Perhaps the reason notoriously aggressive Boston drivers don't use their turn signals is that no one's ever put it in terms they understand.

BOSTON -- Perhaps the reason notoriously aggressive Boston drivers don't use their turn signals is that no one's ever put it in terms they understand.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation on Friday changed that by posting messages on electronic highway signs around the city that read: "Changing Lanes? Use Yah Blinkah."

"Blinkah" is how Bostonians pronounce "blinker," otherwise known as a turn signal.

The signs are scheduled to stay up through the Mother's Day on Sunday, which state officials say is one of the busiest traffic days of the year.

Drivers who fail to use their "blinkah" when changing lanes on a Massachusetts highway are subject to a fine. Police across the state handed out almost 5,000 tickets for the offense last year.

28-year-old med student Elizabeth Raine said she wouldn't auction off her virginity because she wanted to focus on her medical studies.

A 28-year-old female medical student planned to auction off her virginity online to the highest bidder, but after the auction closed on Wednesday night, she backed out of the deal.

The student, who goes by the alias "Elizabeth Raine," posted on her website that the highest bid she received was $801,000, according to the International Business Times. But after the bidding closed, Raine shut down the auction site and explained that she would not be honoring the auction on her personal blog, "Musings of a Virgin Whore."

Raine decided that she will not go through with the exchange because she wants to focus on her medical studies. In a post, she wrote:

"I am here to tell you that the terms of the auction will not be fulfilled. With the blessings of my management and the high bidders, I have decided to put a stop to this kerfuffle (to describe it nicely) and return my focus to my medical training. I still do possess some spitefully strong beliefs about virginity, prostitution, and a woman's right to do as she damned pleases, but school is my first priority (as it has been for my entire life). At this point, I no longer care about the auction, at least not nearly enough. This was a very easy decision."

Raine has bachelor's degrees in biology and engineering and is currently working on an MD/PhD program, The Daily Mail reported. She said she's still a virgin because sex always came second to school.

She originally concealed her identity over concern that the auction would get her thrown out of school, but later decided to show her face to attract more interest to the auction.

Raine listed her height 5' 10" and weight at 130 pounds, according to CBS Las Vegas. She has blonde hair and green eyes.

The auction would have resulted in a 12-hour date during which she would have lost her virginity. She planned to meet the highest bidder in Australia, as prostitution is illegal in the United States, IBT reported.

Initially, Raine said she was doing the auction because she was attracted by adventure, eroticism and scandal, The Daily Mail reported.

Later, her message became more political. In a post on her blog, she wrote:

"...It is about how society continues to exercise control over female sexuality by chaining it tightly to female morality. It is about the fact that we have not left patriarchy in the past (we all know male morality is not judged by the same standard), and that a woman still cannot chose to do with her body what she pleases without eliciting condemnation and hate from those (or some of those) around her."

Raine said that planning for the auction educated her about prostitution, virginity and "slut-shaming." She said she doesn't care about being labelled a prostitute, and supports "decriminalization and destigmatization" of prostitution.

Raine did note that if she felt her safety would have been compromised, she could call off the date.

Since the auction began on March 31, she received bids from Serbia, Japan, Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom of more than $100,000, according to CBS. She refused to disclose the identity of the $801,000 high bidder.

In her most recent post, she said that she was ending the auction, but would continue posting to the blog which she is considering renaming since she thinks "Virgin Whore" no longer accurately describes her.

Maffei speaks on House floor about Hinman, "a true American hero."

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. Dan Maffei delivered a brief, emotional speech on the House floor this afternoon to honor Jenna Hinman, the young mother from Fort Drum who died Monday after a two-month battle with a rare cancer.

Hinman, 26, and her husband, U.S. Army Sgt. Brandon Hinman of Fort Drum, received an outpouring of community support after the family shared their story with the public. Doctors discovered Jenna Hinman's cancer in March after she gave birth to twin girls via emergency C-section. She had stage 3 choriocarcinoma.

Maffei met the family during a hospital visit he made at the request of Crouse Hospital. Family members gave him a "Prayers for Jenna" bracelet that he held up on the House floor during his speech today.

"Jenna and her family's stories touched the lives of so many people, strangers and friends alike from around the world, who were devastated to hear of Jenna's passing," Maffei said. "There is no way to truly express the deep sadness that comes from losing someone so young with such a bright future ahead."

