WCDO NEWS WEDNESDAY 12-31-25

by wcdonews Posted on December 31, 2025

A.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 12-31-25

Governor Kathy Hochul has announced the state’s minimum wage is set to go up again on January 1, 2026, marking the third straight year of increases. The minimum wage will rise to $17.00 per hour in New York City, Westchester, and Long Island, while the rest of the state will see an increase to $16.00 per hour. This adjustment of $0.50 per hour is part of a planned series of increases, which will then be indexed to inflation starting in 2027.

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Starting January 1st, the State’s Foam Ban will be expanded to include polystyrene foam coolers and other containers designed to be used for cold storage, No covered food service provider, manufacturer or store will be allowed to sell, offer for sale, or distribute expanded polystyrene containers that are not encased within a more durable container.

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Hill City Celebrations will host Oneonta’s New Year’s Eve celebration at the Foothills Performing Arts & Civic Center, offering free indoor entertainment and light refreshments for the whole family from 5 pm. to 8:30 pm. There will be performances from local entertainers; a martial arts demonstration, performances from area dance schools & various children’s activities.

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The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office has been recently made aware of a scam operating in which unknown individuals are contacting families of incarcerated individuals purporting to be employees of the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office/Corrections Division requesting the relatives provide financial information to the caller to bail out the incarcerated individual. The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office will never personally contact families of incarcerated individuals requesting bail, Incarcerated Individuals are provided with that opportunity. If you receive a call, DO NOT provide any information and hang up. If you have any further questions, call the Corrections Division at (607)832-5555 ext. 5863

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Delta Airlines announced that they are terminating service to the Greater Binghamton Area airport on February 14. Delta is currently the only airline flying at the Airport, Delta will accommodate all customers who booked flights after February 14.

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WCDO NEWS TUESDAY 12-30-25

by wcdonews Posted on December 30, 2025

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 12-30-25

Governor Hochul announced that improvements are scheduled to be made to more Than 4,120 Highway Lane Miles and over 3600 bridges will be Replaced, Rehabilitated or Improved Across the State. In the Southern Tier, 644 miles of highway, & 374 bridges will be upgraded.

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State DEC announced another record-breaking year for the CleanSweepNY program. More than 645,500 pounds of chemicals, including pesticides, paint, oil, flammable and nonflammable liquids, and other hazardous materials, were collected during 2025—the highest amount in the program’s 23-year history and an overall increase of 9.3% from the previous record collection year. For more information about CleanSweepNY or to request a registration form for a future collection, visit dec.ny.gov.

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Delaware County Sheriff Craig DuMond was officially sworn in Monday morning following his re-election to a 3rd term as Sheriff. The oath of office was administered by Delaware County Court Judge John Hubbard during a ceremony attended by county officials, law enforcement personnel, family members, and community supporters.

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State Forest Rangers & the Otsego County Sheriff’s Office conducted a Wilderness Search On December 25 at 6:18 pm., the Sheriff’s Office called for assistance in the search for a patient who jumped out of an ambulance. The ambulance was transporting the 47-year-old unidentified Unadilla resident from Fox Hospital to Bassett Medical Center, Ambulance personnel pursued the patient but lost sight near Walnut and Linden Streets, they searched a wooded area, about 5 hours later, a civilian notified Rangers that someone was pounding on the front door of a house on Linden Street, a Deputy found the patient sitting at the bus stop shelter and drove the patient to the hospital.

A.M. NEWS TUESDAY 12-30-25

1 of the new laws going into effect on Thursday January 1st, is an effort to crack down on money laundering and “shell company” secrecy, the New York LLC Transparency Act stipulated that liability companies (LLC’s) formed in or authorized to do business in New York must now disclose their “beneficial owners”, or the actual people who own or control the company, to the Department of State. Existing companies have until the end of the year to file, while any new LLC’s formed on or after January 1, 2026, January 1 have to submit the information within 30 days of formation.

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38 year old Duprey Range of Binghamton pleaded guilty in Broome County Court to Criminal Possession of a Weapon and will be sentenced to 7½ years in State Prison, followed by 5 years of post-release supervision. Range also pleaded guilty to Attempted Aggravated Harassment of an Employee by an Inmate, in exchange for a sentence of ½ to 3 years in State Prison, to be served concurrently with the sentence on the weapons conviction. Sentencing is scheduled for March 25, 2026, in Broome County Court.

