News Channel 9: Local News - NOW

Winning Means Big Business

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:21:00 GMT

SYRACUSE (WSYR-TV) It was a big win in the Big East Saturday, even for the biggest Syracuse University sports fans. Good news for sports fans also means good news for businesses on the Hill.

"Not expecting a win because of the bad season we had. But it was really exciting because they played really well," Class of 1983's Michael Frey said.

Alum Michael Frey drove five hours to watch the game Saturday and stopped in at Varsity pizza on the SU hill after wards to celebrate. Something football fans didn't have a chance to do too many times this season.

Despite SU losing their last eight conference games, the win over Rutgers Saturday night was their first Big East win, die-hard fans never missed a beat. And now, with the basketball season off to a great start, Varsity is expecting even better business.

"Will they come to the Hill? They certainly will. And they'll come in droves because they just had a big win," Varsity owner John Dellas said.

Big wins mean big business. And they're more likely when the ball hits the hard court.

"Syracuse athletics means an awful lot to the community of Syracuse as a whole. And it really drives business. And when they're doing well, sure we do well right along with them," Dellas said.

Two wins against two nationally ranked basketball teams will do the trick. Frey says he'll be making more road trips this year because of that hot start and places like Varsity hope that means more trips to them as well.

Bike giveaway looking for donations

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 02:06:13 GMT

GEDDES (WSYR-TV) If you have an old bike that you're not using, someone else might be able to get some miles out of it.

The organizer for the CNY Bike giveaway is starting to accept donations for old bikes.

He started taking them in last week and right now he has about 400 bikes, which is far his goal of 2,000.

If you have a bike you would like to unload, you can drop it off at the Toyota building at the New York State Fairgrounds seven days a week from 9:00am to 9:00pm. They will also be accepting donations on Thanksgiving Day from 9:00am-1:00pm.

Senate votes to open debate on health care

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:56:40 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) - Invoking the memory of Edward M. Kennedy, Democrats united Saturday night to push historic health care legislation past a key Senate hurdle over the opposition of Republicans eager to inflict a punishing defeat on President Barack Obama. There was not a vote to spare.

The 60-39 vote cleared the way for a bruising, full-scale debate beginning after Thanksgiving on the legislation, which is designed to extend coverage to roughly 31 million who lack it, crack down on insurance company practices that deny or dilute benefits and curtail the growth of spending on medical care nationally.

The spectator galleries were full for the unusual Saturday night showdown, and applause broke out briefly when the vote was announced. In a measure of the significance of the moment, senators sat quietly in their seats, standing only when they were called upon to vote.

In the final minutes of a daylong session, Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., accused Republicans of trying to stifle a historic debate the nation needed.

"Imagine if, instead of debating whether to abolish slavery, instead of debating whether giving women and minorities the right to vote, those who disagreed had muted discussion and killed any vote," he said.

The Republican leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said the vote was anything but procedural - casting it as a referendum on the bill itself, which he said would raise taxes, cut Medicare and create a "massive and unsustainable debt."

For all the drama, the result of the Saturday night showdown had been sealed a few hours earlier, when two final Democratic holdouts, Sens. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, announced they would join in clearing the way for a full debate.

"It is clear to me that doing nothing is not an option," said Landrieu, who won $100 million in the legislation to help her state pay the costs of health care for the poor.

Lincoln, who faces a tough re-election next year, said the evening vote will "mark the beginning of consideration of this bill by the U.S. Senate, not the end."

Both stressed they were not committing in advance to vote for the bill that ultimately emerges from next month's debate.

Of particular contentiousness to moderates is a provision for the government to sell insurance in competition with private companies, subject to state approval - a part of Reid's bill expected to come under significant pressure as the debate unfolds.

Even so, their announcements marked a major victory for Reid and the White House in a year-end drive to enact the most sweeping changes to the nation's health care system in a half-century or more.

At the White House, press secretary Robert Gibbs issued a statement saying the president was gratified by the vote, which he says "brings us one step closer to ending insurance company abuses, reining in spiraling health care costs, providing stability and security to those with health insurance, and extending quality health coverage to those who lack it."

The legislation would require most Americans to carry insurance and provide subsidies to those who couldn't afford it. Large companies could incur costs if they did not provide coverage to their workforce. The insurance industry would come under significant new regulation under the bill, which would first ease and then ban the practice of denying coverage on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions.

Congressional budget analysts put the legislation's cost at $979 billion over a decade and said it would reduce deficits over the same period while extending coverage to 94 percent of the eligible population.

At its core, the legislation would create insurance exchanges beginning in 2014 where individuals, most of them lower income and uninsured, would shop for coverage. The bill sets aside hundreds of billions of dollars in tax credits to help those earning up to 400 percent of poverty, $88,200 for a family of four.

