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Eric Devendorf spends four hours before SU judicial board

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:50:00 GMT

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Raw Video: Jim Boeheim reaction

Syracuse, New York (WSYR-TV) – Syracuse Orange basketball star Eric Devendorf got a chance to clear his name and tell his side of the story in front of a panel of students and administrators at Syracuse University Thursday night.

The hearing comes after harassment allegations in which a woman claimed Devendorf punched her in the face on the night of November 1.

Kim Smith, a 20-year-old SU student, claimed she was sitting in her car when a group of people approached her, yelling and kicking her car. Once she got out of her car, she says Devendorf hit her.

Devendorf says he was defending himself.

At the time of the incident, Smith asked police to arrest him, but the Onondaga County District Attorney's office turned the matter over to the university.

The hearing to determine what exactly happened during that incident began at six this evening -- and lasted approximately four hours.

Smith’s lawyer, Rich Koenig, claims that text messages exchanged between Smith and a teammate of Devendorf's prove that the player had harassed Smith.

William Sullivan, who represented Devendorf at the hearing, thanked the board for giving Devendorf the chance to tell his side of the story, and did not offer any further comment.

The judicial board has five days to make a decision; after that, appeals can be made.

Including appeals, it may take approximately one month before the case is resolved.

Syracuse University head basketball coach Jim Boeheim says Devendorf will remain with the team while the investigation continues.

Syracuse, New York (WSYR-TV) - NewsChannel 9 has obtained the police report that accuses SU basketball player Eric Devendorf of hitting a woman in the face.

The victim’s statements say that a group of people were kicking her and yelling as she sat inside on the early morning of November 1.

She told police that when she got out of the car, Devendorf yelled profanities at her and hit her with a closed fist.

Syracuse Police sent a summons application to the Onondaga County District Attorney's Office seeking the arrest of Devendorf on a charge of Harassment in the 2nd degree.

The DA’s office investigated the incident and determined the case should be handled by the University Judicial Affairs Office. No charges were filed.

Read the details in the police report and get more background on the case by reading our previous story, below.

	Devendorf accused of assault 11/18/08
	Devendorf named in complaint 11/18/08
	Devendorf Named in Complaint 11/18/08

Syracuse, New York (WSYR-TV / AP) - Syracuse University basketball star Eric Devendorf was at the center of an investigation by the District Attorney’s office after an incident where he was accused of hitting a woman in the face.

Syracuse Police sent a summons application to the Onondaga County District Attorney's Office seeking the arrest of Eric Devendorf on a charge of Harassment in the 2nd degree.

The DA’s office investigated the incident and determined the case should be handled by the University Judicial Affairs Office. No charges were filed.

A police report says that around 2:50 in the morning on November 1, a 20-year-old female SU student told police she was sitting in her car when a group of people began kicking it and yelling.

She told police that when she got out of her car, in the 900 block of Walnut Street, Eric Devendorf walked up to her with a closed fist and hit her in the face while yelling profanities at her.

The woman got back into her car, according to police, and drove to the corner of University Place & Comstock Avenue where she contacted Campus Police.

The woman’s attorney said she recognized five people that night; all of them are allegedly SU men’s basketball players.

The police report says she told officer that she had known Devendorf for the last 9 months and said she was a friend of his on MySpace.

The alleged victim and her attorney told NewsChannel 9 they do not wish to make a statement at this time.

NewsChannel 9 recieved the following statement from Syracuse University spokesperson Kevin Morrow:

"As a matter of federal law (FERPA) and University policy, we cannot discuss any possible disciplinary matter involving a specific student. Generally speaking, if evidence were presented to the University about a violation of the Code of Student Conduct the matter would be thoroughly investigated and appropriately resolved by the University Judicial System as described in the SU Judicial System Handbook: http://students.syr.edu/judicial/policies/handbook.html."

Assistant District Attorney Rick Trunfio said the DA's office gets involved in harassment cases everyday.

When asked why this case was sent to SU's Judicial Affairs Office, Trunfio said, "Stories on both sides are inconsistent. This case doesn't belong in the criminal arena."

When asked about the incident, coach Jim Boeheim said "The university is handling that -- when they're done with it, we'll see where we are and we'll respond to it." Boeheim also said Devendorf will remain with the team during the investigation.

Devendorf declined to comment on the incident after Syracuse beat Richmond 76-71 on Tuesday night.

Caught on Tape: Carousel Center purse thief

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 03:30:00 GMT

Raw Video: Purse thief Caught on Tape

Syracuse, New York (WSYR-TV) – Be aware as you head out to do your shopping -- especially at the Carousel Center.

