An Alabama woman is under guard at a hospital after she gave birth following her arrest in the death of her 9-year-old stepdaughter, who authorities say was forced to run for three hours as punishment for lying about eating a candy bar.

View full sizeAPJessica Mae Hardin, 27

From the Associated Press

An Alabama woman is under guard at a hospital after she gave birth following her arrest in the death of her 9-year-old stepdaughter, who authorities say was forced to run for three hours as punishment for lying about eating a candy bar.

Jessica Mae Hardin, 27, was transferred from the Etowah County Detention Center to a hospital on Wednesday, sheriff's office spokeswoman Natalie Barton said. Etowah County District Attorney Jimmie Harp confirmed that Hardin had given birth hours after she was arrested. He didn't say whether the newborn was a boy or a girl.

Hardin and her mother-in-law, 46-year-old Joyce Hardin Garrard, were arrested and charged with murder on Wednesday in the death of Savannah Hardin.

Roger Simpson, who lives up the hill from the doublewide trailer where Savannah lived with Jessica and her father Robert Hardin, said he saw the girl running in the yard. When emergency vehicles arrived at the home hours later, he said he thought they were there for the pregnant Jessica.

Alabama law requires people who are arrested to be informed of the charges against them in an initial appearance within 72 hours. Barton said Jessica Hardin's hearing will likely be held once she is released from the hospital.

The Alabama Department of Human Resources has been called in to create a safety plan for Jessica's newborn, as well as the couple's 3-year-old son, Harp said.

Savannah had a bladder condition common to young girls that meant she shouldn't have chocolate because of the caffeine content, Harp said. He said there is no evidence that the condition contributed to her death.

View full sizeAP Photo/Etowah County Sheriffs OfficeSavannah Hardin, 9.

Authorities say Savannah was forced to run in the afternoon of Friday, Feb. 17. At around 6:45 p.m. Jessica called 911, telling dispatchers Savannah was having a seizure and was unresponsive.

The girl was taken to Children's Hospital in Birmingham and died Monday. Her death was ruled a homicide by a state pathologist and preliminary reports show she was extremely dehydrated and had a very low sodium level — a chemical necessary to prevent seizures and dehydration.

Harp said he may pursue capital murder charges, which carry a possible death sentence. He said his office is interviewing neighbors who had seen Savannah running and expects to have a decision on the charges in a day or two.

The district attorney said he was not aware of any defense attorneys for the two women. He said in their initial appearance they will be advised of the charges against them and offered a public defender.

Bond for Garrard and Jessica Hardin is set at $500,000 each.

Sen. Rand Paul's hold is blocking consideration by the full Senate, Schumer said.

Ellen M. Blalock / The Post-StandardU.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer holds up a package of "Legal Phunk" synthetic marijuana at a news conference at the Onondaga County Courthouse in Syracuse. Behind him is Sheriff Kevin Walsh. Schumer was in Syracuse Thursday in support of a proposed law that would ban synthetic marijuana products.

Syracuse, NY – A bill that would ban synthetic marijuana now sold legally in stores is being held up from final consideration by one reluctant senator, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said this afternoon.

The David Mitchell Rozga Act targets products now sold under “Legal Phunk,” “Spice,” “K2” and other trade names.

The legislation sponsored in the Senate by Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and cosponsored by Schumer, D-NY, and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., would prevent manufacturers from skirting Drug Enforcement Agency rules by slightly altering the chemistry of their products, Schumer said.

The products would be regulated according their intended effect, not the chemistry that produces it, he said. Those caught possessing and selling them would be subject to the same penalties that now apply to natural marijuana possession and sales, he said. The sale ban also would be applied to synthetic marijuana marketed as incense.

The House of Representatives in December approved its own version and the Senate bill has cleared committee, Schumer said.

However, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky, has put a hold on the Senate version, blocking it from debate, Schumer said.

“He is a pure, absolute libertarian,” Schumer said. “He believes you should be allowed to take any poisonous substance you want and the government shouldn’t prohibit it.

“And I have an answer to Rand Paul – what about our kids?” Schumer said. “Are you saying a 10-year-old should be able to take any substance they want, or 12? C’mon.”

The substances targeted by Schumer contain compounds similar to those in marijuana, only more powerful, said Dr. Cynthia Morrow, Onondaga County’s health commissioner, who appeared with the senator at the steps of the county courthouse with law enforcement officials.

The drugs produce intense highs without the chance of flunking a drug test, but they also can produce seizures, hallucinations, high blood pressure, rapid heartbeat and panic attacks and cause erratic behavior, Schumer said.

Nationally, calls to poison control centers stemming from synthetic marijuana use mushroomed from 13 in 2009 to 6,500 last year, he said. Two deaths reviewed last year by the Onondaga County Medical Examiner’s office had links to synthetic marijuana use, although it has not been determined whether the drugs caused the deaths, Morrow said.

It could take a month or more to bring the bill to the Senate floor unless Paul relents, Schumer said. He said he and the other sponsors spoke with Paul last week and that Paul is taking this week to think about removing the hold. Schumer urged supporters to e-mail Paul to ask him to change his mind.

Schumer also addressed spiraling gas prices.

Iran is threatening to withhold oil to the west in response to sanctions against its nuclear enrichment program. Speculators have driven oil prices higher as result. Schumer said he is working on getting Saudi Arabia to agree to replace every barrel of oil that Iran takes off the market. Such an agreement could knock $10 to $15 a barrel off the price of oil, he said.

SU says it had no information on the accusation but had made the city police and the district attorney aware.

Dick Blume/The Post StandardIn a file photo, Rev. Robert Hoatson speaks as Richard Tollner, Marianne Barone-Trent, and Dick Regan, right, show support for Bernie Fine accuser's Bobby Davis and Mike Lang, at a protest at Syracuse University ast November.

A Syracuse University panel on media coverage of sports sex abuse cases took an unusual twist Thursday after one panelist said he knew of another allegation of abuse, by an unnamed SU head coach.

Four victims’ advocates of sexual abuse were discussing how the media can better cover abuse cases when one of the panelists, Robert Hoatson, began talking specifically about the Bernie Fine case.

