The General Clinton Canoe Regatta will be held May 24th to the 26th, with races on The Susquehanna River & plenty of activities at General Clinton Park in Bainbridge, Co-Chairman Mike Kaufman told WCDO News about activities scheduled for Saturday:

(Mike Kaufman 4-22-24)

The 70 Mile Races will be held on Sunday this year, and once again, there will be no activities scheduled on Monday Memorial Day.

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The State Budget bills have been wrapped up by the legislature in Albany, Assemblyman Joe Angelino told WCDO News the good & the bad of this budget:

(Assemblyman Joe Angelino 4-22-24)

The budget ended up at 237 Billion dollars, well above the executive budget submitted by Governor Hochul in January & below the amounts proposed by State Senate & Assembly leadership in recent weeks.

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Law Enforcement from all over attended the funeral for Onondaga County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Michael Hoosock, was being held today in Syracuse, Lieutenant Hoosock was killed by gunfire along with Syracuse Police officer Michael Jensen on April 14th in Liverpool. Jensen’s Funeral was held in his hometown of Rome on Saturday. The suspect accused of shooting the officers 33 year old Christopher Murphy was also killed.

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Otsego County Sheriff’s Office arrested 46 year old Jeremy Stimpson of Oneonta for Bail Jumping and on 2 Bench Warrants. Stimpson repeatedly failed to appear for court appearances for criminal cases in the Town of Otego and Town of Milford Courts, both courts issued bench warrants, Stimpson was located in the City of Oneonta by deputies and members of the Oneonta Police Department, he was processed and remanded to the Otsego County Correctional Facility on $1,500 cash, $1,500 credit card, or $10,500 bond bail recommendations.

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The State Department of Labor is partnering with The Business Council, Empire State Development and the New York Association of Training and Employment Professionals in an annual Business Survey to get feedback on the state of the workforce and the business community’s current needs. The survey takes about 10 minutes to complete, it can be found at survey.alchemer.com.

A.M. NEWS MONDAY 4-22-24

33 year old Boyd Fenton was sentenced to to 7-15 years in prison, for setting fire to the horse barn at Tioga Downs on November 9th 2023. Fenton was sentenced in Tioga County Court on Friday, 30 racehorses died in the fire and a trainer was hurt when they tried to rescue horses from the flames.

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14 individuals were arrested on charges ranging from graffiti, stealing a law enforcement body camera and disorderly conduct to obstruction and resisting arrest at the 4th annual “Smoke Weed Outside the Binghamton Police Station” event in downtown Binghamton. On Saturday, members of the Broome County Sheriff’s Office assisted Binghamton Police Department in ensuring a safe public gathering on Hawley Street in front of Government Plaza. Some attendees began scrawling graffiti, blocking the flow of traffic on Hawley Street, Police began arresting participants for Obstructing Government Administration, disorderly conduct, petty larceny for stealing a law enforcement body camera and resisting arrest, all were processed and released on appearance tickets for the City of Binghamton Court.

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Area businessman Fran Phelps, owner of Village Variety in Unadilla passed away Saturday at the age of 83, after a battle with cancer. Phelps started Village Variety in 1979, The business will be taken over by longtime employee and store manager Chris Tuttle.

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Oneida County District Attorney’s office & State Police announced that former Utica School Superintendent Bruce Karam was sentenced to pay $11,549 back to the Utica school district for the resources improperly diverted, he was ordered to serve 5 years probation and perform 250 hours of community service, he was also ordered to pay $150,000 by May 17, representing a reduction in his pension earnings from the date of his crime until his termination.

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Governor Kathy Hochul announced that she is appointing local Congressman Antonio Delgado as Lieutenant Governor of New York. Delgado would replace Brian Benjamin, who resigned following an arrest on federal fraud charges, Delgado is expected to be on the ballot with Hochul in the June Primary & on the November General Election ballot if she wins the Democratic Primary.

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Historic federal aid and better-than-expected revenues allowed for a steep increase in spending in the $220.5 billion enacted state budget, according to an analysis by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. While some of the new spending will be temporary, much of the year-over-year growth will be for new initiatives and more funding for existing programs. DiNapoli expressed concerns about the growth in capital spending and debt. He also cautioned that many provisions weaken essential oversight and protections, leaving public resources more vulnerable to misuse. The Full report can be found at osc.state.ny.us.

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Transportation Security Administration officers at Hancock Airport in Syracuse stopped an unidentified Chenango County man from Sherburne with a loaded handgun at the Airport security checkpoint Monday morning. The a 9mm caliber handgun was loaded with 6 bullets, A TSA officer spotted it on the X-ray machine as the man’s belongings were being screened, Syracuse Police responded and confiscated the weapon. The man told officials that he had placed the gun in his bag when he went hiking and forgot that he had his loaded gun with him, he was not charged.

