Syracuse Hancock International Airport Executive Director Christina Callahan will answer questions about winter and holiday travel during a live Q&A on Twitter.

Syracuse, N.Y. — Christina Callahan, executive director of Syracuse Hancock International Airport, will hold her second monthly live Twitter question-and-answer session with the public from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Monday.

Christina Callahan Dick Blume | dblume@syracuse.com 

The session will focus mainly around winter and holiday travel questions, but Callahan said she will answer any appropriate aviation or airport related questions.

Members of the public can tweet their questions using the hashtag #AskSYR. Callahan will answer them via Twitter in real time.

Participants can follow and join the session by visiting www.syrairport.org/media/live-twitter-chat. Callahan held her first Twitter Q&A with the public on Nov. 25.

The city of Syracuse handed control of the airport to an independent board, the Syracuse Regional Airport Authority, in March. The airport recently completed $60 million in renovations.

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

The vigil, which is open to the entire Syracuse community, will be held at 6 p.m. Friday at Hendricks Chapel.

Syracuse University students are planning a candlelight vigil Friday evening to remember the 148 students and others killed by Taliban gunmen in Pakistan on Tuesday.

The vigil will be a chance to honor the lives of those killed, say a prayer or share a thought about the attack, said Kulsoom Khalid Ijaz, a Syracuse University College of Law student who is helping to organize the vigil.

Ijaz, whose parents are originally from Pakistan, said she and others felt helpless and saddened by the deaths.

"I think (the vigil) is a way to show solidarity with our brothers and sisters there and to mourn with them," she said.

She also wrote about the attacks on her blog.

The vigil, which is open to the entire Central New York community, will be held at 6 p.m. Friday at Hendricks Chapel, she said. Facebook page for the vigil.

The rampage at the Army Public School and College began Tuesday morning when seven militants scaled a back wall using a ladder, according to The Associated Press. When they reached an auditorium where students had gathered for an event, they opened fire.

From there, they went to classrooms and other parts of the school.

Pakistan's teenage Nobel Peace laureate Malala Yousafzai -- herself a survivor of a Taliban shooting -- told the Associated Press she was "heartbroken" by the bloodshed.

The seven attackers, wearing vests of explosives, all died in the eight-hour assault.

The Christmas release date of the film has been canceled.

Update: US official says federal investigators connect Sony hacking to North Korea.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Under the threat of terrorist attacks from hackers and with the nation's largest multiplex chains pulling the film from its screens, Sony Pictures Entertainment took the unprecedented step of canceling the Dec. 25 release of the "The Interview."

The cancellation, announced Wednesday, was a startling blow to the Hollywood studio that has been shaken by hacker leaks and intimidations over the last several weeks by an anonymous group calling itself Guardians of Peace.

Sony said it was cancelling "The Interview" release "in light of the decision by the majority of our exhibitors not to show the film." The studio said it respected and shared in the exhibitors' concerns.

"We are deeply saddened at this brazen effort to suppress the distribution of a movie, and in the process do damage to our company, our employees, and the American public," read the statement. "We stand by our filmmakers and their right to free expression and are extremely disappointed by this outcome."

The FBI is investigating the identity of the hackers, but suspicion has centered on North Korea, which previously issued warnings over "The Interview."

Earlier Wednesday, Regal Cinemas, AMC Entertainment and Cinemark Theatres -- the three top theater chains in North America -- announced that they were postponing any showings of "The Interview," a comedy about a TV host (James Franco) and producer (Seth Rogen) tasked by the CIA to assassinate North Korea leader Kim Jung-un (played by Randall Park).

Regal said in a statement that it was delaying "The Interview" ''due to wavering support of the film 'The Interview' by Sony Pictures, as well as the ambiguous nature of any real or perceived security threats."

Sony had offered theaters the option of bowing out, and when so many of them did (other chains included ArcLight Cinemas, Cineplex Entertainment and Carmike Cinemas), it left Sony little choice for the release of "The Interview."

On Tuesday, the hacking group threatened violence at theaters showing "The Interview." The Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday there was "no credible intelligence to indicate an active plot against movie theaters," but noted it was still analyzing messages from the group. The warning did prompt law enforcement in New York and Los Angeles to address measures to ramp up security.

