Indicates ramp or road restrictionsIndicates ramp or road closures Onondaga County Interstate 81: View I-81Roadmap in a larger map Click map markers for details on the following construction news: • Northbound onramp from Almond/Harrison streets closed. Until Saturday, Oct. 16. Detours: To northbound I-81: Follow Almond Street to Erie Boulevard East. Turn left and follow to State Street. Turn right...

Indicates ramp or road restrictions

Indicates ramp or road closures

Onondaga County

Interstate 81:

View I-81Roadmap in a larger map

Click map markers for details on the following construction news:

• Northbound onramp from Almond/Harrison streets closed.

Until Saturday, Oct. 16.

Detours:

To northbound I-81: Follow Almond Street to Erie Boulevard East. Turn left and follow to State Street. Turn right on State Street and go to Willow Street. Turn left on Willow Street to Pearl Street. Follow to I-81 ramp.

To westbound I-690: Follow Almond Street to Erie Boulevard East (Route 5). Turn left and follow signs for Route 5 through downtown (Erie Boulevard does not go through). At Franklin Street, turn left and follow to Erie Boulevard West. Follow to West Street Arterial north and follow signs for westbound I-690.

To eastbound I-690: Follow Almond Street to Erie Boulevard East. Turn left and follow to McBride Street. Turn right on McBride and follow to eastbound I-690.

• Reduced to one lane northbound from Adams Street to I-690.

Until Saturday, Oct. 16.

• Reduced to one lane southbound from Adams Street to Castle Street.

Until Saturday, Oct. 16.

• Southbound closed to all traffic at Adams/Harrison streets.

7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 2. Detour: Exit at Harrison Street, follow road under bridge (Almond Street) to I-81 south entrance ramp.

• Reduced to two lanes in each direction over Oneida Lake outlet.

Until Nov. 30. For bridge repairs.

Interstate 690:

View I-690Roadmap in a larger map

Click map markers for details on the following construction news:

• Eastbound ramp to I-81 south closed.

7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 2. Detour: Take West Street exit, follow to Shonnard Street. Turn left on Shonnard Street to Adams Street, follow to I-81 south.

• Westbound ramp to I-81 south closed.

7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 2. Detour: Follow I-690 west to West Street exit, follow to Shonnard Street. Turn left on Shonnard Street to Adams Street, follow to I-81 south.

West Street bridge reconstruction:

View ErieBoulevardbridge in a larger map

Click map markers for details on the following construction news:

• Erie Boulevard bridge over West Street closed.

Until Nov. 15. For bridge reconstruction. Detour: Going westbound, take West Genesee Street (Route 5) to Geddes Street, turn left and follow to Erie Boulevard. Going eastbound, turn left of Plum Street and follow to West Genesee Street (Route 5) and follow to Franklin Street.

• Northbound West Street offramp to westbound Erie Boulevard closed.

Until Nov. 15. For bridge reconstruction.

West:

View OnondagaWestRoadmap in a larger map

Click map markers for details on the following construction news:

• Benson Road in Skaneateles closed between Lacy Road and Route 38A.

All times from Wednesday, Sept. 8 to Friday, Oct. 22. For culvert replacement. Detour: Going southbound, turn left on Lacy Road to Route 359. Turn right and follow to Route 38A. Turn right again and follow Route 38A back to Benson Road. Reverse the route for northbound traffic.

Cayuga County

View CayugaCountyRoadmap in a larger map

Click map markers for details on the following construction news:

• Route 90 reduced to single lane for both directions.

Until Oct. 16. For bridge replacement.

Other traffic links:

• Check out area real-time traffic cameras.

• Compare the lowest CNY gas prices online.

Auburn, NY - Cayuga County voters, meet Stephen J. Lynch, a Long Island lawyer and your new candidate for state Supreme Court justice. Lynch probably won’t be going door-to-door asking for your vote. Or passing out bumper stickers. Between now and the Nov. 2 election, he may not even step foot in Cayuga County or the seven other counties west...

Auburn, NY - Cayuga County voters, meet Stephen J. Lynch, a Long Island lawyer and your new candidate for state Supreme Court justice.

Lynch probably won’t be going door-to-door asking for your vote. Or passing out bumper stickers.

Between now and the Nov. 2 election, he may not even step foot in Cayuga County or the seven other counties west of Syracuse, where he’ll be on the ballot, running as a Democrat against incumbent Supreme Court Justice Henry Scudder, a Republican.

Lynch agreed Thursday to be put on the ballot for the 7th District Supreme Court justice seat as part of a deal to allow Democratic attorney general candidate Eric Schneiderman to also run statewide as the Independence Party candidate.

Lynch began the week as the Independence Party’s candidate for attorney general — a race he had little chance of winning. Schneiderman wanted to add the Independence Party line for his campaign against Dan Donovan, a Republican.

Under the state’s election laws, Lynch could not be removed from the attorney general ballot unless he died, committed a felony or was nominated for a judicial seat.

So the state Democratic Party agreed to nominate Lynch for the judicial race — where Scudder was running unopposed — if the Independence Party made Schneiderman their statewide candidate for attorney general, Independence Party Chairman Frank McKay said.

McKay said he does not expect Lynch to campaign for judge.

“I can’t imagine he will be seriously running,” said Cayuga County Democratic Committee Chair Kate Lacey. “But if he comes to Auburn, we’ll welcome him with open arms.”

She said she has never talked to Lynch and knows nothing about him.

The Supreme Court 7th District includes Cayuga, Seneca, Monroe, Wayne, Ontario, Livingston, Yates and Steuben counties.

Lynch, 59, who works as a law clerk for a Supreme Court justice on Long Island, resides in Speonk, about 325 miles from Auburn. That’s no problem.

Candidates for Supreme Court are not required to live in the district in which they are running, said state Board of Election spokesman John Conklin.

“It’s perfectly legal. Nothing illegal about it. The law allows it,” said Scudder, a justice for 14 years who suddenly is no longer unopposed in his bid for a second term.

