P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 9-3-14

by wcdonews Posted on September 3, 2014

State Senator Tom Libous & his attorney appeared in federal court this morning in White Plains to discuss various motions that the defense will file, including a motion to change the venue to a federal court room in the Northern district of the state.  Motions from Libous’s defense attorney are due by November 3rd; the prosecution has until l November 24th to respond.          Senator Libous is schedule back in court on January 9th where the judge will consider the motions.  Libous & his son Matthew were named in a federal indictment in July following allegations that Libous used his political influence to get his son a job with a Westchester county law firm. No trial date has been set.

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State Police investigated a fatal agricultural accident Monday at 989 State Route 12 in the Town of Greene.  The Deceased is identified as 62-year-old Gary Williams, who was discovered deceased behind his residence after being ejected from his farm tractor.  An autopsy will be conducted at Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton today.

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Delaware County Deputies investigated a 2-car personal injury auto accident on State Highway 28 in the Town of Meredith Sunday.  Deputies reported that Kathleen Hibbard of Delhi crossed the double yellow line and entered the on-coming lane striking Thomas Nau of Roanoke Virginia.  Nau was transported to O’Connor hospital with minor injuries.  Hibbard was issued a traffic ticket for failure to keep right, she faces action in Town of Meredith Town Court on September 17th.

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Employer contribution rates for the New York State and Local Retirement System will decline in Fiscal Year 2015-16 according to State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.  The average contribution rate for the Employees Retirement System will decrease by about 9% from 20.1% to 18.2% of payroll.  DiNapoli also announced that the funded ratio increased from 88.7% to 92.2%

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During the National “Drunk Driving, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign, from August 15th to Labor Day.  State Police issued 46,584 tickets.  State Police said that 18,350 were for speeding, 1,937 for distracted driving, 2,667 child restraint and seatbelt violations, and 850 move over tickets.  Troopers conducted sobriety checkpoints that more than 19,000 vehicles passed though, 72 were arrested for DWI.   Troopers arrested a total of 663 people for DWI during this crackdown enforcement.

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Governor Cuomo signed legislation prohibiting the launch of watercraft in New York State without taking precautions to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. The legislation requires boaters launching watercraft to clean, drain and dry the boat, trailer, and any other exposed equipment of visible plant and animal matter, or have taken other reasonable measures to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species that can destroy ecosystems of the states waterway.

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The O’ Connor Hospital and Tri-Town Regional Hospital Boards of Trustees have appointed Carlton Rule as Chief Executive Officer of both institutions effective September 29th. Dr. Rule will succeed Dan Ayres, who announced in July that he is returning to West Virginia to become CEO of Summersville Regional Medical Center. Dr. Rule will continue as medical director of Bassett Healthcare Network health centers in the Delaware County communities of Delhi, Andes, Stamford and Walton.

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Wind damage & downed trees were reported in Chenango County after a tornado warning last night, according to the National Weather Service. Damage was reported in the Afton and Bainbridge areas, NYSEG reported scattered power outages from last night’s storms across the Southern Tier, investigators from the National Weather Service are expected to check for a possible tornado touchdown last night in Chemung County.

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A.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 9-3-14

by wcdonews Posted on September 3, 2014

Oneonta Police responded to Morgan Ave for a report of robbery. Police arrested 29 year old Theresa Green of Laurens and 57 year old Marclain Marrero of Oneonta for 1st degree Burglary, 1st degree Robbery, Unlawful Imprisonment, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon, Conspiracy and Menacing. The investigation revealed that the suspects broke into the home of two victims, demanding money and forcibly taking items while armed with a blunt instrument. The victims were then driven to various locations in the city of Oneonta in an attempt to locate money while being held against their will. Oneonta Police were able to locate the vehicle after 1 victim escaped and notified Police, the suspects were taken into custody with out incident. The investigation is ongoing.
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Delaware County Public Health & The Delaware County Drug Task Force will be hosting a free presentation “Emerging Drugs of Abuse”, on Friday, September 12th from 10:00 am to 12:00 Noon at the Delaware County Public Safety Building in Delhi. The presentation include how to recognize signs of drug abuse, and what to do if you suspect someone is using illicit drugs. Registration is required by email rebecca.gardner@co.delaware.ny.us or 832-5200.
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Otsego County will be holding its annual Household Hazardous Waste Event for Small Businesses on Friday September 12th, 2104 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the Meadows Office Complex County Highway 33W in Cooperstown. Businesses in Otsego County are eligible to bring hazardous materials to the collection day event. Registration is mandatory at 547-4225.
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Commerce Chenango announced a Meet & greet session for Republican Lieutenant Governor Candidate Chris Moss. The event will run today from 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. at the City of Norwich Firehouse at 31 East Main Street in Norwich on the 2nd floor.
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P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 9-2-14

by wcdonews Posted on September 2, 2014

The B-Mets Playoff fate has been decided, following yesterday’s loss to Richmond to end the regular Eastern League Season.   B-Mets spokesman Jim Weed explains:

 

(Jim Weed 9-2-14)

 

The B-Mets will be playing Round 1 Playoff Games at home Wednesday and Thursday, against the Portland Sea Dogs. Tickets are available at BMETS.com, at the NYSEG Stadium box office or at 723-METS.

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State police are reminding motorists to support the AAA’s annual “School’s Open; Drive Carefully” for the safety of children traveling to and from school.  The Annual campaign alerts motorists to the special risks to school age children from motor vehicle crashes, which is the leading cause of death for children from 5 to 14 years old. The campaign runs through October 15.   Motorists will receive an additional reminder each time they see one of the “School’s Open” bumper stickers on State Police vehicles, other state vehicles, & school buses.

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The New York State Fair in Syracuse ended its 2014 run with attendance that topped last year by 113,990 visitors. The fair broke a record Saturday for the most people to ever go through the turnstile in one day, then, broke it again yesterday with a new high of 122,870. Overall attendance for the fair this year was just over 965,000 people.

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A new state Board of Elections enforcement began its work today.  The new compliance office will probe potential election law and campaign finance violations; the unit will begin with 3 investigators, 3 lawyers and 2 support staff. For the past several years, the Board of Elections has had no investigators on staff to enforce election law. The unit was part of several ethics reforms the Legislature agreed to in March in exchange for Cuomo’s decision to shut down his anti-corruption commission.

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New York’s Upstate Niagara Cooperative of Buffalo was awarded a contract to provide Greek yogurt to public schools across 3 states.  U.S. Senator Charles Schumer said that Upstate Niagara would provide 142,700 pounds of Greek yogurt to New York, Arizona and Tennessee, as part of the U.S. D.A. School Lunch Program Pilot, through the end of the school year in June 2015. The USDA will then consider bids for the following school year.

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Local officials urge residents to think safety for National Preparedness Month in September.  Staying informed about developments and making kits with supplies are some of the steps families can take to minimize problems whenever a natural disaster hits the area.  National Preparedness Month is sponsored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in order to educate people to prepare for and respond to emergencies of all types and sizes.  More information can be found at ready.gov

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The Sidney Village Board of Trustees will be holding an emergency board meeting with limited agenda items in the Sidney Civic Center boardroom. The meeting gets underway at 7:00 PM. The board will acknowledge receipt of bids not meeting FAA specifications & Authorize rebidding of the acquisition of Snow Removal Utility Tractor with attachments.

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A.M. NEWS TUESDAY 9-2-14

by wcdonews Posted on September 2, 2014

The trial of accused murderer Ganesh Ramsaran will begin in Chenango County court in Norwich today. He is accused of killing his wife, Jennifer in 2012, Jury Selection is expected to last all week, and testimony is expected to begin next week. Jennifer Ramsaran was reported missing by her husband on December 11th 2012, her body was found several months later in a wooded area in the Town of Pharsalia.
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The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a single engine plane crash that occurred Monday at about 12:15 PM. The plane crashed approximately 1/4 mile southeast of the Greene Airport, 70 year old Roger Quinn of Windsor was pulled from the wreckage by a witness and airlifted by LifeNet to Wilson Hospital in Johnson City. Quinn was listed in critical condition with numerous internal injuries. The investigation is continuing.
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Norwich City Police arrested 34-year-old Wilson Hatton of Sidney, 30-year old Heath Oakes, of Cincinnatus and 32-year-old Wayne Church of Norwich for criminal possession of marijuana. Norwich police responded to the report of a 4 year old boy crying on Mitchell Street at 4:30 Sunday Morning, who reportedly had been left alone in a parked car. Wilson Hatton was found leaving a home on Mitchell Street, officers found Oakes and Church processing what over 10 pounds of marijuana. All three were arraigned in Norwich City Court and sent to Chenango County Jail, with Bail on Hatton and Oakes set at $20,000. No bail was set on Church because of his parole status. Hatton was also charged with endangering the welfare of a child.