Sony did not say what its plans for "The Interview" now are, or whether the film's release could potentially happen at a later date. Conjecture has centered on the possibility of an unprecedented on-demand release that would distribute the film without risk to theater operators. No wide-release studio film has ever been first released on VOD, out of protection of the theater business.

With a modest budget of about $40 million, "The Interview" was predicted to earn around $30 million in its opening weekend before Tuesday's threats and the cancellation of its release. Should the film not be released theatrically, Sony would also lose tens of millions in marketing costs already incurred.

A representative for the film's directors, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, didn't immediately respond to messages Wednesday.

Sony's announcement was met with widespread distress across Hollywood and throughout many other realms that followed what amounted to one of the most significant hacking attacks on a corporation.

A former senior national security official in the George W. Bush administration said Sony made the wrong decision.

"When you are confronted with a bully the idea is not to cave but to punch him in the nose," Fran Townsend, Bush's homeland security adviser, said Wednesday during a previously scheduled appearance in Washington. "This is a horrible, I think, horrible precedent."

Conway and his new department heads were sworn in at a ceremony Wednesday in DeWitt. Conway will assume the office of sheriff on Jan. 1.

Gene Conway is sworn in Wednesday as Onondaga County's 61st sheriff. Ken Sturtz | ksturtz@syracuse.com 

DEWITT, N.Y. -- Standing before a packed audience in the same town courtroom where 12 years ago he became DeWitt's police chief, Gene Conway was sworn in Wednesday as Onondaga County's 61st sheriff.

Court of Claims Judge Diane Fitzpatrick, wife of Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick, swore Conway in.

After the oath was administered the crowd, which was so large that some were forced to watch from outside the courtroom, rose and erupted in applause.

Conway began his remarks by jokingly thanking the audience for attending the swearing in of the new DeWitt police chief. Then he thanked scores of supporters, friends and mentors. The audience was a who's who of law enforcement leaders and county Republicans.

"I didn't start out with aspirations of becoming a police officer," Conway.

Instead, as a youth, Conway said he was interested in designing cars for General Motors. But it was a chance ride along with a police officer -- future Onondaga County Sheriff John Dillion -- that changed his course.

Conway eventually became a sheriff's deputy in Onondaga County, retiring in 2002 with the rank of captain to become DeWitt's police chief. It will be an honor, he said, to occupy the same office as Dillion.

Missing from an emotional speech brimming with appreciation and thankfulness was any mention of specific policy changes that might be coming to the sheriff's office. Those would be coming soon, Conway said, although he did mention the budget as a priority while speaking to reporters after the ceremony.

During his remarks, Conway said several times how he wouldn't have been standing there without the support of many role models throughout his life.

"I pledge to you here to be the best sheriff I can be," he said.

Before Conway was sworn in, his undersheriff and chief deputies were administered their oaths of office by state Supreme Court Justice John Centra.

Jason Cassalia is the incoming undersheriff. He retired from the Manlius Police Department in 2011.

Conway's chief deputies will be Joseph Ciciarelli, Kenneth Andrews and Estaban Gonzalaz.

Gonzalaz currently heads the custody department, including the Onondaga County Justice Center.

Ciciarelli will leave his job running the Syracuse office of the U.S. Marshall's Service to serve as the sheriff department's chief deputy.

Andrews is a town councilor in DeWitt. He'll be chief deputy of the civil department.

Conway took the oath of office Wednesday because he and his family will be out of town next week and wanted to share the ceremony with as many friends as possible.

He will replace Sheriff Kevin Walsh and officially assume the office of sheriff at midnight on Dec. 31.

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

The contract is still being negotiated.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Onondaga County has selected a general contractor, Gilbane Building Co., to construct a concert amphitheater on the west shore of Onondaga Lake.

County officials are still negotiating a contract with Gilbane, so the final cost of the project is uncertain, said Martin Skahen, the county executive's chief of staff. The county Legislature approved $49.5 million in bonding to pay for the project.