But he said the political maneuvering is not ideal for voters.

“To wait until five weeks before the election, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. You need more time than that to run the race in a proper manner. But again, it’s lawful,” he said.

Scudder laughed when asked if he anticipates having any campaign debates with Lynch.

Lynch could not be reached Thursday for comment.

Contact Mike McAndrew at mmcandrew@syracuse.com or 470-3016.

The Onondaga County Legislature’s Ways & Means Committee recommended about $50 million in changes to County Executive Joanie Mahoney’s proposed 2011 spending plan Thursday — changes that legislative leaders said would avoid major property tax increases next year. The committee recommended spending cuts that included selling the Sheriff’s Department helicopter, Air One, and eliminating 29 deputy and officer positions from...

The Onondaga County Legislature’s Ways & Means Committee recommended about $50 million in changes to County Executive Joanie Mahoney’s proposed 2011 spending plan Thursday — changes that legislative leaders said would avoid major property tax increases next year.

The committee recommended spending cuts that included selling the Sheriff’s Department helicopter, Air One, and eliminating 29 deputy and officer positions from the department’s patrol division. Fifteen of those positions are vacant already, but 14 others are filled and would require layoffs, representatives of the department's labor union said.

The patrol division currently has 228 deputies and officers, union officials said.

Under the committee's plan, the helicopter would be grounded on July 1 and sold for $1.8 million. Legislature Chairman James Rhinehart, R-Skaneateles, who attended the committee's meeting Thursday night, said the county could be served by the state police's helicopter, which is based at Hancock Airport, and by Mercy Flight Central, a nonprofit air medical services company that operates in the county.

Other cuts involved eliminating jobs in various county departments. But most of the cuts consisted of slashing spending on maintenance, capital projects and the purchase of equipment such as personal computers and vehicles for the Sheriff’s Department and other departments.

The panel also recommended that Pratt's Falls county park be closed and possibly turned over to the town of Pompey.

Not all of the changes to Mahoney’s budget would involve spending cuts, however. The committee recommended that the Legislature use $12 million from the general fund balance — the county’s reserve for unexpected expenses or revenue drops. The committee also simply raised estimates of how much money the county would collect in sales taxes, room occupancy taxes and other revenues next year.

Rhinehart said the use of fund balances was necessary to keep county property taxes from shooting way up in many of the county’s 19 towns. The county has about $120 million in fund balances spread across a number of departments, he said.

"I say if government has that much money, it took too much money from me in the first place," he said.

Mahoney, however, criticized the committee’s actions, saying the use of the county’s reserves and the use of "one-shot" rather than recurring expense reductions was "irresponsible" and will only make matters worse in 2012.

"Next year, when the money is gone, the spending is still going to be there," she said. "The Legislature can stand tough right now or they can duck for cover. It looks like they’re ducking for cover."

Mahoney said she hopes the full 19-member Legislature does not go along with many of the committee’s recommendations when it votes on the budget Oct. 12.

"I’m hoping when the full Legislature gets a look at this, they’ll back off," she said.

Administration officials and lawmakers said they did not know how many county jobs would need to be cut if the Legislature approves of the panel's recommendations. That will require an analysis over the next few days.

One official said it appeared that fewer than 100 layoffs would be necessary. Mahoney's budget called for five to 10 layoffs.

Mahoney’s proposed $1.2 billion budget would reduce the county’s property tax levy — the money it raises from property taxes — by $3.1 million, dropping it to $180.88 million.

However, most of the county’s suburban communities would see major increases in county property taxes under her budget because the county, in a move approved by the Legislature earlier this year, will start keeping most of its sales tax revenue next year rather than sharing it with local governments.

The Legislature plans to hold a public hearing on the committee's proposed spending plan at 7 p.m. next Thursday.

Contact Rick Moriarty at rmoriarty@syracuse.com or (315) 470-3148.

Scholarship will require students to engage in community service.

Submitted photoHoward and Louise Phanstiel, who donated $20 million to Syracuse University in 2010 for scholarships.

Just after Howard Phanstiel earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Syracuse University in the early 1970s, he made a small donation.

“The first year out of school I sent a check for $50,” recalled Phanstiel, a retired health insurance executive, “and then they didn’t hear from me for 35 years.”

But when SU finally heard again from Phanstiel, it was music to the school’s ears. He and his wife, Louise, donated $5 million for an endowed professor chair at the Maxwell school in 2006. They also gave $1.2 million toward the Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center.

That, it turns out, was just the beginning. Today, SU will formally announce that the Phanstiels will give $20 million toward a scholarship fund for middle-class students. It’s the second-largest single gift ever to SU from an individual.

The largest single gift from an individual was $28.8 million from the estate of Frederic N. Schwartz, a 1931 graduate and former chief executive officer of what was then Bristol-Myers Co.

The Phanstiels, who live in Los Angeles, said they watched with concern as college costs continued to climb at the same time the recession was eating away at the income and assets of the families of middle-class students.

“They were at serious risk of not being able to attend college,” Louise Phanstiel said. “We truly believe in the value of education, and the next thing we wanted to do in a more meaningful way was to put together a program to address this need.”

The Louise and Howard Phanstiel Scholars program will do more than help students pay for college, she said. By requiring students to help organize a lecture that promotes giving and to engage in community service, the program will help students develop a lifelong devotion to serving others.

“The spirit of philanthropy is so important to our society, and giving of your time and effort is as important as giving your money,” Louise Phanstiel said. “Once someone has become philanthropic, the joy and reward you get back is tenfold.”

The program will start in fall 2011 and will help dozens of students each year, said SU spokesman Kevin Quinn.

Howard Phanstiel said he was approached by the university’s development office several years ago about helping the Maxwell School, where he obtained a master’s degree in 1971. He joined the Maxwell advisory board in 2005, and a year later the Phanstiels established an endowed chair with a $5 million donation — the largest ever given to Maxwell.

