A.M. NEWS FRIDAY 12-20-13

by wcdonews Posted on December 20, 2013

Governor Cuomo announced that the Greater Binghamton Health Center  will remain open to provide adults and children’s services to the local communities. Under a revised plan the Greater Binghamton Health Center will maintain 16 children beds,a Children’s Behavioral Health Center of Excellence for the Southern Tier will be established in Binghamton.  The Greater Binghamton Health Center will maintain 60 adult beds and add 60 new community residential beds. The savings which will be reinvested for the combined 108 new residential beds with supported housing and family care, plus other services.
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Delaware County Sheriff’s Investigators arrested a 44 year old Hector Padilla Jr. of Stamford on drug and weapon possession charges, following a 7 month investigation.  Padilla was charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, and 3 counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon, for allegedly possessing heroin with intent to sell.  A Search Warrant was executed at Padilla’s residence; police seized 65 bags of heroin, a loaded handgun, a stun gun, prescription medications and nearly $700 in cash.   Padilla was arraigned and was ordered held on $30,000 cash bail pending further court action.  More charges are expected to be filed.

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Traditions Resort & Casino of Johnson city is holding a community open house from 5:00 to 8:00 PM tonight at the Traditions ballroom.  The Walsh family plans to announce their intentions to apply for the Southern Tier’s Class III gaming license, following the approval by state voters to allow for 4 casinos to be built in the Southern Tier, Capital Region and the Catskills.

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Operation Merry Christmas will have one more pick up event this weekend, for those who couldn’t make it last weekend due to the weather.  Pickups will be this Saturday at the Sidney civic center between 1:00 & 2:00 PM.

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P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 12-19-13

by wcdonews Posted on December 19, 2013

State Police Superintendent Joseph D’Amico announced that Service arrangements for Trooper David Cunniff have been set for today and tomorrow.  Calling hours will be today from 3:00 to 8:00 PM at the Grace Fellowship Church in Watervliet, the Funeral Service will be tomorrow morning at 11:00 AM, also at the Grace Fellowship Church in Watervliet.  Trooper Cunniff died from injuries sustained while conducting a traffic stop on the Thruway Monday night in Amsterdam.

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State troopers of Sidney, Oneonta and Richfield Springs conducted an Underage Drinker Initiative detail, checking 8 convenient stores in Otsego County, the City of Oneonta, and in the towns of Oneonta, Otsego, Hartwick and Otego.  All 8 stores were in full compliance with all State laws, they were Hess Express, Main Street in the City of Oneonta, all Mirabito Quickways, in the Towns of Hartwick, Oneonta & West Oneonta, the Pit Stop in Cooperstown, Taylor’s Mini Mart in the Town of Laurens, & Sunoco in the Town of Otego.

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Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 28-year-old Amber Armstrong of Walton for 2nd degree Harassment & on an arrest warrant from the Walton Village Court for 2nd degree Coercion.  The charges stem from an incident with a male acquaintance in the Town of Walton.  Armstrong will appear in Walton Town Court at a later date.

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State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli announced his office completed an audit of the Village of Deposit.  The audit found that the village board did not effectively oversee and monitor their financial operations. The board did not have accurate information for their financial decisions and did not adopt reasonable budgets for the general, water and sewer funds. The report also said that the board cannot be sure that only authorized disbursements were made, that all moneys received were properly deposited, or that all transactions were properly recorded and reported.

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New York State’s unemployment rate decreased from 7.7% to 7.4% in November, the  lowest level since January 2009, according to the preliminary figures released today by the State Department of Labor. the state’s economy added 4,300 private sector jobs, to a record high of almost 7.5 million.

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Governor Cuomo signed a law to increase state oversight of special education programs for preschoolers with disabilities. The law authorizes the state comptroller to audit all of the independently run programs at least once in the next 5 years. It establishes new reporting requirements for committees that place children in programs and for providers. Comptroller Tom DiNapoli says fraud in the $1.3 billion program has cost taxpayers millions of dollars while depriving children of needed help.

