STATE FAIR – WCDO Radio News

WCDO NEWS TUESDAY 9-4-18

wcdonews — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 18:46:30 +0000

23-year-old Kevin Perry of Laurens pleaded guilty to 2 counts of 2nd degree murder in Otsego County court Friday. Perry pleaded guilty to killing his parents in their town of Laurens home in early December of last year. Perry will face sentencing on October 19th.
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Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies & the Downsville Fire Department and Emergency Squad responded to a 911 report of a motor vehicle accident Sunday Morning on County Highway 7; The Cat Hollow Road in the Town of Colchester. Upon arrival, first responders found the involved vehicle fully engulfed in flames. Following fire suppression, responders found that the vehicle’s driver was deceased, there were no other occupants. Investigators determined that 41 year old Anthony Driskell of Unadilla, lost control of his vehicle, left the roadway and struck a tree. The cause of this accident remains under investigation.
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Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies investigated a fatal motor vehicle accident on State Highway 10 in the Town of Walton Friday Night. 21 year old Aaron Tubbs of Treadwell was operating a bicycle on State Hwy 10, when he was fatally struck by a vehicle operated by 66 year old Michelle Mason of Hamden. Mason and her passenger were uninjured. The cause of the collision remains under investigation.
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Governor Cuomo today announced that New York State Police are stepping up patrols to crack down on dangerous drivers as students return to school. The Governor urged motorists to watch for students as they walk or bike to school, follow posted speed limits, and stop and wait whenever a school bus is stopped with its red lights flashing and its “stop” sign extended. This is the latest step in a series of safety measures the Governor has recently taken to get the school year off to a safe start.In addition to stepping up enforcement efforts, the State Police will also be partnering with AAA for their “School’s Open – Drive Carefully” campaign.
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State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s office announced that staff will attend community events around the state in September to help residents search for unclaimed funds. DiNapoli oversees more than 39 million unclaimed funds accounts valued at $15.5 billion until the money can be returned to its rightful owners. Unclaimed funds come from old bank accounts, utility deposits, uncashed checks, insurance claims, stocks and other sources that have been dormant for a number of years. Residents who cannot make it to the events can call 1-800-221-9311. The next Southern Tier event with representatives from the Comptroller’s office will be on September 9th from 12:00 Noon until 10:00 PM at the Blues on the Bridge at Riverside Drive & Water Street in Binghamton.
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A.O. Fox Hospital is co-hosting a special panel discussion event at Hartwick College’s Slade Theatre in Yager Hall on Wednesday, September 12th from 3:30 to 5:00 PM, Community agencies, law enforcement, crisis counselors, survivors, & A.O. Fox’s Emergency Department will facilitate a candid conversation about sexual assault more information is available at 431-5180.
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Sidney Village Officials announced that the Main Street Railroad Crossing will be closed at 8:00 AM tomorrow, through sometime Friday Morning. Norfolk Southern crews will be performing repairs & routine maintenance to their tracks at that location.
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The New York State Fair broke the overall attendance record in its 177-year history and surpassed several daily attendance records over the course of its 13-day run. More than 1.26 million fairgoers have passed through the Fair’s gates so far since Opening Day.
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The City of Oneonta has contracted with McFarland Johnson of Binghamton to complete a Master Plan Update for the Oneonta Municipal Airport, which is required to develop and update by the Federal Aviation Administration and reviews and considers potential uses of the Airport, as well as their impacts on current facilities and requirements for additional facilities, over the next 20 years. McFarland Johnson is reviewing the current use of the Airport, & they have developed a survey for the local business community at surveymonkey.com/r/8CY9ML6
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New York Farm Bureau, the State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard Ball, and Farmers for Free Trade, gathered at the State Fair last week to discuss their concerns, as a number of New York commodities, including dairy, soybeans, wine, maple and apples face retaliatory tariffs in several countries including China, Canada, Mexico and in the European Union. commodity prices have fallen on agricultural products, Equipment prices are rising due to the tariffs, and farmers are concerned about losing long established markets as countries turn to other, cheaper sources for their food. Net farm income was already down by 50% before the trade wars began. The principle agreement announced last week with Mexico is a step in the right direction, but an agreement with Canada needs to be completed for an effective news NAFTA deal.
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Governor Cuomo announced the release of the formal application for state matched funds through his County-Wide Shared Services Initiative. The state will match dollar-for-dollar the actual savings achieved by a county or local government pursuant to an adopted shared services plan. A total of $225 million has been appropriated for these matches to consolidate local services and create efficiencies within county borders to reduce the burden on taxpayers. More information is available at ny.gov/programs/shared-services-initiative
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Governor Cuomo announced that $14.7 million has been awarded to implement water quality protection projects on 43 farms across the state. The funding was provided through the second round of the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation Waste Storage and Transfer System Program. It supports projects that will allow large livestock farms to better manage and store nutrients, such as manure, to protect ground water and nearby waterways. More information is available at agriculture.ny.gov.
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A community preparedness class will be held on September 11th from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at Circle drive Alliance Church. Registration swill be accepted through today at DISASTER.SALVATION ARMY USA.ORG; The class will prepare participants in how to deal with floods, fires & snow storms.
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The Oneonta Common Council will hold its next regular meeting this evening. The meeting will start at 7:00 PM in the Council Chambers at the 2nd floor of City Hall, it is open to the public.
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WCDO NEWS TUESDAY 7-11-17

