WCDO Radio News

The possibility of significant accumulation of snow could reach the region this weekend, local meteorologist Rich Townsend comments:

(Rich Townsend 1-16-19)

Townsend said that early indications are that 6 to 12 inches of snow could arrive in this storm, but he will have a clearer picture of snowfall amounts as we get closer to the weekend.

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Local lawmakers reacted to the Governor Cuomo’s State of The State address & Executive Budget Proposal delivered yesterday to a joint session of the legislature.  Freshman area Assemblyman John Salka comments:

(John Salka 1-16-19)

State Senator Jim Seward also commented:

(Seward 1-16-19)

The Budget proposal totals 175.2 billion dollars, a 1.9% increase over last year’s state budget plan.

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The Unatego Central School is seeking feedback for area parents, Students, Staff & community members regarding the strategic planning for the future of the district.  Unatego Superintendent Dr. Dave Richards explains:

(Dave Richards 1-16-19)

The survey can be accessed through a link at unatego.org; more information can be obtained through the Superintendent’s office at 988-5038.

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State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s office audited the Meridale Fire Department & Emergency Squad.  Auditors found that Cash receipt and disbursement duties were not adequately segregated and mitigating controls were not implemented, that Fundraising revenues of more than $8,400 were deposited between 26 and 59 days after collection, Meeting minutes did not always contain adequate information regarding bills approved for payment.  Department officials generally agreed with the Comptrollers audit & its recommendations and indicated that they planned to initiate corrective action.

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The Otsego County Chamber will hold its 8th Annual Career Expo and Job Fair Open House on Wednesday, February 6th from 5:00p.m.-8:00p.m. at the ONC BOCES campus at 1914 County Route 35 Milford.    Area businesses interested in being an exhibitor can call 432-4500 Ext. 104 or email karen@otsegocc.com, the Deadline to register is February 1st.

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State Senator Jim Seward honored John Heller of Oneonta posthumously on the floor of the State Senate with a special Resolution conferring the Senate’s Liberty Medal.  Seward said that Heller displayed great courage in saving the lives of his fiancé and four young nephews, in the fire at Walling Avenue in Oneonta in December. Senator Seward previously presented the Liberty Medal to John Heller’s parents John and Gayle Heller and fiancé Amber Roe during a memorial service in Oneonta on January 4, 2019.

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Former Area Congresswoman & current US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced she is forming an exploratory committee to run for president, she made the announcement last night on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”:

(Gillibrand 1-16-19)

Gillibrand joins Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts in what is expected to be a large field of candidates looking for the Democratic Party nomination in 2020.

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Governor Cuomo unveiled his State of the State Agenda & the Executive Budget proposal to a joint session of the legislature this afternoon:

(Cuomo 1-15-19)

The Legislature has until April 1st to pass the budget for the start of the next fiscal year, the 2019 session officially ends on June 19th.

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Governor Cuomo proposed a number of reforms Monday, regarding limousines, busses, taxis & school busses, following the October 6th accident in Schoharie last year that took 20 lives.   The vehicle involved in the crash in Schoharie was a re-manufactured SUV, Cuomo proposes banning remanufactured limousines, the bill also would require drivers to hold a Commercial driver license to operate a for-hire vehicle with 8 or more passengers;  Make it a felony to remove an out of service sticker placed by a DOT inspector without having the vehicle re-inspected by the DOT; Explicitly authorize DOT and DMV to seize suspended license plates & make it a felony for any owner/operator to tamper with a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard tag or vehicle inspection sticker; among several other proposed safety requirements.

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The State Legislature passed several new voting rights bills Monday in Albany.  The bills allow for early voting, pre-registration for 16 & 17 year olds, Same-day registration, No excuse absentee voting & combining state/federal primaries, the package of bills now goes to the Governor for his signature.

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29 year old Naythan Aubain of Utica has been declared unfit to stand trial, on 2 counts of murder in Oneida County.  Aubain is accused of killing his 90 year old Grandmother Katherine Aubain & her landlord, 87 year old Jane Wentka in Utica on January 6th.  Aubain was examined by 2 mental health experts, who declared that he say that he is not fit to proceed in a court trial, in accordance with the State Criminal Procedure Law.

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The Binghamton Rumble Ponies and United Way of Broome County are holding a “Soup”er Bowl Can Drive. Fans are encouraged to donate non-perishable canned goods including soups from January 25th – January 31st at The Armory Team Store at NYSEG Stadium, which will be donated to the Southern Tier AIDS Program.  The Armory Team store will be open Monday through Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM during the duration of the promotion.

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A Portion of the Old Tappan Zee Bridge was demolished into the Hudson River this morning.  The portion was imploded; remaining parts of the old bridge will be removed from the site for recycling.

Governor Cuomo will deliver his 2019 STATE OF THE STATE AND Executive Budget proposal this afternoon to a joint session of the legislature in Albany.   The address will begin at 2:00 PM at the Egg in Albany.