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The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office arrested 47-year-old Deborah Hugaboon of Kirkwood for DWI, following the investigation into a domestic dispute in the Village of Bainbridge. Hugaboon was found have had an active arrest warrant out of the Town of Coventry, the DWI charges are from a June 19th accident investigation. Hugaboon was after the accident, she was arraigned in the Town of Bainbridge Court and ordered to the Chenango County Jail on $500 bail & will appear in the Coventry Town Court at a later date.
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The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office arrested 56-year-old Timothy Harrington of Oxford for Driving While Intoxicated & Unlawful Possession of Marihuana, following a traffic stop on State Highway 12 in the Town of Oxford. Harrington is accused of operating of the vehicle while intoxicated & was found to be in possession of marihuana. Harrington was also charged with other traffic violations, he was released to a sober third party and will appear in the Town of Oxford Court at a later date.
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P.M. NEWS FRIDAY 8-29-14

by wcdonews Posted on August 29, 2014

Governor Cuomo has directed state agencies, including the Department of Transportation, to suspend all non-emergency construction that would result in lane closures or traffic delays over the Labor Day holiday weekend.   The actions are part of the State’s ‘Drivers First’ initiative, launched in 2012, which prioritizes the convenience of motorists to ensure that traffic disruptions are as minimal as possible to drivers at highway and bridge projects across the state.  The Governor’s directive is in effect until Tuesday, September 2 at 6:00am. Motorists can call 511 or check www.511ny.org for the latest traffic information.

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The state Department of Transportation gave an update on the Prospect Mountain construction project. Crews are working around the Chenango Street Bridge. By the end of the bridge construction, there will be more than 50 arches helping create the bridge. Chenango Street near the Chenango Street Bridge will be open at noon on Saturday. The bridge is expected to be completed by early 2015. A big detour in the project right now is the detour around the I-81 north ramp, which is currently closed and is scheduled to re-open by November 1st.

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The State Education Department released the state-mandated teacher and principal evaluation results. The release of evaluation data enables New Yorkers to see, for the first time, the results of their schools’ teacher and principal evaluations. The law establishing the teacher evaluation system in New York mandates that each teacher gets a rating between 1 and 100. To view the results of your schools’ teacher and principal evaluations visit data.nysed.gov.

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BIRTHRIGHT IN SIDNEY WILL SPONSOR AND HOLD A CHICKEN BBQ TOMORROW FROM 11:00 AM TILL GONE IN THE VIDEO ENTERTAINMENT PARKING LOT ON MAIN STREET IN SIDNEY. HALVES $6. SERVICES OF BIRTHRIGHT OF SIDNEY ARE FREE AND CONFIDENTIAL, SERVING: CHENANGO, DELAWARE AND OTSEGO COUNTIES AND SURROUNDING AREAS

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September is National Preparedness Month. The Red Cross will participate in a Community Preparedness Fair on Friday, Sept. 5 from noon to 4 p.m. at SERVPRO, 134 Conklin Ave. in Binghamton. The fair will consist of preparedness tools, car seat checks with the Broome County Sheriff’s Office, a State Police seat belt convincer, and a healthy neighborhood program to help improve quality of life. The Red Cross will also hold a blood drive at the fair from 11 to 4

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State Police arrested 40-year-old Edward Bryden of Sidney Center for 2nd degree Menacing.  The arrest resulted from a dispute complaint at a residence on Center Street; troopers accuse Bryden of repeatedly engaging in conduct that caused fear to the victim.  Bryden was arraigned in the Sidney Town Court and released on his own recognizance.  The court issued an order of protection against Bryden.

 

 

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A.M. NEWS FRIDAY 8-29-14

by wcdonews Posted on August 29, 2014

State police will participate in a national crackdown “Drunk Driving, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign. The enforcement period will run from Monday September 1st, Labor Day. The State police goal is to maximize DWI Enforcement efforts to ensure that motorists are not injured or killed by an intoxicated driver. More than 10,000 are killed by drunk driving nationally each year.
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The Bainbridge Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring Bainbridge Days activities this Saturday. Bainbridge Chamber President John Payne comments:

(John Payne 8-29-14)

Payne said that proceeds from the bounce house and dunk tank will benefit the BG school district.
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The Binghamton Senators announced today that the 2014 Open House is set for tomorrow from 12:00 Noon to 3:00 PM. Fans can reserve their seats at the Maines Veterans Memorial Arena before the Saturday, October 11th home opener. More information is available at 722-SENS, or bsens.com.
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Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Zephyr Teachout will be speaking at the Foothills Performing Arts, on Market Street in Oneonta Saturday evening at 6:30 PM, she is looking to unseat incumbent Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo in the September 9th Primary. Republicans are represented by Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino.
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The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will resume its regular hours of operation beginning Monday Labor Day. The Museum will be open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, 7 days a week year round, with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Summer-season hours of 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM will start Memorial Day Weekend 2015. More information is available at baseballhall.org.
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P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 8-28-14

by wcdonews Posted on August 28, 2014

State Police arrested 91 year old Edward Wist of Deposit for Forcible Touching and Endangering the Welfare of a Child.  The investigation determined that the victim was a 13 year old girl. Wist was arraigned in the Town of Windsor Court and released without bail set.