wcdonews — Tue, 11 Jul 2017 18:10:18 +0000

Sidney village police arrested 26-year-old Ashley Bailey of Sidney on a sealed indictment warrant, for criminal sale of a controlled substance. Bailey is accused of selling heroin in Sidney; she was remanded to the Delaware County jail without bail pending future court action.
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Both houses of the New York State Legislature have approved a bill that would expand eligibility for medical marijuana to include people undergoing treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. The bill is waiting for Governor Cuomo’s signature.
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Sidney village police arrested 40-year-old Steven Spencer of Bainbridge for criminal possession of methamphetamine manufacturing material & unlawful possession of marijuana. The arrested followed a traffic stop on Main Street in Sidney last week, where Spencer was a passenger in the stopped vehicle with meth manufacturing materials. Spencer was arraigned and was remanded to the Delaware county jail on $1500 cash bail pending future court action.
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Syracuse University is getting $4 million in federal money to help recruit minority students interested in science and math. U.S. Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced the National Science Foundation funding on Monday. It will be used to attract and retain students interested in science, technology, engineering, and math –
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Tri-Town Youth Club will be starting our Summer Program on Wednesday, July 19th at 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at our new location at the Sidney United Methodist Church located on 12 Liberty Avenue, Sidney. New Club Director Vincent Spruill is relocating from Cobbleskill to take the position with the Sidney based club. Many programs will be offered, the Summer Program is FREE to all youth, ages 5 to 14 years old!
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Another phone scam targeting NYSEG customers is circulating in the tri county area currently. The scammer will claim that NYSEG will shut off electricity if an exorbitant amount of money is not paid quickly. Area police agencies suggest that if you get such a call, hang up immediately, and call NYSEG at 800-572-1111 to verfy that your account is current and that the call was fraudulent.

Chenango County Sheriff’s Department arrested several individuals on active warrants & Drug charges. Deputies responded to 731 New Virginia Rd in the Town of Oxford to locate Adam Daring and Kristine Tiffany of Norwich, who were wanted by the City of Norwich Police Department for Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance. Daring was located, attempting to use Methamphetamine. Tiffany was located and taken into custody; the two were later turned over to the Norwich Police Department. The Sheriff’s Office also arrested 29 year old Justin Cook from Mt. Upton, he allegedly used a false name and date of birth, he was wanted on an active bench warrant out of Sidney Court, and was turned over to the Sidney Police Department. Heather Prince of Oxford was taken into custody for an active warrant issued by the Oxford Police Department.
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The Sidney police department has been awarded a grant recently, Chief Jan Gorshack explains:

(Chief Gorshack 7-11-17)

The grant was awarded by the NRA Foundation recently to the Sidney Police department.
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State lawmakers in the Senate & Assembly failed to agree on additional help against the heroin crisis in the state, in the last days of the 2017 session. There was about $200,000 million dollars for various programs in the state budget, a senate Task Force on heroin & Opioid addiction will meet soon in Buffalo to gather more information on the financial strain the crisis is putting on local governments, hospitals, emergency personnel & local communities. 2200 New Yorkers died from opioid overdoses in 2015.
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The State Fair continues to add big names to their concert lineup this year. Blue Oyster Cult has been added for Friday September 1st at 8:00 PM at the Chevy Court, other groups that will play the State Fair this year include the Beach Boys, 3 doors down, the Marshal Tucker band & Leeann Rimes.

WCDO NEWS THURSDAY 4-21-16

wcdonews — Thu, 21 Apr 2016 19:25:02 +0000

The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office and Village of Sidney Police Department executed a “no knock” search warrant Wednesday at 104 Spreutels Lane in the Town of Guilford, following an investigation into the sales of cocaine and heroin in Chenango County and the Village of Sidney. Police Detectives located 280 packages of heroin, plus cocaine, digital scales, packaging material, and cash; they arrested Samuel Rivera for 2 counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Criminal Nuisance, & 2 counts of Criminal Use of Drug Paraphernalia. Rivera was arraigned in the Town of Norwich Court and remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility on $10,000 cash bail. The investigation is still continuing and more arrests are expected.
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Oneonta Police Department responded to a report of a subject who appeared to be intoxicated while driving a vehicle with a small child Sunday. Police arrested 31 year old Ashley Stanton of Oneonta for Driving while ability impaired by drugs with previous convictions, Aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, Aggravated DWI with a child less than 15 years of age & Endangering the welfare of a child. Stanton is accused of using medications and substances that impaired her ability to operate a motor vehicle, with a suspended license.
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6 individuals will be inducted into the General Clinton Canoe Regatta Hall of Fame this year, during the 54th annual Regatta, The paddlers being inducted are Armond Bassett, Bob Allen, Jim Jordan & Al Rudquist & the “Pit Crew” inductees are Dale Fox & Dean Oliver, both of Bainbridge. Regatta Chairman John Harmon comments:

(John Harmon 4-21-16)

The induction ceremony will be held on Saturday May 28th under the tent in General Clinton Park in Bainbridge.
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Chapter 200 of the Disabled American Veterans is seeking donations for the purchase of their next van to take area veterans to the VA Hospital in Albany, and they are also seeking volunteer drivers to drive their van. Service Officer Ernest Thompson of Chapter 200 explains:

(Ernest Thompson 4-21-16)

Those seeking more information about donating or volunteering can call 764-8134 or log on to DAV.Org.
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Governor Cuomo today announced that the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance stopped more than 239,000 suspicious refund claims during the income tax season. As a result, the Department saved taxpayers $400 million—an increase of 18 percent over the same time period last year. Taxpayers who suspect that an individual or business is committing tax fraud can confidentially report it online or by phone at 518-457-0578.
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The rock group Toto will play at the Chevy Court stage at the Great New York State Fair on Friday, August 26th at 8:00 PM. Toto has had a string of hits in the 70’s through early 90’s, other acts scheduled to appear during the state fair include Bruce Hornsby, Air Supply, Herman’s Hermits, Survivor, The Commodores, Culture Club, & Chicago.
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Spring turkey season opens May 1 in all of upstate counties and the DEC’s 13th annual youth turkey-hunting weekend is this weekend. The youth turkey hunt for junior hunters ages 12-15 is open in all of upstate New York and across Suffolk County. More information about turkey hunting in New York, is available at the DEC’s website at dec.ny.gov.
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Kinder Morgan announced Wednesday that they have decided to stop their Plans to build a natural gas pipeline through the Southern Tier into New England. Officials with the company cited a lack of contracts with gas distribution companies.
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Attorney General Eric Schneiderman received more than one thousand complaints regarding improprieties in the course of the Primary day elections. Schneiderman said that his office has opened an investigation into the voting problems reported by the New York City Board of Elections. Inquiries may also occur in additional areas of the State where voting irregularities appeared unusually high.

