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Perfect weather: Too bad the NYS Fair can't start Tuesday

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Sunny and pleasant weather today (and on the weekend).

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Unless you want to fly a kite, Tuesday should offer perfect weather for just about any outdoor activity. The National Weather Service says it will be sunny and pleasant, with a high temperature near 79 degrees.

The wind will be quiet in the morning, picking up to about 5 mph in the afternoon.

Some parts of Central New York may see showers Tuesday night, especially near the Finger Lakes. But most of the region is expected to remain dry until Wednesday, the weather service said. High temperatures are expected to stay in the high 70s through the end of the week.

Here are the details from the National Weather Service:

Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. Light southeast wind.
Tuesday night: A slight chance of showers after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.
Wednesday: A chance of showers before 11 a.m., chance of showers and thunderstorms between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2 p.m. Cloudy, with a high near 79.
Wednesday night: Showers likely, and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 65.
Thursday: Showers likely, with thunderstorms also possible after 9 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 79.
Thursday night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62.
Friday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 78.
Friday night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 61.
Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 78.
Saturday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 79.

Contact Tim Knauss anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3023


NY Minute: Syracuse, Auburn among districts getting pre-K grant money

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A look at (lack of) union support for Cuomo, Preet Bharara's aspirations, and a new set of veterans benefits in New York.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Well, it's a perfect day for set-up at the New York State Fair. Just wish Thursday's forecast looked as promising.

The state announced Monday how it would award the $340 million set aside for pre-Kindergarten classes this fall. Syracuse, Auburn, Madison and Jordan-Elbridge were among the recipients.

A vote for the Women's Equality Party in November is a vote for Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his lieutenant governor pick, Kathy Hochul.

One hundred and five people are being laid off at Remington Arms in Ilion.

The AFL-CIO failed to endorse Cuomo or Zephyr Teachout in the Sept. 9 primary, seemingly a loss for both. Unions not endorsing the governor are sending a message -- but not one that is unilaterally calling for his ouster.

The chairman of the National Republican Congressional Caucus is in Syracuse today -- but he's not expected to campaign for John Katko.

See how much the state really paid for those pro-business ads.

Take a look at the financial dealings of Howard Milstein, the chair of the board for the Thruway Authority.

Cuomo on Monday signed a bill into law providing more tuition assistance to veterans, less red-tape in transferring business licenses or certificates from other states, and help for families burying servicemembers.

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara: A zealous prosecutor who says he has no taste for political office. "My concern is I'm not sure I have a taste for anything but this."

The federal government scrapped a plan to house immigrant children at shelters around the country, including in Syracuse.

Could Gov. Rick Perry's indictment actually help Cuomo? Anthony Weiner thinks so.

Onondaga County District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick decides not to prosecute a woman for shooting a dog to defend her cat.

The Dinosaur Bar-B-Que is headed to Baltimore.

And out-of-state grapes are headed to New York wineries to compensate for last winter's icy weather.

Tweet of the Day


Contact Teri Weaver anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-470-2274

2 shot, 31 arrested: Ferguson protesters, police clash again Monday night (video)

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Protesters filled the streets after nightfall Monday, and officers trying to enforce tighter restrictions at times used bullhorns to order them to disperse.

FERGUSON, Mo. (AP) -- The National Guard arrived in Ferguson but kept its distance from the streets where protesters clashed again with police, as clouds of tear gas and smoke hung over the St. Louis suburb where Michael Brown was fatally shot by a police officer.

Protesters filled the streets after nightfall Monday, and officers trying to enforce tighter restrictions at times used bullhorns to order them to disperse. Police deployed noisemakers and armored vehicles to push demonstrators back. Officers fired tear gas and flash grenades.

Capt. Ron Johnson of the Missouri Highway Patrol, who is in charge of security in Ferguson, said bottles and Molotov cocktails were thrown from the crowd and that some officers had come under heavy gunfire. At least two people were shot and 31 were arrested, he said. He did not have condition updates on those who were shot. Johnson said four officers were injured by rocks or bottles.

Demonstrators no longer faced the neighborhood's midnight-to-5 a.m. curfew, but police told protesters that they could not assemble in a single spot and had to keep moving. After the streets had been mostly cleared, authorities ordered reporters to leave as well, citing the risk from the reported gunfire.

A photographer for Getty Images was arrested while covering the demonstrations and later released. Two German reporters were arrested and detained for three hours. Conservative German daily Die Welt said correspondent Ansgar Graw and reporter Frank Herrmann, who writes for German regional papers, were arrested after allegedly failing to follow police instructions to vacate an empty street. They said they followed police orders.