Hoatson, of the Livingston, N.J.-based Road to Recovery, said a man had contacted him after the Fine investigation last November to say he had been abused by another coach at least a decade ago. Hoatson told the audience of about 100 at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications that the alleged victim had given Hoatson permission to make the allegation, but did not feel comfortable coming forward.

SU issued a news release Thursday saying the university had no information about the allegation.

But, “we have made the police and district attorney aware of Mr. Hoatson’s remark,” said Kevin Quinn, senior vice president of public affairs for the university. “We encourage any victim to come forward and report abuse to the authorities.”

Syracuse Police Sgt. Thomas Connellan said the department was aware of Hoatson because he had gotten involved with Zach Tomaselli in the Bernie Fine case.

But Connellan said he was not aware of any contact by Hoatson to the police department about the accusation he made atThursday’s symposium.

Hoatson declined to say anything about the alleged victim, other than that he had been an athlete at SU. Hoatson did not say more about the coach, other than that he was head coach of the team at the time. Hoatson said he did not know if the coach still worked for SU.

During a question-and-answer period, Newhouse broadcast professor John Nicholson pointedly asked Hoatson why he was casting a shadow of suspicion on every head coach at SU.

“What in the world are you saying?” Nicholson asked.

Hoatson said he didn’t see it that way. “People should know,” he said. “It’s not just Bernie Fine. It could be another coach.”

Hoatson added he didn’t think the unnamed man’s accusation cast a shadow on anybody.

“If I didn’t sexually abuse anybody, there’s nothing to worry about,” Hoatson said. “But the public has to know that this is rampant. This is rampant.”

Hoatson also argued that Zach Tomaselli was “coping” with abuse by Fine when he admitted lying about facts in the case. Tomaselli admitted doctoring documents to support his claims of abuse by Fine, the former SU assistant basketball coach.

Hoatson said journalists should have checked with victims’ advocates and realized that Tomaselli may have lied because he wanted people to believe him so much.

“Did he lie? Not in my book,” Hoatson said. “He’s using a coping strategy.”

Later, Hoatson said Floyd VanHooser, who also has accused Fine of abuse, recanted his accusations as a coping strategy, because he felt ashamed.

The panel included Katherine Redmond, founder of National Coalition Against Violent Athletes; Julie Cecile, executive director of the McMahon/Ryan Child Advocacy Center; and Allison Young, director of sexual abuse services, Elmcrest Children’s Center.

After the panel, Hoatson provided few details about the new allegation. He said he’d met the man once in person and a few other times by phone. They had traded about 15 to 20 emails, he said.

Hoatson said the man gave permission Tuesday for Hoatson to make the comment, knowing Hoatson was coming for Thursday’s panel.

Hoatson is a Roman Catholic priest who was removed from his post as headmaster of Our Lady of Good Counsel school in Newark, N.J., in May 2003, a few days after he publicly criticized Catholic bishops for covering up for priests who had molested children. Hoatson made his critical comments while testifying before state lawmakers in Albany about a bill to help sex abuse victims.

In 2005, Hoatson sued the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Newark and two other dioceses for $5 million in federal court, claiming they violated whistleblower statutes when terminating him from the school post.

A federal judge dismissed Hoatson's suit. He lost an appeal to the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in 2008.

Hoatson founded Rescue and Recovery International, a nonprofit group whose mission is to help sex abuse victims, in 2005, according to news reports. The group later changed its name to Road to Recovery.

No one was home at 165 Bingham Road, the Granby Center fire chief said.

Granby, NY -- Firefighters from six departments battled a fire this afternoon at 165 Bingham Road, Granby, an Oswego County 911 official said.

No one was home in the doublewide mobile home when the fire was discovered about 2:20 p.m., Granby Center Fire Chief Donald LaBarge said this afternoon. No one was injured in fighting the fire, which damaged the trailer. The trailer was not a total loss, LaBarge said,

It took firefighters about 20 minutes to put out the fire, LaBarge said. The American Red Cross is assisting the family who lived in the home with finding lodgings for tonight, Larbarge said.

Granby, Cody, Hannibal, Minetto, Oswego town and Volney firefighters were called in. Menter Ambulance and state police also responded.

The state trooper breaks through ice three times before he and fishermen are able to use a rope and flotation device to pull Cicero man out. Water was 38 degrees.

The Post-Standard/ Peter ChenNew York State Trooper Ronald Morse, with his canine partner Prime. Morse fell through the ice three times while rescuing Albert J. Merola, of Cicero. Merola and his dog fell through the thin ice on Oneida Lake.

Cicero, NY – Under sunny afternoon skies, Albert J. Merola and his golden retriever walked out onto the ice on Oneida Lake Thursday to take pictures of people ice fishing.

About 250 feet from the shore off Beach Road, Merola and his dog fell through the thin ice.

This could have been ended tragically without the work of a state trooper just days from retirement and three fishermen who worked together to pull the struggling man and his dog from the icy water.

Instead, everyone went home to change into dry clothes and warm up.

Merola, 45, of 8904 Beach Road, told state police that he had cleared off an ice hockey rink on the lake and had gone out there to take pictures.

Merola said he thought the ice was safe because he saw ice fishermen on the lake.

At about 1:45 p.m., the ice gave way pitching the man and dog into about 12 to 15 feet of water. Disabled by a neck injury, Merola said he could not pull himself out of the water and back on to the ice.

The Post-Standard/ Peter ChenAlbert J. Merola, of Cicero fell through the ice on Oneida Lake while walking with his dog and taking pictures of ice fishermen on the lake. He was rescued by a state trooper and three fishermen. After his rescue he spoke with reporters about his experience.

A short distance away, James Parkhurst Sr., 35 of Oswego, and his friends, Alan P. Waldron, 34, of Phoenix, and Eric A. Wilsey, 31, of Fulton, were fishing on the ice. The three had caught about 10 fish, when they heard a man yelling for help.

Merola was struggling to get out of the water and onto the ice, Parkhurst said.

“That dog was no help. He kept jumping on his shoulders,” he said.