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 3-17-15

wcdonews — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 19:00:09 +0000

Budget conference committee work is underway this week in Albany. Area state senator Jim Seward testified that he would like to see the Gap Elimination adjustment dropped from this year’s school state aid equation:

(Seward 3-17-15)

The State Senate budget completely eliminates the $1 billion that remains of the Gap Elimination Adjustment, and increases state school aid by $1.9 billion dollars.
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Governor Cuomo today announced that 52 organizations from across the state are joining the Enough is Enough campaign to combat sexual assault on college campuses. The adoption of this proposal will make New York a leader in the fight against on-campus sexual violence and will better protect the State’s 1.2 million college students.
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The Otsego County Planning Department will host training classes on two separate evenings beginning in April. Representative of the New York State Department of State will present both classes. These classes may meet the state training requirement for local government officials. Both workshops will be held at the Meadows Office Complex, County Highway 33W next to the County Public Safety building. Session 1 will be on Thursday April 9 regarding Zoning Board of Appeals Overview. Session 2 will be Thursday April 9th regarding rural planning, online registration are available at otsegocounty.com.
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Meghan Trainor has been added to the New York State Fair line up, she will perform at the Chevy Court at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 3rd. More info can be found at Meghan-Trainor.com.
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The Chenango River Theatre will hold regional auditions on Monday, March 30th for their 2015 season. Information on all shows and the roles available is posted at chenangorivertheatre.org.
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P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 9-2-14

wcdonews — Tue, 02 Sep 2014 17:57:40 +0000

The B-Mets Playoff fate has been decided, following yesterday’s loss to Richmond to end the regular Eastern League Season. B-Mets spokesman Jim Weed explains:

(Jim Weed 9-2-14)

The B-Mets will be playing Round 1 Playoff Games at home Wednesday and Thursday, against the Portland Sea Dogs. Tickets are available at BMETS.com, at the NYSEG Stadium box office or at 723-METS.

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State police are reminding motorists to support the AAA’s annual “School’s Open; Drive Carefully” for the safety of children traveling to and from school. The Annual campaign alerts motorists to the special risks to school age children from motor vehicle crashes, which is the leading cause of death for children from 5 to 14 years old. The campaign runs through October 15. Motorists will receive an additional reminder each time they see one of the “School’s Open” bumper stickers on State Police vehicles, other state vehicles, & school buses.

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The New York State Fair in Syracuse ended its 2014 run with attendance that topped last year by 113,990 visitors. The fair broke a record Saturday for the most people to ever go through the turnstile in one day, then, broke it again yesterday with a new high of 122,870. Overall attendance for the fair this year was just over 965,000 people.

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A new state Board of Elections enforcement began its work today. The new compliance office will probe potential election law and campaign finance violations; the unit will begin with 3 investigators, 3 lawyers and 2 support staff. For the past several years, the Board of Elections has had no investigators on staff to enforce election law. The unit was part of several ethics reforms the Legislature agreed to in March in exchange for Cuomo’s decision to shut down his anti-corruption commission.

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New York’s Upstate Niagara Cooperative of Buffalo was awarded a contract to provide Greek yogurt to public schools across 3 states. U.S. Senator Charles Schumer said that Upstate Niagara would provide 142,700 pounds of Greek yogurt to New York, Arizona and Tennessee, as part of the U.S. D.A. School Lunch Program Pilot, through the end of the school year in June 2015. The USDA will then consider bids for the following school year.