Phanstiel said he and his wife were so impressed with the dedication Carmelo Anthony had to SU, which he attended just one year before joining the NBA, that they decided to give money to the basketball center.

Howard Phanstiel joined the university board of trustees in 2007 and was one of three co-chairs of the college’s capital campaign that seeks to raise $1 billion. In 2008, during the depths of the recession, he led a $1 million fundraising effort that provided money to more than 425 students who were struggling to pay their college bills.

Phanstiel hopes the new scholarship program will inspire similar ideas around the country.

“It may be that this excites other donors and institutions to begin making gifts to universities that contemplate this holistic, well-rounded approach,” he said.

Contact Glenn Coin at gcoin@syracuse.com or 470-3251.

Route 11 over Salmon River in Oswego County closed after concrete wall collapses.

View full sizeGary Walts / The Post-StandardFlood waters engulf Bridge Street in Altmar, Oswego County, Friday morning.

Syracuse, NY -- New York State Department of Transportation officials this morning said they expect to close more roads today as flood waters continue to rise throughout the region.

Oswego County

The Pulaski mayor has ordered the Route 11 bridge over the Salmon River closed following the collapse of a concrete wall along the river, the Oswego County Office of Emergency Management reports. State Department of Transportation inspectors will be examining the collapsed wall.

Also, a "Condition C" emergency, the lowest level, was declared for the Salmon River, the office reports. Conditions on the Salmon River are extremely dangerous. Water has been released from the Salmon River Reservoir since 3 a.m., leading to high water levels on the river.

There have been no evacuations so far, Oswego County 911 reports.

Submitted photographBEFORE: This is a photo of a large concrete wall along the Salmon River in the village of Pulaski on September 2010. The wall collapsed today, Oct. 1, due to flooding.

Submitted photographAFTER: This is a cellphone shot photo of a wall along the Salmon River that collapsed today, Oct. 1, due to flooding.

Oswego County's 911 Center reports the following roads as closed:

• South Albion Road is closed at 212 S. Albion Road where the road is gone


• Austin Road off State Route 13; the road is gone and there is a large sink hole


• The County Route 52 bridge in Altmar

The following Oswego County roads are flooded, but may be opened. Authorities urge motorists to be cautious as they travel them:

• County Route 1 by the Old Timers Inn


• Centerville and Peck Roads


• State Route 49 by AA Cole Elementary School


• County Route 2 between Springbrook and County Route 2A


• County Route 63 off State Route 104


• State route 183 just off State Route 69


• County Route 41 and Route 11


• Bridge Street in Altmar


• Waterbury, Ryan and O'Hara Roads in Redfield


• Towsley, Bullrun, Hong Kong, Albion Cross, South Albion Roads in Albion


• Tubbs, Spath, Chipper, and Smithers Roads, and State route 176 in Mexico


• County Routes 41, 28, 4, 1, 63 and State Route 104


• Cole Road


• North Herrick Road and Centerville in Richland

Onondaga County

Route 290 between Clemons Road and Minoa Road in Manlius closed, according to the state DOT.

Also in Manlius, officials closed portions of three roads at 8:30 p.m. Thursday.

Two roads, State Route 173, between Palmer Road and North Eagle Village Road, and Whetstone Road between Chatham Drive and Broadfield Road reopened at 10:15 p.m.

North Eagle Village Road between State Route 173 and Townsend Road remains closed.

Cortland County

Cortland County appears to be the hardest hit by the flooding. The county has ordered no unnecessary travel.

A large section of Route 11 is closed between Polkville and Marathon, according to the state DOT.

Water from Trout Brook flowed over the Route 11 bridge between the two areas. Even when Route 11 reopens, its’ likely the bridge will remain closed for a time, DOT said.

Route 41 in McGraw is also closed.

Read more

» Syracuse sets record for rain; Cortland gets more than 6 inches

» Brookfield Renewable Power warns people to stay away from the Salmon River

» See the local road report

» See today's hour-by-hour forecast and the five-day outlook

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- As prosecutors consider filing bias-crime charges against two college freshmen accused of streaming online video of a sexual encounter between a classmate who later killed himself and another man, a huge divide has emerged between those who support the suspects and those who want to see them punished. The saga that unfolded this week at Rutgers...

View full sizeThe Associated PressThis June 2010 photo provided by the Ridgewood Patch shows Tyler Clementi (left) hugging a fellow student during his 2010 graduation from Ridgewood High School in Ridgewood, N.J. The death of Clementi, a Rutgers University freshman, stirred outrage and remorse on campus from classmates who wished they could have stopped the teen from jumping off a bridge on September 22 after a recording of him having a sexual encounter with a man was broadcast online.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- As prosecutors consider filing bias-crime charges against two college freshmen accused of streaming online video of a sexual encounter between a classmate who later killed himself and another man, a huge divide has emerged between those who support the suspects and those who want to see them punished.

The saga that unfolded this week at Rutgers University has become a flashpoint for debate after the revelation that 18-year-old Tyler Clementi had jumped from the George Washington Bridge on Sept. 22.

Leading up to the suicide, a post appeared on a website catering to gay men seeking advice on what to do after learning that a roommate secretly filmed a liaison. While it's impossible to be certain that that post and subsequent ones were made by Clementi, they mirror the same timeline as the alleged filming and reflect the anguish someone in that situation might have felt.

Clementi's roommate, Dharun Ravi, of Plainsboro, N.J., and another student, Molly Wei, of Princeton, N.J., both 18, are charged with invasion of privacy, with the most serious charges carrying a penalty of up to five years in prison.

But Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce J. Kaplan said Thursday that more charges were possible under New Jersey's hate-crimes law.

"We will be making every effort to assess whether bias played a role in the incident, and, if so, we will bring appropriate charges," he said in a statement.

The legal question has to do with the motive.

A person can be found guilty of a bias crime in New Jersey if the jury agrees that he or she committed a crime because of a belief that the victim is a member of a protected group, such as a racial minority or gay.

Ravi's lawyer has not responded to requests for comment. Messages left with an attorney believed to be representing Wei were not returned.

