Coaching Family Life

By ANDREW ALLEGRETTA

The fact that SU head football coach Doug Marrone sleeps in the office many night during the season shouldn't surprise many people.

The fact that high school football coaches come close to that same work ethic might.

C-NS high school coach Steve Ellis spends hours on football. Less recognition than his college and NFL counterparts? He can deal. Less money? Unfortunate, but okay. Big chunks out of family time? That's the hardest.

"Obviously I want to spend time with my family, my two kids," Ellis said. "But the job demands sometimes that you can't."

Ellis doesn't know exactly how many hours he spends during the week preparing for a game, he just sees tough reminders of how much he's away.

"I know it bothers him," his wife Lynn said, "when our oldest boy, who's five, asks him when he's going to come over our house. Like he's a visitor. Like he doesn't live here."

"What did he hit us that when he was three or four?" Steve asks. "It was a little easier when they couldn't talk," he said with a smile.

Liverpool head coach Dave Mancuso deals this same struggle.

"Obviously my real family comes first," said Mancuso. "But I have 64 kids that rely on me too."

"As difficult as it because of the time commitment," said his wife Lorie, "I feel like we're apart of it though. We get in our orange and blue on Friday nights and cheer him on."

"Everything comes together Friday night," Dave said. "After the game, 99% of the time family is in the bleachers walking down to see me.

"Hard work and family."

Rockefeller Tree Lights Up

By Jameson Fleming

The annual tree lighting ceremony in New York City went as planned Wednesday night as the city's famous Rockefeller Tree illuminated the Rockefeller Center for the first time this year.

Special guests Aretha Franklin and Shakira performed at the tree lighting ceremony which aired live on NBC.

The lights of Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree will be on from 5:30AM to 11:30PM daily from December 2nd, 2009 through January 7th, 2010, but also all day long on Christmas Day.

Tiger Woods apologizes for "transgressions"

By Chris McManus

The number one golfer in the world issued an apology yesterday for unspecified actions. The apology, posted on Tiger Woods' web site, comes a week after National Enquirer published a story about an alleged affair with Rachel Uchitel.

Yesterday, US Weekly published a story alleging that Woods had a two year affair Jamiee Grubbs, a Los Angeles cocktail waitress. She claims she has 300 text messages from Woods, plus this voicemail.

Score one for Jeter and Brady.

Sexting on the Rise in America

By Jameson Fleming

An Associated Press-MTV Poll has found that teenagers are increasingly "sexting" or sharing sexually explicit images and video by cell phone or online means.

The poll found that about a quarter of all teenagers have "sexted" before which is actually considered a criminal offense. If caught, teenagers can be charged with possessing child pornography.

The act of sexting increases with age as about a third of young adults surveyed by the AP and MTV say they've been asked or have sent nude pictures to another person.

The popularity of sexting has inspired a College Humor video that mocks the negative aspects of the act.

Hofstra Football No More

By Jameson Fleming

For the second time in two weeks a Colonial Athletic Association school has cut its football program. Hofstra joins Northeastern as the latest program to cut football to try to cut financial losses in the athletic department.

Hofstra has produced several big name wide receivers that have gone on to star in the NFL like Marques Colston and Wayne Chrebet.

The program's cut is the latest blow to college football at the Football Championship Series as schools at that level are beginning to lean towards cutting their football programs because of the high costs and little revenue it produces in return.

The Pride football team has been around for 69 seasons and produced a 403-268-11 record during that span.

Possible Homicide in Syracuse

By Chris McManus

Syracuse police found a woman's body behind a house on Westmoreland this morning around 10:30. Police have not identified the woman, but say she is an apparent homicide victim.

NCC News' Alex Silverman says the woman was not a resident of the Westmoreland home.

Westmoreland Avenue is blocked between Lexington Avenue and East Genessee Street. NCC's Ranbir Boyal will have more on the investigation on NCC News at four.

No parade in Jersey as Nets enter NBA record books

By Chris McManus

Hey LeBron, still want to play for the Nets?

New Jersey's finest hoops team was dismantled by Dallas last night, it's record-setting 18th straight loss to start the season.

Former Nets all-star Jason Kidd came up just two rebounds shy of a triple-double, and six Mavs scored double figures. Dallas also piled up 49 points--- in the second quarter--- en route the 117-101 victory.

The Nets fired coach Lawrence Frank just three days ago, sparing him from the record setting embarrassment. Assistant coach Tom Barrise coached last night, and General Manager Kiki Vandeweghe will take over the coaching reigns today.

New Jersey is dead last in the league in scoring and field goal percentage. The crowd of just over 11,000 at the IZOD Center included fans in with paper bags over their heads and wishful faithful wearing LeBron James jerseys. The Nets look to avoid extending this run of futility tomorrow against Charlotte.

Penn Traffic Must Find Buyer Today

By Jameson Fleming



One of Central New York's largest employers is running out time to finding a buyer and keep almost 4,000 employees in work.



Penn Traffic has until today to find a buyer. If the company which runs the P&C Grocery Stores doesn't find a buyer, lenders could cut off funds, and day-to-day operations could halt immediately.



Originally, Penn Traffic had until Tuesday to find a buyer, but bankruptcy court pushed the deadline back to Thursday. As of mid-day Thursday, Penn Traffic had not yet found a buyer.

NCC News Reporter Stacy Lange reported on the economic ripple effects Penn Traffic's potential closure would have on Central New York.

Temperature approaching record high in Syracuse

By Chris McManus

As of 11:30 AM, the 58 degree temperature in Syracuse is threatening the all-time high for December 3rd.

Mike Tressa (and his hat) will have the historical context, as well as a look at what's in store for the weekend on NCC News at four.

