P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 4-3-14

by wcdonews Posted on April 3, 2014

Calling hours for the fallen Johnson City Police officer David Smith will be held today from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Chase Funeral Home in Port Dickinson.  Officer Smith’s Funeral will be tomorrow morning at 11:00 AM at Sarah Jane Johnson Church in Johnson City.  Representatives from Police agencies from all over will be attending.

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A Norwich teen is facing charges after she jumped out a window at the Norwich City Police Department.  17-year-old Cheyenne Davenport was charged with 2nd degree burglary, 2 counts of petty larceny and criminal possession of a controlled substance, after she allegedly entered a relative’s house and took medication and cash. 2 hours later, she jumped out the department’s window, Police found her hiding in a nearby house and also charged her with 2nd degree escape. Davenport was sent to the Chenango County jail on $2,500 bail.

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The National Baseball Hall Of Fame announced today that on Memorial Day Weekend would feature 75 former major leaguers playing in 2014 Hall of Fame Classic, presented by Ford Motor Company, at Doubleday field in Cooperstown.  Hall of Fame Members Roberto Alomar, Andre Dawson, Rollie Fingers, Eddie Murray, Phil Niekro and Ozzie Smith will serve as managers and coaches for the sixth annual game on Saturday, May 24th starting with the Home Run Derby at 1 PM and the Classic will start at 2:05 PM. Tickets for the Hall of Fame Classic are $ available at 1-877-726-9028 or at baseballhall.org.

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12.6% of New York residents’ income went to state and local taxes in 2011, the highest rate in the nation, according to a report from the Tax Foundation.  Their annual report placed New York at the top of the list for the second straight year, though the total burden fell from 13.1% in 2010. The national average for 2011 was 9.8%.  State Lawmakers have lowered the State tax rates since 2011.

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The Delaware, Ulster & Greene Sheriff’s Departments and State Police investigated vehicle thefts, & announced the arrest of 53-year-old Joel Yaro of Ulster Park for 3rd & 4th degree Grand Larceny.  Yaro is accused of   the theft of a vehicle from Hancock that was recovered in the Town of Kortright later that day, following the recovery of that vehicle; Deputies investigated the theft of a vehicle from the Town of Kortright, which was recovered by Greene County Sheriff’s Deputies the following day.  Yaro was arraigned in the Town of Hancock Court on the two Grand Larceny charges Wednesday; he was remanded to the Delaware County Correctional Facility on $10,000 cash bail pending further court action.

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Tougher texting-while-driving penalties for teenage and new drivers were included in this year’s state budget agreement. Under the state’s new budget, drivers who are under 18, or have a probationary license, will see their driving rights suspended for 120 days on a first texting conviction and a year on the second one.  The governor has pushed for tougher distracted-driving penalties since taking office in 2011, when he and lawmakers changed the state’s texting-while-driving ban from a secondary to a primary offense. Last year, there were 55,130 texting-while-driving tickets issued in the state, up 82 percent from the previous year.

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April is Alcohol Awareness Month, where parents are encouraged to educate their children about the dangers of alcohol & alcohol dependency.  Dave Ramsey of the Alcohol & Drug Abuse Council of Delaware County told WCDO News that research in the last few years has indicated that alcohol to a forming teenaged brain has lasting consequences:

 

(Dave Ramsey 4-3-14)

 

Those who would like more information can go the toe council’s website at ADACONLINE.org.

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State attorney general Eric Schneiderman announced agreements with 10 repossession businesses to help limit the marketing of short-term loans using cars as collateral. With so-called title loans, the short-term borrowing by consumers with poor credit histories can carry high interest rates, making them difficult to pay off and easier to roll over for additional interest. At the end of the loan, borrowers may face balloon payments or loss of their cars.  More information is available at oag.state.ny.us.

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A.M. NEWS THURSDAY 4-3-14

by wcdonews Posted on April 3, 2014

Governor Cuomo reported that his plan to pay for college courses for prisoners will now be funded through non-profits and charities.  Cuomo’s proposal to use state money to provide a free college education to inmates in 10 state prisons, was left out of the final state budget agreement, the plan was roundly criticized.

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Oneonta Police responded to a River Street address Tuesday for the report of a stabbing. Officers found a 35 year old resident of Oneonta injured from 2 stab wounds in his side, he was taken to Bassett Hospital for treatment of injuries.  The investigation points to the incident being drug related, the unidentified victim was uncooperative and refused to pursue criminal charges against any suspects. The case remains under investigation.

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The Chenango county sheriff’s department arrested 33-year-old Jarred Cutting of Masonville for endangering the welfare of a child in the town of Bainbridge.  Cutting is accused of using excessive corporal punishment on a child under the age of 16, resulting in visible marks on the child.  Cutting will appear in the Town of Bainbridge Court at a later date.