High school friends of the suspects, both 2010 graduates of West Windsor-Plainsboro High, say the suspects have no problem with gay people.

"He had gay friends," Derek Yan, 16, told The Associated Press. Yan said that he chatted online with Ravi, an Ultimate Frisbee player, about college life in recent weeks. "He said he was lucky to have a good roommate," Yan said. "He said his roommate was cool."

Numerous websites popped up in defense of the suspects, with some proclaiming their innocence or calling their alleged actions a prank. Countless other sites, however, were dedicated to bashing the suspects or calling for stiffer charges, including manslaughter.

The comments on the pages are emotional and sometimes vitriolic. Some postings call the suspects "sickos" and "cold-blooded killers" while others display homophobia and racism (both suspects are minorities), even thanking the suspects for their possible role in a gay man's death.

Luanne Peterpaul, who has worked as a prosecutor and criminal defense lawyer and serves as the vice chairwoman of the gay rights group Garden State Equality, said bias crimes can be hard to prove.

She said prosecutors should look at evidence including the Twitter messages Ravi may have used to alert friends to the alleged video. She said that there might be clues as to his intent.

Peterpaul said she believes that filming a man and a woman engaged in sex in a dorm room would not have had the same results.

"It's quite possible that maybe they would have videotaped an opposite-sex couple," she said. "But would there have been such a following?"

The saga took another twist when the website Gawker reported that someone started a discussion on a graphic gay-oriented website after realizing his roommate was "spying" on him with a webcam.

The author described his conflicted feelings after reading his roommate's tweets about the author kissing a guy in their room while he watched from afar. Should he report his roommate or request a room change? Would either help or just make things worse? The author later wrote that he told a resident assistant about the filming — and that he unplugged his roommate's computer and searched the room for hidden cameras before another liaison.

The last known communication from Clementi was on his Facebook page. It said, "Jumping off the gw bridge sorry."

Friends were shocked that Clementi, a talented violinist who was known as quiet but happy, would have been embroiled in scandal — or would have killed himself.

"I would never expect this to happen to him," said John Shen, a student at the New York Institute of Technology and a high school friend of Clementi's who last saw him about a month ago. "He's such a good kid. I've never seen him angry."

From The Associated Press: RALEIGH, N.C. -- Torrential downpours from a faded tropical storm marched into the Northeast on Friday, a day after claiming five lives, washing out roads, knocking out power and dousing some East Coast cities with more rain in hours than they normally get in months. Massachusetts was in line for a soaking as the storm...

View full sizeThe Associated PressA Pike Electric Inc. crew takes down a utility line running to a house after a large tree fell and damaged a significant portion of the home in Greensboro, N.C., Thursday.

From The Associated Press:

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Torrential downpours from a faded tropical storm marched into the Northeast on Friday, a day after claiming five lives, washing out roads, knocking out power and dousing some East Coast cities with more rain in hours than they normally get in months.

Massachusetts was in line for a soaking as the storm began making its way across New England on Friday. The torrential downpours and high winds struck the Berkshires early in the morning and were expected to hit the Boston area by midday.

The weather also snarled air, road and train traffic in the New York City area Friday morning. Motorists and pedestrians there coped with sheets of rain, poor visibility, slick roads and strong wind gusts as they made their way to work. The Federal Aviation Administration reported flight delays at New York's Kennedy and La Guardia airports.

The massive rainstorm drove up the Eastern Seaboard from the Carolinas to Maine on Thursday, the worst of it falling in North Carolina where Jacksonville took on 12 inches in six hours - nearly a quarter of its typical annual rainfall.

Four people, including two children, were killed when their sport utility vehicle skidded off a rain-slicked highway about 145 miles east of Raleigh and plunged into a water-filled ditch, North Carolina troopers said. A fifth victim likely drowned when his pickup veered off the road and into a river that was raging because of the rain.

» Read the story: 5 dead as drenching rains take aim at New England [Associated Press]

In other news

» California the first state to form health insurance exchange [Sacramento Bee]

» Congress reasserts oversight of secret CIA activities [Washington Post]

» Calif. gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman within law, immigration lawyers say [San Francisco Chronicle]

» Militants set fire to NATO tankers in Pakistan [Reuters]

» South American leaders condemn attempted coup, kidnapping in Ecuador [CNN]

A 60-year-old daily record is shattered.

View full sizeGary Walts / The Post-StandardSouth Albion Road near Altmar was flooded and washed by rainfall Thursday and Friday.

Syracuse, NY -- Thursday’s rainfall of 2.66 inches registered at Hancock International Airport smashed the record for Sept. 30, according to the National Weather Service.

The previous record for that date was 0.82 inches recorded in 1950.

Oswego County has hit hard by flooding, with the Pulaski mayor closing the Route 11 bridge over the Salmon River after the collapse of a concrete wall along the river, the Oswego County Office of Emergency Management reports. State Department of Transportation inspectors will be examining the collapsed wall.

In Altmar, the Salmon River overflowed its banks.

There have been no evacuations so far, Oswego County 911 reports.

Scores of roads were closed across Central New York by flooding, with the most reported in Oswego County.

Cortland County has the dubious honor of receiving the most rainfall in the Central New York area Thursday, according to the weather service.

Some 6.51 inches of rain pounded Cortland County from Thursday through 4 this morning, said Joanne Labounty, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Binghamton.

The remains of a tropical storm off the coast of the Carolinas produced a stream of rain that swamped the East Coast.

Water that rose in smaller streams during the Thursday’s rain is receding this morning, Labounty said. However, it will take longer for water in larger streams and rivers to go down, she said.

As of 7:30 a.m. the Tioughnioga River in Cortland was at 9.7 feet. It’s flood stage is 8 feet, Labounty said.

Today’s forecast is for cool temperatures, and it will be dry with a breeze. There may be a few hit or miss showers over the weekend and we’ll dry out at the beginning of next week.

