The Village of Sidney announced that the demolition of a fire damaged building will begin today. 14 East Main Street was damaged by fire a couple of years ago, the structure at the corner of East Main & Chestnut will be demolished, the project is expected to last between 3 & 5 days.
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The Otsego County Health Department announced another COVID 19 death in their most recent report released Tuesday. The County had 48 new cases, 208 active cases, 8 are hospitalized, and the 7 day rolling average for positivity rate was 8.5%. Otsego County has had 878 COVID deaths since the pandemic started, 66 of them this year.
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Former Broome District Attorney Steve Cornwell’s case will be handled by a special prosecutor, instead of by current DA Michael Korchak. The 2 indictments accuse the former DA of public corruption and larceny during his 4-year term in office, Korchak spent 4 years as the chief assistant DA under Cornwell before taking office in January 2020 after a heated election between the 2 prosecutors.
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The Former Fire House on East Main Street in Sidney will become “The Wakeman Coffee Company” soon, it will be a coffee shop & roastery, partners Sage McKinley & Jesse Wakeman told WCDO News how this business venture started, and what renovations have been done:
(Sage McKinley-Jesse Wakeman 12-1-21)
The Wakeman Coffee Company is expected to open in the next few weeks.
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U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced her bipartisan Dairy Pricing Opportunity Act today, following the Senator’s Senate Agriculture Subcommittee hearing on modernizing milk pricing and the Federal Milk Marketing Order system:
(Gillibrand 12-1-21)
Gillibrand said that the price increase for milk producers would have little affect on Milk prices in the upstate counties, as most people have their dairy supplied from farms close to their hometowns, plus farmers only receive pennies on the dollar for their role in milk priduction.
A.M. NEWS Wednesday 12-1-21
The State Health Department reported that over 130,000 COVID tests were conducted Monday, with close to 6600 positives, the positivity rate is back over 5%. Patient Hospitalization are approaching 3000, ICU patients are back up to 567, the number on ventilators was at 303, there were 41 deaths in Hospitals & nursing homes from COVID on Monday.
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The Chenango County Health Department is hosting a Pfizer Vaccine Clinic at Afton Central School for children 5 and older today in the old gym at Door 13, on Sands Street, from 4:00 to 7:00 PM. Registration is available at apps2.health.ny.gov or go to co.chenango.ny.us/public-health and click on the COVID vaccine and scheduling button.
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The 3rd Annual Staff Works Save a Life fundraising campaign for the Delaware Valley Humane Society begins today, where donations made to the shelter will be matched by Staffworks, Humane Society Director Erin Insinga explains:
(Erin Insinga 12-1-21)
People can donate through the Delaware Valley Humane Society website at dvhsny.org, more information is available by calling the society during normal business hours at 563-7780.
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The Salvation Army “Red Kettle” drive is on again in Sidney at the Great American. Volunteers will be set up near the front entrance of the store taking donations through the holidays.
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The Sidney Chamber of Commerce will hold their next regular meeting this morning. The meeting will begin at 8:00 AM at the Trackside Diner on Main Street, Chamber Members & directors are urged to attend.
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]]>(Lora Vander Heide 12-17-19)
The Donations are being collected at Cobra Industries, Snake Bite Liquors, NBT in Afton or 88-BC lumber in Nineveh, more information is available at 639-2880.
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A.O. Fox Hospital announced that they will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open its new Food “Farmacy” program on Monday, January 6th in Sidney, spokesperson Sarah Buttice explains:
(Sarah Buttice 12-17-19)
Fox will be partnering with a number of local businesses and food pantries for supplies, the physical Food Farmacy will be located at A.O. Fox Hospital’s Tri-Town Campus, 43 Pearl Street West in Sidney.
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Delaware County Sheriff Deputies responded December 8th to a 1 car accident in the Town of Kortright. 22 year old Zachary Keenan of Delancey was the operator of the vehicle, he was charged with DWI, Operating a Motor Vehicle with a BAC of greater than .08%, failure to keep right and operating a motor vehicle with no seat belt. Keenan was taken to O’Connor Hospital in Delhi & was treated & released, he is due to appear in Town of Kortright Court at a later date to answer the charges.
