Otsego County Sheriff’s Office arrested 48 year old Aaron Vandusen of Unadilla for Criminal Use of a Firearm, Criminal Possession of a Weapon, & Criminal Contempt. On November 29th, Otsego County 911 received a call regarding a male subject who had suffered a gunshot wound in a vehicle, it was determined that Vandusen had fashioned a homemade pistol even though he was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a previous felony conviction, he was attempting to enter a vehicle and dropped the homemade firearm which discharged in to his abdomen & groin area. He was taken to Wilson Hospital in Johnson City. State Police and Otsego County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched Vandusen’s residence Thursday for an unrelated complaint, he was arraigned in Otsego County Centralized Arraignment and released on his own recognizance pending future court action.

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U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced that starting today, the Department of Defense will try sexual assault cases outside the military chain of command. Senator Gillibrand fought for this reform for nearly a decade until it’s passing recently in Congress, This move will remove judicial functions and prosecutorial decisions about the most serious crimes from the chain of command and put them in the hands of independent, trained professionals in the courts.

A.M. NEWS FRIDAY 12-29-23

State Police will continue with their participation in the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” initiative through Monday, January 1st. Drivers can expect to see sobriety checkpoints, Troopers will be watching for distracted drivers, vehicle occupants who are not properly buckled up, and drivers violating the “Move Over Law,” State Police will also conduct underage drinker enforcement details.

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Hill City Celebrations will host the First Night Celebration at the Foothills Performing Arts Center on Market Street New Year’s Eve, spokesperson Gabby Argo explains:

(Gabby Argo 12-29-23)

Hill City Celebrations’ First Night is made possible by donations from many local businesses Organizations and individuals, More information is available at hillcitycelebrations.com or follow Hill City Celebrations on Facebook.

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State Lawmakers will get back to work in January in Albany, after Governor Hochul delivers the State of the State Address & the State Budget proposal, local Assemblyman Joe Angelino told WCDO News what he predicts for 2024 in Albany:

(Joe Angelino 12-29-23)

In Addition to a host of proposed legislation, lawmakers will attempt to reach an agreement on the State Budget by the April 1st Deadline.

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The Friends of Rogers in partnership with the State Department of Environmental Conservation, are leading a First Day Hike from 10:00 – 11:30 AM on January 1st 2024 at the Rogers Center in Sherburne. The Friends of Rogers offer participants 2 hiking options, more information & registration is available at (607) 674-4733 or friendsofrogers.org

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SFCU and The Impact Project of Greene announced a partnership that will see up to $300,000 in loans funded to support low income residents of the tri-counties of Chenango, Delaware and Otsego that fall under ALICE guidelines. SFCU Sr. Vice President Andrew Smith explains:

(Andrew Smith 12-15-23)

The Impact Project Executive Director Jim Willard explained that the Impact Project started about 20 years ago and they are able to do about 8 projects a year on average, there is an application process to follow:

(Jim Willard 12-15-23)

The process starts with the application at theimpactprojectgreene.org.

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Congressman Marc Molinaro announced his constituent service team will hold mobile office hours from 12:00 noon to 2:00pm on Wednesday, December 20 at the Town of Oneonta Town Hall. This comes after a home exploded in Oneonta, killing 1 person, injuring others, and damaging neighboring homes. Constituents will be able to connect with representatives from Congressman Molinaro’s office to get assistance with issues they are facing.

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Broome County Sheriff’s Office Patrols, State DOT and volunteer firefighters responded to a tractor trailer fire on I-81 southbound between Exit 7 & Exit 6 in the Town of Chenango early Thursday morning, traffic was diverted to 1 lane for the clean up & investigation, the trailer contained frozen food, no tickets were announced & no injuries were reported.

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Hospice & Palliative Care of Chenango County announced that they have extended their ‘100 for HOPE’ Raffle. Tickets are $100 each, Prizes are $1500 cash, $1000 cash or a Quilt from Sew Sewcial. The drawing will be December 29, 2023.Call 607-334-3556.