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It took just a fraction of New York voters to approve private casinos in the state. About 14.3 percent of the state’s 11 million registered voters cast a ballot in favor of the Nov. 5 casino referendum, according to the state Board of Elections. Nearly 1.19 million New Yorkers voted against it, or about 10.8 percent of the total electorate. More than 512,000 ballots left the casino section blank or void. The casino referendum, which allows the state to permit up to seven private casinos, was the first of six proposals on the back of all the ballots and received the most total votes

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The American Red Cross of the Southern Tier will host a Babysitters Training Class for youth ages 11 to 15 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM this  Saturday, at the Red Cross office at 620 East Main Street in Endicott. The cost of the class is $75, which includes a certificate from the American Red Cross, handbook and CD ROM.  Space is limited and advanced registration is required at 1-800-733-2767, or at redcross.org.

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A.M. NEWS THURSDAY 12-19-13

by wcdonews Posted on December 19, 2013

Governor Cuomo announced that his Administration has approved a new program from  Esurance, which allows policyholders to install a device free of charge in their cars that helps prevent teens from texting and calling while driving.  Esurance policyholders may install an in-car device into their teen’s car that, in conjunction with an Esurance app installed on their teen driver’s phone, can limit the use of text, email, application usage, and phone calls while driving, with the exception of 911. The device can also monitor driving behavior, including speeding, hard braking & fast acceleration, more information is available at  dmv.ny.gov/youngerdriver.

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Governor Cuomo announced the availability of $500,000 to aid farmland protection efforts, where Municipalities can apply for grants of up to $15,000 to amend local laws to better protect farmland from being converted to non-agricultural use. Application materials and  webinar information is available for download at  agriculture.ny.gov.

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P.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 12-18-13

by wcdonews Posted on December 18, 2013

Many questions will have to be answered next year, following a proposal to close facilities that cater to mental health issues, in Binghamton, Elmira & the north country.  State Senator Tom Libous of Binghamton comments:

 

(Libous 12-18-13)

 

Libous said that if necessary, he has legislation, co-sponsored by Cliff Crouch in the Assembly, to call for a freeze on the closing of mental health facilities until 2015, if these questions can not be adequately answered.

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State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli announced that state payments to vendors, municipalities, school districts and others are now available at openbooknewyork.com.  The website is updated daily to include approximately 10,000 new payments the Comptroller’s office processes each business day.  Nearly 50,000 state contracts and amendments can also be searched, along with major spending areas for state agencies. DiNapoli said that additional updates are expected this spring.

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Binghamton City Police responded to a robbery at the Dollar General on Clinton Street shortly after noon today.  Binghamton police initial reports said that no weapon was displayed, this suspect was described as a  white or light-skinned black male, 5 foot 7, wearing a black coat and dark hooded sweatshirt with a purple scarf over his face. Binghamton police are currently investigating 9 robberies, 4 other cases are open in Johnson City, Chenango and Fenton in the last few weeks.

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Voters in the Deposit school district voted on 3 propositions for a 2.7 Million dollar Capital Project.  The project calls for a new security booth at the elementary school, a new track and football field, baseball and hockey facilities, and renovations to an art room at the middle and high school.  All 3 propositions were approved by an almost 2 to 1 margin for the project itself, for land acquisition and for the establishment of a capital reserve fund.

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Governor Cuomo is supporting the minority position of his own tax commission for providing a property tax credit to renters, with most of the breaks earmarked for New York City tenants. Cuomo’s commission supported his goal of reducing property taxes upstate and in the New York City suburbs, where residents pay some of the nation’s highest taxes. Cuomo said that he would also push for a future tax credit for renters statewide.

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Norse Energy filed a lawsuit in state Supreme Court in Albany late Tuesday, the court papers challenge whether referring the review to the state Health Commissioner Dr. Nirav Shah was permissible under state law, or was it a politically motivated delay.  The lawsuit seeks to force the DEC into finalizing its 5 ½ year review on the High-volume Hydraulic fracturing process to extract natural gas.

