The Thruway Authority's board votes on its 2015 proposed budget on Monday.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The short answer is no: the New York State Thruway has no toll increased planned for its 2015 budget.

But that 'no' comes with caveats as the Thruway authority, which already has trimmed staff and costs to shore up recent shortfalls, looks to build a $3.9 billion replacement for the Tappan Zee Bridge.

To make the 2015 proposed $2 billion budget balance without any toll increase, the Thruway is depending on more drivers than its own traffic consultant estimates, according to E.J. McMahon, an Albany budget watchdog who is president and founder of the Empire Center for Public Policy.

That means the Thruway is counting on $31 million more in toll revenues in 2015 than forecasted in its traffic study, McMahon says.

That's not an unusual budget tactic, McMahon notes, to make a proposed budget balance on paper. But it can't continue, especially with the massive bridge cost looming.

"There's no question that there's going to be some Thruway toll increase," McMahon said. "The question is who pays how much how soon?"

The Thruway's board meets at noon on Monday and is expected to take up the proposed budget for the Thruway and Canal Corporation for the fiscal year that starts Jan. 1.

Already, the Thruway has tightened its belt. It refinanced some debt to save $100 million in interest payments. Taxpayers now pay for New York State Police on the Thruway and some other operating expenses, an $85 million annual savings for the authority. Those changes came after the Thruway proposed, then backed away from, a 45 percent truck toll increase two years ago.

The 2015 budget calls for reducing its staff by another 20 positions, part of restructuring that has saved more than $150 million since 2011.

Neither the state nor the authority has said how it plans to pay for the $3.9 billion bridge. A plan to use about $500 million in federal money earmarked for clean water projects was shot down earlier this year. That money is not included in the 2015 proposal, McMahon said.

For now, McMahon has an idea to bridge that $31 million gap: Charge the Tappan Zee drivers an extra $1 starting next year. Already, the toll to cross the bridge is $4.75.

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

Share your photos and stories about being in stand-still traffic on I-81 during the snow storm on syracuse.com.

As the snow continues to fall across Central New York, many are stuck in traffic on I-81 south because of two disabled tractor-trailers near LaFayette.

In a recent update, the southbound I-81 closure has been extended to the I-481 ramp in Syracuse. The highway is closed to southbound traffic between Exit 17 and Exit 14.

Many have been taking to Facebook to share photos and stories of their winter weather traffic woes. One user, John Fritzen, is offering to trade cookies for gasoline. Jason Spencer, another Facebook user, also posted to the syracuse.com page explaining his tricky situation:

"I've been stuck in this for 3 hours, just yards from Nedrow exit. My gas is way below E at this point, since exits for gas are inaccessible. Not looking good."

Were you in this traffic and have a story or photo to share? Share them with us on syracuse.com. Post your story in the comments section below. And for photos, here's how to share your wintry snaps:

You can share your Instagram photos with us by tagging them #CNYweather, or upload them straight to syracuse.com using these steps:

1) Take a photo. Sign in to syracuse.com using your syracuse.com community account. If you don't have an account, you can register for free.

2) Upload your photo to syracuse.com. Make sure to add your photo to the Vehicles stuck on I-81 gallery.

You can also email your photos to yourphotos@syracuse.com.

Stranded on a snowy highway? Here are some tips on what to do.

Get the latest winter weather and school closing information on syracuse.com.

Allie Healy | ahealy@syracuse.com 

The woman was assisted by the flight crew and a doctor and nurse who were aboard.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A Southwest Airlines flight landed in Los Angeles with one more passenger than when it took off.

A passenger gave birth shortly after Flight 623 took off from San Francisco on Tuesday and the Phoenix-bound jet diverted to Los Angeles International Airport.

The woman was assisted by the flight crew and a doctor and nurse who were aboard, airline spokeswoman Emily Samuels said. She said hopefully the airline has a new customer for life.

Paramedics boarded the aircraft and the mother and newborn, whose names have not been released, were taken to a hospital in good condition, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Erik Scott said.