Comcast Buys Majority Stake of NBC Universial

By Jameson Fleming

Comcast will pony up almost 14 billion dollars to take the majority control of NBC Universial studioes. This deal means Comcast could soon rival the influence Disney has in the entertainment community.

The deal, if it clears regulatory barriers, could revolutionize the way users get their content. Comcast could dramatically speed up the time it takes for Universial's movies to reach DVD release and air on television.

Comcast would also work to improve distribution of television shows to other forms of multi-media. Comcast would likely push the development of content syndication for cell phones.

While Comcast will buy 51 percent of the shares, General Electric will hold onto the other 49 percent, but will have the option to sell those shares off as well.

New Art Program Available For Pre-School Students

WVCA Offers Art as Form of Expression for Children
by Mike Tressa

Forty Fort - The Wyoming Valley Children's Association has found a new way to include their students. The organization's pre-school class, which includes both typical and developmentally disabled children, was looking for a way to have all students benefit from a shared activity. This opportunity came in the form of Arts Awareness. "We had a connection with Arts Universe in downtown Wilkes-Barre," said Director of Development Craig Lukatch. "Some of the artists were coming and working with our kids."

The students were able to use different methods to work on their canvas. Since everyone couldn't grip a paintbrush, the school used feathers, sponges, rollers, and almost anything the students could get their hands on. "Basically, you have a blank slate and you do whatever, you become the creator," said Lukatch. "We tell the kids, here's your paint, here's your tools of the trade. Some are unique ways like sponges and rollers."

All students participated and it was different than most other art activities. "What was different for them for making these pictures was that we used canvas," said pre-school teacher Jane Denion. "It was kind of fun for them and something different." The students were able to express whatever style they wanted. Some of the typical students even assisted the other students with their works.

Francesca Scarrano is a pre-school at the school with Rett's syndrome. Rett's syndrome is a dehabilitating neurological disorder characterized by loss of muscle tone and movement. The art program has helped Francesca have a productive use of her hands while including her with the rest of the class. Her mother, Pam, is extremely pleased with her work. "We're just so impressed by this school," she said. "She [Francesca] has done so many things that she would not be able to do had she been in a regular school."

Not only did the program benefit the students interactions, it also helped the organization. Lukatch organized an art sale to sell student works and raise money for the WVCA. Profits have exceeded expectations. "We've seen an interest from not only the parents but local community," said Lukatch. "We had an art show and sold several hundred dollars worth of artwork." Many of the works are still on sale in the schools library and the WVCA hope to continue the program with future students.

Watch the Story:

Gay Marriage Debate in New York Heats Up

By Jameson Fleming

New York lawmakers shot down a bill that would allow gay marriage in the state of New York. Opponents say this ruling is a pivotal ruling for activists for gay marriage as New York is considered an influential state.

While Vermont and New Hampshire have legalized gay marriage recently, California took a shot at gay marriage when voters decided it would still be illegal in the state.

Despite liberals holding a single-seat majority in the New York State Senate, liberals didn't get the victory they wanted as the vote was actually a land-slide 38-24.

New York's push for gay marriage began to lose steam after advocates for gay marriage started equating opponents to Nazis and slave owners.

Penn Traffic Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

What's This Mean for CNY?

By: Stacy Lange

Syracuse(NY)- Penn Traffic, the Syracuse-based company that owns P&C grocery stores, filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Wednesday afternoon. The company owes its creditors more than $137 million. Nearly $1.3 million is owed to creditors here in Central New York.

Those local creditors include ABC Refrigeration, NY State Fair, Deli Boy Provisions, Westvale Plaza, and the Syracuse Crunch.

Economic Ripple Effect

Deli Boy Provisions in Solvay, NY has had financial deal with P&C grocery stores for 45 years. They provide P&C with deli meat, cheeses, and other deli accouterments. The Penn Traffic company owes Deli Boy $326,623.65. Deli Boy's Vice President of Finance, John J. Petosa, says it could take years to get that money back, if at all.

Petosa says this could mean a "significant" loss for Central New York's economy. Deli Boy would lose 15% of their business if P&C stores were to shut down. Petosa also worries that if P&C finds a buyer, they will outsource their suppliers.

"Penn Traffic might be able to sell P&C, but it's not likely that the new store will stick with Syracuse suppliers"

What Employees Think...

Dan Honors is an employee at Deli Boy and Penn Traffic. He's been working in Penn Traffic's warehouse for 30 years, at Deli Boy for 19. He's been with Penn Traffic through all of it's bankruptcy filings, and wasn't surprised to hear about this one; but he also knows that this one's different.

"If we were to be picked up by somebody it would be a very good question if they would honor the contract. We have fourteen months left on the union contract, it expires February of 2011. Most likely the new owners would not honor it. So this is pretty much the end of Penn Traffic as most of us know it."

Honors has the option to retire, but many of his colleagues don't. They will have to find other jobs. P&C announced Friday that if the chain of grocery stores is not bought by another company by February 15th, their employees will lose their jobs.

Watch the Story:

Grocery Store Comes to the South Side

Mable Wilson has been without her community grocery store for over a year now.

It's a problem she shares with her South Side neighbors, who had to find other places to buy their staple foods after the P&C Grocery Store in Valley Plaza on South Salina Street closed. Neither she, nor her neighbors, have been given a straight explanation as to why the store closed. They don't know why another chain has taken the vacant store's place, either.

"It looks so sad on your eyes where P&C was. There were a lot of cars there, and the neighbors would be shopping," she says as she remembers walking down to the store. "I would see my neighbors with their push carts. That's how close it was for us to go to that grocery store. But no more. I miss that."

But Mable, and others on the South Side, are not waiting on those speculations to be answered. They're taking matters in to their own hands, and building a new grocery store of their own.