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The State Department of Motor Vehicles reported that New York State saw a drop in the number of fatal crashes in 2025 compared to 2024. From January 2025 to October 2025, there were 681 recorded motor vehicle fatalities, a decrease from the 766 deaths reported during the same time frame in 2024. In the upstate counties, the number of fatalities fell from 490 in 2024 to 420. Fatal motorcycle crashes also dropped in 2025, from 157 to 134.

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2 American Red Cross Blood drives are being held in Cooperstown today, 1 from 12 pm. – 4 pm., at the Otsego County Office of Emergency Services, 140 County Highway 33W, another will be from 12 pm. – 5 pm., at the Clark Sports Center, appointments can be made by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS

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WCDO NEWS MONDAY 12-29-25

by wcdonews Posted on December 29, 2025

P.M. NEWS MONDAY 12-29-25

The Norwich Fire Department responded to a structure fire at 102 Gilmore Lane just south of the Walmart Saturday Night at about 6:12 PM, Norwich Fire Chief Jan Papelino explains:

(Chief Jan Papelino 12-29-25)

Norwich Firefighters were assisted by the Oxford, North Norwich and Sherburne Fire Departments, Chenango County Office of Emergency Services, NYSEG, Norwich Water Department, Chenango County Sheriff’s Office.

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The Otsego County Sheriff’s Office arrested Joshua Sandell of New Lisbon following an investigation of a domestic dispute in the Town of New Lisbon. Sandell allegedly engaged in a physical domestic dispute while there were children present in the residence, he was held in the Otsego County Correctional Facility for Centralized Arraignment for Harassment & Endangering the Welfare of a minor.

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The Delaware Valley Humane Society reminds area residents that there are 3 days left to make a donation to DVHS that will be matched by several area businesses through the Shelter Saviors program. Donations can be mailed to PO Box 182, Sidney NY 13838, the check must be dated by 12/31/25 for it to count. Links to other sites to donate with can be found at DVHumane.org. For ever dollar donate, the Shelter Saviors businesses will match it through December 31st.

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The City of Oneonta announced that The Department of Public Works will be collecting Christmas trees beginning Monday, January 5th through the end of January 2026. Decorations, tinsel & electrical wires & bulbs should be removed.

A.M. NEWS MONDAY 12-29-25

Governor Hochul signed legislation that will require social media platforms to display labels warning of the dangerous impact certain features can have on young users’ mental health. The Legislation requires social media platforms that offer addictive feeds, auto play or infinite scroll to post warning labels on their platforms. Recent studies show that adolescents who spend more than 3 hours a day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression, About half claim that social media makes them feel worse about their bodies, and teenagers with the highest levels of social media use are nearly twice as likely to rate their overall mental health as poor or very poor.

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The Otsego County Sheriff’s Office arrested 56 year old Arthur Proctor of Richfield Springs for Sexual Abuse, Forcible Touching & Endangering the Welfare of a Child, following an investigation of sexual abuse at a residence in the Town of Richfield over the summer of 2025. Proctor is accused of y subjecting a juvenile victim to unwanted sexual contact, Proctor was held at the Otsego County Correctional Facility to await Arraignment. An order of protection was requested on behalf of the victim.

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The Otsego County Sheriff’s Office arrested 38 year old Mark Cassaday of Oneonta, for Promoting Prison Contraband & Criminal Mischief at the Otsego County Jail. Sheriff investigators were notified by Correctional Facility staff that an inmate had intentionally damaged an outlet cover and used the broken pieces to fashion makeshift weapons. Cassady was processed before being returned to the Otsego County Correctional Facility to await Centralized Arraignment.

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An American Red Cross Blood Drive is being held in Laurens today from 1:30 pm. – 5:30 pm., at the Fire Department, 34 Main St., schedule a blood or platelet donation appointment by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.

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WCDO NEWS FRIDAY 12-26-25

by wcdonews Posted on December 26, 2025

A.M. NEWS Friday 12-26-25

A Winter Storm Warning is in effect through 7:00 AM tomorrow Morning, Local Meteorologist Rich Townsend comments:

(Rich Townsend 12-26-25)

We’ll have the complete WCDO forecast at the end of this news cast.