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Village of Sidney Police Department concluded an investigation involving an adult sending inappropriate messages and/or indecent material to a minor under the age of 18. Police arrested 20 year old Jazmine Brown of Sidney for Disseminate indecent material to minors & Endangering the welfare of a child, Brown was arraigned in Village of Sidney Court where she was released on her own recognizance to appear back in court at a later date.

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The Unadilla Drive In will re-open for the season this Friday night under new ownership, Julie Miller and her family will be operating the Drive-in, she told WCDO News what their first features will be:

(Julie Miller 5-3-22)

Miller said that the Drive-In will be open on weekends through the end of the school year & may expand to more nights during the week in the summer months, they are also open to other groups looking to rent the facility, more details are available on their Facebook Page or by calling 369-2000.

A.M. NEWS TUESDAY 5-3-22

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the launch of Round 12 of the Regional Economic Development Council Initiative, which includes core capital grant and tax-credit funding to be combined with a wide range of programs from 10 state agencies that will provide funding for prospective projects. $150 million in grant funds from Empire State Development will be available to projects on a continuous basis, Applications are available at apps.cio.ny.gov & are due by July 29th.

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The Cullman Child Development Center in Sidney is holding a free event this Saturday to test area children’s hearing, Cullman Director Amy Williams explains:

(Amy Williams 5-3-22)

The screenings will be held this Saturday At the Cullman Center in Sidney from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM for those who register at cullmancenter.org, or at 563-7529.

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The Greater Oneonta Historical Society will reopen the doors soon to the History Center at 183 Main Street in downtown Oneonta, after a 4 month closure for renovations, Director Marcela Micucci explains:

(Marcela Micucci 5-2-22)

The Grand Re-opening will be on Friday Evening May 13th from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, where the Society will unveil the Small Community, Big Ideas: Greater Oneonta exhibit, exploring the history of the town and city of Oneonta, with interactive and digital features and a variety of different, formerly unseen objects from Society’s archives, to register for the free event, go to eventbrite.com..

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34 year old Patrick Kain of Norwich pleaded guilty in federal court to 3 counts of sexual exploitation of a child and 1 count of committing a felony involving a minor by a registered sex offender. Kain admitted that from about 2016 through 2019 he created sexually explicit images and videos of 3 different victims, each of whom was about 5 years old, he also possessed about 90 videos and 10 images of child pornography not involving his own victims, on a laptop and at an online storage account, Kain faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 35 years and a maximum sentence of 160 years, a $250,000 fine and restitution to the victims, when he is sentenced on October 6th –

==================================

Otsego County Sheriff’s department arrested 27 year old Brandon Doyle of Sharon Springs after an investigation into an animal cruelty in the Town of Westford last month. Doyle was charged with Overdriving, Torturing and Injuring Animals & Failure to Provide Proper Sustenance following a cattle complaint reported from the Susquehanna SPCA Doyle was issued an appearance ticket returnable to Town of Westford Court at a later date.

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Delaware County Sheriff’s Office announced that a “Click-it or Ticket” detail in the Town of Davenport on May 29th, with the Otsego County Sheriff’s Deputies, resulted in the arrest of 46 year old Stacey Juhl of Worcester. While conducting a seatbelt checkpoint, Deputies observed a vehicle attempting to avoid the checkpoint; they stopped the vehicle on Southside Drive & found that Juhl’s driving privileges had been suspended on 3 occasions for failure to answer summonses in Otsego County courts, as well as for an insurance lapse. Juhl was charged with aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and having an obstructed drivers view, she was released and directed to appear in the Town of Davenport Court on a later date.

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Delaware County Sheriff’s Office arrested 21 year old Timothy Reed of Johnson City for DWI following a personal injury motor vehicle accident on County Highway 23 in the Town of Walton. Deputies responded at about 2:30 AM on May 30th, to a 911 report of a motor vehicle accident on County Highway 23, near the intersection of Woodlawn Road, Reed was identified as the driver of the vehicle & charged, he faces court action at a later date.

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The Community Cultural Center of Sidney will have their official Ribbon Cutting ceremony this Saturday at 1:00 PM, at the corner of Bridge & Main Street. The 1st use of the building will be for an art exhibit, and then many other options will be available, according to Executive Director Pat Cristelli:

(Pat Cristelli 6-10-21)

Cristelli said that the Students Art Exhibit will be open from Monday June 14th to Friday the 18th, from 6:00 to 9:00 PM each evening, Saturday the 19th from 5:00 to 9:00 PM and Sunday June 20th from 1:00 to 4:00 PM.

A.M. NEWS THURSDAY 6-10-21

 UPDATE IN MANHUNT:

Just after 4:30 p.m., Jason Johnson was taken into custody near a river bank off State Route 79 in Colesville.  