Filling the Void

Without a neighborhood supermarket, Mable has had to rely on her daughter to drive her to the nearest grocery store, the Price Chopper in Western Lights Plaza on Onondaga Boulevard. It's not even in the city, but in the Town of Geddes. When her daughter isn't available, she and others who live in the Almus Oliver Towers on Burt Street pool their money for gas and share a car.

It's money "we don't have," Wilson says. "it's just ridiculous the things we have to do to get food in our houses."

Without making that long trip out to Western Lights, Mable sometimes has to rely on corner stores, which she says attract loiterers, invite crime, and often sell over-priced and expired food.

LaRhonda Ealey of Jubilee Homes, a non-profit development agency on the South Side agrees. "There is a stigma attached to these corner stores, and unfortunately, that stigma is perpetuated. And it's true," Ealey says. "And when you go in these stores, a lot of the healthy foods, even canned foods, are ridden with dust."

Filling the Shopping Cart

Now, community members are taking matters in to their own hands.

Jubilee Homes announced today that they have purchased property at 601 South Avenue, on the city's South West Side. There, they hope to build a community-run grocery store, the funding for which came from a settlement with the county over the building of a sewage treatment plant in a South side neighborhood.

"The goal for the organization," Ealey says, "is for the grocery store to be built from the bottom up. We want it to be community-driven. We want to get the community's input."

Mable's input -- she's glad something is finally being done. "We all are trying to work together," she says, "to get a grocery store, we aren't going against each other, we're just trying to sit down at the same table to have a conversation to get the process in motion."

Closer to Check-Out

At tonight's meeting at the South West Community Center, Mable and her neighbors listened as Jubilee Homes Executive Director Walt Dixie pushed the process along one further step, again asking for the community's help. They hope to build a Pathmark style supermarket, following the model started in Harlem, New York. It was conceived under similar circumstances.

While Dixie says it's important to provide South Side community members with fresh produce at an affordable price and an accessible location, it's a "win-win" situation, keeping the economy of the ailing neighborhood alive. He wants to "keep the dollars recycling in the community, keep the community growing."

The idea is to have South Side residents staffing and running the store. Dixie thinks of that in terms of giving young people chances, as well. "We see them as the investors," he says. "This is their community."

Ealey says that, with that in mind, this is going to work. "When the community is a stakeholder," she says, "they are able to take pride in it. They are able to take care of it. And that will be key in sustaining the project.

Jubilee Homes, and neighbors, will continue to build that sustenance in December, when the next public meeting is scheduled. They say the project can only move forward with the community's continued support.

Watch the Story Here!

Judge Lowers Bail to Ex-Cop for Selling Drugs to Kids

By Kaci Lindhorst

State Supreme Court Justice John Brunetti has lowered the bail for the second time this week for a former Syracuse police officer caught selling drugs to children.

Frederick Baunee was arrested Tuesday on nine felony counts of second-degree criminal sale of marijuana and eight misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

According to Syracuse.com, Baunee has sold marijuana to nine different children. He was also having six of those children sell marijuana on his behalf to other children.

Man of Clay Admitted to Murdering His Wife

By Kaci Lindhorst

In the town of Clay, 23-year-old Alex Martinez told a judge that he intentionally killed his 21-year-old wife Angela Harris on April 18th. Martinez plead guilty to strangling Harris and dumping her body in the Duchess County Reservoir.

According to Syracuse.com, he will now serve a sentence at minimum of twenty years to life in prison. The couple has an infant son that was present at the time of the murder and will now be raised by Harris's mother.

Assistant district attorney Melinda McGunnigle said the defense had been planning to argue that Martinez was acting under extreme emotional disturbance at the time of the murder. That defense can be used to try and lessen intentional murder to first-degree manslaughter.

SU Recruit Announces College Choice Tonight

Tobias Harris is a Scout.com Top 10 Prospect

By ANDREW ALLEGRETTA

SU basketball's 2010 recruiting class already has one top-10 commitment. Tonight, it hopes to add another.

Tobias Harris is forward from Long Island and has Syracuse on his short list of schools. Tennessee, Kentucky, and Georgia Tech are among the others in play for Harris.

Harris on the court:



Tune into NCC News at 4 when Scout.com National Recruiting Director Dave Telep joins us by phone.

I had a chance to talk to Scout.com analyst Evan Daniels earlier today, and he reminded SU fans, even if SU doesn't get Harris, the 2010 recruiting class is still impressive:

Daniels on SU Recruits -

Literacy Grant of $900,000 Given to Adult Education Center

By Kaci Lindhorst

According to Syracuse.com, a new adult education center is bieng funded under by a $900,00 literacy grant. The center will offer education services and will be located in the golden gloves boxcing and education center. The money will be spread out over three years and was also won with the literacy coalition of onondaga county and city of Syracuse.

Flight Delays Nation Wide

By Kaci Lindhorst

The Federal Aviation Commission fixed a computer glitch that caused many flights to be delayed or cancelled this morning. The computer program that holds flight plans was shut down causing air traffic controllers to enter the plans in manually, which cause delays.

Problems for Airtran and Delta Airlines

Airtran Airways saw the most problems, having to cancel 22 flights around the country and delaying dozens more. Most of the problems were seen in Atlanta which is an international hub for Airtran and Delta airlines.

31 Million Covered by New Senate Health Care Plan

By Kaci Lindhorst

According to the New York Times, Democratic Senate leaders have devised a health care proposal that would impose new regulations on insurers, extend coverage to 31 million people who currently do not have any and add new benefits to Medicare.

With a price tag of $848 billion over 10 years the legislation will reduce projected budget deficits by $130 billion over a decade because the costs would be more than offset by new taxes and fees and by reductions in the growth of Medicare.