Ryan McMahon, chairman of the county Legislature, said he has been assured by County Executive Joanie Mahoney that Gilbane's price for the amphitheater will not exceed the bonding amount.

"Work will begin immediately once a contract is in place,'' Skahen said. Mahoney has said the county plans to host a concert at the new facility by August 2015.

On Thursday, county officials will begin recruiting minority- and women-owned businesses to participate in the construction. Some 20 percent of the work must be performed by such businesses, according to county purchasing officials.

The county will host an informational meeting from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the OnCenter convention center, 800 S. State St., for minority and women contractors who provide site work, trucking, laborers, steel work, mechanical electrical and plumbing.

A second meeting, tentatively scheduled for Jan. 7, will be held primarily for architectural trades such as carpentry and roofing.

Skahen declined to say who else submitted proposals besides Gilbane until after the contract is signed.

Mahoney and Gov. Andrew Cuomo last January announced plans for the county amphitheater as part of a $100 million plan to make improvements to the lake shore and to the nearby village of Solvay and town of Geddes. The state will contribute $30 million toward the overall project.

Gilbane Building Co., based in Providence, R.I., has a Syracuse operation because it was selected in 2007 as the program manager overseeing school renovations undertaken by the city's Joint Schools Construction Board.

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

Mark Oberholtzer is being slammed with threats after his plumbing company's name was seen on the side of a truck in a jihadist propaganda photo.

A Texas plumber is receiving threatening phone calls after a pickup truck he used to own was seen in a jihadist propaganda photo.

The Ford F-250 once owned by Mark Oberholtzer found its way to the front lines of Syria's civil war, as seen in a photo posted to Twitter on Monday by the Ansar al-Deen Front, an Islamic extremist brigade, CBS News reports. The picture shows a militant standing in the bed firing an anti-aircraft gun.

The truck still wears a "Mark 1 Plumbing" decal on the door, with the company's contact information in plain sight, CBS says. Oberholtzer says he traded the truck to an AutoNation Ford dealership in October 2013, and that he accidentally forgot to remove the emblem.

"They were supposed to have done it and it looks like they didn't do it. How it ended up in Syria, I'll never know," Oberholtzer tells CBS.

Oberholtzer says he has received "thousands" of calls and faxes since the image was posted online, the New York Daily News reports.

According to the Daily Mail, the Mark 1 secretary is "scared to death." Oberholtzer adds that they employees "all have families" and they don't want any issues. "A few of the people are really ugly," Oberholtzer tells the Galveston Daily News.

An AutoNation spokesman said the truck immediately went to auction and "likely traded owners over and over" before winding up overseas in Syria, New York Daily News adds.

She worries that Cubans will not have a fair chance to reap money making opportunities.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - A State University of New York College at Oswego professor who has traveled to Cuba many times had a mixed reaction Wednesday to President Barack Obama's plan to normalize relations with the island nation.

Lisa Glidden, a political science professor who teaches a class on Cuba, said one problem may be that Congress won't approve many parts of the president's proposal to end the decades-long embargo against Cuba.

Some Congress members who helped pass the strictest parts of Cuba-America embargo laws are still serving in Congress, she said.

"I'm concerned it might become a partisan issue," she said.

On the other hand, Glidden is excited about the possibility that the United States will ease economic and travel restrictions.

A more open door on communication, remittance and travel could eventually spread the wealth among Cubans, she said.

Obama Wednesday called for remaking U.S. relations with Cuba are sweeping: He aims to expand economic ties, open an embassy in Havana, send high-ranking U.S. officials including Secretary of State John Kerry to visit and review Cuba's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, according to The Associated Press.

The U.S. also is easing restrictions on travel to Cuba, including for family visits, official government business and educational activities. But tourist travel remains banned.

Glidden teaches a course called "Havana - A Global City," which focuses on political and environmental facets of the country for about eight weeks before taking students to Havana for a week-long study abroad program. She's been to Cuba 10 times in the past 12 years and is going back Jan. 17.

She said one of the primary impacts of Obama's plans would impact Cuba's class system.

Glidden said Cuba's class system exists in unofficial ways under the country's government. It was created during market reforms in the 1990s, which allowed people with wealthy relatives outside the country to create new businesses.