Johnson said members of the media had to be asked repeatedly to return to the sidewalks and that it was a matter of safety. He said in some cases it was not immediately clear who was a reporter but that once it was established, police acted properly.

Citing "a dangerous dynamic in the night," Johnson also urged protesters with peaceful intent to demonstrate during the daytime hours.

The latest clashes came after a day in which a pathologist hired by the Brown family said the unarmed black 18-year-old suffered a bullet wound to his right arm that may indicate his hands were up or his back was turned. But the pathologist said the team that examined Brown cannot be sure yet exactly how the wounds were inflicted until they have more information.

Witnesses have said Brown's hands were above his head when he was repeatedly shot by an officer Aug. 9.

The independent autopsy determined that Brown was shot at least six times, including twice in the head, the family's lawyers and hired pathologists said.

The St. Louis County medical examiner's autopsy found that Brown was shot six to eight times in the head and chest, office administrator Suzanne McCune said Monday. But she declined to comment further, saying the full findings were not expected for about two weeks.

A grand jury could begin hearing evidence Wednesday to determine whether the officer, Darren Wilson, should be charged in Brown's death, said Ed Magee, spokesman for St. Louis County's prosecuting attorney.

A third autopsy was performed Monday for the Justice Department by one of the military's most experienced medical examiners, Attorney General Eric Holder said.

Holder was scheduled to travel to Ferguson later this week to meet with FBI and other officials carrying out an independent federal investigation into Brown's death.

The Justice Department has mounted an unusually swift and aggressive response to Brown's death, from the independent autopsy to dozens of FBI agents combing Ferguson for witnesses to the shooting.

In Washington, President Barack Obama said the vast majority of protesters in Ferguson were peaceful, but warned that a small minority was undermining justice. Obama said overcoming the mistrust endemic between many communities and their local police would require Americans to "listen and not just shout."

Obama said he also spoke to Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon about his deployment of the National Guard in Ferguson and urged the governor to ensure the Guard was used in a limited way.

Brown family attorney Benjamin Crump said Brown's parents wanted the additional autopsy because they feared results of the county's examination could be biased. Crump declined to release copies of the report.

"They could not trust what was going to be put in the reports about the tragic execution of their child," he said during Monday's news conference with forensic pathologist Shawn Parcells and Dr. Michael Baden, who has testified in several high-profile cases, including the O.J. Simpson murder trial.

The second autopsy, Crump said, "verifies that the witness accounts were true: that he was shot multiple times."

Parcells, who assisted former New York City chief medical examiner Baden during the private autopsy, said a bullet grazed Brown's right arm. He said the wound indicates Brown may have had his back to the shooter, or he could have been facing the shooter with his hands above his head or in a defensive position across his chest or face.

"We don't know," Parcells said. "We still have to look at the other (elements) of this investigation before we start piecing things together."

Baden said one of the bullets entered the top of Brown's skull, suggesting his head was bent forward when he suffered that fatal injury. The hired pathologists said Brown, who also was shot four times in the right arm, could have survived the other bullet wounds.

Baden also said there was no gunpowder residue on Brown's body, indicating he was not shot at close range. However, Baden said he did not have access to Brown's clothing, and that it was possible the residue could be on the clothing.

Crump also said that Brown had abrasions on his face from where he fell to the ground, but there was "otherwise no evidence of a struggle."

New Jersey man celebrates 101st birthday with another day at work

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He may be 101 years old, but Herman 'Hy' Goldman doesn't let his birthday stop him from showing up to work.

EAST HANOVER, N.J. -- Herman "Hy" Goldman turned 101 this weekend and won't quit after 73 years working at the same New Jersey job.

Goldman still shows up four days a week at light fixtures company Capitol Lighting in East Hanover. His co-workers celebrated his birthday with him on Monday.

Aside from a brief absence to serve in the U.S. Army in World War II, Goldman has worked at Capitol Lighting since 1941. The store says he was first hired to sell items and stock and clean the displays.

Co-worker Sandy Ronco says Goldman now specializes in rebuilding items that were damaged or unusable.

Goldman lives in nearby Whippany and still drives himself to work.

Syracuse agency approves tax exemptions for Hotel Syracuse

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Developer Ed Riley calls the tax deal "another stepping stone" for his proposed $57 million renovation of the historic hotel.

Syracuse, N.Y. — The Syracuse Industrial Development Agency today approved 14 years of tax exemptions for the historic Hotel Syracuse, which a developer wants to renovate and reopen.

