Sidney Village Elections are being held today at the Sidney Civic Center 1st Floor Board Room, Deputy Mayor Vic Tartaglia & Sidney EMS Director Ray Baker are seeking to replace Andy Matviak, who is not seeking re-election after serving as Sidney Mayor for 12 years. Village elections are being performed throughout the state, polling places will be open until 9:00 PM.

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Today is the 50th Anniversary of National Agriculture Day, Chenango County Farm Bureau President Bradd Vickers told WCDO News that Agriculture remains as critically important:

(Bradd Vickers 3-21-23)

Vickers said that this year, the Farm bureau has received proclamations from the Chenango County Board of Supervisors, Assemblyman Joe Angelino and tonight they will receive one from the Norwich Common Council, recognizing the importance of agriculture.

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A.O. Fox Hospital and Bassett Healthcare Network announced that FoxCare Fitness in Oneonta will be closing permanently as of June 1 for Gym memberships, Spokesperson Gabby Argo told WCDO News that the pandemic made things harder for the facility to remain open as a Gym:

(Gabby Argo 3-21-23)

Argo said that Bassett has been discussing a possible collaboration with the Oneonta YMCA but so far no agreement has been reached. The last day of operations at FoxCare Fitness will be May 31.

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Walton Fire Department was dispatched to a structure fire Monday at 34 Mead Street in the Village of Walton. A Walton Assistant Chief who was passing by and notified 911, of smoke showing & a woman on the 2nd floor attempting to escape, the assistant chief was able to assist her in exiting the home. Mutual aid was promptly dispatched from Trout Creek and Delhi Fire Departments & the FAST team from Franklin. 1 firefighters was injured inside & was safely removed, he was transported to DVH where he was further evaluated, treated and later released. The fire was under control in about 90 minutes, The 2nd and 3rd floors were deemed a total loss. The first floor suffered extensive heat, smoke and water damage

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A Red Cross blood drive is being held in Walton today until 6:00 PM. at the Pines Brook Church, Appointments can be made by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, downloading the Red Cross Blood Donor App, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.

A.M. NEWS Tuesday 3-21-23

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a disabled vehicle on State Highway 28 in the Town of Franklin, 23 year old Devon Finch of Andes, had been operating a motor vehicle in an intoxicated state, Deputies arrested and charged Finch with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. Finch was released on an appearance ticket and directed to appear at the Town of Franklin Town Court at a later date.

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The City of Oneonta announced that a safety concern on the exit ramp in the City’s Parking Garage located on Market Street, The ramp was immediately closed Monday and a structural engineer brought in , who advised that repairs to the ramp are required before it can be safely re-opened to vehicular traffic. The top level of the parking garage and the exit ramp will remain closed until those repairs can be made. Also, City officials announced that their contractor, R.B. Robinson Contracting, will begin construction for Gardner Place Street Reconstruction project on Wednesday, This project will continue thru the end of June 2023. Work includes replacement of sanitary and storm sewer mains, including new sewer laterals to residents and businesses, and full street reconstruction including some sidewalks and curbs followed by final restoration and stripping.

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Broadway In Binghamton is presenting “On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan” Tonight and Wednesday night at the Forum Theater in downtown Binghamton. Tickets are still available and can be purchased at broadwayinbinghamton.com.

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The Village of Sidney mayoral Race will be held tomorrow, with 2 candidates vying for the position, Ray Baker told WCDO News of his background with a number of local Organizations:

(Ray Baker 3-20-23)

Current Deputy Mayor Vic Tartaglia is also running for Sidney Village Mayor:

(Vic Tartaglia 3-20-23)

Both men are looking to replace long time Mayor Andy Matviak, who declined to seek re-election this year after serving as mayor for 12 years.

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Former Assistant to Former Broome County District Attorney James Worhach was sentenced to 2 to 4 years in prison. Worhach served under previous DA Steven Cornwell, In January, Worhach pleaded guilty to Grand Larceny after admitting he stole more than $1,000 from 2016-2019 from the Broome County government. Worhach was also ordered to pay $5,727.75 in restitution to Broome County plus a fine of $1,000.

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A State DEC Environmental Conservation Police Officer is credited with saving an elderly couple from their burning car in Downsville on March 7th. En Con Officer Doig noticed flames shooting out near the exhaust and gas tank of the vehicle, he notified Delaware County 911, approached the vehicle & safely removed 2 elderly individuals from the car. Officer Doig grabbed his patrol car fire extinguisher, and put out the fire. The Downsville Fire Department arrived a short time later and determined the vehicle had a leaking gas tank and could have become engulfed in flames at any moment. The couple were unaware the car caught fire, there were no injuries reported.

