Daybreak Update 11/09/2009

We begin with a Sidney and Afton native in critical condition after being shot at Fort Hood in Texas yesterday. 30 year-old Matthew Cooke spent much of his childhood in Sidney. And, then moved to Afton where he graduated from High School. After high school he went into the military, first the Marines then the Army. Yesterday he was at Fort Hood to get medical clearance because he was to ship out to Afghanistan in January. He already has done two tours of duty in Iraq and escaped an attack on his humvee one of those times. Cooke is in the Intensive Care Unit at a hospital in Temple, Texas after being shot several times in the mid-section. His wife is at his bedside. Cooke also has two young sons. He is one of about 30 who were seriously injured. 13 others were killed. Authorities say the gunman was an Army psychiatrist named Nidal Malik Hasan. Cooke's sister, Christina, is encouraging our community to send cards or letters to Matthew. She says it would mean a great deal to him. Here's the address, Scott and White Hospital, 2401 South 31st Street, Temple, Texas, 76508. Binghamton Mayor Matt Ryan's slim lead over Republican challenger Rich David has gotten slimmer. Following the board of election's re-canvassing of voting machines from Tuesday, Ryan's lead is down 5 votes to 56. As of last Friday, there are currently 524 absentee ballots that have been returned. The Broome County Health Department is confirming a local swine flu death. Health officials will only say that it was an adult with underlying medical conditions that died in the last month. Late last week, officials were discussing their current vaccination strategy focusing on grade school children. The department held clinics this week at Harpursville and Deposit schools and 640 students were vaccinated. More schools will have clinics next week, depending on how many more doses the health department receives in its Monday shipment. Public health nurse Mari Yourdon says the number of newly confirmed cases continues to rise, especially among children. Mari Yourdon says, 10 to 14 has been by far my highest age group, at least the ones that have been tested. 5 to 9 year-olds are starting to catch up. That's another big group. The health department is planning a special clinic for pregnant women only. It will take place today from 4 P-M to 6 at the Health Department on Front Street in Binghamton. No pre-registration required, it will be first-come, first-served. Pregnant women are at higher risk for complications from the H1N1 virus. State police says it has broken up a burglary ring that focused on collector's coins and jewelry. Seven men, mostly from Kirkwood and Windsor, are under arrest for allegedly stealing more than 20 thousand dollars worth of valuables. Police say the string of burglaries occurred over the last month in homes in Broome, Chenango and Susquehanna Counties. Mark and Matthew Murray, Richard Buchert, Taylor Wright, Jerry Armodi Jr., Kevin Markoff, and Kenneth Degroat have been arrested. Police say they recovered some of the stolen goods at the suspects' homes, while other items were found at area coin and jewelry dealers. Anyone with information is asked to contact the State Police at 775-1241.

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