P.M. NEWS THURSDAY 3-19-26
46 year old Arthur Cotten of Sidney, pleaded guilty to Reckless Endangerment & resisting Arrest in Delaware County Court, he was appearing for a conference on a pending indictment, he decided to pleaded guilty to the charges, relating to an incident on July 19, 2025, in the Village of Sidney, where he attempted to light himself on fire with gasoline in a garage near a propane tank, Sidney Police Officers Royce Terry and Jenna Nordberg, managed to get the fire extinguished without any person or property being seriously harmed. Cotten will be sentenced on April 28th
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31 year old Mathew Hall of Columbia, South Carolina, was sentenced in Broome County to 10 years in state prison, followed by 10 years of post-release supervision, and will be required to register as a sex offender, and a no-contact order of protection was issued for the victim. Hall was found guilty of rape after a Jury Trial in December from a sexual assault that occurred in the City of Binghamton in October 2024, where Hall engaged in sexual contact with a person who was incapable of consent due to being physically helpless.
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Another former corrections officer has pleaded guilty in the case connected to the beating death of Marcy Correctional Facility inmate Robert Brooks in December of 2024. Robert Kessler entered his plea in Oneida County Court, to a gang assault charge as part of a plea bargain deal in which he testified against his former colleagues David Kingsley, Nicholas Kieffer and Mathew Galliher. Kessler is scheduled to be sentenced to 4 years in State prison on May 14th.
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The Norwich St. Baldrick’s event last Saturday raised $65,715, with Donations still coming in, contributions will be accepted until the end of the year online. The amount raised broke last year’s record of over $63,000. More information is available at stbaldricks.org.
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State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli announced that 7 villages were designated in fiscal stress under his office’s Fiscal Stress Monitoring System for their fiscal year ending in 2025. DiNapoli’s office evaluates municipalities & school district each year for fiscal stress, no villages in the Tri-County Region were on the list this year. The report can be found at osc.ny.gov.
A.M. NEWS Thursday 3-19-26
Delaware County DA Shawn Smith announced that the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court affirmed the Delaware County County Court conviction of Joshua Condon that resulted in a 20 year prison term & 10 years old post release supervision. Condon appealed the sentence for Criminal Sexual Act for abusing an 8 year old child, but after losing the appeal, Condon’s original sentence will stand.
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37 year old Michael Brutvan of Binghamton, pleaded guilty to Murder in the Second Degree in Broome County Court and will serve a sentence of 17 Years to Life in a New York State Correctional Facility. On May 13, 2025, the Binghamton Police Department was dispatched to the Salvation Army located at 131 Washington Street for a report of a stabbing. Upon arrival, officers located a male inside the establishment suffering from stab wounds to the shoulder and neck. The victim was later pronounced deceased. Sentencing is scheduled for June 22, 2026, in Broome County Court.
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Attorney General Letitia James today joined a coalition of 7 other attorneys general in suing to stop the merger of Nexstar Media Group and Tegna, 2 of the biggest owners of local television stations in the nation. The proposed merger would create the largest broadcast station group in the country and consolidate ownership of popular local television stations in media markets across the nation, the coalition argues that this merger would be illegal, could raise costs for consumers, and would degrade the quality of local news. The lawsuit seeks a court order declaring the merger illegal and preventing it from being completed.
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The Competition will begin today from 6:00 to 10:00 PM for those interested in singing at the Southern Tier Music Fest on July 4th at the Sidney Airport, Festival Co-organizer Jake Cotten explains:
(Jake Cotten 3-19-26)
Entry forms for the competition can be found on the Northern Star Facebook page or at Southern Tier Music Fest.com, the music festival will be held on July 4th at the Sidney Airport headlined by Jackson Dean.
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