the free program in celebration of the 87th anniversary of Dr. King’s birth. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. The event is free and open to the public.

State Police responded to the report of a 2-vehicle collision with injuries on State Highway 8 in the Town of Norwich, Thursday. Investigation revealed that 43-year-old Yae Yar of Utica entered the opposing lane to pass an un-involved tractor-trailer, his vehicle struck another driven by 27 year old Joanna Stanimer of West Edmeston.   Yar was pronounced dead at the scene from internal injuries, 36 year old Me Me was transported to Tri Town Hospital in Sidney where she was pronounced dead on arrival from internal injuries.   Stanimer was air lifted to Wilson Hospital by Lifenet and remains in critical condition with internal injuries.   Autopsies on the 2 deceased persons will be performed at Lourdes Hospital. 4 other people were taken to area hospitals with a variety of injuries; all were listed in serious but stable condition. The investigation is ongoing.

The Delaware County Sheriff’s & Sidney Police arrested 3 people in the Village of Sidney Thursday following narcotics trafficking investigation conducted. Arrested were 22 year old Harry Ramirez of Sidney and Bronx with 2 charges of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance and one charge of 3rd degree Robbery.   Ramirez is accused of forcibly stealing money from a cooperating witness, was found to possess a quantity of heroin with intent to sell. Police conducted a search of Ramirez’, Sidney residence, 44 year old Dawn Beta, and 29 year old Jasmine Santiago of Valley Stream, are accused of possessing and unsuccessfully attempted to flush and destroy heroin.   Beta and Santiago were charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance & Tampering. Police seized heroin, liquid PCP, hypodermic instruments and more than $1000 cash. All were arraigned, Ramirez were remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $350,000 cash bail. Beta and Santiago were each remanded on $250,000 cash bail pending further court action.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a reported bomb threat at DCMO BOCES Harold Campus in the Town of Masonville Thursday. A written threat to the building was located in a bathroom, students were evacuated & The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office and State Police Explosives Detection K9 unit searched the school and were unable to locate explosives. 16-year-old Andrew Slentz of New Berlin was arrested for 1st degree filing a False Report; he was arraigned in the Town of Masonville Court and remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $500 cash bail. Slentz will reappear in the Town of Masonville Court at a later date.

The Firemen’s Association of the State of New York called on Governor Cuomo to sign the 10-year smoke alarm bill into law. The bill, which requires all smoke alarms sold in New York State to have sealed, tamper proof, ten year batteries, now sits on his desk after passing both houses of the legislature.

The Binghamton Senators host the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this Saturday at 7:05 PM for their Ugly Sweater Night. The B-Sens will be wearing special Christmas-themed game jerseys that will be auctioned off post game. All fans that wear their own ugly Christmas sweater will receive a coupon good for one FREE TICKET to the Friday, January 8, versus the Utica Comets.

The Sidney Chamber of Commerce will hold their annual Holiday House Decorating Contest this weekend, Chamber Spokesperson Kerri Green explains:

(Kerri Green 12-18-15)

Green said that those wishing to be judged should leave their decorations lit Tonight, Saturday Night & Sunday Night.

Tioga Downs in Nichols received the news from the State Gaming Facility Location Board, to go ahead with plans to expend for a full-scale casino, The board denied their bid last year, and gave the Southern Tier Casino license to the Lago resort about 85 miles north of the region. Groundbreaking on the expanded casino facilities is expected to be announced shortly.

Governor Cuomo today announced that the State Liquor Authority has approved a host of advisories to help support the continued growth and development of New York’s beverage manufacturers, retailers and wholesalers. Governor Cuomo convened the state’s 3rd Beer, Wine, Spirits and Cider Summit last week, where industry participants raised specific legislative and regulatory issues facing the industry. Bainbridge Native & Binghamton Brewing Company Owner Kristen Lyons participated in the summit:

(Kristen Lyons 10-15-15)

The new State Liquor Authority advisories are posted at sla.ny.gov, more information about the state's growing beer, wine, spirits and cider industries is available at taste.ny.gov.

