The South Miami city commission is concerned the state is not doing enough to combat rising water levels.

The City of South Miami has passed a resolution that would split Florida into two separate states, and make the new South Florida the 51st state.

According to a report from The Orlando Sentinel, officials on the city commission in South Miami voted 3-2 in favor of the resolution on October 7. The commission believes that Tallahassee is failing to provide the southern part of the state with adequate representation, and is not addressing concerns about the rising sea level.

"It's very apparent that the attitude of the northern part of the state is that they would just love to saw the state in half and just let us float off into the Caribbean," said Mayor Philip Stoddard, who has advocated for secession for 15 years. "They've made that abundantly clear every possible opportunity and I would love to give them the opportunity to do that."

USA Today reported that there will be an estimated 3- to 6-foot rise in sea level in the next 100 years. The average elevation in the north part of Florida is 120 feet above sea level, but average elevation in South Florida is less than 50 feet above sea level.

Orange, Polk, Brevard, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties would form the northern border of the new state, which would include a total of 24 counties. Orange County is important because the South Florida Water Management district begins there, according to the resolution.

A capital city has not yet been proposed.

One of the dissenting voices on the resolution, Commissioner Gabriel Edmond, said it's setting a bad precedent:

"I just want you guys to be careful because if you vote for this you're setting a precedent that if other people in this city don't like our representation or feel we're not responsive to them they might say 'we want to break away from the city of South Miami'."

Now the resolution will be sent to the governing bodies of the other counties that would split off into South Florida. Secession would require electoral approval from the entire state of Florida, and as WFTS Tampa Bay points out, only Congress has the power to grant statehood.

In 2013, a similar effort in northeast Colorado involved disgruntled rural residents discussing a split from the Front Range, the state's more heavily populated central region.

Read the complete resolution (PDF) from South Miami's commission.

For the first time, the general public will have a chance to grab some of the last china made at Syracuse China. Watch video

Salina, N.Y. — The public is getting a chance to buy a piece of local history — a whole carload of it, actually.

For $10, anyone can fill their cars with some of the last pieces of dinnerware made by Syracuse China at its factory on Court Street in Salina before Libbey Inc. shut the plant down and laid off 275 workers in 2009.

The money will go to the Eastwood Neighborhood Association and the Over The Rainbow Daycare at St. Matthews Church in East Syracuse.

The sale will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 9, at the former factory, now an industrial park named Lyndale Commercial Park.

Libbey left behind tens of thousands of plates, bowls and cups stamped with the Syracuse China name when it closed the factory.  

The investment group that purchased the plant in 2011 placed the leftover china in a field behind the building. The owners are planning to haul the china to a landfill, though no date for its disposal has been set.

Numerous schools have been allowed to collect some of the china for use in art classes, but until now the general public has not had a chance to grab any.

The Eastwood Neighborhood Association and Over The Rainbow Daycare saw an opportunity to raise money for their organizations and received permission from the plant's owners to hold the fundraiser.

The china is unglazed, so it shouldn't be used for food service. But Melissa Batuk, who helped to organize the fundraiser, said there are any number of fun things people could do with the china.

Children would enjoy painting the dishes, and parents could fill the cups with candle wax and give them away as gifts, said Batuk, whose children attend the daycare.

"We don't want these things destroyed or put in a landfill," she said.

In addition to its use in arts and crafts, the china represents a piece of the Syracuse area's past. Founded in 1871 in Syracuse as Onondaga Pottery Co., Syracuse China moved to Salina in 1922, where it made dinnerware for 87 years and employed generations of local residents.

"We think there are people who would want a little bit of history," said Sue Straub, president of the Eastwood Neighborhood Association.

Adults only will be admitted to the event. There is no limit to how much china people can take.

Organizers said people should bring their own gloves and boxes and wear appropriate footwear and attire.

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

"My Brother and Me" will premiere Nov. 14 at the Palace Theatre in Syracuse.

BALDWINSVILLE, NY -- About two years ago, Baldwinsville filmmaker Marc Schoeberlein asked the community for donations to help make a film about his brother's battle with cancer.

The community answered Schoeberlein's call and now the film is ready to make its debut. "My Brother and Me" will premiere Nov. 14 at the Palace Theatre in Syracuse.

Schoeberlein's brother, Evan died in July 2008 from Ewing's sarcoma, a rare type of bone or soft-tissue cancer usually found in children and young adults. He was 25. "My Brother and Me" is about the Schoeberlein family's journey with Evan's battle with cancer.

"It was a cathartic experience making the film," Marc Schoeberlein said. "We had a chance to work through what happened in the past and it was a healing experience for everyone."

Marc Schoeberlein, who now has a film and video degree from the University of Buffalo, said he's been making movies since he was 13 years old when he asked for a video camera for Christmas.The stars of his home movies were always his two older brothers, Eric and Evan. From conversations between robots and monkey puppets to battle scenes with lightsabers, the Schoeberlein brothers made silly movies for years.

Marc Schoeberlein, 25, uses some of the footage from his home videos in "My Brother and Me," which is his first feature length film.

The film chronicles his family's struggle to balance overwhelming events with everyday life and the memories of happier times.

A Syracuse area cast and crew began shooting in July 2013 and post-production audio and original music was added earlier this year at Todd Hobin studios.

"It was challenging to decide how to honor Evan's life in way that he would have really liked and would also give back to the local community," Marc Schoeberlein said. "Evan was my inspiration for my filmmaking back when we were kids; I think this a fitting tribute."

Tickets to the premiere are $10 for general admission and $50 for VIP tickets, which include an open bar, hors d'oeuvres and a meet-and-greet with the cast and crew after the movie. All proceeds from the premiere party will benefit Paige's Butterfly Run and Maureen's Hope Foundation.

"From the beginning we wanted this film to give back to the community," Marc Schoeberlein said.

For more information about "My Brother and Me" or to buy tickets, visit the film's website or visit the Facebook page.

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

Police continue to search for two other gunmen involved in shootings which happened in downtown Ottawa on Wednesday morning.

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) -- A Canadian soldier standing guard at a war memorial in the country's capital was shot to death Wednesday, and gunfire then erupted inside Parliament, authorities said. One gunman was killed, and police said they were searching for as many as two others.