The well-off Cubans, who have access to money, and American companies doing business will benefit first under the proposed reforms, she said. The less well-off Cubans will not immediately see the same benefits, she said.

"There is going to be a class system reintroduced," she said, which is a delicate place for Cuba to be.

For instance, Glidden said Cuba has a healthy tourism industry and most of the beaches are public.

She worries that opportunities for those with a lot of money or authority -- such as U.S. companies -- will seize money making opportunities.

The unidentified hackers had demanded that Sony cancel its upcoming release of the movie "The Interview," a comedy that included a gruesome scene depicting the assassination of North Korea's leader.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A U.S. official says federal investigators have now connected the Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. hacking to North Korea and are expected to make an announcement in the near future.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to openly discuss an ongoing criminal case.

Until Wednesday, the Obama administration had been saying it was not immediately clear who might have been responsible for the computer break-in. North Korea has publicly denied it was involved.

The unidentified hackers had demanded that Sony cancel its upcoming release of the movie "The Interview," a comedy that included a gruesome scene depicting the assassination of North Korea's leader. Sony on Wednesday canceled the Dec. 25 release after the hackers had released sensitive corporate files stolen in the break-in.

Plans also includes widening roads near the Seneca County resort, with horse-and-buggy lanes for Amish and Mennonite neighbors.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Developers for Lago Resort and Casino plan to begin hiring and training casino workers by next summer, according to Jimmy Wilmot, a principal officer in the Seneca County project.

First, the developer, a part of Wilmorite out of Rochester, must finish its license application to the state for the $425 million project, Wilmot said today. That means more thorough background checks by New York State Police and other approvals before the New York Gaming Commission grants the license, Wilmot said.

Once the license is in hand, Lago plans to break ground within a week. Wilmot aims to build the casino within 12 months and the hotel within 14 months of obtaining the license, he said.

Earlier today, a siting board for the state's Gaming Commission recommended Lago and two other Upstate casino projects for licenses from New York. Wilmot said today he expects the final license to be approved within 30 to 60 days.

Wilmot and his father, Thomas Wilmot, were in Albany today for the announcement. They had no idea what was coming, the younger Wilmot said.

"It was radio silence," Jimmy Wilmot said. "And a crazy amount of anxiety going into it. But you never know."

The state's citing committee passed over an expansion of Tioga Downs in the Southern Tier. Earlier today, Tioga's owner, Jeff Gural, criticized the state's decision, saying that adding another casino to the Finger Lakes region would create too much competition among existing gambling establishments. Gural owns Vernon Downs and the Oneida Indian Nation owns Turning Stone, both in Oneida County.

Wilmot said today Lago's business plan depends on about half of its customers coming from existing gaming sites within New York, including ones owned by the Oneidas and the Seneca Nation. The other half, according to the financial plan, will be new gamblers.

"At the end of the day, competition is good," Wilmot said. "You fight for that customer. If we don't give our customers a good experience, they aren't coming back."

Wilmot also said the Lago plan addresses traffic concerns in the town of Tyre, a community of less than 900 people that has Mennonite and Amish residents. Plans are to widen and increase traffic signals on key roads to handle extra motorists, he said.

At the same time, the widened streets will have "horse-and-buggy" lanes to accommodate Lago's neighbors, he said.

The roads will be "safer and better than they currently are," he said.

The project includes a pool area big enough for 900 guests, 85 table games and 2,000 slot machines, generating a projected $263 million in gaming revenue in the first year.

Wilmot said today that hiring for the casino should start next summer. Lago will pay training costs for workers, and will pay wages during the final stages of training.

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

Business and energy groups say fracking could bring badly needed jobs to Upstate New York.

Syracuse, N.Y. — Business groups are lashing out at New York's decision to ban the controversial oil and gas mining technique known as hydraulic fracturing, saying the move represents a blow to the struggling Upstate economy.

The Business Council said New York was embracing "half-truths and fear while ignoring the economic and environmental benefits being experienced across the United States resulting from expanded domestic natural gas production."

Heather Briccetti, the council's president and CEO, said the state's Southern Tier has one of the nation's richest shale deposits and could benefit greatly from fracturing, also known as fracking.