Area Republican Congressman Richard Hanna made national headlines today, as he joined Kevin McCarthy in suggesting that an investigation into the Benghazi incident may have been an effort to damage Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton. In a radio interview in Utica yesterday, Hanna implied that McCarthy was forced to withdraw his bid for House Speaker, by his Republican peers because of his statements regarding the political damage that they tried to inflict on Hillary Clinton & her presidential bid.

State DOT officials today announced the scheduled reopening of the Interstate 81 southbound ramp to State Route 17 westbound, a major milestone in the $135 million project to reconstruct the Prospect Mountain Interchange of State Route 17 and I-81 in the city of Binghamton and town of Dickinson, Broome County. The I-81 southbound ramp to Route 17 had been closed since December 2014. An estimated $164 million project to reconfigure Interchange 4 will begin next spring and is expected to be completed by the end of 2019.

The State DEC today urged outdoor adventurers to suspend exploration of caves and mine sites that serve as homes for bat hibernations. Human disturbances are harmful to the state’s bat population since the arrival of the disease known as white-nose syndrome, which has killed more than 90% of hibernating bats in New York. Officials warned that if you encounter hibernating bats while underground, leave the area as quickly and quietly as possible. 2 species of bats are currently protected under federal and state endangered species law, including the northern long-eared bat, which was prevalent in New York, but the current population for this formerly common bat is approximately 1% of its previous size.

The Norwich Business Improvement District announced a full line up of events for the annual Pumpkin Festival on Friday, October 23rd through Saturday the 24th in Norwich. On Friday, from 5:30-7:00pm is the Giant Pumpkin Contest-Weigh In, On Saturday; events include a Pumpkin Bake-Off Contest, the YMCA Halloween Parade, Horse & Wagon Rides, and music with Kaitlyn Jackson and the Hometown Ban& The Beadle Brothers, followed by fireworks at the end of the evening.

Commerce Chenango will hold a “Meet the Candidates” session on October 27th. As part of the SFCU Business After Hours event. The session will be held at the SFCU Norwich branch, at County Road 32 & State Highway 23, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, among those confirmed to attend are State Senate candidates Fred Akshar & Barbara Fiala, among several local Norwich and Chenango County candidates. RSVP are requested by October 23rd at 334-1402 or johara@chenangony.org

The Otsego County Chamber of Commerce will hold their annual ceremony to honor the Small Business of the Year award & the Breakthrough Business of the Year today. The award winners will be honored at the Chamber’s Small Business Banquet at The Otesaga Hotel in Cooperstown.

On Saturday night, October 10th, Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 23 year old Erick Daly of Queens with Criminal Possession of a Weapon and Unlawful Possession of Marihuana, following traffic stop on State Highway 17 in the Town of Hancock. Troopers initially stopped Daly for driving 83 mph in a 55mph zone, Deputies found Daly to be in possession of marijuana and an electronic stun gun. Daly was arraigned in the Hancock Town Court and was remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility in lieu of $500 bail.

FEMA is reminding policyholders who filed Hurricane Sandy flood insurance claims that the last day to request a review of their claim is today. If you feel your Hurricane Sandy flood insurance claim was underpaid, ask FEMA to review your claim by calling 866-337-4262 between 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

The Oneonta police department special response team is scheduled to work in cooperation with the Greater Plains Elementary School to conduct a school lockdown drill today. The event will provide the Oneonta SRT Team the opportunity to train in full gear, and it will give students & faculty a chance to become familiar with evacuation procedures in case of an emergency.

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a Board of Education Meeting Today, in the District Conference Room at 6:30 PM.

New York State Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul continues delegation meetings with elected officials at various health care facilities throughout Puerto Rico to further Governor Cuomo's commitment to assist with the health care crisis. At 4:00 PM the Lieutenant Governor and State Elected Officials Hold a Press Conference with the Puerto Rican Delegation.

Coldwell Banker Timberland Properties will celebrate the grand opening of a new office at 19 Union Street, Sidney with an open house on Wednesday, Oct. 21 from 4:30-7 p.m. The public is invited to stop at Coldwell Bankers’ fifth office, located in the Community Bank Building, to meet the staff and learn more about the region’s largest real estate company. The event will include office tours, refreshments and live music. Jackie and Steve Rose, two of the most well respected real estate professionals in the Sidney area, are managing the new Coldwell Banker Timberland Properties office.