A.M. NEWS FRIDAY 12-15-23

An American Red Cross Blood Drive will be held in Franklin today from 12:30 pm. – 5:30 pm., at the Franklin Fire Department. Appointments can be made with the Red Cross App, at redcrossblood.org or by calling 1-800-redcross.

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Hill City Celebrations is hosting the annual Festival of Lights in Neahwa Park starts Saturday through January 1st, spokesperson Gabby Argo explains:

(Gabby Argo 12-15-23)

Argo said that on New Year’s Eve, the celebration will return to the Foothills Performing Arts & Civic Center with free entertainment and refreshments for the whole family from 5 pm. to 8:30 pm. more information is available at hillcitycelebrations.com or follow Hill City Celebrations on Facebook.

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The Sidney American Legion annual Kids Christmas Party will be held Saturday, from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm, at 22 Union Street in Sidney. The Year’s Christmas Party will feature Santa and a Magic Show that will start at approximately 11:00 am, Goodie bags and a free hot dog and beverage will be available.

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The ABC Holiday Benefit will be held Saturday, @ 2:00 pm at the Bainbridge Guilford High School. Non-perishable food donations will be collected for Bainbridge & Sidney food pantries.

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The Community Band will perform at the Sidney Community Cultural Center this Sunday from 2:00 – 3:00 pm, the Center is located at 1 Bridge Street, Sidney

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The Otsego County Sheriff’s Office will participate in the next Shop with a Cop event tomorrow. 36 children were selected by area school district to participate, they will shop with Deputies, officers from the Cooperstown & Oneonta Police Departments & SUNY Oneonta Police tomorrow.

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Helios Care will hold a special meeting for those grieving during the holidays, social worker Inda Fitch explains:

(Inda Fitch 12-4-23)

The event will be held Saturday December 9th from 2:00 to 3:00 PM at the Meridale Community Church on State Route 10, more information is available at HeliosCare.org or by calling 607-432-5525.

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The National Baseball Hall of Fame Announced that former Major League Manager Jim Leyland will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this summer in Cooperstown. Leyland took the Florida Marlins to a World Series title in 1997, he had several winning seasons managing the Pittsburgh Pirates & Detroit Tigers with 6 first-place finishes, 3 pennants, he won the Manager of the year Award 3 times. The Hall of Fame Weekend 2024 will be held July 19-22 in Cooperstown, with the Class of 2024 to be inducted at 1:30 pm. on Sunday, July 21, on the grounds of the Clark Sports Center. The Baseball Writers’ Association of America will announce the results of its Class of 2024 Hall of Fame voting on January 23rd.

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4Towns Forward announced that Santa’s Mailbox is set up in 2 locations, for children who would like to send Santa a letter this holiday season. Santa Mailbox will be available today through December 18th at Bob’s Diner in Bainbridge and Roasted Coffee House in Sidney, drop off times are between 6:00 am – 2:00 pm daily.

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Congressman Marc Molinaro announced his constituent service team will hold mobile office hours from 11:00am to 1:00pm on Thursday, December 7 at the New Berlin Village Clerk Office at 13 South Main Street. Constituents will be able to connect with representatives from Rep. Molinaro’s office to share comments and resolve issues they are having with federal agencies like the VA, IRS, and Social Security Administration.

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Members of the Binghamton Metro SWAT Team executed a search warrant at 39 Travis Avenue in Binghamton Friday, after a gunshot was heard earlier in the day by Binghamton Police officers conducting a welfare check. Officer found a deceased male in the basement, who died from a self inflicted gunshot wound, the name of the deceased was not released.

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A.M. NEWS MONDAY 12-4-23

11 Fire Companies responded Friday night a fire in Stamford. The buildings were on fire at 62 to 64 Main Street in Stamford, 2 historic buildings were lost, the fire displaced 30 residents and 2 businesses, 2 residents & 2 firefighters were injured, with non-life threatening injuries. The Red Cross & Churchill Gym helped displaced residents, the cause of the fire is under investigation. The Stamford Village Hall will accept donations today through Friday from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Locally, Waste Recovery Enterprises of Sidney is collecting donations of canned food & toiletries for the 11 families displaced, teh items can be dropped off at their location at Valley View Road & they will deliver them to Stamford.