"This is a disappointing day for the people of the Southern Tier, and for the people of New York," she said in a statement. "The impact of this missed opportunity will be long-lasting."

DEC Commissioner Joseph Martens announced the ban Wednesday after state health commissioner Howard Zucker said there are not enough long-term studies to show whether fracking poses a health risk.

Critics say the mining technique, in which water, sand and chemicals are pumped underground under high pressure to break apart oil- and gas-bearing rock, could pollute drinking water supplies.

Martens said restrictions to fracking under state rules and local zoning, combined with the plunging price of oil and gas, would make fracking development in New York "uncertain at best" anyway.

Under the headline, "If not fracking, what?" the Empire Center for Public Policy said on its website that the ban will hurt the "fragile and declining economy of the Southern Tier" and also cost Central and Western New York communities a badly needed opportunity for job growth.

"Given the likely economic ripple effects — which would have spread into the Rochester, Syracuse and Utica-Rome areas as well — shale gas production was by far the most promising potential growth engine for a vast swath of Upstate New York."

The Empire Center questioned whether the administration of Gov. Andrew Cuomo has any viable alternative for boosting job growth in the Upstate region, which has struggled for decades as manufacturing jobs have left.

"Cuomo is promising to come up with alternatives, but if the record of the past four years is any guide, these will inevitably involve further state spending — both in the form of direct government 'investments,' such as those in Buffalo, and in lost revenues from tax-free zones," it said.

View full sizePrivate sector job growth in New York metropolitan areas from October 2010 to October 2014.Empire Center 

Binghamton and Elmira, both in the Southern Tier, are the only two metro areas of New York that have lost private-sector jobs since October 2010, according to the Empire Center. The next two weakest regions have been Utica-Rome and Syracuse, which likely would have seen gains in various sectors from fracking in the Southern Tier, it said.

The American Petroleum Institute's New York State Petroleum Council said the ban put the state's economy "on a reckless path."

"A politically motivated and equally misinformed ban on a proven technology used for over 60 years - throughout the country to great success - is short-sighted and reckless, particularly when New York depends on safely produced natural gas just over the border in Pennsylvania," Petroleum Council Executive Director Karen Moreau said in a statement.

She said formerly economically challenged communities "just next door in Pennsylvania" are now thriving because of the jobs and tax revenues generated by the fracking industry.

"Revenue from natural gas production supports road and bridge improvements, water and sewer projects, local housing initiatives, environmental programs and rehabilitation of greenways," she said. "We are resolved to continue to fight for these benefits in New York."

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

Investigators raided a home Wednesday, executing search warrants and seizing about a kilogram of cocaine, 92 grams of heroin and a handgun.

UTICA, N.Y. -- A man was charged Wednesday after a raid found drugs, a handgun and thousands of dollars in cash, the New York State Police said.

Torrell J. Stone, 37, of 63 Prospect St., was charged with first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, for having more than eight ounces of cocaine, and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, for having a handgun and having been previously convicted of a crime.

View full sizeTorrell J. Stone 

Investigators raided Stone's Prospect Street home Wednesday, executing search warrants and seizing about a kilogram of cocaine, 92 grams of heroin and a handgun, state police said. In addition, $14,747 in cash was seized.

Stone was arrested Wednesday after the raid.

The investigation was a joint operation conducted by the state police Special Investigations Unit and the Oneida County Drug Task Force. Authorities did not provide specifics of the investigation or say what led them to Stone.

Stone was arraigned in Utica City Court and ordered held at the Oneida County jail without bail. State police said they are continuing to investigate and that more charges may be filed against Stone.

Anyone with information or questions regarding the case is asked to contact the New York State Police Special Investigations Unit in Utica at 315-793-2531.

Dondre Mulligan, 28, of Syracuse, was charged with first-degree robbery and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

Dondre Mulligan, 28, of Syracuse, was charged with first-degree robbery and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

The robbery occurred about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday at Jreck Subs, at 1601 Valley Drive.

Police said one masked man acted as a lookout while another masked man jumped the counter and stole cash from the register before both men ran away. Police said the second masked man was armed with a large knife.