The fishermen grabbed a long pole. Lying on their bellies, they maneuvered it out to Merola. But the pole kept breaking, and the victim couldn’t grasp it, Parkhurst said.

Meanwhile, Merola’s wife had called 911 and rescuers began arriving.

One of the first to arrive was South Bay Fire Department Assistant Chief Dave Cowburn. He could barely see the victim who was 250 feet from shore, he said. “Just his head and shoulders were visible from the shore line,” Cowburn said.

Trooper Ronald Morse, 48, a K-9 officer based at the North Syracuse station, was also one of the first rescuers on the scene.

Morse said he could see that the attempt to use the long pole to reach Merola wasn’t working. Grabbing a rope from his patrol vehicle, Morse tied one end around his waist and handed the other to one of the fishermen.

“I told the guy to hold on to the other end so I could go out and grab the guy. And if I fell through someone could pull me out,” he said.

Morse estimates that with his uniform and equipment, he weighs about 195 pounds. Lying on his belly to better distribute his weight on the thin ice, he inched toward Merola to hand him a rope.

The trooper pulled the dog out of the water and to safety. Now he needed to do the same for the owner.

As he got closer to the victim, the ice broke under the officer sending him into the cold lake waters.

Robert DiFlorio, of 8924 Beach Road, was watching through binoculars from his picture window overlooking the lake. “I saw the officer go in and I said ‘Oh, no!’”

The fishermen pulled Morse out of the freezing water.

Morse inched out again toward the hole. The ice broke again, plunging him into the water. The fishermen pulled him out.

Morse said Merola told him “I’m not going to make it. I’m not going to make it.”

“I didn’t want to see this guy go,” Morse said.

The trooper inched out a third time. The ice broke, this time Morse was completely submerged.

Finally, Merola’s 14-year-old son, A.J. Merola, handed rescuers an orange flotation device with a rope and they were able to pull the victim to shore.

In all, police and rescue personnel estimate Merola spent about 20 minutes in the icy water. Fishingnotes.com estimated Oneida Lake’s water temperature Thursday at 38 degrees.

State Police Capt. Jeffrey D. Raub said the rescue could not have occurred had it not been for the cooperation between the trooper and the fishermen.

“I couldn’t have done it without these guys,” Morse said of the three fishermen. “I’m just lucky someone else was there.”

The South Bay, Bridgeport and Brewerton fire departments all responded to the rescue, along with NAVAC ambulance and the New York State Police helicopter.

Merola and Morse were checked out by ambulance personnel. Neither required treatment, Raub said.

Merola returned home to change and get warm. A short time after his rescue, he returned dressed in a hat and leather jacket to speak with reporters who clustered around him .

“I’ll be cold for two weeks probably,” he said.

Merola thanked his rescuers.

“If it wasn’t for the EMT’s and the state police I wouldn’t be here right now,” he said. “It’s very unsafe. Do not go out on Oneida Lake.”

This is the second time in two days that people have had to be rescued from the ice on Oneida Lake.
Morse changed into dry clothes too, his uniform. Then he headed back to the North Syracuse station to return to work.

“I’ve got 10 working days left. Not that I’m counting them,” he said.

The victim fought with the robber and suffered minor stab wounds to the chest and leg, police said.

Syracuse, NY -- A 29-year-old man was stabbed twice tonight as he fought with a man who tried to rob him, Syracuse police said.

The man, who was not identified, was reported stabbed about 6:45 p.m. at Elmhurst Avenue and Hatch Street, Sgt. Tom Connellan said. The victim said a man he did not know walked up to him and demanded "Give me everything," Connellan said. At that point, Connellan said, the victim began fighting with the robber.

During the fight, the victim suffered minor stab wounds to the chest and leg. The wounds were not life threatening and the victim was taken to Upstate University Hospital.

There was just one hitch: It turned too sunny in Syracuse to make the shooting of the close-up scene seamless. The long shot of the same scene, already filmed, was shot under cloudy skies. Watch video

Syracuse, NY -- Clinton Square turned into a Hollywood set this afternoon as star Emma Roberts joined a crew of extras filming a scene for the movie “Adult World.”

There was just one hitch: It turned too sunny in Syracuse to make the shooting of the close-up scene seamless. The long shot of the same scene, already filmed, was shot under cloudy skies.

“You guys, we’re waiting for a little cloud cover,” a production assistant said into a microphone, briefly pausing the close-up take of the scene.

The movie, also starring John Cusack, has been shooting in Syracuse since early February and will continue for approximately another week. The entire film is being shot in the Syracuse area and will be released in 2013, possibly in time for the prestigious Sundance Festival.

The film crew and actors were moving to the Carrier Dome tonight to shoot another brief scene.

Back at Clinton Square, skaters on the ice rink pulled out cell phone cameras and got shots of the diminutive star. Roberts is the niece of actress Julia Roberts.

The scene involved Emma Roberts’ character, an out-of-work college graduate named Amy, running between the Soldiers and Sailors monument and the ice rink to a group of protestors — mostly extras hired at a local casting call in January.

The Occupy Wall Street-like group is seen facing The Clinton Exchange, holding protest signs and chanting slogans including, “We are the 99 percent” and “Serve the people, eat the rich.”

In the scene, Roberts is pulled atop the structure — and briefly, into the protest — by protest-leader Candace, played by Los Angeles actress Shannon Woodward, and Candace’s boyfriend Pablo, played by Syracuse resident Edward Ellison, an extra with a prominent Mohawk haircut.

“They actually just called me yesterday,” Ellison said after part of the scene, which included pulling Amy atop the structure and kissing Candace, was shot.

It’s a brief scene. Amy exclaims how high they are above the crowd, how she has to get to work and that she and Candace will get together this weekend. She climbs down from the structure and walks away.

Work for Amy is an erotic bookstore named Adult World, the only place that will hire the would-be professional poet, stuck with crushing college loans and forced to live with her parents.

In the scene shot today, Roberts’ character is wearing skinny jeans, white sneakers, an Army-green cargo-like oversized coat and a scarf.

The movie, which is seeking a PG-13 rating according to producers, features a number of Syracuse locales and extras. Production staff who have read the script describe the film as “a very sweet coming-of-age story.” Syracuse gets several mentions in the script, staff say.