Read more on the record rainfall

» Floods continue to close roads in Central New York

» Brookfield Renewable Power warns people to stay away from the Salmon River

» See the local road report

» See today's hour-by-hour forecast and the five-day outlook

Hannibal, NY -- A 15-year-old Hannibal boy is accused of forcing another individual into performing a sex act during the summer of 2009 in a Hannibal home. The boy and his parent were issued a juvenile appearance ticket. The charge, if committed by an adult, would have constituted the crime of first-degree criminal sex act, a felony.

Hannibal, NY -- A 15-year-old Hannibal boy is accused of forcing another individual into performing a sex act during the summer of 2009 in a Hannibal home.

The boy and his parent were issued a juvenile appearance ticket. The charge, if committed by an adult, would have constituted the crime of first-degree criminal sex act, a felony.

Syracuse, NY -- A commercial airliner with 150 people on board headed for Seattle made an emergency landing this morning at Syracuse Hancock International Airport after experiencing engine problems, an airport spokesperson said. Delta Airlines Flight 183, a Boeing 767, had departed from John F. Kennedy International Airport for Seattle when it reported that its right engine failed, airports spokeswoman...

Syracuse, NY -- A commercial airliner with 150 people on board headed for Seattle made an emergency landing this morning at Syracuse Hancock International Airport after experiencing engine problems, an airport spokesperson said.

Delta Airlines Flight 183, a Boeing 767, had departed from John F. Kennedy International Airport for Seattle when it reported that its right engine failed, airports spokeswoman Christina Reale said. The The pilot requested an emergency landing in Syracuse and airport emergency crews were notified at 9:35 a.m.

The plane landed just before 10 a.m. without incident and passengers left the plane normally.

Delta will be arranging for the passengers to get from Syracuse to their destinations, Reale said. Delta mechanics will be examining the plane to determine what went wrong, she said.

From The Buffalo News: The New York gubernatorial campaign took on the air of reality TV this week, culminating Thursday with Republican candidate Carl P. Paladino saying he isn't accusing his opponent of having had an extramarital affair. And, Paladino says, he didn't mean it literally when he told a reporter from the tabloid New York Post: "I'll take...

View full sizeThe Associated PressNew York Republican gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino talks with aides before meeting with the Conservative Party of New York in Colonie on Wednesday. Paladino received the Conservative Party backing in his run against Democrat Andrew Cuomo.

From The Buffalo News:

The New York gubernatorial campaign took on the air of reality TV this week, culminating Thursday with Republican candidate Carl P. Paladino saying he isn't accusing his opponent of having had an extramarital affair.

And, Paladino says, he didn't mean it literally when he told a reporter from the tabloid New York Post: "I'll take you out."

Paladino's comments Thursday were seen as damage control after an outburst Wednesday night when the candidate had to be pulled away from the Post reporter, whom the Paladino campaign accuses of doing Democratic candidate Andrew M. Cuomo's bidding. Paladino also contends that the Post has been harassing his 10-year-old daughter all week.

» Read the full story: Political world abuzz as Paladino's blowup with tabloid reporter is viewed far and wide [The Buffalo News]

In other state news

» Mayor Bloomberg on the Tea Party: It's not a political movement [N.Y. Daily News]

» Gov. Paterson contradicts spokesman, claims ignorance in hiring of top aide's girlfriend [N.Y Post]

» Paladino: Without a budget, "the government will shut down" [Albany Times-Union]

» Marist College poll: Cuomo has 15-point lead over Paladino [Democrat and Chronicle]

Also, woman who killed husband because she thought he was a bear found not guilty.

PHOENIX (AP) -- A Phoenix jail inmate was left wearing nothing but pink socks after scaling five fences in an escape attempt before he was captured. The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office says 24-year-old Clayton Thornburg suffered cuts on parts of his body since some of the Durango Jail's fences are 15 feet high and topped with razor wire.

Jail officials said the razor wire had stripped away Thornburg's jail uniform and pink underwear by the time he reached the last fence Thursday morning. He was treated at the Maricopa County Medical Center.

Authorities said Thornburg likely will face an additional felony charge of escape, which can add up to five years to an inmate's sentence. They said Thornburg was in jail for an extensive number of property crime charges.

In other bare-naked truth:
» Boat made of ice melts and sinks in U.K. [UPI.com]

» Do we smell a trend here? Ameren contractor defecates on Frontenac customer's lawn [BND.com}]

» Speaking of bears in the woods: Woman who killed her husband on a hunting trip because she thought he was a bear found not guilty [CBC.com]

» Cesspools of misinformation? 21 famous hoaxes

» Montana man accused of hitting his pregnant sister in the mouth -- with a wrench -- at her wedding reception [Bozeman Daily Chronicle]

» A ''James Bond'' bike, complete with flame-thrower and ejector seat, has been designed to protect cyclists. [The Telegraph]

» Best volcano footage you'll see all day.

Syracuse, NY -- Seven people are charged in a check-cashing scheme involving family members and acquaintances that defrauded a credit union of about $15,000, Syracuse police said. Whitney Allen, 22, of 120 Gage Court, is accused of being the first to use a closed account at the Empower Federal Credit Union to withdraw funds, Deputy Chief Joe Cecile said today....

Syracuse, NY -- Seven people are charged in a check-cashing scheme involving family members and acquaintances that defrauded a credit union of about $15,000, Syracuse police said.

Whitney Allen, 22, of 120 Gage Court, is accused of being the first to use a closed account at the Empower Federal Credit Union to withdraw funds, Deputy Chief Joe Cecile said today.

Shennell Howington, 31, of 104 Lawrence Ave., profited the most from the scheme, Cecile said.

Each person in the scheme would deposit a fake check into the closed account at the credit union, Cecile said. They then withdrew money from the credit union’s automated teller machine, Cecile said. The only victim was the credit union, he said.

Police have determined that about $15,000 was fraudulently withdrawn from the bank, Cecile said, but the investigation is still open and that figure could change.