Onondaga County sheriff's Deputy Brent McDonald was on patrol in the area and was flagged down by an employee of the sub shop. The employee gave McDonald a description of the suspects and McDonald radioed the information to other units in the area, police said.

Deputy Todd Griffin located one the suspects at the corner of Oakdale and Valley drives, police said, and took the man into custody after a foot chase.

Mulligan was arraigned in Syracuse City Criminal Court and ordered held at the Onondaga County jail in lieu of $50,000 bail of bond.

Police said the investigation into the second suspect is continuing. Anyone with information on the robbery is asked to contact Syracuse police at 315-442-5222.

A reported 294 rejected applicants received the email, which included the subject line, "Embrace the YES!"

Oops: About 300 students received an acceptance email on Sunday from Johns Hopkins University who were rejected just two days prior.

A reported 294 rejected applicants received the email, which included the subject line, "Embrace the YES!" Johns Hopkins spokesman Dennis O'Shea confirmed that the notes were sent in error, Bloomberg Businessweek says.

The confused students were told by the acceptance email to share their news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. After the university realized it messed up and issued an apology, students still took to social media to express their frustrations:

[?] #JHU2019 pic.twitter.com/D4WwX1cR12

— @lm@r (@SirRajah) December 14, 2014

Shame on John Hopkins University!!! #JHU2019

— Sebastian (@MartiniMirror) December 17, 2014

I just have the worst luck in the world!!! LMAO I GOT TROLLED SO HARD smh #JHU2019 #wtf pic.twitter.com/FFwipsjl6O

— Geoffrey Wang (@geodudewang) December 14, 2014

According to The Washington Post, Hopkins is not the first school to commit this embarrassing misfire via an admissions email. Massachusetts Institute of Technology sent applicants an e-mail in February regarding financial aid that included the message, "You are on this list because you are admitted to MIT!" However, that small footnote sent to thousands was incorrect, the Washington Post says.

David Phillips, vice provost for admissions and financial aid at Hopkins, tells the Washington Post that the e-mail was a "human error," as an employee for a contractor that assists Hopkins with emails included the wrong list of e-mail addresses. Phillips continues to apologize to recipients of the falsely issued message:

"We apologize to the students affected and to their families. Admissions decision days are stressful enough. We very much regret having added to the disappointment felt by a group of very capable and hardworking students, especially ones who were so committed to the idea of attending Johns Hopkins that they applied early decision."

The hashtag #JHU2019 has now been taken over by displeased applicants and onlookers alike, Bloomberg Businessweek adds.

A crash involving a car and a pedestrian was reported at about 5:25 p.m. Oswego County 911 said.

A crash involving a car and a pedestrian was reported at about 5:25 p.m. Oswego County 911 said. The crash occurred at the corner of North Second and Seneca streets.

Fulton police, the Fulton Fire Department and Menter Ambulance responded to the scene. One male with head injuries was taken by ambulance to the hospital, 911 said.

The intersection was closed off Wednesday night as police investigated.

Check back for more information later.

Gural says putting a casino in the Finger Lakes will drawn existing business from five gaming places in or near the region.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Vernon Downs owner Jeff Gural said today he was shocked a state panel recommended another casino for the Finger Lakes region while passing over his proposal for the Southern Tier.

"Anyone who understands the casino industry would call this a joke," said Gural.

Gural spent hundreds of thousands of dollars campaigning for passage of a proposition last year that expanded casino gaming in New York. He'd wanted to transform his Tioga Downs, a harness racing track with video gaming near the Pennsylvania border, into a full-scale casino.

Instead, a siting board for the state's Gaming Commission today recommended New York license the Lago Resort and Casino, 42 miles west of downtown Syracuse.

Gural said Lago will now compete with five gambling places already in business in the Finger Lakes and Central New York, including his own Vernon Downs and the Oneida Indian Nation's Turning Stone.

"Tioga Downs isn't close to any (gaming) place," Gural said.

For some, the Southern Tier -- an area with Upstate's highest unemployment rate -- lost twice today. In addition to the casino announcement, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and other state officials announced they would take moves to ban hydrofracking statewide.