The aircraft was taken out of service for cleaning and the other passengers went on to Phoenix aboard another plane, arriving more than two hours behind schedule.

Passenger Julie Dafoe said she and Kurt Reed were sitting next to the woman.

"One of the nurses that helped she said she was like walking around pacing in the airport so they were thinking she was having contractions," Dafoe told Phoenix TV station KTVK.

"All of a sudden I heard a baby cry like a gurgling sound, like a baby that had too much milk or whatever and I'm like 'There's no babies on this flight,'" Reed said.

Passengers said they had heard the call for a doctor, but nothing about what the medical emergency was.

"The captain announced congratulations for the arrival of this new baby boy," another passenger Aarti Shahani told KTVK. "So we all started applauding, but it was confusing because we thought someone was going to die not be born."

A student brought a gun onto the campus of Canastota Junior Senior High School earlier this week.

A student brought a gun onto the Canastota Junior Senior High School campus Monday night, according to a letter to parents posted on the district's website.

The letter, signed by Canastota Superintendent June C. Clarke, said the student did not have any ammunition.

The district acted immediately, Clarke said.

District officials and law enforcement are investigating, the letter said.

Clarke could not be reached Wednesday afternoon for comment.

Hallmark recalled the holiday gift wrap after receiving a complaint from a customer who saw the product at a Walgreens in California.

Hallmark Cards has pulled all rolls of a Hanukkah wrapping paper off its shelves after customers said they saw swastikas in the print.

Time reports that Hallmark recalled the holiday gift wrap after receiving a complaint from a customer who saw the product at a Walgreens in California. The company alerted their stores of the issue Monday after the complaint was filed Sunday.

The blue and silver gift wrap was seen in Hanukkah display at the drug store. However, Hallmark spokeswoman Julie Elliott said the wrapping paper wasn't intended specifically for the Jewish holiday. Elliott says in a statement:

"We apologize for the oversight and apologize to anyone who was offended. That obviously was not our intent. It was an oversight on our part to not notice the intersecting lines that could be seen as a swastika pattern."

Elliott said the gift wrap's print was based on a design in the Hallmark archives that drew inspiration from an old Chinese vase, The Kansas City Star adds.

Earlier this year, Spanish fashion designer Zara pulled a children's pajama shirt from their stores after customers noticed the blue striped top with a yellow star resembled uniforms worn by Jewish prisoners in the Holocaust.

Additional reporting contributed by The Associated Press.

One CNY community tops the list for snow from this storm.

(Update Thursday: We now have totals for the storm through Thursday morning)

What community got the most snowfall?

Topping the list at this point is Jamesville, with 20 inches. That total was recorded as of 12:15 p.m. today.

That's according to reports collected by the National Weather Service offices in Albany, Buffalo, Binghamton, Burlington and New York as well as the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network, a collection of trained volunteer spotters.

Central New York appeared the hardest hit region in the state, with 18 of the top 25 snowfall totals coming from CNY.

The official total, measured at Hancock International Airport, was 7.4 inches as of 5 p.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

Snowfall, New York state, 12-10-2014

State troopers earlier Wednesday had asked drivers to avoid Interstate 81 south of Syracuse.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Interstate 81 south has reopened from the city of Syracuse to Cortland County, the New York State Police said Wednesday evening.

State troopers earlier Wednesday had asked drivers to avoid Interstate 81 south of Syracuse.

The southbound lanes from Interstate 481 were closed around 7:30 a.m. to traffic due to accidents and hazardous conditions, the most problematic of which were two disabled tractor-trailers near Route 20 in LaFayette. State troopers along with state and county department of transportation crews cleared vehicles off I-81 and its on-ramps in order to make room for snow plows.

Drivers heading south from Syracuse to Tully had to seek alternate routes.

A winter weather travel advisory remains in effect for Onondaga County through Thursday at noon due to continuing snow accumulation.

Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney issued a warning Tuesday for drivers to avoid travel if possible due to freezing rain, ice and snow, along with the low visibility and drifts that go with those conditions.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the ban would be in effect from 5 p.m. Wednesday until at least 6 a.m. Thursday and would affect parts of interstates 90, 81, 390 and 690.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Tractor-trailers and large commercial trucks are being temporarily banned from traveling on major highways in Central New York because of heavy snowfall.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the ban would be in effect from 5 p.m. Wednesday until at least 6 a.m. Thursday and would affect parts of interstates 90, 81, 390 and 690.

The New York State Thruway Authority ordered a ban on all tractor-trailers and tandem tractor-trailers on I-90 between Exit 32 (Westmoreland - Rome - NY Route 233) and Exit 48 (Batavia - NY Route 98).

Likewise, the state Department of Transportation banned tractor-trailers on the following highways:

I-81 from Exit 31/Bartel Road in Brewerton, to Exit 6/I-88 in the town of Chenango.

I-690 in Syracuse from the Thruway to I-81.

I-390 from Exit 12 at the Thruway in Rochester, to I-86 in the town of Avoca.

Officials have urged the public only to travel if necessary and to use caution when doing so.

Snowplows are focusing on major commuter routes.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Some snow-choked city side streets might not get plowed until Thursday morning because Syracuse's 19 snowplows have been busy all day keeping major thoroughfares clear, city officials said late this afternoon.

"Some of the side streets are a little difficult,'' said Bill Ryan, the mayor's chief of staff. "I wouldn't be surprised, quite frankly, if they don't get to a lot of them until tomorrow.''

Faced with steady snow since roughly 2 a.m. today, plow drivers have spent most of their time clearing downtown streets, hills near the hospitals and major commuter routes, Ryan said. They will continue to focus on those areas at least through the evening commute, and possibly for much of the night.

Snow is expected to continue falling until about 6:30 a.m. Thursday, Ryan said. "We haven't gotten any sort of a break in it,'' he said.

The public works department has 19 large snowplows on the road, plus an unspecified number of pickup trucks with plows. Crews are working 12-hour shifts. The 43 employees who are plowing now will be relieved at 7 p.m. by a contingent of 48, who will work through the night, Ryan said.

Ryan, who had just returned from a drive through the city, described the condition of the major roads as "good to pretty good.''

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

District officials say they were assured city roads were cleared and salted at 4:30 a.m.

Update: We earlier reported Syracuse was the only district to open. Jordan-Elbridge opened, but then dismissed early.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Seven Syracuse City School District students were stuck on a school bus stranded on Rt. 81 for more than five hours Wednesday. One school bus hit a telephone pole. Another struck a fire hydrant.

No students were injured, but the incidents were among a slew of logistical mishaps the Syracuse City School District encountered today, when city schools stayed open during the worst winter storm of the season. Every other school district in Onondaga County closed or shortened its day.

Why did the Syracuse City School District stay open?

District officials cite several reasons.

Early timing: The district needs to let Centro officials know by 5 a.m. whether school will be be delayed two hours, said Michael Henesey, district spokesman. Centro buses about 3,000 Syracuse high school students daily; the district has about 20,000 students.

There's no deadline for notifying Centro about a school closing, said Lynnette Paduano, a Centro communications manager. Early closings, once the school day starts, can be called any time, she said.

Report of clear roads: Syracuse Department of Public Services told district officials at 4:30 a.m. that roads were cleared and heavily salted, said Jaime Alicea the district's chief operations officer.

"We made our decision based on the information we had at that time," he said.

Working parents: "We need to make the announcement early so parents can make arrangements in case we have to delay or close the school," said Alicea.

He cited the same concern over closing school early.

"We have parents who are working," he said. "We don't want to send kids home if there's no one to watch the kids."

Around the city, bus arrival times at school were an average of 20 minutes late, said Henesey. Some students waited in the cold and blowing snow to no avail because buses didn't show up.

"Not one plow has come down our street today," said Melinda Medler, who lives on Erie Street. Medler kept her three children home from LeMoyne Elementary School today, and wrote an angry email this morning to Superintendent Sharon Contreras.