The agency voted 4-0 to approve a payment-in-lieu-of-tax agreement with developer Ed Riley. The deal gives the 90-year-old downtown hotel 10 years of full exemptions from any increase in its tax assessment that results from Riley's proposed $57 million renovation. The exemption will phase out over the following four years.

"We're thrilled," Riley said after the vote. "It's another stepping stone."

Riley said he plans to make some repairs to the hotel this year to stabilize the building and prevent further damage from roof leaks. He said he hopes to start major renovations in the first quarter of 2015 and reopen the hotel with 261 rooms in 2016. The hotel has been closed for 10 years.

The tax deal will save Riley an estimated $4.7 million in property taxes over 14 years, compared with what he would otherwise have to pay under standard exemptions available to anyone who builds or improves commercial properties in the city. Riley said the renovation would not be possible without the deal.

However, a few steps remain before the renovation project is a go. Riley must get the Onondaga County Legislature to designate the hotel as the "official hotel" of the county's nearby convention center and approve a room-block agreement.

Riley also must secure $28 million to $30 million in private financing — a combination of $22.5 million in loans and $6 million to $8 million in investor equity — for the renovations. The project is receiving substantial government support, including $16.1 million in state grants.

The Syracuse Industrial Development Agency has already assisted Riley in another way. In July, the agency used its eminent domain power to seize the hotel from GML Syracuse LLC, an Israeli-controlled firm that essentially abandoned the property several years ago after an aborted renovation project.

Contact Rick Moriarty anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148

Mugshot within a mugshot: Drunk driver wears booking photo on shirt in new mugshot

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Robert Burt celebrated his brief incarceration by wearing an old booking photo for his new mugshot.

It's the "Inception" of mugshots.

Nineteen-year-old Robert Burt of Pittsfield, Maine posed last week for a jail booking photo while wearing a t-shirt bearing a mugshot from his drunk driving arrest in June, The Smoking Gun reported.

Burt was arrested for operating under the influence and driving without a license on June 14. In that photo, he wore a white t-shirt and held a slate in in his right hand.

Burt was ordered to spend two days in jail after pleading guilty. Hours before heading into custody on August 8, Burt boasted on Facebook, "Going to do my 48 hours whoo."

When Burt posed for his jail booking, he was wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the mugshot taken on June 14th, along with the text "Burt Family Reunion 8/8-8/10/2014" and "sponsored by Bud Light and Somerset County Sheriff."

The shirt was made for Burt by Kory Drake, a friend an co-worker at Vittles Restaurant in Pittsfield, according to one of Drake's Facebook posts. TSG reported that the "Family Reunion" caption is a reference to another incarcerated Burt family member.

Robert_burt_mugshot_shirt_full.JPG 

According to another of Drake's Facebook photos, the shirt had a second photo of a cat sitting on a couch with a TV remote and a bottle of beer. The new mugshot didn't capture the second photo.

Burt shared a photo of the shirt on Aug. 6 with the caption "Best shirt ever."

When he was released from custody on Aug. 10, Burt cheerfully posted "I'm out bitchs (sic)." Then, on Aug. 12, he posted his new booking photo wearing the mugshot t-shirt, and proudly made it his profile photo.

According to TSG, Burt said the corrections officers "laughed there (sic) asses off" at the shirt and made him hold the slate so that the previous mugshot was unobstructed.

Burt called it the "best mug shot ever."

After that, it was back to business as usual for Burt, who posted two days later, "What to do?" One friend responded, "don't get arrested."

Man, 52, gets 22 years in prison for sexually abusing 3 young girls in Onondaga

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William Howley, of Central Square, is accused of abusing the girls in 2006 when they were 6,7 and 10 years old.

Howley,William.jpgWilliam Howley 

Onondaga, NY -- A state Supreme Court Justice sentenced an Oswego County man to 22 years in prison today for sexually abusing three girls beginning when they were 6, 7, and 10 years old.

William Howley, 52, of Central Square, maintained his innocence at sentencing, vowing to appeal. His lawyer, Sal Piemonte, advised him not to express remorse for anything because he was still fighting the charges.

But an Onondaga County jury took only an hour and a half in July to find Howley guilty of abusing all three girls in 2006. His sentences were added up, not served at the same time, because the abuse involved three children.

The girls said Howley threatened to kill one of them and threatened to kill a relative of another if they ever told anyone about what happened, Assistant District Attorney Andrew Tarkowski said.

"Howley deserves to be caged and held there," the mother of one victim wrote the court. "No punishment could ever make up for what he'd done."