People fled Parliament by scrambling down scaffolding erected for renovations, while others took cover inside as police with rifles and body armor took up positions outside and blocked the normally bustling streets around the building.

Witnesses said the soldier was gunned down by a man dressed all in black with a scarf over his face. They said the gunman then entered Parliament, where dozens of shots rang out.

Ottawa police spokesman Chuck Benoit said two or three gunmen were believed to be involved in the attack. Gilles Michaud, assistant commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, called it a "dynamic, unfolding situation."

Ottawa Hospital said it received two patients, both listed in stable condition, in addition to the soldier.

The attack came two days after a recent convert to Islam killed one Canadian soldier and injured another in a hit-and-run before being shot to death by police. The killer had been on the radar of federal investigators, who feared he had jihadist ambitions and seized his passport when he tried to travel to Turkey.

Canada had raised its domestic terror threat level from low to medium Tuesday because of "an increase in general chatter from radical Islamist organizations," said Jean-Christophe de Le Rue, a spokesman for the public safety minister.

On Wednesday, Tony Zobl, 35, said he witnessed the soldier being gunned down from his fourth-floor window directly above the National War Memorial, a 70-foot, arched granite cenotaph, or tomb, with bronze sculptures commemorating World War I.

"I looked out the window and saw a shooter, a man dressed all in black with a kerchief over his nose and mouth and something over his head as well, holding a rifle and shooting an honor guard in front of the cenotaph point-blank, twice," Zobl told the Canadian Press news agency.

"The honor guard dropped to the ground, and the shooter kind of raised his arms in triumph holding the rifle."

Zobl said the gunman then ran up the street toward Parliament Hill.

Cabinet minister Tony Clement tweeted that at least 30 shots were heard inside Parliament, where Conservative and Liberal MPs were holding their weekly caucus meetings.

"I'm safe locked in a office awaiting security," Kyle Seeback, another member of Parliament, tweeted.

The top spokesman for Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Harper was safe and had left Parliament Hill. The U.S. Embassy in Ottawa was locked down as a precaution.

Officials also canceled two events in Toronto honoring Pakistani teenager and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, including one in which she was supposed to receive honorary Canadian citizenship. The teenager was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman in 2012 for calling for schooling for girls.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police warned people in downtown Ottawa to stay away from windows and rooftops.

Scott Walsh, 21, a construction worker working in a manhole right in front of Parliament Hill, said he heard shots go off at the War Memorial.

"We're in construction and we're used to loud bangs. When people started screaming and running, that's when I clued, and I saw this guy running" with a gun, he said. "It was intense. I didn't think it was real. "

He said the gunman had long black hair with a scarf covering the bottom half of his face.

The timing of Monica Lewinsky's return to the public eye "couldn't be worse" for Hillary Clinton, many political scientists are saying.

Monica Lewinsky, one of the most infamous figures in American history, has stepped back onto the national stage after years of reclusiveness. The former White House intern joined Twitter and gave a public speech against cyberbullying in Philadelphia this week, the timing of which "couldn't be worse for Bill and Hillary Clinton," said NBC News host Andrea Mitchell.

Hillary Clinton speaks on Friday at Hamilton College in Clinton, NY. Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com 

But now Lewinsky is back, joining Twitter and launching a new campaign against cyberbullying. In the days since Lewinsky's re-emergence, the Clintons have yet to comment on her return, The Daily Mail reports.

So while the Clintons have so far ignored Lewinsky's return, it's something the couple likely can't keep dodging. This begs the question: How will Monica Lewinsky's public return affect Hillary Clinton's possible bid for the presidency?

It's spells trouble for the Clintons, NBC host Mitchell suggests, because Bill Clinton "is now the most popular Democratic surrogate on the campaign trail as memories of the Lewinsky affair had faded, at least until now."

Hillary backers already don't like what they see in national polls. When she stepped down as secretary of state last year, 58 percent of Americans viewed Hillary positively, according to The Wall Street Journal. That number has decreased to 43 percent since, with only 14 percent of Republicans viewing Hillary favorably as of last month.

In recent speeches, Hillary has tried to soften her image, often talking about her newborn granddaughter, The Wall Street Journal reports.

But now that "Lewinsky" is on the tip of everyone's tongue again, this could prove to be quite a challenge for Hillary. "I think no one was probably sorrier to hear Monica Lewinsky's name raised again than Hillary Clinton," USA Today Washington bureau chief Susan Page told Mitchell of NBC News. "An extraordinarily painful period of her life. One she's moved on from."

Hillary's team doesn't expect Lewinsky to drop any new bombshell revelations about her affair with Bill Clinton. In fact, they reviewed Clinton library documents labeled "Monica Lewinsky" last week and discovered no new information, The Daily Mail reports.

Lewinsky opened up about her affair with Bill Clinton for the first time this past May in a Vanity Fair article. That was good news for the Clinton team, Noah Rothman of HotAir.com suggests, because Lewsinsky's willingness to air the dirty laundry in early 2014 meant the issue would be fully litigated long before the 2016 campaign began. But the former intern did say she will no longer sit out future political campaigns, writing that it's "time to stop tiptoeing around my past--and other people's futures."

Lewinsky's new Twitter account has many on Hillary's team worried about what she'll say during a Hillary campaign. "On Twitter, Lewinsky can communicate with the public on her own terms, at her own discretion - there's no editor, handler, or network executive who may spin her story to suit their objectives," Chrisitan Science Monitor explains.

Though Lewinsky has made no indication the timing of return coincides with Hillary's likely campaign, historian Timothy Stanley thinks it's rather suspicious. Lewinsky said she was inspired to speak out against cyberbullying by the story of Tyler Clementi, a Rutgers University student who committed suicide after his roommate used a webcam to spy on him kissing another man. Stanley, writing for CNN, points out that Clementi died in 2010, so he questions why it took so long for Lewinsky to speak out.

He adds, "Lewinsky has decided to revisit his cause in 2014, suggesting that the timing may have less to do with him than it does with Hillary Clinton."

The White House says Obama spoke by telephone Wednesday with Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama has condemned fatal shootings in Canada as "outrageous attacks" and has offered to help the U.S. ally with its response.

