Syracuse.com readers react after a downtown shopkeeper says she closed her Armory Square boutique in park because of strict parking enforcement.

Joette's accessory boutique has closed its Armory Square doors, and one of the chief reasons, owner Joette Mancuso said, is parking. Tickets are issued so often and quickly in downtown Syracuse that they discourage shopping in the neighborhood, Mancuso said.

Joette's was one of three shops mentioned in an article Wednesday about stores that already had shut down or were about to close. The article generated a lot of comments from syracuse.com readers, many of which focused on Mancuso's concern about parking. Here are some excerpts:

From PumPump: The meters only allow for two hours, which isn't enough time to eat and shop or visit the MOST. With limited parking, you find yourself having to run back and forth to feed the meter from a spot that is probably farther away than it's worth. Throw in the weather and the too-strict parking meter readers . . . eh, the city can do better than that for downtown.

From marksu: I agree, parking downtown is crazy. They hand out tickets like candy to a baby. It's sad what has happened to the city. The buildings look horrible, shops have all left years ago, people hanging out on the streets asking for money. Let's face it, it's a dead city and no one wants to do anything about. LOL other then build a new arena . . .

From 835UMag: Can you imagine if Walmart or Wegmans charged you to park in their lots? It makes about as much cents (sorry had to) as cities charging for parking. It's nothing but a money grab and lots of people refuse to take part.

From Auwtsnae: I've never worried about receiving a parking ticket in Armory Square because I always put sufficient money in the parking meter.
My reluctance to patronize businesses in Armory Square has more to do with limited parking and crime. And, while I personally don't mind panhandlers, it seems that every time I go to Armory Square I manage to encounter one.
Many people are put off by such encounters.
I don't recall ever seeing a panhandler at DestiNY, Shoppingtown or Great Northern malls.

From ambrosini14: If the city was dead, parking wouldn't be a problem, now would it? The buildings are old and historic, and while they could use a touch-up here and there, I think you're the only one saying downtown is ugly. The area is full of shops and restaurants and the spaces from these closing businesses will be taken before the month is out. Since it's clear you don't go downtown very often, you should come down! Go skating, take pictures, have a beer, shop for gifts. You'll enjoy it. Take some pride in your city.

From thinkinagain: Another simple solution to avoiding a parking ticket: just drop the fifty cents to a dollar into the parking meter. Most of them now take debit cards. Parking isn't really as expensive as the hype leads you to believe. It's no different than anywhere else. You run the risk of getting a ticket in many no-parking zones, all over. The biggest difference is they are very efficient at writing them downtown. But as long as you pay the meter, it's a moot point . . .

What do you think of downtown Syracuse's meter parking policies? Please leave a comment below.

Charles J. Nohle, of Mannsville, was driving a Ford pickup truck north on state Route 13 in the town of Camden just before 10 p.m. Tuesday.

Camden, N.Y. -- A 50-year-old man was injured Tuesday night when he tried to miss hitting a deer with his pickup truck and the vehicle flipped over several times, the Oneida County Sheriff's Office said.

Charles J. Nohle, of Mannsville, was driving a Ford pickup truck north on state Route 13 in the town of Camden just before 10 p.m. Tuesday.

A deer walked into the road and into the path of Nohle's pickup. The sheriff's office said Nohle tried to avoid hitting the deer, but caused his pickup truck to go into a slide before it slammed into a snow bank.

Nohle's pickup truck flipped several times and came to rest in a small field.

The Camden Fire Department and the state police responded to the scene with the sheriff's office. Nohle suffered injuries to his head and right leg. He was taken by Camden Ambulance to St. Elizabeth's Hospital.

Nearly all the 1,800 arrests were dismissed by the court or the defendants acquitted.

NEW YORK (AP) -- New York City has agreed to pay $18 million to settle dozens of lawsuits filed by protesters, journalists and bystanders who said they were wrongly arrested at the 2004 Republican National Convention and held for hours in makeshift holding cells, lawyers said Wednesday.

The settlement, which must be approved by a federal judge, would end nearly a decade of legal wrangling over more than 1,800 arrests, mostly on charges of disorderly conduct or parading without a permit. Hundreds sued, saying they were illegally arrested by an overzealous police department. Nearly all the arrests were dismissed by the court or the defendants acquitted.

Neal Curley was 17 at the time of his arrest. He had come to the city from Philadelphia with his father to see a show and decided to join one of the protests. Curley was arrested crossing the street and held for 14 hours. In the time the case has been litigated, he graduated from high school and college and now is 26 and working at an art gallery.

"I'm glad it finally happened," he said of the case's end. "I hope it sets and important precedent that the right to free speech and assembly are basic American rights."

Deirdre MacNamara, another woman who sued, said she wasn't even protesting when she was arrested, just out buying a milkshake.

"If this average person can get arrested just walking down the street," she said, everyone should be worried.

Lawyers with the New York Civil Liberties Union had previously asked the judge hearing case to conclude that police didn't have probable cause to make mass arrests during the convention, at which President George W. Bush was nominated for another term.

"This historic settlement sends a clear message," said NYCLU attorney Chris Dunn. "We will not allow the police to trample on the First Amendment rights of protesters."

The city had argued for dismissal, arguing that nearly 800,000 people demonstrated during the convention and only a small fraction of them were arrested. The convention was police by as many as 10,000 officers from the 35,000-member police department, the nation's largest. They were assigned to protect the city from terrorism threats and to cope with tens of thousands of demonstrators.

Both sides said in a joint statement that it was best to settle. The city won't admit guilt under the agreement, which includes about $7 million in attorney fees. Amounts to the plaintiffs will vary from about $1,000 to $20,000 depending on their role in the lawsuits, lawyers said.

City lawyers said it was important to defend the case and noted that police policies used during the convention were upheld.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has promised better cooperation with the police department and residents, said he was glad the case was settled.

"I have spoken before about my concerns as to how that situation was handled at the time and I'm glad we're moving forward. And we're going to take a very different view going forward about how we respect people's rights to express themselves," he said.

Prior to Wednesday's announcement, 142 other plaintiffs who sued over the arrests had settled with the city for a total of about $1.8 million, mostly in 2007.

Sarah Coburn, 30, said her arrest at the convention inspired her to become an attorney to fight for the civil rights of others. She was 20 at the time, and was held for 30 hours before she was released. She's now a public defender.

"It was awful to be subjected to those conditions," she said. "I want to make sure no one else has to be."

CBS News first aired parts of the footage showing the chaotic aftermath of the July 6 crash of Asiana Airlines Flight 214 at San Francisco International Airport on Tuesday night

SAN FRANCISCO -- Video from a firefighter's helmet camera following the crash landing of an Asiana Airlines flight in San Francisco shows rescuers were aware there was someone on the ground outside the plane, before she was fatally run over by a fire truck.

CBS News first aired parts of the footage showing the chaotic aftermath of the July 6 crash of Asiana Airlines Flight 214 at San Francisco International Airport on Tuesday night. CBS said it obtained it from a person close to the family of the girl who was killed, 16-year-old Ye Meng Yuan.

View full sizeThis July 6, 2013 file photo provided by the San Francisco Chronicle shows an image from the helmet-mounted video camera of a San Francisco fire battalion chief at the scene of the crash of Asiana Flight 214 shows a firefighter covering the body of passenger Ye Meng Yuan at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco. Video footage from a firefighter’s helmet camera in the wake of the crash landing of an Asiana Airlines flight in San Francisco shows fire personnel were aware there was someone on the ground outside the plane. Authorities have said that person, 16-year-old Ye Meng Yuan, was alive following the crash, but later run over and killed by a fire truck.AP Photo/San Francisco Chronicle 

The San Francisco Chronicle first reported on the video's content. It's still unknown how Yuan got out of the plane. Interviews for an ongoing National Traffic Safety Board investigation found Yuan was covered with foam and struck twice.

"At least five firefighters knew of her presence before she was covered in foam, nobody examined her, nobody touched her, nobody protected her, moved her or did anything to take her out of harm's way and then they abandoned her there," said Anthony Tarricone, an attorney for Yuan's family.

San Francisco fire spokeswoman Mindy Talmadge said on Wednesday she could not comment on the video because of the pending litigation, though she confirmed there were a couple of videos and a few still photographs of the scene that were taken by firefighters and turned over to the department. The videos and photographs were given to attorneys who have filed lawsuits representing victims of the crash, Talmadge said.

Firefighters told investigators they assumed the girl was dead and hurried on toward the damaged aircraft, according to documents released by the NTSB.

"This is not a matter of us being careless or callous," Assistant Deputy Chief Dale Carnes told the federal safety board last month. "It was the fact we were dealing with a very complex environment."

In all, 304 of the 307 people aboard the plane survived after the airliner slammed into a seawall at the end of a runway during final approach for landing.

The impact ripped off the back of the plane, tossed out three flight attendants and their seats, and scattered pieces of the jet across the runway as it spun and skidded to a stop.

Yuan was one of three Chinese teens who died; one died during the crash, and another died later in the hospital.

Money will also fund sidewalk construction and conversion of abandoned railroad corridors for trail use.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo today announced the award of nearly $4.5 million to Central New York communities for bicycle, pedestrian and multi-use path development.

Across the state, Cuomo awarded nearly $70 million for projects that include sidewalk construction, improved pedestrian access to public transportation services, the construction of bicycle lanes and pedestrian paths, and the conversion of abandoned railroad corridors for trail use.

The announcement comes the day after a coalition of bicycle and pedestrian activists pushed for Cuomo to fund $20 million for such improvements this year, and $20 million for each of the next four years.

A coalition of organizations representing bicyclists and pedestrians had stressed that New York State had the worst pedestrian and cycling safety record in the nation in 2012, with 27 percent of road fatalities involving a bicyclist or pedestrian.

Cuomo's announcement today exceeded what the coalition had requested.

"We are very happy," said Nadine Lemmon, a spokesperson for the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, one of the organizations that lobbied for money. "This is beyond what was anticipated for this particular round of funding."

Onondaga County was awarded $1,530,000 for a portion of the Onondaga Lake Canalways Trail along State Fair Boulevard.

In Cayuga County, Auburn was awarded $1,322,000 for construction of a portion of the Owasco River Greenway Trail. The money will fund a little over a mile of a planned six-mile trail. The funding will cover a section from downtown Auburn, south to the city's Mill Street Dam, said Christina Selvek, director of capital projects and grants for the city's planning department. Construction would not start until 2015, she said.

In Madison County, two projects were funded: a portion of the Oneida Rail Trail between Wampsville and the city of Oneida; and a street enhancement project along South Peterboro Street in the village of Canastota.

In Cortland County, Cortland was awarded $544,000 for enhancement of the city's northeast gateway along Clinton Avenue.

The Mohawk Valley region was awarded roughly $4 million, including $680,000 to the village of Herkimer for street enhancement and $350,000 to Rome for streetscape improvements.

The funds announced come to the state through the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and are administered by NYSDOT. The funds will cover 80 percent of project cost. With 20 percent covered by local sponsors, the projects amount to an investment of $96.5 million.

Contact Dave Tobin at 470-3277, dtobin@syracuse.com or via Twitter: @dttobin

At about 12:43 p.m. Wednesday state police responded to a two-vehicle crash on county Route 57A near Hilltop Drive in Schroeppel.

Rescuers at the scene of a two-vehicle crash Tuesday in the town of Schroeppel. State police said an investigation into the crash was continuing. Courtesy Jessica Teifke 

Schroeppel, N.Y. -- One man was critically injured Wednesday in Oswego County when his car went into the opposite lane and hit a truck, the New York State Police said.

At about 12:43 p.m. Wednesday state police responded to a two-vehicle crash on county Route 57A near Hilltop Drive.

State police said 28-year-old Adam O. Dix, of Phoenix, was driving a Subaru south on county Route 57A in the town of Schroeppel when he failed to keep right and crossed the double line and drove into the northbound lane.

Dix's car hit a Schroeppel Town Highway Department truck driven by 61-year-old David R. Pendergast, of Phoenix.

Rescuers cut Dix out of his car. He was airlifted by Mercy Flight to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse. Dix is currently listed in critical condition due to severe bone fractures he suffered, state police said.

Pendergast was not injured.

The state police said their Commercial Vehicle Enforcement and Collision Reconstruction untis responded to the scene and that the investigation is continuing.

Deputies responded at about 12:50 p.m. to the Indian River High School on Route 11 in Philadelphia for a report of a student who was in possession of a rifle in a classroom.

Philadelphia, N.Y. -- A 15-year-old sneaked a rifle into a Jefferson County high school classroom Wednesday, but no one was injured.

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said deputies responded at about 12:50 p.m. to the Indian River High School on Route 11 in Philadelphia for a report of a student who was in possession of a rifle in a classroom.

The sheriff's office said the 15-year-old student was able to covertly get the rifle into the high school at the beginning of the day.

Then at the end of a class, the student opened a case containing the rifle, the sheriff's office said. A teacher immediately secured the weapon when the student opened the case, a statement on the Indian River Central School District's website said.

According to the sheriff's office, the "quick actions of a teacher ... averted a tragedy," and helped bring about a safe conclusion.

School officials notified police. The high school was locked down as deputies and a K-9 unit investigated and then reopened once it was determined there was no further threat, the sheriff's office said.

The sheriff's office seized the rifle and took the student into custody.

No one was injured during the incident, though deputies and state troopers stood by as a precaution when students were released for the day.

The sheriff's office said it is continuing to investigate, but declined to release more details or say if the 15-year-old student would be charged.

Sean M. Spencer, 33, of Tower Street, Waterville, was charged with first-degree rape.

Waterville, N.Y. -- A 33-year-old man has been charged with raping a woman, the Oneida County Sheriff's Office said.

Sean M. SpencerOneida Sheriff's Office 

Sean M. Spencer, 33, of Tower Street, Waterville, was charged with first-degree rape.

The sheriff's office said the charge stems from an incident that occurred at Spencer's home early Sunday morning.

According to the sheriff's office, Spencer engaged in sexual intercourse with a woman who at the time was unable to give consent because she was physically helpless. The sheriff's office did not provide further details.

Spencer was arrested by deputies on Wednesday.

Spencer was arraigned in New York Mills Village Court and remanded to the Oneida County jail in lieu of $20,000 bail or bond.

Readers react to a 70-year-old Florida man facing felony charges for assaulting a customer who brought too many items into an express checkout line at Walmart.

A 77-year-old Florida man is facing felony charges after allegedly assaulting a man who brought 22 items into a 20-item-or-less checkout lane at Walmart.

William E. Golladay counted the items as the customer in front of him, John Malherbe, unloaded his cart. When he counted 22, Golladay began yelling at Malherbe. Golladay then began shoving his own cart into Malherbe.

Golladay was escorted from the store, but he then returned approaching Malherbe with raised fists only to be escorted from the store again. He was charged with battery on a person 65 years or older, a felony.

Readers left a number of comments on the story, and many of them sympathized with Golladay's frustration. Here's a sample of what they had to say:

From sufan83: ...Most who use the "wrong" lines are self-absorbed idiots who think their time is more important than others'. I was behind a woman who spent over $180 in the 7-item line. The store was crowded and she did not want to wait so she went to that line, she was not directed to do it.

As for this gentleman, I certainly do not agree with what he did... BUT I understand it.

From Demography: I remember a while back at the big Wegmans being invited to use the "Cash Only" line because it was empty and they were busy and nobody was using it. I told them I was going to use my shoppers club which then had a pin that connected to my bank account. The cashier said that was fine. I had a full cart. Toward the end, a man pulled in behind and started to unload, obviously in a hurry (he may have been a VIP, at least in his own mind).

He started making comments about how slow the check out was, I think it was also the beginning of scanning and they had to manually input more than one of my items. So when I started to put in my PIN, he objected that this was Cash Only and I should not have been in the lane. The check out girl started to defend me, but I said, "No, no, he has a fair point. I'll pay cash" and pulled out a huge stack of dollar bills I was going to take to the bank from a charity event we were coming from.

So instead of a quick electronic transaction, he, at his own insistence, had to stand through the double counting of something like 160 dollar bills.

From Free Speaker: That is utter nonsense. Lots of folks get one or two extra items in the express lanes. It isn't a big deal at all. Also, does 20 items mean 20 different items or 20 items total? The signs are never descriptive enough. If I get five oranges and 19 other items, am I buying 24 things or only 20 since the oranges only count as one?

It is better to be patient and respectful of others. In the grand scheme of things, how is two extra items going to impact anyone? It takes maybe 10 extra seconds to scan and bag two extra items.

From starsrnasty: Good for this guy. I would like to beat all the idiots who cannot count in the express lane or think that the rules don't apply to them. The reason for the 20 or less lanes are just that - to expedite things for those that are only grabbing a few items. If it was the 22 or less lane this guy would have been fine. Ultimately it is the fault of the stores not to enforce this. When the cashier gets to 20 they should stop and tell the person to either come back later or get at the end of the line to continue their order. Why do we have handicapped parking spots? To make it easier for those who are truly handicapped to get into a facility. How many times do you see some idiot who is completely capable of walking etc park in a spot to run in and get something quick - same kinds of people who think the rules don't apply to them. Major society issue.

Do you think breaking the checkout line item cap reflects a "major society issue?" Leave a comment below.

The robbery occurred at about 3:05 p.m. Wednesday at the Yuni Wireless phone store located at 100 Grand Ave.

Syracuse, N.Y. -- Syracuse police are investigating an armed robbery of a phone store.

The robbery occurred at about 3:05 p.m. Wednesday at the Yuni Wireless phone store located at 100 Grand Ave.

Police said a man walked into the store armed with a silver handgun and demanded money. An employee gave the man money and the man hit the employee with the gun and fled on foot.

The store employee did not complain of any injuries.

Police said the robbery suspect is described as a man in his 20s, between 5-feet-9-inches and 6-feet tall. He was last seen wearing a red hat, black coat and black jeans.

Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to contact Syracuse police at 315-442-5222.

Central New York is also expected to get a few scattered snow showers in the coming days, but they won't amount to much.

Syracuse, N.Y. -- People across Central New York have experienced a mixed bag of weather so far this week.

That's included severe flooding in parts of northern Oswego County and immensely slippery road conditions that contributed to dozens of crashes in Onondaga County. Things, however, may be looking up.

To be sure, snow is headed our way. As Carrie Cheevers of Time Warner Cable News explained, scattered snow showers throughout the weekend are likely.

But AccuWeather is predicting high temperatures at or above freezing for most of the rest of the week meaning the snow likely won't last.

And, as News Channel 9's Dave Longley says, the new system of arctic air headed our way is moving slowly, so temperatures will likewise dip very slowly.

The low temperatures for next weekend are predicted to be around zero.

Your forecast:

• Thursday: Partly sunny during the day, but cloudy in the evening. High in the low 30s and a low in the mid 20s. Flurries possible after midnight.


• Friday: Cloudy with a high near 38. Possible flurries during the day. Chance of light snow showers in the evening with a low in the mid 20s. Winds out of the south then the west up to 15 mph.


• Saturday: Cloudy with a 50/50 chance of snow throughout the day and evening. High of 28 and a low of about 20.


• Sunday: Mostly cloudy. A 50/50 chance of snow showers during the day and evening. Highs around 30 and a low near 20.


• Monday: Mostly cloudy. Highs in the mid 30s and lows in the low 20s.

You can also follow us on Facebook or visit http://www.syracuse.com/weather/ for more on the weather.

To send in weather info, or especially photos: Use the Twitter or Instagram hashtag: #cnyweather Also, please let us know where the images are located.

Cuomo's donors include five-figure checks from developers and NBCUniversal; the governor paid Jon Bon Jovi about $25,000 to perform at a fundraiser late last summer.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Happy Thursday. Here's the good news: The sun is supposed to make an appearance, very soon. The bad? A week from now, forecasts predict we'll be back in the zero-degree range.

Andrew Cuomo had a mere $16 million in his campaign account nine months before he won his first gubernatorial bid in 2010. Now he's got $33.3 million. The Democrat -- who is calling for reforms to New York's campaign finance laws -- raised $7 million since July.

Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy, meanwhile, has not raised a penny in a year.

Cuomo received five-figure checks from real estate developers, mixed-martial arts advocates, and NBCUniversal; Cuomo's budget last year included a tax break to encourage "The Tonight Show" to move back to New York. The governor also paid Jon Bon Jovi $25,000 to perform at a fundraiser late last summer.

Cuomo is planning to be at a closed-to-the-press event this morning at the Harvard Club in Manhattan to make his pitch to wealthy Republicans.

The Republicans' possible choice to challenge Cuomo, Rob Astorino, visited Syracuse on Wednesday and talked about jobs, pensions and abortion. Astorino, who hasn't formed a campaign committee for the governor's race, has about $1 million in his account for Westchester County executive.

Cuomo and his successor as attorney general, fellow Democrat Eric Schneiderman, have never been close allies. Now they are scrapping over $613 million from the JPMorgan Chase settlement -- plus wondering out loud if one man wears eyeliner and the other is Machiavellian.

Some conservative voices defended Mayor Stephanie Miner's hesitation to embrace a $500 million sports arena for Syracuse University and Onondaga County. SU Athletic Director Daryl Gross, meanwhile, went on the radio and said the arena, which could include a retractable roof, is a long-term goal that isn't dead.

Miner announced she'll give her State of the City address a week from today on Tipp Hill.

The news that Alcoa Inc. would close in the North Country has prompted an emergency meeting between the aluminum producers and top Cuomo aides for today.

The governor announced $67 million will be spent on bicycle and walking paths,including $4.5 million for Central New York.

SUNY's chancellor wants to put the college system's 12,000 online classes onto one website so students can pick and choose their courses from one place.

At least 10 hospitals are interested in dispensing marijuana for patients under Cuomo's proposed plan.

Gay rights advocates want New York to lift a ban on paying surrogate mothers to carry babies.

Marc Santora writes an ode about New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's unrequited love for his rock idol, Bruce Springsteen. It's even better than yesterday's video spoof, though without the wigs.

Eliot and Silda Spitzer are getting a divorce.

Tweet of the Day

Things get nasty in Washington, but men asking whether other men wear eyeliner? My hometown Albany is getting mean http://t.co/qjxBJyZKhN

— Ed O'Keefe (@edatpost) January 16, 2014

Contact Teri Weaver at tweaver@syracuse.com, 315-470-2274 or on Twitter at @TeriKWeaver.

PACE CNY wants to move its McAuliffe Health Center from Loretto in Syracuse to a new building to be constructed in DeWitt.

The PACE CNY McAuliffe Health Center is planning to build a new 38,000-square-foot building in DeWitt, and move its operation from its existing location in Syracuse.

The center has been located on the first floor of Loretto in Syracuse since 2000, but has outgrown its space and needs room to expand, said Penny Abulencia, executive director of the PACE program and vice president of Loretto.

The DeWitt Planning Board will be reviewing the site plans at its next meeting Jan. 23.

The one-story brick building would be built on 10 acres at 115 Creek Circle in DeWitt, across from East Syracuse Fire Station No. 2. There would be parking for 30 shuttle buses and about 130 cars, according to DeWitt planning officials.

"We are really out of capacity where we are now," Abulencia said. "We've been very successful so far, and this would give us room to grow."

PACE CNY is a separate not-for-profit corporation of Loretto which provides
an alternative to nursing home placement. The day center offers on-site medical care, nursing care, physical therapy, activities, meals and even a beauty salon.

PACE CNY provides transportation to the center for those who are enrolled in the long-term managed care program.

There also is a second location, the Sally Coyne Center, in North Syracuse.

The program at Loretto serves about 260 people, and the new building will have room for 400, Abulencia said.

It should take about a year for the approvals and subsequent move to take place.

Rep. Paul Ryan read a tweet calling him "Satan incarnate."

Jimmy Kimmel's popular "Celebrities Read Mean Tweets" segments have inspired a spinoff series: Politicians reading mean tweets about themselves.

Now This News in Washington, D.C. got several members of Congress to read the worst things written about them on Twitter, and then react for the camera. The results are pretty entertaining, thanks to participants like former vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan, ex-"Real World" cast member Sean Duffy, and New York Senator Chuck Schumer.

Here are some of the funniest mean tweets from the "different kind of celebrities" so far:

• "@clairecmc You really suck a pig's a--," Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill reads in the first video clip.
• "@PRRyan Paul Ryan has such pretty blue eyes, sometimes it's easy to forget he's Satan incarnate," the Representative from Wisconsin adds before staring at the camera with his "pretty blue eyes."
• "@ChrisMurphyCT your ignorance is overshadowed only by your naivete. #LMAO," Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy says in the second episode. He then joked LMAO stands for Legislators Making America Outstanding.
• "@SenSchumer Yup. You're about as original as an old pair of shoes," Schumer says, casually putting his feet up on top of his desk.
• "@RepSeanDuffy was a ******bag on Real World MTV. He's a ******bag now," Duffy read. "I guess we're stopping being polite and we're starting to get real here," he responded.

NBC's "Today Show" got in on the fun Wednesday as well, reading their own mean tweets -- though Carson Daly actually picked a pseudo-compliment.

"I love @CarsonDaly. People say he has the personality of a hairbrush? I disagree," Daly read.

"@AlRoker If it rains today, I'm going to punch you on your mouth," weatherman Al Roker added. "I said, go ahead and try it, I will drop you like a bag of dirt," the SUNY Oswego graduate responded.

The animatronic stunt was engineered to promote the horror film "Devil's Due." But one critic wonders whether it went too far.

If you want to get lots of attention quickly for your upcoming horror flick, get a snarling, projectile-vomiting devil baby to cruise the streets of New York City in a carriage and ambush unsuspecting passers by.

That's just was the promoters of "Devil's Due" did recently. And it got tons of attention -- a video of the prank and the horrified reactions of its victims has garnered more than 21 million views since it was posted Tuesday on YouTube.

This projectile-vomiting baby's antics spawned a viral video.YouTube screen capture 

The stunt was cooked up by Thinkmodo, a New York City viral marketing firm, Yahoo.com reported. That's the same company that in recent years "hacked" Times Square's giant video screens to promote "Limitless" and made it look like people were flying over Manhattan to publicize "Chronicle," among other ventures.

The movie its latest stunt promotes, "Devil's Due," tells about a newlywed couple's unexpected pregnancy and the revelation that the mother is carrying Satan's child, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The 20th Century Fox release is due in theaters Friday.

Thinkmodo hired Creature Effects Inc. to build the animatronic imp and remote-controlled stroller. Three operators were flown in from Los Angeles to operate the creation, one to run the stroller and two to control the robot baby's movements and facial expressions. Hidden cameras captured the fun on the streets of New York.

To the surprise of its creators, none of the terrified victims lashed out at the robot demon or anyone associated with the project, Jeff Beer reported on FastCompany.com.

"We thought that some people would not be happy about being scared and then asked to be in the video -- but that didn't happen," Thinkmodo co-founder Michael Krivicka told Beer. "People were totally cool with being in the video after getting the living hell scared out of them. Each reaction ended with a laughter and everyone loved the look of the baby."

But was it effective marketing? Will Burns, writing in Forbes, said he's torn.

The devil baby matched the movie's theme and was well engineered. Its movements were "pure magic" and the hidden-camera video was well filmed. Mix in people's natural desire to help a baby in need and you've got all the ingredients for a viral video, he said.

But Burns questioned whether it is ethical to prey upon victims "in a way this horrific" to promote a movie. He added:

But worse to me is the strategic problem I have with the idea. How good a movie can it be if, because of this prank, we've already seen the devil child, not to mention the wires and cables that operate it. To anyone who watches this prank, that little monster is now completely demystified and rendered nearly impotent of all its horror.

Here's the video as posted on YouTube:

So what do you think of the video? Please leave a comment below.

Here's a list of Syracuse St. Patrick's Parade past grand marshals.

Syracuse, NY-- Syracuse's St. Patrick's Parade over the years has been lead by football coaches, mayors, priests and university presidents.

Here's a list of the parade's grand marshals.
2013--Thomas J. Maroney, 2013

2012 ---Judge Charles T. Major, Jr., Ed Ryan

2011-- Syracuse Police Captain Richard Walsh

2010 --Coach Dick MacPherson

2009 -- Matthew Driscoll, 52nd Mayor of the City of Syracuse

2008 --Monsignor Joseph M. Champlin, Sister Kathleen Osbelt, founder and president of Francis House in Syracuse and Rev. John Schopfer, founder of the Brady Faith Center and Jail Ministry in Syracuse.

2007-- Cornelius "Neil" Murphy, Jr. President, SUNY ESF

2006 --David Hoyne, owner of Kitty Hoynes Irish Pub & Restaurant

2005 --Onondaga County Sheriff Kevin Walsh, Syracuse Fire Chief John Cowin, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York Judge Norman Mordue

2004 --Patrick Ahern, President of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, former Syracuse Police Officer

2003 --Senior Judge U. S. District Court-Northern District of New York Neal McCurn

2002 --Bob "Cupcakes" Young, Project Children volunteer/Drum Major, Syracuse Kilties Pipe Band

2001 --Bishop Thomas Costello, auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Syracuse

2000 -- Michael Pinkasewicz, founding director Tom Dooley Choraliers (27 Choraliers honorary marshals)

1999 - Father James Mathews, who rebuilt St. Lucy's Church after 1998 Labor Day Storm

1998 --William "Nibsy" Ryan, former Tipperary Hill pub owner and barkeep

1997 --Dr. Delos "Toby" Cosgrove, Cleveland Clinic Heart Surgeon

1996 --John F.X. Mannion, Chief Executive Officer Unity Mutual Life Insurance

1995 -- Christine Varney, former Secretary of President Bill Clinton's cabinet, Winnie Coleman, President, St. Joseph's of Connecticut College,Kathleen Kelly, Project Children (Lifetime Achievement)

1994 --Jack "J.J." Barry, International President, IBEW

1993 --William Donlan, former chairman and chief executive officer of Niagara Mohawk

1992 --Kevin Reilly, Syracuse attorney and parade co-founder

1991 -- Father John Ahern, Most Holy Rosary and parade chaplain

1990 --Peter Coleman, Tipperary Hill pubkeeper and Jean Daugherty, TV's "Play Lady" from "Magic Toyshop"

1989 --Onondaga County Sheriff John Dillon

1988 -- William Walsh, former Syracuse mayor and congressman and Common Council President James Walsh

1987 -- Stone Throwers, who stoned the Tipp Hill stop light, whenever city put red light over green: John "Jacko" Behan, Richie Britt, James "Duke" Coffey, Packy Corbett, Kenny Davis, George Dorsey, Mikis Murphy, Stubbs Shortt, Eugene Thompson

1986 -- Syracuse Mayor Tom Young, Pat Bright, Southside Furniture Dealer, and former Onondaga County Sherff Patrick "Packy" Corbett

1985 -- Former Congressman James Hanley and Sister Patricia Anne Mulherin, retired St. Joseph's Hospital chief executive officer

1984 -- Syracuse Mayor Lee Alexander, Onondaga County Executive John Mulroy, and
Bishop Frank Harrison, Diocese of Syracuse

1983 --Tom Higgins, retired banker and parade Co-founder and Kathleen Kelly, Project Children

The Syracuse St. Patrick's Parade named the host families for Project Children and News Channel 9 as co-grand marshals of the parade that begins at noon on March 15 in downtown Syracuse.

Syracuse, NY - The families who host children from Project Children and News Channel 9 have been named the grand marshals of the 32nd annual Syracuse St. Patrick's Parade.

Representatives of the two groups will lead the parade when it steps off at noon, March 15 in downtown Syracuse. The parade committee announced its choice at a press conference this morning at Kitty Hoynes Irish Pub and Restaurant in Armory Square.

The groups are the latest in a long list of politicians, judges, priests, nuns and others who have led the parade.

This summer will mark the final year of Project Children in the Syracuse area. Started in the late 1970s, the project has brought about 9,000 Protestant and Catholic children from Northern Ireland to live with American families for a few weeks of respite from the strife there.

The founder of the group in Syracuse, Kathleen Kelly, has been honored twice as the parade's grand marshal.

This year all of the host parents will be honored as grand marshals as represented by host parents Kathy Schwanke and Mary Ann Fountain.

News Channel 9 was named co-grand marshal for its service as a community partner, publicizing and raising awareness of the event.

Channel 9 broadcaster Dan Cummings, who has been an on air personality for the parade and served as master of ceremonies for the pre-parade dinner accepted on behalf of the television station.

The committee named Pen & Trophy, owned and operated by Dan Monti and Dan Monti, Jr., as Gael of the Year. The store provides the plaques given out by the parade.

Contact Charley Hannagan by phone at 315-470-2161, by email at channagan@syracuse.com, on Facebook at Neighbors West and on Twitter @charleypost.

Food Sense offers food packages each month that contain a variety of meats and produce for $15.50, a discount of about 50 percent.

Cicero, NY -- If you want to save money on your grocery bill each month, the Food Bank of Central New York's Food Sense program can help.

The Food Sense program is 25 years old but Andrew Katzer, the director of the program, said many people don't know the program exists. And many of those that do know about the program, mistakenly believe that it is only open for low-income families, Katzer said.

"This program is open to everyone who wants to stretch their food dollars," Katzer said.

Food Sense offers food packages each month that contain a variety of food products, including meats and produce for $15.50. The packages are different each month and community members must order the entire package and pay for the packages in advance.

The Food Bank of CNY is able to purchase food items in large quantities at discounted prices, and this savings is passed on to the program's customers. Food Bank operates this service with more than 40 sites in a 14-county area.

"The program helps the community," Katzer said. "That's why we have it."

The CanTeen, an after-school teen center in the town of Cicero, is one of the sites for the program.

"It's a great program for the community," said Toni'Lyn Brauchle, who oversees the CanTeen operation as youth services coordinator for Cicero. "It saves money."

CanTeen students help sort and prepare the packages, which Brauchle said is an extra bonus of the program.

"The kids really enjoy the process and they get to see the need in the community," she said.

Here's how the program works:

Anyone can stop by one of the 40 sites and pay $15.50 to receive a package of food. Each month the packages are different and the sites will have list of products in that month's package. Packages must be paid for in advance by cash or EBT. Packages can only be picked up on one day at a specific time.

At the CanTeen, packages must be ordered and paid for by Feb. 6. The packages must be picked up between 3:30 and 5 p.m. on Feb. 20.

What's in February's package:

1 pound of ground beef
1 pound of fish sticks
1 pound of polish sausage
10 ounces of deli-sliced turkey
13 ounces of pierogies
8.3 ounces of chocolate chip cookies mix
1 pound of white rice
25 ounces of frozen spinach
15 ounces of applesauce
15 ounces of sliced carrots
fresh produce
fresh produce

The packages are $15.50, but include about $30 to $35 worth of food.

"We would love for more people to take advantage of this program," Katzer said.

To order packages through the CanTeen, which is located at 6046 Route 31, in Cicero, call 699-1391 for more information.

To find a site near you, visit the Food Sense website.

Contact Sarah Moses at smoses@syracuse.com or 470-2298. Follow @SarahMoses315

Our data report lets you look up any school district by name, county or region. You can also compare the school districts.

How financial healthy are school districts in New York state?

The state Office of Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli today released the first-ever public ratings of the financial health of 674 school districts in the state. It's part of the office's on-going effort to analyze the financial health and rate every local government in the state.

A quick look at the data reveals:

• 12 school districts in significant fiscal stress, the worst rating.


• 23 school districts in moderate fiscal stress.


• Watervliet City School District in Albany County has the worst fiscal score in the state.


• 4 Central New York districts received the moderate fiscal stress rating: Lafayette, De Ruyter, Skaneateles and Brookfield.

We've taken the data released today and created a data report where you can look up any school districts by name, county or region. You can also compare the school districts. (The comptroller did not include yet the big urban districts like Syracuse or New York city schools.)

Samara Frazier claims scalding coffee from the 700 S. Salina St. restaurant spilled on her lap, groin and thighs.

Syracuse, NY -- A Syracuse woman is suing local Burger King franchisee Carrols Corp. after scalding-hot coffee spilled on her at a drive-through window, according to her lawsuit.

Samara Frazier pulled up to the window at 6:50 a.m. Feb. 9, 2009 when she claims an employee at the 700 S. Salina St. restaurant handed her a coffee with a loose lid. During the transfer, the coffee spilled on her lap, groin and thighs, leading to first- and second-degree burns, the lawsuit states.

Her case is headed to trial in March before state Supreme Court Justice James P. Murphy, according to the trial calendar. She is seeking $225,000.

Frazier, who was 20 years old at the time, claims that the coffee's temperature was "unreasonably dangerous" and that the restaurant failed to secure the lid before handing it to her, causing the burns.

Frazier's lawyer, Robert Dwyer, said the coffee was served at the industry standard, which has been reported to be roughly 180F.

"They make it scalding hot so when it reaches the office, it's still warm," Dwyer said. "The industry standard is hotter than hell."

The lawsuit brings back memories of the landmark 1994 hot coffee lawsuit against McDonald's. The jury famously awarded the victim $2.9 million, but a judge later reduced the amount to $640,000. The two sides eventually settled before an appeal.

Twenty years later, lawsuits against hot coffee continue, including one filed against McDonald's in New Mexico.

And a similar lawsuit against Burger King was filed a year ago in Louisiana.

Carrols Corp. referred questions to their lawyer, Kristin Norfleet, who did not immediately have a comment.