The shooting around Syracuse — in Syracuse’s North Side, at Syracuse University, Phoebe’s restaurant, a private home in DeWitt — has caused stirs and murmurs. A buzz went through people who had come downtown to ice skate during the school break and saw the professional film equipment, sound and lighting, a large crew and the extras. The bystanders gathered to take photos.

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Lauren Long / The Post-StandardActress Emma Roberts (left) has a laugh with "Adult World" director Scott Coffey as they prepare to shoot a scene in Clinton Square Thursday afternoon. Ice skaters catch a glimpse of the action from the rink.

Those looking for Cusack were disappointed. Cusack shot his scenes in six days and left Syracuse over the weekend.

Director Scott Coffey shot the protest scene with the camera facing the crowd from near Clinton Street, toward the Soldiers and Sailors Monument.

He paced the set, cup of coffee in hand and chewing on a toothpick, assisted in getting the extras in place and framed shot. Roberts stayed warm in a black Mercedes van parked next to The Post-Standard as she waited for the scene to be set up.
Post-shooting, an aide draped a parka around a shivering Roberts

A union official with Communications Workers Association Local 1123 is upset.

Isaac Brekken / AP PhotoIn this Jan. 6, 2012 photo, attendees check out the unveiling of 4G devices at the Verizon booth during the Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas.

Syracuse, N.Y. -- Verizon has told workers that it intends to use independent contractors to do some work performed by the Fiber Solution Center in DeWitt.

About 300 people work at the FiOS call center, on Thompson Road. They are members of the Communications Workers Association Local 1123.

The news came in a three-sentence letter from management to the union on Friday. It says that the company intends to hire independent contractors to perform “certain work.” It does not say more about the kind of work or where the contractors are located, raising fears among the employees that their work could be sent overseas.

Verizon spokesman John Bonomo said the move will not take work from the current employees. Contractors can take overflow calls when the center in DeWitt rings busy, he said.

“The action we are taking is designed to provide better service for our customers, so the times they spend on hold will be reduced and their issues will be handled more efficiently,” he said.

Bonomo said the work will stay in the United States, except for the possibility of one contractor in Mexico the company uses for Spanish-speaking customers.

Chris Ryan, executive vice president of the union, said he thought such a move could affect hundreds of jobs in Central New York and in other parts of the state where similar work is performed.

About 45,000 Verizon workers, including 1,100 members in Central New York, went on strike for two weeks last summer. They returned to work in August without resolving the labor dispute, but with the understanding that they would negotiate a new contract.

Ryan said workers expected the company to maintain the status quo and protect their current jobs. “We believe that a corporation that is profitable, that has profits in the tens of billions, should be reinvesting in the workforce that made them those billions and they should not be moving work out of Central New York,” he said.

Michelle Breidenbach can be reached at mbreidenbach@syracuse.com or (315) 470-3186.

Organizers of "Alternative Town Hall" ask, "Where are the women?" after congresswoman's committee hears from all-male panel on birth control.

Courtesy Rep. Ann Marie BuerkleU.S. Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle questions a witness at a meeting of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The committee held a hearing last week about a new federal rule that requires all health insurance plans to provide free coverage for birth control, with no deductibles or co-pays. Buerkle and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops say the rule violates First Amendment rights to freedom of religion.

Washington -- Central New Yorkers upset with Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle’s positions on abortion and birth control have come up with a unique way of boycotting her town hall meeting Saturday.

A group plans to hold a Central New York alternative town hall meeting at 10 a.m. Saturday in LaFayette, less than two miles from the LaFayette Town Hall, where Buerkle will hold a public meeting at the same time.

Buerkle’s event in LaFayette will be her 14th town hall meeting in the four-county 25th Congressional District since she took office in January 2011. She has also regularly spoken to community and business groups, and met with constitutents at open-door events where appointments were not required.

Organizers of the alternative event will meet inside Carol Watson Greenhouse at 2980 Sentinel Heights Road in LaFayette at an event titled, “Where are the Women?” The scheduled speakers include M. Tracey Brooks, president of Planned Parenthood Advocates of New York state.

Dana Johnston, a Camillus woman who is helping to organize the event, said the group wants to respond to Buerkle’s recent comments about birth control, including her testimony last week at a hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

The partisan hearing was organized by House Republicans upset with a new rule by President Barack Obama’s administration that requires health insurers to provide birth control coverage for free, with no co-pays or deductibles. Buerkle, R-Onondaga Hill, and her GOP colleagues were criticized by Democrats for holding a hearing where the first panel had five men and no women as witnesses.

View full sizeCarolyn Kaster / APThe Rev. William E. Lori, Roman Catholic Bishop of Bridgeport, Conn., gestures while testifying before the House Oversight and Government Reform committee hearing last week on Capitol Hill in Washington. From left are Lori; Reverend Dr. Matthew C. Harrison, president of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod; and C. Ben Mitchell, Graves Professor of Moral Philosophy at Union University.

A bishop representing the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and four other men affiliated with the clergy testified about their religious objections to the new rule.

Buerkle applauded the testimony from the clergy members, and said she wants to sponsor legislation to repeal the birth-control rule. She calls the rule, which provides an exemption for churches, an assault on all religions and their First Amendment rights.

Johnston is a Democrat who volunteered for the campaign of Buerkle’s opponent in 2010, former Rep. Dan Maffei, D-DeWitt. Johnston said she initially thought about attending Buerkle’s town hall meeting in LaFayette to offer a different point of view.

“I have been to nine or 10 of her public meetings,” Johnston said. “But they all go the same way. They are ineffective as a forum for anybody that disagrees with her. It’s not a place where there is an exchange of ideas." Buerkle had no immediate comment.

Contact Washington correspondent Mark Weiner at mweiner@syracuse.com or 571-970-3751.

If you go

Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle’s town hall meeting, 10 a.m. Saturday, LaFayette Town Hall, 2577 Route 11.

Opponents of Buerkle alternative town hall meeting, 10 am Saturday, Carol Watson Greenhouse, 2980 Sentinel Heights Rd, LaFayette. Attendees are advised to bring their own folding chairs to the greenhouse.