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Local officials urge residents to think safety for National Preparedness Month in September. Staying informed about developments and making kits with supplies are some of the steps families can take to minimize problems whenever a natural disaster hits the area. National Preparedness Month is sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in order to educate people to prepare for and respond to emergencies of all types and sizes. More information can be found at ready.gov

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The Sidney Village Board of Trustees will be holding an emergency board meeting with limited agenda items in the Sidney Civic Center boardroom. The meeting gets underway at 7:00 PM. The board will acknowledge receipt of bids not meeting FAA specifications & Authorize rebidding of the acquisition of Snow Removal Utility Tractor with attachments.

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P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 5-22-14

wcdonews — Thu, 22 May 2014 17:06:17 +0000

Area assemblyman Cliff Crouch announced his intentions to seek the office for another 2-year term in the 122nd district:

(Crouch 5-22-14)

Crouch cited education, economic development, and mandate relief for taxpayers, businesses, schools and local governments as his main goals. Crouch was first elected to the Assembly in 1995 and serves as chairman of the Assembly Republican Conference. So far, no democrats have announced any intention to seek Crouch’s Assembly seat.

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Engineers have determined the Ellis Brothers Furniture Building on Water Street in Binghamton is in danger of imminent collapse and must be demolished. An April 30^th fire damaged the building & the Demolition is expected within the next few days. A portion of Water Street will be closed to traffic for at least a week as the building is torn down and debris is removed.

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Otego resident Mike Packard will join the 2100-mile club after finishing his 30th 70-mile general Clinton canoe regatta race on Monday. Packard told WCDO News about the milestone and how he got started in canoe racing:

(Mike Packard 5-22-14)

28 time Regatta Champion Serge Corbin will not be racing this year, after 29 finishes at the General Clinton Canoe Regatta. The 57-year-old Corbin told WCDO that he is not racing currently:

(Corbin 5-22-14)

Corbin continues to operate his Boat making business, and is enjoying his retirement from canoe racing.

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The state Senate passed a bill to make the aggravated murder of a child punishable with a life sentence in prison without parole. The bill expands on the existing law of aggravated abuse of a child, which makes it a crime when someone causes physical injury to a child under the age of 14. Dubbed the “Protect Our Children Act,” the proposed bill also seeks to create a new felony for concealing the death of a child, and for failing to notify police when the whereabouts of a child are unknown for more than 24 hours. The bill was sent to the assembly

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U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer announced the first phase of a statewide database, to help track a rising epidemic of heroin use in New York. Schumer said the President’s Office of National Drug Control Policy, agreed to meet with state and local government officials within the next three months, to determine how to track heroin and other drug-related crimes. The database would help counties set up a database to track heroin and other drug-related overdoses, deaths, hospital admissions and crimes statewide, as well as help police identify patterns and crack down on distribution rings.

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Governor Cuomo launched a new online platform called Business Mentor NY, the State’s first, mentoring program designed to help small business. The website located at businessmentor.ny.gov where participants may register online, review the profiles of potential mentors and communicate directly with them on an as-needed basis and at no charge.

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The band Barenaked Ladies will play opening night at the New York State Fair on Aug. 21st. The band will perform at 8 p.m. at Chevy Court. Other acts announced for Chevy Court include Kellie Pickler, Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone , John Kay and Steppenwolf, Bowzer’s Rock & Roll Party, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and The Doobie Brothers

A.M. NEWS FRIDAY 4-11-14

wcdonews — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 17:30:12 +0000

The Otsego County Sheriff’s Department & DEA Agents arrested 53-year-old John Laing of Unadilla for criminal possession of marijuana and unlawfully growing of cannabis by an unlicensed person. Laing is accused of having a marijuana growing operation at his residence, investigators confiscated over 10 pounds of marijuana, 95 marijuana plants, 54 cloned marijuana plants, $10,000 in growing equipment, and $3,100 in cash. Laing was taken to the Otsego County Jail pending court action; 36-year-old Steven Carpenter of Guilford was also arrested for unlawful possession of marijuana.

