P.M. NEWS Thursday 3-18-21

State Health department announced that some restrictions are being lessened as COVID positivity rates continue to decline & vaccinations increase.  Indoor fitness classes can resume at limited capacity on March 22, at 33% with health screening and contact information required at sign-in.  Local health departments shall inspect before or within 2 weeks of the fitness center opening to ensure compliance.  Also, Beginning April 5th, the 11:00 PM curfew currently in place for casinos, movie theaters, bowling alleys, billiards halls, gyms and fitness centers will be lifted. The 11pm curfew for food and beverage establishments and the midnight curfew for catered events will remain in effect; both curfews will be re-evaluated in late April.

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Otsego County Sheriff’s Office arrested 29 year old Christopher Ruiz of the Town of Hartwick on 55 counts of violating an order of protection while incarcerated at the correctional facility.  Ruiz   is accused of contacting a party that was protected by an order of protection, over 100 times while remanded at the Otsego County correctional facility.

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State Police conducted an Underage Drinking Initiative Tuesday, in Otsego & Chenango Counties.  All 17 businesses were found to be in compliance in Greene, Oxford, Norwich, Sherburne, & Morris.  During the Underage Drinking Detail Initiative retail establishments are checking utilizing a trooper in plain clothes and one or several under aged operative who cannot lie about their age or give a fake date of birth.  When asked for ID, they must show their real ID.

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Delaware County Public Health Services and Friends of Recovery- Delaware Otsego will be sponsoring a Recovery Coach Academy & Ethical Considerations training from April 12th to April 17th, from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM, at the First Baptist Church in Delhi.  The Recovery Coach Academy includes all course materials. Scholarships are available. For more information or to register for this course, call 267-4435 or email: Kyle@friendsofrecoverydo.org.  The deadline to register is April 7th.

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Chenango County Public Health reported 13 more COVID positive tests; they report 83 Active Cases, 252 Active Quarantines, 7 hospitalizations & 2598 Total Confirmed Cases, with 2357 recoveries & 64 deaths.

A.M. NEWS THURSDAY 3-18-21

The state-run mass vaccination site at SUNY Oneonta will open Friday, Bassett Healthcare Network staff will work at the site each day, along with Staff from the State, the National Guard and Otsego County Public Health.  Anyone currently eligible under state guidelines can find the link to register at bassett.org/covid-19, after registering, patients should go to forms.ny.gov/s3/vaccine.  Eligible New Yorkers can also schedule appointments by utilizing New York’s ‘Am I Eligible’ website or by calling the state’s COVID-19 Vaccination Hotline at 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829).  Each site will be open from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm. daily.

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22 year old Brandon Clark was sentenced to 25 years to life in Oneida County Court this week, for the murder of Bianca Devins in Utica in July of 2019.  Clark killed Devins & then posted the murder scene on social media, near the site of the Boilermaker run on Sunday, July 14th 2019.

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Broome County Special Investigations Unit Task Force arrested 43 year old Michael Palmer of Binghamton after they executed a search warrant at his residence.  Police seized over $10,000 in cash, Fentanyl & drug packaging materials, Palmer was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and tampering with physical evidence; he was arraigned in Binghamton City Court and was remanded to the Broome County Jail.

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Delaware County Public Health reported 18 new COVID cases out of 467 tested, they have 101 active cases, 8 hospitalized & 388 quarantined. 

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Delaware County Public Health will be conducting a COVID-19 vaccination clinic on Saturday at the DCMO BOCES- Harrold Campus, on State Route 206 from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. This vaccination clinic is open to New York state residents or people who work in New York State who presently qualify by being 60+ years of age, an eligible worker 18+ years of age, or those with qualifying medical conditions 18+ years of age.  Eligibility requirements are available at covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/phaseddistribution-vaccine, Registration is mandatory at delawarecountypublichealth.com/covid-19.

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The Delaware County Chamber of Commerce will hold their free virtual Third Thursday event this morning from 8:30 to 9:30 AM.  The featured speaker is Congressman Antonio Delgado, who was elected to his 2nd term in November, he currently serves on the House Agriculture, Small Business, and Transportation and Infrastructure committees, to register, go to delawarecounty.org.

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