The White House says Obama spoke by telephone Wednesday with Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

A Canadian soldier standing guard at a war memorial in the capital of Ottawa, Ontario, was shot and killed Wednesday. Gunfire also erupted inside Parliament and authorities say at least one gunman was killed.

On Monday, authorities say a recent convert to Islam killed one Canadian soldier before being shot to death by police.

Obama also expressed the American people's solidarity with Canada.

New York 2014 PAC's largest donors are hedge fund millionaire from outside Central New York.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A Republican super PAC supported by hedge fund millionaires plans to spend $240,000 on a 10-day advertising blitz to support John Katko in his race against U.S. Rep. Dan Maffei, D-Syracuse.

Television ads from New York 2014 PAC began airing late last week and will continue at least through this weekend, said John Faso, the committee's president.

Faso is the former state Assembly minority leader who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2006 as the Republican nominee against Eliot Spitzer. Faso began running the super PAC earlier this year. Such groups can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money on political campaigns.

Faso said in an interview with Syracuse.com that the group sees the 24th District as a competitive race that Republicans could win on Nov. 4, and that's why it decided to make the late advertising blitz.

Maffei's campaign succeeded in forcing New York 2014 to change its first TV ad after it began airing last week. The ad suggested Maffei voted to give himself first-class airfare at taxpayer expense. Maffei's campaign argued that the commercial was misleading and violated Federal Communications Commission rules about false advertisements.

Faso said the group's initial ad stated that Maffei voted to give himself first-class airfare. The ad was subsequently changed to say he voted for "first-class airfare for Congress."

"We stood behind the ad," Faso said. "We changed one word in the ad, and it continued running."

Maffei voted against a Republican budget budget bill that included language that stated taxpayer funds could not be used by members of Congress to buy first-class airfare of lease corporate jets. Maffei said he opposed the budget, not the airfare provision. In fact, he separately co-sponsored a standalone Republican bill that would ban first-class air travel for members of Congress.

Find out who is giving money to Maffei and Katko

The five biggest donors to the New York 2014 PAC are politically active hedge fund managers from outside of Central New York, according to the Sunlight Foundation, a government watchdog group.

Among the PAC's large donors is hedge fund billionaire Paul Singer of Elliott Management in New York City. Singer is also the founder of American Unity PAC, a pro-gay rights Republican PAC that spent about $550,000 earlier this year supporting Rep. Richard Hanna of Oneida County in his primary election in the 22nd District.

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

Not enough, according to some city councilors.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Only 36 of the 451 Syracuse police officers live inside city limits, City Auditor Marty Masterpole told the Common Council today. Councilors are considering a resolution aimed at forcing all new cops, firefighters and garbage collectors to be city residents.

The proposal from Majority Leader Helen Hudson is unlikely to change city policy, which is constrained by a state law that the state Legislature has shown no inclination to change.

But councilors said they wanted to raise the issue anyway to highlight the importance of having police officers, firefighters and sanitation workers live in the city where they work.

First Deputy Police Chief David Barrette, a city resident, urged the council to create incentives - not mandates -- to encourage police and fire personnel to buy homes in Syracuse. "We wish all of our police officers lived in the city,'' he said.

Barrette said he did not believe that police officers are more committed to their jobs if they live in the city, but he agreed that there are benefits to having cops as neighbors. "The more police eyeballs you have on the street at any given time makes the city safer,'' he said.

The 415 police officers who reside outside Syracuse - 92 percent of all cops -- took home combined pay of roughly $37 million in the fiscal year that ended June 30, Masterpole said. The 36 officers who live in the city earned about $3 million, he said.

Two-thirds of city firefighters - 225 -- live outside Syracuse, compared with 112 who live in the city, Masterpole said.

The percentages are reversed for sanitation workers. Only 28 garbage collectors reside outside the city, while 54 live in Syracuse, Masterpole said.

The state Legislature over the years has shown no interest in repealing the law that exempts police, fire and sanitation workers from residing in the cities where they work, Hudson acknowledged. She said she does not expect that to change.

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

No one has been found to have the virus.

NEW YORK (AP) -- The executive director of the agency that operates the New York area's three major airports says more than 400 people have been screened for Ebola, with no one found to have the virus.

Patrick Foye of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said Wednesday that 389 people had been screened at JFK Airport and 68 at Newark Liberty Airport in the last week or so.

Foye said he has directed that restrooms in areas where screening takes place be cleaned twice as often to guard against possible infection. He says the same order covers the cleaning of planes that have arrived carrying passengers from West Africa.

A passenger suspected to have Ebola who arrived at Newark Airport on Tuesday night was determined not to have the virus.

Watch the debate on WCNY.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The one, and likely only, debate among New York's candidates for governor starts at 8 p.m. today.

I'll be watching and live blogging the event as it happens. The blog post will be on our homepage.

The debate includes Gov. Andrew Cuomo (Democrat), Rob Astorino (Republican), Howie Hawkins (Green) and Michael McDermott (Libertarian). You can watch live on WCNY or listen to a replay on WRVO-FM at 9 p.m.

Looking for background reading on the race? Check out my roundup from this morning or look through our politics page.

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

A third-party contractor was doing road work when a worker accidentally hit a pipe, causing a gas leak.

CAMILLUS, N.Y. -- Some West Genesee Central School District buses had to be rerouted Wednesday afternoon because of a gas leak in the village of Camillus.

A third-party contractor was doing road work when a worker accidentally hit a pipe, causing a gas leak, Camillus Village Mayor Patricia Butler said.

Virginia Limmiatis, a National Grid spokeswoman, said crews from the utility arrived at the gas leak around 1 p.m. They made repairs and had the gas service restored at about 2:30 p.m., she said. The service where the leak occurred is located at 24 Main St. in the village.

Some West Genesee school buses had to be rerouted due to the gas leaks. The school district said some students would arrive home a bit later than usual because of the delay.

There were traffic delays at Main Street and Newport Road, Butler said, but traffic is now moving smoothly.

Eric Mower said the combination with Middleton & Gendron will help his marketing firm grow as a national agency.