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Governor Cuomo today unveiled the 4th proposal of his 2020 State of the State agenda; closing the rape intoxication loophole. Current Law does not adequately protect victims of sexual offenses who could not consent to sexual activity due to voluntary intoxication. Under current law, a person is deemed incapable of consent when he or she is mentally incapacitated, but it states mental incapacitation occurs when a person involuntarily ingests drugs or alcohol. The exclusion of incapacitation due to the voluntary ingestion of drugs or alcohol limits the ability to fully prosecute sexual assaults.
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State Supreme Court Judge Richard Rich Jr. has denied a motion ordering a recount in the Broome County District Attorney race, which allows the Board of Elections to certify that Libertarian Michael Korchak will be the Next Broome County District Attorney. Korchak now officials defeats Republican candidate Paul Battisti by 55 votes.
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Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 27 year-old Jonathan Ferrer of Geneva, Saturday, following a routine Traffic stop. Ferrer was charged with Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a motor vehicle & Speeding at 79 miles per hour in a 55 mph zone. Ferrer was released on tickets and is to appear in Town of Colchester Court at a later date.
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Area Congressman Antonio Delgado & Anthony Brindisi both announced that they will vote in Favor of Impeachment of President Trump. Brindisi released a statement saying that while he appreciates that President Trump has signed into law bills that Brindisi authored, but he said that the President broke the law by trying to block the testimony of key subpoenaed witnesses that had direct knowledge of the administration’s actions.
Governor Cuomo unveiled the 2nd proposal of his 2020 State of the State agenda: legislation banning fentanyl analogs, which is a deadly synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, by making them subject to the same criminal sale or possession penalties as other controlled substances. The legislation will give the State Health Commissioner the power to ban any new fentanyl analogs that have been added to the federal schedule of controlled substances, The Governor will also propose a series of actions to expand access to medication assisted treatment for opioid use disorder in hard to reach communities.
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The next Meeting of the Bainbridge Chamber of Commerce is this morning. The meeting will begin at 7:30 at Bob’s Diner.
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Meetings are underway between representatives from Minor & Major League Baseball & The Commissioner’s office, regarding plans to eliminated about a quarter of Minor League baseball teams, a plan that could save Major league baseball owners hundreds of thousands of dollars. State Senator Fred Akshar explains:
(Fred Akshar 11-22-19)
The plan calls for most single a sort season teams to be eliminated, with the Brooklyn Cyclones owned by New York Mets Ownership, to be moved into the Double A Eastern league & eliminate the Binghamton Rumble ponies as the Mets Double A team, Binghamton is privately owned by John Hughes.
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Delhi Village Police Department executed a “no-knock” search warrant Thursday at 42 Main Street. Police seized cocaine, marijuana, and diverted prescription medications, plus $750 in suspected drug proceeds, digital scales, drug packaging materials, and a replica handgun. Police arrested 24-year-old Malcolm Griffith of Brooklyn for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance & Tampering with Physical Evidence; he was arraigned in the Town of Delhi Court and remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $50,000 cash bail or $100,000 dollars secured bond. Delhi Police are considering additional charges in relation to this arrest.
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Libertarian candidate Michael Korchak has been declared the winner in the race for Broome County district attorney of Republican Paul Battisti. Korchak lost the Republican primary earlier this year to Battisti & ran on a 3rd party line, and after a close race on election day, and after the counting of absentee and affidavit ballots were counted, Korchak won by 46 votes over Battisti, who said that he will not concede & is demanding a recount.
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51 year old Julio Recio, a fugitive from justice has extradited from Spain and transported by US Marshals, to begin serving a 30-month prison sentence imposed in 1999 in a Federal Courtroom in Binghamton. Recio transported cocaine from New York City to Binghamton, he was arrested in Binghamton, he pled guilty to a drug conspiracy charge & was sentenced to a 30 month term & was ordered him to self-report to prison, and instead, he fled the country until the U.S. Marshals identified him traveling between the Dominican Republic and Spain under an assumed name. Recio will be transferred to a federal prison to serve his term.