State Police responded to a report of a motorcycle accident on State Route 28 in the Town of Exeter. 86-year-old Herbert Black of Remsen was operating his motorcycle on State Route 28 when he entered a curve in the roadway, he was unable to maintain his lane and struck a street sign & was ejected and suffered serious injuries to his head, neck and chest. Black was transported to Bassett Hospital where he was pronounced deceased, no autopsy would be required.

On Monday October 8th, Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies and State Police responded to a reported bomb threat at the DCMO BOCES, Harrold Campus, in the Town of Masonville. The bomb threat was discovered written on a bathroom wall. The building was evacuated, a search found no explosive devises. Deputies have determined that a 14-year-old male was responsible for making the written threat. The youth and his legal guardian were subsequently issued a juvenile appearance ticket for the Delaware County Probation Department where the juvenile will answer a charge of Filing a False Report in the First Degree.

State Police in Norwich observed a 2007 Hummer traveling on State Route 12 in the Town of North Norwich; the vehicle matched the description of a stolen vehicle from Utica, and had been in a pursuit earlier in Oneida County. Several attempts to stop the driver were made and were stopped for safety reasons as the suspect approached the City of Norwich and then the Village of Greene. Troopers reported that as the vehicle entered Broome County, 2 Tire Deflation Devises were deployed, the front tires were disabled & the suspect continued to the Town of Chenango, and then fled the disabled vehicle and ran into the woods, A search by a State Police & Broome County Sheriff’s K-9 teams led to 17 year old La-Tee Baker of Utica, who was located near Otsinigo Park. Baker was charged with reckless endangerment and criminal possession of stolen property, he was arraigned at the Town of Chenango court and remanded to the Broome County jail with no bail set at this time.

The Oneonta police department special response team is scheduled to work in cooperation with the Greater Plains Elementary School to conduct a school lockdown drill on Thursday. The event will provide the Oneonta SRT Team to train in full gear, and it will give students & faculty a chance to become familiar with evacuation procedures in case of an emergency.

The New York State Office of Information Technology Services is offering a number of resources and activities to help all users learn more about cyber security and how to safeguard themselves from cyber-based threats. The 2015 Cyber Security Toolkit features awareness resources geared to a broad audience, including government, businesses, schools, and the general public. New York ITS is also coordinating a statewide cyber security poster contest for students in grades K through 12 promoting online safety, winners will be featured on the ITS website and entered into a national contest, more information on the poster contest is available at its.ny.gov/eiso.

The Commerce Chenango College & Career Connection Day will be held tomorrow at the Morrisville State College Norwich Campus, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Commerce Chenango spokesperson Jill O’Hara explains:

(Jill O’Hara 10-13-15)

More information about the college & Career Connection Day is available at 334-1402.

The city of Oneonta FTO-CIC committee will hold their next meeting this afternoon at 4:00 this afternoon, the Oneonta Finance/Administration committee will hold their next meeting at 5:00 PM, both meetings will be held at Oneonta city hall.

Officials at the Utica School of commerce announced that the vast majority of classes at the Oneonta Branch and Sidney Site would be suspended for the Spring Semester. All current students and re-entering students will be able to continue their programs at the Utica Campus with transportation provided by the college through Oneonta Bus Lines. The college will continue to maintain the Elm Street Oneonta facilities for student support functions, with the Learning Center -Library relocating there, and computers will be available for student use, 3 days per week. The USC Board of trustees sited a decline in enrollment and recent parking changes in Oneonta for the changes.

Delaware County Fair officials announced their line up for their annual concert for August 22nd 2015. Headliners will be Parmalee with singer-actress Jana Kramer opening. The dates for the 2015 Delaware County Fair are August 17th to the 22nd.