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Details have been released regarding the projects that are getting funded through the Regional Council awards announced last week by Governor Cuomo.  In Delaware County,  $1,3 million dollars will go for the Town of Margaretville to construct of a new hotel at the site of the already existing Margaretville Motel.  Also, $850,000 will go for the County IDA to acquire and renovate a former water bottling plant for the purpose of developing a manufacturing facility to attract new private sector investment and job creation.

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The New York Power Authority board of trustees approved the authority’s 2014 budget that continues to invest in its 16 power plants and transmission facilities, and in its energy efficiency projects at local and state government facilities statewide.  The 2014 operating plan includes a budget of 379.3 million and an energy services budget of 222.3 million.  For more information go to nypa.gov.

 

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A.M. NEWS WEDNESDAY 12-18-13

by wcdonews Posted on December 18, 2013

Assemblyman Cliff Crouch will be hosting a town hall meeting for the town of Colchester tonight.   The meeting will take place at the town hall building at 72 Tannery Road Downsville at 6:00 PM. 

 

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The commerce Chenango Holiday Networking Lunch will be held today.  The event will be held at Fred’s Inn, on state route 12 in Norwich with Registration beginning at 11:30.  Congressman Richard Hanna is expected to attend.

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P.M. NEWS TUESDAY 12-17-13

by wcdonews Posted on December 17, 2013

P.m. news Tuesday 12-17-13
State Police Superintendent Joseph D’Amico announced the death of Trooper David Cunniff. Who succumbed to injuries sustained during a motor vehicle accident on the State Thruway last night. Trooper Cunniff was conducting a traffic stop at around 8:00 PM last night when he was struck by a tractor-trailer, which had veered off of the road into the Patrol Vehicle & the stopped vehicle. Trooper Cunniff was airlifted to Albany Medical Center where he died this afternoon. Funeral arrangements will be announced shortly.
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The Broome County Sheriff’s department responded to another gas station armed robbery last night, at about 9:45 p.m. to the Xtra Mart in Chenango Bridge. The Sheriff’s Office reported that a robber entered the store at 1757 Route 12 and flashed a knife, he then fled on foot. The suspect was described as a white male with blonde hair, blue eyes, 5 feet 11 inches tall. Similar armed robberies have been reported in recent weeks in Johnson City, Binghamton and Fenton, the investigation is continuing.
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Area churches in Sidney are teaming up for a free Christmas dinner for those in need on Christmas day. Circle Drive Alliance Church Pastor Gene Schmidt told WCDO News that they could use a few more volunteers:

(Gene Schmidt 12-17-13)

The free Christmas Dinner will be held at the River Street Fire Station, from 1:00 to 4:00 PM on Christmas day., those who would like to volunteer can call 369-2387.
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Operation Merry Christmas will have one more pick up event this weekend, for those who couldn’t make it last weekend due to the weather. Pickups will be this Saturday at the Sidney Civic Center between 1:00 & 2:00 PM.
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Governor Cuomo today released a report on the State’s tourism initiatives showing that the number of visitors to New York increased by 8.8 million this year. The tourism industry is projected to generate $7.7 billion in state and local taxes with direct spending expected to reach $61.3 billion. The industry is also projected to add 24,800 jobs by the end of the year. Details of the report are available at governor.ny.gov.
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The state Board of Regents recommended a 6 percent increase in state education funding next fiscal year, saying the $1.3 billion increase is needed for struggling districts and pre-kindergarten programs. Schools have received a 4 percent annual increase in state aid since 2012 and the proposal calls for aid to increase from nearly $21 billion to $22.3 billion for the 2014-15 fiscal year, which starts April 1. Gov Cuomo will release his budget proposal on Jan. 21
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The NY State of Health, the State’s official health plan marketplace, said 363,258 New Yorkers had completed their applications and 134,622 people have enrolled for coverage starting on January 1st. The enrollments represent an increase of about 34 percent over the total from December 9th. more information is available at nystateofhealth.ny.gov.
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Donald Trump said that he would decide soon on whether or not to run for Governor of New York next year, against an expected bid to re-election by Andrew Cuomo. Trump said that he hadn’t considered a run for governor, but several top state Republicans have courted him to consider it. A recent Marist College poll shows Cuomo leading Trump by a stunning 70-24 margin.
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A.M. NEWS TUESDAY 12-17-13