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Broome County Sheriff’s department arrested 3 people following an unruly protest at the County Office Building Thursday afternoon during the regularly scheduled meeting of the Broome County Legislature. Deputies were informed that some protesters were unruly and refused to obey directives from the Broome County Division of Security. Arrested were 20 year old Brian McQuaid, 28 year old Quinton Archer & 30 year old Carinne Vizvary, all of Binghamton, they were charged with Obstructing governmental administration, resisting arrest, & were processed by the Binghamton Police Department.
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The Streets of Norwich will be filled with basketball players for the annual Gus Macker 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament this weekend, organizer Tom Revoir said that they still need volunteers for a variety of necessary functions:
(Tom Revoir 7-8-19)
The number to call & volunteer for the Macker Tournament at the Norwich Y is 336-9622, extension 29.
State Police arrested 28 year old Rosa Bautist-Pena of Yonkers for Driving While Ability Impaired by Drugs, after she arrived at the State Police barracks in Oneonta to speak to a trooper on an unrelated matter. She was arraigned in the town of Oneonta court where she was remanded to the Otsego County Jail on $50 cash bail or $250 property bond. She will appear in the town on Oneonta court on July 11th.
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State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli announced that there is $16 billion waiting to be claimed and the Office returns over $1.5 million a day. Anyone who thinks that New York State may have unclaimed funds can visit .osc.state.ny.us and search your name to find out if the state has money that belongs you.
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Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 38-Year-Old Mary Hubert of Unadilla, Sunday for DWI, following a civilian report of a driver sleeping behind the wheel of a motor vehicle on Sheehan Road in the Town of Meredith. Hubert was also issued tickets for Parking on a Public Highway, and Refusal to Take a Breath Screening Test; she was released on tickets for the Town of Meredith Court at a later date.
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Several area fire departments responded Friday to a fire at a home in the town of Butternuts. The call came into Otsego County 911 at 7:14 p.m. Friday night from the residents, who successfully escaped the house without injuries. Fire companies from Mt. Upton, Gilbertsville, Unadilla, Wells Bridge and Morris all responded to the scene, the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
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The Otsego County Chamber of Commerce is accepting nominations for our Celebration of Sustainable Success Awards. Nominees should be a chamber member who deserves recognition for the Quality of Life Award, which is given to a business, involved in the community and has made Otsego County a better place to live and work. The second award is the Environmental Stewardship Award which is for businesses, industries or organizations that have implemented programs or projects that have had a positive environmental impact on Otsego County. Nominations should be submitted by 5:00 pm Thursday, July 18. The winners will be honored at the Summer Soiree on Thursday, August 22nd.
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All of the absentee ballots in Broome County have now been counted for the Republican Party Primary District Attorney race. Paul Batistti is named the winner over Michael Korchak by slim margin, Batistti had a slim margin on Primary Day June 25th, the counting of the absentee ballots today confirmed Batistti’s victory.
State Police arrested 38 year old Joshua Eckman of Oneonta for Criminal Contempt, after a victim called troopers stating that Eckman entered the victim’s residence and violated an order of protection. Eckman was arraigned in the town of Oneonta court; he was released on his recognizance. On July 4th, Eckman was arrested again on the same charge after he entered the victim’s home, he was arrested and complained of alleged pain while being processed by State Police, he was taken to Fox Hospital. Once cleared from the hospital, Eckman was remanded to the Otsego County Jail on $1,000 cash bail or $2,000 property bond pending court action on July 11th.
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State Police arrested 27 year old Brandon Hilts of Burlington Flats for Unlawful Imprisonment, Criminal Obstruction of Breathing, Criminal Mischief and 2 counts of Criminal Mischief. Troopers were dispatched to a residence on Arnold Road in the town of Burlington to check the welfare of a person who had not responded to work. Troopers found Hilts and the victim, Hilts allegedly refused to let the victim leave the residence after an argument by physically blocking two exit doors. He’s also accused of choking the victim and breaking 2 phones, making the victim unable to call for help. Hilts was arrested & was arraigned & remanded to the Otsego County Jail on no bail due to violating his parole. The victim was issued an order of protection.