Democrats expressed confidence that they would have the votes needed to move forward when the legislation hits its first test in the Senate, however Republicans say they will do everything they can to overturn this proposal.

Syracuse Avioding Flight Problems

FAA Glitch Causing Delays

By ANDREW ALLEGRETTA

Nationwide flight delays and cancellations haven't hit Central New York yet. The FAA is having problems with its air traffic control system today.

Christine Reale, the spokeswoman at Syracuse Hancock International Airport, says departures and arrivals are running on time as of late Thursday morning.

Buffalo and Rochester airport officials are saying the same thing. Information about Albany wasn't immediately available.

Buffalo airport spokesman Doug Hartmeyer says there could be a domino effect to smaller airports if problem lasts too long.

The FAA says the glitch started just after 5 a.m. and was fixed at about 10 a.m. But it didn't know how long flights would continue to be affected.

A Small Victory for the Gay Community

By Kaci Lindhorst

New York State’s highest court unanimously rejected a challenge from anti-gay supporters saying that same-sex marriages will be recognized in New York even if they were married in a different state. It was a majority win of four out of seven in the court.

According to the New York Times, three of the justices said the court should have addressed the wider issue because New York law already allows for the recognition of marriages that are considered legal elsewhere.

The ruling leaves open the possibility there could be future challenges on the issue in New York. Governor David Patterson says that one of his goals is to legalize same-sex marriages and get a bill passed through the state Senate.

Karzai Sworn in for Second Term as Afghan President

by Kaci Lindhorst

In Afghanistan today, President Hamid Karzai was sworn in for his second term amidst the allegations of a fraudulent election. According to the New York Times Kazai's stressed to the people of Afghanistan and to the world that his army would be taking full control over all military operations within five years. Karzai announced that he aims to build a sense of security throughout Afghanistan with less civilian causalities.

Although the Afghans doubt his delivery, the new administration says they aim to end corruption and defend traditional Afghan values to become a more united nation.

Americans and Afghans alike await the reaction from the United States government to see whether or not President Barack Obama will support the election and continue to have a presence in Afghanistan for the future.

Schumer Offers Solutions to H1N1

Senator Introduces His 3-point Plan for Combatting the Virus

By: Stacy Lange

Syracuse (NY)- Senator Chuck Schumer met with students, administrators and the media thursday at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet School on Syracuse's South Side. The topic of conversation- combatting the H1N1 virus in Onondaga county.

"The H1N1 virus has caused more concern and demanded more attention than other, traditional, strains of the flu."

His 3-Point Plan

Senator Schumer stressed that there are three groups most at risk of getting H1N1. Those are children under 9-years-old, pregnant women, and the elderly. In Onondaga County, 155,819 residents fall within that demographic and are susceptible to H1N1. The first point in his plan is to make sure those at risk are getting the vaccine first.

"We need to increase accountability so vendors of vaccines, such as grocery stores or big box stores, are distributing them to at-risk populations like pregnant women and young people."

Second, Schumer wants to allocate some of the $5 billion already provided by Congress to protect against H1N1 to hire more school nurses. He noted that some schools in the county have no school nurse at all.

"We need to beef up our school personnel so that we can more efficiently administer the vaccine, and so that symptoms are identified earlier and prevention is effectively being taught."

And third, Schumer wants to improve communication between the Center for Disease Control

and the State Health Department to make sure doses of the vaccine don't run too low. Since the vaccine takes 3 to 4 months to make, County Health Commissioner Cynthia Morrow says it's difficult to predict shortages.

Onondaga County's In-School Clinics

"Shipments come in week by week, I know I have enough for the first week of school clinics, and maybe the second week. But from then we just have to take it week by week."

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet School will be a site for the County's string of school vaccine clinics starting next week.

Watch the Story:

Secret Service Issues Counterfeiting Warning

Consumers Should Be on Alert During Holiday Season
by Mike Tressa

The U.S. Secret Service wants holiday shoppers and retailers to be extra careful this year to combat counterfeiters. Crowded stores and rushed cashiers make the holidays a perfect time for people to commit fraud. Both consumers and retailers must be cautious while doing their shopping.

Shoppers should double check their change, protect all credit card numbers and review transcation details and receipts. Retailers must be on the watch for fake credit and gift cards, as well as to review customer signatures.

Another tip is to never give personal information over the phone or Internet to unknown sites or emails.

Record Night at CMA's for Taylor Swift

Country Star Wins Entertainer of the Year Award

by Mike Tressa

Taylor Swift made quite an impact at the Country Music Awards. The 19-year-old country vocalist took home all four awards she was nominated for, including the big title of the night, Entertainer of the Year. Swift became the youngest person ever to be honored with country music's highest award. The win snaps Kenny Chesney's streak of four Entertainer of the Year awards in five years.

In addition to the big honor, Swift won Best Female Vocalist, Album of the Year for "Fearless," and Video of the Year for "Love Story." The Wyomissing, PA native also ended Carrie Underwood's three-year reign as Best Female Vocalist.

Playing to it's biggest new star, the CMA's had Swift perform two songs during the show. First came an exciting rendition of "Forever and Always," followed by an acoustic version of "Fifteen." The teen described the night as "unexpected" and "was at a constant loss for words."

'Cuse rolls past Robert Morris, improves to 2-0

by Chris McGrath

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - Despite an injured ankle, senior guard Andy Rautins scored 22 points to lead the Syracuse Orange (2-0) to a 100-60 victory over Robert Morris (0-1) Wednesday in the second round the of 2K Sports Classic.

Rautins did much of his scoring from behind the 3-point arc, connecting on seven trifectas.

With the win, the Orange advances to the tournament semi-finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City, where it will face the University of California.

Tip-off is scheduled for Thursday, November 19th at 7:00.