Governor Cuomo announced steps taken in New York State's "Reforming the Energy Vision" strategy to spur clean energy innovation and investment, improve customer choice and protect the environment. 5 new reforms will enable further growth of the clean energy industry and modernize how utilities operate, The 5 steps taken by the Public Service Commission follow through on the State's efforts to transform the energy system, details are available at governor.ny.gov

Congressman Chris Gibson announced the federal spending bill approved by the House last week includes $344 million to ensure the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs are developing electronic health records to transfer veteran's medical information. The legislation also includes language to require the VA to create a system to prevent unnecessary mistakes or delays in veterans’ medical care. If goals are not met, a portion of the funding will not be released. The VA reform bill signed into law earlier this year requires the VA to permit veterans to be seen by non-VA healthcare providers if they reside more than 40 miles from the nearest VA medical facility or are unable to secure an appointment at a VA facility within 30 days.

The Delaware County Sheriff's office announced the availability of text message notification as an enhancement to the New York Sheriffs' Victim Hotline known as "VINE". The hotline allows crime victims to learn the custody status of an offender 24-7 by 1-888-VINE-4-NY, the VINEMobile app, the Sheriffs Mobile Patrol App or at VineLink.com.

The Delaware County Broadband Initiative was awarded $2.9 million in matching New York State grant funding by the Southern Tier Economic Development Council following Governor Cuomo’s annual Regional Council Awards Ceremony on Thursday. The DCBI project will extend broadband services to the un-served residents and businesses, with over 210 miles of fiber optic facilities passing 1800 un-served and underserved households, businesses, and institutions in several towns in Delaware County. Additional information willl be posted at mtctelcom.com, delhitel.com, & dce.coop.

Manufacturing activity in New York State contracted for the first time in nearly 2 years. The New York Feds Empire state general business conditions index fell to –3.58 in December, falling to negative territory for the first time since January 2013. The new orders index tumbled –1.97 to 9.14 in November, the pace of growth in employment fell slightly with the index of the number of employees falling t 8.33 from 8.51. The survey of manufacturing plants in the state is 1 of the earliest monthly guideposts to U.S. factory conditions.

There has been a dramatic decline in the number of deaths in New York caused by AIDS. The state Health department recorded the number of AIDS related deaths were down by ¾’s from 1997 to 2012, when the number had dropped to 749. The decline is attributed to greater awareness on how the disease is spread and also powerful drug treatments for those diagnosed with the illness.

P.M. News Tuesday 8-26-14
Congressman Chris Gibson met with local elected officials, business owners, and educators this afternoon to discuss further coperations between the educational and business commuinties, to help with the economic development issues in the Sidney area. Congressman Gibson said that consituents are concerned with the education fo their children, and with possible careers for their children locally:

(Congressman Chris Gibson 8-26-14)

The meeting was hosted by The Utica School of Commerce, and held at the Sidney Public Library, congressman Gibson suggested a follow up meeting in 6 months to review progress.

Oneonta Police arrested 26 year old William Alvarez of the town of Maryland early Saturday morning, on charges of DWI, unlawful fleeing police, refusal to take a breath test, Speeding, unsafe lane change, unsafe start, failure to keep right and not wearing a seat belt. Alvarez was sent to the Otsego county jail on $1,750 bail pending future court action.

Governor Cuomo today announced the $40 million NY Prize Competition, by challenging New York businesses, entrepreneurs, and electric utilities to design and implement community-based microgrids, which offer energy independence, local power generation and distribution. The NY Prize Competition will work with the private sector to spur new business models and community partnerships to increase reliability and reduce costs for consumers. More information is available at prize.ny.gov.

A City of Norwich resident was arrested by Chenango County Sheriff's Office for underage possession of alcohol and open container in a motor vehicle. 18-year-old Gage Leach was after he allegedly pulled up next to Deputy Blincoe's patrol car and asked for directions. Leach was a passenger in the vehicle was found to be in possession of an opened bottle of an alcoholic beverage. Defendant was issued appearance tickets for Town of Norwich Court at a later date, he was charged with Underage Possession of Alcohol & Open Container in a Motor Vehicle

Manufacturers of alcoholic beverages have more than doubled in New York over the past 4 years, according to data released by Governor Cuomo's office. The number of alcoholic-beverage producers has risen from 366 in 2011 to 752, with significant increases in the number of farm-based manufacturers. In all, the state is now home to 291 farm wineries, up from 195 in 2011 and 57 farm-based breweries, which were authorized by a state law that took effect last year.