Allen was charged with forgery, falsifying business records and grand larceny, all felonies. Howington received those charges plus a misdemeanor petit larceny charge.

Also charged with forgery, falsifying business records and grand larceny are Lonnisha Mosely, 21, of 126 Belle Ave; and Shalanda Sutton, 33, of 220 Garfield Ave.

Those charged with forgery, falsifying business records and petit larceny are Adrian Dey, 70, homeless; Nicole Dillard, 40, of 106 Frisbie Court; and Kasheeba Crawford, 113 Dearborn Place.

Route 11 bridge in Pulaski closed due to high water. Part of large concrete wall, river bank collapse. Cortland County gets more than 6 inches of rain.

View full sizeGary Walts / The Post-StandardFlooding of the Salmon River in Oswego County washed out a concrete retaining wall and banks along the river in Pulaski.

Record breaking rainfall overnight has left parts of Oswego County and Cortland County underwater, with water overflowing the Salmon River in the village of Altmar and taking out a large concrete wall in the village of Pulaski, officials said.

A bridge over the Salmon River in Pulaski was closed as the water nearly reached the road way, officials said. The mayor there planned a news conference this afternoon to talk about the flooding.

The rushing waters took out a large concrete wall in Pulaski that village officials had previously been concerned might collapse. It also washed away large sections of the bank near a park and houses.

In Altmar, the river spread over its banks through the center of the village, forcing officials to close the roads.

The flooding hit the northeast part of Oswego County – the towns of Richland, Albion and Pulaski — the worst, officials said. Cortland County was also hard hit, with the area getting 6.51 inches of rain from Thursday through 4 a.m. today. That’s was the most rain any county in Central New York received.

» Photo gallery: Flooding in Oswego County

A travel ban for Cortland County was lifted this morning, officials said.

Hancock International Airport received 2.66 inches of rain Thursday, smashing the record for Sept. 30, according to the National Weather Service. The previous record for that date was 0.82 inches recorded in 1950.

Dozens of roads throughout the region were closed by high water.

Submitted photographBEFORE: This is a photo of a large concrete wall along the Salmon River in the village of Pulaski on September 2010. The wall collapsed today, Oct. 1, due to flooding.

Submitted photographAFTER: This is a cellphone shot photo of a wall along the Salmon River that collapsed today, Oct. 1, due to flooding.

In Oswego County, a “Condition C” emergency, the lowest level, was declared for the Salmon River because conditions in the river were extremely dangerous. Water has been released from the Salmon River Reservoir since 3 a.m., leading to high water levels on the river.

In Cayuga County, several roads outside Auburn were flooded in isolated spots Thursday night, but all were passable today, according emergency management director Brian Dahl. Roads were flooded in spots in Fleming, Genoa, Moravia, Sennett, Springport and Weedsport. No injuries or other problems were reported. The city received 4.25 inches of rain Thursday.

The remains of a tropical storm off the coast of the Carolinas produced a stream of rain that swamped the East Coast.

Water that rose in smaller streams during the Thursday’s rain is receding this morning, National Weather Service officials said. However, it will take longer for water in larger streams and rivers to go down, they said.

The Mohawk River, for example, to the east of Central New York may reach 2 to 4 feet above flood levels, officials said. Here are the road closing reported in the region:

Oswego County

• South Albion Road is closed at 212 S. Albion Road where the road is gone


• Austin Road off State Route 13; the road is gone and there is a large sink hole


• The County Route 52 bridge in Altmar

Onondaga County

Route 290 between Clemons Road and Minoa Road in Manlius closed, according to the state DOT.

Also in Manlius, officials closed portions of three roads at 8:30 p.m. Thursday.

Two roads, state Route 173, between Palmer Road and North Eagle Village Road, and Whetstone Road between Chatham Drive and Broadfield Road reopened at 10:15 p.m.

North Eagle Village Road between state Route 173 and Townsend Road remains closed.

Cortland County

A large section of Route 11 is closed between Polkville and Marathon, according to the state DOT.

Water from Trout Brook flowed over the Route 11 bridge between the two areas. Even when Route 11 reopens, its’ likely the bridge will remain closed for a time, DOT said.

Route 41 in McGraw is closed.

Aside from the presidency, the job is the most demanding and influential in the White House.

AP Photo/Pablo Martinez MonsivaisNew interim White House Chief of Staff Pete Rouse.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Friday said a bittersweet goodbye to the energetic and fierce manager of his White House, chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, and elevated a quiet and seasoned adviser, Pete Rouse, to the most important gate-keeping job in American politics.

"We could not have accomplished what we've accomplished without Rahm's leadership," Obama said. Emanuel is departing after nearly two grueling years to run for Chicago mayor.

The announcement was such a poorly kept secret that Obama joked it was "the least suspenseful announcement of all time," but it represented an important moment of transition for the presidency.

What Emanuel leaves behind is more than a staff job. It is the most demanding and influential position in the White House — save for Obama's. The person who holds it is entrusted to help shape the president's thinking, prioritize his time, manage scores of egos and issues and keep the White House focused on its goals.

The mood at the White House reflected that this was no ordinary staff change. Cabinet members and senior staff members packed the ornate East Room, a setting often reserved for visits of heads of state, for the official word that Emanuel, the hard-charging leader of the staff, was on his way out.

Rouse, named interim chief of staff, is a calm, trusted senior adviser to Obama who has spent much of his career as a chief of staff in the Senate.

"There is a saying around the White House: 'Let's let Pete fix it,'" Obama said. "And he does."

In a nod to the political sensitivities of Emanuel's move, he never directly mentioned that he was running for mayor, and Obama didn't touch that, either. Emanuel, sure to be cast as an outsider by his competitors in the upcoming mayoral campaign, did not want to announce his run from Washington.

But Emanuel did call Chicago "the greatest city in the greatest country in the world." And he told Obama, "I'm energized by the prospect of new challenges, and eager to see what I can do to make our hometown even greater." The president and Emanuel, confidants and friends, hugged three times during the event.