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The Oneonta Common Council will hold their next meeting this evening.  The meeting will be held at the 2nd floor council chambers at City Hall at 7:00 PM & will be open to the public

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Another Red Cross Blood Drive will be held in Oneonta today from 1:00 to 6:00 PM at the St. James Episcopal Church at 305 Main Street.  Appointments can be made with the Red Cross Blood Donor App, at RedCrossBlood.org or at 1-800-RED CROSS.   All blood types are needed.

The State Department of Taxation and Finance encourages taxpayers to prepare for income tax filing season electronically this year.   Taxpayers are encouraged to E-file for free, File early, go paperless, use direct deposit & Check your refund online. More information is available at tax.ny.gov.

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The Village of New Berlin has scheduled a seminar of January 25th at 10:00 AM, regarding an issue with particles in the water.  The meeting will be held in the New Berlin Village Hall & engineers from Delaware Engineering will answer questions from citizens, regarding the water issue and the safety of the water supply.

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The City of Oneonta along with NYSEG contractor will be removing trees on Dietz Street beginning 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday January 15, 2019.  Dietz Street will be closed to traffic from Walnut Street to Center Street during the duration of work, with work taking place immediately at 64 Dietz Street.  Work is expected to take the duration of the day.  Anyone with questions can call the City Engineering Department at 607-432-6465.

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34 year old Thomas Jadlowski of Sherman New York was sentenced to 1 to 3 years in prison, for the accidental shooting of his neighbor Rosemary Billquist, who was out walking her dogs on Thanksgiving Morning 2017.  Jadlowski mistook his neighbor for a deer & shot her, he Testified that he heard Billquist cry out and ran to assist her & called 911 for help.  Billquist was taken to an area hospital where she was pronounced dead, Jadlowski pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide in Chautauqua County Court; he was sentenced there this morning.

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U.S Senator Chuck Schumer announced this morning in Binghamton that Canopy Growth Corporation is will be locating a processing center in Broome County shortly.  Schumer said that the center will create up to 400 jobs.  The new Federal Farm Bill legalizes the growth of industrial hemp across the country; growing hemp was already legal in New York State since 2015.  Hemp can be used to manufacture a wide variety of products including building materials, rope, supplements, food, beverages, and beauty products.

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While Governor Cuomo once again shot down stories that he might run from President in 2020, speculation has shifted to a possible run from President by US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.  Before becoming a US Senator, Gillibrand represented much of the WCDO listening area in the House of Representatives after winning the election in 2006 over Republican incumbent John Sweeney, she later became a US Senator after Hillary Clinton was chosen as Secretary of State by then President Obama.  Gillibrand told reporters last month that she would start considering a run after the holidays.

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Police in Pennsylvania & New York are trying to locate a York County Pennsylvania Teenager, who ran away from home earlier today.  17-year-old Stephen Fiorenza is 5’7″ and 240 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes, he left behind a note telling his family he was heading to the Adirondack Mountains in New York State to go camping, he has no camping experience.  Fiorenza is believed to be driving a silver 2004 Volvo S60 with Pennsylvania License Plates FDP-9603.

Governor Cuomo announced a proposal to raise the minimum sales age for tobacco and electronic cigarette products from 18 to 21 will be included in the 2019 executive budget tomorrow.   The proposal calls for an end to the sale of tobacco and e-cigarette products in pharmacies and clarifies the State Health Department’s authority to ban the sale of certain flavored e-cigarette liquids, among other measures.

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Governor Cuomo announced a bottle bill expansion and a plastic bag ban will be included in the 2019 Executive Budget.   The Governor is advancing legislation to expand New York’s Bottle Bill to make most non-alcoholic drink containers eligible for 5 cent redemption. Additionally, Governor Cuomo will advance legislation to ban all single-use plastic bags.

State lawmakers will begin the 2019 session today in Albany.  Both Houses of the legislature and the Governor’s position will be in Democratic Party control for the first time since 2010.  History was also made today, as Senator Andrea Stewart Cousins of Yonkers, became the First Woman Senate Majority Leader in State History.

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Jury selection began Tuesday & continued today in Broome County Court for the re-trial of Aaron Powell of Binghamton.  Powell was convicted of murdering 35-year-old Christina Powell and 24-year-old Mario Masciarelli in 2013 at Christina Powell’s’ residence, a new trial was ordered due to a conflict of interest involving one of the original jurors, who had worked on the divorce & child cases for the Powell’s. Aaron Powell had been sentenced to life without parole in the original conviction.

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The next meetings for the General Clinton Canoe Regatta committees next meeting will be Tuesday February 5th.  The Race committee meeting will begin at 6:30, The General meeting begins at 7:30, at the Galaxy Bowl in Bainbridge.

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The Delaware County Tourism Advisory Board is now accepting applications for funding under the Tourism Promotion & Development Grant program.  This program will provide funding assistance to eligible applicants for projects that seek to attract visitors to Delaware County and enhance the overall tourism industry.  Applications for grant assistance under this program must be hand-delivered to the Delaware County Department of Economic Development or postmarked by 5:00 pm on Tuesday, February 26TH.  More information is available at dcecodev.com or at 832-5123.