One of the victims, who turned 8 years old during the abuse, read a letter in court. The girl, now a teenager, described being afraid of the dark, for fear Howley could be waiting for her. She was scared to get something out of the car by herself.

"He was laughing all along, but not anymore," the girl said.

Brunetti said he decided on the sentence based on all the girls' testimony, Howley's previous child porn conviction, the threats he made to the children, their tender age and other circumstances.

Howley was arrested in 2007 for child porn. Investigators asked two of the girls at the time if they had been abused, but they denied it. Howley was sentenced for the porn and became a sex offender.

Then, in 2013, the youngest victim told a relative about the abuse, launching the investigation that led to Howley's conviction.

Howley also pleaded guilty Aug. 12 with failing to register his change of address as a sex offender. That one-year sentence will be served with his much longer prison sentence.

 

NYS Fair's new deep-fried treat: A Twinkie stuffed with Twix wrapped in bacon

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Will you try the Fried Specialties stand's new TwinX? Or the Reeseo?

The 2014 New York State Fair opens Thursday, and mouths are already watering for the food.

This year's hot new deep-fried treat may be the TwinX: A Twinkie stuffed with Twix wrapped in four slices of bacon, battered, fried, and drizzled in chocolate. For those brave enough to try it, the heart-attack-in-a-handful is available at the Fried Specialties stand at this year's fair.

A sign spotted by K-Rock radio personality Josh Grosvent Tuesday boasts the TwinX as new for 2014, though syracuse.com and The Post-Standard reporter Katrina Tulloch tried it at Fried Specialties last year -- when the crazy concoction was still in the experimental stage.

No website dares print its nutritional value, but based on the components, the TwinX contains at least 1,100 calories and 80 grams of fat.

"Excuse me while I go do some sit-ups," Tulloch wrote afterwards.

Fried Specialties, the popular stand owned by Jim and Pam Hasbrouck from Marion in Wayne County, is best known for their motto: "You bring it, we fry it!" Fairgoers are invited to bring their own foods to try them deep-fried, and Tulloch took the challenge with 10 weird foods (including avocado, Ramen noodles, Peeps, kangaroo meat and Gianelli's Hot Italian Sausage) at the 2013 NYS Fair.

Other tasty items on the menu include deep-fried Pop-Tarts, deep-fried Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, deep-fried peanut butter and jelly, deep-fried Snickers (wrapped in bacon), deep-fried pickles, deep-fried jelly beans, deep-fried chicken wing dip, deep-fried pumpkin pie and deep-fried strawberry tacos.

"They're all off-the-hook things -- unbelievable," Jim Hasbrouck told The Post-Standard's Don Cazentre last year.

According to Grosvent, Fried Specialties also features a "Reeseo" this year -- a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup stuffed between two DoubleStuf Oreos.

Fried Specialties has two locations this year, Grosvent added. One is by the Toyota Coliseum between Gates 3 and 4, and another stand is near the Midway.

The 2014 New York State Fair starts Thursday, Aug. 21, and runs through Monday, Sept. 1.

» Daily schedules: Everything to see and do at the 2014 NYS Fair
» New York State Fair directions and hours of operation
» Parking, concert seating, and printable map
» 2014 NYS Fair Grandstand and Chevy Court lineups
» What to expect: Some big changes for the NYS Fair Midway


Comic books will come to life in Baldwinsville this weekend

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ComicConVersation is free and registration is required.

Baldwinsville, NY -- Have you ever wanted to go to Comic-Con, the international comic book convention held annually in San Diego?

The Baldwinsville Public Library is hosting its own comic-con, or comic convention, on Sunday known as ComicConVersation. The event will feature author visits, vendors, cosplay and gaming.

ComicConVersation is free and registration is required. To register as an attendee visit the library's calendar page on its website and click Sign Up on the Aug. 24 event.

Doors open at 12 p.m. Sunday and registration is open until 12:30 p.m. The library is closed on Sundays and the event will use the entire building. There will a Cosplay Costume Competition and a Create a Comic Contest. The awards will be given out at 7 p.m. during an awards ceremony.

The vendors will include local comic stores and organizations and there will be food sold between 5 and 6:30 p.m. A gaming room will also be set up.

To learn more about the contests or the convention, visit the library's website.

Sarah Moses covers the northern suburbs of Onondaga County and Oswego
County. Contact Sarah at smoses@syracuse.com or 470-2298. Follow @SarahMoses315

Veterans get tuition break under new NY law

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A new state law signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo gives veterans in-state tuition rates at state colleges and universities even if they wouldn't otherwise qualify.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- New York is encouraging veterans to go back to school and making it easier for the families of service members who relocate to the state.

