Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies responded Wednesday to an accident on State Highway 28 in the Town of Middletown. 46 year old Luke Dougherty of Bovina hit an icy patch on the roadway and lost control of his vehicle, crossed into the southbound lane and struck an on-coming Delaware County Public Health vehicle driven by 50 year old Melissa Thomas of Masonville. The Dougherty vehicle then continued off the roadway where it struck and damaged an unoccupied, parked vehicle and other equipment parked in a driveway. Dougherty and Thomas were transported to O’Connor Hospital in Delhi; Dougherty was ticketed for failure to keep right and will appear in the Town of Middletown Court at a later date.

The New York State Appellate Court denied the appeal of John Guzy of Bainbridge, for the road rage murder of 26 year old Derek Prindle of Afton, in a 2014 road rage incident on State Route 7 between Sidney & Bainbridge. Guzy was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison, which has been upheld by Thursday’s court decision.

Governor Cuomo today announced that temporary lane closures for road and bridge construction projects on New York State highways will be suspended during peak holiday travel times over the next two weekends. All road construction work behind temporary lane closures stopped earlier this morning & will remain in effect until 6:00 AM Wednesday Morning. Construction will also be suspended from 6:00 AM Saturday, December 29th through 6:00 AM Wednesday, January 2nd. Some work may continue behind concrete barriers or for emergency repairs.

State DOT Officials announced the completion of the project to pave and repair a portion of State Route 10 in the town of Walton. The 1-mile project which stretched from a parking area outside the village of Walton and proceeds east, Construction addressed a 2,000-foot-long curve by increasing the road elevation on the outside of the curve, which reduces the chance of vehicles drifting over the center line and causing crashes & the slope near the parking area was flattened, creating better sight distance for cars pulling out of the lot.

State Senator Fred Akshar released the results of a recent online survey posted gauging constituents on legislation that would require anyone applying for or renewing a pistol permit license to consent to having their social media accounts and search engine history of the past 1-3 years reviewed and investigated by police as part of the mandatory background check. Within the 52nd Senate District, 79% of respondents opposed the proposal, 21% supported it; Outside of the 52nd Senate District, New York respondents opposed the measure 97% to 3%. Akshar plans on introducing or cosponsoring several bills to help address gun violence and mental health issues that are connected to the recent mass shooting tragedies.

State Senator Jim Seward announced that he has been appointed by State Senate Republican Leader John Flanagan to serve as the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee. The Senate Finance Committee is the second most influential panel in the senate – tasked with conducting public hearings on the governor’s budget proposal and guiding development of the final plan. In addition, the finance committee is responsible for reviewing nominations sent by the governor for appointments, and moving the nominations to the full senate.

State Police & Local Law Enforcement Agencies are participating in the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign again this year, during the Christmas & New Year’s Holiday season. Checkpoints will be established all over the state, last year, police issued over 40,000 tickets from DWI, Speeding, Distracted driving & failing to obey the “Move Over Law”, among other infractions

The 27th Annual Sidney Alumni Basketball Association “Alumni Night’ will be held tonight at the Sidney High School gym. Proceeds to the event go to fund the Association’s Scholarship each June for a graduating Sidney basketball player. Older players are invited to play in the 6:00 pm opener, the “young guns” game will follow at about 7:15. More information is available at 643-5728, or at the Sidney Alumni Basketball Facebook page.

State Police CNET along with State Troopers & Norwich Police executed a search warrant following an investigation into Heroin sales in the Norwich area. 54 year old Antonio Totten of Norwich was found to be in possession of crack cocaine, $1803. in cash, wax envelopes containing heroin, brass knuckles, marijuana, and 2 cell phones. Totten was charged with 2 counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Criminal Possession of a Weapon & Unlawful Possession of Marijuana. Totten was arraigned & was remanded to the Chenango County Jail on $100,000 cash bail or $250,000 bond.
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The Village of Sidney Police Department announced the Main Street railroad crossing will be closed to traffic today for repairs. Reopening of the railroad crossing is expected on Tuesday, Motorists are advised to use an alternate route.
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3 public meetings will be held today at Oneonta City Hall. The Operations, Planning & Evaluation Committee will begin their meeting at 4:00 PM, followed by the Finance & Human Resources Committee meeting at 5:00 PM, and the Zoning & Housing Board of Appeals at 7:00 PM. All 3 meeting will be held in the Common Council Chambers on the 2nd Floor of City Hall.
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The State DOT announced that construction work for the Prospect Mountain construction project will require alternating lane closures in the City of Binghamton, today through Thursday, from 7:00 AM to to 5:00 PM. Front Street will have periodic, alternating lane closures between Prospect Street and Bevier Street. Crews will be performing bridge pier work. Flag personnel will guide alternating traffic through the work zone. Work will be performed weather permitting. Motorists are advised to be alert for slow moving traffic and sudden stops.
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(Steve Craig 4-7-16)