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Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a call, where it was alleged that a fully disabled and incompetent individual had been left on a bus after it was parked for the evening, & after noticing that the victim had not returned home, a residential facility aid had discovered the victim’s location and brought her to a hospital. Deputies charged the bus driver, 74 year-old Lyndon Doig and the aid, 63 year-old Norma Castro, both of Walton, with endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person, they are scheduled to appear in front of the Walton Town Court at a later date.

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The next American Red Cross Blood Drive will be held today in Worcester. The Drive will run from 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. at the Worcester United Methodist Church, 111 Main Street, appointments can be made with the Red Cross App, at redcrossblood.org or by calling 1-800-redcross.

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Hill City Celebrations to Host Oneonta Festival of Lights in Neahwa Park and First Night Celebration at the Foothills Performing Arts Center, spokesperson Gabby Argo comments:

(Gabby Argo 12-4-23)

More information will be available at hillcitycelebrations.com/festival-of-lights, or on their Facebook page.

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Donations of new unwrapped toys, coats and school supplies are requested, Drop off locations locally through December 15th are at the Binghamton State Office Building, 44 Hawley Street and the Homer Folks Facility, 28 Hill Street, Oneonta.

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The Work has been completed in downtown Norwich on Water Main Replacements & subsequent repaving of the effected roads, City of Norwich Community Development Director Erik Scrivener told WCDO News about the the last piece of the project & getting the rest of the federal funding:

(Eric Scrivener 11-28-23)

Scrivener said that the next project may be on the City’s Sewer system, which will require some updating in the future.

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The United States Marine Corps Reserve today announced the schedule for the 2023 U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Train. The holiday train will take to the rails Saturday, Locally, the train will stop in Oneonta at the Gas Avenue Rail Crossing, from 12:05 pm. to 12:40 pm. The train will be in Bainbridge at the Walnut Street Rail Crossing, from 1:30 pm. to 2:00 pm. The train’s schedule ends at the East Binghamton Yard Entrance, 3:20 pm. to 4:00 pm.

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Hill City Celebrations to Host Oneonta Festival of Lights in Neahwa Park and First Night Celebration at the Foothills Performing Arts Center. The Festival of Lights Begins on December 16 through January 1st. Organizers stated that anyone interested in building a display for the Festival of Lights should Email firstnightoneonta@gmail.com by this Thursday November 30th, with set-ups beginning December 7. More information will be available at hillcitycelebrations.com/festival-of-lights, or on their Facebook page.

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Applications are now open for Leadership Chenango, which is a 10 month course designed to inspire participants to bring out their leadership skills. Topics will include local government, agriculture, education, social services, the non-profit sector, judicial system, economic development, business and entrepreneurism, tourism, and health care. More information, contact Commerce Chenango at (607) 334-1400 or via email at info@chenangony.org. The application is available online at www.commercechenango.com. To be considered for the Class of 2024, completed applications must be submitted no later than 4 pm. on Friday, December 17.

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A.M. NEWS TUESDAY 11-28-23

State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation at Binghamton arrested 48 year old Stacie Congdon of Windsor for 3rd degree Grand Larceny. An investigation revealed that while volunteering for the Windsor Town Fair, Congdon made several unauthorized debit card purchases and cash withdrawals totaling over $10,000 between May and September 2023. Congdon was arrested and then turned over to the Broome County Correctional Facility for Arraignment. On September 29, Congdon was arrested for 2nd degree Grand Larceny, for allegedly stealing over $50,000 from the nonprofit, Punch Out Parkinson’s Inc.