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Motorists are advised that there will be rolling slowdowns on Interstate 81 and State Route 17 throughout the Prospect Mountain construction work zone as crews perform paint striping on Thursday, April 3, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. This work will require moving lane closures.  It is weather dependent.

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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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P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 4-2-14

by wcdonews Posted on April 2, 2014

The Sidney chamber of commerce announced this years winners of the Citizen of the Years & Business of the Year awards.  This year’s citizen of the Years is former Sidney Fire Chief Barry Cole, who was surprised to receive the honor this morning:

 

(Barry Cole 4-2-14)

 

The Business of the Years is Video Entertainment Plus; owner Andy Matviak was also surprised to win:

 

(Andy Matviak 4-2-14)

 

Both will be honored at the Sidney Chamber’s Annual Dinner on Friday, June 6th at the Sacred Heart Banquet Hall, on Liberty Street in Sidney.

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Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver announced that he was very pleased with the final state budget, especially with regards to education:

 

(Silver 4-2-14)

 

State lawmakers finished voting on budget bills late Monday, the governor signed the budget into law on Tuesday.

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The Chenango County Sheriff’s Department arrested 43 Year old Gary Cameron of   Norwich on charges of –Criminal Contempt, Aggravated Harassment, & criminal Mischief.    Cameron was charged following a domestic dispute in Norwich, destroying the victim’s property, with a 6-year-old child present.  Cameron was arraigned & was released on his own recognizance and scheduled to reappear in court at a later date.  He was arrested again for violating an order of protection issued by the court & was then remanded to the Chenango County Jail on $500 cash bail pending court action.

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The State Labor Department released unemployment rates for February 2014.  The state’s private sector job count rose by 117,200 since February 2013, & the unemployment rate was unchanged at 6.8%. The economy added 12,800 private sector jobs in February, bringing the state’s private sector job count to a record high of 7,543,100.  Locally, Chenango County’s unemployment rate is 7.7%, Delaware County 8.3% and Otsego County 7.6%

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New York State of Health reported that 1,2 million new Yorkers completed their applications and 865,487 have enrolled for coverage since the launch of the Marketplace on October 1st. on Monday, the deadline day, almost 39,000 New Yorkers enrolled in coverage & nearly 134,000 enrolled over the last week.

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A few thousand protesters rallied against New York’s gun-control laws yesterday, at an Albany rally featuring an appearance from Donald Trump. The protesters filled the south end of Albany’s Empire State Plaza, as speakers berated Governor Cuomo and the state Legislature, for passing the New York Safe Act last year.  Trump was joined at the rally by Republican gubernatorial hopeful Rob Astorino and 2010 GOP nominee Carl Paladino, who is considering a run on a 3rd party line.  State police reported that the protest was peaceful and no arrests were made.

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Trout season opened Tuesday in New York State, however, Anglers said that rivers were too fast for them to catch anything. Fishing licenses are required for anyone over the age of 16; more information is available at dec.ny.gov. The season runs through October 15th.

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A.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 4-2-14

by wcdonews Posted on April 2, 2014

The Johnson city police department announced that calling hours for officer David Smith will be held from 4:00 to 7:00 PM Thursday at the Chase & Son Funeral Home at 737 Chenango Street in Port Dickinson and funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM Friday at Sara Jane Johnson Memorial Church at 308 Main Street in Johnson City.  Johnson City Police announced that street closures are expected along Main & Baldwin Street on Friday.

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the Chenango County Sheriff’s Office and City of Norwich Police Department executed a “no knock” search warrant at a Norwich Inn motel room located in the Town of Norwich Monday afternoon. The search warrant followed an investigation into Crack Cocaine sales, officers arrested 18 year old Noel Budram of The Bronx, who was found to be in possession of crack cocaine and $2,400 cash. Budram  was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, and was arraigned in the Town of Norwich Court, he was remanded to the Chenango County Jail and is scheduled to reappear at a later date, further arrests are pending.

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The next Federal Energy Regulatory Commission public comment hearing will be held tonight in Afton.  The meeting will begin at 7:00 PM at the Afton High School, as the commission will take public comment on the Environmental Impact Statement on the proposed Constitution pipeline route along the I-88 corridor, from Pennsylvania to Schoharie County.

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Cornell cooperative extension will hold “Save Energy, Save Dollars” workshop in Unadilla this evening.  Those in attendance will learn how to save money on home heating costs, and receive a free kit.  The workshop will be held at the Unadilla Library from 6:30 to 8:00 PM, more information is available at 369-3131.

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P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 4-1-14

by wcdonews Posted on April 1, 2014

The state budget contains 10 million dollars to get the Binghamton University School of Pharmacy project started.  State Senator Tom Libous supports the plan:

 

(Libous 4-1-14)

 

Libous said that the school, slated to open in the fall of 2017.