The double-punch stunned many, including Sen. Tom Libous, R-Binghamton.

Sen. Tom Libous says he's "stunned" by #nycasino, #nyfracking decisions. "I'm looking for my Southern Tier Billion. I'm serious."

— Jon Campbell (@JonCampbellGAN) December 17, 2014

Gural, too, was frustrated at the outcome. "I just feel bad for the people living there," he said. The state "just guaranteed they are going to stay depressed. These people just got totally screwed by the governor."

Gural was also frustrated because he donated at least $375,000 to NY Jobs Now, a political committee created to campaign for passage of the gaming proposition in 2013.

"It was funded by the people who didn't get a license, including me," he said today.

Gural is a longtime supporter of Gov. Andrew Cuomo and donated to the Democrat's re-election campaign this year, according to state records. Gural said today he hasn't spoken to Cuomo in at least two years.

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

Authorities from multiple law enforcement agencies are combing the area around a remote Central Texas television studio where a morning meteorologist was shot in a parking lot after an argument.

BRUCEVILLE-EDDY, Texas (AP) -- Authorities from multiple law enforcement agencies are combing the area around a remote Central Texas television studio where a morning meteorologist was shot in a parking lot after an argument.

The Texas Department of Public Safety says the shooting occurred around 9:15 a.m. Wednesday outside KCEN-TV's rural studio on Interstate 35 near Bruceville-Eddy, 75 miles north of Austin.

The station website reports the victim, on-air meteorologist Patrick Crawford, backed his car away from the shooter and drove up to a highway construction crew that called 911. Jim Hice, the station's news director, says Crawford was wounded in the shoulder and the abdomen.

Crawford underwent surgery at a Temple hospital. A hospital spokesman says he's in fair condition.

The shooter fled. No motive has been released.

This is the city's 21st homicide of the year.

Syracuse police said 30-year-old Donell Lamar Davis was walking with a 20-year-old man just after 7 p.m. Tuesday in the 2600 block of Midland Avenue when shots rang out from a vehicle.

The men ran toward a nearby convenience store, but collapsed near a house. Davis, of 1010 Taylor Ave., Utica, was later pronounced dead.

Police said they are not identifying the 20-year-old right now because of "the active and ongoing investigation." His injuries are not considered life-threatening, police said Tuesday.

This is the city's 21st homicide of the year.

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

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Three people were killed and more than 260 were injured when two bombs exploded near the finish line of the marathon.

BOSTON (AP) -- Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has not been seen in public since he was arraigned on 30 federal charges in July 2013, when he still bore signs of the bloody standoff with police that led to his capture and the death of his older brother, Tamerlan.

On Thursday, he's due to show his face again in court.

Dzhokhar, 21, still had visible injuries at the appearance 1 1/2 years ago from a shootout with police several days after the April 15, 2013, bombings. His left arm was in a cast and his face was swollen. He appeared to have a jaw injury.

Three people were killed and more than 260 were injured when two bombs exploded near the finish line of the marathon. Tsarnaev, who has pleaded not guilty, faces the possibility of the death penalty if he is convicted.

Security will be tight in and around the federal courthouse in Boston for Thursday's final pretrial conference, which his lawyers said he would attend. It is the last scheduled court hearing before jury selection begins on Jan. 5. The trial is expected to last several months. Seating a jury alone could take several weeks to a month.

On Thursday, prosecutors and defense attorneys are expected to discuss the jury selection process with the judge. Both sides have submitted questions they want the judge to ask potential jurors, who will be selected from a pool of at least 1,200 people.

A defense motion to move the trial out of Boston also is still pending.

Earlier this month, Tsarnaev's lawyers argued anew that "emotionally charged" media coverage and the widespread impact of the attacks have made it impossible for him to get a fair trial in Massachusetts.

U.S. District Judge George O'Toole Jr. rejected Tsarnaev's first request in September to move the trial, ruling that Tsarnaev's lawyers had failed to show that extensive pretrial media coverage of the bombings had prejudiced the jury pool to the point that an impartial jury could not be chosen in Boston.

Tsarnaev's lawyers previously said the trial should be moved to Washington, D.C.

