WCDO Radio News

P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 12-31-20

Governor Cuomo directed State agencies to prepare emergency assets and assist local governments as needed as multiple storm systems are expected to impact locations throughout the state with snow, sleet and freezing rain through the holiday weekend.  Isolated power outages may also occur; NYSEG Officials announced today that they are getting crews ready to handle weather related issues.

P.M. NEWS Wednesday 12-30-20

State Police and local law enforcement agencies throughout New York will be stepping up patrols to crack down on impaired driving during New Year's holiday weekend. Police will be out in full force looking for intoxicated or impaired drivers, as well as speeders, aggressive drivers & they will continue to enforce the state's "Move Over" law and they will be making sure that people obey the state seat belt laws.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 12-23-20

The National Weather Service has issued a Flood Watch for Thursday into Friday, local Meteorologist Rich Townsend told WCDO News that flash flooding is a concern:

(Townsend 12-23-20)

The Flood Watch runs from 12:00 Noon Thursday to 12:00 Noon Friday, Christmas Day.

The First COVID vaccines have been given at Chenango Memorial Hospital in Norwich, on Tuesday, Dr. Jason Joseph became the first to receive a COVID vaccine in Chenango County. Chenango Memorial Vice President of Service Coordination & Development, Chris Kisacky told WCDO about the arrival & distribution of the vaccines:

(Chris Kisacky 12-23-20)

Kisacky said that the 1st group of recipients getting the vaccine includes medical providers, ICU nurses, Emergency Department staff, lab personnel, a respiratory therapist and other hospital staff members.

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 12-22-20

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer announced that New York will receive 54 billion dollars from the latest Stimulus package; residents are expected to get about 9 Billion Dollars in direct payments.  Schumer said that there was still no Stimulus money for State & Local Governments in this package; he hoped that would be included in January under the Biden Administration.

P.M. NEWS FRIDAY 12-18-20

Governor Cuomo held a COVID 19 briefing earlier today, he said that he does not foresee shutdowns again in the state, but he said that people have to celebrate smart over the holidays so that the Hospitalizations do NOT spiral up again like they have since the Thanksgiving holidays & subsequent "Living Room" spread of the virus:

(Cuomo 12-18-20)

The state tested a record 249,000 people for COVID 19 on Thursday, with 12,694 positive tests or 5.09% of all tested.  Hospitalizations went down Thursday for the 1st time in a few weeks, to 6,081, the number of patients in an ICU bed was at 1,068, the number of patients on Ventilators was 592, there 120 deaths from COVID Thursday.

P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 12-17-20

A winter storm has dumped between 24 to 40 inches of snow on the Southern tier, closing down schools, government offices & businesses throughout the region. State DOT Officials are asking people to stay off the roads so that Plow trucks can get the roads cleared quickly.  Chenango & Broome Counties have called for a State of Emergency because of the storm.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 12-16-20

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning this afternoon through tomorrow Morning as a major storm heads up the East Coast; Meteorologist Rich Townsend told WCDO News what he expects:

(Townsend 12-16-20)

Townsend & the National weather service expect a total of about 14 inches from this storm.

Unatego School District has decided that they will go to remote learning on Thursday for the Winter storm, Superintendent Dr. Dave Richards Explains:

(Dave Richards 12-16-20)

WCDO will have the full run down of how tomorrow's storm will affect area school district during the pandemic.

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 12-15-20

The 1st big winter storm of the season is heading this way late Wednesday in Thursday, Local Meteorologist Rich Townsend explains:

(Townsend 12-15-20)

The National Weather service has a Winter Storm Watch in Place from 3:00 PM Wednesday through 10:00 AM Thursday.

THE New York STATE PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT THE 2021 WINTER STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED.  HIGH RISK SPORTS SUCH AS BASKETBALL, WRESTLING AND ICE HOCKEY HAVE ALSO BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL AUTHORIZATION IS GRANTED BY STATE OFFICIALS. LOW AND MODERATE RISK REGULAR SEASON SPORTS CONTINUE TO BE PERMITTED, MORE INFORMATION WILL BE AVAILABLE SOON, FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE LOCAL SPORTS NEWS, go to WCDOSPORTS.COM.

A.M. NEWS FRIDAY 12-11-20

Governor Cuomo reported that over 197,000 COVID tests were conducted statewide on Wednesday, with 10,178 positives, or 5.15%.  Patient Hospitalizations went up by 171 to  5,164, patients in ICU beds continues to climb, they are up to 994 & 539 patients are on Ventilators, there were 92 Deaths Wednesday.