A new state law signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday will give veterans in-state tuition rates at state colleges and universities even if they wouldn't otherwise qualify.

Another provision makes it easier for children of service members who are posted to New York to transfer their records to a new school.

The law also allows military spouses to automatically transfer a real-estate, cosmetology or other professional license from another state.

Cuomo says the state has a responsibility to honor veterans, service members and their families by making it easier for them to succeed in New York state.

Live Q&A Wednesday with U.S. Rep. Dan Maffei on campaign for Congress

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Maffei will interact with Syracuse.com readers from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. Dan Maffei has agreed to answer questions from Syracuse.com readers during a live online Q&A from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, the first of the 2014 campaign.

Maffei, D-Syracuse, faces Republican John Katko, of Camillus, in the Nov. 4 election for the 24th Congressional District.

Maffei will answer questions submitted through the website in the box below during the live online session. A full transcript will be available after the Q&A.

Katko, a former federal prosecutor, has agreed to participate in his first live Q&A of the campaign next week on Syracuse.com in the same format. Katko will answer questions from 1 to 2 p.m. Monday, Aug. 25.

The 24th Congressional District covers all of Onondaga, Cayuga and Wayne counties, and the western portion of Oswego County, including the cities of Fulton and Oswego.

You can begin submitting questions in the box below 15 minutes before the Q&A begins at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, or at any time during the live session.

Contact Washington Correspondent Mark Weiner at mweiner@syracuse.com or 571-970-3751. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWeinerDC

Live Blog Live online Q&A with U.S. Rep. Dan Maffei
 

View live updates on mobile app or RSS reader »

Paroled James Carncross arraigned in death of Buffy, his girlfriend's dog

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James Carncross was arraigned today on an animal cruelty charge in the death of his girlfriend's Daschund.

carncross in court.JPGJames Carncross (in jail garb) appears for arraignment on an animal cruelty charge before County Court Judge Thomas J. Miller. His lawyer, Sal Piemonte, is to his right. 

Pompey, NY -- A Pompey man paroled in January for his role in a police chase that killed a state trooper was arraigned today for beating his girlfriend's Daschund to death.

James Carncross, 29, is facing felony aggravated animal cruelty in the death of Buffy the dog. He was arrested in March after his girlfriend told troopers he acknowledged throwing the dog down the front porch stairs.

Related: James Carncross takes dead dog with skull fracture to vet, tells girlfriend he kicked Buffy down stairs

Today in court, Carncross's lawyer asked County Court Judge Thomas J. Miller to confirm that there was enough evidence to indict. The lawyer, Sal Piemonte, also represented Carncross at his December 2006 trial following the death of Trooper Craig Todeschini.

James_Carncross.JPGCarncross arrest photo 

Carncross's conviction related to a high-speed chase through Pompey Hill on April 23, 2006. During the chase, a trooper lost control of his state police SUV and crashed into a tree at the intersection of Route 91 and Cherry Road. Todeschini was killed.

A jury convicted Carncross in December 2006 of aggravated criminally negligent homicide and reckless driving. He was sentenced to serve seven years in state prison, consecutive to a penalty of 1 1/3 to four years for violating probation in an earlier grand larceny case.

He became eligible for parole in August 2013. Carncross remains in jail, charged with violating his parole.

CNY senators' votes score high on pro-business scorecards

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Unshackle Upstate scored lawmakers based on their votes for such things as tax credits for brownfield development and Start-Up NY.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Three Central New York lawmakers got perfect scores on their votes in Albany for the last two years, according to an Upstate, pro-business group.

Sen. James Seward, R-Milford and Assemblymen Will Barclay, R-Pulaski, and Bob Oaks, R-Macedon, voted exactly in-step with the goals of Unshackle Upstate, according to a new set of scorecards out today.

Sen. David Valesky, D-Oneida, ranked No. 3 among senators and was the highest-ranked Democrat in the New York State Senate. Sen. Joseph Griffo, R-Rome, also ranked third.

Unshackle Upstate scored lawmakers based on their votes for such things as tax credits for brownfield development and Start-Up NY, increasing rural broadband services, and more analysis on the costs of state-imposed health insurance costs. Unshackle also rewarded lawmakers for votes against expanding paid family leave to small businesses, collective bargaining rights for farmworkers and banning natural gas wells.

Here's the ranking and score for Central New York's lawmakers. The best score was 100. The full list is here.

