Commerce Chenango & local Law Enforcement agencies & experts are looking to continue the work of Chentac, the Chenango Threat Advisory Committee in training local people about the possible threats of violent behaviors, Sal Testani of Commerce Chenango explains:

(Sal Testani 4-18-24)

Those interested in attending the session at the Achieve facility at 27 Griffin Street in Norwich on April 30th should RSVP by April 24th by email to info@chenangony.org or call 334-1400.

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Craig Ross was sentenced to 47 years to life in prison for kidnapping and sexually assaulting Ross abducted 9 year old Charlotte Sena on September 30th from Moreau Lake State Park, as she was riding her bicycle while picnicking with her family. Ross pleaded guilty in February for abducting the girl & keeping her in a trailer, she was found after a multi-agency 48 hour search.

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The State Department of Labor announced an increase by more than 19,300 on the private sector job count, or 0.2%, to 8.34 Million in March. The State’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased .1 to 4.3% in March 2024, the statewide labor force participation rate held steady at 61.4%.

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Binghamton Police confirm that 45-year-old Virgil Chastine has died from his injuries after being hit by a vehicle on Court Street in Binghamton. The 17 year old driver fled the scene, but police found the vehicle & the driver, who was originally charged with Leaving the Scene of a Serious Physical Injury Accident. The investigation is ongoing.

A.M. NEWS THURSDAY 4-18-24

37 year old Dreyshawn McDonald of Binghamton, pleaded guilty to promoting prison contraband prior to the commencement of trial yesterday in Broome County Court. On February 28, 2023 McDonald was found in possession of cocaine in his cell while housed in the Broome County Correctional Facility. McDonald is facing 2-4 years in New York State Prison and will be sentenced on July 16 in Broome County Court.

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44 year old Jennifer Williams of Port Crane pleaded guilty to Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance and was sentenced to 5 years of felony probation supervision in Delaware County Court. On February 21, 2023, a Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a welfare check of a vehicle which appeared to have broken down on State Highway 17 in Hancock, Williams, was a passenger in the vehicle & was in possession Methamphetamine. The driver of the vehicle, Eva Witteman, was recently sentenced to 1.5 years in state prison on similar charges. Judge Hubbard sentenced Williams to 5 years of felony probation supervision, if she fails to comply with the terms of her probation supervision, she could be re-sentenced to 2.5 years in state prison.

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Bainbridge Initiative will hold an event Today at Bob’s Diner at 5:30 to 7:00 PM, the discussion will include the showing of the documentary “Chasing the Dragon” & a discussion with guest speaker, author Wilma Cotten, Carole Kanzer of Bainbridge Iinitiative explains:

(Carole Kanzer 4-18-24)

Cotten is originally from Bainbridge, her book deal with her daughter’s struggles with Bipolar disorder, & substance abuse.

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American Red Cross Blood Drives will be held locally today, one at the Walton Baptist Church from 12:30 pm. to 5:30 pm., another will be held at SUNY Oneonta from 12:00 PM to 5:00, appointments can be made at RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App.

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The Broome County Sheriff’s Office is currently looking for Michael Hill on an outstanding warrant for Promoting Prison Contraband and Bail Jumping, Hill is described as a white male, 5’8″ 170 pounds with brown hair & eyes, Anyone with information at gobroomecounty.com/sheriff/warrants or by calling (607) 778-1196 or Warrants Division at (607) 778-2923 or (607) 778-2933.

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40-year-old Alex Shoga of Binghamton was found guilty on a number of charges regarding a home invasion in the Town of Chenango. A Broome County jury convicted Shoga on 2 counts each of robbery, burglary and criminal possession of a weapon, in March of 2023, Shoga broke into a home on Dimmock Hill Road and struck a man on his head twice with a handgun, he held 2 people at gunpoint, face down on the floor and threatened to kill them. Shoga stole money, credit cards, cell phones and wallets before fleeing. Using the “Find My iPhone” app on one of the victim’s phones, Deputies track Shoga to Johnson City where a high-speed pursuit ensued, he jumped out of the Jeep & was apprehended following a short foot pursuit. Due to previous convictions, Shoga faces between 15 years to life and 25 years to life at his sentencing in July.

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2 uniformed Norwich Police Officers responded Monday afternoon to 40 Hayes Street for a Burglary in progress call. Upon arrival the officers were confronted by the resident, 27 year old Skyler Rubottom, who attempted to stab one of the officers with the 13-inch chef knife, and then proceeded to throw the knife at the officer, striking the officer in the shoulder. Rubottom was taken into custody, & was charged with Attempted Murder, Menacing a Police Officer, Attempted Assault, Resisting Arrest & Falsely Reporting an Incident, Rubottom is being held at the Norwich Police Department, awaiting arraignment at Norwich City Court, the officers were not injured.