Craig said that they expect to see freight trains coming through Chenango County again in the spring or summer of 2017.
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Governor Cuomo announced $20 million to support Binghamton University in its leading role as home to new NextFlex Flexible Hybrid Electronics Manufacturing Innovation Institute. The state’s $20 million commitment, from the Southern Tier’s $500 million Upstate Revitalization Initiative, will support the retrofitting of space in the former IBM facility in Endicott, it is expected to create up to 200 academic and private sector jobs, & up to 1,000 new jobs over the five years of the Flex Tech Alliance Program.
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State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli announced today his office stopped $25 million in questionable or fraudulent personal income tax refunds from being paid so far in 2016. DiNapoli’s office paid out 4.5 million state refunds totaling $4.2 billion. Another 152,000 refunds totaling $134 million are expected to be paid in the coming days. The average state tax refund from the state is $840.
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Christopher Winkler of Unadilla has conceded the tied race for the Unadilla Village Board seat, to Jeff Jones. Both Jones & Winkler received the same number of votes for the seat in the March village election, leaving local officials looking for answers from county or state election law on how to handle the tie. The race could have been decided with another election, a drawing, or the concession of one of the candidates to the other.
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Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies investigated a personal injury head-on collision Tuesday involving a tractor trailer and a car on State Highway 10 in the Town of Delhi, just south of Peakes Brook Road. The tractor trailer driver, 30 year old Michael Thompson of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania attempted to pull into a parking lot when he struck a car being driven by 56 year old Tammie Wycoff of Grand Gorge. Wycoff and her passenger were transported to O’Connor Hospital with minor injuries and were later released. Thompson was issued a traffic summons for moving from lane unsafely, he faces court action in Town of Delhi Court on April 25th.
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The Greater Chenango Cares IRT event will again be occurring in Norwich this summer. The 10 day initiative that will offer no cost medical, dental, optometry and veterinary care for children and adults in our region. The event is being led this year by the Chenango United Way and its volunteers and is occurring because of a partnership between many local health and human service organizations, local government agencies and the Department of Defense. The event will run from Friday, July 15 through Sunday, July 24 and will be held once again at the Norwich High School. Last July, 171 service personnel, both active and reserve service members, came to our community to provide medical, dental, vision and veterinary services as a training exercise and as a way to give back to local communities.

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57 year old John Guzy of Bainbridge was found guilty of 15 of 17 counts including 2nd degree murder, attempted murder in Chenango County Court Wednesday, by Judge Frank Revoir.  Guzy was found guilty of shooting and killing 26-year-old Derek Prindle of Afton, in October 2014 on route 7 in Bainbridge.  Guzy also shot & wounded Prindle’s father during a confrontation following a road rage incident that ended in front of Peak Fitness.
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The Broome County Sheriff’s Office arrested 2 people for allegedly manufacturing methamphetamines in the town of Dickinson Wednesday morning. Deputies arrested Matthew Najarian and Jessica Palmatier. For operating a one pot meth operation at a gas station in Dickinson, the gas station had to be shut down for several hours to remove the hazardous meth making materials. Palmatier and Najarian were arraigned & were remanded to the Broome County Jail without bail.
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New York State Division of Veterans’ Affairs Director Eric Hesse Delivers Regional Budget Briefing this morning in Oneonta. Hesse will deliver the presentation at the Foothills Performing Arts Center at 24 Market Street at 9:00 AM
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SUNY Broome will host a Career Fair today, for those interested in pursuing a career with an area business. The event will be held at the college’s Ice center, from 10:00 until 2:00 PM.
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The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a Board of Education Meeting on Today, the meeting will be held in the District Conference Room at 6:30 PM.

