WCDO NEWS FRIDAY 1-4-19

by wcdonews Posted on January 4, 2019

34 Year old Terrence Truitt of Oneonta faces a felony hearing today in Oneonta City Court, on a charge of 1st degree arson.  Truitt is accused of intentionally setting a fire at 5 Walling Avenue in Oneonta last Saturday morning that claimed the life of former Oneonta Firefighter John Heller.  Truitt is being held in the Otsego County jail pending future court action, addition charges in the case are possible.  A funeral service for Heller will be held starting at 1:00 this afternoon in the Foothills performing Arts Center Atrium, followed by a celebration of Heller’s life at the East Meredith Fire Station.

——————————————

A new survey by the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities reports that Hartwick College generated an estimated $123 million in total economic impact on the region in 2017. More than $49 million was a result of direct spending by the institution.  Also noted in the survey, Hartwick College accounted for $5.4 million in average annual construction spending, up $700,000 from the previous survey in 2015. In 2017, the College opened its new $7.1 million living-learning apartment community on campus, which houses 72 upper-class students.

——————————————

Tri-Town Coalition on Substance Abuse Prevention announced that their next meeting will be held on January 31st.  The Coalition skipped a December meeting due to the Holidays, the January 31st meeting will be held at the Sidney High School Library from 6:00 to 7:30 PM.

—————————————–

Broome County District Attorney Stephen Cornwell has announced today he will not seek re-election to the office for a 2nd 4 year term.   Cornwell defeated long-time District Attorney Gerald Mollen in 2015.

——————————————————————

The State Department of Taxation and Finance reminds property owners age 65 and over who are applying or reapplying to receive the Enhanced STAR exemption in 2019 that they must now enroll in the Income Verification Program.  Those already enrolled in the IVP don’t need to take any action to continue receiving their Enhanced STAR exemption checks.  New IVP enrollees will automatically receive the exemption each year they’re eligible.  More information about the program registration is available at tax.ny.gov/STAR.

————————————————

The City of Oneonta has been designated as a “Clean Energy Community” by NYSERDA, for reducing energy use, cutting costs and driving clean energy locally.  The City received the designation for completing 4 of 10 high-impact clean energy actions identified by NYSERDA as part of the Clean Energy Communities initiative. In addition, the designation gives the City an opportunity to apply for up to $5,000 toward additional clean energy projects, with no local cost share.

——————————————————–

The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office arrested a Village of Oxford man for an active Arrest Warrant issued by the Town of Preston Court.  42 year old Jason Barrows turned himself into the custody of the Sheriff; he was wanted for 2nd degree Burglary, Criminal Mischief and Grand Larceny for allegedly breaking into a residence & stealing more than $1,000 in property & Animals, and vandalizing windows on a vehicle.  Barrows was arraigned in the Town of Preston Court and remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility on $5,000 cash bail. He is scheduled to reappear in court at a later date.

————————————————————

New State Attorney General Letitia James joined a coalition of 17 attorneys general, in filing a notice of appeal in Texas v. U.S., defending the Affordable Care Act and the healthcare of millions of Americans. Today’s filing moves the legal defense of the ACA to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit where the Attorneys General will appeal the lower court’s ruling that the ACA is unconstitutional. On December 30th the district court granted the request to certify the judgment for appeal, and to stay the judgment pending that appeal. Thursday’s filing continues the coalition’s legal defense of the ACA, with a request to appeal the district court’s December 14 opinion in the Fifth Circuit.

—————————————————

New Congressional members Anthony Brinidisi & Antonio Delgado were officially sworn in to Congress, the 2 local Democrats defeated 1 term republicans Claudia Tenney & John Faso to represent the region in the US House of Representatives.

————————————————-

Democratic State Senator Jen Metzger was sworn into office Wednesday representing the 42nd District.  Metzger takes over the district that was held by John Bonacic, who decided to retire after finishing his last term after decades in state Government.

