LAKE PLACID – WCDO Radio News

WCDO NEWS MONDAY 1-22-18

wcdonews — Mon, 22 Jan 2018 21:54:22 +0000

State Police advised that Christian Rojas-Martinez, age 22, of Bronx, NY was found deceased earlier today inside a body of water that was inside the area being search. An investigation as determined that since January 19, Christian was staying at a home and was camping with six other men at 521 Old Ferris Farm Road, in the town of Roxbury. On the evening of January 20, he wandered away from the location and did not return. He was reported missing by his companions on January 21, at about 12:45 a.m. The investigation is ongoing. State Police were assisted in the search by two NYSP K-9s, NYSP Aviation, NYS DEC, NYS Forest Rangers, Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies, Delaware Emergency Management Agency, Town of Roxbury Constable, and fire department and EMS personnel from Roxbury, Grand Gorge, and Hobart.

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The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal fire that occurred at about 4:50 am that claimed the lives of 3 people. Killed in the fire were 33 year old Debbie L Pfeiffer, 1 year old Benjamin Pfeiffer and 10 year old Amber Morrow. The cause of the fire is still being investigated and autopsies will conducted on the victims on 01/23/18 at Lourdes Hospital. The Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by Chenango County Bureau of Fire, Plymouth Fie Department, North Norwich Fire Department, City of Norwich Fire Department, Smyrna Fire Department, Sherburne Fire Department and the New York State Office of Fire Prevention and Control. Further details will be released when they become available.

Jury selection began today in the corruption trial of Joseph Percoco, who was a top aide to Governor Andrew Cuomo. Percoco is charged with taking $300,000 worth of bribes from 2 companies working with the state. Prosecutors say he used his relationship with Cuomo to win those companies favorable treatment.
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Governor Cuomo may be softening his stance against recreational marijuana against the state’s increasing economic problems, which have been made more difficult by the new Federal Tax plans:

(Cuomo 1-22-18)

The Governor made those remarks during his budget presentation earlier this month, as a way to raise revenue for the state.
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Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputy’s arrested 53-year-old Michael Rogers of Stamford for Forcible Touching & Resisting Arrest, following a report of a domestic incident in the Village of Stamford. Rogers is accused of forcibly touching another person and resisted arrest as Deputies were attempting to take him into custody. Rogers was arraigned & was remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility on $2500 cash bail or $5000 bond, pending future court action.
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Utica Police arrested 20-year-old Jason Nieves of Utica Saturday on a murder charge, for allegedly causing fatal head injuries to 7-month-old Emelina Sanchez. The infant was taken to an area hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries, Nieves has been charged with 2nd degree murder.
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Leadership Otsego is now accepting applications for the class of 2018. There will be an Informational Session on Tuesday January 30th from 4:00 to 5:30 PM at Otsego Now and Otsego County Chamber offices located at 189 Main Street Suite 500, in Oneonta. More information is available by calling the Otsego County Chamber of Commerce at 267-4010 Ext 103.
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State Police arrested 59 year old Anthony Middletown of Cobourg, Ontario for Aggravated Unlicensed Operation and other traffic violations, after a trooper saw Middletown using a cellphone while he was driving in the town of Conklin. Middletown had his li9cense suspended 12 times in New York on 11 different dates, he was arraigned in the town of Conklin Court and was remanded to the Broome County Jail with no bail set. His next court date is pending.
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Governor Cuomo announced the 38th annual Empire State Winter Games will kick off on Thursday, February 1 and will run until Sunday, February 4 in Lake Placid. More than 2,500 participants will compete in 17 different sports during the 3-day festival. The Games will kick off with an inaugural Torch Relay departing from New York City.
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WCDO NEWS FRIDAY 2-26-16

wcdonews — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 19:44:16 +0000

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressman Chris Gibson and others, are urging the Department of Veterans Affairs to clarify their decision against providing “Blue Water” Navy veterans with the disability and health care benefits for diseases linked to Agent Orange exposure. During the Vietnam War, the U.S. military sprayed approximately 20 million gallons of Agent Orange in Vietnam to remove jungle foliage, it had devastating effects for millions serving in Vietnam. In 2002 the Veterans Administration determined that it would only cover Veterans who could prove that they had orders for “boots on the ground” during the Vietnam War, the exclusion affects thousands of sailors who may have still received significant Agent Orange exposure from receiving VA benefits.
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The New York State Department of Health, & Cornell University, has been designated as an Integrated Food Safety Center of Excellence by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Each year, roughly 1 in 6 Americans are sickened by food borne diseases; 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die. The New York Center of Excellence pairs the state health department and Cornell University in an effort to prevent and control food-borne diseases, they will engage 11 states from Maryland to Maine as well as local public health partners to create a regional model for food safety improvement.
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This year is the 40th year of the Chenango Arts Council, featuring “An Evening With Mark Twain” featuring Mark Mauldin Saturday Night, Council Spokesperson Diane Batson Smith explains:

(Diane Batson Smith 2-26-16)

The performance will be held at the Martin W. Kappel Theater in dowtown Norwich, Tickets are available at chenangoarts.org
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New York State has yet to formulate a plan for the whole state to follow regarding disposing of electronic appliances that contain toxic chemicals. Assemblyman Pete Lopez comments:

(Lopez 2-26-16)

Currently Many counties, such as Delaware County, will accept electronics for proper disposal after establishing their own policy, but Lopez said that many counties have no such deals or plans for those recyclable electronics.
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The Binghamton Senators will have a family fun day & post game skate with the players at their only Sunday game of the season at the Arena, Spokesman Joe Battaglini explains:

(Joe Battaglini 2-26-16)

Tickets are still available, at 722 SENS of binghamtonsenators.com.

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State Department of Taxation and Finance today announced the arrest of 2 tax preparers and 9 other individuals on charges that they filed false tax returns and claimed exaggerated refunds. The two preparers are 35 year old Heather Sweet of Johnson City, and 56 year old Rebecca Tyner of Binghamton. Sweet was charged with 8 felony counts of offering a false instrument for filing and 1 count of grand larceny. Tyner was charged with 5 felony counts of offering a false instrument for filing and 1 count of grand larceny. Both defendants were arraigned in the Binghamton City Court; the pair allegedly participated in a scheme to defraud New York State by preparing fraudulent NYS income tax returns for friends and relatives for the tax years 2008 through 2011.
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Cornell Cooperative Extension of Delaware County will be conducting NYSERDA’s free energy workshops titled “EMPOWER Save Energy, Save Dollars” Saturday from 10:00AM to 12:00 noon at the Hamden town Hall on State Route 10. More information is available at ccedelaware.org.
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Governor Cuomo will host the 2016 Adirondack Winter Challenge at the Olympic facility in Lake Placid. The day trip will sample a variety of winter activities the Adirondack region has to offer, including hockey, skiing, bobsledding and a variety of other sports, and conclude with a dinner and presentation of awards. A Catskill challenge is expected to be announced shortly.????
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WCDO NEWS THURSDAY 10-8-15

wcdonews — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 19:49:32 +0000

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies Arrested 26-year-old Amy Brooks of Sidney & 26-year-old Mark Rathbun of Franklin Tuesday. Brooks was tracked down by Canine Ozzie after she fled from Rathbun’s residence into the woods, Brooks was arrested on the Village of Sidney Court Bench Warrant for Violation of the Terms of her Release on charges of 2nd degree Burglary & Petty Larceny, she was additionally charged by deputies with Resisting Arrest. Rathbun was charged with Obstructing Governmental Administration. Brooks was arraigned in the Town of Franklin Court & was ordered held on $7,000 cash bail, Rathbun was also arraigned in the Town of Franklin Court & was ordered to be held on $2,000 cash bail.
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Tonight at 6:30 pm there will be a free training on Heroin & Opioid Overdose Prevention at the Sidney Fire Department on River Street. The training will be provided by the Southern Tier Aids Program, it will include how to learn the signs and symptoms of heroin and opioid overdose, how to use NARCAN to respond to an overdose situation & participants can receive a Free NARCAN kit. The event is open to the community. Registration is requested at 829-3000.
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The Leadership Chenango Kick-off Dinner will be tonight at the Canasawacta Country Club in Norwich, with Registration at 5:00 PM& the Dinner at 6:00 PM.

