P.M. NEWS Wednesday 4-23-25

The Otsego County Conservation Association & Otsego County Planning & Solid Waste announced the winning schools of the 2024-2025 Plastic Film Recycling Challenge. The Unatego Elementary School won the elementary division with 2,122 pounds of plastic film recycled & Springbrook won in the high school division with 801 pounds of plastic film recycled. 10 participating schools diverted a total of 4,655.4 pounds of plastic film, each winning division will receive an ice cream social event.

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Tri-Town Theatre’s next show will be the musical “Big Fish”, at the Sidney High School Auditorium May 2nd through 4th. Destinie Smith is new to the Tri Town Theatre and she has the lead female role of Sandra Bloom:

(Destinie Smith 4-23-25)

Tickets are on sale at TritownTheatre.com, Curtain times are 7:30 pm on Friday and Saturday, May 2 and 3rd and a 2pm matinee on Sunday May 4th.

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Mirabito Energy Products announced the completion of its March Mirabito Cares Round Up campaign, which raised $60,000 to support 3 local food banks. Marissa Sweeney of Mirabito Energy Products told WCDO news about the success of the month long program:

(Marissa Sweeney 4-23-25)

Proceeds benefited the Food Bank of Central New York, the Food Bank of the Southern Tier, and the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, each received $20,000 to feeding individuals and families in need.

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Saturday is the National DEA Drug Take back day, where people are encouraged to bring outdated medication and prescriptions to collection boxes, for proper disposal and to keep the prescriptions from getting into the wrong hands or into the waste stream. Chenango County Sheriff’s Office will have Representatives at the Bainridge Fire Department at their open house this Saturday to collect those items. More information is available at dea.gov/takebackday.

A.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 4-23-25

State Police issued a total of 22,867 tickets during this year’s “Operation Hang Up” traffic enforcement period, including 4,607 tickets for distracted driving. This special traffic detail targeted drivers using electronic devices while behind the wheel. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,275 people were killed in crashes caused by distracted driving nationwide in 2023. In Troop C, 1496 tickets were issued, 154 for texting, 89 for talking on a cell phone for a total of 243 distracted driving tickets.

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State Department of Labor released preliminary local unemployment rates for March, The State’s unemployment rate declined from 4.3% to 4.2% in March 2025. Locally, Chenango County had 4.2% unemployment, Delaware County 4.6% and Otsego County 4.8% in March.

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The State DEC reminds area residents that the burn ban is still in effect through the middle of May, The DEC reported that In 2024, DEC Forest Rangers conducted 362 search and rescue missions, extinguished 122 wildfires covering nearly 6,500 acres, participated in 60 prescribed fires that served to rejuvenate more than 1,155 acres of land, and worked on cases that resulted in more than 1,200 tickets and arrests.

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The Broome County Sheriff’s Office continues its search for a 48 year old Joseph Maine of Endicott, who reportedly left his house on foot on the evening of Saturday, April 19, and never returned home, the Sheriff’s Office has conducted grid searches of the surrounding neighborhood, Maine is diabetic, he may not have taken his medication recently and may be exhibiting confused behavior. Maine is described as a White Male, 6’0” and weighing 167 lbs. He was last seen wearing a light gray sweatshirt, dark Grey sweatpants, a black baseball cap with a fishhook hanging from it, and black sneakers. Tips can be called to 778-1196.

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