Panels with newsroom executives, victims' rights advocates, PR professionals and media ethics experts weigh in on coverage of child sex abuse allegations at SU and Penn State.

Syracuse, NY -- A symposium Thursday put the media’s role in covering accusations of child sex abuse against sports coaches at Syracuse and Penn State under the microscope.

Four panel discussions at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications tackled the media’s response from different angles: the newsroom decision-makers, advocates for sex abuse victims, public relations professionals and media ethics experts.

All panelists agreed that these stories are far from over and journalists have responsibilities going forward. That should extend beyond simply writing a story, the ethics experts and victims’ advocates argued.

Executives from ESPN and The Post-Standard acknowledged they could have done more to help the needs of alleged victims.

Newspaper reporters quizzed Bobby Davis at length about his allegations of sex abuse against former SU men’s basketball assistant coach Bernie Fine, including an 11-hour interview in Utah with Thursday panelist Mike McAndrew. But after the paper decided not to print a story, Davis may have felt there was no other outlet, said Michael Connor, executive editor of The Post-Standard.

We may have “raised expectation in him that something was going to happen” in 2003, Connor said. “We did not give him another recourse. It was if we had slammed the door in his face.”

In the future, Connor said the newspaper might point an alleged victim to others — including sexual abuse counselors — to address their issues.

But media executives Thursday also defended journalistic principles that often seemed at odds with the goals of victims’ rights advocates.

“Hindsight is always 20/20 in these things,” said Vince Doria, a senior ESPN vice president and director of news. “We’ve always been very, very cautious to a fault in reporting these types of stories.”

Mike Feeley, assistant managing editor of The Patriot News, in Harrisburg, Pa., pointed to the work reporter Sara Ganim did to tell the alleged victims’ stories in the sex abuse case against former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. Her relationships with sources helped keep that newspaper’s coverage ahead of the competition as others were fired, including head coach Joe Paterno, Feeley said.

But there was a big difference between the Penn State and SU cases, said Pete Thamel, sports reporter for The New York Times.

At Penn State, there was an official investigation, with a grand jury report vetted for years by investigators.

With Bernie Fine, “it was two guys on ESPN” making accusations, Thamel said.

The journalist’s job often focuses on finding sufficient corroboration to print a story, which the newspaper didn’t feel it had in 2002 when only Davis had come forward, Connor said.

Journalists often see themselves as “committed observers,” who help society by observing and making things transparent, said Tom Rosenstiel, of the Project for Excellence in Journalism. But that often inhibits what journalists can do.

“Journalists are always weighing different rights and struggling to make decisions,” he said.

In explaining the newspaper’s coverage of the Fine case, Connor pointed to two opinion pieces he wrote in The Post-Standard describing the decision-making and said it would have been a breach of ethics to give police or SU information that reporters had from their investigation in 2002.

Connor described the paper’s decision not to turn over a recording of a compromising telephone call between Davis and Laurie Fine, the assistant coach’s wife, which suggests — but does not explicitly state — that there were transgressions by her husband.

“It‘s sensational, it suggesting a perverse marital arrangement. We didn’t see evidence of a crime,” Connor said.

Katherine Redmond, of National Coalition Against Violent Athletes, said the media often uses language that suggests abuse was consensual or tones it down to make it easier for the public to stomach.

“The media needs to question the wording that they’re using,” Redmond said. “I don’t think rape is an issue you need to clean up for people.”

In another panel Thursday, four public relations professionals weighed in on how Penn State and SU handled the news on their respective campuses. The moderator asked each to grade how both schools had reacted to the scandals. One professor gave both universities an F, another gave both schools a D and others dished out Fs to Penn State and a C- and C+ to SU.

Kelly Rossman-McKinney, CEO and principal of Truscott Rossman, a PR firm in Michigan, said she and her colleagues all believed strongly in transparency and have experienced how being open and up front with the facts can help the momentum and outcome of how sensitive issues are perceived by the public.

“There should have been a level of transparency that obviously did not exist back then,” Rossman-McKinney said.

John Crouch, 44, of Salina, suffered a head wound when he was hit by a car on Old Liverpool Road.

Liverpool, NY -- A Salina man who suffered a head wound when he was struck by a car was ticketed by deputies for crossing into the path of a motor vehicle, deputies said.

The Onondaga County Sheriff's Office gave these details:

Deputies were called to the scene of a car-pedestrian crash about 6:30 p.m. in the 700 block of Old Liverpool Road, near Electronics Parkway. John Crouch, 44, of 709 Old Liverpool Road, was struck by a westbound 2012 Subaru driven by Steven Riou, 22, of 4214 Streamwood Drive, Clay.

Witnesses said Crouch was attempting to cross Old Liverpool Road and ran out in front of Riou's car.

The Liverpool Fire Department took Crouch, who had a head injury, to Upstate University Hospital, deputies said. His injury is not life threatening, deputies said.

Crouch was issued the ticket for crossing in front of the car, which is a violation of the motor vehicle law.

James B. Ramacus, 44, of Moore Road, Sullivan, was charged with DWI after his pickup truck struck a utility pole, troopers said.

DeWitt, NY -- A town of Sullvan resident was charged with driving while intoxicated following a crash tonight on state Route 298 in DeWitt, state police said.

James B. Ramacus, 44, of Moore Road, was charged with the misdemeanor after the 9:17 p.m. crash. Troopers said Ramacus was driving a pickup truck east on Route 298 when the vehicle left the road and struck a utility pole.

Ramacus had a blood-alcohol content of 0.17 percent, troopers said. Ramacus was issued traffic tickets and released.

The fire was reported after 10:30 p.m. at 640 Academy St. by the residents of the building, who all got out OK, 911 reports.

Fulton, NY -- The Fulton Fire Department is still on the scene of a house fire tonight in the city of Fulton.

The fire was reported about 10:37 p.m. at 640 Academy St., the Oswego County 911 reports. The fire was reported by the occupants, who all were able to escape the fire, a 911 dispatcher said.

The two-story, woodframe house was fully engulfed when the first firefighters arrived, according to reports from the scene.