"Mr. President, I thought I was tough," Emanuel told Obama. "I want to thank you for being the toughest leader any country could ask for in the toughest times any president has ever faced."

In an unusual display of emotion, Emanuel appeared to choke up as he spoke of his family's immigrant background, and the opportunities he himself has been afforded.

Rouse, befitting his style, stood quietly by the president and never spoke. Obama described him as never seeing a television camera or a microphone that he liked — unlike the boisterous Emanuel. The differences were even apparent on stage — Rahm with his trademark hands on hips, Rouse still and stoic.

Obama's choice of a permanent chief of staff will come in the context of a personnel reorganization, with some key players already planning to leave the White House grind and others likely seeing changes in their portfolios. The results of the Nov. 2 House and Senate midterm elections will also be a factor.

The mantra in the West Wing is that no one who works for the president is irreplaceable. And yet that's how they described Emanuel, a whirling force of ideas and energy with expertise in foreign policy, political campaigns, communications and the legislative process. Obama's aides talk of an unquestioned loss.

More than 150 staff members filled the seats of the East Room, snapping photos. The atmosphere was more joyful than sad, though the mood turned sober as Obama ticked through the list of problems they tackled together in the first 20 months of the administration.

Any feel-good reflection came in contrast to the political realities of the day. No sooner had Washington veteran Rouse been introduced than the Republican National Committee condemned the president for the choice, calling it an expansion of an "insular and out of touch White House."

Emanuel's move pits him against a growing field of local politicians vying for the job that will be vacated next spring by Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, who announced in early September that he will not seek a seventh term. Emanuel's victory in the race is no given, with rivals certain to attack the longtime political operative and former congressman as a brusque outsider who belongs more to Pennsylvania Avenue than Michigan Avenue.

Students wear black to remember Tyler Clementi.

View full sizeAP Photo/Mel EvansRutgers University students sign condolence cards Friday, Oct. 1, 2010, at Rutgers in New Brunswick, N.J., for the family of fellow student Tyler Clementi. The death of Clementi, 18, is being felt by his Rutgers University classmates who said they wished they could have stopped the teen from jumping off a bridge after secret video of his sexual encounter with a man was streamed online. Clementi's roommate, Dharun Ravi, and fellow Rutgers freshman Molly Wei, both 18, have been charged with invading Clementi's privacy.

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (AP) — Rutgers University students wore black on Friday to remember a classmate who committed suicide as a lawmaker proposed stiffer penalties for invasion of privacy — the charge against the roommate accused of secretly streaming video of the victim's sexual tryst with a man.

Calling it "Black Friday," students at New Jersey's largest university were encouraged to leave flowers or mementos at a makeshift memorial for 18-year-old Tyler Clementi, the violin-playing freshman who jumped off the George Washington Bridge into the Hudson River last week.

The Rutgers football team also planned a moment of silence before its game Saturday against Tulane.

The saga that unfolded this week at Rutgers has become a flashpoint for debate after the revelation of Clementi's suicide.

Shortly before he died, a post appeared on a website catering to gay men that sought advice on what to do after learning that a roommate secretly filmed a liaison. While it's impossible to be certain that that post and subsequent ones were made by Clementi, they mirror the same timeline as the alleged filming and reflect the anguish likely in such a situation.

Clementi's roommate, Dharun Ravi, of Plainsboro, N.J., and another student, and Molly Wei, of Princeton, N.J., both 18, are charged with invasion of privacy, with the most serious charges carrying a penalty of up to five years in prison.

If the freshly introduced bill passes and even if they're convicted, their penalties would stick under the old law providing for up to five years in prison.

But Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce J. Kaplan said Thursday that more charges were possible under New Jersey's hate-crimes law.

"We will be making every effort to assess whether bias played a role in the incident, and, if so, we will bring appropriate charges," he said in a statement.

The legal question has to do with the motive.

People can be found guilty of a bias crime in New Jersey if a jury agrees they committed a crime because of a belief that the victim is a member of a protected group, such as a racial minority or gays and lesbians.

Ravi's lawyer has not responded to requests for comment. Messages left with an attorney believed to be representing Wei were not returned.

Sen. Shirley Turner's bill would raise the maximum fine for privacy invasion from $15,000 to $150,000 and would increase the possible prison sentence to five to 10 years, from the current three to five years.

"Whether this was a cruel joke or outright harassment of this student, what happened on Rutgers University's campus was a crime," the Democrat said. "Videotaping someone without their knowledge, especially in an intimate setting, and distributing the images over the Internet is serious. We need to send a clear message that we're not going to take this lightly."

High school friends of the suspects, both 2010 graduates of West Windsor-Plainsboro High, say the suspects have no problem with gay people.

"He had gay friends," Derek Yan, 16, told The Associated Press. Yan said that he chatted online with Ravi, an Ultimate Frisbee player, about college life in recent weeks. "He said he was lucky to have a good roommate," Yan said. "He said his roommate was cool."

Jim McGreevey, the former New Jersey governor who resigned after he announced he was a "gay American," said Friday he was "filled with great sadness" at Clementi's suicide. He talked about the difficulties of coming to terms with being gay, especially while young.

"He was trying to find a community online, but at the same time basically being terrorized online, by roommates," he told ABC's "Good Morning America."

Websites have popped up in defense of the suspects, with some proclaiming their innocence or calling their alleged actions a prank. Countless other sites, however, were dedicated to bashing the suspects or calling for stiffer charges, including manslaughter.

The comments on the pages are emotional and sometimes vitriolic. Some postings call the suspects "sickos" and "cold-blooded killers" while others display homophobia and racism (both suspects are minorities), even thanking the suspects for their possible role in a gay man's death.

The saga took another twist when the website Gawker reported that someone started a discussion on a graphic gay-oriented website after realizing his roommate was "spying" on him with a webcam.