Crowded malls mean more opportunity for thieves, and they're already taking advantage of it – police, though, have the latest incident Caught On Tape.

Police say the victim was watching a movie at the mall’s theater; when it was finished, she got up and left, leaving her purse behind. By the time she realized she forgot it, someone else had walked away with it.

This isn't the first time it's happened; police say thieves have snatched purses from many others in the mall before.

“In the past, a woman's purse had been stolen, and they were able to get into her purse and take her keys -- and then they went around the parking lot, and were able to find her car,” says Syracuse police Sgt. Tom Connellan.

“We suggest, if you have a purse, just don't bring it in with you; just bring your wallet. But if you do bring your purse, just keep it somewhere where you know where it is.”

If you lose sign of it, your purse could be carried out on a shoulder other than yours.

If you recognize the two women Caught on Tape, call Syracuse police at 442-5222.

Investigators searching for cause of Baldwinsville fire

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 05:36:32 GMT

Raw Video: Baldwinsville apartment fire

Baldwinsville, New York (WSYR-TV) - Investigators are looking into what caused a fire at an apartment building along Village Boulevard in Baldwinsville Thursday night.

The fire started around 7:30 p.m. and was contained to the one apartment building that has eight units in it.

“It didn't look that bad when we first pulled in, but then as we started pulling out lines all of sudden it just blew -- so it was probably cooking for a while before we got here,” says Baldwinsville Fire safety officer and EMT Tom Perkins.

Several people were treated for smoke inhalation, but all are said to be doing well.

Murder suspect arraignment marred by outbursts

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 09:55:00 GMT

Raw Video of the murder scene

Syracuse, New York (WSYR-TV) – It was a very tense and emotional day in Syracuse City Court Thursday, as 26-year-old murder suspect Veldessa Johnson was arraigned in the stabbing death of 18-year-old Yeisha Howard.

Johnson was in court twice -- and both times police had to step in to keep fights from breaking out.

Johnson was initially in court at 9:30 Thursday morning; within minutes, the judge delayed the arraignment, and an outburst in court spilled into the hallway.

Police and court officers quickly broke up the crowd and Johnson's arraignment was rescheduled at the request of the district attorney.

Johnson's second appearance, scheduled for 1:30, ended in much the same way.

Family and friends of Yeisha Howard say they were just overwhelmed and angry at the sight of Johnson, who is accused of stabbing Howard in the neck during a fight in the Sunset Terrace Apartments lobby Tuesday afternoon.

Howard, of 1214 Lodi Street, died after being taken to University Hospital.

It was a deadly end to a long history of violence between the two women, according to police.

“These two have had a very long standing…feud between them -- there's been a tremendous amount of bad blood and violence between the two and that's obvious,” says Syracuse Police Sgt. Tom Connellan.

On Tuesday, police say that feud came to a head when Howard and some friends confronted Johnson at the apartment complex, looking to brawl.

“They say ‘come out for a fair one,’ -- meaning a fight,” says Syracuse police chief Gary Miguel.

The victim's mother told us Howard was trying to avoid Johnson and turn her life around; she says she doesn't know why Howard decided to get involved in the fight.

The judge entered a not guilty plea for Johnson Thursday in court; she is due back for a preliminary hearing on December 9.

Johnson faces up to life in prison if she's convicted. She is being held on $5,000 bail.

Shortly after Johnson’s second court appearance, News 10 Now reporter Joleene Des Rosiers was injured after she was attacked by a friend of the victim.

Just outside the courtroom, a 15-year-old boy punched the front of Des Rosiers’ camera, shoving the $5,000 camera into her face. As a precaution, she was taken to University Hospital for evaluation and was released later in the evening.

News 10 Now general manager Ron Lombard says Des Rosiers has a strained neck and back, and tests showed no further injury. Lombard says Des Rosiers is showing no visible signs of the attack.

The suspect was arrested by police at the scene. He is charged with assault and criminal mischief for breaking the camera. The camera was slightly damaged, and will be repaired.

Syracuse police looking into increasingly violent muggings

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 23:51:04 GMT

Syracuse, New York (WSYR-TV) - Police are investigating a pattern of robberies that have occurred since October 28 in vicinity of the shopping plaza on West Seneca Turnpike and Valley Drive in Syracuse.

So far, police have received information about three robberies:

First: Outside Dollar Tree, October 28, 9:45pm
Two victims -- a male and a female in their early 20s -- were robbed outside the store. Police are looking for two young black suspects -- one masked, one with a handgun; they had the victims lay on the ground as they ran off with the money the victims were carrying from store.