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2 more American Red Cross Blood Drives will be held today, 1 at the DCMO BOCES from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM on State Route 206 in Trout Creek. Another Blood Drive will be held in Oneonta from 1:00 to 6:00 PM at the Quality Inn, 5206 State Highway 23, appointment can be made by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS

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Congressman Marc Molinaro announced details for a Telephone Town Hall he will host on Wednesday, at 11:00am to help Upstate New York seniors navigate the Medicare Open Enrollment Period. On the call, Molinaro will be joined by experts from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Elevance, a Medicare provider. To sign up to receive a call for Rep. Molinaro’s Telephone Town Hall, fill out the form at molinaro.house.gov/forms by 5:00 pm today, Seniors can also listen in by calling (833) 560 2070.

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NY State of Health’s annual open enrollment period for is open for those looking to get or change their health insurance. New Yorkers have until December 15th, to renew or enroll in a Qualified Health Plan for health insurance starting January 1, 2024, more information is available at 1-855-355-5777 or nystateofhealth.ny.gov.

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Governor Hochul announced that temporary lane closures for road and bridge construction projects on State highways will be suspended from 6:00 AM Saturday, July 1 to 6:00 AM on Wednesday, July 5, to ease travel throughout the July 4th holiday weekend. Motorists should be aware that some work may continue behind permanent concrete barriers or for emergency repairs

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The smoke from the Canadian Wildfires in affecting the region today, but it should clear out soon according to local meteorologist Rich Townsend:

(Rich Townsend 6-30-23)

The latest information about the wildfires can be found at airnow.gov.

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The Southern Tier Music Festival will be held at the Sidney Airport tomorrow, General Admission tickets are availabel today at SFCU in SIdney bainbridge & Norwich, or at the gate tomorrow. Organizers Teri Schunk & Ed Curley mentioned the acts that will be performing tomorrow:

(Teri-Ed 6-30-23)

Curley said that he was thankful about the sponsors that backed this first time event:

(Ed Curley 6-30-23)

The Festival will end with a fireworks dsiplay after the Maddie & Tae performance tomorrow night:

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Fireworks Over the Fairgrounds will be held on Tuesday July 4th at the Chenango County Fair grounds in Norwich again this year, Promoter Terry Potter of Milennia Entertainment said that the Popular tractor Pulls will return:

(Terry Potter 6-30-23)

Potter said that Country Music Star Jason Michael Carroll will perform, along with the local band Sundown, There will be food vendors and craft vendors & fireworks at dusk, Tickets are available at Eventbrite.com.

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Hill City Celebrations will have festivities on Tuesday July 4th in Oneonta, spokesperson Gabby Argo explains:

(Gabby Argo 6-30-23)

Argo said that in the event of rain, the activites will be moved to July 5th. More information is available at the Hill City Celebrations Facebook page.

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The Broome County District Attorney’s Office announced 40 year old Quentin Wilson of Binghamton was sentenced to 25 years in prison after being found guilty of burglary, obstructing governmental administration and endangering the welfare of a child in March. Wilson was charged after he knocked in the door of a residence on Julian Street in Binghamton while brandishing a handgun, which he used to strike a victim in the face, he stole property from the residence and fled the scene. Wilson will have to serve five years of post-release supervision after he serves his 25 years behind bars.

A.M. NEWS FRIDAY 6-30-23

The Broome County Special Investigations Unit Task Force and the Tioga County Sheriff’s Office executed a narcotics search warrant at a residence in the Town of Owego. Search warrant targeted 33 year old Bienvenido Aponte of Apalachin, who was charged with 2 Counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance & 3 Counts of Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia. Police seized 43.2 Grams of Fentanyl, $4,831 in US Currency, Multiple scales, cutting agents, and packaging materials used for weighing, cutting, and packaging narcotics for sale. According to the USDEA, as little as 2 milligrams of Fentanyl can be fatal, the amount recovered equals 21,000 fatal doses of Fentanyl.

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State Police announced that Governor Kathy Hochul has approved a request from the State Police to raise the maximum age to apply to become a New York State Trooper from 29 to 34. Candidates can learn about becoming a New York State Trooper and sign up to take the exam at joinstatepolice.ny.gov.