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State lawmakers wrapped up votes on the new state budget yesterday, assemblyman Cliff Crouch told WCDO News of some of the items of local concern:

 

(Crouch Budget 4-1-14)

 

State Senator John Bonacic told WCDO News that he really liked the way this budget turned out:

 

(Bonacic 4-1-14)

 

The budget totaled 140 billion dollars, holding the spending increase to 1.6% as stipulated by the property tax cap law passed last year.

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The state budget includes a measure that will no longer hold consumers financially responsible for surprise, uninsured medical costs. Those costs can arise when a consumer goes to a hospital for a procedure, by a doctor who is covered by their healthcare provider, but end up being treated by a doctor or specialist who is not covered. The new legislation will protect consumers from the surprise costs and sets up arbitration process that removes the consumer from billing disputes between out-of-network doctors and health insurers.

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The Sidney Police arrested 31-year-old Herbert Bidwell Jr. of Sidney for Criminal Possession of Stolen Property, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, Grand Larceny, Forgery and Petty Larceny.   Bidwell is accused of purchasing items with a stolen Debit card he was remanded to the Delaware County jail & faces court action shortly.

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The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is holding public meetings this week, to gather feedback on the draft Environmental Impact Statement, for the proposed Constitution Pipeline. The pipeline would carry natural gas, from northern Pennsylvania across New York’s Southern Tier, to connect with other pipelines in Schoharie County serving Northeast markets. Meetings are scheduled tonight at 7:00 at the Oneonta High School, tomorrow night at 7:00 PM at the Afton High School, and Thursday evening at Blue Ridge High School in New Milford, Pennsylvania. If approved, pipeline construction could start in January.

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The Otsego County Sheriff’s Department arrested 50 year old John Chapman of Otego on charges of promoting gambling, possessing gambling records and money laundering, following an 8 month investigation that included assistance from the state Department of Financial Services Criminal Investigation Unit.  If convicted, Chapman faces up to 12 years in state prison.

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Governor Cuomo announced a new multi-agency Cigarette Strike Force to help crack down on counterfeit and untaxed tobacco trade and sales. The state Tax Department is partnering with 12 state, local and federal agencies to expand and share their database of crime-related information to end illegal cigarette trafficking organizations. A pack of cigarettes in the state is taxed $4.35 and in New York City there is a $5.85 tax—both the highest in the country. The penalty for possession of illegal cigarettes is a $600 fine per carton. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s office filed a $70 million lawsuit against Federal Express for unlawfully shipping nearly 80 million illegal cigarettes to consumers in New York. The lawsuit joins and expands upon a complaint filed in December by New York City.

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A.M. NEWS TUESDAY 4-1-14

by wcdonews Posted on April 1, 2014

Binghamton & Johnson City Police Chief Joseph Zikuski announced that Johnson City Police Officer David Smith was shot & killed yesterday morning at about 7:05 AM near Wilson Hospital.  The suspect was 43-year-old James Clarke of Greene, who died yesterday morning in surgery.  Officer Smith arrived near the entrance of Southern Tier Imaging to a reported disturbance, when he arrived; Clarke attacked him, took his service weapon & shot Officer Smith during the struggle.  Police back up arrived & shot Clarke several times.  The investigation is continuing.

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Governor Cuomo announced an agreement between Tesla Motors, the New York State Automobile Dealers Association to resolve a dispute concerning how auto manufacturers can sell their products to consumers. Under the agreement, Tesla Motors will maintain their 5 locations in the State, & additional Tesla retail locations will be established under a strengthened dealer franchise law.  The Legislation to implement the agreement will be introduced shortly with the support of leadership in the Senate and Assembly.

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State Senator Jim Seward announced that the agreed upon 2014-15 state budget includes funding to reopen the DOT rest area along I-88 eastbound between exits 18 and 19 in Worcester.  In 2010, the New York State Department of Transportation closed 6 rest
areas as a temporary budget cutting measure, the Worcester rest area is the first to be reopened.  DOT personnel have already started to coordinate plans to refurbish and prepare the Worcester rest area for public use. A formal opening date will be announced shortly.

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The Chenango county school counselors association is sponsoring their annual spring college day from 10:45 to 2:00 PM today.  The event will be held at the Norwich YMCA, representatives from 40 colleges & the Armed Forces, will be on hand to meet students, parents and interested community members.

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The Sidney School Based Health Center’s Community Advisory Committee meeting is today, in the High School Library at 3:30p.m. The public is encouraged to attend. Topics on the agenda include Sports drinks, Drinking water and a balanced diet, Tooth Decay, Mental health, Immunizations & the Center’s Summer Hours.