Syracuse, N.Y. — Syracuse-based Eric Mower & Associates, one of the largest independent marketing agencies in the U.S., is combining operations with Middleton & Gendron, a public relations firm in New York City.

Mower, who started his advertising agency in Syracuse in 1968, said the combination with M&G will help his firm's growth as a national agency and extend its public relations services.

"One-third of our volume is public relations, so we're not newcomers to public relations," said Mower. "We've been doing it for decades, but M&G is primarily public relations."

In addition, he said his firm will be able to offer its advertising, website development, sales promotion and other services to M&G's clients.

The two firms will officially combine on Nov. 1, but the move has already been announced on both of their websites.

M&G was founded in 1978 by its chairwoman, Yvonne Middleton, and its president, Mary Gendron. Its clients have included Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, The Savoy Group, Singapore Airlines, Rolex and FAO Schwarz.

The agency is known for its public relations and marketing in the luxury hospitality, travel and lifestyle industries, and in recent years has expanded into the real estate, business-to-business, retail and fitness industries.

Mower said all 10 members of M&G's professional staff, including Middleton and Gendron, will continue with the firm. He said M&G's office at 845 Third Ave. in Manhattan will be retained and will operate as M&G/Eric Mower & Associates until the end of 2015, when the M&G part of the name will be dropped. Middleton and Gendron will continue to lead the office, he said.

Mower's firm employs 240 people, including about 90 at its offices at Jefferson Clinton Commons in Syracuse's Armory Square. In addition to Syracuse, Mower has offices in Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Cincinnati, Atlanta and Charlotte, N.C.

Combined, Eric Mower & Associates and M&G will employ 250 people and have estimated 2014 capitalized billings of $250 million.

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

Data scientist Alice Zhao studied every text she and her husband have exchanged since their first date in 2008 up to their sixth anniversary.

Alice Zhao may have done what no other woman has done before -- analyze every text message she and her husband sent from their first date in October 2008 to their sixth anniversary together this month.

The 27-year-old data analyst considered many aspects of the text messages, including language, frequency and time of day the couple messaged each another, the Daily Mail reports.

Zhao documented her study on her blog "A Dash Of Data." She writes that on her one year anniversary with then-boyfriend Ali, he gave her a Word document of with all of their texts since their first date. Ali called this "#thegiftofdata."

Alice Zhao | A Dash of Data 

So, in celebration of their six-year anniversary together, Zhao took all of their messages from their first year of dating and compared them alongside messages from the past year as an engaged couple and then newlyweds.

After analyzing the texts, Zhao noticed a trend. Her and Ali's conversations changed from "hey, what's up?" to "ok, sounds good". She says they stopped saying their names, and they don't say "love" as frequently in their messages. Words such as "home" and "dinner" remained consistent.

Zhao cites as the main difference between the text messages was that the two didn't see each other every day while dating, allowing most of their communication to happen through texting. She writes in her post:

We'd often message the other person to see what they were doing or tell them that we were thinking of them. As a married couple, since we're together all the time, we set up date nights and say sweet things to each other in person, so texting is mostly used to confirm logistics or share random thoughts.

In the end, Zhao found that the texts started off as "flirty and personal" and developed into "predictable" statements. She points out that the cause of predictability was because of "the unpredictable things were said in person." Cue the cuteness.

Zhao concludes her study saying that texts have become less important in her relationship. "We no longer have to text "I love you" from a distance in the middle of the night," Zhao writes. "I can now roll over, snuggle with my husband and whisper it into his ear."

No legal basis to post "No trespassing" "No loitering" signs, state says

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Syracuse's homeless residents will have fewer benches on which to lie under several highway overpasses downtown.

In a letter this week to John Kuppermann, owner of Smith Restaurant Supply, state Department of Transportation Regional Director Carl F. Ford said that DOT could partner with the city of Syracuse to remove benches under I-81 and I-690 near Kuppermann's business.

"Either the city or DOT will take the benches down this fall," said Jennifer Post, a DOT spokesperson. "We're researching who owns the benches."

There are more than 100 feet of bench under the I-81 overpass along Erie Boulevard East. Several free-standing benches are mounted near buttresses, and a long sitting wall is topped with wooden planks. Homeless men were gathered around several benches Wednesday.

Kuppermann, who has complained to local officials about homeless people panhandling customers and defecating on his property, sent Gov. Andrew Cuomo an email expressing his frustrations and asking for help. Cuomo's office forwarded the email to Ford.

The Syracuse Police Department and state Sen. John DeFrancisco have asked the state DOT to put "no trespassing" and "no loitering" signs beneath the overpasses.  That can't legally be done, said Ford.

"There is no legal basis for doing so because the area in question is open to the general public," Ford wrote.  "The health issues (bodily functions creating unsanitary conditions) and safety issues (harassment of passers-by and panhandling) are police matters; it is the responsibility of the Syracuse Police Department to uphold the law of the community."

Removing the benches "should help in ridding the area of this problem," Ford wrote.

Meanwhile, "for sale" signs went up yesterday on Kuppermann's building at 500 Erie Boulevard East. The sale is unrelated to the homeless issue, Kuppermann said.

Kuppermann has spoken at city council meetings about the homeless issue, and said today he's frustrated by city councilors' apparent inaction to strengthen the city's loitering and panhandling laws.

Loitering is construed to be within 50 feet of a business that sells alcohol; the panhandling law requires a victim who files a complaint.

 "It's their job to pass laws," he said. "They're sitting there like deer in the headlights." 

Contact Dave Tobin anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3277

A 40-year-old Winnipeg woman was arrested after police recovered the remains of several "very young infants" in a storage space.

A 40-year-old Winnipeg, Canada, woman was arrested after police recovered the remains of several "very young infants" in a storage space.

Andrea Giesbrecht, also known as Andrea Naworynski, was charged with six counts of concealing the body of a child and with a probation violation, according to Constable Eric Hofley, a Winnipeg police spokesman.

Hofley told reporters Wednesday that it remains unclear how the babies died or how many bodies were recovered. Police believe they recovered the remains of at least four "very young infants."

On Monday, Winnipeg police were called to a storage space on a report of "suspicious circumstances," according to a department news release.