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Delaware County District Attorney Shawn Smith announced that 60 year old Eva Witteman of Binghamton was re-sentenced to 1.5 years in state prison and 1 year of post- release supervision after admitting to a violation of probation in Delaware County Court Monday. Witteman was sentenced to probation last week for her conviction of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance.

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The Village of Sidney received a $5 million grant from FEMA that will be used for a flood mitigation project, Sidney Mayor Ray Baker explains:

(Ray Baker 4-16-24)

Mayor Baker said this project was first discussed after the 2011 floods, which caused additional damage to areas of the village on top of what the 2006 flooding did, the culverts should redirect water that previously went into the village & should direct it back into the Susquehanna River or Weir Creek.

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Tax collections for State Fiscal Year 2023-24 totaled $106.4 billion, over $2 billion higher than forecast by the Division of the Budget in the most recent financial plan, according to the March State Cash Report released today by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. Tax receipts also exceeded the projection in the Consensus Economic and Revenue Forecast Report, which estimated $1.35 billion in additional receipts above DOB estimates through the end of SFY 2024-25.

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Brian Mulder of Union Grove Distillery in Arkville, will appear on Discovery Channel’s Moonshiners: Master Distiller program. 3 distillers from across the United States compete to become Master Distiller. Mulder’s TV debut with Moonshiners: Master Distiller is scheduled to air tonight at 10:00 pm on Discovery Channel. Union Grove will host a screening party for the episode on Saturday at 7:30pm.

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A free rabies vaccination clinic will be held today at the Worcester Town Barn, for dogs, cats & ferrets. The clinic will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 PM, More information is available at (607) 547-4230.

A.M. NEWS Tuesday 4-16-24

Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Michael Hoosock and Syracuse Police Officer Michael Jensen have been identified as the Officers killed in a shootout in Liverpool Sunday Night. Syracuse Police Officers encountered a suspicious vehicle that was eventually lost, but they discovered that the car was registered in Liverpool, they responded along with the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office, they were encountered by an armed male and an exchange of gunfire followed. Hoosock & Jensen were struck by gunfire, the unidentified suspect was also shot, all 3 were taken to Upstate Medical, all 3 died from their injuries.

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State Leaders announced an agreement with legislative leaders on the Fiscal Year 2025 New York State Budget. The legislature is expected to pass bills that will enact the budget, totaling 237 Billion Dollars, The budget does not raise income or business taxes and maintains state reserves at 15%.

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Bainbridge Initiative will hold an event Thursday at Bob’s Diner at 5:30 to 7:00 PM, the discussion will include the showing of the documentary “Chasing the dragon”, Carole Kanzer of Bainbridge initiative explains:

(Carole Kanzer 4-16-24)

Kanzer said that the Special guest is Wilma Cotten, author of “Is the Swing High or Low”, she will speak on her late daughter’s struggle with bipolar disease, substance abuse and murder, the program is not suitable for younger children

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Bainbridge Chamber of Commerce next General Membership Meeting will be held this morning at 7:30 am, the meeting will be held in the Back of Bob’s Diner.

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36 year old Justin Baker of Sidney appeared in Delaware County Court Monday and pleaded guilty to Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Baker admitted that he had possessed methamphetamine with the intent to sell in the Village of Sidney. Judge Hubbard ordered the Delaware County Probation Department to conduct a pre-sentencing report, it is expected that Baker will be sentenced to 2 1/2 years in state prison to be followed by one year of post release supervision, he will likely be enrolled in the Lakeview Rehabilitation Program as part of his state prison sentence.

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Otsego County Sheriff’s Office arrested 53 year old Donald Lane of Portlandville for being in violation of the State Sex Offender Registry. Lane was charged with Sex Offender Failure to Update Change of Address, following an investigation that revealed that Lane relocated away from his residence in excess of the 10 day grace period required for sex offenders to update an address change. Lane was located by the Canajoharie Police Department and was turned over to the Otsego County Correctional Facility on an unrelated matter. On March 11th 2024, the defendant was formally charged with the above charges and issued an Appearance Ticket returnable to the Town of Middlefield Court at a later date.

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Our Krazy 8 Redemption LLC of South New Berlin will be helping with the “March Madness” fundraiser for the Delaware Valley Humane Society this Saturday in Sidney, Humane Society Director Erin Insinga comments:

(Erin Insinga 3-13-24)

Christina Dewey of Our Krazy 8 Redemption told WCDO News that they are happy to help out this & other shelters in the region:

(Christina Dewey 3-13-24)

The fundraiser will run through the end of March, more information is available on the Delaware Valley Humane Society or Krazy 8 Redemption center Facebook pages.