——————————————-

The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office arrested Dustin Dunagan of Sherburne for Aggravated Unlicensed Operation & Criminal Possession of Marihuana on Wednesday.  Dunagan was arraigned in the Town of Plymouth Court and was remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility on $200 cash bail. Dunagan is scheduled to appear in the Town of Pharsalia Court on a later date.

————————————————————

On Tuesday, a Town of Norwich resident was arrested by the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office for Promoting Prison Contraband 1st.  31 year old Derek Davies was charged after the Chenango County Correctional Division discovered prison contraband in Davies’ cell during a random search; he was processed and will be arraigned in the Town of Norwich Court

————————————————–

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on WCDO NEWS FRIDAY 1-4-19

WCDO NEWS THURSDAY 1-3-19

by wcdonews Posted on January 3, 2019

Governor Cuomo signed the “Cancer Bill” for volunteer firefighters into law late last year, and it went into effect January 1st. The gap insurance policy that volunteer fire departments are required to carry for each member will provide tax-free disability and death benefits to volunteers with 5 years of service if they’re diagnosed with specific cancers covered under the new law. New York’s previous law did not cover all types of cancer. There are an estimated 96,000 volunteer firefighters in New York State.

Sears Holdings, owners of Kmart and Sears stores, announced that 80 more stores will be closed this year. The stores will all be closed by the end of March, with Texas and Florida having 7 stores closed, New York State had 5 stores closing; however no local stores were affected.

Broome County District Attorney Steve Cornwell today released drug overdose death statistics for 2018. Cornwell reported that there were 31 overdose deaths in Broome County, there were 76 overdose deaths in 2017. Cornwell said that the average age for opioid deaths was 40, 71% were male & 29% were female, 56% were in the city of Binghamton, while 44% were in other parts of Broome County. Cornwell said that 94% of the overdose deaths were from heroin or other opioids; 6% attributed to other drugs.

New York State passed legislation requiring all New York businesses – regardless of size – to provide sexual harassment prevention training to their employees. The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce has partnered with New Haven Consulting Group to provide members with an online “Preventing Sexual Harassment” workshop that meets New York state requirements and can be taken by your employees online. More information is available through the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce at delawarecounty.org or at 746-2281.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 40-year-old Crystal Gager of Franklin for Endangering the Welfare of a Child and Harassment, following an investigation of an altercation in December in the Town of Franklin. Gager is accused of knowingly acting in a manner likely to be injurious to the physical, mental or moral welfare of a child less than 17-years-old; Gager also allegedly subjected another individual to unwanted physical contact by striking the individual in the face. Gager was arraigned in the Town of Sidney Court and released on her own recognizance. Gager is scheduled to appear in the Town of Franklin Court at a later date.

UHS Chenango Memorial, Commerce Chenango, Chenango Health Network and Care Compass Network are hosting an event related to Substance Use/Abuse in the Workplace on Thursday, January 31st at 7:45 AM at The Canasawacta Country Club in Norwich. Speakers will be from the legal & health care communities, Registration is requested at 334-1400 or by email: register@chenangony.org, no later than January 23rd.

Oneonta Police & Fire Department officials held a press conference Wednesday regarding the fatal fire at 5 Walling Avenue Saturday morning that killed former Oneonta Fire Fighter John Heller. Oneonta Police Chief Douglas Brenner commented:

(Chief Brenner 1-3-18)

Chief Brenner said that Truitt resided in an apartment at 5 Walling Avenue at the time of the fire, the investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information can contact the Oneonta Police Department at 432-1111, or through the department Facebook page, or through the city’s Nixle web page. The Calling hours for John Heller will be held today from 5:00 to 8:00 PM at Bookhout Funeral Home, 357 Main Street in Oneonta. Funeral services will be at 1:00 PM Friday at the Foothills Performing Arts Center, a celebration of Heller’s life will be held at the East Meredith Fire Department, immediately following the funeral service.

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

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on WCDO NEWS THURSDAY 1-3-19

WCDO NEWS WEDNESDAY 1-2-18

by wcdonews Posted on January 2, 2019

Oneonta Police & Fire department officials will hold a press conference today, regarding the fatal fire at 5 Walling Avenue Saturday morning that took the life of former Oneonta Firefighter John Heller, while he was helping 5 people escape out of the building. The press conference can be viewed live at the City of Oneonta Facebook page, at 5:00 PM.