The Chenango County Sheriff's Office arrested 30-year-old Nicole Pickard of Green for Petit Larceny and Conspiracy. Pickard allegedly stole $600 from a residence in Greene, she will appear in Town of Greene Court at a later date.

The State Association of Realtors released its July home sale report. Across the state, new listings were up 1 percent compared to July 2013. The number of sales closed was down 10 percent, the median sales price dropped 0.4 percent and the total number of homes for sale was down 2 percent. In Delaware County, new listings were up 2 percent compared to July 2013. The number of sales closed was down 5 percent, the median sales price was up 17 percent and the total number of homes for sale was up 4 percent. In Chenango County, new listings were up 19 percent. The number of sales closed was down 35 percent, the median sales price dropped 21 percent and the total number of homes for sale was down 1 percent

State Police arrested 53-year-old William Quigley of Sidney, on charges of 1 count of Course of Sexual Conduct Against a Child, & 5 counts of 1st degree Criminal Sexual Act. The arrest followed an investigation into inappropriate sexual acts with a child under the age of 13, Quigley was arraigned in the Oxford Town court and remanded to the Chenango County Jail on $50,000.00 cash bail, pending future court appearances.

The Utica School of Commerce hosted an open house at the new Sidney location at the Tri Town Regional Hospital building on Pearl Street West last night. USC Vice President Don Reese explains:

(Don Reese 6-10-14)

Reese said that those interested in signing up can call Kerri Green at 287-4621; more information is also available at uscny.edu.

The Sidney Chamber of Commerce and Utica School of Commerce will hold an Open House on today from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at their New Sidney Location at Tri Town Regional Hospital.  This event is open to Sidney Chamber of Commerce members, directors and the public.  USC will have classes starting on June 16th.

26-year-old Michael Golotty of Elmira, pleaded guilty to 3rd degree arson in Chenango County Court, for the fire that destroyed storage units in Norwich last November, which housed donations for Toys for Tots.  Gulotty was sentenced to 5 to 10 years in state prison, as well as restitution to the victims to be paid in installments after his release.

Former Otsego County Chamber of Commerce President Rob Robinson pleaded guilty in Otsego County Court to 1st degree scheming to defraud. Robinson was arrested & fired in 2011, following charges of insurance fraud, grand larceny & falsifying business records, for an insurance scheme that enrolled more than 400 downstate residents in an MVP Health Care Insurance program offered by the Otsego Chamber. The sentence includes a 3-year conditional discharge & a $2,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for July 28th.

The Chenango county sheriffs department arrested a Town of Unadilla resident and a Town of New Berlin resident for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance and Unlawful Possession of Marihuana.  Deputies arrested 28-year-old Jason Lindroth and 28 year old Antonio Felice following an investigation into a suspicious vehicle. Deputies found that Lindroth and Felice were both in possession of heroin, prescription pills, hypodermic needles, and marihuana, they were arraigned in the Town of Oxford Court and were remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility on cash bail.

The New York State Fair was named America’s 4th-best state fair by Yahoo! Travel, beat only by Texas, California and Ohio. The news comes just a few weeks after Hopper.com ranked the Fair as the No. 1 State Fair.  An independent survey, conducted at the conclusion of the 2013 Fair, fairgoers cited food as the #1 reason for visiting every year. Last year, the Fair introduced Taste NY Wine and Cheese seminars to engage fairgoers about the various wines and cheeses that are made in New York

As state lawmakers wrap up the current legislative session, there are still a few items on the Governor’s agenda that might not get acted on this year.  Assemblyman Cliff Crouch said that the proposal to increase the state’ minimum wage again is another unnecessary cost to business:

(Crouch 6-9-14)

Crouch said that the bill would probably only pass one of the 2 houses, which should kill it off for this year.

The State Public Service Commission is seeking comment on a request by Time Warner Cable and Comcast Corporation to transfer certain Time Warner Cable telephone systems, cable systems, franchises and assets to Comcast. Under the proposal, Comcast will retain all of Time Warner Cable’s existing assets in New York State. The Commission will use its new regulatory powers to conduct an investigation into the proposed merger to determine whether the transaction is in the best interest of the customers.  More information is available at dps.ny.gov.

