Oneida County, NY

NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. – NBT Bank is out more than $10,000 after a fraudulent check scheme was discovered over the past month. According to New Hartford police, 36-year-old Justin J. Vanderhoof allegedly deposited several bad checks into an NBT account at the Seneca Turnpike location starting in May. After each deposit, police say the money would be withdrawn in different ways shortly after.

A New Hartford man is accused of stealing over $10,000 from an area bank branch in a fraudulent check cashing scheme. New Hartford Police have charged 36-year-old Justin Vanderhoof with Grand Larceny in the third degree, a class-D Felony. Police say over the course of one month, several checks were deposited into an NBT Bank account. Then, shortly after, the funds were withdrawn from the bank using 'various methods.'

The man charged with murder in the November 2020 fatal shooting of an Ulster Count resident in a central New York motel has rejected a plea deal, his attorney said Friday. The lawyer cited the receipt of “volumes of discovery” from prosecutors as the reason. Wilfredo Cotto Jr., 40, of...

This is an article I hoped I would never have to write. One of the most deadly deer diseases to ever hit this country is chronic wasting disease, or CWD. It is sometimes called zombie deer disease, and is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) affecting (only) deer. Once any Cervid (all members of the deer family, including all species of deer, elk, moose and caribou) is infected, a slow death is the certain result. There is no possible recovery, and no known treatment that might reverse the infection.

UTICA — Oneida County has launched a text message alert program with Partnership to End Addiction aimed at reducing the amount of substance use overdoses by notifying the community of real-time drug and overdose threats. “We are pleased that Oneida County’s successful implementation of the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program...

On two separate occasions, I've been driving around town and I've seen lawns covered in plastic flamingos and signs that say "You've Been Flocked!" The most recent experience I had was on my way home in Marcy. One of my neighbors had been "flocked." His entire front lawn was covered with lawn flamingos, and the sign. I couldn't read the full sign from my car, so I walked down the street to see if I could read it better.

Wonderful news in the fight against COVID-19 in Oneida County. While nearly all pandemic related restrictions have gone away, and life is returning to normal, the virus is still circulating in our communities. The hope is that one day in the near future the virus ''poof'' completely vanishes and disappears. But will it?

Just one new positive coronavirus case was confirmed in Oneida County Friday, which is the lowest daily number reported since September of 2020. The number of new positive cases has been 20 or less since the beginning of June. At the start of January, the county reported more than 300...

On Friday, the statewide seven-day average positivity rate was 0.39%, according to information from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office. That number has been on the decline for 74 consecutive days. Statewide on Thursday, there were nine COVID-19 deaths. On June 17, Oneida County recorded one new positive COVID-19 case and no...

BLOSSVALE, N.Y. (UPDATED) – A Blossvale man accused of stealing a U-Haul van and spray-painting it to disguise its identity has been arrested by New York State Police. Austin O. Weismore, 25, drove the U-Haul from Florida to New York in March, but police say he never returned it to the company. The U-Haul location in Florida reported the vehicle stolen. Then on Wednesday, police found the van at a property on Preston Hill Road in the town of Vienna during a burglary investigation.

Yikes, would you consider buying a house that is described as a real handyman's special?. This is the cheapest house for sale right now in Oneida County. It's listed for only $40,000. In today's real estate market, it sure sounds like a bargain, right? Here's how Elijah Brown with Miner Realty & Property Mgmt Llc describes the listing:

Three candidates are vying for the Republican endorsement for the New Hartford Town Clerk position in the upcoming primary. The candidates are New Hartford Town Board member Rich Woodland, acting clerk Cheryl Jassak-Huther and deputy clerk Melody K. Fancett. Woodland, who serves the Fourth Ward, would have to step down...

Two Utica men were acquitted of murder charges by a jury last Thursday in Oneida County Court, officials said. Zaharae Wright and Isaiah Fraser, both 21, were found not guilty of the felony charges of second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon on following a three-day trial, officials said. Jurors deliberated for about eight hours before reaching a decision.

Oneida County residents can now sign up for text alerts to be notified when there’s a drug overdose spike in the area. People will get alerts when there are increases in overdoses or overdose deaths in a particular part of the county. It also connects people to treatment and recovery resources.

BRIDGEPORT, N.Y. – Two people and a dog were rescued from Oneida Lake Wednesday night after a boat capsized about a mile from the south shore boat launch. The two people and their dog were in the water for about 45 minutes before a passing boat stopped to help them, according to a post in the Oneida County Emergency Dispatch Facebook group.

As June’s election season is underway for certain political races, the Oneida County Board of Elections has released a few reminders for both early voting, and the regular June 22 primary election day. “In light of recent CDC guidelines and after consulting with the Oneida County Health Department, all voters...

Guatemalan Missionary Tim Pfeuffer will offer the sermon at the First Presbyterian Church, 108 W. Court St., on Sunday, June 20. RFA (class of 1989) and Penn State grad, Tim and his family have been serving in Guatemala for the past three years as full-time missionaries. Along with wife Cathleen, the Pfeuffers have four daughters: Lauren and Katelyn are students at Liberty University, and Anna and Emma serve alongside their parents in Guatemala. Since their first trip in June 2016, they felt God change their hearts from serving as short-term missionaries to serving as full-time missionaries, church officials noted.