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About 2 dozen concerns are expected to apply to the state gaming commission, to get one of 4 upstate casinos to be built & operated, to help increase tourism revenue. State senator John Bonacic comments:

(Bonacic 4-11-14)

Bonacic said that the 1 resort will be placed in each of the 3 regions, & the 4th license will be picked based on the best proposal.

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The 9th annual Earth Festival will be held at the Milford Central School Saturday at 9:30 AM. Bird Walks, Gardening workshops & more 40-area businesses and organizations will participate. Earth Festival 2014 is sponsored by Otsego County Conservation Association, the Otsego County Chamber of Commerce and Central NY Mobile Marketing; more information is available at 547-4488 or occainfo.org.

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The New York State Fair box office and online outlet will be open Saturday morning to sell tickets to the Tuesday, August 26 concert by Train & the Wallflowers at the State fair Grandstand. Ticket sales begin at 9:00 a.m. both at the box office, or at etix.com, or by phone at 1 (800) 514-3849, option 1.

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The 5th Annual Norwich Tea Party rally will be held tomorrow in downtown Norwich. Coordinator Gilda Ward said that several speakers would participate:

(Gilda Ward 4-11-14)

The event will be held from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM in East Side Park in downtown Norwich, live music & refreshments will also be part of the event.

P.M. NEWS MONDAY 2-3-14

wcdonews — Tue, 04 Feb 2014 10:39:04 +0000

The National Weather Service has a Winter Storm Watch in effect for Tuesday Night to Wednesday Night. Sidney High School science Teacher & Meteorologist Rich Townsend comments:

(Rich Townsend 2-3-14)

The Storm will start out down south, & move up through the Mississippi Valley & head into the Southern Tier around Midnight Tuesday night.

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Governor Cuomo today launched the Citizen Preparedness Corps Training Program that will train approximately 100,000 New Yorkers during 2014 in preparation for emergencies or disasters. Governor Cuomo also announced the launch of a new website www.prepare.ny.gov, to serve as the digital home for the Citizen Preparedness Corps community. The website will offer information about additional trainings & disaster preparedness tips.

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2 Binghamton men were indicted for an alleged robbery-turned homicide against a South Side man last year. 40-year-old Nigel Smith and 36 year old Calvin Bell, were named in an indictment as co-defendants for multiple charges, including second-degree murder, in the June 15 death of Bretnie Owens. Smith, who is being held on a parole violation, pleaded not guilty last month in Broome County Court. Smith and Bell allegedly caused Owens’ death while committing a robbery. The men are accused of aiding and abetting each other to commit the crime. Bell is being held in the Broome County jail

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A Chenango County woman has pleaded not guilty to a grand jury indictment alleging she caused the death of a 3-month-old girl she was babysitting. 38-year-old Geneia Rood of Pitcher, pleaded not guilty in Chenango County Court last month to an indictment charging a felony count of second-degree manslaughter. Rood is accused of recklessly causing the September 5th death of Brenna Quinn by giving her alcohol. Rood is being held in the Chenango County jail.

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With stronger laws and greater enforcement, texting-while-driving tickets in New York rose 82 percent in 2013 compared to 2012. Police issued about 55,000 texting tickets statewide in 2013, up from about 30,000 in 2012. Gov. Cuomo proposed to suspend licenses for one year for people under age 21 caught texting behind the wheel. The current suspension is for six months. Tickets for cell phone use still outpace texting tickets. Police last year issued nearly 207,000 tickets for using a cell phone while driving.

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Governor Cuomo today announced that Jason Aldean would return to the New York State Fair Grandstand on Saturday, August 30^th. Florida Georgia Line and Tyler Farr will open; Tickets will go on sale at 9:00 AM this Saturday, February 8^th at the State Fair Box Office and the Fair’s online ticket seller, etix.com.

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State Troopers at Sidney arrested 58-year-old Randy Leizear of Bainbridge for driving while intoxicated with a reportable BAC result of .15%, almost twice the legal limit. The arrest resulted from a vehicle and traffic law stop for a turn signal violation on Maple Street in Afton; Leizear was issued tickets returnable to the Village of Afton Court today.