Maffei speaks on House floor about Jenna Hinman

An emotional Maffei, who is expecting the birth of his first child in June, said, "I pray that God will protect Jenna's husband, her parents, her brother, and particularly these young girls. And may God bless Jenna Hinman, a true American hero."

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

Today is only the second day of 2014 that we'll see 80 degrees.

Syracuse, N.Y. -- We just hit 80 degrees in Central New York, and believe it or not this is the second time this year it's been that warm.

But this sure feels like the first time. (Apologies to Foreigner.)

View full sizeCentral New York hit 80 degrees at 2 p.m., for only the second time this year.National Weather Service 

"The humidity is actually like a summer day out there," National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Evans said today. "This would not be an unusual day at all for the middle of July."

The sun is also higher in the sky now than it was in April, which could make things feel a little warmer today if you're standing in the direct sunlight.

The weekend won't be quite as warm, but highs will still be in the 70s.

Contact Glenn Coin at gcoin@syracuse.com or 315-470-3251. Follow him on Twitter @glenncoin

A misdirected check lead the Jordan-Elbridge School District to thousands of dollars in missing gate receipts and the resignation of its athletic director.

Jordan, NY - A simple check paid to participate in a track meet sparked an investigation that uncovered cash missing and lead to the the resignation of Jordan-Elbridge School District athletic director Eric M. Varney, a school official said.

J-E School Superintendent James Froio Friday outlined the events that lead to the district's discovery that $12,729 was missing from a small account that held cash from admissions to football, basketball and volleyball games.

One of Varney's responsibilities as athletic director was to collect the gate receipts from tickets sold at football, basketball or volleyball games, Froio said. The district collects money from ticket sales and that money is deposited into the student admissions account, which in turn flows into the district's general fund, he said.

Varney, 44, of Clay, was supposed to give the money to someone else to deposit, Froio said.

"From what we've been able to determine he just told that individual 'Hey don't worry about it, I got it'," the superintendent said.

Froio would not name the individual, noting that the case has been reopened by state police.

Jim Froio superintendent of the Jordan-Elbridge Central School District.
Stephen D. Cannerelli | scannerelli@syracuse.com 

On April 24, a check for a small fee to participate in a track meet arrived at the school district's main offices, Froio said. "Typically that would probably go to the high school," he said.

The district account clerk asked the treasurer where to deposit the check, and was told to put it in the student admissions account, the superintendent said.

"When we looked at the student admissions account it was evident we had some investigation to do," Froio said.

The superintendent would not say how much money was in the account, again citing the ongoing investigation. The district spoke with Varney that day. "It was clear after our initial interview that something was amiss," Froio said.

The $12,729 missing from the account covered about a two-year period. The district collects about $5,000 to $5,500 a year from admissions to athletic events, the superintendent said.

State police were notified the same day the district discovered money was missing, and Froio said he met with an investigator the next day, April 25.

That day Varney repaid the missing money and resigned from his $98,000 a-year job as athletic director and assistant principal. The district notified the state Department of Education about the matter.

Syracuse.com has been unable to reach Varney. Previous numbers for his cell and home phones have been disconnected.

Varney had been a teacher in the Baldwinsville School District before he was named an elementary school principal in Jordan-Elbridge in 2007. In 2011, he was appointed athletic director-assistant principal of the high school.

School board President David Gallaro read a statement at a board meeting Wednesday night after members voted to accept the former athletic director's resignation.

In the statement, Gallaro said that "the state police have advised the district that they consider this matter closed because restitution was made."

The state police and the district dispute who offered the advice not to prosecute. Either way, Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick didn't learn about the missing money until he read about in The Post-Standard Thursday, said First Assistant District Attorney Rick Trunfio.

No one but the district attorney can decide whether to offer someone immunity from prosecution, he said. The district attorney's office has opened its own investigation, Trunfio said.

The superintendent took issue with critics who claim the district tried to hush up the matter.

There was never any discussion of keeping the police out of the investigation, the superintendent said. The state police were called April 24, the day the district discovered the money missing, he said.

"On the school end we notified everyone we're supposed to notify. We certainly were not cutting any deals or offering any type of immunity," Froio said.

It wasn't up to the district to notify the district attorney about the case, Froio said.