Giesbrecht, who was renting the storage space, was arrested a short time later.

Police have launched a forensic investigation that could take months, and it is not clear whether the victims were related to Giesbrecht or to one another, Hofley said.

Autopsies were being conducted Wednesday.

"This inicident, tragic beyond belief, leaves many questions unanswered at this time," Hofley told reporters.

The debate starts at 8 p.m. Let us know who you think is winning.

9:16 p.m.
Astorino and Cuomo are taking questions from the press in Buffalo.

I'm rewatching the debate. Here are my takeaways:
1. With the exception of Hawkins' mention of Interstate 81, the debate focused on Buffalo development and Westchester County politics -- and almost no other part of New York.

2. Astorino was on the attack, Cuomo on the defense. That's not surprising, considering Cuomo's leading by more than 20 points.

3. Cuomo promised to serve a full four years.

4. Cuomo turned to Onondaga County District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick when he got the Moreland Commission question. "He has repeatedly said he made all decisions independently," Cuomo said, calling Fitzpatrick the most preeminent DA in the state.

5. McDermott turned a question about hydrofracking into an answer about industrial hemp. "Google it," he urged. I will.

And No. 6: Astorino is not in favor of using more public money for a Buffalo Bills' stadium.

ICYMI I embedded a couple of Twitter feeds in this story, down below. Tweet about the debate and the after-debate analysis are still streaming in.

9 p.m.
That's it. Hawkins ended by noting this last hour was the only gubernatorial debate this season. The elections are Nov. 4.

8:57 p.m.
Cuomo and McDermott almost fist-bump at the end. It's over, all.

8:56 p.m.
Hawkins gives his pledge: The Green New Deal. "Vote Green."

8:54 p.m.
"I'm ready to be your governor to turn this state around," Astorino says. If you really feel your taxes have gone down under Andrew Cuomo? "They haven't." He's partly right -- property taxes continue to rise, though slower than in the past. The richest New Yorkers are paying a higher income tax rate. Middle class people are paying slightly lower rates.

8:53 p.m.
"Democrats and Republicans are the problem," McDermott says. "Vote Libertarian this one time."

8:52 p.m.
Closing statements. Cuomo first. "Upstate New York didn't get the attention it deserved," Cuomo says. "That's what the Buffalo Billion is about." Says Upstate is improving, and Astorino would unravel that. "The arrows are pointed in the right direction."

8:51 p.m.
Instead, Cuomo says he's against legalization of marijuana. Then says Westchester County has some of the highest property taxes in the nation.

8:51 p.m.
"I'm his county executive," Astorino says to Cuomo. Are we going to get a I'm your governor from Cuomo? Sounds like no.

8:48 p.m.
Only mention of Syracuse so far comes from Hawkins, who talked about I-81. Most of the debate has focused on Cuomo and Astorino's home, Westchester County. A few mentions of Buffalo. But no one is really talking about what's between Buffalo and the New York City suburbs.

8:47 p.m.
Should marijuana be legal? Hawkins says he will push for legalization, taxation and regulation of marijuana. Too many people being charged for possessing small amounts of marijuana, especially black or Latinos.

8:46 p.m.
Panelist doing good job with short, direct questions. Candidates doing good job turning those questions on each other with jabs about racism, court cases and federal investigations.

8:45 p.m.
Cuomo pledges to serve all four years, as does Hawkins, McDermott, AStorino.

8:44 p.m.
Hawkins: If the state goes in, we ought to get our share, like the Green Bay Packers. Would provide more transparency and could ensure the Bills stay in Buffalo.

8:44 p.m.
"My opponent is also against the Buffalo Billion," Cuomo says.

8:43 p.m.
Astorino does not thing any more taxpayer money should go into a Buffalo Bills stadium. And turns the conversation back to the Westchester housing discrimination case.

8:42 p.m.
McDermott "I think the Buffalo Bills are great," he says, "But we don't need the government to get in the way.

8:41 p.m.
Next question from Hamburg, and is about public taxpayer supporter for the Buffalo Bills' stadium.

8:40 p.m.
Cuomo turns to Astorino (and race charges) instead of charter schools. Brings up federal court case against public housing in Westchester and codifying Roe v. Wade. Nothing on charter schools.

8:39 p.m.
Astorino's three kids in public schools, wife is a teacher. But hasn't said whether he would support charter schools. Instead, talking about how he got elected in Westchester County with a variety of supporters.

8:38 p.m.
McDermott does not agree with Hawkins. Says charter schools are public schools. But he says he'll homeschool his daughter before he sends her to a charter school.

8:37 p.m.
Next question about charter schools. Hawkins up first. He's against charters, saying its "cannibalization" of public school system. Wants to fully fund schools.

8:36 p.m.
Here's the incident about "extreme views."

8:36 p.m.
"Shame on Gov. Cuomo for playing the race card," Astorino says of Cuomo -- though that doesn't get to the question, which was whether extreme views are welcome in New York.

8:35 p.m.
McDermott again agrees with Cuomo, says the governor didn't mean that people with extreme views aren't welcome in New York.

8:33 p.m.
"I think New York's a place for everybody," Hawkins said, and turns the question to redistricting. Six senate seats near Syracuse that are unopposed this term. Also says Cuomo, others should let the legislature pass the nine items on the women's equality act -- and work on the abortion plank separately.

8:32 p.m.
Extreme views in New York: Can you oppose abortion and gun control and still be welcome in New York? Cuomo says that's not what he meant. Cuomo turns the question to Astorino's "ultra-conservative" views on abortion, same sex marriage, the Dream Act.

8:31 p.m.
McDermott agrees with Cuomo (not the first time he's said that tonight).

8:30 p.m.
Hawkins turns the TZB question toward Interstate 81:
"We've got an interstate that's got to come down in my hometown in Syracuse," Hawkins says, adding the DOT keeps talking about getting people to and from University Hill instead of talking about how to help people without cars in the city and the suburbs get to and from work.

8:29 p.m.
Cuomo: "We're finally rebuilding the Tappan Zee Bridge," Cuomo says, and saving $1 billion doing it. "We don't have the final cost for the bridge," he said. "We will figure out the toll when we know the final cost.....it will be affordable for the commuters."