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 12-9-20

Governor Cuomo held a COVID 19 briefing today, he outlined the priorities for Vaccine distributions in the state, with the first shipment expected sometime next week:

(Cuomo 12-9-20)

The Governor said that 90 sites are being set up around the state for the cold storage of the Vaccines; the first shipments are expected from Pfizer, with more coming from Moderna & Pfizer later in the month.

All of the local Counties have seen an increase in COVID 19 cases since the beginning of November, with more increases expected due to continuing Holliday gatherings, Heather Warner of Delaware County Public Health told WCDO news that we could see New York on Pause again if people continue to ignore guidance:

(Heather Warner 12-8-20)

Governor Cuomo has Hospitals will be Mandated to Expand Capacity by 25%, Regions to Be Designated as Red Zones if Hospital Capacity Is Projected to Become Critical, New York State is Asking Retired Doctors and Nurses to Return to Service & Indoor Dining could be Reduced to 25% in the upstate counties if a Region's Hospitalizations Do Not Stabilize in Next few Days.

Joe Angelino is getting ready to begin his 1st term as an Assemblyman, replacing Cliff Crouch, who is retiring after 25 years in the Assembly; Angelino told WCDO News that he has been to Albany recently to start the orientation:

(Angelino 12-8-20)

Angelino said that he also met with a dozen other new Assembly representatives at the Orientation, no decision have been firmed up with regards to starting a legislative session without have over 150 people meeting in 1 place, which contradicts CDC & State guidelines for COVID 19.

Delaware County Sheriff Craig DuMond said that he continues to receive phone calls regarding a grandparent scam, where someone calls an unsuspecting grandparent pretending to be a grandchild in trouble, or a law enforcement official who has arrested a grandchild.  Sheriff DuMond told WCDO News that unfortunately, the caller sounds realistic:

(DuMond 12-8-20)

Sheriff DuMond said that people can report any fraud targeting older people to the Federal Trade Commission online or at 877-382-4357.

Speculation continues to swirl regarding the future of Acco Brands in Sidney, as employment has continues to decrease over the last several years, Julie McEwan is in Media Relations in Acco's Illinois headquarters, and she told WCDO News that nothing has been decided yet:

(Julie McEwan 12-8-20)

McEwan said that the company typically employs up to 500 people at their Sidney facility.

Village of Sidney Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative Committee has had 16 community members appointed, with Village residents, business owners, Religious leaders, Village Board members, Members of the Police Department, Delaware County Public Defender's office  and Delaware County District Attorney John Hubbard.  The committee has reviewed how the Sidney Police Department operates and with public input determines what changes, if any, need to be made.  Sidney mayor Andy Matviak told WCDO News about how they will get public input:

(Andy Matviak 12-7-20)

After the public input in the months of December and January, they will draft a reform and reinvention plan that will be shared with the public, in February the committee will make any needed changes & submit the revised plan to the Village board for approval. In March the approved plan will be submitted to New York State.

A.M. NEWS MONDAY 12-7-20

Attorneys for the Claudia Tenney and Anthony Brindisi campaigns filed new motions in State Supreme Court in Oswego regarding the ongoing ballot counts in the 22nd congressional district race.   55 recently-discovered Chenango County early voting ballots & about 2000 other disputed ballots will be ruled on by Justice Scott Delconte in State Supreme Court in Oswego this afternoon.

The Silo Restaurant in Greene has been put up for sale by owners Gary Kurz & his wife Joanne, after operating for more than 4 decades, Kurz told WCDO News about the decision:

(Gary Kurz 12-4-20)

Kurz said that he will continue to operate the restaurant until it is sold along with other area properties they have.

An Upside Down Parade day will be held in Afton tomorrow, after the annual Christmas Parade had to be cancelled due to COVID 19.  Mellissa Matthews of 6Zero7 events told WCDO News that they will be doing instead of the parade:

(Melissa Matthews 12-4-20)

The full schedule is available at the "Afton In Winter" Facebook Page.

State & Local Health Departments are seeing a rapid increase in COVID 19 cases in the last month, with a state wide increase in Hospitalizations of about 350% since November 1st.  Heather Warner of Delaware County Public Health told WCDO news of the latest trends that they are finding with COVID 19 positive cases:

(Heather Warner 12-3-20)

Warner said that people need to remember to wash their hands, wear their facemasks correctly, socially distance by 6 feet and avoid large gatherings or event get together with a small number of people in one residence or location.

P.M. NEWS Monday 11-30-20

Governor Cuomo held a daily COVID 19 briefing today, as the numbers keep increasing, he talked about the importance of Hospitals being ready for the next wave of activity:

(Cuomo 11-30-20)

The state tested over 148,000 Sunday, with over 6800 people testing positive, a rate of 4.5%, the number of people hospitalized is 3532, triple the number in the last 30 days, there were 57 deaths from the virus Sunday, the state death toll is 26,747.

P.M. NEWS FRIDAY 11-27-20

Chenango County Public Health reported that they had 76 Active Cases of COVID 19 to report today. They have 402 Quarantines, 6 people are hospitalized, and they have had 605 Total Cases with 503 Total Recoveries

P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 11-25-20

State health department tested over 173,000 New Yorkers Tuesday, with 6265 testing positive, or 3.6% of all tested.  41 died from the virus Tuesday, the state death toll is 26,482 & 2982 are hospitalized.

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 11-24-20

17 year old Alexander Borgreen of Oneonta pleaded guilty to 1st degree Burglary, for his role in the October 10th 2019 murder of Kenneth Robinson at his home in Worcester.  Borgreen is accused of going to Robinson's house to steal Money & drugs, Dylan Robinson is accused of fatally shooting his father, and the house was set on fire.  Borgreen faces sentencing at a later date, Nicolas Meridy pleaded guilty to 2nd-degree murder earlier this year for his role in the crime, and he was sentenced to 22 years to life in prison.

The SUNY Oneonta COVID Response Team gathered feedback and answered questions about the college’s Draft Re-opening Plan for spring 2021 at 2 virtual town halls last week.   SUNY Oneonta Acting President Dennis Craig told WCDO News that the plan is largely in place but will be amended as needed:

(Dennis Craig 11-23-20)

Over 750 staff, faculty, students and their parents participated. The recordings of both town halls are available at suny.oneonta.edu/covid-19 regarding the spring 2021 reopening plan.

4 Towns Forward is an effort from Sidney, Unadilla, Bainbridge & Afton & they are working together for a Small Business Saturday event for the holidays tomorrow, Teri Schunk of the Sidney Chamber comments about their plans:

(Teri Schunk 11-20-20)

June White told WCDO News about the Bainbridge Chamber's event with many vendors spread out over several sites tomorrow:

(June White 11-20-20)

Also, 6zero7 Advertising & Events of Afton will hold their 2nd Locally Made Holiday Shop event at the Hitching Post on Route 7 in Port Crane Saturday from 9:00 to 2:00 and 4:00 to 8:00 PM.

People have been captivated by the story of the little owl that was transported to New York City from West Oneonta last week, on the Tree that is being set up for the Christmas holidays in Rockefeller Center.  Susan O'Hanley of the Delaware Otsego Audubon Society told WCDO News that they believe that the owl was on the tree through the whole process & made the trip to the city:

(Susan O'Hanley 11-19-20)

O'Hanley said that many have commented to the Society that the Owl should be brought back to West Oneonta, the Society members feel that the additional travel would be too stressful & that he will assimilate to the Owl population in the Hudson Valley.

A.M. NEWS THURSDAY 11-19-20

Otsego County Department of Health reported 18 new COVID cases Wednesday, the number of cases in the county since March is up to 1128, with 58 active cases,  1 hospitalized,  8 deaths,  760 cases are now linked to SUNY Oneonta & 67 at Hartwick College.

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 11-17-20

SUNY Acting President Dennis Craig announced that the college's COVID Response Team with more than 50 college employees, students and parents shared its Draft Re-opening Plan for the Spring 2021 semester with staff & students & parents recently.  President Craig Told WCDO News of the timeline to bring back students on the spring:

(President Craig 11-17-20)

President Craig said that 2 Town halls are planned, 1 on Wednesday afternoon for faculty & staff, & another 1 Wednesday Evening for students & parents.  The full document is at suny.oneonta.edu/covid-19, the COVID Response Team is adding items into the draft plan by the December 10th deadline to SUNY.

Assemblyman Cliff Crouch participated in a bridge dedication ceremony for the Sidney Veterans’ Memorial Highway Tuesday, he told WCDO News of the importance of that dedication to Veterans:

(Cliff Crouch 11-11-20)

Crouch and State Senator Jim Seward sponsored legislation last year that allowed for the dedication of the stretch of Route 8 between the Susquehanna River and I-88 in Sidney to honor veterans in the community and state.