by wcdonews Posted on December 17, 2013

Governor Cuomo announced that a $30.32 million loan package for the Johnson City & Binghamton Sewage Treatment plant, for repairs, improvements and protection against future storms, including a floodwall around the plant.  The Plant was damaged in 2011 by Tropical Storm Lee, resulting in a substantial loss of waste treatment. &  The discharge of untreated waste into the Fuller Hollow Creek and the Susquehanna River after a wall collapsed at the plant.  The plant serves 120,000 customers.
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13 canines and their handlers will graduate from New York State Police K-9 Academy this afternoon at 1:00 PM at the Police Academy in Albany.    The 13 graduates will be assigned throughout the state, locally Trooper Christopher May, & Canine Skiff will be at Troop C

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The Delaware county board of supervisors recently approved of a plan to construct a new recycling center at the county solid waste facility in Hamden.  Solid Waste Coordinator Sue McIntyre told WCDO News that the plant will make gathering recyclables easier for solid waste haulers:

(Sue McIntyre 12-17-13)

McIntyre said that they hope to have the facility running next year, plastics 1 through 7 will be collected at that time.

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P.M. NEWS MONDAY 12-16-13

by wcdonews Posted on December 16, 2013

State police at Norwich arrested 23-year-old Farrell Ruffles of Burlington Flats for aggravated driving while intoxicated with a BAC result of .21%. The arrest occurred after a 1-car property damage accident on State Route 12 in Norwich.  Ruffles was arraigned in the Norwich town court and remanded to the Chenango county jail in lieu of $2,000.00 cash bail.

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State leaders are putting together a budget for the 2014 2015 fiscal year.  Assemblyman Cliff Crouch commented about what he expects from the budget plan:

(Cliff Crouch 12-16-13)

Governor Cuomo will unveil the budget on January 21st; the legislature has until April 1st to adopt it.

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Oneonta city officials said that more than 112 cars were towed from city streets, following the weekend storm that dropped between 6 to 12 inches of snow around the region.  Oneonta city law dictates that vehicles must be removed from streets if more than 2 ½ inches of snow falls, & Parking restrictions are suspended for municipal lots and the city parking garage until streets are cleared for plowing.

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The River Club in Afton will offer a free Christmas day buffet again this year, for area families that may have fallen on hard times.  River Club Owner Jack Flannery explains:

(Jack Flannery 12-16-13)

Flannery said that Santa & Mrs. Claus would be on hand,  More information or reservations, or requests to have meals delivered can be made at 639-3060.

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“Elmo Makes Music” will be at the Forum Theater in Binghamton next month.  Tina Niles of NAC Entertainment explains:

 

(Tina Niles 12-16-13)

 

Tickets are available at ticketmaster.com, by phone at 1-800-745-3000; information about Sesame Street can be obtained at sesamestreetlive.com.

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Governor Cuomo received the report on the New York Works Initiative.  The program has completed $488 million in road and bridge improvements, a total of 155 projects are completed or underway for improvements at parks and historic sites & projects are underway to improve the resiliency of storm-impacted or at risk communities, including 18 dam projects, 64 flood control projects, and 24 recreational site projects.
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State police at Oneonta arrested 20-year-old Nathaniel Ragan and 19-year-old Wayne Shaw both of South Carolina for unlawful possession of marihuana.  The arrest resulted from a vehicle and traffic law stop on Interstate 88 in Milford, during a probable cause search of the vehicle almost 12 grams of marihuana was located.  Both men were issued tickets returnable to the Milford town court on January 7th.

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