"I, as parent of 3 Syracuse school district children, would like to know why the schools were not closed today. Every school is closed around us, but Syracuse. There are numerous accidents and a travel advisory, but yet Syracuse still expects children to go to school. It's pathetic," Medler wrote at 8:28 a.m.

Contreras responded at 8:59 a.m.

"Snow decisions are made based upon the weather report and then discussions with the Department of Public Works (DPW). DPW informs us as to whether or not the roads will be cleared. We hold the call, as we did this morning, at 4:30 AM. At that time we were told that the roads had been salted/sanded and that the main streets were plowed with the side streets to be plowed soon thereafter. We also send drivers out at 4:30 to check the driving conditions for our busses. Based upon these factors, schools remained open."

Medler responded at 9:04 a.m.

"You should have followed the other districts that take children's safety seriously and closed. "

Contreras responded again at 9:04 a.m.

"DPW assured us the roads were ready for travel. We depend greatly on their assessment of the road conditions."

SCSD student attendance today was 71 percent, compared to a yearly average of 92 percent, according to Say Yes attendance figures.

The students stranded on I-81 were headed to Meachem Elementary School, Henesey said. The students were picked up on a second bus run. The driver chose to turn onto I-81, rather than negotiate city streets. But I-81 was closed. Students were stranded at least five hours. No one brought the students drinks or snacks, Henesey said.

At day's end, Medler remained angry at the district.

"Why don't school officials stand out there for 10, 15, 20 minutes and see how they feel if they was kids," she said.

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

The crash occurred around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday on I-81 north near state Route 481 in Cicero.

Update: The road has been reopened to traffic.

CICERO, N.Y. -- Interstate 81 north is closed due to an accident.

The crash occurred around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday on I-81 north near state Route 481 in Cicero. The Cicero Fire Department, NOVA Ambulance and the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office responded to the scene.

Traffic is reportedly backing up in the area.

Two men paid a Canadian fisherman to take them out on his charter fishing boat on the Niagara River and then forced him at knifepoint to bring them to the U.S. shoreline in New York, according to authorities who were searching for the men Wednesday.

Two men paid a Canadian fisherman to take them out on his charter fishing boat on the Niagara River and then forced him at knifepoint to bring them to the U.S. shoreline in New York, according to authorities who were searching for the men Wednesday.

The pair, described as in their mid-20s, were among three men who approached a father and son for a fishing excursion at a marina in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, about 11 a.m. Tuesday, U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Matthew Bitterman said.

Although the 17-year-old son noticed the group did not appear to be dressed for cold-weather fishing, he agreed to the outing, authorities said. Only two men made the trip after the third walked away.

While on the river, the men asked if they could get closer to the United States shoreline to take some pictures, Bitterman said, and the son traveled to the mouth of Lake Ontario near Fort Niagara State Park.

"He got as close as he felt comfortable to the shoreline and they pushed him to get closer," Bitterman said. "One of them displayed a knife and said something to the effect of 'I think we can get closer.'"

The son dropped the men off in the backyard of a home in the Niagara County village of Youngstown, New York. They were last seen walking along residential Lake Road.

While people are periodically arrested for paying smugglers or crossing the river in canoes and kayaks stolen from the Canadian shore, authorities could not recall a previous hijacking incident.

"We've had smuggling of alcohol, smuggling of cigarettes and drugs. We've run into all of that, but I can't recall a forcible" crossing, Niagara County Sheriff Chief Deputy Steven Preisch said.

One of the men carried a brown satchel and spoke French as he talked on a cellphone, the son told authorities. The other, wearing a black sweater, spoke with what was described as a New Jersey accent.

The Border Patrol's Buffalo sector, which covers 450 miles from western to central New York, made 741 arrests in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, Bitterman said. Of them, 37 people had illegally entered from Canada.

The social network is going to begin verifying official Instagram accounts.

In a statement released Wednesday, Instagram announced that there are now more than 300,000 monthly active users of the social media app.

According to The New York Times, this makes Instagram more popular than Twitter, which had 284 million monthly active users.