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The “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign continues through January 1st. The campaign includes DWI checkpoints and patrols, with officers also monitoring for speeding, distracted driving and violations of the Move Over Law. Last year, Law Enforcement issued 129,686 tickets statewide. Also, Temporary lane closures for road and bridge projects on State highways will be suspended through Monday morning, and will start again at 6:00 AM on Wednesday, December 31 to Monday morning January 5th.

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Otsego County Sheriff’s Office arrested 57 year old Gregory Haggerty of South New Berlin, for DWI, Operating a Motor Vehicle with a BAC of .08 or higher, Aggravated Unlicensed Operation, Failure to Keep Right & several other charges, following a reported accident in the Town of Morris. Haggerty fled the scene on foot, Deputies located the vehicle down an embankment off of State Highway 23 and Wells Rd. Haggerty was located down the road and found to be intoxicated by alcohol, he was taken to the Sheriff’s Office for arrest processing & was released on appearance tickets for the Town of Morris Court at a later date.

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The New York Lottery announced 2 second-prize-winning tickets were sold for the December 24th Powerball drawing, 1 ticket was sold at Smiley’s on West Main Street in Sidney & another in Lindenhurst, worth $1,000,000. The Powerball drawing is televised every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 pm. 1 ticket sold in Arkansas that matched all six numbers, for a prize of $1.8 billion dollars, which ranks as the 2nd-largest U.S. lottery jackpot ever won.

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On Tuesday afternoon, the Deposit Fire Department responded to a house fire in the Town of Sanford. A candle had accidentally caught a chair on fire in a single family residence. The fire was able to be extinguished by the resident prior to crews arriving on scene. 20 home candle fires are reported each day across the country, If you use open flame candles, make sure they are in stable holders and place them where they cannot be knocked down easily. Keep them at least 12 inches away from anything that burns and be sure to blow out all candles when you leave a room or home, or when you go to bed.

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Fenimore Farms Glimmer Nights wraps up with a Winter Wonderland-themed closing this weekend in Cooperstown, it’s the last weekend to vote in the Holiday Tree Decorating contest and there will be other activities according to spokesperson Kerri Green:

(Kerri Green 12-26-25)

For more information go to fenimorefarm.org/glimmernights or call (607) 547-1450.

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An American Red Cross Blood Drive will be in Oneonta today from 12 pm. – 5 pm., at the Elm Park Methodist Church, 401 Chestnut Street. Schedule appointments by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS

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WCDO NEWS WEDNESDAY 12-24-25

by wcdonews Posted on December 24, 2025

A.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 12-24-25

The Broome County Sheriff’s Office arrested 2 people on a variety of felony charge. On December 15th, deputies responded to a burglary complaint in the Town of Binghamton, they found fresh footprints in the snow, signs of a break-in and smoke billowing from inside the house due to an active fire. State Police & Binghamton Fire Department responded, Deputies followed footprints and found evidence of stolen items, they used a drone to & located 37 year old Anthony Storti of Conklin, who was found to be in possession of narcotics, the investigation uncovered that Storti had been in the residence, left a vape behind and he set a fire inside. 24 year old Allyson Russell of Endicott, was identified as an accomplice in the burglary and arson. Both were charged with a host of felonies including Burglary, Arson criminal possession of a weapon, Grand Larceny & criminal possession of a controlled substance, they face court action shortly.

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Chenango County Sheriff’s Office arrested 44 year old Luis Calixto of Norwich, following a complaint from a local business regarding a larceny in progress. Calixto allegedly removed items from their packaging and attempted to conceal them and attempted to avoid store personnel and law enforcement. Deputies discovered that Calixto was in possession of small wax envelopes containing a white powder-like substance, as well as a small canister containing a white crystal-like substance, he was processed and arraigned and was remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility without bail on charges of Burglary, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Criminal Mischief and Tampering with Physical Evidence

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Trout Creek Fire Department responded at about 11:20 Tuesday morning for a tractor trailer into a house. Nobody was home at the residence and that the driver of the truck was not injured. Masonville Volunteer Fire Department, State DOT, State Police, Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, NYSEG and a code enforcement officer also responded, State Highway 206 was closed, All units were back in service around 3:30 PM.