EARLY AFTERNOON UPDATE:

Broome County Sheriff’s Deputies and State Police responded to East Windsor Road in Colesville to check on the welfare of an individual at 8:35 PM Wednesday night, . Law enforcement did exchange gunfire with Johnson, State Trooper Becky Seager was shot in the hip & was taken to Wilson Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Multiple agencies are looking for 34 year old Jason Johnson this afternoon, he is described as a white male, 5’7 and 160 pounds with a Mohawk style haircut, he was last seen in the East Windsor Road area near Thorn Hill. He is considered armed and dangerous, It’s possible that Johnson may be operating a 1996 Ford F-250 pick-up truck, blue in color with the NY license plate HZV7759, Police said that the public should not approach him and should call 911 immediately.

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Empire State Development will open the online application portal Today for the COVID-19 Pandemic Small Business Recovery Grant Program. The minimum grant is $5,000, the maximum grant amount is $50,000 per applicant and will serve as reimbursement of employee wages, rent and mortgage payments, taxes, utility bills and PPE purchases other operating expenses from the pandemic. More information may be found at NYSBusinessRecovery.ny.gov.

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The Otsego County Fair will be held in Morris this year, after being canceled last year due to the COVID pandemic, Spokesperson Lisa Jones comments:

(Lisa Jones 6-10-21)

The Otsego County Fair will run from August 3rd through the 8th, more information is available at otsegocountyfair.org.

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Governor Cuomo today announced the state’s moratorium on COVID-related residential or commercial evictions through the end of June will be extended:

(Cuomo rent)

Governor Cuomo also announced the state’s $25 million Nourish New York Initiative:

(Cuomo food)

The Governor said that the state is also asking any philanthropies or foundations that would like to help the state’s food banks to contact COVIDPhilanthropies@exec.ny.gov.

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State Police today announced that the Trooper entrance exam that was scheduled to be held this October has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Applications for the exam will be suspended until a new date is announced. Those who have already signed up will have their applications canceled and will be issued a refund; they will need to reapply once the exam is rescheduled. 

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The Chenango County Department of Public Works announced changes to the solid waste department schedules effective May 12th.  The Brisben and North Norwich Transfer Facilities will both be Open Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 8AM to 4PM for residents only; the Landfill in the Town of Pharsalia will remain Open Monday through Friday from 8AM to 4PM to Residents and Haulers.  Saturday the landfill will be open from 8AM to 4PM for residential bagged garbage only, also they will be collecting clean items for recycling at all 3 facilities.  More information is available at 337-1792

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Binghamton city officials announced a new partnership with UHS, for a new COVID-19 testing work station that allows for same day coronavirus testing for up to 200 tests a day.    Officials plan to purchase a 2nd one shortly.

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U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer announced that the Trump administration approved New York State’s request to operate the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer program authorized under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.  The program would permit New York State to provide benefits similar to SNAP benefits to more than 1.4 million children in the state who normally receive free or reduced price school meals and those who attend schools that offer free meals to all students.

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Chenango County Public Health announced they have 102 Confirmed COVID 19 cases, with 42 quarantined, 4 Hospitalized, 79 recoveries & 4 deaths.

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Broome County Health Department announced that they have 357 confirmed Coronavirus cases, they are up to 23 deaths, 231 recoveries, and 185 are being monitored by the Health Department.

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New York State Empire State Development has updated their guidance on automotive sales, to allow for in-person showing of vehicles, by appointment only.  More information is available at esd.ny.gov/guidance-executive-order-2026.

The State Department of Labor announced that over $5.8 billion in unemployment benefits have been paid to 1.5 million New Yorkers since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, they also identified over 470,000 New Yorkers who have completed claims, but did not receive some of their benefits in previous weeks because they did not submit weekly certifications, which are required by Federal law.  The Labor Department is launching a new, streamlined process to submit backdated certifications and get their back pay faster and easier.

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Cornell Cooperative Extension and Roots & Wings of Catholic Charities & the SUNY Morrisville Norwich Campus will be holding 3 separate dairy and Ag product drive-thru events Today, May 21st and June 4th at the Chenango County Fairgrounds.  A variety of dairy products, including Chobani yogurt, perishable and non-perishable products will be donated to those families in-need beginning at 2:00 p.m. until supplies are gone.   All products will be purchased from local grocers and Ag producers whenever possible.  More information about charitable donations can be found at givecampus.com.

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Local High School Seniors will be missing out on proms & graduation ceremonies this year due to the Coronavirus issue, but Sierra Boice of Sierra Rain Photography has decided to take free pictures at the senior’s homes, free of charge, in exchange for a food donations:

(Sierra Boice 5-6-20)

Boice said that she will start with Sidney High School Seniors first & then to other local districts, she can be contacted at 287-5976 or by instant message on her Sierra rain Photography Facebook page.