"We did everything we were supposed to do," he said. "What the state police do after we report it is up to them. They didn't notify the DA's office when we notified them. It's not my place to leapfrog the state police and go to the district attorney."

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

State police said a boy was walking along county Route 17 in the town of Constantia Thursday.

State police said a boy was walking along county Route 17 in the town of Constantia Thursday. Sometime between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. the boy was approached by a black four-door car with tinted windows.

A man approached the boy and tried to grab him by his clothing, state police said. The boy escaped and fled to a neighboring residence.

The man is described as a 5-foot-11-inch white man. He was clean-shaven, overweight and wearing a black jumpsuit and knit hat when he approached the boy.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact the New York State Police in Pulaski at 315-298-1470.

Sherrill Manufacturing is bringing back jobs it sent to Mexico when it filed for bankruptcy reorganization in 2010.

Sherrill, N.Y. — Sherrill Manufacturing Inc. is bringing jobs back to the United States from Mexico, a move that will almost double its workforce in this small Upstate New York city.

The company last week raised $1 million through a convertible loan from Drummond LLC. That has allowed the company to bring tableware production back to its plant in Sherrill from Toluca, Mexico, said CEO Gregory Owens.

Owens said the company already has hired seven people in Sherrill because of the shift and plans to hire at least eight more by the end of the year. It had between 15 and 20 full-time employees in Sherrill before the new hiring began, he said.

Sherrill Manufacturing makes high quality stainless steel forks, spoons and knives. It sells them under the Liberty Tabletop brand direct to the public through its website, www.libertytabletop.com.

As part of the shift back to the U.S., the company is expanding its product line to appeal to a wider array of customers, Owens said. Previously, the company sold only high-end flatware, but it now will begin offering more moderately-priced, though still high quality, flatware, he said. It also is in discussions with retail chains about selling its flatware in stores, he said.

The company was founded in March of 2005 by two former Oneida Ltd. executives — Owens and Matthew Roberts. They bought Oneida's factory and equipment and began production the day after Oneida Ltd. stopped production. It is the only company still making flatware in the United States.

The company ran into trouble during the Great Recession, though, and wound up filing for reorganization under Chapter 11 of U.S. Bankruptcy Law in 2010. As a result of the bankruptcy, it temporarily stopped production in Sherrill and shifted it to a contract manufacturer in Toluca, near Mexico City. Many of its 120 employees in Sherrill were laid off.

Sherrill Manufacturing emerged from bankruptcy Nov. 6, having paid all of the $4 million it owed to secured creditors and with a plan to pay all of the remaining $2 million it owes to unsecured creditors. And it resumed production in Sherrill, a community known as The Silver City because of its century-old history of tableware manufacturing. (Oneida Ltd. was founded by a utopian organization, the Oneida Community, in Sherrill in 1880.)

Owens said the company is looking for former Sherrill Manufacturing and Oneida Ltd. employees to fill the jobs it is creating in Sherrill. The company has lost track of many of the former employees since its bankruptcy, but it's likely that some still live in the Sherrill area, he said.

"The equipment is fairly complex, and if you have years of experience on it, it helps," he said. "We know they're out there."

People interested in applying can contact Matthew Robert, the company's president and chief operating officer, at matt.roberts@sherrillmfg.com or (315) 280-0727, ext. 302.

Drummond LLC is an investment company formed solely to make an investment in Sherrill Manufacturing. Owens said it is comprised of descendants of Robert and Olive Drummond. Robert Drummond worked at Oneida Ltd. from 1917 until his death in 1948, when he was director of industrial relations and employee education.

The $1 million loan is convertible to an ownership stake in the company.

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

State Supreme Court says Maffei's campaign manager is legal resident of Syracuse.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A state Supreme Court judge ruled Friday afternoon in favor of U.S. Rep. Dan Maffei in his battle with Republicans who attempted to boot him from the Working Families Party ballot line in November.

Justice Hugh Gilbert rejected the GOP's argument that Maffei's campaign manager was not a resident of Onondaga County, and should not have been allowed to circulate petitions for the Working Families Party.

A lawsuit from the Onondaga County Republican Committee claimed that Maffei's campaign manager, Kane Miller, should not have been allowed to register to vote in New York because he is in the state as a temporary employee and maintains a Georgia driver's license.