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Broome County Sheriff’s Office welcomed 27 new Corrections Officers at a ceremony at SUNY Broome Community College, including 7 women. The 27 officers was the largest group of new Corrections Officers in the history of the Sheriff’s Office, freshman Sheriff Fred Akshar stated that it was a priority to bolster the number of Corrections officers as soon as possible, when he took office in January.

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Bassett Healthcare Network announced today that masks are no longer required for patients, visitors, or staff members across most areas of the health system. 1 exception is in Bassett’s skilled nursing facilities at A.O. Fox Nursing Home, Valley Residential Services, and Valley Health Services, where masks will still be required for all employees and visitors. Long-term care facilities continue to follow stricter guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) based on community transmission rates to protect residents.

A.M. NEWS MONDAY 3-20-23

The Otsego County Sheriff’s Office arrested 48 year old Charles Bodie of Edmeston for 2nd degree Rape, Criminal Sex Act, Dissemination of Indecent Material to Minors, Obscenity, & Endangering the Welfare of a Child. Bodie is accused of engaging in sexual relationship with a minor for several months, allegedly sent indecent material to the minor while he was employed outside of the State, and then Homeland Security was requested to assist. Bodie was located and arrested & he was returned to New York, he was turned over to investigators and was being held at the Otsego County Correctional Facility to await arraignment. Additional charges are expected.

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Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 71 year old Vincent Balsamo of Walton on an Indictment Warrant for Manslaughter. The arrest was a result of a 3-month investigation, Balsamo was charged with 2nd degree Manslaughter, 2nd degree assault and reckless endangerment for a domestic incident that resulted in the death of 52 year old April Kestner of Honesdale Pennsylvania at his residence in the Town of Walton in December 2022. Balsamo was being held pending future court action.

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Charlotte Bennett has filed a complaint in State Court claiming that the State is liable for Cuomo’s alleged sexual harrassment of her & against the actions of Cuomo’s top aides for failing to take corrective action after she reported the abuse. Bennett had previously filed a lawsuit against Cuomo, who has denied the allegations.

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The Oxford Girls Basketball team finished the 2022-23 season with an appearance in the Class-D state championship game on Sunday in Troy. The Blackhawks fell to Hammond from Section 10 in the title game but earned an exciting semifinal victory on Saturday over Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons from Section 2. Madalyn Barrows was the star of the weekend for Oxford as she tallied 43 points, 19 rebounds, 12 steals & 10 assists over the two games. She did all this while being sick and only being able to eat crackers and drink pedialyte. The Blackhawks finish the season at 22-6 and they were the first Chenango County Girls Basketball team to make the state finals since B-G did in 1999. For more information make sure to check out Sports Director Nate Lull on Twitter.

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Village elections were held in New York State Tuesday.  Locally in the Sidney Trustees race, Incumbent Vic Tartaglia received 118 votes, Pat Cristelli 102 votes, they were elected to the Village Board, and Write in Candidate Teri Schunk received 83 votes.  In Walton Ed Snow Defeated Incumbent Stephen Condon, many other local races featured unopposed candidates.

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A new Sienna Poll showed that Voters believe by a 50 to 35% margin that Governor Cuomo should not immediately resign, a similar margin believes that he can continue to effectively do his job as governor.    Voters are satisfied with the way Cuomo has addressed the allegations, by a 57% to 32% margin, they approve of Cuomo’s handling of the pandemic, 60-33%, and voters gave Cuomo a negative grade, 27-66% regarding the reporting of Nursing home deaths during the pandemic.

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Between the Governor’s Sexual harassment claims & getting vaccinations ramped up statewide, Governor Cuomo & the State Legislature have 2 weeks to get the State Budget plan enacted, the Governor talked about that at a Vaccination site this morning:

(Cuomo 3-17-21)

The total state budget may go over 200 Billion dollars for the 1st time, The State Budget is due April 1st.

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Chenango County Public Health announced that their website has been updated and there is now a place to register for COVID-19 vaccine appointments at co.chenango.ny.us/public-health/nursing/covid19.  Registration for vaccine appointments must be done online. There will be no Walk-ins; the vaccine will only go to eligible groups outlined by the state Health Department.  The next Chenango Vaccine clinic is this Friday March 19th at the former Label Shopper Store in the South Plaza Center on State Route 12 in Norwich.  Chenango County reported 15 new COVID cases today, they report 2585 total cases, and they have 83 active cases, 247 quarantined and 7 hospitalizations.

A.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 3-17-21

The State Department of Labor today released preliminary local area unemployment rates for January 2021.  The State unemployment rate increased to 8.8% in January 2021.  Locally, Chenango County had 6.3% unemployment, Delaware County 6.6% & Otsego County 6.7% in January.

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Delaware County Public Health reported 8 new COVID 19 cases Tuesday out of 187 tested.  The county has 99 active cases, 7 hospitalized & 364 quarantined.