8:28 p.m.
Next up, Tappan Zee Bridge.
Astorino gives Cuomo credit for putting the project together. but the governor hasn't figured out how to pay for it. Astorino says that all of NY should get the higher tolls for the bridge.

8:27 p.m.
Cuomo: "I have nothing to do with Common Core." The Board of REgents is in charge of it. "I stopped the grading of Common Core." Says he put a five-year moratorium on using test scores.

8:26 p.m.
Cuomo's Common Core a disaster, Astorino says. Want to get rid of it.

8:25 p.m.
McDermott says he and his daughter work on homework together. And neither one gets it (again to laughter).

8:24 p.m.
First video question from voter is about Common Core. Hawkins is up first. Says it narrows learning and focuses on filling in answers. Local school boards should make decisions about curriculum.

8:24 p.m.
"I rest my case," McDermott says to laughter after hearing the sparring over the definitions of independent and mentions of investigations.

8:22 p.m.
Cuomo: "truly outrageous," says in response to Astorino's challenge. Says Astorino is under investigation for racketeering and he won't release his taxes.

8:21 p.m.
Astorino says Cuomo is swimming in a cesspool of corruption. You're looking at Andrew Cuomo...."a person that very well may be indicted," Astorino says. Challenges the governor to swear that he has not been subpoenaed Preet Bharara, a federal prosecutor.

8:20 p.m.
McDermott: "The solution lies in getting the people involved in all of this stuff."

8:18 p.m.
Hawkins on Moreland: He would re-impanel it. And he would change campaign finance laws to use public funds to help people run for office. He wants lawmakers to be full-time, so that they couldn't make money in the private sector while serving.

8:17 p.m.
Here it is: Moreland. Cuomo is up first. Mentions Bill Fitzpatrick, Onondaga County DA, who was co-chair. Fitzpatrick has said he made all the decisions regarding the Moreland Commission's investigations. "He's been saying that for months," Cuomo says of Fitzpatrick.

8:16 p.m.
McDermott turns the question to industrial hemp. "Please google it, and look it up."

8:15 p.m.
Hawkins says Cuomo's actions so far have been a farce on hydrofracking. Hawkins is against the deep, horizontal drilling, period.

8:14 p.m.
Cuomo compares Astorino to Mark Ruffalo, actor who is against hydrofracking. Says Astorino acts one way in Westchester County and another in Upstate when it comes to fracking.

8:13 p.m.
Astorino says dozens of other states are drilling for natural gas. "We can do that here in New York." This will lower energy costs, create jobs, and be a boost for schools. "We would move forward in the first 90 days of administration."

8:12 p.m.
Next question from Karen DeWitt. She asks about hydrofracking. First up, Astorino.

8:11 p.m.
Hawkins: We need a trickle-up policy. The best way is to commit to 100 percent clean energy over the next 50 years. That would cut electric rates in half, put people to work, he says.

8:10 p.m.
Cuomo: "Rhetoric is good, facts are better." Mentions Tax Foundation's recent award to the state for improving the tax climate for businesses. Tax Foundation is a non-partisan group.

8:08 p.m.
Astorino. We basically have massive "corporate welfare." Andrew Cuomo benefits from this tremendously, Astorino says, and uses the money to trash the Republican with television ads.

8:07 p.m.
Bob Mccarthy's question is about economic development.
McDermott is not in favor of Start-Up NY. "It doesn't include a lot that it needs to include."

8:05 p.m.
Astorino starts off with his mantra: New York is losing instead of winning. He wants to cut taxes, impose terms limits to "clean up the corruption" of Cuomo's administration. And get rid of the "unsafe act."

8:04 p.m.
Cuomo dismissed "ultra conservative" candidate as an option to lead New York. Hawkins now talking up his Green platform, which includes a ban on hydrofracking.

8:02 p.m.
Brian Meyer is our moderator. Four candidates are seated. Candidates will take questions from panelists and video questions from voters.

8 p.m.

And we're on.

7:55 p.m.
Cuomo gives Hawkins a friendly hello according to the Wall Street Journal's Erica Orden.

.@NYGovCuomo has finally entered the studio. He shook hands with each of the other candidates and gave Hawkins a pat on the shoulder.

— erica orden (@eorden) October 22, 2014

7:53 p.m.
Looks like Cuomo is the last one to come on stage.

Here's the scene at #nysgovdebate. L-R: Astorino, Cuomo (not yet seated), Hawkins, McDermott. pic.twitter.com/LUXwvg3UWg

— Jon Campbell (@JonCampbellGAN) October 22, 2014

7:50 p.m.
If you're reading this story, please remember to refresh every few minutes to keep up with the blog. I don't think it will refresh on its own. Candidates are on stage now, getting mics on.

7:47 p.m.

Looks like some of the Albany press corps is using #nygov as well tonight. Great, economical hashtag.
#nygov Tweets


7:45 p.m.
Cuomo likes a cold room. It appears tonight is no different.

It is approximately 14 degrees in this studio.

— erica orden (@eorden) October 22, 2014

7:44 p.m.
If you're not on Twitter, follow the conversation here:
#nysgovdebate Tweets

7:40 p.m.
If you're following along on Twitter, it looks like the hashtag is #nysgovdebate . Did I miss any others?

@wbfo @wned the room is filling! Debaters in the house. sound checks done #NYSgovdebate http://t.co/o6Q5pgV2ZU

— Philip Glick MD MBA (@glicklab) October 22, 2014

7:35 p.m.
Evening, all. The debate starts in about 30 minutes. I'll be blogging along the way. Please join in in the comments below, especially when you think a candidate strikes a key point or goes way out on a limb.

For now, here's our line-up:

The candidates
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Democrat, running for second term.
Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, Republican, first statewide campaign.
Howie Hawkins, Green Party candidate. From Syracuse, a nightshift worker for UPS. Ran for governor four years ago.
Michael McDermott, Libertarian.

The hosts
The Buffalo News and WNED/WBFO

The view

In the Syracuse area, you can watch starting at 8 p.m. on WCNY. The Buffalo News is livestreaming the event. Most public television stations across the state will carry the debate. (I already set my DVR.) WRVO will re-broadcast the debate at 9 p.m.