Kevin Systrom, Instagram's chief executive, says in the statement that the photo and video-sharing network is also going to begin verifying the Instagram accounts of celebrities, athletes and brands -- just as Twitter does.

Instagram is also weeding out spam accounts, deleting them from the network instead of deactivating them, the Times adds.

CNBC reports more than 70 percent of Instagram users are outside the U.S., and all users have shared more than 30 billion photos. CEO Kevin Systrom tells CNBC that the app is seeing more fashion enthusiasts and teens creating accounts.

Regarding future growth, Systrom says Instagram hopes to keep up with the rapid pace, calling it a "big challenge" for the team. One way the social network hopes to keep numbers high is by ramping up its advertisments -- making Instagram competitive with print and TV companies, CNBC says.

However, some users are not happy about seeing ads on Instagram, BBC says. Despite this, Systrom says Instagram will continue to move forward with the initiative.

"When you get to 300 million users it's not cheap to run that service and you need to make sure to be able to hire more people," Systrom adds.

Former CIA directors call Senate report a "one-sided study marred by errors of fact and interpretation"

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Top spies past and present campaigned Wednesday to discredit the Senate's investigation into the CIA's harrowing torture practices after 9/11, battling to define the historical record and deter potential legal action around the world.

The Senate intelligence committee's report doesn't urge prosecution for wrongdoing, and the Justice Department has no interest in reopening a criminal probe. But the threat to former interrogators and their superiors was underlined as a U.N. special investigator demanded those responsible for "systematic crimes" be brought to justice, and human rights groups pushed for the arrest of key CIA and Bush administration figures if they travel overseas.

Current and former CIA officials pushed back, determined to paint the Senate report as a political stunt by Senate Democrats tarnishing a program that saved American lives. It is a "one-sided study marred by errors of fact and interpretation -- essentially a poorly done and partisan attack on the agency that has done the most to protect America," former CIA directors George Tenet, Porter Goss and Michael Hayden wrote in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece.

Hayden was singled out by Senate investigators for what they said was a string of misleading or outright false statements he gave in 2007 about the importance of the CIA's brutal treatment of detainees in thwarting terrorist attacks. He described the focus on him as "ironic on so many levels" as any wrongdoing predated his arrival at the CIA. "They were far too interested in yelling at me," Hayden said in an email to The Associated Press.

The intelligence committee's 500-page release concluded that the CIA inflicted suffering on al-Qaida prisoners beyond its legal authority and that none of the agency's "enhanced interrogations" provided critical, life-saving intelligence. It cited the CIA's own records, documenting in detail how waterboarding and lesser-known techniques such as "rectal feeding" were actually employed.

The CIA is now in the uncomfortable position of defending itself publicly, given its basic mission to protect the country secretly. Its 136-page rebuttal suggests Senate Democrats searched through millions of documents to pull out only the evidence backing up pre-determined conclusions. "That's like doing a crossword puzzle on Tuesday with Wednesday's answer's key," the CIA said in an emailed statement.

Challenging one of the report's most explosive arguments -- that harsh interrogation techniques didn't lead to Osama bin Laden -- the CIA pointed to questioning of Ammar al-Baluchi, who revealed how an al-Qaida operative relayed messages to and from bin Laden after he departed Afghanistan. Before then, the CIA said, it only knew that courier Abu Ahmad al-Kuwaiti interacted with bin Laden in 2001 when the al-Qaida leader was accessible to many of his followers. Al-Kuwaiti eventually led the U.S. to bin Laden's compound in Pakistan.

Poring over the same body of evidence as the investigators, the CIA insisted most of the 20 case studies cited in the Senate report actually illustrated how enhanced interrogations helped disrupt plots, capture terrorists and prevent another 9/11-type attack. The agency said it obtained legal authority for its actions from the Justice Department and White House, and made "good faith" efforts to keep congressional leaders informed.

Former CIA officials responsible for the program echoed these points in interviews.

John McLaughlin, then deputy CIA director, said waterboarding and other tactics transformed Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed into a U.S. "consultant" on al-Qaida.