(Bonacic 4-5-16)

The budget was passed following a last minute agreement among state leaders last Thursday night in Albany.
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Governor Cuomo signed legislation Monday enacting a statewide $15 minimum wage plan and a 12-week paid family leave policy. The legislation was passed as part of the 2016-17 state budget. The Governor signed the 2 pieces of legislation immediately prior to attending a 1,000-person victory rally, which included workers, advocates, labor leaders, and elected officials, at the Javits Center in New York City.
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State Police responded to Sunday’s accident on I-88 westbound, in the Town of Maryland, which involved 15 vehicles, including 3 tractor-trailers and 1 bus. The accident started when a SUV struck a tractor-trailer due to white out conditions and very strong winds. Both vehicles came to rest in the driving lane and northern shoulder. An Adirondack Trailways bus, carrying 20 passengers, then collided with the tractor-trailer and came to rest in the driving lane. A second and third tractor-trailer then struck the bus causing damage and a large debris field on the Interstate. Several additional passenger vehicles then collided with the vehicles involved. Several passengers on the bus as well as a tractor-trailer operator were transported to area hospitals with non-life threatening injuries.
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27-year-old Jeffrey Cabral was arraigned in Norwich City Court Monday for 3rd degree Robbery. Cabral is accused of stealing controlled substances from a Norwich pharmacy Monday morning. Police stated that Cabral had a demanding note that threatened bodily harm; Bail was set at $25,000 cash or $50,000 bond.
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The next General Clinton canoe Regatta Meeting will be held tonight. The meeting will be held at the Highway 7 Bar and Grill beginning at 6:30 PM with the Race Committee Meeting followed at 7:30 PM with the Regular meeting.
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State Police have announced a 2nd arrest in connection with the April 2015 kidnapping of KyLea Fortner and her sister Shaeleen Fitch-Fortner. the teens were found last week at 327 Torrance Avenue, Vestal, at the home of 29 year old Amanda Hellman, who was charged with 2nd degree kidnapping. on Friday, the girls mother, 36 Year old Cindy Fortner of Homer was also charged with 2nd degree Kidnapping, she was arraigned and was remanded to the Broome County Jail without bail. Anyone with information is requested to contact 775-1241. The investigation is continuing.
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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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The Otsego county sheriffs department arrested 21-year-old Jeremy Folds of Hartwick on a variety of drug & weapons charges. Folds was found hunting illegally with a long gun by his probation officer Wednesday in the town of Hartwick, deputies also found 7.7 grams of Hydrocodone with intent to sell. Folds was charged with 3 counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a weapon, he was sent to the Otsego county jail on $5,000 bail.

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The Sidney chamber of commerce will hold their 1^st annual Holiday Bazaar and Pancake breakfast at the Sidney Fire Department Training center on River Street Saturday. Chamber Director Kerri Green explains:

(Kerri Green 11-21-14)

Green said that the event would run from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