New York State Senate
Seward, No. 1, 100.
Valesky, Griffo, No. 3, 88.
John DeFrancisco, R-Syracuse, No. 8, 82.
Patty Ritchie, R-Oswegatchie, No. 10, 78.
Michael Nozzolio, R-Fayette, No. 12, 73.

New York State Assembly
Barclay, Oaks, No. 1, 100.
Gary Finch, R-Springport, and Ken Blankenbush, R-Black River, No. 2, 95.
Claudia Tenney, R-New Hartford, No. 4, 90.
Al Stirpe, D-Cicero, No. 18, 65.
Bill Magee, D-Nelson, No. 24, 55.
Bill Magnarelli, D-Syracuse, No. 27, 51.
Sam Roberts, D-Syracuse, No. 31, 45.

Contact Teri Weaver anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-470-2274

No hot August nights in CNY this year -- look how cool it's been lately

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This morning's low of 49 degrees was just 3 degrees above the record.

Syracuse, N.Y. -- Have you put on your fleece lately? Closed the windows at night?

No wonder -- it's been colder than normal for 12 of the last 13 days. And this morning was the coolest yet, with temperatures hitting 49 degrees. That's just 3 degrees above the record for Aug. 19.

The jet stream in the upper atmosphere is holding in place to the south of Central New York, blocking warmer air from the south.

"Those kind of patterns tend to be persistent and stick around for a while," said Joanne LaBounty, a National Weather Service meteorologist.

It certainly has stuck around. Average temperatures have been as much as 9 degrees below normal the last couple of weeks. For the month of August, we're about 1.5 degrees below normal.

minimum temps 08 19 20.JPGView full sizeWednesday's low temperatures will be considerably higher than today's. It dipped to 49 this morning in Syracuse, and likely won't be cooler than 63 on Wednesday morning. 

Average high temperatures this time of year are about 80, and lows are about 60. Since Aug. 7, we've had nine days where nighttime temperatures dipped into the 50s.

Wednesday morning should be 10 degrees or more warmer than today's low. Showers moving in Wednesday will keep things cooler-than-normal later in the week for the opening of the New York State Fair.

After that, the sun and higher temperatures return.

"It does look like we start to warm up early next week, probably back into the 80s," LaBounty said.

The chart below shows how cool it's been lately compared to normal. The average temperature for a day is simply the high and low added together and divided by two.

Fall in August in CNY


Date High Low Avg Departure
Aug. 7 78 61 69.5 -1.4
Aug. 8 79 57 68 -2.8
Aug. 9 83 57 70 -0.8
Aug. 10 84 57 70.5 -0.2
Aug. 11 86 61 73.5 2.9
Aug. 12 74 66 70 -0.5
Aug. 13 78 60 69 -1.4
Aug. 14 70 56 63 -7.3
Aug. 15 68 54 61 -9.2
Aug. 16 76 55 65.5 -4.6
Aug. 17 72 59 65.5 -4.5
Aug. 18 73 53 63 -6.8
Aug. 19 79 49 64.5 -5.2

Contact Glenn Coin: Email | Twitter | Google + | (315) 470-3251

Syracuse reports the lowest July unemployment in six years

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Syracuse has low July unemployment, but the region is still losing jobs and workers.

The Syracuse area chalked up the lowest July unemployment rate since 2008. Last month, unemployment was 6.4 percent, according to new numbers released by the state Department of Labor.

Unemployment in the region went down 4,300 people -- from 24,200 to 19,900 people.

The last time the region had a July where unemployment was that low was when it hit 5.4 percent in 2008.

In July 2013, unemployment had begun to trend down, but was still high at 7.5 percent.

The number is for the Syracuse region, which includes Madison, Onondaga and Oswego counties. Statewide unemployment for July was 6.6 percent. Unemployment rates for the Syracuse counties: Madison: 6.2 percent; Onondaga: 6.2 percent; Oswego: 7.7 percent. Cayuga County's unemployment rate was 5.8 percent in July; Cortland County's rate was 6.8 percent.

The state's lowest unemployment in July was in Hamilton County, in the Adirondacks, where it was 3.9 percent.

The highest was in Bronx County, where unemployment was 11.2 percent.

While the Syracuse area's unemployment rate is trending down, the region is one of the few in the state to continue losing jobs. In July, the area lost 3,300 jobs while the rest of the state gained.

The number of people employed and the workforce also shrank over the year.The number of people employed went from 297,400 to 290,000, or 7,400 people.
The overall labor force, often an indicator of a region's economic strength, fell by 11,800 people. It went from 321,700 to 309,900.