Governor Cuomo granted clemency to 29 individuals who have demonstrated substantial evidence of rehabilitation and have avoided additional crime activities. The pardons were in recognition of each individuals’ efforts after serving their terms and to remove the barriers that their criminal records present to their immigration status, which affected 22 of the pardoned individuals, some who were facing possible deportation. The Governor said that in each case, a pardon will make immigration-related relief possible, if not automatic.

Willow Run in Kirkwood announced that they will be expanding & adding staff this spring. The company announced that they received a 1.2 million dollar grant for their expansion, which was awarded as part of the regional economic development awards program. The expansion should lead to 40 more jobs; they currently employ about 450 people at their current site.

Otsego County has funding for a Microenterprise Program to assist small businesses with 5 or fewer employees. The application deadline is January 31st; more information is available through Thomas Development at 753-1433.

The Sidney Dollars for Scholars program, for Graduating Sidney High School Seniors, has had a change in the amount of time the seniors have to participate. Program Spokesperson Tracy Young explains:

(Tracy Young 1-2-19)

Young said that they are awarding 81 scholarships this year totaling over $80,000, the website is SIDNEYNY.DOLLARSFORSCHOLARS.ORG.

State Police CNET and Vestal Police stopped a vehicle on Murray Street in Binghamton for a Traffic violation. A search of the vehicle led to the discovery and seizure of approximately 2 pounds of marijuana, Police executed a search warrant at 64 Oak Street in Binghamton, they seized 103 pounds of marihuana, with a street value of $412,000; plus 60 boxes of concentrated cannabis vapor cartridges; 224 canisters of medical grade flavored marihuana; plus cocaine; $37,000 cash; drug paraphernalia and packaging. Police arrested 22-year-old Naami Islam and 21-year-old Melissa Pincus, both of Binghamton for Criminal Possession of Marihuana & Criminal Possession of Controlled Substance. Both were arraigned in the City of Binghamton Court, they were remanded to the Broome County Jail without bail.

A stray cat in the town of Kortright has tested positive for the rabies virus. There were no human exposures to the cat. An unvaccinated cat was exposed to the rabies virus by the rabid cat; the cat will be humanely euthanized. This is the third animal that has tested positive for rabies in Delaware County in 2018.

A funeral for John Heller, the former Oneonta firefighter who died rescuing 5 people in the Saturday morning fire at 5 Walling Avenue, will be held this week. Calling hours will be 5:00 to 8:00 PM Thursday, at Bookhout Funeral Home, 357 Main Street in Oneonta. Funeral services will be at 1:00 PM Friday at the Foothills Performing Arts Center. His life will be celebrated at the East Meredith Fire Department, immediately following the funeral service.

Governor Cuomo was inaugurated for his 3rd term as Governor last Night at Ellis Island, where he promised that New York will lead the way during this time of divisive politics:

(Cuomo 1-2-19)

Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul & others were also sworn into office yesterday, on New Year’s Day.

About 130 customers were without power this morning, due to high winds from yesterday’s weather. NYSEG reported outages across Otsego & Chenango Counties; crews are working to restore power as fast as possible.

The Oneonta Common Council Meeting has been moved to tonight, as City Hall was closed New Year’s Day. The meeting will begin at 7:00 PM at the 2nd floor Common Council Chambers.

The Otsego County Chamber of Commerce will hold their annual State of The State Breakfast today at the SUNY Oneonta Otsego Grille in the Morris Conference Center. The event will begin at 8:30; State Senator Jim Seward & Oneonta Mayor Gary Herzig will be among the guest speakers.

Sidney Chamber of Commerce will hold their next meeting this morning at THE TRACKSIDE DINER on Main Street. The meeting will begin at 7:45am, chamber members & directors are urged to attend.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on WCDO NEWS WEDNESDAY 1-2-18

WCDO NEWS MONDAY 12-31-18

by wcdonews Posted on December 31, 2018

Officials in Oneonta announced that the New Year’s Parade & Fireworks has been postponed, but the rest of the 1st Night celebrations will continue this evening.   The Foothills Performing Arts Center Atrium will open at 5:00 PM, with entertainment beginning at 6:30 PM.  More information is available at http://firstnightoneonta.com.