The New York State Gaming Commission reported that the Lottery sales for 2013-2014 totaled $9.2 billion, a profit of $3.1 billion for education, & a 4.2% increase over previous year, the 14th consecutive year of Lottery revenue growth.  Total sales rose $292.2 million; All Lottery profits go to funding education in the State.

There have been several black bear sightings in the Southern Tier, with reports of bears climbing trees & rummaging near homes.  The DEC reports that you can prevent bears from visiting by removing bird feeders, not leaving food or garbage outside, don’t feed pets outside and don't run refrigerators outside.  More information is at dec.ny.gov

Michael Buck pleaded guilty to 1st degree manslaughter in Otsego County Court following an incident September 21st at the Middlefield home that Buck shared with his father, 64 year old Joe Buck. Joe buck was killed, Michael Buck suffered a gunshot wound to the left cheek. Under the agreement Buck will be sentenced to 20 years in prison, followed by 5 years of post-release supervision. Buck had been indicted on 1 count each of 2nd degree murder, 1st degree assault, & criminal use of a firearm & 2 counts of 3rd degree criminal weapons possession.

A Franklin woman was arrested Tuesday night after fleeing an officer who had initiated a traffic stop for a headlight that wasn't working. The chase started on Main Street in Oneonta at about 9pm, and continued into Franklin when it was called off due to road conditions. The driver was picked up by state police at her residence in Franklin and turned over to Oneonta police. 39 year old Patricia McNeilly was charged with 2nd degree reckless endangerment, 3rd degree unlawful feeling a police officer in a motor vehicle, reckless driving, 3rd degree aggravated unlicensed operation and operating a motor vehicle with a suspended registration. McNeilly was arraigned in Oneonta city court and released pending a future court appearance

The Utica School of Commerce will begin classes at the Tri-Town Regional Hospital building on Pearl Street in Sidney this month.   USC Vice President Done Reese explains:

(Don Reese 6-5-14)

USC will hold an open house the Sidney location Monday from 5:00 to 7:00 PM, classes will begin June 16th.

State Police in Deposit were dispatched to a tractor-trailer rollover this morning at around 4:30 a.m. by exit 81 on Route 17 East. The unidentified driver veered left to avoid hitting a car that cut in front of it, but the tractor-trailer went off the road and rolled on its side. The tractor-trailer was carrying about 24,000 pounds of candy bars. Route 17 East, between exits 80 and 81, was reduced to one lane and re-opened this afternoon. The driver suffered minor burns to his arm. No tickets were issued and police are investigating.

The Chenango County Health Department will hold a community awareness presentation this evening on ticks & Lyme Disease from 6:00 to 7:00 PM at the Bainbridge Town Hall.   A Rise in the number of ticks has been reported In Afton & Bainbridge, the event is open to the public, more information is available at 337-1673.

The AARP released a poll showing 80% of voters, over the age of 50, think state consumers need an independent advocate to protect them from utility rate increases. The AARP and other consumer groups are pressing the state Senate, to vote on legislation that was passed by the Assembly last month, to create an Office of the Utility Consumer Advocate. Roughly 40 states have an independent utility advocate. The state legislature will wrap up its current session later this month.

Funeral services for fallen State Trooper Christopher Skinner will be held this morning in Johnson City. Trooper Skinner was a 13 year veteran of the State Police, he was killed in the line of duty last Thursday by a pick up truck, while conducting a traffic stop on I-81, Governor Cuomo will attend the funeral this morning for Trooper Skinner, at 11:00 at the 1st Baptist Church at 1321 Reynolds Road in Johnson city. The Governor has directed all flags on government buildings to be flown at half-staff today in honor of Trooper Skinner.

The Sidney Chamber of Commerce & the Utica School of Commerce will co-host an open house on Monday June 9th from 5:00 to 7:00 PM, at their new Sidney location in the Tri-Town Regional hospital.   The event is open to chamber members & the general public, USC will start classes at the site on June 16th.