CENTRAL NEW YORK NEWS

Real-Time News Updates for Syracuse and CNY

N.Y. comptroller audits gas prices on state Thruway

by The Associated Press

Thursday August 28, 2008, 12:37 PM

Albany, NY -- New York state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli is asking the state Thruway Authority to post online details of gas prices at every rest stop along the highway.

DiNapoli is auditing Thruway gas prices to determine if fueling stations are overcharging motorists.

He said he wants to be sure the Thruway stations aren't jacking up prices to make up for decreased traffic after fuel prices spiked and tolls were increased this year.

Under the contract for Thruway services, gas prices are limited to 2 cents more than the average regional price or 1 cent lower than a region's highest price, whichever is lower.

Regional prices are determined by weekly surveys of gas prices in communities around Thruway service stations.

The Thruway Authority didn't respond to a call for comment.

Read the state comptroller's report, New York State Thruway: Proposed Toll Increases for July 2008 Through January 2010.

Fayette man accused of sex with teen he met over Internet

by Post-Standard staff

Thursday August 28, 2008, 12:18 PM

Seneca Falls, NY -- Seneca County sheriff's investigators arrested a Fayette man on Wednesday, charging him with raping a 16-year-old female from Ohio he met over the Internet.

Ray D. Keefer, 50, of 3529 Route 89, was charged with rape and being a fugitive from justice. He was arraigned in Seneca Falls Town Court, where bail was set at $50,000 cash or $100,000 bond.

Keefer is being held at the county jail in Romulus.

Seneca County investigators said Keefer was arrested on a warrant issued in Westerville, Ohio, for interference of custody. Keefer had driven to the central Ohio city, just north of Columbus, to visit a teenager he had met on the Internet, investigators said, and returned to New York with her.

The teen had left home without permission and was deemed a runaway, investigators said. Keefer and the girl had sexual relations at Keefer's home on three separate occasions, police said.

Keefer is to reappear at a later date for further court action. The teen is being held as a runaway at the Hopewell Detention Center, in Canandaigua.

Both will appear in an Ohio court to answer charges there.

Pot plants found in Cortland, Chenango counties

by Staff report

Thursday August 28, 2008, 12:02 PM

Cortland, NY -- It's harvest season for the Cortland Drug Task Force.

On Wednesday, members of the task force, along with members of the Chenango County Sheriff's Department, located about 140 marijuana plants growing in Cincinnatus, Willet and Cuyler in Cortland County. Marijuana plants were also located in the Chenango County town of Pitcher.

The investigation is continuing, and arrests are expected.

The task force is composed of the Cortland County Sheriff's Department, Cortland City Police Department, SUNY Cortland Police Department and the New York State Police.

Cops making sure Phoenix suspect didn't try river escape

by John Doherty

Thursday August 28, 2008, 11:28 AM

Phoenix, NY -- Divers were searching the Oswego River in Phoenix this morning for a man who bolted from the Phoenix police department after being charged with drunken driving.

Police have no indication that the man, James A. Kipp, 45, of county Route 54, Pennellville, dove into the river, said village Police Chief Rod Carr.

"We have to search it to be sure," Carr said.

Kipp was charged with driving while intoxicated and several other charges, Carr said.

While he was being booked overnight at the police station, located near the river, Kipp escaped, Carr said.

County employees charged in payroll padding scheme

by Jim O'Hara / The Post-Standard

Thursday August 28, 2008, 11:06 AM

Syracuse, NY -- Four Onondaga County employees were arrested today on charges stemming from a payroll-padding scheme at the county courthouse where they worked as custodians.

Matthew F. Sindoni Jr., 53; Jerome Bowens, 45; Louis J. Hill, 65, and James Racona, 47, all are facing a felony charge of first-degree falsifying business records. Sindoni and Racona are also facing petit larceny charges. Bowens and Hill are facing additional charges of attempted petit larceny.

According to court papers, Sindoni, the custodial supervisor, is accused of allowing the other three custodians to leave work early and of then using their county-issued swipe cards to clock them out of work later in the evening.

Sindoni also is accused of submitting documentation that overtime was needed for work that was never performed. The prosecution contends the scheme allowed the employees to obtain compensatory benefits and inflated payments to which they were not entitled.