The winner meets either North Carolina or Ohio State in the tournament final.

Senator Schumer Visits CNY

ROMULUS, N.Y. (AP) - Sen. Charles Schumer will be in central New York this morning. Schumer will tour the closed Seneca Army Depot in Romulus to review redevelopment efforts at the site.

Afterward he heads to an elementary school in Syracuse to address concerns about swine flu and the availability of vaccine doses for schools and health professionals.

This afternoon Schumer will be at day care center in Troy to discuss legislation that bans a chemical from products marketed for use by children age three and under.

SCSD bookkeeping overstated by more than $1-million

by Chris McGrath

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - A state audit released by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli this morning found the Syracuse City School District overstated its accounts recievable by $1.24 million.

"We found that internal controls over accounts receivable were so poor that District officials had no way of ensuring that all the moneys due the District were actually received," wrote the Office of the State Comptroller.

This was just one bookkeeping error found during the audit.

The audit, which reviewed the school district from July 1, 2006 to March 31, 2008, also found errors in the districts payroll process.

In one instance, the Superintendent allowed a newly hired principal to roll-over 50 sick days from her previous job without Board approval, resulting in extra cash payments of about $10,625.

Dinapoli, however, praised the District's prompt and proactive response to the audit.

Syracuse Christmas Tree Comes Downtown

by Chris McGrath

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - It's starting to look a lot like Christmas in Syracuse.

Retail stores have been decorated for the holiday for a few weeks now and the city's already seen its first snowfall.

To top things off, the annual Christmas tree will be erected in Clinton Square around noon.

The 70-foot Norway spruce will be lit November 27th during the annual Holiday Magic in the Square Celebration tree lighting ceremony.

The tree was found on the grounds of the Elmcrest Children's Center.

Syracuse Police Department Seeks More Diverse Recruits

By: Stacy Lange
Officers Say a More Diverse Group Would Make it Easier to Serve the Public

Syracuse (NY) - The Police and the media often come hand-in-hand, but rarely in advertising. The Syracuse Police Department has delved into all forms of media, with TV commercials, billboards, radio spots, banners on Centro busses, and an improved web presence. Their goal is to attract people who may have never considered police work as a career. Their looking for the officers they say they're in desperate need of.

"The problem is that we serve a large percentage of minorities, but have a very small percentage of minority officers. Our numbers are embarrassing when it comes to the number of minorities we have employed with our agency now" says Sergeant Geno Turo in the SPD recruitment office.

The low number of minority officers has been a problem for years. Out of 505 total officers, 38 are minorities. That's only 7.5% of the total police force.

Sergeant Tavores Flounory has been one of the few African-American police officers for over 20 years. He now works in recruitment and thinks that if he actively recruits in the community other African-Americans will consider police work as well.

"I've always wanted a more diverse police force. It makes it easier for us and people are more comfortable seeing people who like them, protecting them." Sgt. Flounory said.

SPD has been actively advertising for 2 years now. They concentrate their ads to the two months before each civil service exam. This is the first step toward becoming a police officer.

It's clear that the advertising efforts have worked, Sgt. Turo says their recruitment numbers have increased 20 fold. But the racial gap still exists.

"Were fighting. But with something like this it's going to take three, four, even five years until we see any real changes."

Watch the Story:

Syracuse Field Hockey Team Heads to Big East Tournament

Enters Tournament With Number One Seed
by Mike Tressa

The Syracuse University field hockey team heads into the Big East tournament as the number one seed thanks to a 6-0 record in conference. The regular season champions finished a stellar regular season at 16-2. The Orange open play Saturday at 11 a.m. against Providence, who is hosting this year's tournament. "It's their field," said senior Tracy Dietrick. "They are going to want to win it."

Coach Ange Bradley leads Syracuse into its third straight Big East tournament. Last year's team took home the championship and she expects the same effort this time around. "I think they're ready. They know that they have one game before them on Saturday," she said. "And if they want another game they have to earn it.

Key Players This Season

The Orange are led by redshirt junior Lindsey Conrad. The forward leads the team with 38 points, scoring 15 goals and recording 8 assists. Sophomore Martina Loncarica leads the team with 13 assists.


Watch Video of the SU Field Hockey team preparing for the tournament.

Third Party Candidate Howie Hawkins Appears in Court

Howie Hawkins charged with criminal trespass

by Jameson Fleming

Howie Hawkins usually gets his message across by running for a different public office each year. But after losing the 4th District Common Council seat in Syracuse, Hawkins tried delivering a letter yesterday to the CEO of Wellpoint Inc. calling for the CEO to cut his salary.

Police arrested Hawkins for trespass after he tried to walk into the National Government Services building on Salina St. and then refused to leave.

The letter supported the Moblization for Healthcare for All reform group which calls for universal healthcare.

Hawkins appeared in court today, plead not guilty, and will reappear in court in January.

Lane Closure on I-81 Bridge

One lane on an Oneida County I-81 Bridge closed

by Jameson Fleming

Officials will close a northbound lane on I-81 on the Oneida Outlet Bridge after a concrete beam has significantly deteriorated. Officials will keep two lanes up on the northbound side on the bridge because the beam only supports one lane.

There is a similar situation on the southbound side as a weakened beam has forced the closure of one lane.

Both lanes will stay closed until the repairs can be made. There is no timetable on the repairs.

Syracuse Teen Admits He Lied About Murder

16 year old faces 2 - 6 years in jail after falsely admitting to murder
by Ranbir Boyal

Syracuse, NY -- A Syracuse teenager admitted in court today that he helped his friend commit murder and then tried to deceive the police into believing he did it.

Ja-Le Johnson, 16 faces two to six years after pleading guilty to felony charges of second-degree criminal facilitation and first-degree hindering prosecution.