Tenet, the director on Sept. 11, 2001, said the interrogation program "saved thousands of Americans lives" while the country faced a "ticking time bomb every day."

Former Vice President Dick Cheney also pushed back, saying in a Fox News interview that the Senate report "is full of crap."

In no uncertain terms, Cheney said the CIA's approach to interrogating terror suspects was necessary after the 9/11 attacks, and the people who carried them out were doing their duty.

"We asked the agency to go take steps and put in place programs that were designed to catch the bastards who killed 3,000 of us on 9/11 and make sure it didn't happen again, and that's exactly what they did, and they deserve a lot of credit," he said, "not the condemnation they are receiving from the Senate Democrats. "

Cheney said after the capture of Mohammed, it was essential to find out what he knew.

"He is in our possession we know he is the architect -- what are we supposed to do?" Cheney said. "Kiss him on both cheeks and say please, please tell us what you know?"

Former top CIA officials published a website -- ciasavedlives.com -- pointing out decade-old statements from Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Jay Rockefeller in apparent support of agency efforts. The two Democrats spearheaded the Senate investigation.

The intelligence committee's Republicans issued their own 167-page "minority" report and said the Democratic analysis was flawed, dishonest and, at $40 million, a waste of taxpayer money. Feinstein's office said Wednesday most of the cost was incurred by the CIA in trying to hide its record.

If the sides agreed on one thing, it was the CIA suffered from significant mismanagement problems early on. The agency and its Republican supporters said those failings were corrected.

"We have learned from these mistakes," current CIA Director John Brennan said.

President George W. Bush approved the program through a covert finding in 2002 but wasn't briefed by the CIA on the details until 2006.

Obama banned harsh interrogation tactics upon taking office, calling the treatment "torture." But he has shown little interest in holding accountable anyone involved, a sore point among human rights groups and his supporters on the left.

Lawyers representing former CIA detainees have introduced cases in Europe and Canada, though to little success thus far. Undeclared prisons existed in Poland, Romania and Lithuania, among countries.

Twenty-six Americans, mostly CIA agents, were convicted in absentia in Italy of kidnapping a Muslim cleric in Milan in 2003, limiting their ability to travel for fear of extradition. The former CIA base chief in Italy was briefly detained in Panama last year before being returned to the U.S.

The potential prosecution of CIA officials explains somewhat the agency's aggressive response. For months, it reviewed the Senate report to black out names or information that might allow foreign governments, investigating magistrates and human rights lawyers to identify individuals. It demanded the elimination of pseudonyms in part so foreign courts wouldn't be able to connect evidence to a single individual.

"I'm concerned," said John Rizzo, former CIA general counsel who is frequently mentioned in the report. He said he may think twice about traveling to Europe, noting, "For better or worse now, I'm a high-profile, notorious public figure."

Tucci left home in Baldwinsville around 6:30 a.m. Just before 7 a.m., he came to a standstill on Interstate 81 outside Syracuse, a few miles north of LaFayette.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Tim Tucci left home in Baldwinsville Wednesday morning with plenty of time to drive to work.

Tim Tucci  

The husband and father of a 2-year-old daughter works for a chemical company in Cortland and was scheduled to have his annual performance review at 8:30 a.m. But Tucci never got to work for his review.

Tucci left home in Baldwinsville around 6:30 a.m. Just before 7 a.m., he came to a standstill on Interstate 81 outside Syracuse, a few miles north of LaFayette.

Several tractor-trailers had jack-knifed on I-81 south near LaFayette. Tractor-trailers often struggle to negotiate steep hills in that area when road conditions are poor. More than 18 inches of snow fell on the area by the afternoon. Traffic wasn't moving at all.

As vehicles backed up for miles, snow continued blanketing the highway, Tucci said. With the road ahead blocked and no way to turn around Tucci, and hundreds of others, sat waiting.

"I was going crazy," he said. "It was pretty miserable sitting in your car for hours and hours."