Racona surrendered to prosecution investigators this morning with defense lawyer James Hopkins and was arraigned before City Judge James Cecile. Racona was released on his own recognizance and the case was adjourned to await possible grand jury action.

The other three were taken into custody this morning and were being held in the Justice Center jail this afternoon awaiting arraignment in City Court.

Last day Milk-Bone bus is in CNY; Can your pooch be a spokesdog?

by Pedro Ramirez III / The Post-Standard

Thursday August 28, 2008, 10:10 AM

Syracuse, NY -- Good morning CNY. Looks like it might rain this afternoon. Do you know where road construction is going on?

Wednesday afternoon I went out to Wegmans Good Dog Park to check out the Milk-Bone bus, which has made a stop in Central New York in a nationwide search for Milk-Bone's first spokesdog.

The bus will be at the park again today from 4 to 8 p.m. After this, it is off to Maine. So if your precious pooch has the makings of being a spokesdog, drop by the park, 6790 Onondaga Lake Trail (off of Cold Springs Road just west of John Glenn Boulevard). Dogs will have a chance to run an agility course during the event while owners share their favorite memories of their pet.

The sharing of memories is part of the company's Milk-Bone Moment contest. The top 100 Milk-Bone Moments will be posted on the company's Web site, allowing America to vote for the grand prize winner. The prize includes a $100,000 contract to serve as the first-ever Milk-Bone 100th Anniversary spokesdog.

Check back for video of the owners and their doggies that showed up on Wednesday.

Is there something going on in your neighborhood today that you'd like others to know about? Share it here in the Comments section.

Isolated showers this afternoon in Syracuse

by Pedro Ramirez III / The Post-Standard

Thursday August 28, 2008, 9:58 AM

More links

For the latest conditions, see the Weather Center at syracuse.com.

Forecasts from the National Weather Service

Talk about it in the weather blog and forum.

Syracuse, NY -- It's 62 degrees at 10 a.m.

Today: Isolated showers after 1 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 77. Southeast wind between 5 and 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.

Tonight: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59. Light south wind.

Stabbing suspect arrested in Oswego

by Suzanne M. Ellis

Thursday August 28, 2008, 9:36 AM

Oswego, NY -- Kyle T. McConkey, 20, of 73 Falise Drive, Oswego, is due in Oswego City Court Tuesday to answer charges of second-degree assault, criminal possession of a weapon and menacing.

Oswego police responded at 2:47 a.m. Wednesday to a fight in progress at West Bridge and West Third streets. When they arrived, they found a 17-year-old male who had been stabbed in the back.

At 3:50 p.m., police arrested McConkey, who was arraigned and taken to the Oswego County jail in lieu of $3,000 bail. The victim, who was not identified, was treated at Oswego Hospital, police said.

Police investigate two armed robberies overnight in Oswego County

by Suzanne M. Ellis

Thursday August 28, 2008, 9:04 AM

Oswego city police and state police are investigating armed robberies that occurred Wednesday night, one in Oswego and the other in Hastings.

Oswego police made two arrests less than an hour after The Pit Stop/Valero convenience store was robbed at 181 E. First St. at about 7:45 p.m. At 8:39 p.m., they arrested Carlos A. Ortiz-Torres, 21, of 91 E. Seventh St., Oswego, and charged him with first-degree robbery and criminal possession of a weapon (a knife).

They also arrested Joxuan Rivera Retamar, 17, of 155 E. Third St., Apt. 5, Oswego, and charged him with first-degree robbery.

No one was injured in that incident.

Not long after that robbery, at about 10:45 p.m., someone used a knife to threaten the store clerk at Sun-up Foods at 1982 U.S. Route 11 in Hastings. The clerk was not injured.

The suspect was an average size white male wearing a mask, black pants and a hoodie, police said. State police are asking anyone with information to call the Hastings barracks at 676-2214.

Solvay Middle School to begin anti-bullying program

by Catie O'Toole

Thursday August 28, 2008, 6:00 AM

Solvay Middle School is getting ready to launch a new anti-bullying program in September.

The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program aims to "reduce and prevent bullying problems among schoolchildren and to improve peer relations at school," according to its Web site.

The program was developed in Norway and is used in more than a dozen countries worldwide. The main component of the program will be small group meetings twice a month with an adult. These classroom meetings will allow pupils to talk about issues in a safe way, said Joseph Judge, assistant principal at Solvay Middle School.