————————————————-

Governor Cuomo will deliver his 3rd inaugural address on Ellis Island tomorrow.  Cuomo easily won re-election to a 3rd term in November. Locally, State Senator Jim Seward will be sworn into office on January 1st at the Foothills Performing Arts Center in Oneonta. Seward will be sworn into office for his 17th senate term. Otsego County Judge John Lambert and Otsego County Sheriff Richard Devlin will also be sworn in for new terms. Otsego County Board of Representative’s Chairman David Bliss will serve as master of ceremonies. Otsego county judge Brian Burns will administer the oath of office.

————————————-

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested and charged 41 year old Wade Johnson of Davenport, Wednesday for making an unsafe lane change, leaving the scene of a property damage motor vehicle, and driving while intoxicated, following a report of a vehicle into a utility pole on Charlotte Creek Road in the Town of Davenport. Deputies say Johnson fled the scene of the accident after the collision and was later apprehended at an address in the Town of Davenport. Johnson was arraigned & was released on his own recognizance to reappear at a later date.

—————————————

Governor Cuomo vetoed a bill Friday that would have allowed workers to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave after the death of a family member.  The bill was opposed by the various business organizations; employers typically provide an average of 4 days of bereavement leave for the death of a spouse or child.  In All, Governor Cuomo signed more than 60 bills & vetoed 51 from the 2018 session.

————————————–

Oneonta City Hall will be closed on Tuesday, New Year’s Day.  The Common Council meeting has been moved to Wednesday night at 7:00 PM in the Chambers on the 2nd floor of City Hall.

————————————–

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 31-year-old Joseph Clark of Franklin, New York on a bench warrant issued by the Town of Franklin Court for failure to pay fines on a previous charge of Disorderly Conduct, stemming from an incident in the Town of Franklin earlier in 2018.  Clark was arraigned in the Town of Delhi Court and released on his own recognizance.  Clark is scheduled to return to the Town of Franklin Court at a later date. 

————————————–

Governor Cuomo announced a 6-month extension for the Interim Mortgage Assistance Program’s most vulnerable participants, made possible by an additional $3.9 million in state funding. More than 200 eligible applicants are expected to benefit from this additional, final extension as they continue to complete recovery and resiliency projects after Superstorm Sandy’s landfall six years ago.   The program has disbursed $54.2 million to support approximately 1,900 storm-impacted New Yorkers who have incurred both mortgage and rental expenses.

Former Oneonta firefighter John Hellers was killed in a fire Saturday at 5 Walling Avenue.  The fire was reported at about 4:00 AM Saturday, 4 children escaped without injury. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

—————————————————

State Police reported that a 41 year old Unadilla man was airlifted Thursday to Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse after attempting suicide by setting himself on fire.  Residents at Meadow Valley Trailer Park on state Route 7 in Unadilla spotted the man and called 911, Troopers responded to the scene and discovered the man, on the ground, with a gas can nearby, Residents threw snow on the man to try to extinguish the flames. 

—————————————————

State police & local Law Enforcement Agencies are participating in the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign today & tomorrow for the New Year’s holiday. Checkpoints are 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

———————————————-

Governor Cuomo announced that temporary lane closures for road and bridge construction projects on new York state highways will be suspended until 6:00 am Wednesday, to ease travel during the peak new year’s travel days.  The New York State Thruway authority will also continue its 48-year tradition of offering free coffee and hot tea to travelers at all 27 travel plazas along the thruway from 11:00 pm new year’s eve through 7:00 am new year’s morning to promote safe and alert driving.

———————————————

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on WCDO NEWS MONDAY 12-31-18

WCDO NEWS FRIDAY 12-28-18

by wcdonews Posted on December 28, 2018

Minimum Wage employees across the state will see their paycheck go about for the New Year. New York City employees for large companies will see an increase to $15 dollars an hour; Long Island and Westchester County workers will see the minimum wage set at $12 dollars an hour, the rest of the state will see an increase to $11.10 an hour.