With nothing to do, Tucci said he sat in his car with the engine running and made as many calls as he could -- to friends, for work and to a syracuse.com reporter -- before the battery on his cell phone began to drain. He became so bored he just sat, twiddling his thumbs. He'd already phoned his boss to tell him he wasn't going to make the performance review.

At one point the standstill had lasted so long that motorists trickled out of their vehicles and trudged through the snow to the treeline to relieve themselves, he said.

Finally, around 11:30 a.m., traffic began creeping forward.

Tucci and a river of cars were funneled off I-81 at the LaFayette exit. When he finally got back home, Tucci realized he had used half a tank of gas, most of it spent sitting on the highway.

After more than four hours of sitting in traffic, Tucci said he was just glad to be home.

"If I had to stand there a couple more hours I would have built a snowman in the middle of I-81."

Hofmann Sausage Company and Byrne Dairy will present a large food donation at 11 a.m. to the Food Bank of Central New York.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Two iconic Central New York food companies will make a king-sized donation of food to charity Thursday.

Hofmann Sausage Company and Byrne Dairy will present a large food donation at 11 a.m. to the Food Bank of Central New York.

"Local support is very valuable to the Food Bank. Having Hofmann and Byrne provided important meal items to support local families in need is truly appreciated," Kathleen Stress, executive director of the Food Bank, said in a statement.

"The Food Bank relies on donations to ensure we have ample food resources for our service area."

Hofmann is donating more than 2,200 pounds of it products, including all beef franks, German franks, kielbasa and snappies. Byrne Dairy will donate three pallets, or 480 cases, of their assorted flavored yoghurt.

The Food Bank will distribute the food items to their emergency food program partners in their 11-county service area. The non-profit moves about 1.5 million pounds of food every month through its massive, sprawling distribution facility.

Demand at emergency food programs supported by the Food Bank has soared in recent years as more people struggle to survive.

In 1932 volunteers raised $1,800. Last year, about $51,000 was raised to buy books, toys and food for 2,684 families in need.

SYRACUSE, NY -- The goal of the annual Old Newsboys Christmas fundraiser has remained the same for more than 80 years.

"The plan is to raise money enough to ensure against a toyless Christmas for any youngster in Syracuse," according to the Syracuse Herald in 1933.

Old Newsboys was launched in 1932 to raise money to help those in the community who are in need. This year, the campaign has the same goal.

Hope for the Holidays Old Newsboys campaign raises money for the Christmas Bureau, which is sponsored by the United Way and The Salvation Army. The Christmas Bureau provides not only gifts for Christmas, but food and other items for local families.

The Christmas Bureau anticipates that this year's need for toys and books will exceed more than 7,000 children. Hundreds of volunteers will hit the streets Friday and Saturday selling special editions of The Post-Standard to raise money.

Volunteers will be stationed on street corners, stores and gas stations, hawking newspapers for donations with the same message to the community from the 1930s: "Buy a paper ... give what you can."

The newspapers are donated and all of the money goes to the Christmas Bureau. In 1932 volunteers raised $1,800. which was used to buy coal to heat the homes of the poor. In 1933 all the money raised went to the Christmas Toy Fund. Last year, about $51,000 was raised to buy books, toys and food for 2,684 families in need.

Another staple of the annual fundraiser has been friendly competition between those hawking the papers.

To keep volunteers from fighting over the best downtown Syracuse street corners in 1933, locations were assigned. Those selling newspapers at the time were described as the "biggest men in town, business and professional men, heads of businesses, and former newsboys."

Friendly competition between teams will continue again this year as several teams try to become the top earner. The Ancient Order of Hibernians has been the top-grossing team for several years. Last year the group brought in about $16,000. This year they are hoping to stay in the leader position.

All the money collected through paper sales or donations goes to the Christmas Bureau. Donations also can be mailed directly to The Post-Standard at Attention Circulation, Diana Cavender, 101 North Salina St., Syracuse, NY 13202. Donations can also be made online.

Tom Brown, chairman of the Old Newsboys sale and the newspaper's circulation director, said the Christmas Bureau does so much more than just provide a toy on Christmas.

"They provide hope," he said. "They are meeting the needs of needy families in CNY. It's giving hope to a child that things will be better."

Salvation Army Executive Director Linda Wright said the Old Newsboys campaign is an important part of the Christmas Bureau, which is supported by numerous local organizations. The money collected by the campaign helps purchase additional gifts for the Christmas Bureau, which gives parents the opportunity to select the perfect present for their child.

"Every child deserves to have a special gift under the Christmas tree," she said.

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

Syracuse schools delay opening day after they were the only district in county open in snow storm.

Update: We earlier reported Syracuse was the only district to open. Jordan-Elbridge opened, but then dismissed early.

Syracuse city schools will delay opening by two hours today, officials announced moments ago.

All public and Catholic schools in Syracuse will open later due to the weather, officials said.

There will be no morning per-kindergarten for students participating in the half day morning program. All staff are to report at their regular start times.

On Wednesday, the Syracuse City School District was one of two district in Onondaga County not to close or shorten its day, angering some parents. The other, Jordan-Elbridge, opened, but closed early.

Seven Syracuse City School District students were stuck on a school bus stranded on Rt. 81 for more than five hours Wednesday. One school bus hit a telephone pole. Another struck a fire hydrant.

Some other school districts have announced delays and closings today. Here's the latest list of closings and delays.

Take a look at the latest forecast and weather stories available on Syracuse.com.

The storm nearly doubled Syracuse's season snowfall total

Update: The latest snowfall report from the National Weather Service shows that 12 inches fell at the airport and Tully now leads the snow race with 26.2 inches.

Syracuse, N.Y. -- The big nor'easter that roared through Central New York this week set at least one record.

Syracuse had 11.8 inches of snow, the most ever for a Dec. 10. The previous record was 8.4 inches, set in 1978.

A number of schools in Central New York have already posted 2-hour delays. See if your school is on the list.

The 11.8 inches recorded Wednesday at Hancock International Airport was the most we've had since March 12, when 12.1 inches fell. And the airport wasn't the snowiest spot around this week, either. Jamesville had the highest amount in the state with 20 inches -- and that was as of noon Wednesday.

(See how much snow your community received.)

The storm nearly doubled the seasonal snowfall so far in Syracuse, which now stands at 24.3 inches. That's higher than the normal for Dec. 10, which is 19.5 inches.

The highest gust of wind was 34 mph, enough to cause very tough driving. Several major roadways were shut down or restricted for part of the day, including Interstate 81 and the Thruway. School districts across the region closed.

The worst of the storm is over, according to the National Weather Service. We might see another 1 to 3 inches today.

Wind gusts of up to 24 mph today could blow snow on the roads and make it hard to see, the weather service said. There are at least a dozen crashes already this morning in Onondaga County.

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John Osborn still has pending charges against him for an additional theft of $70,000 and tax evasion.

Manlius, NY -- A Syracuse man who was sentenced Monday for swindling $444,000 from a Manlius church is due back to court today to tie up some loose ends.

John Osborn, of 228 Roe Ave., was sentenced to 5 to 15 years in prison Monday for using his authority to empty the coffers at the United Methodist Church of Manlius. His wife, Mary Meyer, who helped him but did not receive substantial benefit, was sentenced to 3 to 9 years in prison.

It appears Osborn will make at least one more stop before County Court Judge Joseph Fahey on his way to prison. That's because there are unresolved cases still pending against him, as well as restitution issues, said prosecutor Beth Van Doren.

Osborn was indicted last year for stealing an additional $70,000 from the church before the thefts he pleaded guilty to, Van Doren said. He's also been arrested on tax evasion charges.

Those cases were not resolved as part of Monday's sentencing.

But Osborn has no money. He didn't pay any of the $200,000 in restitution to the church that was required and his finances haven't changed, Carden said.

Van Doren did not say what she planned to ask the judge to do about the charges. It's possible she could press for a trial over the extra thefts.

Osborn irked Fahey during sentencing Monday by trying to pull out of the plea agreement at the last moment, leading the judge to call him a "con man."