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The Chenango County Department of Public Works Crews will begin bridge rehabilitation work on 2 structures on County Road 32, in the Town of Norwich today. The work on these projects will last into the fall; they will maintain two way traffic at each bridge structure; however the traffic pattern at each structure shall change as the projects progress. Questions and concerns can be addressed by calling 337-1710.
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]]>(Elizabeth Monaco 6-3-19)
Monaco said people can call the Chenango United Way at 334-8815 for additional information.
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The State Department of Labor today released preliminary local unemployment rates for May. The Statewide Unemployment rate was an even 4% in May, Locally, Chenango County had 3.7% unemployment, Delaware County had 4% & Otsego County had 3.4%.
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A Public Meeting on new Upper Delaware River Policies will be held in Hancock on July 10th. Representatives from the Delaware River Basin Commission, State DEC, The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, and the DRBC Subcommittee on Ecological Flows (SEF) will discuss new approaches to control high water temperatures and reduce erratic water releases in the Upper Delaware River tail waters. The meeting on July 10th will begin at 10:30 AM until 12:00 Noon at the Friends of the Upper Delaware River office at 158 East Front Street, Hancock, RSVP’s are requested to info@fudr.org
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Catskill Area Hospice and Palliative Care is hosting a Caregiver Support Group at Tri-Town Regional Hospital in Sidney beginning Monday, July 15th. The group will meet 6 times to provide information and support for those who are taking care of seriously ill family members or friends. Caregivers will have an opportunity to identify concerns, discuss feelings, receive support from others, and locate community resources which may be helpful for their unique situations. There is no cost, but registration is required at 432-5525.
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The Sidney Community Band Announced their 2019 Don Clayton Memorial Trailside Concert Series will be held at the Pavillion at Keith Clark Park at 6:30 PM on wednesday nights, starting July 10th with the Sidney Community Band. Shows will be held each wednesday night through August 21st, All concerts free and open to the public. More information is available at the Sidney Community Band facebook page.
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The 2019 Walton Farmers’ Market will be held every Friday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM starting July 5 to September 27 at Veterans Plaza at 181 Delaware Street in Walton. This year, the market will also host a weekly event during the Farmer’s Market. More information is available at 865-6531 or ccedelaware.org.
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Republican primary Results have been released; Town of Sidney Clerk Primary was won by Sheila Paul over Lisa French 134 – 112. The Broome County District Attorney Republican Primary was won by Paul Battisti by a slim margin over Michael Korchak, in the Republican Primary for Norwich Mayor, Shawn Sastri handily defeats incumbent mayor Christine Carnrike & North Norwich Town Supervisor between Timothy Brown & Robert Wansor ended as a tie, 51 votes each. The Republican primary for Town of Hancock Highway Superintendent was won by Neil Emerich, Democratic Party Primaries for the Oneonta Common Council, were won by Mark Davies in Oneonta’s 2nd ward & Katie Lapari Shue won in the 4th Ward.
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Chenango County Sheriff’s Department executed a no knock search warrant at 121 Ashcraft Road in the Town of Plymouth Tuesday. The search warrant stemmed from an investigation involving the distribution of Crystal Methamphetamine, Norwich Police assisted with the investigation and execution of the search warrant. The Narcotics Division arrested 47 year old William Johnson and 35 year old Kelli Johnson for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Criminal Use of Drug Paraphernalia, and Endangering the Welfare of a Child. The Sheriff’s Office recovered Crystal Methamphetamine, packaging material, digital scales, cash, and several firearms. The investigation remains ongoing.
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The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce will honor local businesses at their annual awards ceremony at the Garden Party at Birdsong Farm in Delhi today. The ceremony will be held at 5:30 PM at 38480 State Highway 10 in Delhi, The Delhi Rehabilitation & Nursing Center will be honored as the Business of the Year. More information is available at delawarecounty.org or call 746-2281
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Delaware County Public Health will be holding a free Car Seat Safety Event at Delaware Opportunities State Highway 10 Hamden, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Parents and caregivers can have their child’s car seat checked at no cost by certified child safety seat technicians more information is available at 832-5200.
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