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P.M. NEWS MONDAY 3-31-14

by wcdonews Posted on March 31, 2014

Binghamton & Johnson City Police Chief Joseph Zikuski confirmed this morning at about 7:05 AM; an officer with the Johnson City Police Department was shot and killed near Wilson Hospital in Johnson City.  The shooting suspect was in surgery & was confirmed dead moments ago.  The suspect’s car was located on Hudson Street, Bomb-detecting dogs and bomb squads were called to the scene, and Harrison Street was blocked off to the public, and Hospital staff have evacuated from 30 and 22 Harrison Street.  WCDO will have further details as they become available.

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State lawmakers are voting on the rest of the budget bills today, making this the 4th straight year that New York will have an on-time budget.  Area state senator Jim Seward comments on the tax cutting aspect of the budget;

 

(Seward budget 3-31-14)

 

State senator Tom Libous also commented that tax cuts, education aid and the slowing down of common core implementation is in this budget:

 

(Libous Budget 3-31-14)

 

The budget also contains 10 million dollars in start up money for the new Binghamton University school of Pharmacy building, to be built in Johnson City near Wilson Hospital.

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New York State of Health reported that 1,130,600 New Yorkers have completed their applications and 782,472 have enrolled for coverage since the launch of the Marketplace on October 1st.  The deadline for individuals and families to enroll in coverage through is today, more than 70% of those who have enrolled were uninsured at the time of application.

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22-year-old Brad Goodrich of Greene was released from Wilson Medical Center after being treated for internal injuries and faces vehicular homicide charges for allegedly driving drunk and causing a crash that killed his passenger. Goodrich had a blood alcohol content of 0.25% when his vehicle crashed into a utility pole on March 7th on Hogsback Road in Greene, 23 year old Brandon Archer, was pronounced dead at the scene. Goodrich was indicted by a grand jury on March 20th & faces arraignment today in Chenango County Court, for aggravated vehicular homicide, 2nd degree manslaughter, 2nd degree vehicular manslaughter, DWI, and reckless driving.

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Chenango County sheriffs department arrested 62-year-old Maxie James Godfrey of Oneonta, who is accused of paying an undercover DEA agent, to murder 1 person & requesting the agent murder a 2nd individual.  Godfrey had asked other   inmates at the Otsego county jail about murder for hire, the DEA supplied an agent to pose as a hit man; they met at the Jail, where Godfrey was arrested and is being held at the Otsego County jail on $10,000 bail.

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The state Attorney General’s office is trying to dismiss 2 lawsuits that seek to force a decision on hydraulic fracturing for natural gas in New York. The Joint Landowners Coalition of New York, and the bankruptcy trustee for Norse Energy, filed separate legal challenges recently, arguing that the Cuomo administration is unnecessarily delaying a review of hydrofracking.  Hydrofracking has been under a moratorium in New York since 2008, when then-Governor David Paterson began the environmental review process.  A hearing on the lawsuits is currently scheduled for April 25th in state Supreme Court in Albany.

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The state Gaming Commission’s Facility Location Board will put out requests for applications today for 4 privately owned casinos in 3 regions of the state: the Albany area, Catskills and Southern Tier.  9 bidders have already come forward with their plans, working out to 3 bidders in each region.  The application process will end on June 30th.

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A.M. NEWS MONDAY 3-31-14

by wcdonews Posted on March 31, 2014

Governor Cuomo and legislative leaders have reached a deal on a $140 billion budget that provides some tax relief for businesses, homeowners and renters.  Lawmakers are expected to vote Monday.  The 332-page revenue bill lists property and renter’s tax credits through so-called circuit breakers, tax credits for families and revisions in bank, corporate, manufacturers and estate taxes.

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Oneonta Police & the State Department of Health Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement, arrested 45 year old Janice Vaugh-Young of Oxford for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance.  The charges stemmed from an investigation into the theft of narcotics from a health care facility.  Vaugh-Young was arraigned in the City of Oneonta Court and released on her own recognizance to appear at a later date.

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Motorists are advised that there will be rolling slowdowns on Interstate 81 and State Route 17 throughout the Prospect Mountain construction work zone as crews perform paint striping on Monday, March 31, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. This work will require moving lane closures.  It is weather dependent.

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The Women’s Fund of the Community Foundation for South Central New York announced that they are accepting grant proposals for between $1,000 to $6,000 from qualified organizations in Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Otsego and Tioga counties.

Funding is available for projects or programs that use innovative and/or collaborative approaches to create positive change and that demonstrate the potential to improve the well-being of women or girls, details are available at donorswhocare.org or at 772-6773, the deadline to file is Friday, June 14th.

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The Southern Tier Parents against the Common Core are holding a presentation on March 31st.  The event will take place from 6:00 to 8:00 PM at the Vestal Library; concerned parents are encouraged to attend.

 

 

 

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