A.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 4-15-15

by wcdonews Posted on April 16, 2015

The Delaware County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a motorcycle accident that occurred Tuesday afternoon on State Highway 10, in the Town of Walton. 61 year old Kenneth Kokoszka of Walton was riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle on State Highway 10 when he lost control and left the roadway before overturning the motorcycle in the ditch. Kokoszka was airlifted to Wilson Memorial Hospital in Johnson City by LifeNet helicopter.
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The Binghamton Senators have teamed up with Broome-Tioga Workforce New York to hold their first Annual Career Fair today from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Floyd Maines Broome County Arena. The first 500 people to present their resume at the Job Fair Information Table will receive a FREE TICKET to that night’s B-Sens game versus the Utica Comets at 7:05p.m. This free event is open to the public and is a great opportunity for both individuals in the area looking for employment as well as for local businesses to attract potential employees. Participating local companies include: Maines, Willow Run Foods, Mirabito Energy Products, Lourdes Hospital, Workforce New York and many more.
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Nearly 500 people are expected to raise more than $53,000 to support Research, programs, and services for people living with MS IN Binghamton on May 3 at Otsiningo Park at 9:00 AM. There are an estimated 12,800 people living with MS in Upstate New York counties. Registrations are available at walkms.org.
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Parents are choosing to have their children opt out of common core tests that are underway across the state. Districts across the state are reporting opt out rates as low as 15% & as high as 56%.
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P.M. News Tuesday 4-14-15

by wcdonews Posted on April 14, 2015

CNET & State Police arrested 2 people on a variety of drug & weapons charges in Delaware County. 28-year-old Jose Ozuna, of Newark, New Jersey was stopped in the town of Middletown, he was found to be in possession of $580 cash, 5 ounces of cocaine, a digital scale and a switchblade knife. CNET Southern Tier personnel then executed a Search Warrant at 60 Elliot Hills Road in the Town of Middletown, where they seized a loaded revolver, a 12 gauge shotgun, switchblade knife, digital scale, marihuana, drug paraphernalia and 4 cell phones, they also arrested 26 year old Dawn Hayden. Ozuna was charged with Criminal Possession Controlled Substance, Criminal Possession of a Weapon & Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia, he was arraigned & was remanded without bail to the Delaware County Jail. Hayden was charged with Criminal Possession of a Weapon, Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia & Unlawful Possession of Marihuana, she was arraigned & was remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $10,000 cash bail and $20,000 property bond.
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The American Cancer Society will hold their annual Relay For Life event at General Clinton Park in Bainbridge on Saturday May 9th. Spokesperson & event coordinator Helen Gregory told WCDO News that people could still sign up their teams to participate:

(Helen Gregory 4-14-15)

Gregory said that the event would have different hours this year, starting with boys scouts pancake breakfast in the morning, and the relay for life event running from 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM, with the entire day’s activities open to the public. More information is available at 563-9634.
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Governor Cuomo today announced the repeal of 57 nuisance fees as part of the 2015-16 State Budget. Businesses and individuals across New York State will save approximately $3 million annually as a result of this action. Cuomo stated that the nuisance fees created unnecessary red tape and placed an undue burden on businesses, & resulted in no significant revenues for the state, Governor Cuomo said. The fees being repealed include such items as a $20 license fee that is collected annually from farm product dealers, a $34 fee for the inspection of both seed potato plants and seed potato tubers, and a $50 fee paid by new trucking companies.
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The Greater Afton Area Chamber of Commerce will be holding its 2nd annual dinner meeting on Sunday, April 19 at 6 p.m. at the Afton Golf Club. The chamber will honor their “Citizen of the Year”, Gloria Harvey of Afton, and “Business of the Year”, MR Construction of Nineveh. Assemblyman Cliff Crouch will be the Guest Speaker. Reservations are still available at 693-1025.
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A.M. NEWS TUESDAY 4-14-15