The House approved its version of the bill earlier this month on a near party line vote of 220-215, and Reid has said he wants the Senate to follow suit by year's end. Timing on any final compromise was unclear.

All 58 Senate Democrats and two independents voted to advance the bill. All 39 votes in opposition were cast by Republicans. GOP Sen. George Voinovich of Ohio was the only senator not to vote. Montana Sen. Max Baucus, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee who has labored on health care for more than a year, flew in from his home state on a government plane for the vote and was returning afterward to be with his ailing mother.

While timing made Landrieu and Lincoln the final two Democrats to announce their intentions, Sen. Paul Kirk of Massachusetts had a clear claim as the 60th vote.

Appointed to office this fall after the death of Kennedy, who championed health care issues for decades, Kirk said he spoke for those "who for so many years revered and loved and elected and re-elected (him) ... that I think they're all - they all, as we do, have him in our minds and our hearts tonight. ..."

Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., echoed those sentiments later in the evening when he referred to Kennedy's "lifelong quest" for national health care and said "tonight and in the days to come we will pay him the highest compliment by fulfilling that" goal.

At a post-vote news conference, Reid said he had telephoned Kennedy's widow, Vicki, with the news.

In hours of debate before the Saturday evening vote, a few Republicans piled copies of the 2,0974-page bill on their desks while others criticized it as a government takeover of health care and worse.

"Move over, Bernie Madoff. Tip your hat to a trillion-dollar scam," said Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., likening the bill's supporters to the imprisoned investor who fleeced millions.

In her remarks, Landrieu said, "I've decided that there are enough significant reforms and safeguards in this bill to move forward, but much more work needs to be done." She also touted the $100 million included in the legislation to help her state cover its costs under Medicaid, the state-federal health care program for the poor.

Lincoln referred repeatedly to the political controversy surrounding the issue. She said $3.3 million has already been spent by outside groups advertising either for or against health care legislation, and said, "these outside groups seem to think that this is all about my re-election. I simply think they don't know me very well."

To finance the expanded coverage, Reid proposed higher taxes as well as cuts totaling hundreds of billions of dollars in projected Medicare payments. Hardest hit would be the private insurance Medicare plans, although providers such as home health agencies would also receive significantly less in future years than now estimated.

The bill raises payroll taxes on incomes over $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for couples. Reid eased the impact of an earlier proposal to tax high-value insurance plans, which has emerged as one of the principal methods for restraining the growth in health costs.

The bill includes tax increases on insurance companies, medical device makers, patients electing to undergo cosmetic surgery and drugmakers.

Hunting lifetime license fee jumps

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:35:52 GMT

LAFAYETTE (WSYR-TV) Saturday was day one for deer hunting in Central New York. This year's season comes amid broad licensing fee increases that are bringing in some big money for the state.

The state legislature passed the new fees back in April, which includes some of the following increases:

bow hunting license costs five dollars more
hunting small and big game has a ten dollar increase
lifetime licenses were bumped up from $600 to $765

The increase in lifetime licenses caused many hunters to buy it this year before the price gets any higher.

“I'm going to be 27 in May. So, at this age, it was worth it to me to do it. It's only a matter of time before they hike them again. So, to get your lifetime when you're young is definitely worth it. I would recommend it to anybody that's a young hunter,” said Tim Baker, who bought a lifetime license this year.

The price hike took effect in October and caused a rush of people to purchase the a license before the increase.

The Department of Environmental Conservation usually sells around 4,600 of them, but before the new fee kicked in the state sold 107,000 at the lower rate, which brought in more than $23 million in revenue for the state.

Regular season deer hunting in Central New York lasts until December 13th.

Syracuse upsets #25 Rutgers on Senior Day

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:28:46 GMT

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Junior linebacker Doug Hogue broke the SU career record for tackles for loss in a game with 6.5 in Syracuse’s 31-13 win against No. 25 Rutgers (7-3, 2-3) on Saturday, Nov. 21 at the Carrier Dome. Hogue finished with seven total tackles, one forced fumble and a personal-best 3.5 sacks to lead an impressive defensive performance.

Junior free safety Mike Holmes added a career-high two interceptions, including one to thwart a late fourth-quarter drive by the Scarlet Knights. Overall, the Syracuse defense tied the school record with nine sacks and held Rutgers to 130 yards of total offense, including just 26 yards rushing. In addition to Houge, freshman E.J. Carter (2.0), junior Randy McKinnon (2.0), freshman Shamarko Thomas (1.0) and senior Andrew Lewis (0.5) had sacks for the Orange.

The win ended the Orange’s nine-game BIG EAST losing streak and stopped a four-game series losing streak to the Scarlet Knights. It also sent 15 SU seniors out with a win in their final home game. Offensively, the Orange (4-7, 1-5) rushed for 213 yards against the top rushing defense in the BIG EAST.