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Congressman Anthony Brindisi announced a $300,000 EPA grant has been awarded to Broome County Industrial Development Agency, the grant funds will be used to conduct more than a dozen environmental site assessments and develop 2 site reuse plans for brownfields. Grant funds also will be used to conduct 4 public meetings & 3 public open houses.

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Delaware County Public Health is reporting 1 new case of COVID-19 Wednesday, giving the County 9 active cases.  To date there have been 74 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in Delaware County, 21 people are under mandatory quarantine,  12 confirmed cases have been transferred out of the county, 3 are isolated in a hospital, 6 are recovering at home, 4 people are deceased and 49 have fully recovered.

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(Cuomo Vent)

Governor Cuomo also stated again today, that Manufacturing businesses that would like to transition to the manufacture of much needed Health Care Supplies can do so with the help of New York State, they should call Empire State Development as soon as possible at 212-803-3100

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Governor Cuomo announced that State leaders managed to get a budget passed early this morning:

(Cuomo Budget)

The State Budget was wrapped up at around 3:00 this morning, local Assemblyman Cliff Crouch told WCDO News about this difficult budget in difficult times:

(Crouch 4-3-20)

State Budget Director Robert Mujica stated Thursday that they will have to go back & re-visit the budget parameters many times in the coming months depending on the length of the impact of the Coronavirus crisis on the economy.

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The Otsego County Department of Health announced that they now have 21 confirmed cases of the Coronavirus.  2 of those patients are hospitalized, 2 have fully recovered and are off isolation & there has been 1 death.  103 people on mandatory quarantine,  6 people on precautionary quarantine & 26 people have been released from quarantine.

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The Chenango County Health Department announced that they have 33 positive cases of the Corona Virus.  101 people are in Precautionary Quarantine, 218 are in Mandatory Quarantine.

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SUNY Broome officials announced today that they have donated personal protective equipment to help shortages at local healthcare facilities.   The campus has Nursing & Dental programs, and during the shutdown from tehe Coronavirus, they donated 8,000 gloves, 750 surgical masks, 100 N95 masks and 150 gowns.  Local residents who have similar items to donate can drop them off at the old Macy’s building in the Oakdale Mall Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

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The Binghamton Devils, Rochester Americans, Syracuse Crunch, and Utica Comets hockey teams announced today that they have joined forces for the New York Hockey Gives Blood initiative, which will take place on Friday, April 17 from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.  The teams have partnered with the American Red Cross and will convert a location in each team’s area into blood drives.  Appointments are requested at 1-800-Red-Cross or redcrossblood.org , or with the Blood Donor app, the Binghamton Devils Blood drive will be at the Christ Episcopal Church at 10 Henry Street in Binghamton,

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Broome County Executive Jason Garnar updated their Coronavirus numbers Friday afternoon.  They now have 52 confirmed cases, 9 are hospitalized, 32 are recovering at home, 7 have recovered, there are 4 deaths, 459 have been tested.

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The State budget for the 2020-2021 fiscal year is wrapped up, State Budget Director Robert Mujica said that the state will lose 10 billion dollars in revenue between now & July 15th, due to the virtual shutdown of the state, and the push back of filing state taxes until July 15th, all due to the Coronavirus.  The budget shortfall is expected to be about 15 billion dollars in the new budget, the state does have some money in reserve to deal with it, the final budget will be revisited in the months ahead after the number of Coronavirus cases decreases to manageable levels & non-essential workers can go back to work & state tax revenues can be collected again.

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Delaware County Sheriff’s Office has been investigating complaints of vandalism to an agricultural field in the Town of Hamden.   A vehicle was identified as a result of surveillance camera images, Deputies arrested 18 year-old Austin Moxham of Delhi with driving while ability impaired by drugs, failure to display a front license plate,  unlawful possession of marihuana & criminal mischief.   Moxham was issued appearance tickets for Town of Hamden Court on a later date. 

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The New York State Board on Electric Generation Siting and the Environment will meet on April 9 at 10:30 AM to consider petitions for rehearing of the Siting Board’s December 2019 approval of Bluestone Wind, LLC’s application for Certificate of Environmental Compatibility and Public Need to build and operate a 124-megawatt wind facility with 27 wind turbines in the Towns of Windsor and Sanford.  The Siting Board determined that the facility met the statutory requirements for certification; the parties seeking rehearing are Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society, Broome County Concerned Residents and a resident of the Village of Johnson City.  The meeting will be conducted by teleconference at dps.ny.gov/Webcasts.

Delaware County has had its first death from the coronavirus; the deceased had been hospitalized with the disease and died Wednesday.  Delaware County has 20 positive cases so far, excluding 3 positive tests that were returned to their county of residence.  2 people have recovered, 10 are recovering at Home, 6 are hospitalized, 43 are in Mandatory Quarantine & 9 are in Precautionary Quarantine, 182 people have been tested.