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Michael Lang, who co-organized the original Woodstock Music & Arts Festival in Bethel in 1969, announced today that he will be organizing the “Official” 50th anniversary celebration at Watkins Glen International Raceway.  The festival will be held August 16th through the 18th, another celebration will be held at Bethel Woods, on the same weekend, the original Woodstock Festival was held at that site in 1969.  No musical acts have been announced to play at either venue yet.

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Winter weather is expected to hit other parts of the state in the next 48 hours; the tri-county area should be able to miss large accumulations, according to area meteorologist Rich Townshend:

(Rich Townsend 1-9-19)

Western New York & the Adirondacks are gearing up for more serious accumulations, with some areas expecting up to 20 inches of snowfall.

Congressman Anthony Brindisi announced plans for his first town hall as a member of Congress. Brindisi will meet with Broome County constituents at 6pm on Tuesday, January 22 at American Legion Post at 39 Louisa Street in Binghamton. The event is free and open to all members of the community.  Brindisi will hold a town hall each month, visiting every county in the district in 2019.

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THE AMERICAN RED CROSS WILL HOLD A BLOOD DRIVE AT FOX CARE CENTER IN ONEONTA TODAY FROM 12:00 PM TO 5:00 PM.  TO MAKE AN APPTOINTMENT, DOWNLOAD THE AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DONOR APP, VISIT REDCROSSBLOOD.ORG OR CALL 1-800-RED CROSS.

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THE SIDNEY HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION WILL BEGIN ITS REGULAR HOURS TODAY AT 44 GRAND STREET IN SIDNEY.  THE MUSEUM WILL BE OPEN FROM 10:00 AM UNTIL 2:00 PM ON WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS.

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34 Year Old Terrence Truitt of Oneonta will have his arson case go before a Grand Jury shortly.  Truitt is accused of intentionally setting the fire at 5 Walling Avenue on Saturday December 29^th, where former Oneonta fire fighter John Heller died in the blaze. Truitt was originally charged with 1^st degree arson, he is being held without bail in the Otsego County jail pending Grand Jury action.

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Former New York Republican State Senate leader Dean Skelos reports to prison today to begin serving his 4+ year prison term for corruption.  Skelos reports today to a federal prison at Otisville, New York,   His son, Adam, reports to the federal prison in Danbury, Connecticut, to begin serving his four-year sentence. Dean Skelos and his son were both convicted in July on charges of extortion, wire fraud and bribery, with the elder Skelos using his political influence to get his son high paying no-show jobs.

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Governor Cuomo today announced up to $10 million in capital funding is available to expand addiction treatment services.   The funding is being administered by the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services, and will be distributed through a Request for Applications process.   Selected applicants must develop and support a minimum of 16 beds up to a maximum of 40 beds. Funding is only available for new beds, not conversions of currently operating programs. The Request For Applications can be viewed at oasas.ny.gov. Responses are due by February 19.

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Chenango county residents 60 & older can get their income taxes prepared for free again this year through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program through Cormell Cooperative Extension in Norwich.  Appointments are available from February through April, & they can be made at 334-5841, extension 11.

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Broome County is offering grants through the Small Community Fund for 2019, for local municipalities, non-profits, and local economic development entities that are working on projects to assist in carrying out the Broome County Comprehensive Plan.   A total of $150,000 is available, last year, funds were provided for the demolition of a smokestack in Deposit to make way for their new community park, among several other projects around the county.  Grants ranged from $2,500 to $50,000, with the average grant being approximately $16,000. The initial deadline for applications is March 31, 2019. The full plan is online at gobroomecounty.com/comprehensive plan

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Several upstate cites are teaming up for a lawsuit against pharmaceutical companies, for misleading health care providers about the addictive dangers of opioid medications they manufactured.  so far, the cities of Albany, Schenectady, Troy & Plattsburgh are on the lawsuit against several top manufacturers of prescription opioid medications, more are expected to join the suit, as the opioid crisis has continued to grow across New York State.

Bainbridge Fire fighters responded to 1025 Searles Hill Road Monday afternoon for a structure fire at a Barn that had been converted into Apartments.  Fire Fighters from Afton, Coventry, Sidney & Masonville responded, no injuries were reported, but 1 dog died in the fire.  The cause of the fire was a malfunction with the propane system, according to Bainbridge Fire Chief Fred Bell.

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The American Red Cross continues to ask for eligible residents to come forward & donate blood, as blood supplies are still quite low.  A Blood Drive is being held today At the Delhi United Ministry on Church Street; another blood drive is being held at the Laurens American Legion Hall at 11 Main Street.  Appointment can be made by downloading the Red Cross Blood Donor App, logging on to REDCROSSBLOOD.ORG or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS.

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The Unadilla Town Board will hold their next regular meeting today.  The Meeting will be held at the Town hall on State Route 7 beginning at 7:00 PM.

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The Walton Central School District Board Of Education will hold their next meeting today at 6:00 PM.  The meeting will be held in the Board Room at the High School.

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