The author described his conflicted feelings after reading his roommate's tweets about the author kissing a guy in their room while he watched from afar. Should he report his roommate or request a room change? Would either help or just make things worse? The author later wrote that he told a resident assistant about the filming — and that he unplugged his roommate's computer and searched the room for hidden cameras before another liaison.

The last known communication from Clementi was on his Facebook page. It said, "Jumping off the gw bridge sorry."

Friends were shocked that Clementi, a talented violinist who was known as quiet but happy, would have been embroiled in scandal — or would have killed himself.

"I would never expect this to happen to him," said John Shen, a student at the New York Institute of Technology and a high school friend of Clementi's who last saw him about a month ago. "He's such a good kid. I've never seen him angry."

Minoa firefighters examine the damage a minivan did this afternoon when it crashed into the wall of the Kinney Drugs store on Manlius Center Road, Manlius.

The male driver, who was not identified at the scene, declined being taken to a hospital, a deputy and firefighters said. The driver said he was parking the van when it lurched forward, the deputy said.

A store manager said the wall was buckled but said there was little damage inside the store.

View Larger Map

Waters threaten pumping station that moves about 70 percent of community's sewage to treatment plant.

Alaina PotrikusSign in front window of Yankee Fly & Tackle Shop, Salina Street, Pulaski tells it all. The shop is owned by Dawn Rucando, who evacuated the guests she lodges during high season due to three feet of water -- and salmon -- in the basement. The shop is right at the end of the bridge over the Salmon River that rose so high the bridge had to be closed

After heavy rains pushed the volume of the Salmon River to record levels, officials in Pulaski are scrambling to protect the highly-prized fishing waters from raw sewage.

Mayor Ernie Wheeler declared a state of emergency this afternoon, after the roaring waters caused the collapse of retaining walls along the river banks near the Route 11 bridge.

The walls aren’t just a popular spot among sportsmen who flock to the Oswego County village each fall for prime salmon fishing. They also provide a buffer for a pumping station that moves about 70 percent of the community’s sewage to a nearby treatment plant.

Wheeler said if the station were compromised, it could send up to 1.2 million gallons of raw sewage a day into the fishing waters. Friday’s collapse and subsequent erosion brought the river waters within 25 yards of the pumping station.

The river rose 12 feet today, after record rainfall earlier in the week.

» See related coverage of flooding in CNY
» Photo essay of the flooding in Pulaski and Altmar

Crews started in on a temporary fix Friday afternoon, bringing in boulders from a quarry in Adams to halt the erosion process.

But repairing the damage will take time and money, said Wheeler. The walls, built in the 1980s, have been on the municipal agenda for several years. Estimates before today’s floods came in around $750,000, and Wheeler had been reaching out to state and federal officials for funding assistance for the project.

“We were trying to be proactive,” Wheeler said. “It fell on deaf ears. Now I’m getting calls back.”

Judge Donald A. Greenwood said the district announced the appointment to the public and “it was only during the course of this litigation that the board has recanted the statement.”

Dick Blume/The Post-Standard Frank Miller (left), lawyer for the Jordan-Elbridge School District, stands in state Supreme Court Wednesday with Stephen Ciotoli (right), representing suspended J-E High School principal David Zehner, who is in the background. Zehner is suing the district, saying it improperly hired Sue Gorton to be superintendent.

Syracuse, N Y -- State Supreme Court Judge Donald A Greenwood ruled today the assistant superintendent for instruction for the Jordan-Elbridge Central School District, is not the district’s interim superintendent.

David Zehner, the suspended Jordan-Elbridge high school principal, went to court after the district announced Gorton’s appointment in a public letter by outgoing Superintendent Marilyn Dominick and on its website.

He said the board made the appointment in executive session, which violates state law, and should be thrown out.

In court, the school board claimed it had only discussed the matter in executive session never appointed Gorton interim superintendent. The announcement was a mistake.

In a 10-page ruling issued early this afternoon, Greenwood disagreed, saying “ it was only during the course of this litigation that the board has recanted the statement,” Greenwood wrote.

Sue Gorton

The judge ruled the district violated the state's Open Meetings Law.

The judge did not order the district to pay Zehner’s legal fees, which he said will eventually amount to more than $10,000.

/>

Zehner Decision and Order

Microsoft sues Motorola over Android phone patents

APA view of the start of the Gordon Bennett Gas Balloon Race, at Easter Compton, near Bristol, England, on Sept. 25. Two American balloonists are missing and feared dead.

BARI, Italy (AP) — Two missing American balloonists were plunging toward the Adriatic Sea at 50 mph (80 kph) when they dropped off air traffic control radar, a sign that they crashed and almost certainly were killed, organizers of the race they were competing in said Friday.

Flight director Don Cameron said that high rate of descent, if confirmed, leads him to be “very pessimistic” about the fate of veteran pilots Richard Abruzzo and Carol Rymer Davis.

The “only shred of hope” is that the readings from air traffic control in Zagreb, Croatia, were from the outer limits of its radar zone and might be incorrect, Cameron said. He added that he expects to confirm the data with Italian air traffic controllers in Brindisi, on the other side of the Adriatic, on Saturday.

AP, 2005Richard Abruzzo

Abruzzo, 47, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Davis, 65, of Denver, Colorado, were participating in the 54th Gordon Bennett Gas Balloon Race when contact was lost Wednesday morning in rough weather over the Adriatic. Race organizers said the balloon “appears to have suffered a sudden and unexpected failure.”

Cameron said he received information Friday from Zagreb indicating the balloon was at 5,300 feet (1,615 meters) and descended slowly at first but then at a rate of 50 mph until 600 feet (180 meters). “At this rate of descent to the surface, survival would be unlikely,” the race organizers said in a statement. The Italian coast guard, the U.S. Navy and Croatian coastal aircraft crews have been scouring the area around Croatia’s distant, uninhabited islet of Palagruza.

What else is going on:

Washington Post: Bank of America latest to put hold on foreclosures amid paperwork concerns

Associated Press: One large trader led to May 6 stock market plunge

USA Today: Microsoft sues Motorola over Android phone patents