The Maffei campaign's lawyer, Frank Hoare, said in court Tuesday that Miller met the requirements for registering to vote in New York: He is a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old, and lived at his current Syracuse address for at least 30 days.

The Onondaga County Board of Elections and the state Board of Elections had previously agreed that Maffei's petitions for the Working Families Party line were valid.

"Each of these decisions reaffirm that representatives of the Maffei campaign followed the letter and spirit of the law and had the proper qualifications to collect the requisite signatures to qualify for the Working Families Party ballot line," Hoare said after Friday's ruling. "The latest decision by the Onondaga County Supreme Court should be the final chapter in this distraction."

Onondaga County Republican Chairman Tom Dadey said he will take the next few days to meet with committee lawyers and decide whether to appeal the judge's decision to a higher court.

"While I respectfully disagree with Justice Gilbert's decision, it doesn't change the fact that Kane Miller violated several New York state laws over the past several months by not registering to vote in a timely manner, by not registering his car within 30 days and by not obtaining a New York driver's license," Dadey said.

The court decision means that Maffei, D-Syracuse, will appear on the Democratic and Working Families Party line in the November election. Opponent John Katko will appear on the Republican, Independence and Conservative Party lines.

Maffei received 9,136 votes on the Working Families Party line in 2012, when he defeated former Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle, a Republican, by about 16,000 votes.

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

At about 6:41 a.m. Friday state police responded to a report of a vehicle off the roadway and into the median on Interstate 690, just south of Downer Street.

Daniel Barker, 26, of 108 Cowan Ave., was charged with driving while intoxicated and several vehicle and traffic violations.

Brian J. Harrington Jr., 21, of 108 Cowan Ave., was charged with third-degree burglary.

At about 6:41 a.m. Friday state police responded to a report of a vehicle off the roadway and into the median on Interstate 690, just south of Downer Street.

When troopers and medical personnel arrived, however, they saw two men running from the scene toward East Sorrel Hill Road.

Troopers searched the area around Ellsworth and East Sorrell Hill roads and found one of the men, later identified as Barker, near a barn at 2367 Ellsworth Road. Backup arrived and troopers and found Harrington.

State police said the property owner where the men were found checked his barn and found a broken window. The man also discovered the keys to a 1998 Cadillac were missing from a vehicle parked inside the barn.

State police said Harrington stole the car keys and was trying to steal the car.

Harrington was arraigned in Van Buren Town Court and ordered held at the Onondaga County jail in lieu of $2,500 bail or $5,000 bond.

Daniel Barker  

Brian J. Harrington Jr. 

Dante Altieri was charged with leaving the scene of a fatal crash in Joseph Roderka's death.

Clay, NY -- No one denies that Dante Altieri struck and killed a pedestrian before driving off shortly after midnight Sept. 28 in Clay.

Joseph Roderka, 54, was walking to a bar with his daughter when he was struck and killed in September. (Photo provided by Nicole Roderka.) 

But did he know he struck a person?

That's the central question in the felony leaving the scene case against Altieri, 19, of 4045 Marlton Circle, in Salina. The victim, Joseph Roderka, 54, was walking with his daughter along Oswego Road to do karaoke at the Gathering Lounge.

Longtime defense lawyers John Cirando and Emil Rossi are tag-teaming on Altieri's behalf. Among other things, Cirando has argued that Altieri had no intent to flee when he left the scene to tell his parents.

County Court Judge Thomas J. Miller rejected Cirando's request to dismiss the charges for both lack of evidence and "in the interests of justice," noting that Altieri admitted in a police report to hitting a person with his car.

"(I) saw someone in front of me. The person was walking on the shoulder of the road just over the white line maybe a foot or so. I was going right at the person and swerved to avoid the person but hit them. I only saw one person. It all happened so fast, I really tried to avoid hitting the person. I panicked and didn't know what to do. So I went home and woke up my parents..."

Today, Rossi attacked the basis of Alteri's statement to police. The lawyer argued that it was a sheriff's deputy -- Detective Robert Pitman -- who first suggested that Altieri had struck "someone" after the driver had only admitted hitting "something."

Pitman and another deputy, Keith Lawrence, both testified today that Altieri first admitted hitting only "something."

But later, after being informed that a pedestrian had been struck, Altieri spoke with deputies again. His written statement says he admitted hitting "someone."