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(Michelle Parker 9-19-18)

The event will run from 8:00 AM to 12:00 noon, on a first come first served basis, for those with urgent dental needs, who have no money, job, or health care, services will include cleanings, fillings, extractions, fluoride treatments, and x-rays.
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The State Supreme Court Appellate Division ruled that Actress Diane Neal of Hurley will be on the November ballot as an independent congressional candidate in the 19th District. The state Board of Elections last month rejected over 1,800 of the more than 4,100 signatures on Neal’s petition, on Monday, the state Supreme Court Appellate Division ruled in Neal’s favor in her challenge of the decision. Democrat Antonio Delgado is challenging Republican incumbent John Faso for the 19th Congressional District seat.

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Empire State Development announced that Amphenol Aerospace in Sidney will construct a 5-megawatt solar farm on its industrial campus. The solar farm will utilize a large land site in the Village that would otherwise be unusable because it is located in a floodplain, will provide power to the rest of Amphenol’s operations and will promote stability of the electrical supply as the power generated goes back into the grid-especially during peak usage periods in the summer. The total project cost has been placed between $14 and $15 million. More information is available at esd.ny.gov.
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Chenango County Sheriff’s Department arrested 46 year old Robert Coleman of Smithville for DWI and criminal possession of a controlled substance. Sheriff’s Deputies were patrolling the area of State Hwy 220 in the Town of McDonough when Deputies came across a vehicle that had been involved in an accident. Coleman’s vehicle left the roadway and struck an embankment, he was found to be in possession of methamphetamine. Coleman was processed on the charges and released until a later date in the Town of McDonough Court.
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“The Wall The Heals” will be set up in Neahwa Park in Oneonta over the Memorial Day Weekend, local organizer for the event; Gene Schmidt said that there is still a need for a few more volunteers, as preparations are already underway:

(Gene Schmidt 5-17-17)

Schmidt said that the Wall would be brought through area towns on May 25th, along State Route 7 from Harpursville to Oneonta; the wall will be in Neahwa Park through the late afternoon hours of Memorial Day.

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The City of Oneonta has hired George Korthauer as the new City Manager. Korthauer served as a city manager in Michigan, he beat out about 90 applicants for the Oneonta City Manager’s position.

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Governor Cuomo today ordered a comprehensive review of compliance under the 2015 “Enough Is Enough” law at all higher-education institutions across the state. The statewide inspection will ensure that all colleges and universities are fulfilling their obligations under the law to protect students from sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence and stalking, and are taking every measure to properly investigate allegations of sexual assault on campus.   The Governor has directed the review be completed for all schools by the beginning of the fall semester.

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Empire State Development failed to meet more than half of the reporting requirements for tax credit and job creation programs, according to an audit released by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. Auditors found 27 of 57 of general outcome reports, or 47 percent, were not finished, 17 programs requiring independently prepared evaluations were not evaluated; and 93 of 152 program-specific reports, or 61 percent, were not completed. The full report is available at osc.state.ny.us/audits.

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State Senate Democrats want to add an Equal Rights amendment to the state constitution.   The proposal would add language prohibiting discrimination based on gender, disability, sexual orientation or identity, the 1938 bill only prohibited discrimination based on race, color, creed or religion. Voters would decide whether to approve the amendment if lawmakers agree to put it on the November ballot.

All area school districts had successful budget votes yesterday, many by a wide margin. Locally, the Franklin School district required a Super Majority Voter Approval; their tax levy increase was slightly above the state cap.
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4 people were arrested on drug charges following the execution of a ‘no knock’ warrant on North Broad Street in Norwich Tuesday. Arrested were 19-year-old Chase Webb of Norwich, 37-year-old Steven Peterson of New York City, 30-year-old Sebastian Catanzaro of Norwich and 28-year-old Christina Banks of Norwich. Webb is accused of selling heroin; Peterson is accused of possessing cocaine and crack with the intent to sell. Catanzaro and Banks are accused of maintaining a place for drug sales. All 4 were arraigned; Webb was remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility pending future court action.
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The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce is hosting its Annual Awards Gala at the Castle on the Delaware, in Walton today from 5:30 to 8:30 PM. The Village of Sidney is recieving recognition as the Business Advocate of the Year, according to Delaware County Chamber President Ray Pucci:

(Ray Pucci 5-17-17)

Other award recipients are: Businesses of the Year – Friesland-Campina DOMO, Saputo Dairy Foods; the new Business of the Year is Union Grove Distillery; Tourism Award goes to Wayside Cidery and Tap Room.
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The Delaware National Bank of Delhi opened their new Sidney Loan office location on May 8th, at 276 State Highway 7, this morning they celebrated with a Grand Opening & ribbon Cutting this morning, spokesperson Dee Hillis explains:

(Dee Hillis 5-17-17)

The Delaware National Bank of Delhi is the 26th oldest bank in the Country, and the 3rd oldest bank in the State of New York.
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Construction on the Oneonta Transfer Station will begin today; it will remain open during construction. Construction on the Northern Transfer Station in Cooperstown will follow, that Transfer Station will be closed during construction.
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State health officials have published a guide to help New Yorkers to avoid Lyme disease this summer. The state department of health has published a complete guideline on their website, complete with what to do if you are bit by a tick, which are the most common ticks to spread Lyme disease, include pictures of those ticks. The Guideline is available at health.ny.gov
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State University of New York Empire State College will hold public information session about its associate and bachelor’s degree programs at 44 HAWLEY STREET, BINGHAMTON today. The session will begin at 4:30 PM; more information is available at 721-8651.

(Rhonda Barriger 7-7-16)

The 127th Afton runs through Saturday.
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The Harrington Art Gallery on Cartwright Avenue is Sidney, has expanded, in order to display additional works from area artists. Owner Dan Harrington explains:

(Dan Harrington 7-7-16)

The Grand opening exhibition opens Saturday & will run through July 30th with a closing reception from 5:00 to 7:00 PM.
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Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 48 year old William Mills Jr, of New Jersey Sunday, for DWI, Aggravated DWI, using a vehicle without a court ordered interlock device, & Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle, Mills was arraigned in the Village of Hancock Court, and was remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility in lieu of $2500 cash bail, pending future court action.

The 40th Unadilla Carnival of Sales celebration begin today in the heart of the village, Spokesperson Linda Bickos explains:

(Linda Bickos 7-7-16)

Saturday will feature a full slate of activities at the Community House field and throughout Unadilla with their village wide yard sales.
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The State DOT will hold a public open house meeting on Tuesday, July 12 regarding plans to replace the bridge carrying State Route 12 over Bowman Creek and a proposed deck replacement for the bridge carrying State Route 12 over Fly Meadow Creek in the town of Oxford. The open house will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 PM Tuesday at Oxford High School, 50 South Washington Avenue in the village of Oxford.
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Governor Cuomo announced new paperless registration renewals for New Yorkers visiting their DMV offices by eliminating the need to submit a completed paper application. Customers only need to show a New York State-issued photo ID or have a Motor Vehicle Representative look up their image in DMV’s database, Transactions are then processed through a touch-screen device.
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(Rhonda Barriger 7-5-16)

This year is the 127th year of the Afton Fair, running from Wednesday through Saturday, more information is also available at 639-1525.
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The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office investigated a 2 car fatal motor vehicle crash on County Road 29 in the Town of New Berlin. Vehicle 1 was operated by 19-year-old Matthew Collins of Plymouth, when it crossed the center line into the path of vehicle 2 being operated by 65 year old John Mckernan of New Berlin, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Collins was not injured; he was charged with Failure to Keep Right and will appear in court at a later date.
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The State DOT announced that construction work for the Prospect Mountain construction project would require lane closures in the City of Binghamton. Today Front Street southbound will be reduced to 1 lane for the construction of new bridge piers adjacent to Front Street, also State Route 17 will be reduced to 1 lane between Exits 72 & 71 for overhead sign work & the installment of pavement markings associated with a new, temporary traffic pattern change, which is needed to enable the replacement of the Route 17 West Bridge over Glenwood Road.
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2 Blood donation opportunities are available today; with Donors of all blood types are needed now. In Delhi, blood can be donated from 2:00 to 6:00 PM at the Delhi United Ministry, 1 Church Street, in Norwich From 11:30 AM to 4:30 PM at Chenango Memorial Hospital, 178 N. Broad Street. Donors can Schedule an appointment by downloading the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.
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The Oneonta Common Council will hold their next meeting this evening. The Meeting will begin at 7:00 PM in the Council Chambers on the 2nd floor of City Hall.
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The Sidney Memorial Public Library will begin their “Teen Tuesday” program today. The program is for 7th through 12th graders, it will be held at the Library Tuesday nights from 6:00 to 7:00 PM today through August 23rd. More information is available at 563-1200.
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(John Hughes 12-29-15)