O'Toole also rejected a defense request that prosecutors turn over evidence about his older brother's possible participation in a 2011 triple killing in suburban Waltham.

Three friends of Tsarnaev were convicted this year of hampering the investigation by removing evidence from his dorm room or lying to the FBI.

Azamat Tazhayakov and Dias Kadyrbayev were convicted of conspiracy and obstruction of justice for removing a backpack containing fireworks and other potential evidence while authorities were still looking for the suspected bombers. Another friend, Robel Phillipos, was convicted of lying to federal agents about being in the room. All three are awaiting sentencing.

A roundup of New York's casino news, including outrage from the Southern Tier.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- On Wednesday, many elected officials and business leaders in the Southern Tier woke up optimistic about gambling and drilling.

Today, they woke up angry.

From Congress to county boards, many politicians were stunned that a state casino siting committee passed over Johnson City and Tioga County for the new Lago Resort & Casino in the Finger Lakes -- a place already attracting tourists to wineries and lake resorts.

That news came less than two hours after Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state officials announced they would seek to ban hydrofracking, gas drilling that some had hoped would jumpstart the Southern Tier's economy.

State Sen. Catharine Young, R-Olean, called the news "a punch in the gut to the Southern Tier."

Sen. Tom Libous, R-Binghamton, was less surprised by the drilling decision but outraged at the casino selections.

"You've heard of the Buffalo Billion? Well, I want the Southern Tier billion," Libous told reporters. "If Buffalo can get a billion dollars, then we should get a billion dollars here in the Southern Tier for economic development and bringing in new business and companies," he said

Wednesday's casino decisions were made by the Gaming Facility Location Board, a part of the Gaming Commission. Board Chairman Kevin Law told reporters the panel struggled with whether to recommend a fourth developer for a casino license up until Tuesday night. In the end, they went with three.

The casino expansion plan -- approved by voters in 2013 -- split the state into zones to space out the gambling sites. The Finger Lakes and Southern Tier were in the same zone. Legally, the panel could have put two casinos in that zone. Instead, they chose Lago, proposed by Wilmorite and the Wilmot family from the Rochester area.

"First, we felt Lago had the best overall financial capabilities to succeed," Law told reporters, the Gannett News Agency reported. "And it really wasn't a choice between Lago and the other two in the Southern Tier. It was more of a choice between Lago and nothing in the region."

Jeff Gural, the owner of Vernon Downs in Oneida County, had proposed expanding Tioga Downs in the village of Nichols. He said the region got screwed.

One local official from Conklin says he's taking moves to secede from New York, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The frustration went north to Rome, where Sen. Joe Griffo, a Republican, lashed out at the state's entire gambling expansion as too much too late. He tried, unsuccessfully, to get the Gaming Commission to stall Wednesday's announcement, in light of multiple casinos folding in nearby New Jersey.

"My concern remains that the addition of three new properties to the 17 casinos and racinos already in existence will oversaturate the market," said Griffo, whose district includes the Oneida Indian Nation's Turning Stone in Oneida County.

"The commission's biggest error was granting a license to build in Tyre, which is as close to Syracuse as Vernon, the site of the existing Turning Stone Casino Resort, is," Griffo said. "This will result in a near zero sum game, where local casinos and racinos will largely compete for the same scarce dollars to the detriment of them all."

The Oneidas said they are ready for the competition.

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

46-year-old Alejandro Done pleaded not guilty to charges including rape and kidnapping.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) -- A Massachusetts Uber driver is accused of sexually assaulting a woman who had summoned the ride-sharing service.

Authorities say 46-year-old Alejandro Done was arraigned Wednesday in Cambridge District Court. The Boston man pleaded not guilty to charges including rape and kidnapping.

Investigators say Done picked up the woman in Boston on Dec. 6. She had summoned an Uber driver to take her to her Cambridge home.

Uber customers use a smartphone application to arrange and pay for rides with nearby drivers.

The driver allegedly told the woman that he would need a cash payment, so he took her to an ATM.

Authorities say he then drove her to a secluded location and sexually assaulted her.

Uber says it's working closely with law enforcement to assist in the investigation.