P.M. NEWS MONDAY 4-6-26
State Police will participate in a national distracted driving enforcement campaign as part of April’s National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. The “Put the Phone Away or Pay,” will run from Today, through Monday, April 13th. Troopers will conduct targeted enforcement details focused on drivers using electronic devices while operating a motor vehicle. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over 3,200 people were killed in distraction-affected crashes in the United States in 2024. During the April 2025 “Put the Phone Away or Pay” campaign, New York State Troopers issued 22,867 tickets, including 4,607 for distracted driving violations.
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Patrick Shea was sentenced to 7 years in state prison and 5 years of post-release supervision for 4th Degree Arson and 2nd Degree Manslaughter, in connection with the February 2025 fire at 1 Main Street in Binghamton, that led to the death of Firefighter JR Gaudet, who was trapped under debris while battling the blaze, he later died at Wilson Hospital, Shea pleaded guilty to the charges in January.
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The National Weather Service has confirmed that the first tornado of 2026 in New York, The storm initially passed through Gowanda, with reports of wind-driven and accumulating large hail before moving across northern Cattaraugus County on March 31, carving a 1.4-mile path and causing damage consistent with an EF-1 tornado with peak winds of 107 mph.
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Registration is now open for the 15th annual I Love My Park Day, which will be held on Saturday, May 2, 2026 at state parks, historic sites and public lands all across New York State. More information can be found on the Parks & Trails New York website at ptny.org.
A.M. NEWS Monday 4-6-26
The State DOT announced that I-88 westbound between exit 10 to 12 in Unadilla & Otego have been re-opened to traffic, the eastbound lanes will remain closed until DOT Engineers deem the highway safe after repairs to a sinkhole.
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Delaware County District Attorney’s Office announced a new 2 count indictment against 31 year old David Gensler of Delhi, who remains held in the Delaware County Jail on previous indictments for using a child in a sexual performance, disseminating indecent materials to minors, Rape, Sexual abuse, among other charges, the new indictments alleges bribing a witness & Criminal Contempt for attempting to pay a witness to testify in court, that party had an order of protection against Gensler.
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State Police responded Saturday at about 5:00 PM to a report of a car into a house in the town of Oneonta. An investigation at the scene revealed that a 2015 Chevrolet Cruze was traveling west at an unsafe speed while on State Highway 23 in the town of Oneonta when the vehicle went off the roadway and struck a house. The 18-year-old male operator from Schenevus was transported to A.O. Fox Hospital to be treated. Impairment was not a factor in the crash. 2 residents inside the home at the time of the crash were not injured.
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Delaware County Sheriff’s Office arrested 44 year old Amanda Oliver of Sidney on an arrest Warrant from town of Delhi Court for Criminal possession of a Controlled Substance. On March 24th, a Deputy and a Sidney Police Officer responded to a residence, Oliver was located & was transported to the Delaware County Correctional Facility where she was held for arraignment.
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2 more American Red Cross Blood Drives are being held today, 1 from 1 pm. – 5 pm., at the Stamford Baptist Church, 40 Lake Street, another from 1 pm. – 6 pm., at the Worcester United Methodist Church, 111 Main Street., to donate blood visiting RedCrossBlood.org, downloading the Blood Donor App, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.