Johnson was originally charged with the murder of Casimir Snyder, 47, who was sniped in the neck as he stepped out of his home. However, authorities said the ballistics didn't match Johnson's story.

A second youth, then 15-year-old Shawn Rhines, was charged with being the gunman. Sean Rhines, now 16, is serving 10 years to life in prison after pleading guilty in April to second-degree murder.

Johnson will be sentenced on November 23rd

Yankees Ceremony Tickets

New York City Hall giving away World Series Ceremony Tickets
by Jameson Fleming

Fans can enter a raffle to receive tickets to a ceremony to honor the World Series Champions. Mayor Michael Bloomberg will give the New York Yankees a key to the city during a ceremony at the New York City Hall

500 tickets will be given away through a raffle done today. You can register today between 2 and 4 PM to receive a maximum of two tickets by going to New York City's webpage or access the entry form through the mayor's office Twitter page.

The ceremony will take place at 1PM Friday after the parade to honor the World Champs.

New Jersey Transit will also be increasing the number of trains and ferries into the city to accommodate the influx of fans wanting to see their baseball team.

Senate Majority to Snub Paterson Address

Governors address about state's fiscal crisis not well received
by Ranbir Boyal

Syracuse, NY -- New York officials say the Senate's Democratic majority will skip Democratic Gov. David Paterson's joint address to the Legislature Monday in Albany, NY. Paterson plans to talk about trying to create a coalition to address the state's latest financial calamity.

A senior Democratic official close to the majority's leaders says the senators won't return to Albany for what the official termed "a photo opp" for Paterson. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak for the senators.

The Senate's Republican minority and the Assembly's Democratic majority and Republican minority plan to attend the rare midyear address to a joint session of the Legislature called by Paterson.

Oncenter Receives Bailout

Legislators vote to save struggling complex
by Ranbir Boyal

Syracuse, NY -- Onondaga County legislators voted Wednesday and approved an emergency $575,000 payment to help the Oncenter complex.

The payment is to help the organization pay its bills after the Oncenter corporation hit a cash-flow crisis as a result of the recession.

Oncenter officials also conceded that a recent audit revelealed many problems with the companys financial management in 2008, prompting the legislators to vow to moniter the groups finances more closely.

Legislators voted 12-5 to give Oncenter the extra $575,000 from a $1.2 million account consisting of revenues from hotel room occupancy taxes. The extra money is on top of about $2.1 million the county provides to subsidize Oncenter each year.

Gas Prices Hit High in 2009

Prices hit their highest mark since same time last year.
by Jameson Fleming

Gas prices typically rise during the fall and winter months and this year is no different.

Last year, prices rose during the same time reaching $2.70 per gallon, but trailed off after demand dropped.

Prices have once again surpassed the $2.70 mark in the state of New York after rising five cents during the past week.

The cost of gas should continue to rise during the next few weeks.

To find the lowest gases prices in Syracuse, Gas Buddy tracks gas prices across the Central New York area.

Woman Takes Pumpkin Through Windshield

Local woman has a pumpkin thrown at her while driving
by Ranbir Boyal

Syracuse, NY -- Donna Rogers was driving to work through Manlius in the early hours of this morning when a not so funny, late halloween trick was played on her.

Driving around 2 a.m. Rogers, 50 noticed headlights in the distance and then all of a sudden something was flying towards her. She thought it was a rock that came through her windshield, but it was in fact a pumpkin.

Rogers said she heard laughing as the other car drove off but couldn't catch a look as she had shattered glass in her eyes.

After blindly bringing her car to a halt, Rogers called her husband via speed dial and paramedics were on the scene shortly to remove the glass from her eyes.

Manlius Police are investigating the incident, and anyone with information is encouraged to call 315-682-2212.



To see video of this story head over to http://www.9wsyr.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoid=273118@wixt.dayport.com

Toy Hall of Fame Inducts Three

Rochester Museum enshrines three classic toys.

by Jameson Fleming

The Toy Hall of Fame inducted three toys to bring the number of honored toys to 44 with the induction of the ball, the Big Wheel, and the Game Boy.

The ball's versatility makes its induction a long time coming as the ball's history goes back millennia.

The Rochester Museum also inducted a must for every elementary school student: the Big Wheel.

The Toy Hall of Fame also tries to induct one technologically based toy and this year's selection is the classic Game Boy which gained prominence among young boys in the 1990s.

State Flags to Fly Half-Staff Friday

Tribute to fallen soldier from Queens
by Ranbir Boyal

Gov. David Paterson has directed flags to fly at half-staff Friday as a tribute to a New York soldier killed in Afghanistan on Oct 27.


Staff Sgt. Luis Manuel Gonzalez, of South Ozone Park, Queens, was killed when his vehicle hit a roadside explosive in the Arghandab Valley.


He served with the 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team of the 2nd Infantry Division based at Fort Lewis, Washington.

New York Wins World Series...Again

by Jameson Fleming

The Yankees broke in the palace they call their stadium with a 27th World Series Championship after defeating the Phillies 7-3 in Game Six.

The Bronx Bombers knocked off the Phightin' Phils after getting to Pedro Martinez early, then sealing the game with baseball's best closer, Mariano Rivera.

Hideki Matsui took home MVP honors after knocking home a World Series record six runs in the final, deciding game.

New York City will host a parade for the world champs on Friday.

Protection from Swine Flu Begins Today in Syracuse

Sign-ups begin for Syracuse school children to receive flu shots

by Jameson Fleming

Syracuse, New York -- Students attending Onondaga County schools will receive free H1N1 flu shots if their parents sign their children up.

Parents began signing their children up today when registration began at 9 AM Thursday. Parents can sign up two different ways. There is a link on each school's website or parents can call the Onondaga County Flu Hotline at 435-5752.