Pitman acknowledged that he'd written the statement on Altieri's behalf after interviewing the suspect at the sheriff's office. The detective did not keep notes of their discussion before typing up the statement.

So the defense lawyer suggested that Pitman had inserted admissions that Altieri did not make.

"All the words on here are yours," Rossi told the detective. "You told him he had struck a person."

But prosecutor Chris Bednarski responded by asking the detective about specifics in the report, allegedly said by the defendant.

Altieri did say that he turned his head to check his defroster, the detective said. He saw someone walking along the side of the road and he swerved to avoid that person.

Altieri said all of those things during the interview, the detective testified. And he later signed his name on both pages of the police statement, acknowledging it was accurate.

But only after the detective told Altieri that someone -- not something -- had been hit, Rossi stressed.

The distinction is important because under law, Altieri must have known -- or should have known -- he hit a person to be convicted of the felony charge. Had he hit an object, leaving the scene would only be a misdemeanor.

The case appears headed for trial, but Altieri is due back to court June 13 for the judge's decision regarding the admissibility of his police statement.

Altieri was sober and returning to the crash scene with his parents when stopped by deputies investigating the hit-and-run.

Indictments returned May 9.

Editor's note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that a Salina man charged with criminally negligent homicide in his father's 2011 death was indicted. In fact, a grand jury found there was not legally sufficient evidence against that person and the case was dismissed, or "no billed." Read a story about the grand jury's clearing of Michael Orts.

Syracuse, NY -- The following people were indicted by Onondaga County grand juries. All charges are felonies, unless otherwise noted:

Here are other indictments returned May 9 from Onondaga County grand juries, reported by the District Attorney's Office. (All charges are felonies, unless otherwise noted.)

Dron Lundy, of 115 W. Bissell St., Syracuse: Murder and criminal possession of a weapon (two counts). Arrested Feb. 2 in Syracuse.

Quincy Lundy, of 500 Beattie St., Syracuse: Murder and criminal possession of a weapon (two counts). Arrested Jan. 13 in Syracuse.

Charles Moore, of 206 Slocum Ave., Syracuse: Criminal possession of a controlled substance (two counts, one of them misdemeanor). Arrested March 12 in Syracuse.

Joseph Haughton, of 367 Richmond Ave., Syracuse: Strangulation, assault, petit larceny (misdemeanor) and criminal contempt (misdemeanor). Arrested Jan. 9 in Syracuse.

See previous Onondaga County indictments

Onondaga County residents can have their financial and other confidential documents shredded for free during the event.

Syracuse, N.Y. — Onondaga County residents can have their confidential documents shredded for free from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday (May 10) at NBT Bank Stadium.

Confidata and Shred Solvers are partnering with the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency to provide the free service.

Personal records such as medical, bank and tax documents and other items containing account numbers or private details can be dropped off at the stadium at 1 Tex Simone Drive. No reservation is needed.

Only household materials will be accepted. Businesses in need of shredding services should visit www.OCRRA.org or contact a shredding service.

Residents should:

1. Bring no more than five boxes of documents per vehicle.

2. Enter the stadium parking lot from the Grant Boulevard/Hiawatha Boulevard intersection.

3. Pack documents loosely in durable boxes, containers or paper bags. Avoid bringing items in plastic bags because they slow down the shredding process. Remove binders or other non-paper material.

4. Stay in their vehicles. Staff will unload all vehicles. From entrance to exit, wait times will average between 5 to 10 minutes.

For those who miss tomorrow's event, the Resource Recovery Agency will host a second free shredding event for residents from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 20, at NBT Bank Stadium.

The agency said more than 330 tons of personal papers have been shredded and recycled at the events since it started hosting them in 2004.

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

A member of Congress is requesting a hearing on the Washington Redskins' name, calling it "another example of racial insensitivity in sports" in the wake of Donald Sterling's lifetime ban from the NBA.

WASHINGTON -- A member of Congress is requesting a hearing on the Washington Redskins' name, calling it "another example of racial insensitivity in sports" in the wake of Donald Sterling's lifetime ban from the NBA.

Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., sent a letter Friday to the chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce citing the derogatory nature of the word "redskins" and suggesting the committee use its influence to persuade team owner Dan Snyder and the NFL to change the name.

Waxman appears unlikely to get the hearing before the committee, which is chaired by Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., and oversees professional sports.