Contact Marnie Eisenstadt anytime: email | twitter | 315-470-2246.


Syracuse board OKs addition to historic Amos building

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Developers Mark Congel and Dan Queri agreed to put storefronts, rather than parking, on the first floor to get the Planning Commission's approval.

Syracuse, N.Y. — The Syracuse Planning Commission has given developer Mark Congel his long-sought approval to build an addition onto the historic Amos building overlooking Clinton Square.

The commission voted 5-0 Monday night to approve the construction of a four-story addition containing storefronts on the ground floor and 16 apartments on the top three floors.

Congel now needs to get the Syracuse Common Council's approval because the top three floors will contain a seven-foot cantilever on the West Water Street side of the building and a three-foot cantilever on the Clinton Street side. He and his business partner, Dan Queri, have spent more than a year trying to get the city's approval for the addition.

"To get the board's approval is a step in the right direction," Congel said Tuesday.

He wasn't celebrating the vote, though. He and Queri wanted to use the ground floor of the addition for parking to replace some of the 19 parking spaces that will be lost to the addition. (The addition will be built on what is now a parking lot.)

The Syracuse Landmark Preservation Board objected to putting parking on the ground floor, however. It said it preferred to see storefronts on the first floor so that the addition was consistent with the Amos building. The board also asked that the addition's facade be made of red brick, rather than more modern-looking materials, to better complement the Amos building.

Congel said a more modern-looking building would have more visual appeal.

"The Landmark Preservation Board forced me into building another red-brick building in downtown Syracuse," Congel said. "The last thing I think Syracuse needs is another red-brick building."

The landmark board did not get everything it wanted, however. It objected to the planned seven-foot cantilever on the West Water Street side of the building, calling it "incongruous" with the Amos building.

The Amos building is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Romanesque Revival building was built as a dry goods warehouse in 1878 by Jacob Amos, who served as mayor of Syracuse from 1892 to 1895. When it was constructed, the building was one of the largest warehouses on the Erie Canal, which flowed past the north side of the building.

Contact Rick Moriarty anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148

Remember NY DOT worker Gary Farrell and slow down in construction zones

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Farrell, 48, was a NY Department of Transportation worker killed in 2009 while flagging at a construction site.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- An emotional message from the widow of a state transportation worker is the focus of a new effort to remind drivers to slow down in construction zones, according to a release from Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office.

Gary Farrell of Oneida County was a flagger for the DOT. He was killed in 2009 while flagging in a work zone. He was working as a flagman on Route 28 when he was struck by a pickup truck in Forestport, 55 miles northeast of Syracuse, the Associated Press reported at the time.

"Please pay attention, please be aware that there are people, not just equipment, not just cones," says Michele Farrell, Gary's widow, in a new public service announcement.

On the day of the accident, Farrell, 48, of Holland Patent, had planned to work until noon so he could get home and deal with a deer he'd shot the day before. He was struck at 11 a.m., according to Cuomo's office.

"Motorists should always exercise extra caution when traveling in work zones - and today we're amplifying that message to ensure the safety of New Yorkers both behind the wheel and on the job," Cuomo said in a statement this morning. "Sharing the story of Gary Farrell is an important way to remind New Yorkers to remain alert and careful when driving through work areas. My heart goes out to Gary's family for their loss, and it is my hope that together we can make the roads safer for all."

In 2013, there were 525 accidents in work zones, including two fatalities and 149 injuries, according to Cuomo's office.

Fines are doubled for speeding in a work zone in New York. In accordance with the Work Zone Safety Act of 2005, convictions of two or more speeding violations in a work zone could result in the suspension of an individual's driver's license, according to the governor's office.

Contact Teri Weaver anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-470-2274

Inmate death being investigated at Onondaga County jail

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The inmate was not identified.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Authorities said Tuesday afternoon that they were investigating the death of an inmate at the Onondaga County jail.

Deputy Herb Wiggins, a spokesman for the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office, confirmed the death of an inmate. He said the inmate was rushed to the hospital after being found unresponsive.

The inmate was not identified.

Wiggins said it was not yet known how the inmate died. The sheriff's office is continuing to investigate.

State comptroller warns school districts to do more to protect access to sensitive student data

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Employees had inappropriate computer access to sensitive student data and were able to change student grades and attendance records without proper authorization.