Each district will have one flu clinic just for students, but some districts may be combined and share a clinic.

Students will be able to choose between receiving the nasal spray version of the vaccine or receiving the flu shot.

New Water Bottle Deposit In New York

5 cent deposit on all new bottles water

By: P.J. Wascher

Syracuse, New York - A new bottle deposit tax took affect October 31st in New York. People will now have to pay an extra five cents for any bottle of water under a gallon, and receive their money back after the bottle is recycled. This will cost two dollars more for the traditional twenty-four pack of water. This is already done with bottles and cans of Soda in New York.

Frustrated Grocery Stores

The additional bottle deposit was made possible after U.S. District Judge Deborah Batts issued an order lifting an injunction on the deposits last Friday. This gave grocery stores a week to change their water bottle stock with to get proper label. Nichols Grocery Store owner, Mike Hennigan was frustrated with the short notice to change their inventory.

“This is New York state in the fact that they given the entire food industry, via the supermarket, convenience stores, drug stores, less than a week to be in compliance, and that is the main frustration point.” Hennigan says.

Mike says grocery store owners will have to send back all their water supply to their distributors. If they are found with any water without the proper labels in the store there will be a $100 fine.

Consumer Notice

Only bottles of water will be subject to the new deposit tax. Flavored bottles of water will not be included. You will only receive five cents for bottles purchase after October 31st. People cannot receive money back for bottles without the proper labeling. 80% of the unclaimed deposits will go to the State, desperate for new revenue.

Oncenter Implements a New Ticket Fee

Facility Fee Hits the Oncenter

by Julien Desrayaud

Syracuse -- The Oncenter board of directors agreed to incorporate a new facility fee on tickets to certain events inside the War Memorial, Civic Center, and Oncenter Exhibition Hall starting on Sunday, November 1. Fortunately for customers, there will not be a significant increase to individual tickets.

Ticket Breakdown

The facility fee will add one dollar to individual tickets for Syracuse Crunch hockey games, Syracuse Orchestra events, and Syracuse Opera performances. As for concerts and entertainment events like the Harlem Globetrotters, there will be a two dollar increase. Season ticket holders for the Crunch and tickets to Famous Artists are exempt from the facility fee. Until Sunday, the Oncenter was one of the few venues that did not charge a facility fee.

Need Repairs

The main reason the facility fee is being implemented is to raise money in order to repair the buildings that compose the Oncenter. The War Memorial was built in 1952 and is in dire need of renovations. The Columbus Blue Jackets, the NHL affiliate for the Crunch, have shown displeasure with the building's current state.

Another reason to renovate is to attract new and diverse business to Syracuse.

Affect on Ticket Sales

The increase of one to two dollars should not affect ticket sales all that much. "I think in general people are coming in, for example I'll use Phish again as a concert. The ticket was 50 dollars. I don't think it would make a difference in the world that the concert was going to sell out if it was 50 dollars or 52 dollars," said Sandy Baker, the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Oncenter Complex.

If you are interested in seeing an event at the Oncenter, as long as you do not mind spending an extra dollar or two, the facility fee will not have a serious affect.

WATCH STORY HERE:

Halloween Around the World

President Obama Honors Fallen Troops

President Obama made an unannouced trip to attend the Return of 18 fallen troops from Afganistan

by Haifa Jedea

Syracuse, NY- President Obama traveled to the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware where the bodies of 18 fallen sodldeirs were returned home from Adganistan. This was the President's first trip to the air base.

Also in attendance were U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Michele Leonhart, acting DEA administrator. Three of the bodies at the ceremony were of Drug Enforcement Administraion special agents and 15 of U.S. troops.

Watch a clip of the President at the ceremony here

Gas Prices On The Rise... Again

Drivers Get Ready To Bear A Heavy Burden

By John Jastremski

Syracuse, NY

For the first time this year, consumers are paying more for a gallon of gas than they did last year at this time. Why is this case. Well, part of the reason is that prices are going up now and they were falling last year at this time when Wall Street was falling apart. The price of gas right now is on par for what consumers were paying this Summer. According to http://www.gasbuddy.com/, Central New York prices range from $ 2.73 to $2.93. One year ago gas averaged around $2.65 a gallon.

The good news for consumers is that a report is out that says gas supplies are actually up this week, which may slow up this week which could slow down the rapid raising prices.

Washginton Unveils Helthcare Bill

Pelosi unveiled the house democrat's new $894 billion health care bill

by Haifa Jedea

Syracuse, NY- Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi of California, unveiled a $894 billion health care package that would provide insurance to up to 36 million uncovered Americans.

The new plans guarantees coverage to 96 percent of Americans by subsidizing insurance for poorer Americans and creating health insurance exchanges that will allow small groups and individuals to purchase coverage.

The 2,000 page plan would cut the federal deficit by roughly $30 billion over the next decade. The measure would be financed through a combination of a tax surcharge on wealthy American and spending constraints in Medicare and Medicaid. Individuals with incomes over $500,000 and families earning more than $1 million would face a 5.4 percent income tax surcharge.

Watch a clip of Nancy Pelosi's Speech here

Gov. Paterson Declares Swine Fly State Emergency

State Emergency leads to more Swine Flu vaccines

by Haifa Jedea

Syracuse, NY-New York Governor David Paterson has declared a state-wide emergency because of the rise in swine flue cases. This order allows more health care professionals to administer H1N1 vaccines with only brief training.

The federal government is also increasing the availability of the vaccine which allows NY state to double its order from last week. This announcement also comes after the state reported 75 deaths attributed to swine fly.