by wcdonews Posted on April 14, 2015

Governor Cuomo will be submitting 184 vetoes, including 30 appropriations for items that had previously been fully paid out. 31 with remaining undisbursed balances under $1,000, 42 reappropriations that are more than 7 years old and there have been no disbursements during the period. 1 capital reappropriation is vetoed because the projects have been completed, & 2 were added by the legislature, as the organization for which the appropriation is made is now defunct.
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The son-in-law of former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has been arrested and charged with defrauding investors out of $7 million in a Ponzi scheme, according to a complaint unsealed in federal court. 37-year-old Marcello Trebitsch is charged with 1 count of wire fraud and 1 count of securities fraud. He was released on bond, he is married to Michelle Trebitsch, Silver’s daughter, and she has not been charged. The complaint said Trebitsch suffered losses with the money he invested and that he hid them from investors by sending them bogus account statements and tax forms showing annual returns of more than 15%.
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Governor Cuomo today announced that tickets issued to motorists for texting while driving increased 35 percent statewide from 2013 to 2014, as police continue to crack down on distracted drivers. Statewide, police agencies handed out 75,353 tickets in 2014 for texting while driving, compared to 55,673 in 2013. The biggest increase was in New York City, where tickets jumped from 31,835 in 2013 to 47,914 in 2014 – an increase of 50 percent.
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DCMO BOCES campuses in Masonville & Norwich will hold the 2015 Business Round Up Networking events. The first event will be today at the Chenango Campus in Norwich, Spokesperson Martha Ryan told WCDO News what is scheduled:

(Martha Ryan 4-14-15)

The 2nd event will be Thursday at the Harold BOCES Campus in Masonville; both are scheduled to run from 5:00 to 7:00 PM.
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Commerce Chenango will hold their next Business After Hours event today from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Staffworks at 24 Conkey Avenue in Norwich. Staffworks is central New York’s largest provider of staffing services.
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P.M. NEWS MONDAY 4-13-15

by wcdonews Posted on April 13, 2015

State Police at Oneonta arrested 42-year-old Shannon Suydam of Schenevus for 3rd degree Assault, Endangering the Welfare of a Child and Resisting Arrest. This arrest occurred after Troopers responded to a Delaware County 911 report of a dispute in Schenevus; Suydam is accused of punching his 18-year-old son in the face causing an injury while his 3-year-old daughter was present. Troopers tried to arrest Suydam; he is accused of physically resisting them. Suydam was arrested, was arraigned and was remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $2,500 cash bail or $5,000 property bond pending court action on April 27th.
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State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli today announced legislation to create an optional investment pool to help the state and local governments fund retiree health insurance and other post employment benefits. DiNapoli estimates the unfunded Benefits liability of the State is $68.2 billion with an additional $68.3 billion for local governments outside of New York City. DiNapoli’s proposal would Authorize the creation of irrevocable Benefits trusts, which would not be part of the State Common Retirement Fund; Establish an investment fund in the sole custody of the State Comptroller; Designate the president of the Civil Service Commission as the trustee of the state’s new benefits trust, DiNapoli’s proposal also sets no limit on how much or how little a government can deposit into the trust.
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With the tax deadline fast approaching, Acting New York State Commissioner of Taxation and Finance Kenneth Adams today offered tips to help last minute filers and avoid tax scams. Tips for last minute filers include: File electronically, Use New York’s free tax assistance at 518-457-5181, which has extended hours through April 15th. Representatives are available from 8:30 am to 7:30 pm Monday and Tuesday, and until 8:00 pm on Wednesday.
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DEC Officials said that bear hunters took 1,628 black bears during the 2014 hunting seasons, setting a record harvest for the Southern Zone. Hunters took a total of 1,110 bears in the Southern Zone, an increase of approximately 13% from 2013, A complete summary of the 2014 bear harvest with results is available at dec.ny.gov.
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Delaware County Public Health is holding a “Medical Countermeasures” drill on Thursday, April 30th to practice and test the ability to dispense large amounts of medicine in the event of a public health threat such as a disease outbreak or bioterrorism threat to the community. All are welcome to attend the drill. There is no pre-registration required; no actual medicine will be dispensed. The event will be held Thursday, April 30th from 10:00 am to 11:30 am at the Delhi American Legion Hall, 41 Page Avenue, Delhi. More information is available at 607-832-5200.
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A.M. NEWS MONDAY 4-13-15