Albany, NY -- Employees in six school districts, including three in Central New York, had inappropriate computer access to sensitive student data and were able to change student grades and attendance records without proper authorization, according to an audit released today by New York state Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

"Student academic and personal information must be protected by school districts," DiNapoli said in a news release. "Each of the districts identified in this audit should take the simple and immediate steps necessary to improve their controls over personal, private and sensitive information. In the meantime, I have directed my audit division to expand the scope of this audit and begin examining school districts from every region of the state."

The school districts reviewed were: Westhill Central School District in Onondaga County; Altmar-Parish-Williamstown Central School District in Oswego County; Madison Central School District in Madison County; Indian River Central School District in Jefferson County; Lowville Academy and Central School District in Lewis County; and Poland Central School District in Herkimer County.

DiNapoli's audit revealed that several school computer system users in each district had access to functions that were beyond their job duties or outside the scope of their responsibility. Auditors found that users in multiple school districts, including outside vendors, were able to make grade changes without proper documentation or authorization.

Auditors also found:

  • Four of the six districts had features within their computer system that allowed users to assume the identity or the account of other users as well as inherit increased rights or permissions.
  • Two districts continued to use accounts of former employees in order to make changes to more than 200 attendance records.
  • One district allowed generic users to view student individualized education programs.
  • Only one district, Altmar-Parish-Williamstown, reviewed non-instructional staff user rights to ensure they were appropriate.

DiNapoli recommended each school district take immediate steps to:

  • Establish written policies and procedures for student information system administration including a formal authorization process to add, deactivate or change user accounts and rights and procedures for monitoring user access.
  • Ensure that individuals are assigned only those access rights needed to perform their job duties.
  • Evaluate user rights and permissions currently assigned to each student information system user, including outside employees and vendors, and ensure that rights are updated as needed to properly restrict access.
  • Restrict the ability to make grade changes and ensure that documentation is retained to show who authorized the grade change and the reason for the change.
  • Remove all unknown/generic or shared student information system accounts and deactivate the accounts of any users who are no longer employed.
  • Periodically review available audit logs for unusual or inappropriate activity.

School district officials generally agreed with the audit, but some provided clarification on their policies and identified improvements they have already made.

Sarah Moses covers the northern suburbs of Onondaga County and Oswego
County. Contact Sarah at smoses@syracuse.com or 470-2298. Follow @SarahMoses315

Dr. Robert Neulander returns to court Wednesday accused of wife's murder

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Dr. Robert Neulander is due to make his first court appearance since he was arraigned in his wife's death.

M. Robert Neulander.jpgView full sizeDr. M. Robert Neulander's police mug shot taken Monday. 

Manlius, NY -- Dr. M. Robert Neulander is scheduled to be in court Wednesday for the first time since the prominent doctor was indicted in his wife's September 2012 death.

Neulander, 62, was arraigned in June on a second-degree murder charge after an 18-month investigation into the death of his wife, Leslie, in their Manlius home. Neulander is a longtime obstetrician/gynecologist who has delivered thousands of babies.

A judge is expected today to hear legal arguments from Neulander's lawyer, Ed Menkin, which will set the stage for what happens next as the case proceeds toward trial.

Neulander is free on $100,000 bail. It's not clear if County Court Judge Thomas J. Miller will require him to be in court Wednesday for the proceedings.

Leslie_Neulander.JPG Leslie Neulander 

The doctor is accused of killing his wife, then trying to make it appear she died after falling in the shower.

There were no eyewitnesses and no known reason why Neulander would want to kill his wife. They were going through a divorce, according to Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick, but prosecutors don't believe that motivated his actions.

Neulander is accused of killing her in a fit of rage, not as a planned attack. Fitzpatrick said that Neulander tried to cover up the murder by staging what appeared to be an accidental fall.

But the DA's experts say Neulander's version of events don't add up. Neulander claims he moved his wife with a fatal head wound from the shower, through the bathroom, down a hallway and into the bedroom 60 feet away to do CPR.

He's also charged with moving her body and changing bed sheets to hide evidence.

The investigation drew public attention when DeWitt police and DA's investigators raided the Neulanders' former home and the doctor's new residence in April 2013. But it took more than a year to charge Neulander.

Menkin has vigorously defended Neulander's innocence, calling the crime "literally inconceivable."

But Fitzpatrick responded: "Mr. Menkin has said that it is literally inconceivable that the doctor committed this crime. Well, I can tell you that it is literally inconceivable that we would make him an (plea) offer."

Fitzpatrick is expected to try the case himself. Senior Assistant District Attorney Melinda McGunnigle is also working on the case. It's not clear if Fitzpatrick will attend Wednesday's court date.


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