"We have always addressed bullying behavior in our school and will continue to enforce our code of conduct. In any school, there is always room for improvement," Judge said.

Continue reading "Solvay Middle School to begin anti-bullying program" »

North Syracuse schools send $2.8 million transportation renovation project out to bid

by Catie O'Toole

Thursday August 28, 2008, 5:00 AM

North Syracuse school officials expect to send a $2.8 million transportation renovation project out to bid this week.

The school district purchased the former Roger Burdick car dealership on East Taft Road for $900,000 last year after voters approved the project.

Last week, the state Office of Facilities and Management Services sent the district a building permit to begin work.

Renovations will include office space, a training room and break room for bus drivers, bathrooms, an elevator and other building updates.

The school board plans to award the bid at the end of September.

Work will begin in October and be finished by April, said Jon Ward, assistant director of maintenance and operations for North Syracuse schools.

The district's transportation and food service departments will move from a building next door into their new building April 13, which is during spring break. They expect to be open for business April 20, Ward said.

"It (The move) will help with communication and efficiency because they'll all be in one location -- the dispatchers, the transportation director and the bus drivers," Ward said. "Right now, they're housed on the second floor of the mechanic's building right next door to the (former Roger Burdick) property on East Taft Road and there's no elevator. It's a much needed improvement for them. They'll have much nicer working quarters. And it will be accessible to everybody."

The old Roger Burdick's repair shop in the back of the building will be used as a small vehicle repair facility for pickup trucks and other school vehicles. The buses will continue to be repaired at the original transportation building.

Syracuse woman nominates Hillary Clinton

by Staff report

Wednesday August 27, 2008, 11:00 PM

Denise Williams-Harris, of Syracuse, a delegate at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, delivered a speech Wednesday seconding the nomination of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for president of the United States.

Continue reading "Syracuse woman nominates Hillary Clinton" »

Reverse 911 call sent to Clay residents after suspect's bid for escape

by Douglass Dowty

Wednesday August 27, 2008, 8:40 PM

Clay, NY -- A reverse 911 call was sent this afternoon to residents of a Clay neighborhood along Morgan Road after a man eluded deputies who came with a warrant to arrest him on assault charges, authorities said.

The man, who was not identified, fled deputies sometime before 3 p.m. A precautionary reverse 911 call was made to area residents. He was captured shortly after 3 p.m., a 911 dispatcher said.

Pair arrested inside St. Lucy's Rectory garage

by Robert A. Baker

Wednesday August 27, 2008, 3:16 PM

Syracuse, NY -- Syracuse police responding to a burglary-in-progress call today at the rectory of St. Lucy's Church saw a partially open door in the rectory's garage and two pairs of legs visible inside, police said.

When they opened the door, they saw a man and a woman standing inside and a wallet and camera on the floor, police said.

Sean and Viola Girvin, both 40 and both of 106 Fairfield Ave., were taken into custody about 3 a.m. and charged with burglary, a felony, and criminal mischief, a misdemeanor.

Inside the garage, police found a car registered to a man who lives in the rectory at 432 Gifford St. and his wallet. The car appeared to have been rummaged through, officers said.

The Grivins told police that they saw three men burglarize the garage and the couple had entered the garage to observe the damage, police said.

The witness who saw made the call to 911 was able to identify the couple as the pair she saw break into the rectory's garage.

'Cuse band Crankdaddy battles for NYC spot

by Greg Munno

Wednesday August 27, 2008, 3:00 PM

The band Crankdaddy, made up largely of employees at the Syracuse firm Eric Mower and Associates, is in the running to play in New York City in the "Battle of the Ad Bands" Sept. 24 at the Nokia Theater.

Crankdaddy has made the final round of voting in the competition, sponsored by Advertising Week magazine.

Go here to listen to one of the band's tunes and vote.

Five of the remaining 12 bands will get to play at the theater and compete against each other. The voting ends Friday.

Man sentenced for possessing stolen coin collections

by Jim O'Hara / The Post-Standard

Wednesday August 27, 2008, 2:49 PM

Syracuse, NY - A suburban man was sentenced today to serve three to six years in state prison for possessing stolen coin collections valued at $87,000 to $114,000.