"The committee really hasn't been focused on the names of pro sports teams," committee spokeswoman Charlotte Baker said Friday in an email, "and there are no plans to schedule a hearing on this issue."

Waxman pointed that Los Angeles Clippers owner Sterling's recent ban resulted from racist comments made in a private, then added: "In the case of the Washington football team, the offensive conduct is public, not private."

"Unlike NBA Commissioner (Adam) Silver, the commissioner of the National Football League, Roger Goodell, has publicly defended the owner," Waxman wrote. "In fact, he stated in a letter that 'the name is a unifying force that stands for strength, courage, pride and respect.'"

Waxman suggested the committee could call both Snyder and Goodell as witnesses to explain "how their actions are consistent with the public interest."

The Redskins declined comment on Waxman's letter. Snyder has vowed never to change the name, calling it a "badge of honor."

It would be the nation's first statewide commission on prosecutorial conduct.

State Senator John DeFrancisco blogging at the Syracuse Media Group in January. Dick Blume | dblume@syracuse.com 

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- State lawmakers will announce bi-partisan support Monday for a bill to create a new state watchdog commission on prosecutorial conduct, which would be the only one of its kind in the United States.

"I think it would be helpful to both prosecutors and the public to have more confidence in the system," Senator John DeFrancisco, who is sponsoring the bill, said Friday in an interview.

The State Commission of Prosecutorial Conduct would be charged with reviewing and investigating complaints of prosecutorial misconduct, with the power to discipline prosecutors determined to have acted improperly.

Members of the Commission would be selected by the governor, state lawmakers and the chief judge of the Court of Appeals.

It would be the nation's first statewide commission on prosecutorial conduct to help prevent wrongful convictions or indictments, and to exonerate prosecutors from false accusations of misconduct.

DeFrancisco, R-Syracuse, said the push to create the commission wasn't prompted by any particular case of misconduct. Rather it is in response to many issues throughout the state with prosecutorial misconduct and wrongful convictions.

"This has been going on for years and years," he said.

The commission would be modeled after the state's Commission on Judicial Conduct, which adjudicates allegations of misconduct by judges. The commission has both found acts of misconduct and determined sanctions against judges, and has exonerated judges for false accusations.

"It works both ways," DeFrancisco said. "I believe there is no public official who has more discretion," than prosecutors do.

DeFrancisco will hold a news conference Monday in Albany announcing support for the bill. Assemblyman Nick Perry -- a downstate Democrat co-sponsoring the bill -- and Bill Bastuk, founder of It Could Happen to You, a fair-trial advocacy group.

At about 5:50 p.m. Friday officers responded to the Shop City McDonald's for a reported heroin overdose in the parking lot.

At about 5:50 p.m. Friday officers responded to the Shop City McDonald's for a reported heroin overdose in the parking lot.

Arriving officers discovered 43-year-old Kimberly Butler unconscious. Police said Butler shot-up two packets of heroin while sitting in her car in the McDonald's parking lot. After shooting up, Butler lost consciousness and her foot slipped off the brake. Her car rolled and hit an unoccupied, parked car.

Police said Butler was treated with NARCAN and revived. She was taken to Crouse Hospital for further treatment.

Evidence of drug use was recovered from Butler's vehicle, police said. She was charged with DWI drugs, police said.

Police are continuing to investigate.

Maurice Williams, 20, a resident of Oneida Hall, was charged with three counts of grand larceny and five counts of petit larceny.

Maurice Williams, 20, a resident of Oneida Hall, was charged with three counts of grand larceny and five counts of petit larceny.

Williams was arrested by University Police following a six-month investigation into the theft of mail from student mailboxes in Oneida Hall, said Julie Blissert, a SUNY Oswego spokeswoman.

Officers arrested Williams Thursday. Blissert did not say what led police to Williams.

Williams was arraigned Thursday night in Oswego Town Court and was ordered held at the Oswego County jail in lieu of $2,500 bail or $5,000 bond.

Timothy P. McGee, 49, of New Hartford, was charged with third-degree unauthorized use of a vehicle.

REMSEN, N.Y. -- An Oneida County man was charged with taking his ex-girlfriend's car from her garage while she was out of town, the New York State Police said.

Timothy P. McGee, 49, of New Hartford, was charged with third-degree unauthorized use of a vehicle.