Second: Outside Luigi’s Pizza, November 5, 6:35pm
An older female victim was attacked, knocked down and dragged; the suspects stole her purse, ripping it off her shoulder. The purse’s contents were stolen, and then the purse was tossed outside a nearby home.

Third: Wednesday night, outside the liquor store in the plaza, 5:15pm
A 51-year-old woman, making her way from the store to the parking lot, was attacked and had her purse stolen. The force of the attack dislocated her shoulder. The purse was emptied and thrown out at a nearby home.

The last two incidents are believed to be connected. The suspects in last two incidents were not masked; they are two black males, both approximately 18-20 years old; one was wearing a dark hoodie, while another was wearing a tan jacket.

The recent string of attacks has police taking notice.

“We have not had many robberies in that area until now,” says Syracuse police Sgt. Tom Connellan. He says police are “trying to be proactive, getting information out to the public, so people are aware.”

Police are urging women to be extra vigilant. If you're making your way to one of these stores, don't carry a big purse, and if anyone comes up to you and tries to take something from you, give it up. This way you don't get hurt.

Police will also beef up patrols in the area.

If you have any information about any of these robberies, call Syracuse police at 442-5222.

50 fastest-growing CNY businesses recognized

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 22:10:00 GMT

Syracuse, New York (WSYR-TV) - At a time when many companies are scaling back their operations, it's tough to imagine how any business could grow. Still, dozens of central New York businesses have proven it is possible.

On Thursday, our 50 fastest growing companies were recognized during a reception at the OnCenter.

At the event, we asked a few CEOs about their secrets for success.

“I think it's important to look for niches, because there's always opportunity,” says Orrin MacMurray, CEO of the C&S Companies.

<lisa mayers, pr, meier supply company: “I think relationship building is the single most important factor,” says Lisa Mayers, spokeswoman for the Meier Supply Company.

John MacDougall, CEO of the Nice N Easy Grocery Shoppes, says to “listen to the customers and know what they're looking for.”

Grocer and gas provider -- nice 'n easy -- has been paying close attention to its target demographic.

In the last year, Nice N Easy has started sending out mailers with coupons to draw people in. Hundreds of those coupons were collected over the course of only a few weeks.

CLICK HERE for companies with less than $10 million in revenue

CLICK HERE for companies with more than $10 million in revenue

Urban Video Project brings larger-than-life art downtown

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 06:22:40 GMT

Raw Video: Urban Video Project

Syracuse, New York (WSYR-TV) - Art comes in different shapes and sizes. And in downtown Syracuse, you can find some larger-than-life expressions.

Thursday night, the sides of buildings were transformed into canvases for art.

The Urban Video Project brings art to the streets of Syracuse by projecting it onto buildings; Syracuse University created the art work, which uses some pretty powerful projectors to cover a 3,600 square-foot display.

You can catch the visual displays on the Monroe Building downtown on Onondaga Street, and the Onondaga Historical Association Museum on Montgomery Street.

The displays will cover the buildings throughout the year from dusk to 11:00 p.m.

Lake Effect Snow Continue North of Syracuse

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:47:54 GMT

(WSYR-TV, Syracuse) Heavy lake effect snows continue to hit areas north of Syracuse hard this morning. 4" of new snow has accumulated in Redfield in northern Oswego county as of 3:30 this morning. Whiteouts and blowing snow can be expected on Route 81 north of Central Square.

This snow band will gradually march northward through the morning, ending up in Jefferson county, near Watertown, this afternoon. Since the band will be on the move, accumulations will be held down some, but some areas could pick up a foot of snow.

Elsewhere, it'll be a cold, windy day with sun and clouds. Some flurries will try to come in off of Lake Erie through the Finger Lakes, but nothing that should cause any problems.

Remember, when you're away from your TV or computer, you can get up to date views of Live Doppler 9 anytime at mobile.9wsyr.com

Holtz-to-SU rumors continue to swirl

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 03:31:18 GMT

Syracuse, New York (WSYR-TV) - With the likes of Randy Edsall, Lane Kiffin and Chip Kelly no longer an option, it looks like East Carolina head football coach Skip Holtz may be the top target to replace Greg Robinson at Syracuse.

Holtz has been asked publically about the SU opening at least three times in the last week, and each time he's said essentially the same thing -- that he's not looking for a new job; he's just looking for a win in this weekend's Conference USA title game.

The Pirates haven't won a conference crown since 1976.