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Attorney General Eric Schneiderman today announced awards in Binghamton, to law enforcement agencies in the Southern Tier, to help law enforcement agencies purchase bulletproof vests.  The funding awarded today assists with the purchase of vests for the City of Binghamton Police Department, Steuben County Sheriff’s Office, Watkins Glen & Horseheads Police Departments, among others.  So far, the program has helped with the purchase of over 7,500 bulletproof vests for across the state.

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Unless the state’s top court intervenes, there will be a Republican primary between incumbent State Senator Tom Libous and challenger Denver Jones in the 52nd senate district. A ruling issued by an Albany court, reversed an earlier decision that had invalidated hundreds of Jones’ petition signatures, Albany County Supreme Court Judge Tom McNamara’s ruling validated Jones’ petition with 1,019 signatures enough to qualify him to be on the ballot for the September 9th primary. The Republican candidate for the seat will face Democratic candidate Anndrea Starzak, the former Vestal Town Supervisor, in the November election.

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The trial of Ganesh Ramsaran will begin in Chenango County court in Norwich next Tuesday; he is accused of killing his wife, Jennifer, in the couple’s South New Berlin home. The jury-screening process is expected to last all next week, and testimony is expected to begin the following week. Jennifer Ramsaran was reported missing by the husband on December 11, 2012, he body was found several months later in a wooded area in the town of Pharsalia.

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Farm owners will be a bit happier with school tax bills this coming fall, following the institution of a tax cap by the state legislature and governor Cuomo. New York farm Bureau President Dean Norton comments:

 

(Dean Norton 8-28-14)

 

The bill was co-sponsored by area Assemblyman Bill Magee, who has chaired the Assembly Agriculture Committee for the last several years.

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The state DEC said current fishing regulations would extend through the end of March 2015, with a new regulations guide available April 1st.   Fishing licenses are now effective 365 days from the date of purchase.  DEC commissioner Joe Martens said it made sense to adjust the dates of fishing regulations to coincide with April 1st opener of trout season.

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The Bainbridge Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring Bainbridge Days activities this Saturday. Festivities will include bands performing in the park, vendors, crafters and a cruise in with peoples’ choice awards in three categories. Local businesses join in the fun by offering Labor Day specials and there will be village-wide lawn sales. A bounce house and dunk tank will give proceeds to benefit the BG school

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A state program to finance affordable housing has contributed to delays in building and rehabilitating homes, because of the questionable selection and lax monitoring of construction projects. The audit by state comptroller Tom DiNapoli focused on the Low-Income Housing Trust Fund, where state money creates and preserves housing for low-income households. The program awards up to $44.2 million a year in loans & grants, auditors found projects representing about 4,400 housing units had experienced construction delays of at least 6 months because of the management of the state housing agency.

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A.M. NEWS THURSDAY 8-28-14

by wcdonews Posted on August 28, 2014

Following yesterday’s widespread internet outage that impacted more than 11 million customers at Time Warner, Governor Cuomo has directed the New York State Department of Public Service to investigate the outage as part of its review of Comcast’s proposed merger with Time Warner. The Department will also review whether the outage affected Time Warner’s provision of telephone service in any way.  The Department will also include its analysis of this event in its ongoing study of the telecom industry which is exploring potential changes to telephone, internet and cable services.

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New state regulations will prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species and help to preserve New York’s ecosystems, according to state DEC Commissioner Joe Martens. The rules with the lists of prohibited and regulated species, may be viewed at dec.ny.gov/regulations.

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The Binghamton Senators, in conjunction with the American Hockey League, announced today the full 2014-15 regular season schedule, which will see the B-Sens open their season against the Worcester Sharks in front of their home crowd, at the Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena on Saturday, October 11th at 7:05 p.m.  More information is available at bsens.com

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The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School will hold a Board of Education Meeting today in the District Conference Room at 6:30 PM. The business portion of the meeting will start at 7:00 PM.

 

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