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Governor Kathy Hochul announced more than $463 million has been awarded statewide through the State’s Regional Economic Development Council initiative. Long Island, the Mohawk Valley, New York City and the Southern Tier were chosen as winners of the inaugural $150 million Advancing Collaboration for High-impact Initiatives for Economic Visions & Expansion competition, The Southern Tier was awarded more than $26.4 million to support 27 projects.

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An American Red Cross Blood Drive is being held today in Oneonta from 10 am. – 2 pm., at the Southside Mall, appointments can be made by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.

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WCDO NEWS TUESDAY 12-23-25

by wcdonews Posted on December 23, 2025

P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 12-23-25

State Route 206 near the Robert W. Harrold BOCES Campus has been closed this afternoon due to a motor vehicle accident. Motorists are advised to seek alternate routes, WCDO News will have more details as they become available from the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office.

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State Police remind motorists over the holiday season that State Police will be out in full-force, Trooper Aga Tinker of Troop C in Sidney comments:

(Trooper Aga Tinker 12-23-25)

State Police will focus on impaired, distracted, and reckless driving, as wells as those violating the state’s “Move Over” laws. & they will set up DUI checkpoints on highways all over the state.

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Otsego County Sheriff’s Office announced that scammers are impersonating the County Planning Department. Scammers are looking to collect money from zoning applicants, using county logos, actual application information, and the actual names of planning staff. The Otsego County Planning Department will never request or charge money for their review of a planning or zoning application. If you receive such a request, do not pay it.

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State Police & Emergency squads responded to tractor trailer accidents earlier today. 1 Tractor Trailer rolled over in the westbound lane of I-88 Near Exit 1 this morning, which closed down a portion of the highway. Also at about 6:50 this morning, State Police responded to I-81 south in the town of Virgil for a crash involving 2 tractor trailers that both jack-knifed, 1 driver was taken to an area hospital with back pain, the highway was closed for over 5 hours for clean up & removal of the vehicles. Snowy road conditions contributed to both accidents.

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The State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation announced that on January 1, they are hosting the annual First Day Hikes celebrations at state parks, historic sites, nature trails, environmental education centers, and other public lands across New York State. New Yorkers can find a hiking area nearby at parks.ny.gov/events

A.M. NEWS TUESDAY 12-23-25

Deposit Fire Department released more details about a fire on December 14, on North Sanford Road in the town of Sanford. Deposit, Eastern Broome Emergency Services and the Harpursville Fire Department were dispatched after a resident reported a smoke on the 2nd floor. the fire was quickly knocked down, it was determined that the fire started in the chimney of a wood burning stove and spread into the walls of the structure. Everyone was able to escape the residence uninjured. a 2nd alarm was requested with additional response from Afton, Windsor, Masonville & West Windsor.

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The US Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The nationwide crackdown resulted in over 205 child victims being located and the arrests of over 293 child sexual abuse offenders, including 6 in the upstate counties. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of 2 weeks by all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country. The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tip-line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov.

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Gene Schmidt of Unadilla & his family will once again offer a free Christmas Dinner on Christmas Day at the Sidney Elks Lodge from 1:00 to 4:00 PM:

(Gene Schmidt 12-4-25)

Schmidt said that do need some volunteers to help with preparation, serving and cleaning up, Those who would like to volunteer or donate can call Gene at 607-610-4030.

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WCDO NEWS MONDAY 12-22-25

by wcdonews Posted on December 22, 2025

P.M. NEWS MONDAY 12-22-25

Mixed precipitation is likely Tuesday across the region, local meteorologist Rich Townsend comments:

(Rich Townsend 12-22-25)

We’ll have our Tri-County Forecast through the end of the week at the end of this newscast.

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Former Oneida County Corrections Officer David Kingsley, was sentenced to 25 years in Prison, in Oneida County Court Friday. Kingsley was convicted on charges of 2nd degree murder as well as Manslaughter, for the beating death of Marcy Correctional Facility inmate Robert Brooks last December.

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The United Way of Mid Rural New York annual fundraising campaign deadline is approaching, for the 4 counties that they serve. Executive Director Elizabeth Monaco told WCDO news about this year’s effort:

(Elizabeth Monaco 12-22-25)

More information is available at their Facebook page or at uwmrny.org.