Holtz will be in New York on Sunday to celebrate the induction of his father, Lou Holtz, into the National Football Foundation's College Hall of Fame.

SU athletic director Daryl Gross is expected to be there as well.

Because of the swirling rumors, East Carolina athletic director Terry Holland felt the need to address the situation and released a lengthy statement Thursday night.

Holland says that while Holtz does not have any interviews scheduled, "it is certainly possible that he will rub elbows with, or even have a cup of coffee with, athletic administrators who have coaching positions open at their institutions.

We are in complete agreement that he has no reason to avoid such encounters."

Holland ended the statement by saying “if Coach Holtz wishes to interview at other institutions, he will schedule the interview with my permission to do so. Coach Holtz and I will have no further comment.”

East Carolina AD Addresses Coaching Rumors

Dec. 4, 2008

I have asked Coach Holtz to allow me to address the continuing rumors about his interest in coaching positions that are currently open at other institutions.

First and foremost, there is no doubt in my mind about the fact that Coach Holtz' total focus is on doing everything possible to help his East Carolina team win its first ever C-USA Championship. He simply has not had the time or the inclination to consider any other coaching positions and any institutions that might want to ask for permission to speak with him have had the good manners and professional courtesy to refrain from doing so until our season has been completed.

Coach Skip Holtz, along with many of his family members, will be in New York (and so will I) to celebrate the induction of Coach Lou Holtz into the National Football Foundation's College Football Hall of Fame. While we are in New York, I would expect Coach Skip Holtz to have contact with many good football people who will have their own personal opinions on his career options.

However, Coach Holtz does not have interviews scheduled with any institution during this time period and will not schedule any interviews for coaching positions while he is in New York. It is certainly possible that he will rub elbows with or even have a cup of coffee with athletic administrators who have coaching positions open at their institutions. We are in complete agreement that he has no reason to avoid such encounters.

Upon our return to Greenville, we will sit down to discuss whether or not he wishes to consider scheduling interviews concerning open coaching positions. If he indicates he wants to interview with another institution, I will wrap both hands around his throat and throttle him until he agrees to coach at East Carolina for the rest of his life. Well, at least that is what I would do if I thought it would work.

The truth is that no one could be more loyal to East Carolina University and his football players than Coach Holtz has been. The Pirate Nation has earned that loyalty and needs to continue to earn Coach Holtz' loyalty by making sure that he knows we care about his own future and career more than we care about simply winning football games.

The best way to earn undying loyalty is to encourage Coach Holtz to continually compare the job we are all doing with what he can expect from the fans and administration at other institutions. After all, we each compare him constantly to what the coaches of our competitors are doing so it is only healthy if it is a two-way street.

If Coach Holtz wishes to interview at other institutions, he will schedule the interview with my permission to do so. Coach Holtz and I will have no further comment. I firmly believe that Coach Holtz has earned the support of the Pirate Nation regardless of what his decision may be in this or any other year.

Statement courtesy East Carolina Athletics website

Syracuse school renovation plan passes; Blodgett stays open

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 13:30:35 GMT

Syracuse, New York (WSYR-TV) - It took a couple extra weeks, but there's finally a plan in place to renovate six Syracuse city schools.

The resolution, which passed Thursday morning, includes complete renovations at Fowler, the back building at Central Tech and Dr. Weeks, major work at H.W. Smith and basic renovations to Clary and Shea.

$2.5 million is also part of the Phase One project to be used for planning for either the full renovation of Blodgett School, or a completely new building.

It's the same resolution the Joint Schools Construction Board voted down two weeks ago, but a more pleasing separate agreement on the fate of Blodgett School resulted in a unanimous vote.

"This is a very good example of when you take a little extra time for planning and to ask a few more questions, you come out with a result that everybody can be comfortable with,” says Syracuse school board president Laurie Menkin. ‘

"Our work does not end here today by any stretch of the imagination, but today’s a good day in that the board has finally made a decision and it shows us a clear path on where we're going to be involved as well," says Syracuse mayor Matt Driscoll.

Budget constraints forced the $136.5 million plan to be scaled back from what the board originally wanted. The Greystone Building at Central Tech had to be left out, but the back building will get a much-needed renovation.

Fowler gets the overhaul it needs, and while Phase One doesn't include work for Blodgett, it does put the school back on the board.

"Remember, several weeks ago the recommendation was basically to close Blodgett and send the kids someplace else, so this is a major change and an understanding from both the city and the school district," says Syracuse schools superintendent Dan Lowengard.