No one was injured, 911 reports.

No one was hurt in the crash tonight on Tallman Street.

Syracuse, NY -- A Syracuse woman faces a misdemeanor driving while intoxicated charge after a head-on crash tonight on Tallman Street.

Charlotte Vasquez, 40, of 647 W. Onondaga St., was driving east about 10:45 p.m. on Tallman Street, and had just passed Cortland Avenue, when her vehicle went into the on-coming lane, Sgt. Gary Bulinski said.

Vasquez's 2009 Chevrolet Impala struck a 2002 Chevrolet Tracker head-on, Bulinski said. Neither Vasquez or the other driver were injured in the crash, he said.

Besides the DWI charge, Vasquez was ticketed for failure to keep right.

Central New York ski operators report a drop in business of as much as 50 percent compared to the 2010-11 season.

John Berry / The Post-Standard Skiers make their way down Song Mountain.

A year ago, the skiing season from Central New York to the Adirondacks was riding a record winter snowfall that produced super conditions and lots of business, right into April.

This year, hobbled by a scarcity of snowfall, Central New York ski areas have seen business drop — some by as much as half compared to the 2010-2011 season. That has been evident this week, when area schools are on winter break and slopes are normally thick with skiers. Usually, it is the second busiest week of the year.

“Last year we had 130 inches of snow at this time,” said Rick Bunnell, director of marketing and snow sports at Labrador Ski Area in Truxton. “We’ve only had about 40 inches of snow so far this year. ... I’m not sure even if we have a snow dump of one ... or even two feet that we’ll get the people out.”

Central New York’s four main ski areas — Greek Peak in Virgil, Labrador, Song Mountain in Tully and Toggenburg in Fabius — all said their walk-in skiing and snowboarding lift ticket business had fallen by 25 percent to 50 percent from a year ago.

As a result, the ski areas are making less money renting equipment and giving lessons, and peddling less booze and fewer burgers.

The numbers tell the story. Labrador clocked about 135,000 skier visits a year ago; as of today that number has plunged to just below 70,000, Bunnell said.

That situation is much the same at Whiteface and Gore mountains, two state-run ski resorts in the Adirondacks. Business has dropped by about 11 percent to 12 percent at both facilities from a year ago, a spokesman for both ski areas said.

As of Tuesday, about 39,000 fewer people had visited the two ski areas than a year ago, and Lake Placid’s state-run cross-country ski facility, Olympic museum and speed skating oval track attracted far fewer users, said Jon Lundin, a spokesman for those tourist attractions.

Bottom line: No snow at home, no skiers.

“It’s unfortunate, but when people don’t see snow in their backyard they don’t think about skiing,” Lundin said.

Too bad, said the four local ski area operators, because they have made enough snow this season to continue offering good skiing on many of their trails.

At Song on Thursday, Auburn’s Brent Rhodes, a season pass-holder, said he was pleasantly surprised by how good the skiing has been this winter.

“It’s been absolutely phenomenal. I know there’s no snow elsewhere, but it’s great here,” Rhodes said.

Long Island’s Mark Saporita was spending the holiday week skiing and lodging at Greek Peak with his family along with his brother and children.

Saporita praised Greek Peak for providing good skiing through the week despite the lack of snow and spring-like temperatures.

“I’ve got to tell you we’ve enjoyed it. They’ve done a good job keeping it skiable and we’ve been having a good time,” Saporita said.

All of the local ski areas reported having many trails open and several others closed on Thursday. Softening snow, or spring-like conditions, prevailed at Greek Peak and Song.

The lack of snowfall has made for a tough year, Greek Peak’s manager Kevin Morrin acknowledged.

“You could spend a million dollars on advertising and it still wouldn’t make a difference,” he said.

Toggenburg owner Jim Hickey agreed. “It’s been a winter to remember, that’s for sure.”

With March and spring fast approaching the ski season could skid to a close much sooner than last year without an infusion of colder weather and a lot more snow. Ski areas need prolonged temperatures in the 20s or colder to resume making snow.

“The lack of snow in everyone’s backyard is really hurting business,” Song owner Peter Harris said. “A big snowstorm certainly would be a shot in the arm.”

Contact Scott Rapp at srapp@syracuse.com or 289-4839.

Find a new clue each day in The Post-Standard and on syracuse.com.

The Post-Standard has hidden a medallion somewhere in Onondaga County and will publish daily clues pointing would-be treasure hunters to its location. Solve the clues and find the medallion, and you'll win $1,000. Double that to $2,000 if you're a home-delivered subscriber.

You can find each day's new clue ...

• On the pages of The Post-Standard


• On syracuse.com at syracuse.com/treasure-hunt


• On Facebook at www.facebook.com/poststandard


• On Twitter @PostStandard (look for #PStreasurehunt)

To find out if the medallion has been found, call 703-1703.

Clue No. 8
Friday, Feb. 24
Wired light still remains
Hope this causes you no strain
Start at a bridge and you could gain.

But there's a lack of light
So if you're out at night
It means you're cold
So do as you're told.

Previous clues

Clue No. 7
Thursday, Feb. 23
Water pays homage to those who kept fire
The prize will go to those who don't tire.

Clue No. 6
Wednesday, Feb. 22
See no cars,
But they're not far.
You can hear the nearby traffic,
It's not allowed so don't you panic.

Clue No. 5
Tuesday, Feb. 21
South said it this way
Think this thru and win you may.
Double it and just add some
Don't criticize, just have fun.

Clue No. 4
Monday, Feb. 20
You'll find lots of these around
Where the prize can be found.
They're not for pressing
We're just confessing.

Clue No. 3
Sunday, Feb. 19
Twelve months a year, seven days a week,
Hit this area to have a peek.
It's open to enjoy for all,
Spring, summer, winter, fall.

Clue No. 2
Saturday, Feb. 18
Think and stay current to have fun
But too close to water you should shun.
This is a great place to walk and run.

Clue No. 1
Friday, Feb. 17
Stay in Onondaga County
to find our bounty.
We can't give it away too soon,
Keep reading, it could be a boon!

» More about The Post-Standard Treasure Hunt, including complete rules

Some parts of Central New York could see up to a foot of lake effect snow before Sunday, the National Weather Service says.

Syracuse, NY – Winter is about to return to the Syracuse area, but how bad it will get will depend on timing and location.

A winter weather advisory is in effect until noon for the Tug Hill region, the western Mohawk Valley and hilly areas of Central New York. A mix of light snow and patchy freezing drizzle could drop a coating of ice before tailing off around midmorning, the National Weather Service said. Valleys will see improvement before hilltops do. Roads could be slick until then.

Jefferson and Lewis counties will be under a winter storm warning from 8 a.m. until 6 a.m. Saturday with 5 to 10 inches of heavy snow and sleet expected, driven by west winds gusting to 40 mph.

Around Syracuse, the wintry mix should change to all rain as the temperature reaches for a high around 42 degrees.

The wind during the day is expected to come out of the southeast between 9 and 14 mph. That is expected to change dramatically tonight as the wind shifts to the west and picks up to 15 to 30 mph with frequent gusts between 40 and 50 mph. All of Central New York should be affected over the 24 hours beginning at 7 p.m., the National Weather Service said.

Lake effect snow is expected to accompany the wind shift.

The National Weather Service has issued a lake effect snow warning for Oswego County beginning 10 p.m. through 5 p.m. Saturday. Between 8 and 12 inches of snow could fall in areas under the heaviest snow bands, with the heaviest snow likely to come Saturday morning, forecasters said. West winds 20 to 30 mph and gusting to 40 mph will further hamper visibility.

Between 3 and 7 inches of snow could fall in other parts of northern Central New York downwind from Lake Ontario, forecasters said. The forecast Saturday for Syracuse Hancock International Airport, the area’s official weather station, calls for 5 to 9 inches of new snow, winds gusting to 43 mph and a high temperature of 33 degrees.

As the wind shifts to the northwest, northern Cayuga and Wayne counties will come under a lake effect snow advisory between 4 a.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday. Between 4 and 7 inches of snow could fall.

Snow showers are expected to end around 1 p.m. Sunday around Syracuse, followed by mostly sunny skies and a high in the low 30s.

The new workweek could see the return of spring with partly sunny skies and a high in the mid-40s, the weather service said.

A judge decided they didn't have enough evidence for jurors to even bother deliberating.

View full sizeAP Photo/The Birmingham News, Tamika MooreGabe Watson, second left, hugs members of his defense team after the charges in his capital murder trial were dismissed at the Mel Bailey Criminal Justice Center in Birmingham, Ala., Thursday, Feb. 23, 2012. Circuit Judge Tommy Nail acquitted Watson, accused of drowning his newlywed wife during a honeymoon diving trip to Australia eight years ago, saying in an unusual ruling that prosecutors did not prove the man intentionally killed his wife to collect on a life insurance policy.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Prosecutors encountered legal hurdles just getting Gabe Watson into an Alabama courtroom to face a murder charge in the death of his wife, who drowned during a honeymoon dive off Australia's Great Barrier Reef eight years ago. In the end, a judge decided they didn't have enough evidence for jurors to even bother deliberating.

A state judge on Thursday agreed with a defense motion and acquitted the 34-year-old Watson in the death of his wife of 11 days, Tina Thomas Watson.

The defense — which contended that 26-year-old Tina Watson's death was an unintended, horrible mishap — never even got started after prosecutors finished. Jurors filed out of the basement courtroom without having a chance to weigh in on the case.

Watson buried his face in his hands at the decision; he had faced a sentence of life without parole if convicted. He hugged his mother and father, who blamed the prosecution on Alabama politics, and his second wife, who accompanied him throughout the trial.

Watson's former father-in-law, Tommy Thomas, appeared shell-shocked.

"It should have gone to the jury for them to decide," Thomas said.

The case was ended by Jefferson County Circuit Judge Tommy Nail, who clashed with prosecutors throughout the trial and earlier hearings.

Prosecutor Don Valeska told The Associated Press that four key decisions by the judge during trial crippled the state's case.

That included his refusal to let Thomas and Tina Watson's sister Alanda testify in depth about conversations they had with Watson after the death. Those could have helped show that Watson wanted insurance money, he said.

Nail also refused to let prosecutors show jurors videotape of a police re-enactment of the dive and barred them from seeing a surveillance video of Watson removing flowers from his wife's grave, Valeska told the AP.

"With four rulings like that it's hard to win any case," Valeska said.

During pretrial maneuvering, prosecutors had successfully convinced the judge to let the case move forward by arguing they had evidence that Watson plotted his wife's death in Alabama in hopes of profiting from modest insurance policies. They also overcame defense arguments that Watson shouldn't stand trial at all because he already had pleaded guilty to manslaughter and served 18 months in prison in Australia.

When Watson finished his sentence in Australia in November 2010, the country deported him to the United States with an agreement from Alabama and federal prosecutors that he wouldn't face the death penalty. Such a deal is required under Australian extradition law.

Once Valeska finished presenting his case, Nail agreed with defense claims that prosecutors failed to show Watson intentionally killed the woman. He said there was no evidence Watson stood to profit from her death, and he sided with defense lawyers who said the only eyewitness testified he thought Watson was trying to save the woman. Defense attorneys had argued that Watson didn't stand to gain anything monetarily because Tina Watson's father was the beneficiary of her life insurance policy.

The state's evidence was "sorely lacking."

"I don't think anyone knows for sure what happened in the water down there," Nail said.

Gabe Watson's father, David, said every court that had looked at the case through years of litigation determined Gabe did not intentionally kill his wife.

"I'm just so relieved. Hopefully he can put his life back together," David Watson said.

"I hope everyone can begin to heal. The rest of his life will determine his legacy. Gabe is a good kid."

Robert Jarvis, law professor at Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Fla., said Nail's decision was "very unusual," but not unprecedented.

"Most judges think that if it is an extremely weak case, the jury will see that. Most judges prefer to let even the weakest of cases go to the jury and let them decide if there was sufficient evidence," he said. "The more serious the offense, the more reluctant a judge is to take the case away from a jury."

He added: "You can actually make the case that this is a courageous judge."

Valeska, head of the violent crimes division in the Alabama attorney general's office, said he'd never before had a case like this one.

"And I've been doing this 41 years," he said.

While outside court Watson's father blamed the failed prosecution on former Alabama Attorney General Troy King, who lost a bid for re-election after pushing the case publicly, Valeska denied that politics played any role in the case.

"There's evidence," said Valeska. "I cannot just take a case to a grand jury because some elected official says to."

King did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Also: Koran protests resume in Afghanistan despite US apology

View full sizeAP Photo/ KPNX-12 NewsThis video framegrab image provided Thursday Feb. 23, 2012 by KPNX-12 News shows an aerial view of a crash site where two U.S. Marine helicopters collided Wednesday over a training site in the desert near Yuma, Ariz. The crash killed seven Marines, in one of the deadliest military training accidents in years.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — An aviation training accident that killed seven Marines — one of the Corps' deadliest aviation training accidents in years — left the military community shaken and was a solemn reminder that preparing for war poses some of the same risks as the real thing.

"It's an unfortunate consequence of the high tempo of operations," said retired Marine Col. J.F. Joseph, an aviation safety consultant. "They're out there working on the edge trying to exploit the maximum capabilities of the aircraft and their tactics. Just by the virtue of that, in becoming combat ready, these unfortunately are not uncommon occurrences."

The Marine Corps and Navy, nonetheless, stand out in their efforts to mitigate that risk and make training as safe as possible, he said.

Officials said it could weeks to determine what caused two helicopters, an AH-1W Cobra and a UH-1 Huey, to crash in midair during a routine exercise Wednesday night, killing all aboard the aircraft. Skies were clear and the weather was mild.

The accident occurred near the Chocolate Mountains along the California-Arizona border — a sprawling desert range favored by the U.S. military because its craggy mountains and hot, dusty conditions are similar to Afghanistan's harsh environment.

With 17,500 Marines and sailors, including personnel stationed at Camp Pendleton and Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in Arizona, the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing conducts hundreds of aviation training exercises a year so troops can get as much experience as possible before they go to war.

It was the fifth aviation accident since March involving the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing headquartered at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station in San Diego. Throughout the Navy and Marine Corps, there have only been two other aviation training accidents in the past five years involving seven or more deaths, according to the military's Naval Safety Center.

Chaplains and counselors were called in to talk to troops. Six of the Marines killed were from Pendleton — the West Coast's largest base — and one was from the base in Yuma.

Their identities will not be released until their families have all been notified.

Gov. Jerry Brown issued a statement on behalf of himself and his wife: "Anne and I offer our condolences to the families and friends of the Marines who died last night. We honor their bravery and sacrifice."

Two of the Marines were aboard the AH-1W Cobra and the rest were in the UH-1 Huey utility helicopter. They were flying in a remote section of the 1.2-million-acre Yuma Training Range Complex as part of a two-week standard training called "Scorpion Fire" that involved a squadron of about 450 troops from the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.

The helicopters collided near dunes at the edge of the Yuma range about an hour before the range was to shut down for the evening. Ground troops were in the area, but they were not affected, said Gunnery Sgt. Dustin Dunk, a spokesman at the Yuma base, which is a 90-minute drive from the accident site.

Part of the exercise involved having helicopters low on fuel descend to ground troops that have set up a refueling outpost, Dunk said.

He did not know if that's what the pilots were doing at the time of the crash.

"Our training is always evolving, safety is paramount, and being prepared is paramount," he said. "It was a very standard exercise for what we do. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family members. ... Our investigation will look to see what went wrong and how to correct it."

» Read the full story: 7 Marines die when helicopters collide

Top news around the globe

» Syria Opposition Courts Allies For Aid [Wall Street Journal]
» Koran Protests Resume in Afghanistan Despite US Apology [New York Times]
» More drivers than ever may pay $5 per gallon [USA Today]
» Miracle diet pill? A safe drug is elusive [AP]
» Judge acquits man in bride's honeymoon death [AP]

Read all of today's obits published in The Post-Standard

Jeanne MacDonald Feldmeth

Jeanne MacDonald Feldmeth, 86, of Syracuse, passed away Wednesday at Upstate at Community General surrounded by her loving family. Born in Hilo, Hawaii, she graduated from St. Francis High School and St. Francis Hospital Nurses Training in Hawaii. She witnessed the Bombing of Pearl Harbor and was a singer in the USO. Jeanne graduated with honors from OCC School of Nursing, receiving her AAS in Nursing. She worked at St. Joseph's Hospital, Van Duyn and Loretto where she was a head nurse. She enjoyed reading, gardening, crossword puzzles, her beloved "Mets", Syracuse Basketball, and Brooklyn Dodgers. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. Jeanne was predeceased by her husband of 61 years, John "Jack"; her sister, Mabel "Bebo" Moynihan; her nephew, Matthew Moynihan. The family would like to express a special Thank You to the staff at Upstate at Community General Emergency Room and 4N for the wonderful care of their mother.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to: AURORA of CNY, Inc., 518 James St., Syracuse, NY.

» Read Jeanne's full obituary on syracuse.com

» View and sign Jeanne's online guestbook

» See all of today's obituaries from The Post-Standard

» Read local and national obituaries on syracuse.com

Today's obituaries

• Belanger, Raymond
• Branch, Bruce R.
• Brightman, Martha F.
• Caiella, Carmen
• Cardinali, James A.
• Colvin, Melvin E.
• Coughlin, Barbara L.
• Creatore, Eleanor B.
• Cuipylo, John
• Doyle, Clifford W.
• Easley, Chauncey
• Feldmeth, Jeanne (MacDonald)
• Gardner, Catherine "Tess" (Haley)
• Henderson, Gayle R.
• Hibbert, Norma
• Hooker, Cynthia (Masters)
• Knapp, Earl M.
• Kugler, Roberta
• Love, Donna N.
• McWethy, Phyllis (Bibbens)
• Naumann, Mary P. (Eggleston)
• Pickreign, Shirley
• Polge, Mary L.
• Rufus, Mary A.
• Stepien, Tracy A.
• Townsend, Robert E.