The state Department of Health says as of Thursday new cases of flu have been reported in 58 counties, including the five boroughs of New York City. Only Wyoming, Yates, Seneca and Hamilton counties are not reporting any cases yet. Officials say the number of people hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed flu was 363 this past week, a 41 percent increase over the previous week. So far this season more than 1,300 people have been hospitalized with the flu.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Office responded to a tractor trailer accident on State Route 10 in the Town of Hamden Thursday Night. 41 year old Shaun Koch of Varysburg was driving a milk tanker on State Highway 10 when he ran off the right side of the roadway and the truck and trailer rolled over onto the side. Koch suffered a head injury and was transported to Delaware Valley Hospital in Walton where he was treated and released. A small quantity of milk was spilled as a result of the accident, the DEC Spill Response Team was notified, Koch was charged with Driving While Intoxicated with a Commercial Vehicle, moving from lane unsafely and criminal possession of a controlled substance, he was arraigned in the Town of Hamden Court and was remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility on $2,000 cash bail or $4,000 bond.

The Chenango United Way is in the last days of fundraising for 2019. Spokesperson Elizabeth Monaco comments:

(Elizabeth Monaco 12-28-18)

Monaco said that they are at 91% of their state goals of $419,000 for 2019.

The Fenimore Art Museum of Cooperstown announced that an exhibit of photos from famed photographer Herb Ritts will be displayed their next year. The Ritts exhibit will be on loan from the Rock & Roll hall Of Fame in Cleveland, featuring photos of David Bowie, Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Billy Joel, and Madonna. The exhibition opens on April 2nd & will be on display through early September.

Bethel Woods officials announced that the they will host the Music and Culture Festival, Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the 1969 Woodstock festival at the original site. The 3 day event will be held August 16th to the 18th at Bethel Woods, the line-up & the date of the sale of the ticket will be announced shortly.

State Police & Local Law Enforcement Agencies are 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

Governor Cuomo announced that temporary lane closures for road and bridge construction projects on New York State highways will be suspended from 6:00 AM tomorrow through 6:00 AM Wednesday, January 2nd, to ease travel during the peak New Year’s travel days. Some work may continue behind concrete barriers or for emergency repairs. The New York State Thruway Authority will also continue its 48-year tradition of offering free coffee and hot tea to travelers at all 27 travel plazas along the Thruway from 11:00 PM New Year’s Eve through 7:00 AM New Year’s morning to promote safe and alert driving.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 32-year-old Jamison Galietta of Hancock, for Tampering with Physical Evidence, Criminal Mischief, Menacing, Criminal possession of weapon, Criminal obstruction of breathing, and Harassment, following an investigation into a domestic dispute at his residence. Galietta was arraigned in the Town of Hancock Court and later remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Faculty on $25,000 cash bail pending action in the Town of Hancock Court at a later date.

The Johnson City Police Department arrested 26-year-old Tyler DeCamp of Deposit as the 5th person involved in the stabbing of 2 men at a Johnson City McDonalds last week. Decamp was charged with 2 counts of attempted murder, he is accused of stabbing both victims. He was taken into custody in Johnson City Thursday, 4 others were already charged in connection with the incident Monday. Decamp was being held at the Johnson City Police Department pending arraignment.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on WCDO NEWS FRIDAY 12-28-18

WCDO NEWS THURSDAY 12-27-18

by wcdonews Posted on December 27, 2018

Vestal Police cancelled the missing vulnerable adult alert for 87 year old Charles McGlynn of Vestal late last night. Police said that McGlynn was found safe, & further details have not yet been released.

The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office has an active Arrest Warrant for 42 year old Jason Barrows, who is known to frequent the Oxford and McDonough areas. Barrows has an active arrest warrant for 2nd degree Burglary, anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 334-2000 extension 1.