The Center for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) recommends washing hands thoroughly, using hand sanitizer, and keeping a distance from people with the flu as the best way to prevent from getting swine flu. For more information on vaccines and treatment visit the CDC's website at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/ .

College Enrollment On The Rise

More American Choose College

By John Jastremski

Syracuse, NY

More Americans than ever are in college, especially Community College according a new report. A study of Census data by the Pew Research Center released today, shows the number of Americans between the ages of 18-24 attending college hit a record high in October 2008 at just under 40 percent. The study says greatest gains in enrollment were at two year Community Colleges.

The study's authors say due to tough economic times, is pushing students to choose Community College which are usually less expensive. Community Colleges saw increases again in 2009 though final figures are not avalaible yet.

70-foot Tree Chosen as the Clinton Square Christmas Tree

The city of Syracuse picked a Norway spruce tree from the Salt Springs Neighborhood.

by Haifa Jedea

Syracuse, NY-a 70-foot Norway spruce was picked from the Elmcrest Children's Center to be this year's Clinton Square Christmas tree.

Brian Liberti, Syracuse's arborists said that tree had all the qualities they were looking for. "It's got a fantastic shape, it's a beautiful tree,"said Liberti.

After spending 50 to 60 hours looking at 60 trees, Liberti finally decided on the Norway spruce in the Salt Springs neighborhood of Syracuse. The city always picks this particular kind of tree because it is easily tied down to pass under bridges making it easy to transport to downtown. The tree will be cut down and brought to Clinton Square on November 12th.

NY State Shortchanged Bridge, Highway Projects

State Shortchanges Projects, more $$ Needed

By John Jastremski

New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli says the state has shortchanged highway and bridge projects by billions of dollars over nearly two decades. DiNapoli says almost $ 4 billion will need to be transferred by the state to the Highway and Bridge Trust fund by 2014 to meet the criteria of the fund created in 1991 to pay for construction and rehabilition of state owned roads and bridges.

The Comptroller says just $11.6 billion or just under thirty five percent of the fund's total has gone directly towards infrastructure over the past eighteen years. The rest has been diverted to debt payments and operations of the state transportation and motor vehicles departments.

Utica Brothers Found Guilty in Asbestos Dumping

A federal court found a lawyer and his brother guilty in asbestos dumping.

by Haifa Jedea

Syracuse, NY- Paul Mancuso of Utica was convicted of seven counts, including conspiracy to defraud the United States and violating the federal Clean Air and Superfund acts between 2003 and 2005.

His brother, Steven Mancuso, a Utica lawyer,was accused of creating fake documents to help conceal his brother's illegal asbestos activities. He was found guilty on one count of consiring with his brother to defraud the United States.

Paul Mancuso faces up to 10 years in prison while his brother faces up to 5 years. They'll find out what will happen during their sentancing on feurary 21st, 2010.

It's Getting Better All The Time?

Business Leaders cautiously optimistic about economy

By John Jastremski

Syracuse, NY. Business leaders attended the Central Upstate Manufacturing breakfast and expressed their optimism about the economy but none of them went out on a limb and acknowledged that Central New York has officially recovered from the recession. After months of layoffs, the Manufacturing Association of CNY expressed that they have seen local factory employment remain stable and orders have picked up recently.

The optimism has also been sparked by the recent announcement that companies such as Bitzer Scroll an air conditioning maker and Reva an electric car factory are moving to the area. Randall Woken, the Manufacturing Association of Central New York's President is very pleased with the recent developments but adds " We're not out of it yet, local companies know it's going to be a slow recovery."

Iran Ready To Talk Nukes

Iran, Ahmadinejad Respond to Nuclear Proposals

By John Jastremski

Syracuse, NY. After much international pressure, Iran has sent an initial proposal in hopes to break the logjam involving its nuclear program the International Atomic Energy Agency said Thursday. The deal could lower the amount of nuclear material to limit Iran's ability to produce a nuclear bomb. Iran denies the fact that it is even interested in producing such weapons despite the suspicions of the United States and other western nations. Iran's hardline leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad struck a rare note of praise for the initial proposals and the west. Ahmadinejad, speaking to crowds in the northeastern city of Mashhad, said the West has gone from "confrontation to cooperation," according to state-run Press TV, and praised the IAEA as "playing a genuine role."
"One, they told us to stop (nuclear work,)" he said. "Now they express readiness to cooperate with us in exchange of fuel, expansion of the technology and construction of power plants and atomic reactors."

A formal proposal is expected to be offered on Friday. If accepted it could diminish some of the tension between Iran and western nations.

Syracuse Fans Rejoice

Syracuse Offers Reasonable Ticket Deal for Saturday vs. Cincinnati

By John Jastremski

Well, Syracuse not only is your basketball team in the preseason top 25, not only is your star wide reciever returning from suspension but tickets for this weekends football game are as reasonable as a sporting event could possibly be. The University announced that anyone who has purchased a ticket throughout the season can head down to the box office and buy a ticket for this Saturday's game against Cincinnati, the 5th ranked team in the nation for only ten dollars. Students will be able to get into the game for free. The offer is a part of Fan Appreciation Day, as the Orange wrap up a six game homestand. Under first year Head Coach Doug Marrone, the Orange are 3-4 on the season and look to get their first Big East win for the new head man.

Democracywise: Fact Check

Good Weather Brings Crowds Out To Golf Course

Drumlins Sees Increased Turnout As Temperatures Rise
by Mike Tressa


It looks like fall but sure doesn't feel that way. October temperatures near 70 degrees brought Syracuse residents out to Drumlins golf course to get in some final rounds.

Golf Shop Manager Bill Leasure said that the good weather would most likely bring out 50 to 60 golfers. Many of the people on the links said they came out because they didn't know when they would get another chance with the Syracuse winter looming ahead.

Watch the video here: