M&T Bank regional economist Gary Keith said the recovery will quicken in 2014.

Syracuse, N.Y. — Better times, but not "full-blown, great times," are ahead for the Central New York economy this year, M&T Bank regional economist Gary Keith told a gathering of business representatives Thursday.

"We've been through some tough times, we know that," Keith told more than 500 people at CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity's 2014 Economic Forecast Breakfast at the Oncenter. "It's been four-plus years of recovery from the Great Recession. As we look ahead to year five, I think we do have some better news for you."

Keith said he expects the pace of the recovery to pick up this year, but he said not to expect a roaring economy.

"Is it going to be full-blown, great times are here again?" he said. "No. There are challenges, but I think what we can start to look forward to is perhaps some of the head winds that have been buffeting us for the last several years starting to abate. We'll see that nationally, we'll see that globally and we'll see that right here in the CenterState region."

Keith said the nation's recovery from the deep recession that began in 2008 has been slow because consumer and industrial demand is still lagging. In Central New York, the situation has been made worse by the decline of the manufacturing sector, on which the area has historically relied, he said.

He said an expected increase in global industrial activity should help the local manufacturing sector this year, however.

"We're hopeful that a turnaround in industrial activity at the global level will have an impact right here, particularly on our small and mid-sized companies," he said.

He said the economy should also be helped by the continued recovery of the housing industry nationally.

"When homeowners and others feel better about their personal situation, they're going to be in a better position to spend," he said.

Destiny USA executive David Aitken presented a report on the regional shopping mall's growth as a tourism destination in 2013. Aitken said shopper visits to the mall increased more than 10 percent to 25 million, with about half of the visitors coming from outside of Onondaga County.

The mall added 42 more entertainment, fashion and dining tenants in 2013, he said. A Cheescake Factory restaurant is scheduled to open in the mall Feb. 11.

Formerly named the Carousel Center, the mall on the south shore of Onondaga Lake has been busy filling a recently completed addition.

CenterState CEO 2014 Economic Forecast Report

Contact Rick Moriarty at rmoriarty@syracuse.com or (315) 470-3148. Follow him on Twitter @RickMoriartyCNY and on Facebook at rick.moriarty.92.

The county-funded Convention and Visitors Bureau paid half the cost of the study.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - At the request of Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney, a taxpayer-funded nonprofit group gave Syracuse University $50,000 a few months ago to help pay for a feasibility study to analyze building a new SU sports arena near downtown.

Despite that contribution, and despite more than $300 million in state and county funds sought for the construction, the university refused to share its study with key decision makers who were asked to support the deal.

Mayor Stephanie Miner 

Even Mayor Stephanie Miner, who twice asked to see the document while Mahoney and SU were lobbying her for support, was denied access.

Mahoney and other county officials this week expressed dismay that Miner would not endorse the project in time for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to include it in his upcoming state budget, which he will unveil Jan. 21. Cuomo had signaled his willingness to provide some $200 million in state money for the deal, Mahoney said. The county was prepared to provide $100 million or more.

Mahoney did not want to proceed without Miner's blessing. But Miner complained she was never given enough information to evaluate the project. Twice this month, Miner asked representatives of Syracuse University to show her the feasibility study and was rebuffed, according to the mayor's office and documents obtained through a Freedom of Information request. (See below.)

The first time was Jan. 2, as Miner prepared for a telephone conference with a New York City lawyer hired by SU to spearhead the stadium project. The lawyer, Irwin Raij, a partner at the Foley & Lardner law firm, is a sports industry expert who led Cuomo's effort in 2012 to negotiate the $130 million deal with the Buffalo Bills to renovate their stadium.

County Executive Mahoney 

In an email exchange with interim SU Chancellor Eric Spina, Miner asked for a copy of the feasibility study so that she could review it in preparation for Raij's call the following day. Spina declined to provide the document, "which we are working to keep out of public disclosure.''

Spina indicated that giving the document to Miner might make it publicly accessible through a Freedom of Information request, under which government agencies are obligated to disclose most documents. Syracuse.com obtained a copy of the emails through a Freedom of Information request.

Miner went ahead with her phone call Jan. 3 with Raij, who referred to the feasibility study during their conversation, said Tim Carroll, director of mayoral initiatives. Miner asked Raij to see the study, and the lawyer declined, saying he did not want to make the study "FOIL-able,'' meaning publicly available under the Freedom of Information Law, Carroll said.

University officials did not respond this morning to a request for comment.

SU paid half of the $100,000 cost of the study, according to Ben Dublin, Mahoney's chief of staff. The other half was paid for by the Syracuse Convention and Visitors Bureau, an arm of the nonprofit CenterState CEO, the region's most influential business development group. Mahoney asked the Visitors Bureau to provide the $50,000, Dublin said.

The Visitors Bureau receives the bulk of its funding -- $1.65 million this year, according to county budget documents - from Onondaga County. The money comes from the county's hotel surcharge, called the room occupancy tax. The bureau contracts with the county to promote local tourism. As an independent nonprofit organization, the bureau is not subject to FOIL requests.

Asked whether he could supply a reporter with a copy of the SU feasibility study, David Holder, president of the bureau, said he did not have one. His boss, Rob Simpson, president of CenterState CEO, also said he never saw the report.

"The funding was through our organization, but we have not seen the feasibility study,'' Holder said. "In the typical fashion of an economic development organization, we fund these kinds of things. But we have not seen this feasibility study.''

A spokesman for Gov. Andrew Cuomo said his office did not receive a copy.

Ryan McMahon is chairman of the Onondaga County Legislature, which would have been asked to borrow millions of dollars to fund construction of the stadium. McMahon, who only learned of the project in late December, said he never saw the feasibility study.

Contact Tim Knauss at tknauss@syracuse.com or 315-470-3023 or on Twitter @TimKnauss. Staff writer Michelle Breidenbach contributed to this report.

Mayor Miner Emails to SU

The Rochester woman who was the Nissan Rogue's next renter finds the $2,000 gun days later.

A Rochester woman found an unexpected surprise in the back of her rental car -- an AR-15 rifle left behind by model Lauren Tannehill, the wife of NFL quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

Lauren Tannehill, left, accidentally left an AR-15 rifle in a rental car. The gun was registered to her husband, Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill, right.WPEC screen capture 

Fleissig's daughter discovered the military-style semiautomatic rifle when she unzipped a bag in the back seat.

"We got out of the car, we were kind of freaked out," Fleissig, 58, told the Sun Sentinel. "I didn't want to touch it."

Following the rental agency's recommendation, Fleissig called the nearest police station.

According to a sheriff's report, Lauren Tannehill had rented the Rogue on Jan. 4 and brought it back two hours later to swap it for another vehicle, the Sun Sentinel said.

The Rogue was rented to Fleissig a few hours later. The seat was folded down and Fleissig had no reason to raise it until a few days later, when she planned to take friends for a drive. That's when they found the bag and its contents.

Shooting together! pic.twitter.com/Gf2BivQH

— Lauren Tannehill (@LaurenTannehill) April 21, 2012

Ryan and Lauren Tannehill fire weapons in this photo from Lauren Tannehill's Twitter feed. Neither weapon is an AR-15. (Lauren Tannehill | Twitter)

Officials determined that Ryan Tannehill, the Miami Dolphins' quarterback, owned the $2,000 gun legally and that Lauren Tannehill, a model who also has appeared on the HBO series "Hard Knocks," had left it in Rogue by accident. The Tannehills had called the rental car firm immediately to report they had left a bag behind, but didn't say what it contained, an NFL source told the Sun Sentinel.

Fleissig said she had heard of the Dolphins but had no idea who Ryan or Lauren Tannehill were.

No charges were filed against the couple. Ryan Tannehill can claim the weapon from police, officials said, but it was unclear whether he had.

"This is certainly the kind of item you don't want to forget anywhere, but forgetting isn't a crime," Keyla Concepcion, a Broward sheriff's spokeswoman, told the Miami Herald.

The Tannehills view the episode as a personal matter, a Dolphins spokesman said.

The AR-15 is a semiautomatic weapon that looks like the M-16 used by the military. They are among the most popular guns in the United States, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

WPEC in West Palm Beach filed this video report:

What's your take on this episode? Please leave a comment below.

A baby born Monday, delivered by a midwife at a South Sudanese clinic funded by Central New York donors. The clinic is now surrounded by civil war in the region. A midwife training program at the Duk Lost Boys Clinic has helped reduce infant mortality in the area.

A new baby. Chubby-cheeked and healthy looking. It is an impossible not to smile at this picture.

The baby, born Monday, is a success of the Duk Lost Boys Clinic in South Sudan. Prior to the clinic, funded through a Skaneateles foundation, there was limited prenatal care in the region, where the infant mortality rate is among the highest in the world.

But the baby faces a troubled future. South Sudan is being torn apart by a civil war, which began last month. More than 10,000 people have been killed. Central New York has a special connection to the country.

More than 160 Lost Boys -- orphans from Sudan's last civil war -- settled there. Now grown men, they have helped build clinics and schools with the help of Central New Yorkers.

Children with special needs, ages 3 to 18, will receive free snowmobile rides in a controlled and safe environment.

Town of Clay, NY -- For the past three winters the lack of snow has put a damper on the town of Clay's annual snowmobile ride for children with special needs.

The ride was postponed and rescheduled in 2013 and cancelled in 2012. The town was forced to postpone and reschedule this year's annual ride due to the lack of snow. The ride is an opportunity for parents or organizations that provide for the needs of special needs children to allow the children to experience one of New York State's famous winter pastimes.

The ride, which was scheduled for Saturday, has been rescheduled for Feb. 8.

"You wouldn't think in CNY we would have to cancel an event like this," said Florence Drago, of the town's recreation department. "We're hoping for snow so we don't have to cancel again."

Children with special needs, ages 3 to 18, will receive free snowmobile rides in a controlled, safe fashion with experienced riders. from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 8 on the snowmobile trails behind town hall.

Registration is required and there is still time to register. The town is also looking for volunteers who have two-person snowmobiles or the ability to tow a sleigh to help with the event.

For more information or to register, call Drago at 652-3800, ext. 139, or to volunteer, call Rob Bick at 652-3800, ext. 116.

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

The 16-year-old boy lived at the center due to behavioral issues, said his lawyer, Lawrence Brown. His mother, Rebecca Glouse, of Canastota, filed the lawsuit.

Canastota, NY -- The mother of a 16-year-old boy is suing Elmcrest Children's Center in Syracuse, accusing workers of breaking both of the boy's arms during a July 2012 incident, said the family's lawyer.

It's the second such lawsuit against the Syracuse center for children with emotional issues, developmental disabilities and serious medical conditions. Rebecca Haughton, of Adams, sued Elmcrest in November on accusations workers broke her 14-year-old son's arm in two places in October 2011.

» Read more about the previous lawsuit

The 16-year-old boy from Canastota lived at the center due to behavioral issues, not criminal activity, said his lawyer, Lawrence Brown. His mother, Rebecca Glouse, of Canastota, filed the lawsuit.

The boy told Brown his arms were broken while being restrained. But Elmcrest has not yet provided accounts of the incident to the lawyer, despite several requests, Brown said.

Both sides are due before state Supreme Court Justice Eugene Faughnan Feb. 21 to discuss obtaining records of the incident.

Elmcrest officials could not immediately be reached for comment. They declined comment on the previous lawsuit.

Economic growth in New York continued at a moderate pace in late 2013, the Federal Reserve said.

Economic activity continued to expand across most regions of the country from late November through the end of the year, according to the Federal Reserve's latest monthly report.

The report, known as the "Beige Book," said all 12 Federal Reserve districts reported year-over-year increases in manufacturing activity. Real estate markets generally continued to improve, and most districts reported that retail spending was up, the report said.

Economic growth in New York continued at a moderate pace in late 2013, it said. General merchandise retailers reported that holiday season sales were mixed but moderately strong, on balance, with steeper discounting than last year, the report said. New auto sales remained "fairly robust" in November, but there were preliminary signs of slowing in December, it said.

"Contacts at major malls in Upstate New York report that business was strong in November but mixed in December," the report said. "Overall, holiday season sales were roughly on par with 2012 levels."

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York's Empire State Manufacturing Survey for January reported that business activity expanded for New York manufacturers, and did so at a faster pace than in recent months.

In business news around New York today:

Alcoa to close two lines at its East plant in Massena (Watertown Daily Times)

Carlyle Group to buy Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Schumer says (Rochester Business Journal)

Social Security Amherst office to go dark (Buffalo Business First)

Three downtown Niagara Falls ventures get backing from city (The Buffalo News)

Contact Rick Moriarty at rmoriarty@syracuse.com or (315) 470-3148. Follow him on Twitter @RickMoriartyCNY and on Facebook at rick.moriarty.92.

Videographer Dick Blume caught the excitement surrounding the unveiling of the grand marshals for the Syracuse St. Patrick's Parade.

Syracuse, NY -- The unveiling of the Syracuse St. Patrick's Parade grand marshals, the Gael of the Year winner and the parade poster always brings out a crowd for the announcement.

Videographer-photographer Dick Blume was at Kitty Hoynes Irish Pub and Restaurant in Armory Square to capture the excitement.

This year the parade committee named the host families of Project Children and News Channel 9 as co-grand marshals. The Gael of the Year was Pen & Trophy.

The parade steps off at noon, March 15 in downtown Syracuse.

The teams are from the Cazenovia, Liverpool, North Syracuse, Tully, West Genesee and Westhill school districts.

Syracuse, NY -- About 80 students from six local high schools will compete Jan 24 in the 2014 New York State Academic Decathlon Section III Competition at Westhill High School.

The teams are from the Cazenovia, Liverpool, North Syracuse, Tully, West Genesee and Westhill school districts. The theme of this year's event is World War I.

The Decathlon will begin at 8:30 a.m., with students engaging in a series of written tests until 1:00 p.m. At 1:40 p.m., the oral portion, known as the "Super Quiz," will commence, with students responding to questions in front of an audience. The awards ceremony will be held following the Super Quiz.

Westhill High School is located at 4501 Onondaga Boulevard, in Syracuse.

The three highest scoring teams will advance to the New York State Competition on Feb 28 to March 1 at State University of New York at Brockport. The winner will go on to represent the state at the national competition, which is scheduled for April 24 to 26 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The local Academic Decathlon is coordinated by the Onondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES.

Here's a look at the teams:

Cazenovia
Coaches: Barb Axelson and Ben Wightman
Contestants: Danielle Axelson, Remi Boissonnas, Katherine Boone, Emma Dudley, Brock Houghton, Riley Lloyd, Robert Louis, Joseph Mevec and Piper McKinnon
Alternates: Chase Matteson and Lars Ohlsen

Cicero-North Syracuse
Coach: Matt Harbinger
Contestants: Hayley Bermel, Craig Blume, Demitri Dana, Paul Dehm, Meghan Geary, Caitlin Hernandez, Elena Iaconis, Jacob Mekker and Julie Osborne
Alternates: Zachary Allard, Sierra Ciciarelli, Graham Dittler, Brian Emigohls, Ian Loy, Zachary Winnewisser and Sarah Ziobro

Liverpool
Coach: Daryl Burrer
Contestants: Ziad Abougoash, Garrett Clarke, Matthew Collins, Austin Fedor, Cassandra LaGrange, Shuting "Susie" Lu, Jason Mai, Kazmira Pitzrick and Ronald Wilson
Alternates: Grace Traino, Thomas Williams, Justin Wiszniewski and Eugeen Yoon

Tully
Coaches: Kim Cameron and Pat Votra
Contestants: Peter Barletta, Marshal Clemens, Elsa Gauss, Kurt Gauss, Julie Kunnumpurath, Sarah Reppenhagen, Katie Warner and Matthew Wood
Alternates: Megan Hafler, Kiara Lee, Brendan McGinn, Cassidy McGinn and Bradley Phelps

West Genesee
Coach: Scott Duda
Contestants: Jared Bivens, Callie Campbell, Luke Faulkner, Nathan Gillette, James Hickey, Evan Janes Rouse, John Lisi, Nicholas Serrao and Vadim Shakhov
Alternates: Dylan Casolare, Rachel Gdula, Jenna Hickey, William Krueger, Joshua Mattice, Megan Petty, Matthew Romano and Eric Wolfe

Westhill
Coach: Sarah Fleming
Contestants: Stephen Burgay, Aidan Kelly, Elizabeth Meluni, Nathan Mevec, Aden Orzell, Madeline Pierce, Jordan Roach, Jennifer Root and Anastasija Useva
Alternates: Kaitlin Cash and Molly Spinek

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

The new office will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- New York transportation officials have opened an office for the Interstate 81 project in the Carnegie Building in downtown.

The I-81 Opportunities Outreach Center is mean to serve as a resource for residents interested in getting information and asking questions about the future of I-81 in Syracuse, according to the state's Department of Transportation.

The center will be open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 335 Montgomery St. Two staff members working on the I-81 project will be there during those hours each week. The center will also serve as a meeting place for the project.

The elevated section of I-81 that runs near downtown will reach the end of its useful life in 2017. The state and Federal Highway Administration are in the preliminary stages of studying the highway, along with its intersection with Interstate 690.

A public comment period on this stage of the project closes Friday. As of earlier this week, DOT had received only 250 comments.

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

The Democratic congressman reports raising $1.1 million last year.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Dan Maffei began the year with $903,000 in his campaign bank account, an early advantage over potential Republican challengers who are still organizing their campaigns.

Maffei, D-Syracuse, ended 2013 by taking in more than $213,000 for the fourth quarter, bringing his total contributions for the year to more than $1.1 million, according to preliminary figures released by his campaign.

A year-end disclosure report must be filed with the Federal Election Commission by Jan. 31, but Maffei's campaign plans to file early.

Such early filings from incumbent members of Congress are often meant to discourage political action committees and other outside groups from contributing to potential opponents.

Five Republicans to date have declared their intent to seek the GOP designation in the 24th Congressional District, hoping to take on Maffei in the November election.

Of those five, only Rome businesswoman Jane Rossi has filed a statement with the FEC that allows her to begin accepting contributions or spending more than $5,000 on her campaign.

The other four Republican candidates are Syracuse economist Janet Burman, Syracuse businessman Ian Hunter, former federal prosecutor John Katko, and Randy Wolken, president of the Manufacturers Association of Central New York.

Former Syracuse Common Council member Rick Guy plans to announce next week whether he will seek the Republican nomination.

Republican committees across the four-county district are in the process of interviewing the candidates. Tom Dadey, chairman of the Onondaga County Republican Committee, said he would like to have the process completed by the end of February, but he has not ruled out a primary.

Candidates for federal office can begin passing petitions in New York on March 4.

Maffei, who has won two elections and lost two since 2006 for the Syracuse-based congressional seat, has been an effective fundraiser through the four campaigns.

The last campaign in 2012 was the most expensive on record for a Central New York congressional seat. Maffei and former Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle, R-Onondaga Hill, combined with outside political groups to spend more than $10 million on the race.

In the latest quarter, Maffei took in more than $213,000 in contributions in the period between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, according to the draft disclosure report.

Of that total, Maffei raised a little more than half of his money ($116,000) from political groups and political action committees that are mostly based outside of Central New York. The congressman raised about $97,000 from individual donors. An itemized breakdown of the contributions was not available.

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

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's award announcement draws comments from syracuse.com readers for and against the expenditures.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo awarded $67 million Wednesday to communities across New York for bicycle, pedestrian and multiuse path development. Central New York communities will get $4.5 million of that money, including more than $1.5 million for part of the Onondaga Lake Canalways Trail along State Fair Boulevard.

An article about the awards drew dozens of comments from syracuse.com readers who discussed the pros and cons of the expenditures. Here's a sample:

From publius: Utter waste of money, and I say this as someone who is a serious road cyclist. Upstate NY is already one of the best places in the country to ride a bicycle -- on the road. Bicycles do not belong in heavy traffic areas, i.e. cities. Traffic lights, stop signs, parked cars and traffic are not fun to deal with. Plus, our climate renders all of this fluff useless for six months out of the year. I cannot, with good conscience, ask my fellow state resident to fund this crap for my benefit.
As far at the Onondaga Lake Trail and similar projects -- this should be funded at a county level.

From hezaa: . . . I do agree with you that this is disappointing. A single path, totally out of the way from where people actually live and work? And that's it for all of Onondaga County? What Syracuse alone needs to be bike-friendly is improvement to its crumbling, unpainted roads and more infrastructure for bikes. People need education about bike laws and safety, both drivers and cyclists alike. There would need to be an entire change of attitude, to the point where cyclists think of themselves as motorists subject to the same laws and drivers stop thinking of bikers as idiot kids, rich bored people or targets. But that would cost way more than $1.5 million, so they're doing something easy and pretty instead . . .

From thereforeiam: I'd rather see it spent on jobs and tax relief. How about you?

From FauxPopulist: There are too many people who simply don't understand what makes a livable community. To them, improving the quality of life extends no further than their own refrigerators, couches and TVs.

From kidkohls72: Let's put that money towards a new arena in Syracuse. Improving the trails can be done by volunteers and some help from the state. But not $67 million . . .

From camillusmall: The value is in keeping people here. The people most likely to use bike lanes are healthy, wealthy and wise -- the same people who pay the lion's share of property and income taxes. If you don't keep them happy, they'll find someplace better to live, and then you're left here wondering why everyone has left NY.

What do you think about the awards? Please leave a comment below.

Craig Matuszak, of Saratoga County, admitted stealing from Velocitel Inc. by creating fake invoices for work that was never done.

ALBANY, N.Y. - A Saratoga County man was sentenced to more than five years in prison today for defrauding more than $3 million from his employer's East Syracuse office.

U.S. District Judge Mae D'Agostino sentenced Craig B. Matuszak Jr., to 63 months in prison for mail fraud and filing a false income tax return for the fraud scheme he executed with two accomplices.

Matuszak, 49, of Gansevoort, pleaded guilty in 2012, admitting that he defrauded Velocitel Inc. by conspiring with a vendor and a contractor for the company. They billed the California-based company for services that had never been provided, and all three shared in the payments.

As part of his plea, Matuszak agreed to repay the Internal Revenue Service $439,019 - the amount of taxes he owed on the unreported income from the fraud. D'Agostino also ordered him to repay Velocitel $3.2 million and to forfeit his home and vehicles.

Matuszak and another Velocitel employee, David Olek, pleaded guilty last year to defrauding Velocitel out of more than $3 million by conspiring to create bogus invoices so the company would pay them for services that were never performed.

The fraud happened between 2006 and 2009, after Velocitel was hired by AT&T to upgrade, build and decommission cell phone towers in New York state and Michigan, court papers said.

Olek and Matuszak ran the operation in the Syracuse area.


Contact John O'Brien at jobrien@syracuse.com or 315-470-2187.

Ray Halbritter praises Hall's "moral courage" for saying the team should change name.

WASHINGTON -- The Oneida Indian Nation today praised Washington Redskins star cornerback DeAngelo Hall after he became the team's first active player to suggest changing a name that many Native Americans consider a slur.

Hall said in an interview with Fox Sports that the team "probably should" change its name. He added, "But they won't for a while at least."

The Oneida Indian Nation has been leading a national Change the Mascot campaign to convince the Redskins to change the team name of the past 80 years. Team owner Daniel Snyder has disagreed, and vowed never to change the name.

Oneida Indian Nation representative Ray Halbritter issued a statement Thursday afternoon that congratulated Hall for his "moral courage."

"With his comments today DeAngelo Hall has become the first current Washington player to state the obvious, which is that the team should change its name and mascot to something other than a dictionary-defined racial slur that denigrates Native Americans," Halbritter said.

"On behalf of the Oneida Nation's Change the Mascot campaign I would like to congratulate DeAngelo Hall for having the moral courage to speak out against injustice," Halbritter added. "Hall joins an ever-expanding group who has spoken out against the Washington team's continued use of the R-word, including public health experts, civil rights groups, editorial boards, city councils, sports-industry icons, leading members of Congress from both parties, and the president of the United States."

One former Washington Redskins star, Syracuse University alum Art Monk previously said the team should consider dropping the name.

The Oneida Indian Nation plans to run radio ads featuring Washington, D.C.'s delegate to Congress, Eleanor Holmes Norton, demanding the name change. The ads will run over the upcoming Martin Luther King, Jr. Day weekend in Denver and Seattle, the sites of the NFL's conference championship games, as well as in Washington, D.C.

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

That was one of several occasions that Michael Fuentes said he thought murder suspect Iris Resto's group would kill him if he didn't do what they said.

Ellen M. Blalock / The Post-StandardIris Resto, of Grace Street, is accused of ordering - and paying for - the fatal shooting of Luis Quinonez-Osorio outside a South Geddes Street gas station in August 2010.

Syracuse, NY -- A Syracuse man said today that murder suspect Iris Resto's nephews forced him to lie about his knowledge of the case by escorting him to church at gunpoint for an interview with the pastor.

That was one of several occasions that Michael Fuentes said he thought Resto's group would kill him if he didn't do what they said.

Fuentes is one of the main witnesses in the prosecution of Resto on first-degree murder, enterprise corruption and conspiracy charges in a 2010 murder and attempted cover-up. (Read a summary of the case.)

Three people have already been convicted of shooting Luis Quinonez-Osorio outside a South Geddes Street gas station. Now, Senior Assistant District Attorney Melinda McGunnigle wants to prove Resto ordered the attack and tried to bribe Fuentes to cover it up.

Resto's son, Paul Santiago, has pleaded guilty to enterprise corruption in connection with his mother's case.

Fuentes testified that two armed people escorted him to a church last year on the city's Near West Side. There, they made him lie to the pastor, Fuentes said.

But the witness's testimony about what he told the pastor changed. First, Fuentes indicated that he confessed to his involvement with the murder. But later, he said that he only stated the innocence of the men who forced him there.

Fuentes said that he was scared Resto's relatives would kill him if he didn't do what they wanted.

The church episode was the second time that Fuentes had been forced at gunpoint to a location to lie about the murder, he told the jury. In October 2012, Fuentes testified he was forced to say that Resto and her son, Paul Santiago, were innocent.

Recordings were made on both occasions; however those were not played for the jury during Feuntes's testimony.

Resto's lawyer, Jarrod Smith, contends that Fuentes was part of a group that wanted Quinonez-Osorio killed. During trial, the lawyer repeatedly asked Fuentes if he was involved in planning the murder, but Fuentes denied it.

Fuentes also testified about the police sting that brought down longtime Syracuse lawyer Ezequiel Neuman. Neuman has admitted to trying to bribe Fuentes to keep him from testifying about the murder.

In May 2012, police placed a microphone on Fuentes during a meeting with Neuman. During the meeting, Neuman offered him $50,000 to keep from testifying in the murder trial.

Fuentes told the jury today that he believed that if he had taken the bribe and testified anyway, that Resto's group would have killed him.

During the meeting, Neuman became suspicious that Fuentes was wired, the witness testified. Neuman grabbed Fuentes. That's when Fuentes said he uttered a "safe word" that brought police in.

That meeting led to Neuman's arrest. The disbarred lawyer is expected to testify against Resto next week.

Eventually, his plea agreement calls for Neuman -- an Argentine citizen -- to leave the country.

Nateasha Davis, of 187 Lincoln Ave., Syracuse, was charged with third-degree robbery.

Syracuse, N.Y. -- A 21-year-old woman has been charged in a bank robbery that happened the day after Christmas in the city, Syracuse police said.

Nateasha Davis, of 187 Lincoln Ave., Syracuse, was charged with third-degree robbery.

Detectives arrested Davis on Tuesday. Police said the break in the case was the result of a citizen's tip and an extensive investigation. The bank robbery Davis was charged in occurred Dec. 26, 2013, at the M&T Bank on South Avenue.

Police said at the time of the robbery that a female suspect walked into the M&T Bank at about 2:50 p.m. and handed a teller a note demanding money. Then she took the cash and fled.

Davis was arraigned in Syracuse City Criminal Court and is being held at the Onondaga County jail in lieu of $25,000 bail or $50,000 bond.

Ceremonies held at the Onondaga County courthouse and the U.S. District Courthouse.

It was quite a day to become a new citizen in Central New York.

There were two ceremonies, one at the Onondaga County courthouse and the other at the U.S. District Courthouse.

In all, 88 people became U.S. citizens.

Onondaga County courthouse

• Saw Abraham


• Dayami Acosta


• Folashade Opeoluwa Adebajo


• Roben Lawmbik Awi


• Liliya Vladimirovna Batyuk


• Abu Bility


• Lossine Bility


• Dominica Chioma Boston


• Susan Nhung Bui


• Lina Maria Cardenas Barrera


• Meiyue Chen


• Hai Nguyen Hoang Dang


• Linh Hoang Khanh Dang


• Leonard George Davis


• Elisa Macedo Dekaney


• Nirere Delphine


• Kyaw Doh


• Isata Donzo


• Majay Donzo


• Massama Donzo


• Turgut Ercan


• Kester Elroy Gayle


• Kafiyah Ahmed Gelle


• Zewar Saeed Hassan


• Hakiz Innocent


• Goma Devi Karki


• Zinoviy Kostiv


• Nicimpaye Leon


• Mary Ann Ignacio Madlangbayan


• Rommel Defante Madlangbayan


• Mya Yi Ma Nan Khin


• Minani Neziya


• Thaminyaw Poe


• Iris Sergiadou-Rouvas


• Lan Sok


• Antoinette Michelle Spears


• Michael George Thompson


• Roshani Pannila Vithanage


• Igor Bogdanovich Yatsishin


• Mikhail Igorevich Yatsishin


• Yuriy Igorevich Yatsishin


• Yuriy Yolytskyy


• David Tawk Lian Thang Zathang


• Helen Siang Zi Zathang

Federal Courthouse

• Jade Sunny Adams (South Korea)


• Rodrigo Jaen Alatriste-Diaz (Mexico)


• Dowlah Yahya Altheblah (Yemen)


• Largus Theodora Angenent (Netherlands)


• Luis Aza Castro (Dominican Republic)


• Yuba Raj Bhattarai (Bhutan)


• Deanna A. Bovt (Latvia)


• Maheshwarnauth Budhu (Guyana)


• Stephen Thomas Redvers Coate (United Kingdom)


• Yue Hua Dong (People's Rep. Of China)


• Braulio Miguel Eduardo Gerez (Dominican Republic)


• Chaminda Majuwana Gamage (Sri Lanka)


• Hser Nay Gaw (Burma)


• Jutonu F. Genegbanyan (Liberia)


• Joel Gonzalez (Mexico)


• Syed Faisal Habib (Pakistan)


• Cozzie David Alexander Horsford (Antigua-Barbuda)


• Francis Alexander Isabel (Dominican Republic)


• Agoot Mabil Duot Jok (Sudan)


• Dahira Mohamed Jumale (Somalia)


• Mercy Wangechi Kariuki (Kenya)


• Emily Catherine Joan Kelly (Canada)


• Mariya Yaroslavovna Khorostil (Ukraine)


• Deborah Ha Eun Kim (Korea)


• Yang Kon Kim (South Korea)


• Guiyun Lian (South Korea)


• Baqun Lin (People's Rep. Of China)


• Bo Long (People's Rep. Of China)


• Linda Robi Majani (Kenya)


• Juana Martinez De Buschman (Mexico)


• Bhuma Devi Nepal (Bhutan)


• Xuhua Jing Orcutt (People's Rep. Of China)


• Bhupendrakumar Harmanbhai Patel (India)


• Sudhaben Bhupendrakumar Patel (India)


• Teresa Elzbieta Pawloska (Poland)


• Wojciech Piotr Pawloska (Poland)


• Mercedes Ramirez (Costa Rica)


• Josue Rico (Mexico)


• Julian Steven Ruiz (Colombia)


• Mercedes Siddiqui (Australia)


• Kyi Toe (Burma)


• Roshani Pannila Vithanage (Sri Lanka)


• Yanan Henry Wen (People's Rep. Of China)


• Mya Win (Burma)

"Nothing new to report,'' mayor's aide says.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Mayor Stephanie Miner met today with a consultant for Syracuse University to discuss the possibility of a new SU sports arena in Syracuse, but the meeting did not resolve Miner's many questions about the proposal, said Tim Carroll, director of mayoral initiatives.