P.M. NEWS FRIDAY 11-6-20

Chenango County Public Health reports additional COVID 19 cases, bringing them up to 443 total cases since March. They are reporting 34 Active Cases, 215 Quarantines, 6 Hospitalizations; they have had 9 deaths and 386 Recoveries.

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 11-3-20

Chenango County Public Health reported an 8th death from COVID 19 today. The County reports over 425 cases, 32 Active Cases, 224 Active Quarantines, 10 Active Hospitalizations & 371 Recoveries.

Operation Merry Christmas is getting set for another busy year giving away Christmas gifts for children in families that are struggling this year.  Some of the trees are already up in area establishments, Spokesperson Dorene Ireland told WCDO News about the timeline for getting the tags off of the trees & getting the gifts returned back in:

(Dorene Ireland 10-30-20)

The program has been getting gifts to children in the tri town area since 1940.  More information is available by calling 643-6334 or by email to OMCSidney@Gmail.com.

Halloween festivities are different in many areas this year due to COVID 19.  WCDO has compiled a list, which can be located easily on the WCDO Facebook page.

The Village of Sidney will have "Trick or Treat" hours Saturday for Halloween from 5:00 to 8:00 PM, Sidney Mayor Andy Matviak explains:

(Andy Matviak 10-28-20)

Mayor Matviak told WCDO News that the full list of recommendations for Halloween is available at the village's Facebook page, or on their weekly Small Town Connects Email.

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 10-27-20

The Broome County Sheriff's Office reported that 2 people were indicted following an investigation into the death of a 23-year-old Kayla Kunkel, who was on the autism spectrum. 56-year-old Renee Kunkel and 61-year-old Edward Kunkel were indicted for 2nd degree manslaughter, Endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person, & endangering the welfare of a child. Deputies & EMS responded to 40 Theresa Blvd in the town of Chenango for the report of a person not breathing, they found Kayla Kunkel and performed CPR, before she was taken to Wilson Hospital, where she later died. The investigation determined Kayla Kunkel was not capable of caring for herself and her death was from "inadequate guardianship.” 2 other children were living in the residence, in unsafe and unsanitary conditions.

The Chenango County Board of Elections announced that a hacker attack against their computer system has raised concerns that some emailed absentee ballot applications may not be processed. The Chenango Board of Elections has advised anyone who emailed an absentee ballot application after Oct. 15 to call 337-1760 to verify that it had been received. The Computers are being repaired & the State Board of elections believes the issue will not affect the election results.

The Sidney Police Department responded to a fight in progress call on Smith Street in the Village of Sidney. Officers located the victim lying on the sidewalk being tended to by local residents. Officers located 23 year old John Rathbun of Sidney at the scene; he was arrested and charged with harassment, aggravated harassment, criminal mischief & Criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation. Rathbun was arraigned in the Village of Sidney Court where a temporary order of protection was issued on behalf of the victim, he was released on an appearance ticket, At 7:50 PM Monday, Rathbun was found to be in violation of the temporary order of protection, he was then charged with Criminal contempt, he was arraigned virtually, & was again released & was ordered to appear in court at a later date.

Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies performed a traffic-stop on River Street in the Village of Sidney last Thursday night; they arrested 33 year old Carmine DeClemente of Sidney for unlawful possession of marijuana & operating a vehicle without a headlight. Deputies seized an undisclosed amount of marijuana from the vehicle; DeClemente was issued an appearance ticket for the Village of Sidney Court on a later date to answer the charges.

Commerce Chenango's annual fundraising Auction will be a virtual one this year, starting on November 6th. Commerce Chenango President & CEO Kerri Green explains:

(Kerri Green 10-27-20)

The live Auction will be held November 12th at 7:00 PM, at 32auctions.com/commerce Chenango.

The Village of Bainbridge announced their Halloween schedule this Saturday, Village Mayor Phil Wade explains:

(Phil Wade 10-27-20)

Mayor Wade suggested that trick or treaters avoid State Route 206 this year due to the construction project.

DEA's next National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is this Saturday, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, many local police departments also have drop boxes available year round to get expired medications or unused narcotics out of the waste stream or out of criminal hands.  A listing of local law enforcement agencies & fire Departments participating can be found at the WCDO Facebook page.

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 10-20-20

Chenango County Public Health reports that they have 49 active cases currently, with 223 active quarantines & 4 people are hospitalized.  Department Spokesman Isaiah Sutton comments:

(Isaiah Sutton 10-20-20)

Sutton said that the County has had 313 Total Confirmed Cases since March, with 246 recoveries, 7 deaths, & over 33,556 tests conducted.