Money is there in Phase One to plan for Blodgett’s future -- but not to fix it. The mayor has agreed to either totally renovate or build a new Blodgett, but Matt Driscoll says "we're going to need help from outside of municipal sources, fundraising efforts from people throughout this community and beyond."

While Driscoll is no longer asking to consolidate Blodgett with Delaware, he says the district does have to get leaner and needs to start looking at how to do it.

Driscoll says the district should take a look at “each of the quadrants and then how we smartly use the facilities that are in there and if facilities are not needed how they then come off-line."

The Phase One plan is being sent right off to Albany for a review, but still could take several months. Ground breaking isn't expected until spring of 2010, although work at Central Tech may be able to start sooner.

The mayor's plan for Blodgett includes taking Shea off-line and using it as swing space, making room for students from Blodgett or one of the other schools while they're being fixed.

Money In Your Pocket Minute: Free money for college

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 01:49:14 GMT

Are you looking for a way to get free money for your child’s college education? Believe it or not, there is a way that you can get it.

It’s called the Upromise program, and here’s how it works:

Visit http://www.upromise.com, and register. During the process, you’ll link your account to your frequent shopper’s club cards. Most major supermarkets in the central New York area take part in the program.

Then, when you go to the store and buy products that are taking part in the Upromise program, the respective companies will match a certain percentage of your purchase, and place it in your Upromise account.

You can then have the funds transferred into a 529 account.

If you have student loans with Sallie Mae, you can also use your Upromise funds to pay down your loans.

SUNY Oswego opens downtown Metro Center

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 01:32:59 GMT

Syracuse, New York (WSYR-TV) - Getting an advanced degree at SUNY Oswego doesn't necessarily mean driving to the school's main campus any more.

Thursday, the school celebrated the official opening and expansion of its downtown Syracuse location.

The SUNY Oswego Metro Center was built as kind of a multi-purpose facility. During the day, conference space caters to local businesses, and at night, classrooms serve students.

Those classes are mostly graduate-level MBA and education courses, and they're especially convenient for the many students who would otherwise have to commute to and from Oswego.

The seminars hosted downtown during regular business hours help local companies offer their employees special training at a reasonable cost.

“It allows multiple companies to participate. As opposed to trying to customize or create an expensive program for just four or five people, by working with the association as a whole we can deliver the training to them in a more economical fashion,” says Metro Center representative Yvonne Petrella.

The Metro Center has been up and running since the summer, so it's already had its trial period. Administrators tell us interest in using the space is growing with each day that passes.

The popular seminars offered at the Metro Center cover a wide range of topics. They include risk management, international business -- even criminal justice or play therapy.

Three indicted for taking, selling trees from state land

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:35:05 GMT

Syracuse, New York (WSYR-TV) - Three men have been indicted on charges that they stole $35,000 worth of black cherry trees from the Altmar State Forest and sold some of them to a lumber mill.

William Battles, 49, of Albion Cross Road, Parish; Ted Bennett, 43, of Albion Cross Road, Pulaski; and Michael Humberstone, 36, of Macadoo Road, Rensselaer Falls; have all been indicted on charges of Grand Larceny, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property, Criminal Mischief and with violating state Environmental Conservation Law.

In the summer of 2006, Bennett was hired by a private landowner to remove hemlock trees from a property that is immediately adjacent to the Altmar State Forest, according to the Attorney General’s office.

Between June and August of 2006, Battles, Bennett and Humberstone, are accused of going into the Altmar State Forest together and illegally cutting and removing black cherry trees from state-owned land.

Records show the three made more than $18,000 after selling the trees to a lumber mill.

A DEC forest ranger noticed the stolen trees were missing in December 2006. An investigation found that more than 70 trees had been cut down.

The three were arraigned in Oswego County Court. Battles and Bennett were released on their own recognizance and Humberstone was sent back to the Broome County Correctional Facility where he is being held on unrelated federal charges.

The most serious charges carry maximum prison sentences of seven years.

Streets of Speed: Return to Idlewood Boulevard

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 13:54:30 GMT

11/14: Our first trip to Idlewood Boulevard

Syracuse, New York (WSYR-TV) - Streets of Speed is back in Baldwinsville, following up on a street we first showed you a few weeks ago.

It's Idlewood Boulevard, right outside Reynolds Elementary School. We headed there with the Onondaga County Sheriff's Department to help put a stop to stop-sign runners.

When we last visited Idlewood Boulevard, we saw car after car simply ignoring the four-way stop signs.

But would they do the same with Deputy Todd Shields watching? It turns out the answer is yes.