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The Oneonta Police Department announced the arrest of 2 people on drug charges after they served a search warrant at 195 Main Street Wednesday morning. Arrested were 34-year-old Nelson Canales of Oneonta & 31 year old Jamie Osborne of Oneonta, for Criminal possession of a controlled substance, Canales was also charged with 2nd menacing. The Oneonta Police uncovered crack cocaine, prescription narcotics & 2 replica firearms. The Otsego County Sheriff’s Department assisted Oneonta Police with the investigation.
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State Police arrested 26 year old Christopher Kuiper of Susquehanna, Pennsylvania for operating a motor vehicle while impaired by drugs, criminal possession of a controlled substance, unlawfully fleeing police in a vehicle, reckless driving and several other charges, after a trooper observed a Nissan making an illegal U-turn on I-81 in the Town of Dickinson. Kuiper allegedly failed to stop for pursuing troopers, he is accused of driving at speeds up to 90 miles an hour through the Prospect mountain work zone to State Route 17, he braked hard and his vehicle was struck by state police vehicle. Kuiper exited the vehicle was arrested without incident. Kuiper was found to unlawfully possess Percocet and marihuana; he was arraigned & was remanded to the Broome County jail on $1,000 cash bail. Police stated that the pursuit lasted 4 minutes and covered 9 miles.
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Governor Cuomo announced that over $32 million in federal highway safety grants have been awarded to 541 highway safety programs throughout New York State to improve overall highway safety and reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries due to crashes. Locally, funding will go to the Binghamton police department, Broome County Sheriffs department, Deposit Police, Sidney village police, Delaware county sheriffs department, Oneonta city police and the Otsego county sheriff’s department. The funding was awarded to New York State by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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The Chenango Arts Council announced a 20% increase in funding from the New York State Council on the Arts for the 2016 Broome, Chenango & Otsego Decentralization Grant Program. $129,280 is available to non-profit organizations and artists who partner with an eligible non-profit for cultural initiatives in 2016. Funding is available for grants up to $5,000 each to support Community Arts and Arts Education grants in Broome, Chenango and Otsego counties. The deadline for 2016 grant application is Tuesday, January 12, 2016. Opportunities are for projects through December 31, 2016. More information is available at Chenangoarts.org or 336-ARTS.
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The Cancer Services Program of Delaware, Otsego and Schoharie counties will offer free health screenings to women 40 and older that are uninsured Friday. The Bassett mobile Screening Coach will be available from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at Family Planning of Oneonta, 37 Dietz Street in Oneonta. Appointments are requested at 1-888-345-0225.
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Friday through Sunday, Hartwick College in Oneonta will celebrate True Blue Weekend 2015. The weekend opens Friday with the Hartwick Golf Classic at the Oneonta Country Club, the True Blue Kickoff Party; a Men’s Soccer game on Elmore Field, Saturday includes the Golden Jubilee breakfast, and feature a series of tours and alumni presentations. A Pep Rally Parade and Varsity Football game, Sunday will feature the College’s annual memorial gathering in the Shineman Chapel House, as well as a Legacy Family breakfast, more information on and the full schedule are available at HartwickAlumni.org/TrueBlue or 431-4064.
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Lake Placid officially opened today; they welcomed several USA Luge athletes for the first official runs of the season this morning. The Olympians will be practicing at the Lake Placid site each morning through the end of this month. World cup racing will be held at Lake Placid in December.
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P.M. NEWS FRIDAY 3-6-15

wcdonews — Fri, 06 Mar 2015 19:23:23 +0000

This weekend, clocks get pushed ahead 1 hour as part of Daylight Savings Time, & the Firemen’s Association of New York urges all New Yorkers to check their smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to ensure that they are functioning properly. the Association recommends cleaning all alarms to remove any debris that might impede their function and to change batteries. They also recommend testing alarms monthly, vacuum or blow out any dust that might accumulate in the unit, & never paint a smoke or Carbon monoxide alarm. More information on smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms and other information on fire safety and prevention is available at fasny.com and nfpa.org.
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On Sunday, Governor Cuomo will host the 2015 Adirondack Winter Challenge at the Olympic facility in Lake Placid. The day trip will sample a variety of winter activities the Adirondack region has to offer, including skiing, bobsledding and a variety of ice sports, and conclude with a dinner and presentation of awards. Winter activities will take place between 12:30 PM and 4:00 PM.
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More dates that have just been added for the “My Free Taxes” program by appointment only on Saturdays of March 7, 14, 21 and 28 at the Delhi Branch of Sidney Federal Credit Union. Cheri Albrecht of the United Way of Delaware & Otsego Counties explains:

(Cheri Albrecht 3-6-15)

Locations will be in Delhi & Oneonta, all appointments can be made at 432-0061.
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Several of the dancers with the Kennedy performing arts center of Sidney will be performing a dance routine at Madison square garden this weekend at a New York knicks basketball game. Nikki Reed of the Kennedy performing arts center explains:

(Nikki Reed 3-4-15)

Reed said the Dancers & their families were able to go to New York City for this event following a recent successful fundraiser.
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The 17th Annual Unatego Middle School/ High School Student & Staff Variety show will be held next Friday March 13th at the Unatego high school auditorium in wells bridge. Organizer Judy Pitel comments:

(Judy Pitel 3-6-15)

Pitel said that money raised will be used for medical expenses for the Wayne Himes family, following a recent accident.
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Governor Cuomo announced the return of the Craft New York Brewers Festival to the Desmond Hotel and Conference Center in Albany tomorrow. 41 craft brewers from across the state will be offering more than 100 beers to sample and pair with food from more than a dozen restaurants. The second annual festival will run from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM Saturday at the Desmond Hotel and Conference Center, 660 Albany Shaker Road in Albany. Tickets can be purchased at thinknydrinkny.com.