Hughes is the head of Evans Street Baseball, Incorporated, they will honor the player development contract with New York Mets through 2020, and the NYSEG stadium lease through 2022. General Manager Jim Weed and staff have been retained.
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The American Red Cross encourages eligible donors to donate blood today. Appointments can be made with the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, at redcrossblood.org or 1-800-RED CROSS. A Blood drive will be held in West Oneonta today from 1:00 to 6:00 PM at the West Oneonta Fire Department.
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The murder trial of 57-year-old John Guzy is scheduled to begin in late March in Chenango County Court. Guzy is accused of fatally shooting 26 year old Derek Prindle of Afton, and shooting in injuring Prindle’s father, 60 year old Derek Prindle, in a case of alleged road rage on October 27th 2014, on state route 7 in Bainbridge. Guzy turned himself in to state police at the Troop C headquarters after the shooting; he remains held at the Chenango county jail pending the upcoming trial.
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Empire State Development Announced that Amphenol Corporation in Sidney will receive $750,000 for propane to their Sidney factory while they wait for a natural gas pipeline to be built through the southern tier. The ESD Board approved of the Monday to divert up to $750,000 in an existing incentive package that allowed Amphenol to stay in Sidney after the 2 serious floods in 2006 & 2011. Amphenol operates a new closer to the I-88 Corridor, where they will be able to acquire natural gas service from the planned Constitution Pipeline.
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Governor Cuomo signed a bill into law that will help prevent future home fire deaths in New York State. The bill provides that batteries in battery operated single station smoke detecting alarm devices shall be non-replaceable, non-removable and capable of powering the devices for a minimum of ten years. The bill was proposed as Firefighters frequently encounter homes without smoke alarms or working smoke alarms, where residents fail to replace old batteries. The law goes into effect in 2017.
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State Troopers arrested 34 year old Nathaniel Dendler of Windsor for DWI, Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle, Inadequate Exhaust and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance. Dendler’s passenger, 19 year old Caleb Harris of Windsor was found to be in possession of heroin and suboxone and was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance. Both arraigned in the Town of Windsor Court, Dendler was remanded to the Broome County Jail in lieu of $2,000 cash bail. Harris was released on his own recognizance.
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Binghamton Police arrested 41 year old Harry Johnson for 3rd degree Grand Larceny & Falsely Reporting an incident. Johnson is accused of reporting an armed robbery at Joseph Guardi Auto Sales in Binghamton, as he opened up the business Saturday morning. Detectives determined that a robbery did not happen, Johnson was arraigned and is being held in Broome County Jail.
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State Troopers arrested 19-year-old Victoria Niedbalec of Laurens for 3rd degree Assault. The arrest was the result of a dispute that occurred at a residence in Laurens, Niedbalec was arraigned in the Town of Laurens Court and remanded to the Otsego County Correctional Facility on $250 cash bail. An order of protection was issued by the town court against the suspect.
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The Chenango County Sheriff’s department arrested 25-year-old Christopher Bonno of New Berlin for Criminal Possession of Stolen Property. Bonno is accused of being in possession of a DeWALT Jig Saw, which was reported stolen on an earlier date from a parked vehicle in the Village of New Berlin. Bonno faces court action at a later date.
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While voters in the Southern Tier support casino development, the majority of residents would not frequent a new gambling parlor once it’s up and running, according to a Time Warner Cable News/Siena College poll. Southern Tier voters support casino development, 45 to 36%, 57% of the same voters said they would not likely frequent their region’s casino. The Gaming Commission said the casino applicants would make presentations in front of the Gaming Facility Location Board on Sept. 8th and 9th in Albany. Public hearings are scheduled for Sept. 22 to 24th.
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The state Education Department has produced a preliminary parents bill of rights on the use and security of student data. Lawmakers in April required the bill of rights, the appointment of a chief privacy officer and other changes to protect student data, after there was a statewide backlash against the Education Department’s plans, to share identifiable student data with inBloom. The law forced New York to pull out of the inBloom project, which closed shortly thereafter.
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Empire State Development has approved SUNY Broome Community College’s plan for the START-UP NY economic development initiative, which establishes tax-free business areas around college campuses. The college plans to offer information sessions about the initiative, more information is available at 778-5012.
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SUNY Oneonta has made Forbes magazine’s ranking of America’s Top Colleges. The State University College at Oneonta was ranked 167th in the Northeast and 520th overall on the annual list. Factors taken into consideration were student satisfaction, post-graduate success, student debt, graduation rate and academic success.
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Up to $300 million has been made available through the State’s NY Rising Housing Recovery Program, to support home elevations for 6,575 homeowners. Individuals eligible for funding experienced damage to their homes as a result of Super storm Sandy, Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. The Optional Home Elevation and Mitigation Initiative is being offered, in addition to other housing recovery assistance that has been made available through NY Rising. More information is available at stormrecovery.ny.gov.
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The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office executed a “no knock” search warrant at a residence in the Village of Sherburne and a vehicle parked at the Big M in Sherburne.  The Narcotics Division arrested 31-year-old Dustin Norris of Sherburne, who was found to be in possession of a substantial amount of heroin & cash. The recovered heroin was found in close to proximity to two young children in the vehicle. Several needles, packaging material, and paraphernalia were also located at his residence.  Norris was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia, and Endangering the Welfare of a Child. He was arraigned in the Village of Sherburne Court and remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility on $50,000 cash bail.  The investigation is ongoing and more arrests are pending.