Within minutes of pulling over one driver for not coming to a complete stop, another car rolled right on through. That driver got a warning on the stop sign issue and a ticket for an expired inspection.

Deputy Shields say he hears all the excuses, running late, ‘thought I stopped’ and even that the stop signs on Idlewood are a bit far from the intersection itself.

“It does seem to sit back a bit but people need to come to a complete stop. I mean obviously a four-way intersection like that with a stop sign has to be enforced and come to a complete stop.”

While we were out there several parents and teachers stopped us and asked, “What's the rule when a stop sign is a good distance from the intersection?”

Here's what the law says: If you come up to a stop sign and there's a stop line or a crosswalk, you have to top at the line or the crosswalk, specifically.

If it’s just a stop sign, then you stop at a point before entering the intersection, where you can see approaching traffic.

Of course the issue wasn't people stopping in the wrong spot, it was them not stopping at all and it was a big concern for parents in that neighborhood with young kids crossing the street.

The sheriff's department is planning to print flyers with the law and hand those out to all parents and teachers at Reynolds Elementary. Hopefully that'll clear up any confusion, and make all drivers come to that complete stop.

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Ex-Gov. Spitzer debuts as columnist for Slate

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:44:48 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) - Former Gov. Eliot Spitzer is back in the media, this time as a member of the Fourth Estate.

On Wednesday evening, the online magazine Slate quietly posted Spitzer's first column, headlined "Too Big Not To Fail." It argued against costly economic government bailouts to huge financial institutions.

Jacob Weisberg, the editor-in-chief of the Slate Group, owned by the Washington Post Co., says the semimonthly column will focus on the financial crisis, regulation and government.

Spitzer resigned earlier this year after getting caught in a prostitution scandal. Last month, federal prosecutors announced they would not bring criminal charges against him.

Click here to read the article.

National Mall will be open for Obama inauguration

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:57:52 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) - Barack Obama's inaugural committee says, in a change from tradition, the entire length of the National Mall will be open to the public during his inauguration.

The announcement came Thursday from the committee, which has pledged to make Obama's inauguration "the most open and accessible in history."

People who can't get the 240,000 tickets to the swearing in on the Capitol grounds can fill the mall. In the past, parts of the mall have been closed off as a parade staging area.

The Park Service says it's expecting at least 1 million people for the inaugural, and the city has put the number as high as 5 million.

CNY cities tightening belts, cutting workforces

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 04:27:55 GMT

Rome, Oneida County, New York (WSYR-TV) - The tough economy is forcing cities across Central New York to cut back on its workforce.

In Fulton, the mayor says he’s not filling a total of 5 positions. In Ithaca, there is a hiring freeze in effect and total of 25 open positions are being reviewed. Oswego is scrutinizing every vacancy on a case-by-case basis and the mayor has frozen the budget. Syracuse is scrutinizing 153 open positions, deciding whether or not to fill them.

In the City of Rome, the mayor says he will have layoffs starting in January. He says the CSEA, the union that represents city workers, was first offered a wage freeze.

“We asked unions if [they] wanted to get on board and not take increases for 2009--that would have been the money that I needed,” says Brown.

His goal is to cut down $330,000 to $350,000 from his 2010 budget. Since the freeze was rejected he says he’s forced to have layoffs. As of now, he’s not sure of the number of people that will be affected.

The reason he’s cutting down his budget is because he promised taxpayers to keep property taxes low or flat throughout his time in office. He is also preparing for any cuts in Governor Paterson’s proposed budget.

The layoffs will be in different departments except for the Rome police and fire departments.

CSEA union representative Mark Kotzin says that the union is willing to work with the city to avoid layoffs, but a wage freeze will not be considered. He says there are other ways of saving money.

Orange rallies again, beats Cornell 88-78

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:29:11 GMT

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Jim Boeheim postgame press conference
SU player reaction

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - Sooner or later, Syracuse's penchant for poor starts is bound to come back and haunt.

Two days after manhandling upstate New York foe Colgate 86-51 with a solid performance from start to finish, the 16th-ranked Orange reverted to their rallying ways, coming from 16 points behind to beat hot-shooting Ryan Wittman and Cornell 88-78 on Wednesday night.

It was biggest deficit Syracuse (8-0) has overcome since rallying to beat Rutgers 86-84 on the road after trailing by 20 in January 2005. The Orange defeated both Kansas and Virginia this season after trailing by 13.

"This was the worst game of the season for us, by far," Orange guard Andy Rautins said. "We let down early. We didn't find shooters, but we stuck it out. We showed again that we're a second-half team, but we don't want to be a second-half team because we can get buried and may not be able to come back."