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The American Farm Bureau Federation recognized New York Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ranchers program for its efforts to donate more than 8 million pounds of food to the regional food banks across the state last year.  The 8 Million pounds of food collected was through the “Harvest for All” donation program, the food was distributed among the 10 Feeding America food banks throughout the state.

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State Police will increase patrols to combat drunk, impaired and reckless driving as St. Patrick’s Day celebrations get underway through Sunday.   Drivers can expect to encounter additional DWI patrols, sobriety checkpoints, State Police will also be ticketing distracted drivers who are using handheld electronic devices, and will also conduct underage drinking and unlawful sales to minor’s details during the campaign.   Last year, Troopers arrested 203 people for DWI, issued 372 tickets for distracted driving and 12,279 tickets in total.

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The state-run mass vaccination site at SUNY Oneonta will open tomorrow, along with 9 others across the upstate Counties.  Bassett Healthcare Network staff will work at the site each day, along with Staff from the State, the National Guard and Otsego County Public Health.  Anyone currently eligible under state guidelines can find the link to register at bassett.org/covid-19/covid-19-vaccine, starting today.  After registering, patients should go to forms.ny.gov/s3/vaccine.  Eligible New Yorkers can also schedule appointments by utilizing New York’s ‘Am I Eligible’ website or by calling the state’s COVID-19 Vaccination Hotline at 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829).

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The Binghamton Devils today announced the completion of the March 10 game against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, which was suspended after one period of play, will resume on Monday, April 26 at 6:00 pm.  The score was tied at 1-1 after one period when the game was suspended due to league COVID-19 protocols.  Tonight’s game against Lehigh Valley has been cancelled due to COVID concerns.

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Chenango County Public Health reported 7 new COVID 19 cases today & they are confirming the 64th COVID-19 death in Chenango County.   Officials reported 86 active cases, 236 Active Quarantines 236, 14 hospitalized & a Total of 2570 cases since last year.  Chenango County Public health has vaccinated 2802 people so far, they anticipate 400 doses to be given this week for 1A & 1B priority groups identified by the state health department.

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Many local Employers are looking for potential employees currently, all over the region, CDO Workforce Spokesperson Zoe VanderMeulen explains:

(Zoe VanderMeulen 3-16-21)

Anyone looking for work or other services offered by CDO Workforce can call 607-832-5776.

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Forbes has named The Raymond Corporation as one of America’s Best Midsize Employers for 2021 within the engineering and manufacturing industry. The final list ranks the best midsize employers from a total of 500 companies, after polling an anonymous group of employees.  The list of best midsize employers was determined by Forbes in partnership with Statistica, who surveyed 50,000 Americans working for businesses with at least 1,000 employees.  More information about The Raymond Corporation is available at raymondcorp.com or call 800-235-7200.

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U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced $5,010,209 in allocations for the Capital Fund Program in the Southern Tier, which provides annual grants to Public Housing Authorities. The funding was allocated through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Locally; the Norwich Housing Authority receives over $243,000 the Oneonta Housing Authority gets over $239,000.

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A.M. NEWS TUESDAY 3-16-21

The Otsego County Department of Health will be holding a vaccination clinic at the Meadows Office Complex in Cooperstown Today; the registration link is on the Otsego County Department of Health Website.  Registration is mandatory & the vaccine is available to anyone currently listed as eligible according to State Guidelines.

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The State DEC announced that the annual open burning ban will go into effect today through May 14th this year.  The DEC reported that Open burning of household trash releases dangerous compounds including arsenic, carbon monoxide, benzene, formaldehyde, lead, & others into the air,  Open burning is also the single greatest cause of wildfires in New York.  More information is available at dec.ny.gov/chemical.

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Village elections are being held around New York State Today.  In Sidney, 3 people are running for 2 trustee seats on the Village Board, incumbent Vic Tartaglia, Patricia Cristelli & Write in Candidate Teri Schunk.  In Walton, 2 people are running for Mayor, Stephen Condon & Edward Snow Sr.  Many elections have candidates running unopposed this year throughout the Tri-County Area.

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Delaware County Public Health reported 4 new COVID cases Monday out of 134 tested, there were 11 hospitalized, 110 active cases & 322 in Quarantine. 

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Governor Cuomo announced that wedding receptions and catered events can now resume statewide. Venues are restricted to 50% capacity, with no more than 150 attendees per event, All attendees must have proof of recent negative COVID test result or proof of immunization prior to the event, Venues must notify local health departments of large events, Masks will be required at all times except when seated and eating or drinking, Detailed guidance for in-person and catered events is available at governor.ny.gov.

