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.