State police said McGee took a 2007 Acura MXD from the Remsen home of an ex-girlfriend while she was away in Florida. The ex-girlfriend returned home from Florida earlier than expected and found her car missing from her garage.

The car was found in McGee's driveway and returned to the ex-girlfriend, state police said.

McGee was issued an appearance ticket for Remsen Town Court.

Another front will move through Central New York on Saturday bringing more rain and thunderstorms.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The warm weather will stick with Central New York for a while, but so will a nearly unrelenting cycle of rain and thunderstorms.

The cold front that moved through the region Friday and brought showers and thunderstorms wasn't alone. Another front will move through Central New York on Saturday bringing more rain and thunderstorms.

(View live radar map of New York state here.)

We'll start the day Saturday with clouds, but the sun will come out as the day progresses. West winds between 10 and 15 mph are expected.

By Saturday night, dry air will push into Central New York and gives us a short break from the rain and thunderstorms. But that won't last long. Rain, thunderstorms and temperatures in the 80s are predicted well into next week.

Your forecast

• Saturday: A 50/50 chance of rain and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid 70s. Lows in the high 40s.
  
• Sunday: Sunny with west winds up to 15 mph. Cloudy in the evening with a slight chance of rain and thunderstorms. Southwest winds up to 15 mph and gusts up to 25 mph. Highs in the low 70s. Lows in the mid 50s.
  
• Monday: Partly sunny with a 50/50 chance of rain and thunderstorms. Highs near 80. Lows near 60.
  
• Tuesday: Cloudy with a 50/50 chance of rain and thunderstorms during the day and evening. Highs in the high 70s. Lows near 60.
  
• Wednesday: Partly sunny with a 50/50 chance of rain and thunderstorms during the day and evening. Highs in the mid 70s. Lows in the high 50s.

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.

Michael Orts was arrested more than two years ago on a felony criminally negligent homicide charge.

View full sizePeter Chen / The Post-StandardMichael Orts was cleared of wrongdoing in his father's 2011 death this week. In this file photo, an Onondaga County deputy leads Michael Orts out of Cicero town court after he pleaded not guilty to criminally negligent homicide charges.

North Syracuse, NY -- A Salina man was cleared by an Onondaga County grand jury this week on a homicide charge in the 2011 death of his father.

Michael Orts, of 110 Beley Ave., Mattydale, had been charged in April 2012 with criminally negligent homicide in the June 2, 2011 death of his father, Wayne Orts.

But the grand jury returned a no-bill this week, meaning it found there wasn't sufficient evidence to proceed with the charge against Michael Orts.

An earlier story on Syracuse.com incorrectly reported that Orts was indicted on the charge. That story has since been corrected.

Deputies arrested Michael Orts after an autopsy showed his father had a ruptured spleen due to blunt-force trauma.

But Wayne Orts never mentioned a dispute with his son. Authorities first got involved after an attempted suicide call at 6:40 p.m. June 2 at Wayne Orts home in North Syracuse.

The elder Orts told deputies he had swallowed a large quantity of hydrocodone. He was taken to Crouse Hospital, where he died that night while being treated, officials said.

It wasn't until after the autopsy showed a ruptured spleen that investigators looked at an alleged confrontation between father and son.

Sheriff Kevin Walsh said at the time he wasn't sure why Wayne Orts wouldn't have mentioned the dispute. But deputies claimed that Michael Orts caused blunt-force trauma to his father using his fists.

So charges remained against Michael Orts until the grand jury cleared him this week, more than two years after his arrest.

The event hosted by the Girl Scouts is part of a series of events to raise awareness of poverty in Auburn and Cayuga County.

Auburn, NY -More than 200 kids created a warren of homes out of cardboard boxes and duct tape at an Auburn ice rink Friday night to learn what it's like to be homeless.

The kids approached the event as a lark. They created mazes, peaked roofed homes and wrote on their cardboard box shelters. Homelessness to them means not being able to pay the rent.

"They don't know what it's like to be homeless, not a clue," said Elaine Wilt, a co-leader of senior Girl Scout Troop 444 in Auburn.

More than 200 kids participated in a homeless encampment created at the Casey Park ice rink in Auburn to make them aware of the problem.Charley Hannagan 

The adults said they believed it important to show children who have much what it's like to have nothing.