Despite staring at the imposing Paul Harris for much of the game, Wittman nearly buried Syracuse (8-0) singlehandedly, hitting nine 3-pointers and scoring 33 points, both career highs. Wittman was 12-for-28 from the floor and played 39 minutes.

"That's a lot of shots. I wasn't necessarily trying to do that," he said. "I was just trying to take what the defense gave me. They weren't defending the down screen quite as well, and I got open a couple of times. They were kind of confused on what they were doing."

The Orange trailed the entire first half and 6-foot-9, 275-pound center Arinze Onuaku was nearly invisible. Onuaku, averaging 13 points a game, did not take a shot and had one rebound in the period.

"We've been more patient every second half," coach Jim Boeheim said. "Hopefully, we can do that in the first half. We're still scoring."

Jonny Flynn had 24 points and Harris added 21 points and nine rebounds to pace Syracuse, which pressed to get back in the game and trailed only 40-35 at halftime. Eric Devendorf had 15 points, Onuaku finished with 12 and Rautins had 11.

"We made some really bad decisions," Boeheim said. "We got some things out of our press, got them to take a couple of quick shots. We got back into it at halftime, or it could have been worse."

Cornell (4-4), playing its fifth straight road game, hasn't beaten Syracuse in 40 years, suffering 31 straight losses, but the Big Red staged a game fight on this night.

Geoff Reeves had 15 points and Jeff Foote had 10 points and seven rebounds for the Big Red, who outrebounded the Orange 36-32, including 16-8 on the offensive glass.

Onuaku converted a three-point play to start the second half and move the Orange within 40-38. After Rautins swished a 3 from right wing to tie it at 53-all, Harris scored eight points in a 12-0 Syracuse run. Rautins finished the spurt with two free throws, giving Syracuse a 67-57 lead with 8:33 left.

The Big Red, who were 13-of-29 on 3-pointers, didn't buckle.

Consecutive 3-pointers by Wittman brought them within 70-65 less than 2 minutes later. Freshman guard Chris Wroblewski made the first of two free throws to cut the Syracuse lead to 75-69 with 4:51 left, and when Brian Kreefer grabbed the rebound off the missed second free throw, the Big Red had another chance.

Seconds later, though, Wroblewski missed an open 3 from the right side and Flynn raced down court for a layup and an eight-point lead.

"If we can knock down that shot, it really puts a lot of pressure on, makes them a little more nervous," said Wittman, who nearly matched the Carrier Dome record of 10 3-pointers set by Charlotte's Brendan Plavich in November 2003. "Maybe things would have been different."

Syracuse shot 75 percent (18-for-24) in the second half, outscored Cornell 27-5 at the free-throw line for the game, and had 15 steals.

"Honestly, what we were concerned with coming in was their ability to create havoc with their athleticism and their ability to steal," Cornell coach Steve Donahue said. "We hurt ourselves by fouling. We wanted to stay away from that and we didn't. When you play a team that's as talented as this team on their home court, it's probably going to come back and haunt you."

The Big Red, fourth in the nation a year ago in 3-point shooting, created open looks with their slick ball movement, hit 5-of-8 from long range in the first 12 minutes of the game and led 25-9 when Wittman hit a 3 at 11:57.

As it turned out, that was too much time to protect even that big of a lead.

"It's a dangerous trend," Harris said. "They missed a lot of open shots. If they had made them, no telling what might have happened."

AT&T to cut 12,000 jobs, 4% of workforce

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:05:00 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) - AT&T Inc. joined the recession's parade of layoffs Thursday by announcing plans to cut 12,000 jobs, about 4 percent of its work force.

The Dallas-based telecommunications company - the nation's largest - said the job cuts will take place in December and throughout 2009.

It was not immediately clear what departments and cities would suffer the cuts. However, like most telecom companies, AT&T has been seeing many customers defect from landline phones to wireless services, and the company noted that it would still be hiring in 2009 in parts of the business that offer cell phone service and broadband Internet access.

The company also said it plans to reduce capital spending next year.

AT&T plans to take a charge of about $600 million in the fourth quarter to pay for severance costs. The company noted that many of its non-management employees have guaranteed jobs because of union contracts. All affected workers will receive severance "in accordance with management policies or union agreements," the company said.

Lil Wayne leads Grammy nods with 8, Coldplay 7

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:42:47 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Lil Wayne didn't get a Grammy nomination for "A Milli," but his total haul was still pretty amazing - eight.

Nominations for the prolific and ubiquitous rap MVP, who became pop's biggest success in 2008 with his top-selling album, "Tha Carter III," included a coveted album of the year bid.