by wcdonews Posted on April 13, 2015

Oneonta police Arrested 36 year old Corinne Simmons of Deposit, for bank robbery friday in Oneonta. Simmons is accused of robbing the the NBT Bank at 1 Wall Street at about 12:15 Friday afternoon, she indicated she had a weapon and left on foot with about $1,500. Simmons was arrested Friday afternoon on Fonda Avenue in Oneonta, she was charged with robbery and grand larceny, she faces court action at a later date. Oneonta Police were assisted by the State Police in this investigation.
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Governor Cuomo & US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand threw their support behind Hillary Clinton, after she announced her bid to run for President Sunday. Clinton served as a Senator of New York prior to becoming Secretary of State in the Obama administration, Gillibrand was appointed to fill Clinton’s seat in the Senate, Cuomo served in the Housing & Urban Development department in the Clinton White House.
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On Friday Chenango County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested Kyle Packer of Oneonta after conducting an investigation of a motor vehicle accident on a seasonal road in the Town of Plymouth. Packer was processed and released to a sober third party. He is to appear in the Town of Plymouth Court on May 5th to answer to the charge.
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P.M. NEWS FRIDAY 4-10-15

by wcdonews Posted on April 13, 2015

State Police & Oneonta Police responded to the NBT Bank branch at 1 Wall Street in downtown Oneonta at around 12:15 this afternoon, following a reported bank robbery. A description of the suspect still at large, is expected shortly.
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Firefighters around Guilford have responded this morning to a house fire at 1472 County Road 38 in the town of Guilford. The fire was reported at about 9:30 this morning, firefighters from Oxford, Bainbridge & Sidney were called in to assist Guilford fire fighters.
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State Police are looking for Christopher MacDowell of Sidney on a warrant for criminal possession of a controlled substance & unlawful possession of marihuana. MACDOWELL was arrested in May of 2013 after a traffic stop for unlawfully possessing Percocet and marihuana in Sidney, he failed to show up for a court appearance in October of 2013, the Town of Sidney Court issued an arrest warrant. MacDowell has a tattoo of a cross on his right arm; anyone with information should contact State Police & should contact them at 561-7400 or email Crimetip@troopers.ny.gov.
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Sidney Central School is recognizing April as National Autism Awareness by having students and faculty wear the color blue on specific days. Blue is the color of a national group named “Autism Speaks” which has a goal of making people aware of autism statistics, stories and myths. Sidney Senior Courtney Gilmore’s family has been affected by autism and she loves to see the support from her school:

(Courtney Gilmore 4-10-15)

The morning announcements at the school have spread the word about autism, each day a new autism fact is presented, such as: a new child is diagnosed with autism every 20 minutes around the world.
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Assemblyman Cliff Crouch spoke to the Sidney Rotary club this afternoon regarding aspects of the new state budget plan. Crouch told WCDO that agriculture received extra funding in the final version:

(Crouch 4-10-15)

Crouch is one of the few farmers to have served in the state legislature in recent decades, he has served on the Assembly Agriculture committee and conference committees during his tenure in the Assembly.
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The American Heart Association Southern Tier Heart Walk this Sunday at the BCC College Campus. Area Resident Donna Pinney is an open heart-valve surgery survivor; she told WCDO News that this year would be her 6th time participating in the Heart Walks:

(Donna Pinney 4-10-15)