David O. Douglas, 29, for whom authorities last listed an address in Clay, pleaded guilty last month to a felony charge of second-degree criminal possession of stolen property in the case. Assistant District Attorney Lauren LaPaglia said Douglas was caught Jan. 20 at a coin show in Radisson with the collections that had been stolen earlier that month in a residential burglary.

County Judge William Walsh ordered Douglas to pay $14,000 in restitution for a collection of $2 bills that was never recovered.

Walsh also sentenced Douglas to a concurrent penalty of two to four years in prison for a first-degree reckless endangerment conviction for a May 15 incident in which he was he was accused of speeding away from a police traffic stop and recklessly jeopardizing the public safety by passing stop signs, red lights and a number of stopped school buses.

New kindergartners check out Cayuga Elementary

by Debra J. Groom

Wednesday August 27, 2008, 2:44 PM

Cayuga, NY -- Fifty-three kindergartners who will enter school Sept. 3 got a sneak peek at their new school during orientation Wednesday.

They got the chance to see their classrooms, meet their teachers, ride on the school bus with their parents, learn bus safety, go through the lunch line to get some ice cream and play some games, color and do puzzles.

Superintendent Linda Rice was on hand to greet the pupils, as was new Cayuga Elementary principal Sheila LaDouce.

"The students enjoy this and so do the parents," Rice said. "Many of the parents tell us 'I haven't ridden on a bus in years.' And it's so important for us to welcome our little ones."

Auburn hospital hires psychiatrists

by Staff report

Wednesday August 27, 2008, 1:55 PM

.

Auburn, NY -- Three psychiatrists have joined the staff at Auburn Memorial Hospital.

Dr. Elisabeth Mashinic comes to Auburn from private practice in Ithaca, where she conducted contract work for the Schuyler County Mental Health Clinic in Watkins Glen and the Seneca View Skilled Nursing Facility in Montour Falls.

Dr. Stanley Poreba was interim medical director at the Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake prior to coming to Auburn, and Dr. Patricia Taylor was the staff psychiatrist at Orange Regional Medical Center in Goshen

Union Springs historic building gets renovation OK

by Debra J. Groom

Wednesday August 27, 2008, 1:37 PM

Union Springs, NY -- The project to refurbish the Old Stone Schoolhouse in Union Springs has been approved by the state Education Department, Superintendent Linda Rice said Wednesday.

Approval came Tuesday. Rice said now the district can go out for bids on the work.

She said she now will meet with Glenn Woodbury, department manager with C&S Companies, of Salina, the design and engineering firm on this project, and others to "set up the the budget and meeting strategy" for the project. Then we can go out for bid."

Voters in the Union Springs school district overwhelmingly approved the project in a 281-37 vote Dec. 11. The district will spend no more than $300,000 to renovate the 1853 building.

The building, which at one time was the one-room schoolhouse for children in Union Springs, will be made into a media center and classroom and production space for the video production class at the high school. The building also could be used as ameeting room for school functions or for the community.

The building, which sits prominently on the front of the school campus on Route 90, hasn't been used for about 25 years, and it has been deemed a safety and fire hazard. If voters had not approved the renovation, the district would have had to tear down the building or renovate it for storage. It was used as classroom space until about 1980 and then as storage.

Auburn police seek suspect who passed fake money

by Staff report

Wednesday August 27, 2008, 1:36 PM

View the video
Auburn police are asking the public to help identify a man suspected of passing counterfeit bills on Saturday at the P&C supermarket on Genesee Street.

The suspect entered the store shortly before 11 p.m. and purchased items using a counterfeit bill. The suspect was given real money back as change from the cashier.

The suspect then purchased additional items and paid for those additional items with another counterfeit bill and again was given real money back as change.

The counterfeit money was discovered by a store manager during the nightly money audit.

The suspect is described as a male, age 20 to 25 years old, wearing blue jeans, a white baseball cap with a possible letter "A" on the cap and a green and white striped shirt.

Anyone with information on the identity of the subject is asked to call lead investigator, Det. Kyle Platt, at 255-4702 or the Auburn Police Department desk at 253-3235. Calls can remain anonymous.