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(Corin Todd 1-23-15)

Todd’s event will be seen live on ESPN this Sunday at 3:00 PM local time. Our complete interview with Todd by WCDO Sports Director Nate Lull can be heard at WCDORadio.com.
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The Sidney Knights of Columbus will once again host the annual free throw contest for area children tomorrow at the Sidney High School Gym. Knights of Columbus spokesman Vic Tartaglia explains:

(Vic Tartaglia 1-23-15)

The contest begins at 10:00 AM more information is available at 563-3920 or 369-4474.
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Chenango River Theatre’s Gala will be held at the Silo Restaurant Saturday Night from 6:00 to 9:00pm, it will once again feature interesting items that are included in this year’s auction. Theater Director Bill Lelbach explains:

(Bill Lelbach 1-23-15)

Tickets are available online through CRT’s website at chenangorivertheatre.org; more information is available at 656-8778.
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The American Red Cross will hold another local blood drive tomorrow. The blood drive will be held in Afton from 7:30 AM to 12:30 PM at the 1st Baptist Church at 30 Caswell Street, those interested in scheduling an appointment, can download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS.
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(Cuomo 1-19-15)

Among the proposals in the agenda, are plans to decreases costs for college for children of struggling families, a plan to increase the minimum wage in the state, along with the continuation of closing jails by keeping the economical challenged into jobs & out of jails.
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The Delaware County DA’s office announced that Lee McDonald of Walton was arrested by Investigators Thursday on a sealed Grand Jury indictment, following a lengthy investigation. McDonald was charged with 1 count of 2nd & 4th Degree Grand Larceny, in connection with a series of bounced checks to area businesses from McDonald’s 2 business ventures. McDonald was remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility on $50,000 cash Bail or $100,000 Bond. Anyone with further information is asked to contact the DA’s office at 832-5421.
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State Senator Tom Libous today announced the passing of his Mother, Katherine Libous. Mrs. Libous was 86 years of age, a Funeral Mass will be offered at St. Thomas Aquinas Church on Highland Avenue in Binghamton this Friday at 12:00 noon. The family will receive friends at St. Thomas Aquinas Church Friday from 11am to 12 noon. Instead of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tennessee 38105.”
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Gilbertsville Mount Upton graduate Corin Todd of Otego has been selected to compete in the 2015 ESPN X-Games in Aspen, Colorado this weekend. Todd is a professional snocross rider, he told WCDO about competing in the X-Games:

(Corin Todd 1-19-15)

The Winter X Games include winter sports like skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling, Todd’s event will be seen live on ESPN this Sunday at 3:00 PM local time.
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The Sidney Knights of Columbus will once again host the annual free throw contest for area children, this weekend at the Sidney High School Gym. Knights of Columbus spokesman Vic Tartaglia explains:

(Vic Tartaglia 1-19-15)

The contest begins at 10:00 AM this Saturday, more information is available at 563-3920 or 369-4474.
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Governor Andrew Cuomo will lead 1 of the first trade missions to Cuba from the United States since the Obama administration loosened travel and trade restrictions on Cuba. Cuomo will be promoting an initiative, which seeks to attract foreign investment to New York State; it will be the first of several trips Cuomo plans to take in his second term to promote New York Business opportunities. Dates for Cuomo’s trip have not yet been announced.
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(Seward 1-10-13)

Assemblyman Cliff Crouch also responded:

(Crouch 1-10-13)

Assemblyman Pete Lopez also commented:

(Lopez 1-10-13)

Lawmakers get back to work in Albany, they will receive the governors executive budget proposal by the end of the month.

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Governor Cuomo relayed his disgust during his state of the state address yesterday, regarding receiving about 14% of the federal aid requested, which took congress more than 2 ½ months to send after Hurricane Sandy pummeled the state:

(Cuomo to Congress)

Cuomo pointed out that Hurricane Katrina is widely viewed as a slow response with aid to Louisiana in 2005, that response was 10 days; the Hurricane Sandy partial response is 74 days.

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A winning candidate did not emerge from the Hall of Fame balloting conducted by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America with 569 ballots cast, none of the 37 candidates gained mention on the required 75% for election to the Hall of Fame.  Craig Biggio, received 388 votes, 39 less than needed, followed by pitcher Jack Morris with 385, Jeff Bagwell with 339, Mike Piazza with 329 & Tim Raines with 297.  The Induction ceremony will be held on Sunday, July 28^th at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, honoring umpire Hank O’Day, old-time New York Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert and 19^th-century player Deacon White.

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The Knights of Columbus are hosting a free throw championship this Saturday at 10:00 AM at the Sidney High School Gym.  Knights Spokesman Vic Tartaglia explains:

(Vic Tartaglia)

More information about the event can be obtained at 563-3920 or 369-4474.

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State Troopers arrested 59-year-old Diane Reynolds of Afton for Driving While Intoxicated with a BAC of .20%. The arrest resulted from a vehicle stop in Greene; Reynolds was issued tickets returnable in the Village of Green Court on January 22^nd.

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