Rob Devine found out his 4-year-old son had gotten in trouble at school for hitting female classmates, he chose a public consequence.

When 4-year-old Tristan was caught hitting female classmates at school, his father made his punishment public. For one hour, Tristan stood at the side of a road in Monroe, Michigan, and held a sign that read, "I hit little girls."

WXYZ reports that Tristan's father Rob Devine believes he did what he felt "was right for my son." Intending to teach his son a lesson, Devine told WXYZ, "I want him to know you can't go out and do these things and expect them to go away unnoticed and expect me not to deal with it."

Tristan's mother, Brittany Tweed, who apparently is separated from Devine, told WXYZ she thinks the punishment was overly harsh, The Huffington Post reports. Tweed also said Tristan will not be going back to his father's house, as she asked child protective services to intervene.

Fox 47 says Tristan was "hot, exhausted" and wanted Tweed to rescue him from the situation. Tweed told WXYZ that she feels sad for her son and what he had to go through.

"I feel degraded for him, I feel sad for him. I think it's sad for a four year old to have to go on one of the busiest intersections holding a sign. Rob has had issues in his life, and no one put him out on the street and made him use a sign."

Devine told WXYZ he will not be pursuing court action to ensure Tristan remains under joint custody.

What do you think about this situation? Did Rob Devine go too far? Share your comments below.

Kids have lost their ability to play without adults telling them what to do. Watch video

After reading about Ithaca's Anarchy Zone playground today, Brett Couchman, who teachers physical education in Rome, said he would absolutely let his kids play there.

"I agree that children are too controlled in their play," Couchman wrote in an email. "I teach Physical Education in Rome and see way too many kids who are unable to play games on their own without adult control."

He said kids aren't learning, early on, that they can be in charge of their own play.

He cautioned, though, that adults need to be near and looking for danger. "But not to direct play," Couchman wrote. "Today's kids are told what to do from
the moment they wake up till they go asleep."

Couchman thought the researcher who let his son 12-year-old son go to England alone took the concept too far. "That is probably a poor choice, in my opinion," Couchman wrote. (That child is now a grown man).

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

The incident occurred at about 1:53 p.m. in the 400 block of South Warren Street.

"I think that this was an extremely close call," Fowler said at a news conference. "I think the officers in this situation showed a tremendous amount of restraint."

The incident occurred at about 1:53 p.m. in the 400 block of South Warren Street.

Fowler provided the following account:

Officer Kevin Hamberger and Officer Jennifer Hardwich had responded to an unrelated call at the Galleries of Syracuse. Hamberger was leaving the building when he spotted Edwin Martinez.

View full sizeEdwin Martinez Ken Sturtz | ksturtz@syracuse.com 

Hamberger knew Martinez from a previous stint as a resource officer at Corcoran High School. He had also seen a bulletin saying Martinez had four outstanding warrants: three criminal contempt charges and a charge of fourth-degree grand larceny.

Hamberger walked up to Martinez, grabbed him by the jacket and told him he had four active warrants. Martinez, who recognized Hamberger and addressed him by name, began squirming and trying to get away.

A struggle ensued. Martinez spun around as Hamberger tried to handcuff him. Hardwich jumped in to help Hamberger. During the struggle, the officers saw Martinez pull a handgun from the waistband of his pants, Fowler said.

Martinez continued to fight the officers and an off-duty police officer stopped to help.

During the struggle Hamberger got the gun away from Martinez and hit him on the head with it twice, Fowler said. Both Martinez and Hamberger fell to the ground and continued fighting. Hamberger dropped the gun he had gotten away from Martinez. It was pushed a few feet away. Both officers were eventually able to handcuff Martinez.

Related: Two witnesses give differing account from police on downtown Syracuse arrest (Video)

Martinez was taken to Upstate University Hospital. He suffered a 1-inch cut to his head and required two stitches. Hamberger and the off-duty officer suffered minor injuries. They were evaluated and released.

Related: Family releases photos of man arrested and injured during scuffle with Syracuse police

Police said Edwin Martinez had this handgun "loaded, safety off, hammer back, ready to fire" during a struggle. Syracuse police  

Hamberger and Hardwich have both served in the police department for more than 20 years. They are assigned to patrol downtown. They were using bicycles on Tuesday.

Martinez, 20, of 532 Richmond Ave., was charged with resisting arrest, second-degree and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon in addition to the outstanding warrants.

Police said Martinez has an extensive history of arrests, including multiple misdemeanors and several felony charges. Martinez was acquitted of murder charges in the death of Jamal Holmes last summer when a judge dismissed the charges against him and another man.

The handgun Martinez pulled during the struggle was reported stolen from a car in Chenango County.

Fowler said Martinez intended to use the gun on the officers, had pointed it at Hamberger during the fight and that officers discovered afterward that the gun was "loaded, safety off, hammer back, ready to fire."

The officers were justified to use deadly force when Martinez pulled a gun on them, Fowler said, but they chose not to in part out of consideration for public safety: pedestrians and onlookers filled the area.

"The officers had to use other means to take the suspect into custody," Fowler said. "We're extremely fortunate here."

An autopsy and toxicology tests are planned, but police said foul play does not appear to be a factor.

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Authorities are investigating a dead body that was found in a creek Tuesday morning.

Ithaca police said that at about 8:42 a.m. officers were called to an access road that leads from Elmira Road to Fairgrounds Memorial Parkway. The body was found in an adjacent creek, police said.

The Ithaca Fire Department and Bangs Ambulance also responded to the scene.

Police said the victim is a medium-skinned 6-foot-2-inch black man weighing about 270 pounds. He was found wearing a gray T-shirt, dark jeans and sandals. Police said his identity would not be released until family could be notified.

An autopsy and toxicology tests are planned, but police said investigators have made a preliminary determination that foul play does not seem to have contributed to the man's death.

Anyone who may have seen the man on or after Monday is asked to contact Ithaca police at 607-272-3245.

Renamed Lyndale Commercial Park, the former china factory is filling up with industrial tenants. Watch video

Salina, N.Y. — Five years after its closing, the former Syracuse China factory is making a comeback as an industrial center.

Cut down in size and re-named Lyndale Commercial Park, the old factory on Court Street is attracting industrial tenants.

A Utica company that bought the old factory on Court Street in 2011 quietly demolished the oldest portions of the plant — the parts built in 1922 and in the early 1940s.

The demolition eliminated 450,000 square feet of the 650,000-square-foot factory. Among the sections no longer there is the factory store, where Syracuse China customers could buy seconds and overstock.

But the demolition left 200,000 square feet of space, built in the late 1960s with 20-foot-high ceilings, for use as manufacturing, warehousing and distribution space.

Gary Cottet, an associate broker and industrial division director for Pyramid Brokerage Co., said nearly 90 percent of the remaining portions of the factory are leased:

• River Valley Paper Co., of Akron, Ohio, which reprocesses paper waste into new packaging materials, occupied 104,000 square feet of space in April and has hired an initial workforce of eight people.

• Crystal Rock, a seller of water and office supplies, took over 18,000 square feet of space in 2012 and employs 19 people.

• DSI Systems, an electronics distributor, is leasing 47,000 square feet of space (though the space is currently available for sub-lease).

It's a much brighter outlook than the factory had when Libbey Inc. closed Syracuse China in 2009, putting 275 people out of work and ending 138 years of china making in the Syracuse area. Founded in 1871 in Syracuse as Onondaga Pottery Co., the company moved to the nearby suburb of Salina in 1922.

Amparit Industries, whose owners include Utica contractors Michael Ritter and Frank Paratore, bought the site from Libbey Inc. for $650,000 with a plan to turn it into an industrial park. However, redeveloping the factory hasn't been easy.

The older sections of the factory had low ceilings and, in some cases, wooden floors, making them functionally obsolete. No one was interested in leasing them.

"There were people who said, 'What are you going to do with that thing?'" said Cottet, who is marketing the facility for Amparit.

So the decision was made to tear down the old parts, leaving only the portions of the factory that industrial tenants might be interested in. Before that could happen, asbestos had to be removed, and tens of thousands of pieces of china left behind by Libbey Inc. had to be hauled out of the structure. And after the demolition, new siding had to be installed on the portions of the factory that remain standing.

With its industrial zoning, high ceilings, grade-level access and heavy-duty electrical power, what's left is perfect for a manufacturing or, more likely, distribution facility, said Paul Mackey, senior director of commercial real estate services for Pyramid and manager of the site.

Frank Strange, sales manager for Crystal Rock, said the company moved to the site from smaller quarters in nearby DeWitt.

The former factory's tall ceilings make it ideal for stacking up the five-gallon containers of water that Crystal Rock sells to business customers. And Crystal Rock's trucks can pull in from one end of the building, fill up with products, then roll straight out the other end without the need to back up.

Earlier this month, a sign with the facility's new name went up at the entrance to the park. The name Lyndale is a combination of Lyncourt, the section of Salina where the property is located, and Mattydale, a nearby section of the town.

Employment at the park is far less than the hundreds of jobs that existed when the plant made china. However, the redevelopment of the site won't end even after the remaining portions of the former factory are leased.

Demolition of the older portions of the factory has left a 10-acre concrete pad on which new industrial buildings could be built.

"It is almost the definition of shovel ready," said Cottet.

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

Cuomo says he'll appeal EPA decision, Rob Astorino's son calls out the governor for photo-cropping, and the Oneidas take "change the mascot" to Congress.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Morning, all. We have a new weather page at syracuse.com, which declares it's properly chilly outside. The good news? Apples, pumpkins and apple fritters.

The EPA on Tuesday rejected a proposal from Gov. Andrew Cuomo's administration to use $511 million in clean water loans to pay for a portion of building a new Tappan Zee Bridge. The decision brought celebrations from environmental groups, who had criticized the move to use money meant for cleaning water systems on a new bridge.

What's that mean for Upstate? Well, it could mean higher Thruway tolls, as Thruway Authority looks for other ways to pay for the new bridge crossing the Hudson River.

Cuomo said the EPA had approved the loan in theory, and that the overall $3.9 billion project wasn't dependent on the clean water money.

Cuomo plans to appeal the feds decision on the loan, which comes through the Environmental Facilities Corporation run by former Syracuse Mayor Matt Driscoll.

The New York Times fact checks Astorino's new television ad.

Astorino's son fact-checked Cuomo's ad, which cut out the boy from a father-and-son moment at a Miami Dolphins game.

Cuomo called the criticism from the 11-year-old "silliness."

A second round of Astorino advertising, paid for by a political action committee, will start airing in Upstate today.

People advocating for undocumented children asked state Assembly members to consider providing more money to provide services for the children who've made it to New York state.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman goes after Wal-Mart and its so-called "sugar tax."

More New York State Senate drama: Sen. Mark Grisanti, a Buffalo-area Republican who lost this month's GOP primary, plans to run a full-fledged campaign on the Independence Party line.

Speaking of minor party lines: What will the Working Families Party members do come November?

Cuomo has been in Albany just three days since the legislative session ended in late June.

Cuomo came to Syracuse on Tuesday to announce a $20 million SUNY Water Research and Education Center, part of the new Inner Harbor area in the city. The governor's stop in Syracuse was part campaign event, too, an effort to remind Central New York about his focus on the region in the past four years.

The Oneida Indian Nation took its "change the mascot" campaign to Congress on Tuesday.

Wegmans has finally figured out a way to sell wine -- by the glass.

Tweet of the Day

Sure feels like Fall fell fast...that's a bummer I wanted a little more Summer. #Syracuse

— BillPfohl (@BillPfohl) September 17, 2014

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

State police have warned the public that 31-year-old Eric Frein of Canadensis has talked about committing mass murder.

Eric Matthew Frein, 31The Associated Press 

BLOOMING GROVE, Pa. (AP) -- Authorities say a heavily armed survivalist with a vendetta against law enforcement is the suspect in an ambush that killed one Pennsylvania State Police trooper and wounded another in a heavily forested region of northeastern Pennsylvania.

State police have warned the public that 31-year-old Eric Frein of Canadensis is dangerous, saying he's talked about committing mass murder. One local school district has closed Wednesday because of safety concerns for students and staff.

After opening fire on troopers at the remote barracks in the Pocono Mountains Friday night, Frein evidently tried to make his escape in a 2001 Jeep Cherokee, authorities say. Instead, he drove into a swamp about two miles away, where a man walking his dog stumbled across the partly submerged SUV three days later and called 911.

It was the big break police were looking for, one that set of a massive manhunt by more than 200 law enforcement officials who fanned out across miles of thick woods, a place where Frein is believed to feel at home.

Inside the abandoned Jeep, investigators found evidence they say ties Frein to the ambush that killed one trooper and critically wounded another: shell casings matching those found at the shooting scene. Frein's driver's license, Social Security card and Pennsylvania Game Commission range permit. Camouflage face paint, two empty rifle cases and military gear.

"We intend to keep him on the run until we catch him," State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan said at a news conference Tuesday in which he revealed the suspect's name.

Calling him "extremely dangerous," Noonan said Frein has a long-standing grudge against law enforcement.

"He has made statements about wanting to kill law enforcement officers and also to commit mass acts of murder," Noonan said. "What his reasons are, we don't know. But he has very strong feelings about law enforcement and seems to be very angry with a lot of things that go on in our society."

Frein was charged Tuesday with first-degree murder, homicide of a law enforcement officer and other offenses. "We have no idea where he is," Noonan said.

Police found a U.S. Army manual called "Sniper Training and Employment" in the suspect's bedroom at his parents' house, and his father, a retired Army major, told authorities that his son is an excellent marksman who "doesn't miss," according to a police affidavit released Tuesday.

Frein has held anti-law enforcement views for many years and has expressed them both online and to people who knew him, Lt. Col. George Bivens said.

"This was not unexpected," Bivens said. "As we've interviewed a number of people, that's been the common theme. This was not a surprise."

Frein's father, Michael Frein, who spent 28 years in the Army, told police that two weapons were missing from the home -- an AK-47 and a .308 rifle with a scope, according to the police affidavit.

Lars Prillaman, who manages a small farm in West Virginia, said he knew Frein very briefly from their time as military re-enactors. He told The Associated Press he was "saddened by what happened" and said Frein was "a different person eight years ago."

Court documents filed Tuesday revealed heartbreaking new details about the ambush. According to the documents:

Cpl. Bryon Dickson was shot as soon as he walked out the front door of the barracks. A communications officer heard the shot, saw Dickson on the ground and asked him what had happened. Dickson told her he'd been hit and asked her to bring him inside -- but the gunman had squeezed off another round, forcing his would-be rescuer inside.

Trooper Alex Douglass, meanwhile, had just arrived at the barracks and was shot in the pelvis as he walked toward Dickson. Douglass managed to crawl into the lobby, where another trooper brought him into a secure area of the barracks. Douglass later underwent surgery at a hospital.

Other troopers drove a patrol SUV into the parking lot and used it as a shield so they could drag Dickson into the barracks and begin attempts to save his life. He died at the scene. A coroner said he had been shot twice.

About 90 seconds elapsed between the first shot and the fourth and final one.

With the gunman still on the loose, residents near Frein's house were jittery. Rich Turner, 52, who lives around the corner, said school buses avoided the neighborhood Tuesday, with parents directed to take their kids to school and to pick them up. Schools in the Pocono Mountain School District will be closed Wednesday.

"Everybody's wondering if he's still out there. Everyone's on edge, to a degree," said Turner.

Air cold enough to generate snow in Manitoba is headed our way.

Syracuse, N.Y. -- Cold air from Canada will bring us our chilliest morning in months on Friday.

"Friday's dawn should be the coldest so far this season for most locations, and many of us could see frost," said the National Weather Service said.

The lowest temperature of the season so far was 43 degrees last Saturday morning, and the weather service issued a frost advisory.

Friday could be 37 degrees in Syracuse, and colder than that in higher elevations and to the east. It hasn't been that cold in Syracuse since May 19.

Parts of Manitoba were 19 degrees today.That cold air is headed our way and will settle in Thursday night.

The weekend will see a warmup, though, with highs both days in the mid 70s. Saturday should be sunny, but there could be some showers on Sunday.

Get more details on our new weather page.

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

Expect "ridiculously huge lines," one analyst said.

Pre-orders for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are completely sold out. Apple bragged on Monday it broke its previous record with more than 4 million orders for the larger smartphones, causing shipping delays for some customers of three to four weeks.

But there's still hope for Apple fans hoping to get the brand-new iToy.

Retailers will also be getting small shipments of the iPhone 6 with a 4.7-inch screen or an iPhone 6 Plus with a 5.5-inch screen, a full 1.5 inches bigger than the iPhone 5S and 5C, for customers who walk up to the store without pre-ordering. Customers who wait in line have the best chance of getting one in the Syracuse area at the Apple Store inside Destiny USA, wireless carriers or several big box stores.

"There are going to be ridiculously huge lines," analyst Tim Bajarin told USA Today. "Demand for iPhone 6 is so high," with an estimated 100 million owners of the iPhone 5 and earlier models looking to upgrade.

Most stores, like Apple and wireless carriers, are opening early at 8 a.m. to start selling the iPhones, but check with your location of choice for an official time.

Here's where to get an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus on Friday:

• Apple Store (inside Destiny USA) -- Traditionally, the Apple Store gets more iPhone units on launch day than other retailers, but neither the company nor other businesses will say how many they can expect. It could be five, it could be 50. The Apple Store in Syracuse typically has the longest lines, but has two advantages: 1) two lines (one for pre-orders and one for walk-ups) and 2) Destiny USA says customers can wait inside the mall all night. Last year, the first person in line arrived around 9:30 p.m. the night before the iPhone 5S was released.


• AT&T (12 locations in Central New York) The original iPhone carrier had at least a dozen customers waiting in line at its Destiny USA locations before opening at last year's new iPhone launch, and the same is expected this year at AT&T stands throughout the area.


• Verizon Wireless (opens at 8am, six locations in CNY) -- Verizon will also open early on Friday, and employees in the Destiny USA location said they will only allow three or four customers in at a time at first as a line is expected at the wireless carrier's locations around Syracuse.


• Sprint (five locations in CNY) -- Check with your location of choice. The Sprint stand inside Destiny USA said it will not have any iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus units that weren't pre-ordered by customers.


• T-Mobile (Destiny USA) -- Check ahead before lining up. T-Mobile is offered at Walmart and other stores, but its only free-standing store in Syracuse is inside Destiny USA.


• Best Buy (locations in Destiny USA, Liverpool, and on Erie Blvd.) You can pre-order the iPhone 6 at Best Buy, but various sites are reporting certain models (i.e. Sprint's 64 GB iPhone 6) won't be available for in-store pick up. Still, an employee at the Destiny USA location said while the store didn't see much demand for the iPhone 5S, pre-orders are high and long lines are expected this year.


• RadioShack (four locations in CNY) -- Yes, RadioShack is selling the iPhone 6 and since many customers might overlook the brand, there's a good chance the lines will be small. According to BGR, the company is offering a free $50 iTunes gift card with any in-store purchase of the iPhone 6, plus trade-in options on old iPhones for up to $300.


• Target (four locations in CNY) -- Target is offering $50 to $200 for trade-ins, to be discounted from iPhone 6 or Plus purchases.


• Walmart (17 locations within 50 miles of Syracuse) -- Pre-order the 16 GB iPhone 6 and get a free $15 Walmart gift-card, a decent deal considering the retailer's also offering the new phones for cheaper ($179 for iPhone 6, $279 for iPhone 6 Plus) than most others. Plus, 24-hour Walmart locations will let customers wait in line inside where it's warm and dry.


• Sam's Club (2649 Erie Blvd. E. in Syracuse) -- Sam's Club is actually offering the cheapest prices for the iPhone 6 ($177 for 16GB model) and the iPhone 6 Plus ($277) but only to customers who pre-order with a two-year contract.


• Staples (three locations in Camillus, Clay, and E. Syracuse) -- BGR reports Staples will not only have the new iPhones, they're offering a special deal to Verizon customers: Get the iPhone 6 for free with a two-year contract and by trading in an old iPhone.

Other options:

• eBay -- Time reports an unlocked iPhone 6 Plus in space gray with 128 GB of internal storage has sold for as high as $1,900 on eBay. That's nearly four times the list price with a contract ($499) and twice the retail price for the most expensive new iPhone without a contract ($949). But hey, it's a way to get the new iPhone, and there are other sellers on the auction site offering the same -- for as high as $6,000.


• Wait -- For all the hype that surrounds every new Apple product, there's no reason even the biggest fans can't wait a month for backorders to be fulfilled. You survived all year (and the years before that) without the iPhone 6, you can survive another few weeks.


• Buy something else -- Android and Windows Phone users like to point out that many of the iPhone's newest features, such as an NFC (near-field communication) chip, a larger display and an improved camera, are all old news. See how the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus compare to other smartphones on the market, such as the Samsung Galaxy S5, the HTC One M8 and the Nokia Lumia Icon.

In the meantime, Apple will be launching its new mobile operating system, iOS 8, featuring HealthKit and other apps, to existing iPhones and iPads starting Wednesday. The free update will offered to users in a prompt at various times throughout the day.

 

Debt payments are coming due.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Get used to higher sewer charges. In her proposed 2015 Onondaga County budget, County Executive Joanie Mahoney seeks a 7 percent increase in sewer rates, which have already risen 25 percent since 2008.

That trend will continue for the next five to seven years, said Steve Morgan, the county's chief financial officer. While property taxes remain flat, sewer charges are ramping up and won't peak for several years.

Here is some background on sewer charges and a few other budget highlights:

Why are sewer charges increasing?

The "driving force" behind those increases is the cost of sewer system improvements that are helping to clean up Onondaga Lake, Morgan said.

Onondaga County is under a federal court order to reduce the amount of storm water and sewage that leak into the lake through Onondaga Creek, and the county has spent millions on a variety of treatment plants, storage tanks and green infrastructure to comply.

The bills for all that work - in the form of bond payments - are coming due and are expected to peak in 2022, according to the county's capital improvement plan. Although the state and federal governments provided significant funding for the improvements early on, "that money has pretty much dried up,'' Morgan said.

County Executive Joanie Mahoney has proposed a sewer unit charge of $417 for 2015, an increase of $29, or 7 percent. Each single-family home pays for one unit.

Morgan estimates that increases of about 5 percent per year will be necessary for the next five to seven years as debt payments increase. The county's sewer fund has built up a $40 million balance over the years that can help cover some of the increasing debt payments, too, Morgan said. Mahoney proposes to spend $5 million of the sewer fund balance in 2015.

Why are water rates increasing?

Mahoney proposed to raise the wholesale water rates charged by the Metropolitan Water Board by 13 cents per 1,000 gallons, or about 13 percent. The increase is necessary to pay for infrastructure improvements, including the recently completed replacement of the county's open reservoir with an enclosed one.

It's not clear what effect that will have on water customers. The MWB sells water wholesale to the Onondaga County Water Authority, which may or may not pass price increases along to customers. The county raised wholesale water rates 9 cents last year, but OCWA kept its charges flat, Morgan said.

Will the county spend more money in 2015, or less?

A little less. Mahoney's budget calls for roughly $1.25 billion in spending in 2015, down just slightly from this year. The $6 million spending reduction amounts to about 0.5 percent.

What's happening with property taxes?

Property taxes would be unchanged at $141 million under Mahoney's budget. Since the assessed value of all the taxable property in the county has gone up a little - from $26.9 billion to $27.2 billion - the average 2015 tax rate per $1,000 will be 1.2 percent lower than the 2014 rate.

Since 2010, the property tax levy has decreased by $43 million, or about 23 percent. That might seem miraculous, but as every town supervisor knows, the property tax cuts were made possible by a new sales tax agreement that took effect in 2011, under which the county kept revenues it formerly distributed to suburban towns and villages.

The county's take from sales taxes is estimated at $257 million in 2015, up 2.4 percent from 2014. In 2010, the county raised $146 million from sales tax.

What happens to the budget next?

County legislators on Tuesday began holding budget hearings that will continue daily through Sept. 30, when the Ways and Means Committee will meet and report on any amendments it proposes.

At 7 p.m. Oct. 9, the Legislature will hold a public hearing on the proposed budget, as amended. At 1 p.m. Oct. 14, the Legislature will meet to vote on the budget.

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

Joanie Mahoney's budget speech by Tim Knauss

The eBay auction for LeSean McCoy's infamous receipt ends Saturday, but the highest bid has already reached six figures.

When Eagles running back LeSean McCoy left a 20-cent tip at PYT restaurant in Philadelphia last week, owner Tommy Up posted a photo of the receipt on Facebook, causing a whirlwind of backlash for McCoy and Up. That infamous receipt is now up for grabs on eBay, and is going for 500,000 times the amount that McCoy tipped.

McCoy and a group of his friends visited PYT Sept. 8. On a bill of $61.56, McCoy left a .03 percent tip totaling 20 cents. Up posted a photo of the receipt on Facebook, later calling the tip "insulting."

As of Wednesday morning, bidding for LeSean McCoy's infamous receipt stood at $100,000.screengrab from eBay 

Someone claiming to be a good friend of Up said the restaurant owner gave him the receipt to ensure that something positive came out of it. So he put the receipt up for auction on eBay, starting the bid at 20 cents.

Over the course of 143 bids, the receipt is now going for $100,000 as of Wednesday morning.

According to the auction's description, the winning bid will go to the PYT staff. "With your help we'll be able to leave the largest tip possible to all PYT employees for their hard work and dedication," the description on eBay reads.

Bidding for the receipt ends Saturday.

Common Cause-New York, a government watchdog group, had argued that the referendum's language was deceptive.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- A state judge has ruled that a New York referendum on the creation of a new redistricting commission must be reworded to delete language describing the proposed panel as "independent" because it would be misleading to voters.

Ruling Wednesday, Supreme Court Justice Patrick McGrath noted that top legislators would appoint most members of the commission and that lawmakers could reject the commission's proposals and substitute its own.

His ruling orders the Board of Elections to remove the word "independent" to prevent voters from thinking the commission would be free from political influence.

The referendum will be on the November ballot.

Common Cause-New York, a government watchdog group, had argued that the referendum's language was deceptive.

State political districts are redrawn every decade in a process good-government groups say protects incumbents.

Wegmans' proposal to serve alcohol in the cafe is being considered by town planning and zoning officials.

What's next in Wegmans' proposed plan to serve wine, beer and liquor in the cafe at the DeWitt store - and expand the food court?

Next up is a recommendation from the DeWitt Planning Board, which is expected at the board's next meeting on Sept. 25. That recommendation is non-binding, but will be passed onto the seven-member town zoning board of appeals, said Donald Doerr, attorney for the ZBA.

The application also has been forwarded to the Syracuse Onondaga County Planning Agency for its input, Doerr said.

The Rochester-based supermarket chain is asking the town of DeWitt for permission to modify portions of its special-use permit, issued back in 1994, to allow for the changes.
Wegmans wants to double the number of seats in its Market Cafe from 200 to 400 and serve wine, beer and liquor in the food court.

Although store officials have not submitted the details yet, DeWitt planners say the expansion would likely be built off the east side of the store, into the parking lot facing a liquor store and Hobby Lobby.

Wegmans first proposed adding beer, wine and liquor to the food court in January 2012, but later withdrew its application, planners said.

Doerr said the application was withdrawn in April 2012 "without prejudice" as Wegmans said at the time it could not provide a plan or timeline for the project.

Now that the application has been renewed, it is slated to be considered by zoning board officials at the Oct. 20 meeting. A determination may be made that night, with a decision in writing to follow two weeks later.

"It is an expansion of an existing special use permit,'' Doerr said. "The approval is by no means a given."

Thomas Carello, who chairs the ZBA, said the board will need more facts, along with the planning board's input. The store is in a business transitional zoning district which has certain restrictions, he said. Wegmans could apply to the town for a zone change, but that hasn't happened yet, he said.

DeWitt Town Supervisor Ed Michalenko said he supports the idea as Wegmans is a good business and its growth would help the town's tax base. However, the chain must go through the process to be sure what it is proposing is legally permitted, he said.

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Bring your plants indoors or cover them to protect them from frost.

Buffalo, N.Y. -- A freeze watch has been issued for the Tug Hill region Thursday night into Friday morning.

The watch covers Oswego, Lewis and Jefferson counties. Temperatures could fall into the low 30s, the National Weather Service said. A freeze watch means that below-freezing temperatures are possible.

"Temperatures dipping below freezing have the potential to kill crops and sensitive vegetation," the weather service said.

Friday morning could bring the coldest temperatures we've seen in Central New York since mid-May as cold air from Canada sinks south on Thursday night.

The temperatures could put an end to the 2014 growing season to parts of Upstate New York, reports AccuWeather.com.

Here's what you can do to protect your plants from frost.

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

Mufid Elfgeeh planned to help send new recruits to aid ISIS. He also faces weapons charges and attempted murder.

A Rochester man has been indicted on charges of trying to aid the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria known as ISIS or ISIL.

Mufid Elfgeeh, 30, has become one of the first Americans to be charged in the United States' battle against ISIS. A naturalized U.S. citizen born in Yemen, Elfgeeh owned Mojoe's in Rochester and lived above the store, according to WROC-TV. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on three counts of attempting to provide material support and resources to ISIS, a group that has been designated by the U.S. as a foreign terrorist organization.

According to The Associated Press, Elfgeeh tried to help three people travelling to Syria to join ISIS in 2013 and 2014. Two of those individuals were FBI informants.

Elfgeeh was arrested in May by Rochester's Joint Terrorism Task Force. Authorities said he bought two handguns, silencers and ammunition from an FBI informant outside a Walmart in Rochester. He reportedly planned to kill members of the U.S. military who were returning from war, as well as Shiite Muslims in the Rochester area.

Elfgeeh's seven felony counts also include charges of attempted murder of U.S. military members, and possessing firearms with silencers.

The investigation linked Elfgeeh's home computer to tweets from Twitter accounts that supported al-Qaida, violent jihad and Sunni insurgent groups in Syria.

One tweet read, "Al Qaeda said it loud and clear: we are fighting the American invasion and their hegemony over the earth and the people," CNN reported.

Another tweet reportedly said ISIS "will one day rule the world with the will of Allah," while others encouraged supporters to donate one third of their salary to support ISIS.

According to the indictment (PDF), Elfgeeh helped these would be fighters by paying for passports, coordinating travel arrangements and putting them in contact with "the university," which is code for ISIS.

"We want ... to start shooting those who were in the Army who went to Iraq," Elfgeeh said in April, according to court documents. He said he planned to kill as many as 15 people, then post a video explaining why he did it.

A man who worked for Elfgeeh at Mojoe's said he was full of "anger and rage," WROC reported.

Mark Hosken, Elfgeeh's public defender said they will enter a "not guilty" plea when his client appears in court on Thursday morning.

If convicted, Elfgeeh could fact up to life in prison. CNN reported that the firearms possession charges have a maximum 30 year sentence. The attempted murder charge maximum sentence is 20 years, and a single count of providing material support to a terrorist group can be punishable by up to 15 years.

In a statement Tuesday, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said, "As this case shows, our agents and prosecutors are using all the investigative tools at our disposal, to break up these plots before individuals can put their plans into action."

Watch the video report from WROC-TV below.

Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Logos Technologies will test cargo-delivering aircraft out of Griffiss International Airport in Rome.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Federal Aviation Administration today approved a second application from the Syracuse-based NUAIR alliance to begin flight tests of unmanned aircraft in the skies over Central New York.

The latest approval is for Fairfax, Va.-based Logos Technologies to test a parafoil drone, flying exclusively out of Griffiss International Airport in Rome, according to U.S. Rep. Richard Hanna and Logos officials. Testing is likely to begin in October.

The FAA granted special permission for tests involving the unmanned Tactically Expandable Maritime Platform (TEMP), an aircraft intended for missions that include precision cargo delivery to remote and inaccessible areas, Logos Technologies officials said

The drone could assist with emergency response efforts, as well as other commercial and military uses.

"This news is a great development for the Griffiss community," Hanna, R-Barneveld, said in a statement today. "I look forward to continuing to work to facilitate the responsible development of innovative new technologies like those that Logos Technologies is known for, and demonstrating the great opportunities that the Mohawk Valley can provide to small businesses."

In August, the FAA approved the first flight tests for NUAIR (the Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance), a consortium of about 40 public and private entities and academic institutions in New York and Massachusetts.

NUAIR is one of six national test sites where researchers will help figure out how to integrate drones into the national airspace by 2015, while also respecting privacy rights.

The first client approved for NUAIR test flights was Cornell Cooperative Extension, which uses small PrecisionHawk fixed-wing aircraft. The drones fly about 400 feet above farms to collect data on corn, wheat and soybean crops. Sensors will allow scientists to collect data about crop growth, insect activity, crop disease and soil conditions.

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said the latest FAA approval for NUAIR is a positive sign for Central New York's economy.

"Today's news, clearing the runway for another NUAIR test flight over Griffiss, is just one of many more approvals to come," Schumer said. "NUAIR has put Central New York on the map as a leader in unmanned aerial testing and research. As they continue to rack up the FAA approvals, companies will keep flocking to the Central New York test site, allowing good-paying jobs to take off."

Contact Mark Weiner anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751

Hamilton College graduate Mary L. Bonauto is among 21 named as MacArthur fellows.

Mary L. Bonauto, 53, a civil rights lawyer with the Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders in Boston and a 1983 graduate of Hamilton College, is among 21 MacArthur Fellowship winners.

Bonauto is among nine women and 12 men named 2014 fellows of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Folundation.

The fellowships, based on achievement and potential, come with a $625,000 stipend over five years.

Bonauto, also a graduate of Northeastern School of Law, is credited with being a major force behind the same-sex marriage cases that went to the Supreme Court. She has worked on issues involving adoption and parenting, censorship, hate crimes, and discrimination.

Since 2013, she has been the Shikes Fellow in Civil Liberties and Civil Rights and a law lecturer at Harvard Law School. She has worked for GLAD since 1990.

She was named a MacArthur fellow for her work "breaking down legal barriers based on sexual orientation," according to the MacArthur Foundation. In 2003, Bonauto led the court fight for same-sex marriage rights in Massachusetts, and played key roles in expanding gay rights across New England.

She is among 21 fellowship winners announced by the MacArthur Foundation

Joshua Brennan faces arson and burglary-related charges in the fire that consumed Muhammad Baqir's house.

Joshua Brennan 

Clay, NY -- A trial date has been set for a town of Clay man accused of burning down a jailed neighbor's house.

Joshua Brennan, 31, faces arson and burglary-related charges in the fire that consumed the house of neighbor Muhammad Baqir in December 2013.

County Court Judge Joseph Fahey set the trial date for April 6 and warned Brennan that he was facing "a lot of consecutive time."

Brennan is described by prosecutor Tim Hennigan as a typical burglar who was thrust into the spotlight because he targeted Baqir's house on Grosvenor Road.

Baqir was the driver in a fatal crash Nov. 24 that killed a Liverpool mother and injured her husband and three children. Baqir admitted he snorted heroin the day of the crash on Route 57.

Brennan is accused of seizing an opportunity that presented itself when Baqir was sent to jail. He is accused of stealing items from Baqir's house, then burning it down.

Brennan was also indicted earlier this summer on charges he committed another burglary in the village of North Syracuse.

Brennan is free on $50,000 bail and is due back to court Oct. 20.

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

Two arrests made in connection with burglary of Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner's home.

Update: Sgt. Thomas Connellan, a Syracuse Police Department spokesman, said the men were found and arrested at Price Chopper on Midler Avenue.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Two Syracuse men have been arrested in connection with the Tuesday evening burglary of Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner's home.

Jahker Wagner, 20, of 336 Bruce St., and Nasih Scott, 21, of 2121 E. Fayette St., Apt. 302, were each charged with fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, a felony.

The two were in possession of a iPad with a Notre Dame protective case and $200 in loose change taken from Miner's 102 Woodside Drive home, according to City Court documents. Miner's husband, John F.X. "Jack" Mannion, is a Notre Dame graduate and a big booster of the university.

Cash, two personal iPads, and one personal computer were stolen from the home, the mayor's office announced today.

Syracuse.com's Tim Knauss reported that police used the Find My iPad app, which was installed on the mayor's personal iPhone, to locate one of the stolen iPads and arrest two suspects, according to a source familiar with the investigation. The mayor kept her iPhone with her while she was out of the house, the source said.

In total, the two were in possession of $1,400 worth of stolen property, according to the court papers.

Both were arraigned in City Court this morning and are being held at the Onondaga County Justice Center.

Contact Jacob Pucci anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-766-6747

You've got until Dec. 17 to contribute your thoughts on hunting, skiing, encroachment, water supplies, trailblazing and other uses of land throughout the state.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Addressing climate change and promoting recreation are among New York's conservation goals, according to the state's draft of a new "open space conservation plan."

New York is rewriting its plans for the great outdoors, and you've got until Dec. 17 to contribute your thoughts on hunting, skiing, encroachment, water supplies, trailblazing and other uses of land throughout the state. The plan was last revised in 2009.

The Department of Environmental Conversation will hold a series of public hearings throughout the state to solicit input. The one for the Syracuse area is Oct. 23 at the New York State Fairgrounds.

So far, the state has four main goals: promoting outdoor recreation; addressing climate change; ensuring clean water, air and land; and conserving natural resources and culture.

In Central New York, those goals include adding a state park to Cortland County, expanding Fair Haven Beach State Park, providing additional protections for Nelson Swamp and revisiting access along the Salmon River corridor. (Skip to page 131 for the Central New York highlights.)

The state will accept comments until 4:45 p.m. Dec. 17 by email or mail sent to: Open Space Conservation Program, NYS DEC, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY 12233-4250.

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