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The Franklin Stage Company begins their new season tonight, Artistic Director Patricia Buckley comments:

(Patricia Buckley 6-7-23)

More information about the show or the future shows can be found at franklinstagecompany.org.

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The campaigning is continuing in the race for the Delaware County Republican Party nomination in this year’s District Attorney’s Race, Long time area Attorney Joe Ermeti told WCDO why he should get the endorsement of Republicans in the upcoming primary:

(Joe Ermeti 6-15-23)

Current Acting District Attorney Shawn Smith is also running to get the Republican Party nomination in the Primary, he told WCDO why he should be the party’s choice:

(Shawn Smith 6-15-27)

Smith already has the Conservative party nomination in the race for Delaware County District Attorney, the promary day will be on June 27th.

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Amphenol in Sidney is planning for a variety of celebrations to coincide with the 100th anniversary in Sidney in 2025, Chris Cappello of Amphenol is helping to plan the festivities:

(Chris Cappello 6-15-23)

Cappello said that they are starting to collect memorabilia from the Scintilla, Bendix, Allied & Amphenol days, a new website has been set up at sparkinthedark100.com with more information regarding getting the items to Amphenol for consideration in their displays or for their future museum.

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The Otsego County Department of Health announced that the recently cancelled Unadilla Rabies clinic has been rescheduled. The new Clinic date will be July 27th, at Clifton Park, more information is available at 547-4230

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Hill City Celebrations, which was formerly known as “First Night Oneonta” is holding its annual Hometown Fourth of July Festival in Neahwa Park. The event will take place on Tuesday, July 4, beginning with a parade on Main Street at 1 p.m. Following the parade, family-friendly games and activities, food and craft vendors, live music, and other activities will be held all day in Neahwa Park. The night culminates with a fireworks display in Neahwa Park after dark, the rain date is slated for Wednesday, July 5.)

A.M. NEWS Thursday 6-15-23

State Police responded Tuesday to an address on Popple Hill Rd in the Town of Lisle after a 911 call was received. Preliminary results of the investigation indicated that a deceased 36-year-old female intentionally caused the death of her 7-year-old son before taking her own life. The investigation is on-going.

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Delaware County District Attorney’s Office announced that 48 year old Paul Thayer of Cooperstown was arraigned on a sealed indictment in Delaware County Court. Count One of the Indictment alleges that the he attempted to endanger the welfare of a child. Count Two accuses him of Attempted Disseminating Indecent Material to Minors, for allegedly engaging in a sexually explicit conversation with a person that he believed to be a 14-year-old child, with the intention of enticing the child to engage in sexual conduct with him, he traveled to the Village of Walton to meet with that child, but instead was confronted by the adult that had been posing as a 14-year-old child. Walton Police Department conducted a police investigation which resulted in this indictment. Thayer pleaded not guilty and was remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility on $5,000 cash bail pending a conference on June 26th.

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The Broome County Sheriff’s Office is currently looking for Allan Holmes on an outstanding warrant, Holmes is described as a black male, 5′ 10″, 240 pounds with brown hair & brown eyes, he is wanted on a warrant for criminal possession of a controlled substance, Tips may be submitted electronically to gobroomecounty.com/sheriff/warrants or by calling the Broome County Sheriff’s Office tip line at (607) 778-1196.

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Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a 1 car motor vehicle accident with injuries on State Highway 10 in the Town of Walton. Deputies observed a vehicle had left the roadway, struck a culvert pipe, causing the vehicle to rollover, then coming to rest in a private driveway. Deputies made contact with the driver, 41-year-old Amy Kille of Walton. Deputies charged Amy Kille with DWI, Aggravated DWI with a BAC greater than 0.18%, among other charges, Kille was released on tickets returnable to the Town of Walton Court at a later date

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Commerce Chenango announced that their next Business After Hours event will be held today, at Hospice & Palliative Care of Chenango County. The event will run from 4:00 to 6:00 PM at the Hospice location at 33-39 Court Street in Norwich.

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