State DOT announced the opening of 2 lanes of traffic on the newly constructed section of Interstate 81 northbound and State Route 17 westbound between I-81 Exit 3 & Chenango Street in the city of Binghamton. This marks the end of the temporary, two-lanes-in-each-direction traffic pattern on I-81 southbound/Route 17 eastbound. The project is scheduled for completion in December 2020. Work in 2019 will include the construction of Front Street northbound lanes and a multi-use path.

The State DEC reported that hunters reported taking 14% more deer in the Northern Zone and 11% more in the Southern Zone, than they did last year. Preliminary figures show hunters killed nearly 109,000 deer this fall statewide, compared to just under 98,000 last year and 86,000 in 2016. Bear hunters reported taking 1,066 bears, the 2nd straight decrease since 2016.

The State Labor department released the report of local unemployment rates for November. The state rate was 3.9%, Locally, Chenango County had 3.5%, Delaware County had 3.7% & Otsego County had 3.4% unemployment in November.

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 32 year old Terence Ito of Walton for Criminal Contempt; he is accused of violating an order of protection that had been put in place by the Delaware County Family Court. He was arraigned in the Delhi Town Court where he was released on his own recognizance; he will reappear at a later date in the Franklin Town Court.

State Senator Jim Seward will be sworn into office on January 1st at the Foothills Performing Arts Center in Oneonta. Seward will be sworn into office for his 17th senate term. Otsego County Judge John Lambert and Otsego County Sheriff Richard Devlin will also be sworn in for new terms. Otsego County Board of Representatives Chairman David Bliss will serve as master of ceremonies. Otsego County Judge Brian Burns will administer the oath of office.

Delaware Valley Humane Society will see some added revenue next month, following a pledge by a Sidney business, Erin Insinga of the Humane Society explains:

(Erin Johnson 12-28-18)

Additional information about the fundraiser, pet adoptions or items that can be donated to the shelter can be obtained by calling 563-7780.

The 2018 Greater Binghamton Project Homecoming Job & Career fair will be held today at the Oakdale Mall in Johnson City. Representatives from 65 area employers will be on hand, the fair will run from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, it is sponsored by the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on WCDO NEWS THURSDAY 12-27-18

WCDO NEWS WEDNESDAY 12-26-18

by wcdonews Posted on December 26, 2018

Police in Vestal announced that they are seeking 87 year old Charles McGlynn of Vestal, as a missing vulnerable adult. McGlynn suffers from dementia, and may require medical attention, he was last seen Tuesday afternoon at about 3:00PM on Hazel Drive in Vestal, he may be driving a 2009 grey Honda Civic with license plate number ANW-2161, he is described as a white male, 6’1″, about 150 pounds, with white hair & a mustache, and blue eyes & wears glasses, he was wearing a white shirt, blue jeans and a blue jacket. Anyone with information is asked to call Vestal Police at 786-7600 or 911.

State Police and the American Red Cross are Co-hosting the 5th annual State Trooper Christopher Skinner Memorial Blood Drive in Kirkwood today. Trooper Skinner was intentionally run down by Almond Upton while he was conducting a traffic stop on I-81 in 2014, a blood drive has been held in Skinner’s memory every year since his death. The blood drive today runs from 12:00 Noon until 6:00 PM at the 5 Mile Point Fire Company at 16 Crescent Drive in Kirkwood. The blood drive is open to the public as well as those in Law Enforcement, appointments can be made at redcrossblood.org or at 1-800-red cross.

The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce will hold their next Friday Breakfast event in Walton on January 11th. The event will run from 8:30 to 10:00 am at the Castle on the Delaware 139 Stockton Avenue in Walton. The featured speaker is Perry Dewey, Superintendent at DCMO BOCES, who will talk about on-campus, work-ready training programs for graduating high school seniors and how Delaware County’s educational leaders are collaborating with the business community. More information is available at delawarecounty.org.

Former Broome County Family Court Judge Rick Miller has had a lawsuit filed against him by 2 former employees in his office of sexual harassment. The lawsuit claims that Miller subjected the employees to harassing and abusive behavior at least 50 times between 2015 and June of 2017. Miller was removed from the bench in 2016.