Pinney said that they hope to raise $250,000 in Proceeds this Sunday to benefit the American Heart Association programs. More information is available at 563-1638.
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New York State of Health Marketplace reminded New Yorkers who were uninsured in 2014 that they have until April 30th to enroll in a health plan. More information on how to enroll is available at 1-855-355-5777 or nystateofhealth.ny.gov.
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On Thursday evening, Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies were requested to respond to the Delaware County Public Safety Building for an unruly subject. 38-year-old Lisa Osborne of Hamden was arrested for Disorderly Conduct as well as Resisting Arrest, she was arraigned in the Town of Delhi Court and remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility in lieu of $1,500 cash bail or $3,000 secured bond. Osborne will reappear in the Town of Delhi Court on April 21, 2015 to answer the charges.
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A.M. NEWS FRIDAY 4-10-15

by wcdonews Posted on April 13, 2015

State Police at Oneonta arrested 23 year old Aaron Macken of Oneonta, for 17 counts of Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument, 3rd degree Grand Larceny and 3rd degree Criminal Mischief. An investigation determined that Macken had caused damage at approximately $750 to his grandmother’s property, it was also determined that Macken had been stealing over $5,500.00 from his elderly grandmother’s checking account by cashing several fraudulent checks in 2014 and 2015. Macken was arraigned in the Town of Oneonta Court and sent to the Otsego County Jail with the bail at $5,000 cash or $10,000 property bond.
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6 Area fire departments responded to a house fire at 10 Taylor Street in Oxford Thursday afternoon. The fire started as a grease fire in the kitchen & spread while the woman went to get help up the street. Firefighters from Oxford, Guilford, Norwich, Brisben, Preston and Greene fire departments responded, no injuries were reported, 10 Taylor Street was destroyed, 2 neighboring houses also sustained some damage.
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About 675 local authorities operate in New York State , 639 authorities operating outside of New York City employ more than 4,300 employees, report approximately $1.5 billion in spending and $18 billion in outstanding debt, and operate with little oversight, according to a report by State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. In total, these local authorities reported employing 4,268 people and paying $182 million in total compensation. The report is available at osc.state.ny.us
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P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 4-9-15

by wcdonews Posted on April 9, 2015

State Police today announced a statewide crackdown on distracted driving, as part of April’s designation as National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. From April 10th to April 15th, Troopers in marked and unmarked vehicles will aggressively ticket drivers using handheld devices during Operation Hang Up. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,154 people were killed and 424,000 were injured nationwide in crashes involving a distracted driver in 2013. During the campaign last November, State Police issued 550 tickets for distracted driving, for either talking on a cell phone without a hands-free device while driving, texting, or using an electronic device while driving. More information is available at safeny.ny.gov.
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U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs facilities in New York are relatively good at seeing patients promptly, though some upstate veterans face waits of a month or more. 36 of the 58 VA facilities analyzed met the VA’s timeliness goal, which calls for patients to be seen within 30 days – better than 99% of the time. Locally, the Binghamton VA Clinic successfully saw their patients within a month at a 96.5% rate.
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Governor Cuomo announced more than $233 million in federal grants that will support counterterrorism and emergency preparedness activities in counties across the State. The funding is provided by FEMA through its Homeland Security Grant Program, it supports regional preparedness efforts, including planning, organization, and training activities that are critical to sustaining and improving community prevention, protection, response, and recovery capabilities. Locally, grants have been awarded to Broome County $365,000, Chenango County $110,000, Delaware County $100,000, & Otsego County $110,000
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State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli says some $606,000 in legal defense fees incurred by ex-Senate Leader Joseph Bruno are unjustified and shouldn’t be reimbursed by taxpayers. DiNapoli’s office has approved another $1.8 million for Bruno’s legal expenses. Bruno was acquitted last year on charges that he took bribes to direct state grants to a businessman he had previous convictions overturned & he has sought state reimbursement for $2.4 million of his legal bills. Bruno led the State Senate majority for 14 years before stepping down in 2008 as a federal probe continued about his alleged corruption, his attorneys reported that they will refile to get the rest of the reimbursement.
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The State DEC today issued guidance on preventing conflicts with coyotes. Officials said that Coyotes usually avoid contact with people, however, conflicts with people and pets can occur as coyotes tend to be territorial around den sites during the spring as they forage almost constantly to provide food for their young. Officials recommend that you never feed coyotes, don’t feed your own pets outside, make sure that your garbage is secured, Fence or enclose compost piles so they are not accessible to coyotes. Also, contact your local police department and DEC regional office for assistance in dealing with coyotes on your property on a regular basis
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