The preview

Cuomo has managed to maintain a commanding lead throughout the campaign season, most recently polling 21 points ahead of Astorino. Cuomo has run a somewhat muted campaign, running television ads across the state for weeks while making only one Upstate political swing so far this fall (not counting several one-stop trips to Buffalo). His message highlights his first term -- lower income tax rates for middle-class earners, a 10-year tax-free program for qualifying businesses, stricter guns laws, on-time budgets and decreases in state spending growth over previous years. What he doesn't mention? His administration's involvement in an anti-corruption commission and failing to take politics out of redistricting. A key promise for his second term is a "women's equality agenda" that includes codifying abortion laws.

Astorino has spent most of the summer and fall crisscrossing the state, criticizing Cuomo's tax policies as driving people from New York. He's failed to cash in on emotional backlash Cuomo faced after passing the NY Safe Act, and a prominent state business group has backed the incumbent governor. Astorino would repeal the Safe Act, stop Common Core standards implementations and review all state tax benefit programs before establishing a new, flatter tax plan. Astorino favors hydrofracking.

Hawkins is polling at 9 percent, a sky-high achievement for a third-party candidate. Hawkins' progressive platform (higher minimum wage, no hydrofracking, government jobs for unemployed) is meant to push Cuomo to the left.

As a Libertarian candidate, McDermott is at a disadvantage because his party doesn't have a permanent line on the ballot. If he gets 50,000 votes, that would change.

The election
Nov. 4. Polls open at 6 a.m., close at 9 p.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- An unidentified man was in the custody Wednesday night after he climbed over the White House fence and was swiftly apprehended on the North Lawn by uniformed Secret Service agents and their dogs. The incident came about a month after a previous White House fence jumper sprinted across the same lawn, past armed uniformed agents and entered...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- An unidentified man was in the custody Wednesday night after he climbed over the White House fence and was swiftly apprehended on the North Lawn by uniformed Secret Service agents and their dogs.

The incident came about a month after a previous White House fence jumper sprinted across the same lawn, past armed uniformed agents and entered the mansion before he was felled in the ceremonial East Room and taken into custody.

That embarrassing Sept. 19 incident preceded the disclosure of other serious Secret Service breaches in security for President Barack Obama and ultimately led to Julia Pierson's resignation as director of the agency after 18 months on the job.

Secret Service spokesman Brian Leary said the man in Wednesday's incident climbed the Pennsylvania Avenue fence shortly after 7 p.m. and was immediately apprehended by uniformed agents and K-9 teams that constantly patrol the grounds.

Video of the incident recorded by TV news cameras shows a man in white shorts on the lawn just inside the fence. The video shows that man lifting his shirt as if to show that he is unarmed. He is then seen kicking and punching two Secret Service dogs that were released on him.

The man was being taken to a local hospital, Leary said, without elaboration.

After Pierson resigned, an agent who once led Obama's protective detail came out of retirement to lead the Secret Service until Obama names a new director, pending the completion of internal and independent reviews of agency practices.

This week, a federal judge delayed the arraignment of Omar Gonzalez, the individual charged in September's fence-jumping incident, because of questions about his mental fitness to stand trial.

Gonzalez has been indicted on several charges, including of carrying a knife into the White House and assaulting two Secret Service officers.

Kimberly Guilfoyle said Tuesday that young women should "excuse themselves" from voting in the upcoming midterm elections.

In a segment on Fox News, co-host Kimberly Guilfoyle said Tuesday that young women should "excuse themselves" from voting in the upcoming midterm elections.

Guifoyle, co-host on "The Five," said twentysomething women don't share the same "life experience" as older women, The Huffington Post reports. Guifoyle listed reasons such as lack of experience paying bills, handling mortgage, children, education and healthcare. "They're like healthy and hot and running around without a care in the world," she adds.

Mother Jones reports that Guifoyle also said this is "why young women on juries are not a good idea."

Earlier on in the show, co-host Greg Gutfeld said that "with age comes wisdom" and conservatism is correlated to married and older women, Mediaite notes. Guifoyle agreed with Gutfeld and said that young women should be excused so, "they can go back on Tinder and Match.com."

However, Salon reports that estimates from The Project on Student Debt show approximately seven in 10 college graduates accrue an average of $29,400 in student loans, which constitutes as bills that require payment.

Additionally, Salon points out that young mothers are on the rise, as the CDC reports that the birth rate for American women aged 20 to 24 was 83.1 per 1,000 in 2012. Furthermore, the rate for women aged 25-29 was 106.5 for every 1,000. This is compared to 97.3 per 1,000 for women in their early 30s.

What do you think of Guilfoyle's comment? Leave yours below.

Burglaries from January to September were down 25 percent in Syracuse and 21 percent across Onondaga County compared to the same period last year.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- If you follow the news, you've probably noticed some high-profile burglaries in Central New York this year.

From thieves breaking into Mayor Stephanie Miner's home and revelations about a crime family that has burglarized the area for years, to strings of burglaries in Camillus and DeWitt, burglaries have been cause for concern.

But burglaries in the city of Syracuse and Onondaga County have actually dropped off significantly this year, according to the Syracuse.com Crime Database.

Syracuse burglaries were down 25 percent, from 1,330 between January and the end of September 2013, to 1,004 during the same period this year. Burglaries in the city were down for the month of September as well. During September, there were 60 fewer burglaries than last year, a 34 percent decrease.

Across Onondaga County, burglaries trended downward. The Crime Database shows a 26 percent drop in burglaries during the month of September compared to last September, from 244 in 2013 to 181 last month.

Burglaries from January to the end of September this year were down 21 percent from last year. Authorities reported 1,904 burglaries between January and September 2013, and 1,502 burglaries during the same period this year.

Burglary cases handled by the New York State Police are not included in the Crime Database. State police operate on a different system that crosses county lines and is not compatible with the system used by other law enforcement agencies in Onondaga County.

The database includes records of aggravated assaults, arsons, burglaries, all larcenies, murders or attempted murders, robberies and vehicle thefts as reported by police. These crimes are so-called "Part I felonies." This means crimes that are reported to the FBI for use in its annual crime index.