Although the New Orleans rapper - who has been nominated for Grammys before but has never taken home a trophy - was the leading nominee, he wasn't the only big act to have a big night Wednesday.

Following close behind during the Grammys' first-ever nominations ceremony/concert combination was Coldplay, with seven nominations. The Chris Martin-led British group's "Viva La Vida," one of the year's best-selling CDs, is in album of the year contention along with Radiohead's groundbreaking "In Rainbows"; singer-songwriter Ne-Yo's "Year of the Gentleman"; and Robert Plant's collaboration with Alison Krauss, "Raising Sand."

Coldplay and Plant & Krauss were also nominated in the coveted record of the year category for the respective songs "Viva La Vida" and "Please Read the Letter." Other record of the year nominees were British songstress Leona Lewis for "Bleeding Love"; another British newcomer, Adele, for "Chasing Pavements"; and M.I.A. for her breakthrough hit, "Paper Planes."

Some surprising omissions: Katy Perry, who had one of the year's biggest hits with "I Kissed a Girl," was shut out of the top categories, including record of the year and best new artist. Still, she was excited about her nomination for female pop vocal performance: "I feel very grateful to be recognized by an institution of such iconic musical history. I can't believe it, but this year I won't be watching the Grammys in my jammies!" she said in a statement.

Metallica got three nominations, but their huge comeback record "Death Magnetic" didn't get a nod for album of the year despite being a top seller in 2008.

Nominations were announced in a new format this year, with an hourlong CBS concert special that featured a brisk procession of performers and LL Cool J and Taylor Swift as hosts.

Though she hosted and performed, Swift, last year's best new artist nominee, was shut out completely. The 18-year-old country artist has had a sensational year thanks to the continued success of her 2006 self-titled debut album and her latest top-selling CD, "Fearless." While neither was eligible for consideration, her recent singles were.

While "Tha Carter III" was not regarded by critics as his greatest CD, it was the album that made the highly regarded rapper - who has been on the scene for more than a decade - a certified superstar, thanks to massive hits like "Lollipop" and "A Milli." Lil Wayne not only rapped on his own hits but seemed to be on just about every urban act's record, and that was reflected in his multiple nominations, some of which were for collaborations.

"Tha Carter III" was the only record this year to sell 1 million copies in its first week and is the year's top seller with 2.7 million copies sold.

Coldplay's "Viva La Vida," its first album in three years, was also a huge hit; it has sold 1.9 million copies to date.

Radiohead's "In Rainbows" didn't break sales records, but it was as revolutionary as it was critically acclaimed. First released last fall in a pay-as-you wish format on the band's Web site, "In Rainbows" was an instant viral sensation that shook up an industry struggling with its traditional business model (although Radiohead later released the album traditionally via a record label).

Plant linked up with Grammy darling and bluegrass artist Krauss for a CD that pushed both in different musical directions, while Ne-Yo, who has produced several smashes for other artists, had success with "Year of the Gentleman."

"When I was putting it together, I was trying to do something that everybody could get into, as opposed to just my pop and R&B core group," Ne-Yo, who got six nominations, said after the ceremony. "I was trying to do something that the world could enjoy and I think that the Grammy people paid attention to that."

Also nominated were The Jonas Brothers for the best new artist category. While they have already released two CDs, their latest, "A Little Bit Longer," was their biggest yet in their breakthrough year. The teen sensations join Duffy and Adele, both singers with a soul bent; singer-songwriter Jazmine Sullivan; and breakout country act Lady Antebellum.

Sullivan, who has drawn comparisons to Lauryn Hill with her hit "I Need You Bad," had a stellar night, with five nominations. Other multiple nominees included Jay-Z, Ne-Yo and Kanye West, who had six each; Krauss, who has numerous Grammy wins, got five nominations.

Another Grammy favorite, John Mayer, netted five as well, while Jennifer Hudson got four, including best R&B album for her self-titled CD.

The Recording Academy typically has announced nominations like most top awards shows, during a morning news conference. But in an era where awards shows are as commonplace as reality shows, even the top-tier events are finding it hard to stand out.

So they put on the prime-time event, included performances from past Grammy winners such as Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera and the Foo Fighters.

Held at the Nokia Theatre, the show also celebrated the Saturday opening of the new Grammy Museum next door.

The Grammy Awards are scheduled for live broadcast on CBS on Feb 8. Last year's show drew 17.2 million viewers, making it one of the least-watched Grammys and continuing the trend of shrinking awards-show audiences.