"People don't really understand how much people have less because they think everyone has an easy life, but we're here to find out how much less they really do have," said Janya Dyson, 9, of Girl Scout Troop 40415 Seneca Falls, as she constructed her cardboard home against the ice rink wall.

The event hosted by the Girl Scouts of NY Penn Pathways kicks off more than a week of activities in Auburn to raise awareness of the poverty that remains 50 years after President Lyndon Johnson's declaration of the war on poverty.

The poverty statistics are particularly high for children, where more than a quarter of the children in Auburn live in families with incomes below the poverty line, said Tricia Ottley, the marketing and development director for the Cayuga Seneca Community Action Agency. In Cayuga County, 3,000 children live under the poverty line including 1,400 in Auburn, the county's only city, she said.

The numbers of homeless women and families in the area is growing, said James Breslin, who operates the Rescue Mission's shelter for them in Auburn. The mission is currently working to assist 65 families, which 130 children, to find homes, he said.

And the number of men, particularly those between the ages of 18 and 24, served by Chapel House Homeless Shelter in Auburn is growing too, said Executive Director Christina Thornton. The shelter served 215 men last year, up from 174 in 2012, she said.

Homelessness in Cayuga County is more underground than in the Syracuse area, Breslin said. There's no one standing on the street corners with signs begging for food or money in Auburn, he said. But there are homeless encampments hidden away under bridges, Breslin said.

Friday's homeless youth experience was the brainchild of the Girl Scouts, he said.

More than 200 children from local Girl Scout troops and the Booker T. Washington Center in Auburn descended on the Casey Park ice rink Friday with cardboard boxes, duct tape, a sleeping bag or blanket, a small pillow and a refillable water bottle.

Participants were not allowed to bring tooth or hair brushes, food, electronics of any kind or foam pads or air mattresses to make the ice rink's concrete floor any softer, according to scout leader Donna Danylec.

A dinner packed by the Rescue Mission for children taking part in a homeless encampment experience at Casey Park ice rink in Auburn.Charley Hannagan 

Everyone received a brown paper lunch bag packed by the Rescue Mission with a dinner of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a package of rice crackers and a bottle of water.

As they entered, participants chose a colored plastic bracelet that in the morning would represent their economic status. What they receive at the Saturday OxFam Hunger Banquet breakfast cooked by Rotary club members, is determined by the bracelet's color, Danylec said. Those with a higher status would get more on their plate, than those in poverty, she said.

During the night, the children were challenged to think about what they would have to give up if they were homeless, Breslin said. What three items would they take with them when they lost their home? If they could choose only one person in their family to go with them who would it be?

A sign on a homeless shelter built by junior Girl Scouts at a homeless encampment at Casey Park ice rink in Auburn.Charley Hannagan 

The questions were designed to show participants that families are often broken up by homelessness, he said.

The encampment is part of a series of programs in Auburn over the next few weeks that highlight poverty in the area.

Wednesday, the Cayuga/Seneca Community Action Agency will celebrate its move to new offices at 89 York St. with an open house and ribbon cutting from 5-7 p.m.

The Cayuga County Community-Wide Poverty Simulation will be held from 9-11 a.m. Thursday at the former West Middle School gymnasium. Participants will assume the role of a low-income family member living on a limited budget. By the end of the simulation, participants will have a greater understanding of the struggles of the poor and learn how to help solve this pervasive social problem. The program is free, but registration is required by Wednesday.

American Winter, a documentary on the stories of families dealing with the aftermath of the Great Recession, will be shown at 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the Auburn Public Theater. Tickets are $5 in advance and $6 at the door. The film was shot over one winter in Portland, Oregon.

May 18, Abate of Cayuga County will Ride for a Cause at 11 a.m. to raise awareness of hunger in the community. Bikers will meet at the Ukranian National club, 125 Washington St., Auburn. They depart at noon. Registration fee includes donated non-perishable food items to benefit the Cayuga/Seneca Action Agency food pantry.

Community-Wide Bridges Out of Poverty Training: Strategies for Professionals and Communities will be held from 10 a.m.. to 3 p.m. on May 21 at the Springside Inn. The training provides a comprehensive approach to understanding the dynamics that cause and maintain poverty from the individual to the systemic level. The cost is $15 and includes lunch and training materials. Scholarships are available for those in need.

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