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Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham announced that John Ryan will be the next Binghamton Police Chief starting January 3. Ryan replaces long time chief Joseph Zikulski who was placed on administrative leave following an off-duty incident in Johnson City.

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A.M. NEWS Monday 12-22-25

North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik has bowed out of the race for New York Governor, after a recent Sienna College Poll showed her way behind GOvernor Kathy Hochul in the race for the Governor’s Position. Stefanik additionally announced that she will not seek re-election to Congress next year.

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Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that a record level of $67 million is available through the Farmland Protection Implementation Grants Program to help farmers protect valuable and at-risk farmland. Round 20 will make funds available to projects addressing food security, climate resilience, and source water protection, nearly $6.4 million will be allocated to 9 of the State’s economic development regions, the maximum award for any project has increased to $3 million. Round 20 also continues the one-time incentive payment of 10% of the value of the agricultural conservation easement being required for projects that meet climate resilience or source water protection goals.

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State Comptroller’s Office conducted an audit of the Otsego County – Court and Trust Funds, the Key Finding was that the Treasurer, County Clerk and Surrogate’s Court Clerk generally maintained appropriate records and properly reported court and trust funds. However, $74,150 from 15 actions that improperly remained in the Treasurer’s custody that he should have turned over to the State Comptroller as abandoned property. The Treasurer should ensure that all money deemed abandoned property is paid to the State Comptroller in a timely manner.

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An American Red Cross Blood Drive is being held today in SIDNEY, from 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., at the Sidney Elks Lodge on River St, schedule an appointment by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.

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WCDO NEWS FRIDAY 12-19-25

by wcdonews Posted on December 19, 2025

P.M. NEWS Friday 12-19-25

NYSEG reported hundreds of power outages today, after a storm with high winds whipped through the area at about 8:50 AM today. at one point about 3700 customers were with out power in the WCDO listening area, the number was down to about 540 by mid afternoon. Crews are working to repair the damaged areas as quickly as possible.

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The Jason Michael Carroll Concert at the Sidney High School Auditorium will go on as scheduled this evening at 7:00 PM. Admission is free with the donation of an unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots & Operation Merry Christmas, cash donations of $10 will also be accepted for admittance into the show.

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The Chenango County Historical Society’s 2025 Parade of Trees is continuing. Vote for your favorite tree by making an online donation at chenangohistorical.org/2025paradeoftrees. Whichever tree accumulates the greatest total, between virtual and in-person contributions, by the conclusion of the contest on December 31st, will be the winner. The winning tree’s earnings will be split evenly between the Organization and the Historical Society.

A.M. NEWS Friday 12-19-25

Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched Saturday to a motor vehicle accident in Walton. 36-year-old Robert Wickham of Walton, had left the scene of the accident, Upon completion of the investigation, Deputies arrested Wickham for DWI, Driving with a BAC of .08 of 1% or more, Leaving the Scene of a Motor Vehicle Accident, Fail to Keep Right and Speed not Reasonable and Prudent, among other charges, Wickham was released on appearance tickets was directed to appear in the Town of Walton Court at a later date.

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Tickets for Jerry Seinfeld at the Broome County Forum Theatre on April 24, 2026 go on sale today. Tickets go on sale at 10:00 AM at Ticketmaster.com and at the Mirabito Box Office located at the Visions Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton.

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An American Red Cross Blood Drive will be held today in Oneonta from 1:00 to 6:00 PM at the Foothills Performing Arts & Civic Center, 24 Market Street. Appointments can be made at the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS.

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The Fenimore Farms & Country Village museum is welcoming winter weather with Solstice Nights, December 20-21, spokesperson Kerri Green explains:

(Kerri Green 12-19-25)

There will be wreath making in the Louis C. Jones Center in the museum’s Main Barn. more information is available at Fenimore farms.org.

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This weekend at the Otsego County Fairgrounds, will be the Holiday of Lights, where the whole fairgrounds transforms into a glowing Christmas village. People can Drive through the stunning light display, then park and walk into Santa’s Village for treats, cocoa, photos, The display will be available December 19 to the 23 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, online tickets can be found at qrco.de/HOLIDAYOFLIGHTS

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