State finds labor violations at Saratoga horse track

by The Associated Press

Wednesday August 27, 2008, 1:21 PM

New York state Labor Commissioner M. Patricia Smith says an investigation has found more than 1,200 backstretch workers at Saratoga Race course have been underpaid, overworked and required to live in unfit conditions.

The investigation finds the low-wage workers, including horse walkers, grooms and watchmen, were underpaid about $7,000 a week at the track that every summer attracts the rich and famous.

The track is operated under a lucrative state franchise by the New York Racing Association, which also runs Belmont and Aqueduct. NYRA President Charles Hayward says the private enterprise shares the concern for the workers and is cooperating with the state.

NYRA expects to emerge from bankruptcy protection with the help of a multimillion dollar state bailout.

Clinton salutes history-making Upstate, CNY (video)

by The Post-Standard and news service reports

Wednesday August 27, 2008, 12:39 PM

Sen. Hillary Clinton gave her national audience a lesson in Upstate's history in women's rights and anti-slavery during her highly anticipated speech Tuesday night at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

Toward the end of her well-received address, Clinton pointed to the first convention on women's rights in Seneca Falls as a defining moment in the nation's history. She noted also that Tuesday was the anniversary of women winning the right to vote.

Clinton then tied that backdrop to the inspiration of Harriet Tubman, the Auburn woman who helped many who escaped slavery along the Underground Railroad.

Here's an excerpt:

I'm a United States senator because, in 1848, a group of courageous women, and a few brave men, gathered in Seneca Falls, New York, many traveling for days and nights...
(APPLAUSE)

... to participate in the first convention on women's rights in our history. And so dawned a struggle for the right to vote that would last 72 years, handed down by mother to daughter to granddaughter, and a few sons and grandsons along the way.

Continue reading "Clinton salutes history-making Upstate, CNY (video)" »

Three Syracuse men indicted in murder case

by Jim O'Hara / The Post-Standard

Wednesday August 27, 2008, 12:34 PM

Syracuse, NY - Three Syracuse men were indicted today on murder charges in the kicking and stabbing death of an Eastwood man in June.

Joquawn Dixon, 18, of 137 Bennington Drive; Timothy T. Kearse, 18, of 450 Hazelhurst Ave., and Scott J. O'Brien, 19, of 205 Ashdale Ave., all are facing charges of second-degree murder and first-degree gang assault in the June 27 death of Robert Wilkes, 36, of Lillian Avenue. They are accused of acting together to intentionally kill Wilkes by repeatedly kicking him in the head and body and repeatedly stabbing him with a knife or other sharp instrument.

Wilkes was found bleeding in the 2800 block of James Street. Authorities said the defendants were upset with Wilkes for selling them what turned out to be fake cocaine.

Local Red Cross volunteers responding to Hurricane Gustav emergency

by Pedro Ramirez III / The Post-Standard

Wednesday August 27, 2008, 12:31 PM

Syracuse, N.Y. -- Two local American Red Cross volunteers and their Emergency Response Vehicle have left for Hattiesburg, Miss., to assist residents in the path of Hurricane Gustav.

Long-range forecasts say the storm could be a major hurricane threatening the central Gulf Coast by Monday.

Long-time volunteers Sallie Jameson of Liverpool and Mike Loftus of Syracuse left at about noon. It will take them about three days to get to Mississippi. They expect to be there for up to three weeks, Red Cross officials said.

Jameson says she got the call just after midnight asking if she could leave today. Within hours, she was packed and ready to go.

Check back for video

Mahoney wants Clay's Rowley to be Onondaga County's finance chief

by John Mariani

Wednesday August 27, 2008, 12:18 PM

Jim Rowley apparently impressed County Executive Joanie Mahoney so much during this spring's Clay police merger campaign that she's ready to appoint him to one of the county's top jobs.

Mahoney called a news conference for 1:30 p.m. to introduce Rowley, Clay's town supervisor, as her choice as the county's next chief fiscal officer. If confirmed by the County Legislature, Rowley would succeed Joe C. Mareane, who is leaving the CFO post at the end of October to become Tompkins County administrator.

While plans call for him to assume the county job on Oct. 1, Rowley said he would continue to consult with the town board and his successor as supervisor to make sure Clay taxpayers receive the savings he promised while advocating that the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office absorb the town police department.

Continue reading "Mahoney wants Clay's Rowley to be Onondaga County's finance chief" »