Now that Christmas has passed, chenango County residents may wonder how they shoudl dispose of their trees this year. Dustin Hendricks of Chenango County DPW Explains:

(Dustin Hendricks 12-26-18)

Chenango County has 3 solid waste and recycling facilities operated by the Department of Public Works, the Pharsalia Landfill, plus 2 Transfer Stations, 1 in the Town of North Norwich and the other near Brisben.

4 Deposit men have been arrested in connection with a stabbing at the McDonald’s on Main Street in Johnson City on December 20th. 2 men were taken to Wilson Hospital with stab wounds, Arrested for 2 counts each of gang assault were 22 year old Dane Edwards, 33 year old Jay Moore, 24 year old Travis Dise & 31 year old Christopher Nugent of Deposit, they were taken into custody without incident and will appear in court at a later date; additional arrests are expected.

Illegally manufactured fentanyl was the driving force behind a 45.2% increase in deaths involving synthetic opioids from 2016 to 2017, according to a new report by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In all, there were 70,237 drug overdose deaths in 2017. Opioids were involved in 67.8%, or 47,600 of those deaths. Of those opioid-involved overdose deaths, 59.8% of them, or 28,466, were due to synthetic opioids. A separate report from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics released earlier this month found that in 2016 fentanyl surpassed heroin as the most commonly used drug in overdose deaths in the US.

The state Department of Health announced Thursday that the flu virus is prevalent in New York state. Health care workers, who are not vaccinated, are now required to wear a surgical procedure mask around patients. The department has also launched a flu tracker that allows people to stay up-to-date about flu rates in their county. Department reps say there have been over 3,000 flu cases in the state so far this season

The Otsego County Chamber of Commerce will hold their annual State of The State Breakfast on January 2nd at the SUNY Oneonta Otsego Grille in the Morris Conference Center. The event will begin at 8:30, State Senator Jim Seward & Oneonta Mayor Gary Herzig will be among the guest speakers.

The City of Oneonta Department of Public Service will be replacing a water main valve located on West Ann Street today. Work is to take place starting at 8am with water outages to begin at 9am. Residents on West Ann, Baker, London, Wilcox, and River Street (between Ann and Wilcox) will be without water for the duration of the project. West Ann St will be closed to traffic for the duration of work. Drivers on West Ann Street are advised to move vehicles from driveways prior to 8am. More information is available at 432-2100

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on WCDO NEWS WEDNESDAY 12-26-18

WCDO NEWS MONDAY 12-24-18

by wcdonews Posted on December 26, 2018

Chenango County Sheriff department arrested 39 year old Joseph Horton following a sealed indictment handed down by a Chenango County Grand Jury. On April 4th, 2018 the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office conducted an investigation into a burglary at the Unadilla Motocross Track in the Town of Columbus, where vehicles, generators, and several pieces of equipment were stolen. The investigation and physical evidence recovery led to the sealed indictment and arrest of Horton, who was located at the Chenango County Correctional Facility where he was being held on separate charges, he is scheduled to be arraigned in Chenango County Court at a later date.

Governor Cuomo signed legislation to establish a sexual assault survivors’ bill of rights. The new law requires the Department of Health, in consultation with the Division of Criminal Justice Services, the Office of Victim Services, to establish a sexual assault survivors’ bill of rights. Notifying victims of their legal rights will help ensure survivors request and receive the information they need to navigate complicated medical and criminal justice systems.

State Police & Local Law Enforcement Agencies are 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

Governor Cuomo announced $4.2 million for snowmobile trail maintenance and grooming across New York State and designated the weekend of January 25-27 as a free snowmobiling weekend for all out-of-state and Canadian snowmobilers. During this promotional weekend, the requirement to register in New York is waived for properly registered and insured out-of-state snowmobiling enthusiasts wishing to explore New York’s 10,400 miles of snowmobile trails. The trail grants support 10,400 miles of designated trails across the state for snowmobilers, the program is funded by snowmobile registration fees collected by the DMV.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on WCDO NEWS MONDAY 12-24-18