WCDO Radio News

14 year old Melodie Loya of Bainbridge advanced to the
finals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in National Harbor, Maryland
Wednesday.   Loya is one of 50 finalists
competing for the prize money of about $50,000.
The final round concludes this evening from 8:30 to 10:00 PM.

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The Tri Town Relay for Life will be held Friday June 7th at
General Clinton Park in Bainbridge, American Cancer Society Organizer Heather
Brewster comments:

(Heather Brewster 5-30-19)

Brewster said that they expect to raise about $50,000 with
this year's efforts for the American Cancer Society's programs.

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Residents had to evacuate an apartment building at Mitchell
& State Streets in Norwich this morning, after a section of the outside
wall fell off.  No injuries were
reported, engineers will inspect the building to see if it will need to be torn
down.

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22nd district Congressman Anthony Brindisi brought
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to Chobani Wednesday to hear from local
producers and tour Chobani’s factory.   local Farmers joined Brindisi as his guest for
a roundtable discussion about trade & the state of agriculture in Upstate Counties
and USDA regulations.

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The Delaware County Department of Public Works will be closing
Fitch's Covered Bridge in the Town of Delhi on Saturday, from 9:00 am to 11:00 AM
for the annual Covered Bridge Run.  County
Route 18 will be closed to through traffic from the Village Line to Fitch's
Bridge during that time frame as well. Local traffic and Emergency Vehicles
will be permitted.

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The Sidney Central School
District students were not allowed to leave the campus this morning following
the reports of a bear near the campus.
Department of Environmental conservation officers were called in.  The District was notified by local law
enforcement that the bear was no longer in the immediate of the vicinity of the
school & the Sidney District has resumed all normal activities this
afternoon.

Otsego County Sheriff Richard Devlin reports the Sheriff’s
Office along with the Susquehanna SPCA is investigating an animal cruelty
situation in the Town of Maryland.
Deputies located approximately two dozen dead cattle in a barn and
another 30 head in poor condition late Tuesday afternoon.  This is an on going investigation.

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State Police arrested 48 year old Lisa Stevens of Glen
Aubrey for 2nd degree Grand Larceny.  A
several month-long investigation revealed that Stevens collected over $50,000
from several victims promising to make travel arrangements that were not
made.  Victims of the scam called the
State Police & Stevens was arraigned at Broome County Central Arraignment
and Processing.   The case is continuing,
Investigators believe there may be more residents in the area that have not yet
come forward, and they should Contact State Police at 775-1452 if you believe
you may have been a victim.

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The Law Enforcement Torch Run to raise awareness and support
for Special Olympics New York will pass through Broome County today as the Olympics
Torch makes its way around New York State leading up to the Special Olympics
New York Summer Games, in Dutchess County June 14-15.  More than 75 members of local law enforcement
will participate starting at 2:00pm at Binghamton University, Peace Quad.   The Torch Run will conclude at Tully's on
the Vestal Pkwy East, with a reception for participants.

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The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office’s Criminal
Investigation Division arrested 32-year-old Joseph Clark on 23 counts of
Criminal Contempt, it is alleged that while he was an Inmate at the Delaware
County Correctional Facility, Clark violated the terms of an Order of
Protection issued by the Town of Oneonta Court by contacting a protected
victim.  Clark is scheduled to appear in
the Town of Delhi Court on Tuesday, June 4, 2019 to answer these charges.

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The Tri-Town Coalition on Substance Abuse Prevention’s next
meeting is tonight at the Maiorano Office Building, 9 Main Street in Sidney
from 6:00 to 7:30 PM.

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State Police have arrested 40 year old Curtis Cuttino & 46 year old Michael McVicker of York Pennsylvania, in connection with the fatal shooting of an Apalachin man in his home on Dorothy Lane Thursday morning. Cuttino was apprehended a short distance away Thursday on the Vestal parkway, McVicker was apprehended in Monticello, both have been charged with 2nd degree murder & are being held without bail in the Broome County Jail.

The Ed Wessels Canoe Regatta will be held tomorrow on the Susquehanna River, sponsored by the Sidney Chamber of Commerce, long time area Paddler Ed Curley comments:

(Ed Curley 5-10-19)

Curley said that proceeds will benefit a Sidney high school
Senior interested in a Business degree, through the Sidney Dollars for Scholars
program.   Registration starts at 8:30
AM, the Post-race dinner and awards will be at the Elks Lodge in Sidney.

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Catholic Charities is looking for people to volunteer for
their Mentoring program, spokesperson Kayla Johnson explains:

(Kayla Johnson 5-10-19)

Anyone interested in mentoring can call Catholic Charites at
their Sidney Office at 604-4071 or by email: kjohnson@charitiesccdo.org.

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Delhi Telephone or DTC has branched out around the region
and with the services they provide, they will be hosting an event that will
also raise funds for the Sidney Center Fire Department on Monday, DTC spokesman
Jason Miller explains:

(Jason Miller 5-10-19)

Miller said that DTC is offering a variety of services
including High Speed Broad band Internet, Phone Plans, TV Packages & home
security systems.

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The Family Resource Network will be offering a program
Monday in Norwich regarding self-advocacy for those with Autism issues,
Spokesperson Robin Piefer explains:

(Robin Piefer 5-10-19)

The program will be held at the Chenango Inn & Suites at
75 North Broad Street in Norwich Monday from 9:00 AM until 12:00 Noon, more
information is available at familyrn.org.

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The Child Advocacy Center will be hosting "Stop The
Cycle Of Violence" tomorrow at their 8 Silver Street Location in
Norwich.  2, 3 & 4 wheel vehicles are
welcome to participate, registration starts at 9:00 AM, and proceeds will be
used for client resources & for professional development of the Center's
staff.

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The Warwick Rhode Island School district came under fire
earlier this week, after they announced that students with school lunch debts
would be served cold sunbutter & jelly sandwiches.  Chobani CEO Hamdi Ulukaya announced that his
company would pay off the lunch debt, estimated at $77,000 dollars covering
about 1650 children in the district.

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The public is invited to volunteer at the City of Oneonta’s
Trees for Tributaries tree planting event to be held at the upper end of Wilber
Park on Graduate Avenue on Wednesday, May 15th at 10:00 am. The City is holding
the event in conjunction with the DEC`s “Trees for Tributaries”
initiative.   The event itself will
consist of planting approximately 80 seedlings of various species, tools will
be supplied.  The tree planting event is
free and open to the public; more information is available at 432-6465 or
dec.ny.gov.

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Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 39-year-old
Frank Darmody of Hobart for felony DWI, Aggravated driving with a BAC of .19%,
aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle & operating a motor
vehicle without a required ignition interlock device.  Deputies responded to a report of a
Motorcycle Accident on McMurdy Brook Road in the Town of Kortright, Darmody was
arrested & was arraigned at Delhi Town Court and was remanded to the
Delaware County Jail on $500 dollars’ cash bail or $1000 bond.

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Police have 2 men in custody, in connection with a home
invasion & fatal shooting of a resident at 5 Dorothy Lane in Apalachin
Thursday Morning.  The name of the
deceased has not yet been released, the investigation is continuing.

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Funeral services for 16 year old Amelia Wakefield of Oxford
will be held Today at 5:00 PM, in the auditorium of the Oxford Academy Middle
School.  Wakefield was found deceased in
a residence on Water Street in Smithville Flats last Friday Night, the
investigation into her death is continuing.

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3 people were arrested after The Broome County Special
Investigations Unit Task Force searched a home at 159 Conklin Avenue in
Binghamton.  Police seized fentanyl,
methadone and suboxone, plus powder cutting agents, packaging materials and
digital scales, the 3 people arrested were Kimberly Knapik, Courtney Douglas
and Anthony Zuccaro of Binghamton.

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THE VILLAGE OF SIDNEY WILL ACCEPT DROPPED OFF APPLIANCES,
TIRES AND METAL AT THE SIDNEY VILLAGE GARAGE TODAY & TOMORROW.  MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROGRAM IS
AVAILABLE AT 561-2329.

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The Chenango County Sheriff's Department arrested 18 year
old Cody Coleman of Smithville Tuesday on an active Bench Warrant issued out of
the Town of Smithville Court.  Coleman
was wanted for violating special conditions of his probation. Coleman was remanded
to the Chenango County Correctional Facility and is being held without
bail.  Coleman was also the boyfriend of
16 year old Amelia Wakefield of Oxford, who was found dead in Smithville last
Friday night, there have been no arrests in connection with that case.

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State Police are investigating a reported home invasion at 5
Dorothy Road in Apalachin early this morning.
Police stated that a woman answered a knock on her door shortly before
6:00 AM, 2 men entered, there was a confrontation between a male resident &
1 of the suspects, the male resident was fatally shot, the woman was not hurt,
and the 2 men fled on foot.  1 suspect
was located by Police on the Vestal parkway; the other man was still at large,
he is described as white, 5' 8" tall; wearing a dark jacket, dark pants
and work boots, anyone with information should call 911.

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Delhi Police Chief Michael Mills announced the arrests of 3
people on Drug Charges Tuesday.  Delhi
Police, with assistance from State Police & SUNY Delhi Police, executed a
search warrant at 26 Meredith Street, they arrested 25 year old Daniel
Quackenbush Jr. of Delhi, 24 year old Karolina Piwarska of Delhi, & 28 year
old Chanchhayavan Chourb of Utica, on a variety of drug charges, All 3 were
arraigned in the Delhi Town Court and remanded to the Delaware County Jail on
$100,000 cash bail or $200,000 bond.
Police recovered cash, Crack Cocaine, heroin, digital scales, and other
materials for packaging narcotics.

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New York State of Health today reported that more than 4.7
million New Yorkers have enrolled in health coverage through the end of the 6th
open enrollment period on January 31st. Marketplace enrollment is now at its
highest point, & the number of uninsured went from 10% in 2013, to below 5%
today.

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Rock in the Park has been revived, but will move to the
Chenango County Fairgrounds in Norwich this summer.  Organizer Jason Hall explains:

(Jason Hall 5-9-19)

Hall said that Saturday's Lineup includes Project Z, Dirt
Farm, Woodshed Prophets & Wreckless Marci, Sunday will include The Jason
Wicks Band, Beadle Brothers & Sundown, and Camping reservations can be made
by calling 972-6526.

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The Chenango County Department
of Health announced another free rabies clinic will be held this evening at the
Columbus Town Garage.  The clinic for
Dogs, Cats & Ferrets will run from 5:30 to 6:30 PM.

Due to a power outage, SUNY Broome cancelled classes for the
2nd straight day at their Main Campus on Front Street, due to a Transformer
issue on Wednesday.  All other remote
locations remained open, officials hope to have classes resume on Friday.

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The Chenango County Department of Public Works announced
that the Suit-Kote Corporation & the DPW will begin working on County Road
32 between State Route 320, in the Town of Norwich and New York State Route 12,
in the Town of North Norwich today.  The
procedure should take about a week to complete and depending on the
weather.    The traveling public is asked
to find alternate routes if possible.
More information is available at 337-1710.

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The State Office of General Services announced that a
surplus vehicle auction will take place today at 9:30 AM at the Department of
Transportation location at 241 Colesville Road, Binghamton.  For information on specific items and terms
of sale are available at nysstore.com.

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Organizers of the annual Spiedie Fest and Balloon Rally
announced that the event will be held in Otsiningo Park August 2nd through the
4th.   Jefferson Starship with Mickey
Thomas will be in concert Friday, Hunter Hayes on Saturday and Kansas on
Sunday.

Calling hours for 16 year old Amelia Wakefield of Oxford
will be held Thursday at the Behe Funeral Home in Oxford from 1:00 to 3:00 PM
& 5:00 to 8:00, the funeral will be held at 5:00 PM Friday, in the
auditorium of the Oxford Academy Middle School.
Wakefield was found deceased in a residence on Water Street in
Smithville Flats last Friday Night, the investigation into her death is
continuing.

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SUNY Broome cancelled classes today, following an electrical
outage from a transformer at the campus.
Officials hope to have the power restored & to have classes resume
Thursday.

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Johnson City Police & Police Academy recruits are
combing the area of Columbia Avenue & Fairview Street this afternoon,
following the discovery of Human Remains in a wooded area there.  The remains are believed to be from an adult
male, the investigation is ongoing.

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Governor Cuomo & State Leaders announced an agreement on
allowing cameras on school buses, in order to catch drivers who do not stop for
school busses with their flashing lights on discharging children.   School districts will soon be able to mount
cameras on school buses to capture the vehicle’s license plates.  Drivers will face fines that up to $250 fine.

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

(Tim Ryan 5-8-19)

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.

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State Senator Fred Akshar
recognized Broome County Sheriff's Deputy Kristy Botsford as his New York State
Senate 2019 Woman of Distinction for the 52nd Senate District.  Each year, the New York State Senate honors
women who have enriched the quality of life in their communities across New
York.  Deputy Kristy Botsford continues
to recover from injuries sustained on February 1st, while responding to a
vehicle traveling the wrong way on Route 17 West in Vestal, her vehicle was
struck head on by an alleged drunk driver, she was pinned inside the vehicle,
& was removed by emergency personnel using the “Jaws of life" tool in
sub-zero temperatures, she underwent surgery to repair her broken femur and
ankle.  Botsford plans to return to her
post as soon as her doctors allow.

State Police arrested 71 year old Franklin Farrell of
Bainbridge for 2nd & 3rd degree Assault after Troopers were dispatched to a
physical dispute on County Route 39 in the town of Bainbridge.  Farrell allegedly grabbed the victim by the
arm causing lacerations & allegedly brandished a knife attempting to stab a
2nd victim, who was cut on the stomach & arms.  Farrell was transported to Tri-County
Hospital for his injuries and was arrested, & was arraigned in the town of
Bainbridge court & was remanded to the Chenango County Jail without
bail.  An order of protection was issued
to both victims.  He’s scheduled to
return to court on May 9th.

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The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce will host a FREE
workforce development event aimed at business owners and managers who are
struggling to hire staff or have employees in drug and/or alcohol treatment and
recovery.  Representatives from the
Delaware County Probation Department, Delaware County Drug Treatment Court, CDO
Workforce and the Department of Labor will be on hand,  The session will be held at the Delaware
County Chamber of Commerce at 5 1/2 Main Street, Delhi on May 28, from 10:00 to
11:30AM, for more information or to RSVP, call 746-2281.

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37 year
old James Brower of Norwich pleaded guilty Friday in Chenango County Court to
Hindering Prosecution, he admitted that he lied to police to help his partner
Tobias Rundstrom-Whitaker, to get away with the rape & murder of 11 year
Jacelyn O'Connor in July 2017.  Brower
will be sentenced to 1 1/2 to 4 1/2 years in jail as part of a plea
arrangement, when he is sentenced on June 17th.

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The
State DEC reported that statewide, hunters in New York harvested an estimated 227,787
deer during the seasons, about 12% more than the previous season.  The estimated deer take included 114,402
antlerless deer and 113,385 antlered bucks.
Hunters took 199,145 deer in the Southern Zone.

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Governor
Cuomo today announced the submission of 123 vetoes from the Enacted State
Budget.   The vetoes include 51
appropriations pertaining to state agency operations. 26 appropriations were
more than seven years old and have had no disbursements over the most recent
seven-year period. 25 appropriations are fully expended, 6 appropriations are
vetoed on constitutional grounds, 6 were duplicative of other reappropriations
for the same purpose, and 8 were previously vetoed.  The full list of vetoes is available at the
Governor's website.

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Police
in upstate New York are warning of a dangerous fentanyl-laced marijuana
combination that was recently confiscated in the Sullivan County town of
Thompson.  It was the first time fentanyl
was found in marijuana in the area, & In a separate incident on Thursday,
the Albany County Sheriff’s department reported that 1st responders revived 3
people who had overdosed in a car in the middle of a road. Another driver came
upon the car in the town of Knox and called 911.

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The
North Norwich Plaza at 6142 Route 12 in Norwich, is scheduled to be auctioned
off from this week, with an announced starting bid of $350,000. Currently 5
businesses are open at the site, filling up about 1/3rd of the total space.  More information is available at ten-x.com

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Delhi
police arrested 23 year old Ashley Goble of Oneonta for allegedly burglarizing
a Delhi home.  Goble was charged with
2nd-degree burglary and petty larceny; she was arraigned in the Delhi Town
Court and sent to jail on $2,000 cash bail.

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The
Special Investigations Unit Task Force arrested 46-year-old Erin Suggs and
23-year-old Miranda Barrows and confiscated about 4 ounces of crystal meth, 6
grams of heroin, about 29 grams of marijuana, Suboxone, various prescription
pills and $2,600 in suspected drug sales proceeds.  Suggs is charged with multiple counts of
criminal possession of a controlled substance, & criminally using drug
paraphernalia.  Barrows is charged with
criminal possession of a controlled substance and unlawful possession of
marijuana.

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The
Help Restore Hope Center is hosting a Program today, in support of survivors of
violence & sexual assault, as April is Sexual Assault Awareness month.  The program begins at 4:00 PM until closing
at Nina's Restaurant at 32 South Board Street in Norwich.

NYSEG crews
are working to restore power that was knocked out by last night's powerful
storms.  Broome County had over 1400
without power, Chenango County 230 & Delaware County 580, this afternoon.

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State
Police received a 911 call at approximately 9:15 pm Friday night that a
non-verbal Autistic boy named Easton Kamper had left his residence on Hilltop
Road in Apalachin on foot wearing just a sweatshirt, sweatpants and 1
shoe.   A search began with dozens of
local agencies and hundreds of volunteers came to Apalachin Fire District
Station 2.  Searchers went door to door
and looked throughout the night in the neighborhood, in wooded areas and near
streams.  The boy was located by a
citizen near Main and Cross Streets in Apalachin around 8:00 AM Saturday.  He appeared to be in good condition and transported
to Wilson Hospital to be checked out.

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The
State Department of Taxation and Finance announced that its Income Tax Call
Center will be open until 7:00 pm tonight to assist last-minute tax
filers.  Representatives will be
available from 8:30 AM to 7:00 PM at 518-457-5181.

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Cooperstown
Police reported that 75 year old John Smirk of Cooperstown drove down Fair
Street Thursday night, and drove off the boat ramp into Otsego Lake.  Cooperstown Police & Otsego County
Sheriff’s deputies responded, removed Smirk from his vehicle; the cause of
Smirk’s death is still under investigation.

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State
Police arrested 40 year old Ethan Licari of Vestal for felony 2nd degree
Assault, after troopers were dispatched on March 27th to Valley Ridge Center
for Intensive Treatment in the town of Norwich, after a resident and a staff
member were involved in a physical altercation.
After an investigation, it was determined that Licari did restrain a
resident who was aggressive but Licari then struck the resident which resulted
in serious injuries.  Licari was
arraigned in the town of Norwich court where he was released on his own
recognizance.  He is scheduled to return
to court on April 18th.

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CHIPS Money for road repair & similar projects wound up
with a 0% increase from last year, in spite of the winter weather chewing up
the roads again, Assemblyman Cliff Crouch comments:

(Cliff Crouch 4-8-19)

Crouch said that in previous years CHIPS money was increased
following extreme winter weather, Crouch said that while we did not have a
heavy amount of snowfall; Roads are still rough this spring in the Southern
tier:

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The Raymond Corporation of Greene unveils its new
intralogistics solutions during ProMat 2019 held in Chicago this week.  Several new products & technologies are
being featured; more information about the Raymond Corporation is available at
raymondcorp.com or call 800-235-7200.

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22nd District Congressman Anthony Brindisi announced that
his April town hall will be held on Wednesday, April 24 at 6:00 p.m. at
Stanford Gibson Primary School in Norwich. The event is free and open to all
members of the community.

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The Public is invited to attend this year's Sidney’s Arbor
Day Celebration on Friday, April 26th, at the Pavilion at Keith Clark Park on
River Street beginning at 10:00 am.
Music will be provided by the Sidney Elementary Band under the direction
of Amy Hoxie followed by a brief welcome address by Lorrie Roach, Chairperson
of Sidney’s Shade Tree Commission.   The
Tree City Recognition Award and Tree City USA flag recognizing Sidney as a Tree
City for the 23rd Year will be accepted by Mayor Andy Matviak.

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"Friendly's Restaurants" announced
that they have closed 14 upstate New York restaurants.  Several Broome County locations closed, their
Oneonta location at 377 Main Street is expected to close shortly, and other
locations that are closing are located in Syracuse, Rochester, and Oswego.  The Friendly’s at 561 Harry L Drive in
Johnson will remain open.

State Troopers arrested 21-year-old Kayla Vanderpool from
Adams for Driving while ability impaired by drugs, plus 14 other traffic
citations Thursday after a pursuit through multiple jurisdictions.  State Police were dispatched to a 911 call reporting
a wrong-way driver traveling west in the eastbound lanes of State Route 17 in
the city of Binghamton.   Vanderpool
continued through Vestal, she hit another vehicle, & the pursuit came to a
conclusion in Owego where Vanderpool struck a patrol vehicle and was taken into
custody.  Vanderpool was taken to
Binghamton General Hospital for minor injuries.
The investigation is still on-going.

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Nauman Hussein was indicted last week on 40 felony counts
relating to last October's crash of a modified Limousine that crashed in
Schoharie, killing 20 people.  The
indictment charges claim that Hussein put a vehicle on the road that failed its
inspection one month before the accident, and hired the driver who was not licensed
to operate the vehicle. He will be arraigned on the charges on Wednesday.

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The Otsego County Health Department announced a free rabies
clinic today in Worcester.  The clinic
will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Worcester Town Barn, more information
is available at 547-4230.

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State Police are investigating the circumstances behind the
death of 18 year old Alec Zarkower of Cortlandt Manor in Westchester County, in
his SUNY Delhi Dorm room Monday.
Zarkower was a freshman residing in the O'Connor Hall, Students were
told that there was no imminent danger & classes were held as
scheduled.  An Autopsy on Zarkower is
scheduled for today.

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The State Burn Ban goes into effect this Saturday March 16th
through May 14th.   DEC officials stated
that that ban does NOT ban all burning, it bans burning of Brush.   Exceptions include small Campfires,   Small cooking fires, Ceremonial or
celebratory bonfires are allowed. More Information is available at dec.ny.gov.

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Binghamton Police Department responded to a report of a
vehicle collision with 2 pedestrians yesterday afternoon at about 3:25, on
Beethoven Street near Lincoln Avenue.
The police determined that a Jeep Wrangler left the roadway and struck
female teenagers; 16 and 19 years of age, they were taken to Wilson Hospital
The driver of the vehicle 33 year old Kevin Wilcox of Harpursville, he was
charged with Vehicular Assault & Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs,
he was arraigned this morning & was remanded to the Broome County Jail.

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The 2019 Relay For Life of Chenango County Kickoff event
will be held today at 6:00 pm at the Community Room, at the Norwich YMCA.  The event is open to the public, Light
refreshments will also be served! The Chenango Relay For Life will be held at
East Main Street Park in Norwich, on Saturday, July 20th at 4:00 PM.

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The State Assembly has passed legislation requiring gun
owners to have their guns locked up, with the ammunition stored elsewhere.  State Assemblyman Cliff Crouch said that his
constituents oppose the bill:

(Crouch 3-12-19)

The State Senate hasn't yet acted on the bill, but they are
expected to pass it & Governor Cuomo is expected to sign it this year.

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The State Department of Labor
today released preliminary local area unemployment rates for January.  The State’s area unemployment increased to
4.6% in January 2019, after remaining below 4% for several months at the end of
last year.  Locally, Chenango County's
Unemployment rate was 5.5%, Delaware county was at 5.6% & Otsego County at
5.4% for January.

37 year old Marlon Graham of Deposit pleaded guilty in Broome County Court Friday to possessing methamphetamine & fentanyl.   Graham pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a controlled substance, for selling those substances in Deposit & Kirkwood; Sentencing is scheduled for May 10

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State Police arrested 50 year old Joseph Jaen of Vestal for
the DWI, after a trooper observed a vehicle stopped on Interstate 88 in the
town of Sidney and a passenger got out of the vehicle; the driver then drove
several yards before stopping again.  The
trooper investigated and learned that the driver and passenger had an argument
before the passenger got out of the vehicle; the trooper observed that Jaen
appeared intoxicated and was arrested. The passenger was turned over to a sober
third party.  Jaen was released on
appearance tickets returnable to the town of Sidney Court on March 28th.

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State Police arrested 36 year old Michaela McNally of
Oneonta for felony DWI & several traffic citations.  A trooper monitoring traffic on Interstate 88
in the town of Oneonta observed the vehicle McNally was operating with an
equipment violation.  A traffic stop was
initiated and the trooper determined McNally was impaired, she was processed
then released on appearance tickets returnable to the town of Oneonta Court on
March 12th.

---

The Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park announced that Phillip
Ginter is the new Executive Director, effective March 25th.   Binghamton Zoo members and visitors will be
able to meet Ginter on Grand Opening Day, April 20th and Members Only Night,
April 27th.   The Binghamton Zoo will be
open on the weekends only from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM starting March 16th, weather
permitting.  The official 2019 events
calendar is available at rossparkzoo.com.

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Following previous postponements, Jury selection was
scheduled to begin today in Chenango County Court for the murder trial of
Ernest Franklin of Guilford.  Franklin
and his wife Heather face charges for allegedly murdering their special needs
son Jeffrey in their Town of Guilford Home and then setting fire to the home to
cover up the murder in March of 2017.

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The Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in downtown
Binghamton was closed down by authorities today for an investigation. The
Federal Protective Service, Binghamton police and the Binghamton Fire
Department responded to the federal building at about 12:00 Noon today at 15
Henry Street, the  same agencies
responded Friday to the Social Security Office on Court Street after an
employee opened an envelope containing a white powdery substance.

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Governor Cuomo Signed the new "Red Flag Bill” into law,
6 years after signing the New York Safe Act:

(Cuomo 2-25-19)

Cuomo attended a function today in New York City where he
urged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to try to enact this legislation on a National
basis.

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NYSEG reported that power outages around the state were down
to about 14,000 this afternoon, following the High winds around the state since
yesterday afternoon.  This Afternoon, 659
Broome County customers were without power, along with 112 in Chenango County,
258 in Delaware County & 244 in Otsego County.  NYSEG Crews are working to restore power as
quickly as possible.

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Local Police Agencies are warning the public about a Social
Security scam where the caller identifies himself as a police officer in an
attempt to gain person and financial information from the victim, the Police
Department's name may also appear on your phone as the caller.   Police Department will never request
financial information or Social Security numbers over the phone; they also do
not request any type of payment to be made over the phone via credit card or
gift card. The Vestal Police Department was alerted Friday that a scam was perpetrated
in their name last week.

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Governor Cuomo stated that losing the Amazon Warehouse
project & the 25,000 jobs along with it, is the greatest tragedy of his
tenure as governor.  Amazon recently
pulled out of the Long Island City Queens Project after several local
politicians came out against Amazons Anti-Union history, and they announced
that they will stick with their remaining facilities.

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Governor Cuomo announced this
morning that school district that cancel classes due to the high winds today,
will not be penalized.  School districts
are allowed a certain number of snow days each year before their state aid is
subtracted; today will not be counted as part of that formula.

NYSEG reports that about 900 customers in Broome, Chenango,
& Delaware Counties are without power from the high winds in the
region.  Crews are trying to restore the
power as quickly as possible.   NYSEG
customers should call 1-800-572-1131 to report downed power lines or other
hazardous situations.

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The Binghamton Devils today released a new mobile app for
fans to stay connected with everything Devils-related on the go. All fans that
download the app will be entered to win 2 tickets to 1 of the remaining home
games this season.  The new Devils App
features up to date news on the team, roster, and schedule, including theme
nights and discounted tickets. Direct links to listen and watch the game on
your mobile device will also be provided.

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The next Bainbridge United meeting is this evening @ 7:00 pm
at the back of Bob's Diner.

Governor Cuomo & State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli announced today that the state budget is facing a 2.3 billion dollar shortfall, due to the Federal “Salt” adjustments that penalized the state by eliminating full deduct-ability of state and local taxes, plus Stock Market volatility and a slowing economy in the 4th quarter:

(DiNapoli 2-4-19)

Lawmakers have until April 1st to get a budget passed for
the start of the next fiscal year.

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The Vestal Police Department has charged 34 year old Daniel
Butash of Endicott with felony counts of vehicular assault, 2nd degree assault
and DWI. Butash is accused of driving while intoxicated in the wrong direction
on State Route 17 in Vestal early Friday morning, while fleeing Police; he crashed
his vehicle head on into a Patrol car driving by Broome County Sheriff's Deputy
Kristy Botsford.   Butash suffered only
minor injuries, Deputy Botsford suffered a broken Femur in her right leg, and
both were taken to Wilson Hospital in Johnson City following Friday Morning's
crash, more charges against Butash are possible.

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Johnson City Police arrested 39-year-old Hayes Cutting of
Bainbridge, following an alleged theft from the Johnson City Walmart & a
pursuit on Airport Road after Cutting refused to stop for officers.  Cutting lost control of his vehicle at
Barrier Road, Cutting & his passenger 35-year-old Amanda Vanhouten fled
into the woods but were apprehended a short time later.  Cutting and Vanhouten were charged with grand
larceny, resisting arrest & criminal possession of controlled substance,
Cutting was found with heroin at the scene with intent to sell,   Cutting was also handed multiple vehicle and
traffic violations, authorities say.

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State police responded to almost 1,100 crashes and issued
more than 600 travel ban tickets during last week's snowstorm.  State Police said that there were more than
1,500 disabled or abandoned vehicles from the snowfall, there were 3 deaths
& 1 tractor-trailer driver ignored the ban near Rochester Wednesday
afternoon & caused a 19-vehicle pileup.

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State Lawmakers may decide to eliminate "Cash Bail”
this year, among other reforms involving those arrested for criminal
activity.  Governor Cuomo outlined
possible reforms in his “State of the State” address last month:

(Cuomo 2-4-19)

Various groups opposed to Cash
bail protested in Albany earlier today, opponents claim that the Bail System unfairly
penalizes the poor & minorities & allows too many people with financial
resources go free.

Firefighters from several area companies responded to a
blaze at 3 Johnson Street in Bainbridge at about 4:00 PM Sunday afternoon.   Bainbridge Fire Chief Fred Bell told WCDO
news that the fire was electrical, starting in the 1st floor kitchen, it spread
to the 2nd floor, all occupants & their pets escaped, there were no
injuries reported.    Firefighters from
Afton, Sidney, Guilford, Masonville, & Coventry also responded.

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The Delaware Valley Humane Society is seeking donations for
the McClancy family, who lost their belongings in Friday's Fire at 14 East Main
Street in Sidney.  Humane Society
Director Erin Insinga told WCDO News that the family had adopted 2 dogs from
the shelter, that eat 4-Health Grain Free Dry Food, they will also accept
toiletries, Gift cards & any other donations on behalf of the family at the
shelter, during normal business hours from 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM.  Friday's Fire was caused by an electrical
problem, there were no injuries among fire fighters & the occupants &
their pets escaped without injury.

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State Senator Jen Metzger made remarks at a press conference
on Friday, expressing their deep concerns over the Governor's proposed cuts to
Aid to Municipalities funding:

(Metzger 2-4-19)

In early January, Governor Cuomo released his proposed
budget for the 2020 fiscal year, slashing $59 million in funding for local
governments through the Aid to Municipalities program, impacting all 19
villages and 31 of the 37 towns in her 42nd District.

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Lawmakers in Albany are expected to deal with further Gun
Safety Legislation shortly, to be added to the 2013 "SAFE ACT".  Local Assemblyman Cliff Crouch said that he
does not feel that more gun legislation is needed, but he is in agreement on
one aspect of it:

(Cliff Crouch 2-1-19)

The SAFE Act was quickly rushed through the legislature in
2013 following the Sandy Hook School Shooting in Connecticut.

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Fire fighters from Sidney responded to a fire at 14 East Main Street in Sidney this afternoon, shortly before 5:00 PM.  Fire fighters at the scene told WCDO News that 1 person was in the house & escaped without injury.  WCDO News will have more details as they become available.

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The Broome County Sheriff’s Office released more information
regarding this morning’s 2-car crash involving Broome County Sheriff’s Deputy
Kristy Botsford.  The report stated that
Deputy Botsford was driving on State Route 17 westbound with her emergency
lights on assisting the Vestal Police Department in trying to stop a car that
was driving eastbound in the westbound lane.
Vestal Police said the suspect, Daniel Butash stopped his car on the
highway east of Exit 68, as police approached, he continued to drive the wrong
way, and he drove head-on into Deputy Botsford’s Patrol car.  Deputy Botsford became pinned inside her
vehicle, Emergency services used the ‘jaws of life’ to remove her from the car,
and she was taken to Wilson Hospital where she was listed in critical
condition, she suffered a fractured right femur among other injuries.  Butash was driving a 2018 Tesla and suffered
minor facials injuries and cuts to his body, he was also taken to Wilson
Hospital, and Charges against him are pending.

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State Police in conjunction with the State Liquor Authority
and SUNY Delhi conducted an Underage Enforcement detail.   24 year old Codey Wood of Delhi was charged
with Prohibited Sale of Alcohol to a Person Under the Age of 21.   Wood is an employee of O’Neill’s Shire Pub
on Main Street in Delhi; he was issued an appearance ticket returnable to the
Delhi Town Court on February 19th.   The
initiative targets the sale of alcohol to minors and utilizes a member of the
New York State Police and an underage undercover operative. No other locations
in the village of Delhi were found in violation and were found to be in
compliance.

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Governor Cuomo today announced New York's efforts to deter
underage drinking resulted in a record number of fake identification seizures
in 2018. The year-round Operation Prevent initiative focuses on concert venues,
bars, restaurants and alcohol retailers throughout the State. The State seized
892 fake documents as part of the initiative, 922 people were ticketed for
using false identification or using another person's identification.  18 Fake identification arrests were conducted
in the Southern Tier, 18 fake ID's were seized.

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Members from Troop C's Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit
assist the Chenango County Sheriff's Department with a milk truck rollover on
County Route 25 in the town of Columbus. The tanker actively dumped several
thousand gallons of milk after crashing just before 7am. The DEC spill
response, County DOT and local fire department are also on scene.

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36 year old Matthew Mazepa of Harpursville pleaded guilty
today in US District Court for selling Meth in Chenango & Broome Counties
& Illegally possessing a firearm.
Mazepa was arrested last April by State Police, he faces sentencing on May
21st.

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19th District Congressman
Antonio Delgado has announced he will open an office in Oneonta next week.    Delgado’s office will be located at 189
Main Street and will be open 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, as
well as by appointment.

State Police will join local law enforcement agencies across
the state in an effort to crack down on impaired driving during Super Bowl
weekend. The STOP-DWI campaign will include underage drinking enforcement;
drivers can expect a number of sobriety checkpoints and DWI patrols. Law
enforcement will also be looking for motorists who are using their phones and
other electronic devices while behind the wheel. Drivers should also remember
to "move over" for stopped emergency and hazard vehicles stopped on
the side of the road.  The campaign runs
from Saturday until 4:00 AM Monday.

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Aaron Powell was found guilty on all charges Thursday in
Broome County Court, for the 2013 murders of his estranged wife Christina &
Mario Masciarelli, in Binghamton.  Powell
was granted a 2nd trial by a higher court, which led to this week's trial, and
a 2nd conviction for these murders.

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