NORWICH – Two local men recently discussed the ramifications of a felony DWI in Chenango County, and one of the two agreed to a plea deal that will put him in the possession of the state department of corrections.

Chenango Forks’ Timothy Friske pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated while standing before County Court Judge W. Howard Sullivan on Monday. Friske, who admitted that during the summer of 2004 he was convicted of DWI in a Broome County court, will have to complete the Willard Drug Treatment program after he is sentenced on Sept. 11. His sentence was the result of his most recent DWI infraction on state Route 12 in the Town of Greene.

The Willard program is an alternative to incarceration for non-violent offenders whose crimes are linked to substance abuse. The 90-day program focuses on treatment for addictions, the development of self-discipline, and basic education skills. Participants who finish the program successfully are paroled and often back in society in far less time than someone who wasn’t in or couldn’t finish the program.