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This year’s state budget addressed the problem of the Gap elimination adjustments that hurt poor rural schools over the last 5 years, and added much needed funding.  Area assemblyman Cliff crouch said that area superintendents were pleased:

(Crouch 4-9-10)

The Budget includes a $1.1 billion increase in education aid for the 2014-15 school year, with High-needs school districts receiving nearly 70% percent of the allocated increase.

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U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced $1.7 million in federal funds, to acquire and demolish flood-damaged structures in the Village of Sidney, and turn the properties into green space. The damaged buildings are located in a flood-hazard zone in the River Street area; County officials prefer to demolish the structures. The federal funds cover 75 percent of the projected cost to acquire and demolish the flood-prone properties.  All of the structures were damaged from Tropical Storms Irene and Lee in 2011.

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State officials say New York hunters killed 1,358 black bears during the 2013 hunting season, the second-highest number on record.  Figures released by the DEC show hunters killed a record 636 bears from the Southeastern hunting area and a near record 342 from the Central-Western area. The agency said the high numbers reflect a growing bear population. The DEC released a draft bear management plan for public comment in January. It proposed several changes, including expanding the area open to bear hunting to encompass all of upstate New York.  Go to dec.ny.gov

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State environmental regulators remind New Yorkers that residential brush burning is prohibited in towns, with less than 20,000 residents until May 14th, because of increased risk of fires during spring months. The DEC said wildfires can start and spread due to open burning of debris and dried out foliage. The open burning of debris is the largest cause of wildfire in the state. People who violate the regulation are subject to both criminal and civil law enforcement, with a minimum fine of $500 for the first offense. To report environmental law violations call 1-800-TIPP DEC

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Governor Cuomo launched the Immigrant Entrepreneurship Training Series. The program will help immigrants start and grow businesses. More than 100 immigrant entrepreneurship seminars will be held throughout New York State in the coming year.  The State Office will run the training Series for New Americans, Empire State Development and the State Small Business Development Center.  The first round of the trainings begins this month and requires pre-registration. Seminar dates will be posted on the New York State Office for New Americans website at newamericans.ny.gov

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The Broome County Sheriff’s department responded to a 2-vehicle accident on I-81 Northbound lanes near the Chenango Bridge exit early this morning.  Preliminary reports are that a tractor-trailer carrying a milk tanker crossed the median & hit another vehicle, shortly before 6 a.m. Monday.  The tractor trailer landed on its side, spilling milk onto the roadway & median, the unidentified driver was extricated from the vehicle & the driver of was taken o an area hospital, the driver of the car was also taken from the scene & was brought to an area hospital.  The State DOT had to close 1 lane of traffic for the clean up, the investigation is continuing.

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Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies Arrested 18 year old Gabriel Williams of Franklin for 2nd degree Menacing, Endangering the Welfare of a Child and Petty Larceny, the arrest was the result of an investigation into a domestic incident in the Town of Franklin.  Williams was arraigned in the Town of Hamden Court & was remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $2,500 Cash Bail or $5,000 Property Bond.

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Governor Cuomo announced Empire State Development has approved more than $9 million in New York State Broadband Grants to support 5 projects to expand broadband access to y 33,000 households, 4,500 businesses and 55 institutions across Upstate counties.   During this approval round, Time Warner Cable, will receive approximately $5.3 million to expand services.  Local projects receiving funding the Otsego County Wireless Network for $558,940.

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State tax collections through the first 10 months of the state’s fiscal year increased 4.2% from last year, but were below projections due to the timing of Personal Income Tax payments, according to the January 2014 cash report by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. Tax collections of $58.3 billion through January 31st were $2.4 billion higher than last year, but $413.3 million below projections in the Executive Budget proposal.

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Governor Cuomo said he would sign a bill, if it passes the legislature, to allow state financial aid programs to cover college tuition costs for kids of illegal immigrants. The governor previously has said he supports a federal DREAM Act, but had not taken a position on a state version. While the Assembly intends to pass the measure again this week, it is unlikely there are enough votes in the Senate to send it to Cuomo’s desk

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State attorney General Eric Schneiderman said the Homeowner Protection Program has worked with 23,760 New Yorkers in the past 15 months, resulting in 6,660 approved and pending loan modifications. Since October 2012, it has helped fund 36 legal aid groups, and 56 housing counseling agencies, to help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure. Schneiderman has recently proposed legislation to require lenders take responsibility for properties, abandoned by mortgage holders behind on payments, instead of waiting until the foreclosure process is complete. There are now more than 15,000 “zombie properties” statewide, with about 1,000 in the Southern Tier.