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Chenango County Health Department reported that a raccoon located in the Town of Preston tested positive for Rabies by the State’s Wadsworth Laboratory. Residents are reminded to not pick up or handle any stray or wild animal & to contact the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office or the Chenango County Health Department to report animals which are behaving strangely or aggressively. Report any animal bites and/or scratches to your health care provider or the Chenango County Health Department. More information about rabies is available by calling the Chenango County Health Department at (607) 337-1673

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Delaware County Sheriff’s Office arrested 28 year old Kenneth Dillman of Stamford for Aggravated Unlicensed Operator of a Motor Vehicle and Operation of a Motor Vehicle with an Ignition Interlock device following a traffic stop in the Town of Harpersfield. Deputies observed Dillmann operating a motor vehicle, they knew that Dillmann had 22 suspensions on his revoked license, A traffic stop was conducted, Dillmann was charged & was issued traffic tickets and Appearance Tickets for Town of Harpersfield Court at a later date.

A.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 3-13-24

State Comptroller’s Office announced that 2 Otsego County area businessmen have been indicted for a $1 million Medicaid transportation fraud scheme. 46-year-old Philip Mtui and 47-year-old Mbaga Kaiza were partners in Phinaliz Communications, they allegedly sought and received payments for rides that did not actually happen and billed multiple times for rides that did occur. This resulted in $1 million being stolen from Medicaid, they were charged with 1st Degree Grand Larceny & they face court action on May 6.

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The Bainbridge Initiative has invited members of the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office to Bainbridge, for a Question & Answer Sessions regarding topics such as substance abuse, Homelessness & Mental Health, spokesperson Carole Kanzer explains:

(Carole Kanzer 3-13-24)

The Session will begin at 5:30 PM, at the Bainbridge Town Hall, more information is available at the Bainbridge Intitative Facebook Page or at 967-5449.

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The Annual Organizational meeting of the Delaware County Cornell Cooperative Extension, will be held tonight at the Walton Central School at 6:00 PM. The meeting will be open to the public & is expected to focus on the future of 4H programs following multiple recent staff vacancies.

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The next American Red Cross Blood Drive will be held today in Cooperstown, from 12:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m., at St. Mary’s at 31 Elm Street, appointments can be made at RedCrossBlood.org, the Red Cross Blood Donor App, or call 1-800-RED CROSS.

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The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office arrested 37 year old Joseph Grace of Norwich on 2 counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance & 1 count of Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia. Grace was arrested following a traffic stop, they seized Grace’s Backpack & applied for a search warrant on that backpack, which contained 180 wax envelopes containing Fentanyl/Heroin, 14.3 grams of crystal Methamphetamine, a digital scale, and other materials used to sell illegal narcotics. Grace was processed & was released on an appearance ticket for City of Norwich Court at a later date.

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Otsego County Sheriff’s Office arrested 31 year old Tyler Clark of Unadilla following an investigation into a report of sexual abuse allegations. Clark was charged with 2nd degree Rape & Endangering the Welfare of a Child, for allegedly performing sexual acts with a minor under the age of 17, Clark was taken to the Otsego County Correctional Facility and was released after arraignment, an order of protection was issued on behalf of the victim.

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46 year old Kellie Sanderson of Walton, appeared in Delaware County Court & was sentenced for her conviction of Welfare Fraud. Sanderson previously pleaded guilty to Felony Welfare Fraud was was sentenced to 5 years of felony probation supervision, she must pay restitution to the Delaware County Department of Social Services & she must submit a DNA sample to the State DNA data bank and pay the $50.00 DNA fee. Sanderson is also disqualified from applying for or receiving temporary assistance for 18 months & disqualified from SNAP for 24 months, Sanderson previously was found guilty of Welfare Fraud in 2014.

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The Bainbridge Initiative has invited members of the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office to Bainbridge, for a Question & Answer Session regarding topics such as substance abuse, Homelessness & Mental Health issues, spokesperson Carole Kanzer explains:

(Carole Kanzer 3-5-24)

The Session will be held on Wednesday March 13th starting at 5:30 PM, at the Bainbridge Town Hall, more information is available at the Bainbridge Initiative Facebook Page or call 967-5449.

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The State Office of Consumer Services and the Department of State’s Division of Consumer Protection assisted 276,000 New York households with a variety of consumer protection matters, returning nearly $9.7 million to consumers in 2023. The Public Service Commission conducted nearly 25,000 investigations, resulting in the Department returning nearly $7 million to consumers, while the Division of Consumer Protection handled 26,137 consumer complaints and inquiries returning nearly $2.7

million to consumers.

A.M. NEWS TUESDAY 3-5-24

38 year old Randy Condon of Sidney appeared in the Delaware County Court for sentencing on one count of 2nd degree Burglary. Condon admitted that he unlawfully entered a seasonal residence in the Town of Masonville and stole dozens of weapons, a chainsaw and other items, Condon was arrested on July 2, 2023, in the Town of Maine and charged with burglary, he was sentenced to a 7-year sentence to be followed by 10 years of parole supervision.