Here is a breakdown of recent reported burglaries in Syracuse and Onondaga County.

Syracuse Burglaries
Sept 2014: 116
Sept 2013: 176
Sept 2012: 151

Jan-Sept 2014: 1,004
Jan-Sept 2013: 1,330
Jan-Sept 2012: 1,331

Onondaga County Burglaries (not including state police)
Sept 2014: 181
Sept 2013: 244
Sept 2012: 246

Jan-Sept 2014: 1,502
Jan-Sept 2013: 1,904
Jan-Sept 2012: 2,071

Note: The Crimes Database does not include every serious crime, but provides a snapshot of crime in the area. Many law enforcement agencies take days or weeks to compile their reports. The crime statistics are updated weekly back to Jan. 1 of this year.

Read more:

» Check your own neighborhood in the Crimes Database.

» See a list of all crimes listed in the Onondaga County Crime Database, listed by type.

» Read more about what you'll find in the Crime database.

» See where across the city of Syracuse police officers have died in the line of duty.

» Check The Post-Standard's Police Blotter for a list of arrests.

» Read all of our stories about the Crimes Database.

Contact Ken Sturtz anytime: 315-766-7833 | Email | Twitter | Facebook | Google+

A masked gunman killed a soldier standing guard at Canada's war memorial Wednesday, then stormed Parliament in an attack that was stopped cold when he was shot to death by the ceremonial sergeant-at-arms.

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) -- A masked gunman killed a soldier standing guard at Canada's war memorial Wednesday, then stormed Parliament in an attack that was stopped cold when he was shot to death by the ceremonial sergeant-at-arms. Canada's prime minister called it the country's second terrorist attack in three days.

"We will not be intimidated. Canada will never be intimidated," Prime Minister Stephen Harper vowed in an address to the nation.

Unfolding just before 10 a.m., while lawmakers were meeting in caucus rooms, the assault rocked Parliament over and over with the boom of gunfire, led MPs to barricade doors with chairs and sent people streaming from the building in fear. Harper was addressing a caucus when the attack began outside the door, but he safely escaped.

Investigators offered little information about the gunman, identified as 32-year-old petty criminal Michael Zehaf-Bibeau. But Harper said: "In the days to come we will learn about the terrorist and any accomplices he may have had."

A government official told AP that Zehaf-Bibeau was a recent convert to Islam. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss the case publicly.

Canada was already on alert because of a deadly hit-and-run assault Monday against two Canadian soldiers by a man Harper described as an "ISIL-inspired terrorist." ISIL, or Islamic State, has called for reprisals against Canada and other Western countries that have joined the U.S.-led air campaign against the extremist group in Iraq and Syria.

Witnesses said the soldier posted at the National War Memorial, identified as Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, was gunned down at point-blank range by a man carrying a rifle and dressed all in black, his face half-covered with a scarf. The gunman appeared to raise his arms in triumph, then entered Parliament, a few hundred yards away, where dozens of shots soon rang out, according to witnesses.

People fled the complex by scrambling down scaffolding erected for renovations, while others took cover inside as police with rifles and body armor took up positions outside and cordoned off the normally bustling streets around Parliament.

On Twitter, Canada's justice minister and other government officials credited 58-year-old sergeant-at-arms Kevin Vickers with shooting the attacker just outside the MPs' caucus rooms. Vickers serves a largely ceremonial role at the House of Commons, carrying a scepter and wearing rich green robes, white gloves and a tall imperial hat.

At least three people were treated for minor injuries.

In Washington, President Barack Obama condemned the shootings as "outrageous" and said: "We have to remain vigilant." The U.S. Embassy in Ottawa was locked down as a precaution, and security was tightened at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery just outside Washington.

Harper vowed that the attacks will "lead us to strengthen our resolve and redouble our efforts" to keep the country safe and work with Canada's allies to fight terrorists.

Police said in the initial hours that as many as two other gunmen may have taken part in the attacks. But by late in the evening, the cordon around Parliament was lifted and police said there was no longer any threat to the public in the area.

Court records that appear to be the gunman's show that he had a long rap sheet, with a string of convictions for assault, robbery, drug and weapons offenses, and other crimes.

Tony Zobl said he witnessed the Canadian soldier being gunned down from his fourth-floor window directly above the National War Memorial, a 70-foot, arched granite cenotaph, or tomb, with bronze sculptures commemorating World War I.

"I looked out the window and saw a shooter, a man dressed all in black with a kerchief over his nose and mouth and something over his head as well, holding a rifle and shooting an honor guard in front of the cenotaph point-blank, twice," Zobl told the Canadian Press news agency. "The honor guard dropped to the ground, and the shooter kind of raised his arms in triumph holding the rifle."

The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. had video of the gunman going to his car alone with his weapon after the shooting at the memorial. The car was later spotted parked in front of Parliament Hill, just down the block.

Cabinet minister Tony Clement tweeted that at least 30 shots were heard inside Parliament, where Conservative and Liberal MPs were holding their weekly caucus meetings.

"I'm safe locked in a office awaiting security," Kyle Seeback, another member of Parliament, tweeted.

"I was just taking off my jacket to go into caucus. I hear this pop, pop, pop. Possibly 10 shots, don't really know. Thought it was dynamite or construction rather than anything else," said John McKay, a member of Parliament.

He said security guards then came rushing down the halls, herding them toward the back of the buildings.

"And then we started talking to another woman and she was apparently inside the library of Parliament, saw the fellow, wearing a hoodie, carrying a gun," McKay said, "and then the implications of this start to sink in."

The attack came two days after a recent convert to Islam killed one Canadian soldier and injured another with his car before being shot to death by police. The killer had been on the radar of federal investigators, who feared he had jihadist ambitions and seized his passport when he tried to travel to Turkey.

Canada had raised its domestic terror threat level from low to medium Tuesday because of what it called "an increase in general chatter from radical Islamist organizations." As recently as Tuesday, Canada sent eight fighter jets to the Mideast to join the battle against Islamic State.

After the shootings, officials canceled two events in Toronto honoring Pakistani teenager and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, including one in which she was supposed to receive honorary Canadian citizenship. She was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman in 2012 for supporting schooling for girls.