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(Election 2014)
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A felony hearing was held Friday in Bainbridge Town Court for 56 year old John Guzy of Bainbridge, charged with second-degree murder in the death of 26 year old Derek Prindle of Afton. Friday’s felony hearing served to send the case before a grand jury in county court. At the close of the hearing, Bainbridge Town Judge Brian Barnhart denied a request by Assistant Chenango County Public Defender Aaron Dean to dismiss the murder charge. Guzy remains held in the Chenango County jail without bail. If convicted of second-degree murder, he faces a maximum of 25 years to life in state prison.
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New texting-while-driving laws are now in effect. First-offense convictions of texting or talking while driving will impose a 120-day license or permit suspension for young drivers under 21 with junior licenses. A maximum fine for all violators for a first offense will rise from $150 to $200. For a second offense — committed within 18 months of the previous offense — fines will increase from $200 to $250. A third violation or subsequent violations committed within 18 months will increase from $400 to $450.
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State Troopers arrested 45-year-old Daniel Caulfield of Oxford for 3rd degree Assault. The arrest resulted from a complaint at the Valley Ridge Center for Intensive Treatment in Norwich, where the investigation determined that during a dispute with a resident, Valley Ridge employee Caulfield punched the resident in the mouth causing an injury. Caulfield was issued a ticket returnable to the Town of Norwich Court on November 6, 2014.
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a Town of Norwich woman was arrested twice in 2 days by the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office. 28-year-old Jovonne Woolever was charged with Failure to appear on criminal possession of a controlled substance charges, she was taken into custody without incident and arraigned in the City of Norwich Court, she was remanded to the Chenango County Jail on $1,000 cash bail. the following day, Deputies arrested Woolever for 1st degree Promoting Prison Contraband, for allegedly possessing narcotics while being booked into the Chenango County Jail. She will appear in Court on November 6th on the later charges.
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Chenango County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 40-year-old Rollins Crane of North Norwich following an investigation into a domestic dispute where Crane was found to have subjected the victim to unwanted physical contact in the presents of young children. Crane was arraigned on charges of 1st degree Harassment & endangering the welfare of a child, he was released until a later court date.
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To help control upcoming winter heating bills, NYSEG released some tips. Set thermostats no higher than 70 degrees. When you’re away from the house for more than a few hours or in bed for the night, turn thermostats down to 58 degrees. Change or clean furnace filters once a month during the heating season. Use registers to direct warm airflow across the floor, not up toward the ceiling. Open drapes and blinds on sunny days to let the warmth in, but close them at night to insulate against cold air outside. For more go to nyseg.com.
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The $138 million reconstruction of the Gilboa Dam has been completed with a ceremony held Friday. The project included the addition of 234 million pounds of concrete, molded and dyed to resemble the original bluestone face of the dam, more than 500 spillway slabs, and upgrades to the abutment walls that support the dam. The project was completed two years ahead of schedule. The new dam includes instruments to constantly measure stress on the dam and will allow engineers to visually inspect the inside and outside on a regular basis.
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A Port Crane woman was arrested last night after multiple syringes, one of which was loaded with heroin, were found in her purse during a traffic stop on Rte 11 in Kirkwood. 27 year old Mandy Holmberg was charged with one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance and one count of criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument. Holmberg was released on appearance tickets in town of Fenton Court at a later date.
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The sentencing of Ganesh Ramsaran is postponed until December 1^st in Chenango county court. Ramsaran was convicted of 2^nd degree murder for the death of his wife Jennifer in December of 2012, he is being held in the Chenango county jail without bail since his conviction on September 23^rd.

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A Bainbridge man has died following a rollover crash Tuesday night on I-88 in the town of Fenton, after he struck a deer. 35-year-old Sean Coleman was pronounced dead at Wilson Memorial Hospital of massive head trauma. Police investigators believe that Coleman hit the brakes after colliding with the deer & lost control, overturned and landed on the right shoulder of the highway. Police said that Coleman was found about 30 feet from his vehicle; an unidentified passenger suffered only a minor injury and was treated at an area hospital & was released.

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Local fire departments are urging area residents to make sure that they carbon monoxide alarms are working properly. Carbon monoxide poisoning is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths nationwide, with about 200 new Yorkers being hospitalized each year. Those who are poisoned tend to exhibit flu like symptoms; a New York state law from 2010 requires carbon monoxide alarms in residential properties as wall as hotels, dorms & nursing homes.

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Governor Cuomo announced the establishment of a strategic fuel reserve at 6 locations in the upstate counties, to ensure that gas & diesel fuels are available to emergency responders in the event of an emergency like severe storms. The reserve terminals are positioned to rapidly provide service to all areas of upstate in the event of a declared emergency. About 2.5 million gallons of gas & diesel will be housed and supplied to emergency responders if their own fuel supplies are disrupted.

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The Otego fire department responded to a structure fire early this morning at 2:38 AM, at 17 Forster Street. The fire was reported in the basement, the fire was extinguished in a little over an hour, and no injuries were reported.

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An autopsy conducted at Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton on 26-year-old Derek Prindle of Afton determined that the cause of death was from a gunshot wound to the chest, the death ruled as a homicide. State police are looking of eyewitnesses to the shooting in the parking lot of Peak Fitness in the town of Bainbridge Monday between 1:00 & 1:30 PM; they can call Troop C at 561-7400. Former New York City police officer and John Guzy of Bainbridge has been charged with 2^nd degree murder, he is being held in the Chenango county jail without bail pending court action Friday.

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A Delaware county sheriffs deputy was involved in a head on crash on state highway 10 in the town of Walton that resulted in a serious injury to the driver of the other vehicle.   Deputy Stephanie Proffitt was taken to Delaware valley hospital in Walton where she was treated for a leg laceration & was released. The 2^nd driver, 27year old Amber Phraner of Walton was airlifted to Wilson Hospital in Johnson City where she was listed in critical condition. The investigation is continuing.

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