Miner is still waiting for a copy of SU's feasibility study and for answers to the questions she has raised about how the arena would be funded, who would own it and how it would affect the near east side of the city, Carroll said following the meeting.

"At this point, the questions are still out there to be answered,'' he said. "Nothing new to report.''

Consultant Irwin Raij, a sports industry lawyer who is working for SU to look at the possibility of developing a new sports arena near the site of the former Kennedy Square housing project, met with Miner for about half an hour, said Carroll, who did not attend but was briefed later by the mayor.

Supporters of the stadium proposal who got wind of the meeting, including Common Councilor Khalid Bey, said they hoped it would provide an opportunity for SU to address enough of Miner's concerns to persuade her to embrace the deal.

Bey said there is strong support on the council for a proposal put together by SU and Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney, with support from Gov. Andrew Cuomo, to develop a $500 million arena using roughly $300 million of funding from the state and the county. "This is a project you make happen,'' Bey said.

But Carroll said there was no breakthrough at today's meeting. And county officials, including Legislature Chairman Ryan McMahon, said they believe the arena proposal will not get state funding this year because a local consensus is unlikely to emerge in time for Cuomo to include the project in his budget, which will be announced Tuesday.

Contact Tim Knauss at tknauss@syracuse.com or 315-470-3023 or on Twitter @TimKnauss.

The bill has more money for Head Start, heating aid, Great Lakes, and military personnel.

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Senate voted 72-26 Thursday night to pass a $1.1 trillion spending bill for fiscal 2014 that will keep federal agencies operating through Sept. 30 without the threat of a government shutdown.

The bill, approved Wednesday by the House of Representatives in a vote of 359-67, now moves to President Barack Obama for his signature.

The omnibus package combined 12 annual congressional appropriations bills. It was supported by all members of Central New York's congressional delegation.

Here are some of the items in the nearly 1,600-page bill that are of interest to Central New York residents:

• An amendment authored by Rep. Bill Owens, D-Plattsburgh, that effectively prevents the Department of Homeland Security from studying the possibility of a land border crossing fee with Canada. The measure bans the department from spending public money to study the idea. U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand also supported the measure, which would have affected the 17 border crossings that New York state has with Canada.


• Legislative language that prevents the closing of rural post offices and also prevents the U.S. Postal Service from ending Saturday mail delivery.


• A $51.4 million funding increase for the Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome, a measure championed by Rep. Richard Hanna, R-Barneveld, and U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. The budget for the lab is a 38 percent increase over fiscal 2013.


• Up to $300 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, an increase of $16 million from 2013.


• Funding to hire 2,000 new Customs and Border Protection officers.


• Active duty and civilian Service members at the Air National Guard's 174th Attack Wing in Mattydale and at Fort Drum near Watertown will receive a 1 percent pay raise. The raise applies to all Department of Defense personnel, their first pay increase in about four years.


• Full funding for the early childhood education program, Head Start. The budget increases program funding by $612 million.


• About $3.4 billion for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP. It is an increase of $169 million, enough to help more than 8 million families heat their homes.

Ruth Robinson Duccini, 95, died Thursday morning in Las Vegas, according to Colleen Zimmer, the co-director of Oz-Stravaganza in Chittenango.

Syracuse, N.Y. -- The second-to-last surviving little person to play a Munchkin in the film classic "The Wizard of Oz" has died.

Ruth Robinson Duccini, 95, died Thursday morning in Las Vegas, according to Colleen Zimmer, the co-director of Oz-Stravaganza in Chittenango.

Duccini was a 20-year-old from Minnesota when she traveled to Hollywood decades ago and worked as a Munchkin. She was the only surviving female little person from the movie.

The last surviving little person from the film is now Jerry Maren, the Lollipop Guild Munchkin, age 93.

A handful of child actors were also cast as Munchkins in "The Wizard of Oz.." At least one of them, Priscilla Montgomery Clark, appeared at the premiere of "The Wizard of Oz in 3D" in September. Duccini also attended the premiere.