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Delaware County Sheriff”s Office arrested 43 year old Misty Cintron of Sidney on a Bench Warrant issued by the Delaware County Court, for failure to appear to answer to several counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, tampering with physical evidence, and criminally using drug paraphernalia. Investigators received information that Cintron was living in an apartment in the Village of Sidney, Sheriff’s Office Investigators & the Village of Sidney Police Department were able to locate Cintron and take her into custody without incident. Cintron was arraigned & was remanded to the Delaware County Jail without bail.

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The State DEC released hunting safety statistics for the 2023 seasons , there were 12 incidents during the hunting seasons, tying with 2019 for the 2nd fewest hunting-related shooting incidents on record. The 12 Shooting Incidents recorded in 2023 include 6 two-party firearm incidents and 6 self-inflicted incidents; 2 of the shootings resulted in fatalities.

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The Unadilla Chamber of Commerce will hold their monthly meeting this morning at 8:00AM, the meeting will be held at the Bauer Community Center.

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Otsego County Sheriff’s Office arrested 37 year old Joel Young of Burlington Flats for Attempted Assault, Criminal Mischief, & 2 counts of Harassment. Young is accused of Assaulting Corrections Officers while incarcerated at the Otsego County Jail, on January 20th, 1 officer was treated at Bassett hospital & was released, Young was issued an Appearance Ticket returnable to the Town of Middlefield Court at a later date.

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The Rogers Center Celebrates 46 Years of Winter Living Celebration Saturday from 11 am. to 3 pm. on in Sherburne. This event is hosted by Friends of Rogers with help from several regional organizations, for more information, call (607) 674-4733 or visit friendsofrogers.org

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The 2024 wedding expo will be held at Foothills Performing Arts Center this Sunday, Spokesman Geoff Doyle explains:

(Geoff Doyle 2-2-24)

More information about the Wedding Expo & other events are available at foothillspac.org.

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The annual Goodyear Lake Polar Bear Jump is coming up February 17th, with their annual auction to be held this Sunday at 12:30 at the Milford Central School. Organizer Brenda Waters told WCDO News that they are raising money for 12 people this time with medical issues

(Brenda Waters 1-29-24)

Waters said that the Polar Bear Jump will be on February 17th at 12:30, the awards banquet will be held that evening at the Oneonta Elks club, all the information is available at pbjump.com.

A.M. NEWS FRIDAY 2-2-24

State Police received a cybertip of child sexual abuse material that was uploaded to a mobile messaging application in November, An investigation determined that 31 year old Bethany Crispell of Smithville, used a mobile messaging application to view and exchange child sexual materials. Crispell was charged with Promoting a Sexual Performance by a Child Under the Age of 17 and Possessing a Sexual Performance by a Child, she was remanded to the Cortland County Correctional Facility and is due to appear in the Town of Smithville Court on February 6th.

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3 murder suspects are in custody after a joint police operation between the U.S. Marshals, Southern Tier SWAT Team, the Broome County Special Investigations Unit Task Force and the Endicott Police Department Wednesday night. U.S. Marshals Service notified Broome County Sheriff’s Deputies of 3 murder suspects possibly staying in Endicott, for a murder, robbery & Arson on January 20th in Norristown, Pennsylvania. A search warrant was obtained for 1104 Monroe Street in Endicott, the law enforcement agencies executed the search warrant & arrested 29 year old Daquan Allen, 18 year old Damon Brantley & 28 year old Jerry Butler, they were taken to the Broome County Sheriff’s Correctional Facility as fugitives from justice, where they were remanded, & are awaiting extradition to Pennsylvania.

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Congressman Marc Molinaro will have his constituent service team holding mobile office hours at the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce on Main Street in Delhi Today. Constituents will be able to connect with representatives from Molinaro’s office to resolve issues they may be having with federal agencies like the VA, IRS, and Social Security Administration, today’s event in Delhi will be held from 12:00pm – 2:00pm

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Bainbridge Initiative is a group that started last summer, to try to deal with various issues facing Bainbridge & elsewhere, like substance abuse, homelessness & helping area youth making healthier choices. The group has invited Truth Pharm to Bainbridge this Saturday for Narcan training, according the Bainbridge Initiative spokesperson Carole Kanzer:

(Carole Kanzer 2-2-24)

Kanzer said that the training is for all over the age of 16, at the Bainbridge Town Hall from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM, it is free & open to the public.

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The Binghamton Police Department recognized Shaun Putrino from this week’s Broome County Sheriff’s Office Featured Warrant, and he was taken into custody. Putrino was wanted on a warrant for criminal mischief, Police located him on Rutherford Street in Binghamton and brought him into custody.