Syracuse had three backs tally at least 60 yards on the ground as sophomore Antwon Bailey (77 yards) senior Delone Carter (67 yards) and sophomore Averin Collier (66 yards) all topped the mark. All three players also had rushing touchdowns. In addition, Bailey was the team’s leading receiver with 47 yards on three catches to finish with 124 total yards.

Senior quarterback Greg Paulus and sophomore quarterback Ryan Nassib combined to go 17-of-22 passing for 211 yards Saturday. Paulus was 13-of-16 for 142 yards and a touchdown. Nassib was 4-of-6 through the air for 69 yards. Bailey got the Orange going early, accounting for 54 of Syracuse’s 76 yards on its first possession of the game. He capped the drive with his first touchdown run of the season, a 14-yard scamper, to give the Orange the early 7-0 lead with 10 minutes to go in the opening quarter.

On the ensuing Rutgers possession, Holmes intercepted quarterback Tom Savage third down to give the ball back to Syracuse at its own 17-yard line. Paulus and Nassib shared the duties at quarterback as the Orange marched 83 yards, including a 21-yard pass from Nassib to sophomore wide receiver Marcus Sales, to put the Orange at the Scarlet Knights’ 16-yard line. Carter finished off the drive with a five-yard run for his 10th rushing touchdown of the year and a 14-0 Orange advantage with 2:48 to play in the first quarter.

The Scarlet Knights blocked a Syracuse punt, resulting in a safety, to narrow the deficit, 14-2, early in the second quarter. However, the Orange responded on its next possession with a touchdown to extend the lead to 21-2. The drive was highlighted by a 27-yard reception from Nassib to senior wide receiver Donte Davis that set the Orange up at the Rutgers three.

Following an offside penalty against the Scarlet Knights, Paulus found sophomore tight end Carl Cutler wide open for a one-yard touchdown at the 7:35 mark of the second quarter. For Cutler, it was his first career touchdown. Orange head coach Doug Marrone attempted to put the game out of reach before halftime and decided to try an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff. The move backfired and Rutgers receiver Mohamed Sanu threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Tim Brown on a reverse on the very next play to cut the Orange margin to 21-10.

Freshman placekicker Ryan Lichtenstein tacked on a career-long 44-yard field goal with 3:11 left before halftime to put the hosts in front, 24-10. The Scarlet Knights on their final possession of the half, but Cater and Hogue combined for two consecutive sacks to force a long field-goal try. San San Te’s 46-yard attempt was no good and Syracuse entered the locker room up 14.

Syracuse went 73 yards on its last possession of the third quarter, but a blocked field goal halted drive and the Orange turned the ball over to the Scarlet Knights with 14:04 remaining in the game. Te made a 25-yard field goal on ensuing Rutgers possession to narrow the SU lead to 24-13.

The two teams took turns trading possessions before Rutgers took over desperately needing a score at the 5:45 mark. Rutgers drove deep into Orange territory, but Holmes recorded his second interception to give the ball back to the Orange. Eleven seconds later Collier# broke off a career-long 60-yard run to produce the final score and seal Marrone’s first BIG EAST win.

Brown led the Scarlet Knights’ offense with four catches for 67 yards and a touchdown. He was one of just three Scarlet Knights to catch a pass Saturday as Savage managed just seven completions on 17 attempts for 66 yards. Joe Martinek paced the Rutgers ground attack with 55 yards. Ryan D’Imperio and Devin McCourty led the Rutgers defense with 14 and 11 tackles, respectively.

Syracuse returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 28. The Orange plays at Connecticut in its season finale. Kickoff is 12 p.m. and the game will be televised live on the BIG EAST network.

Courtesy: SU Athletics

Build ‘em and Bust ‘em competition

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:16:47 GMT

SYRACUSE (WSYR-TV) What goes up, must come down was the motto for the Build 'em and Bust 'em competition at the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology on Saturday

More than 500 future engineers built bridges that were tested for their strength and durability.

Judging was broken up into three categories. Category I is 4th, 5th and 6th grades. Category II is 7th and 8th grades. Category III is 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grades.

But no matter the age, the purpose was to spark an interest in kids to consider a career in science.

Knox Wolaver was one of those in the competition. He said breaking what you build is the best part.

“I was really proud. It held up really well for its weight and I'm thinking about doing it next year,” said Wolaver.

More than 200 teams went head to head with each other, making it the largest competition since it started 10 years ago.

Here is the full list of winners:

Category I:

1st Place – Madeline Shuron, Annika Bergquist and Izzi Zoanetti
(6th Grade, West Genesee Middle School)

2nd Place – Christian Zook and Brendan McGinn
(6th Grade, Tully Elementary School)

3rd Place – Mark Dellefave and Kyle Bunch
(6th Grade, Camillus Middle School)

4th Place – Justin Pellgrino, Ava Breitbauch and Nathan Scallatta
(4th Grade, Lakeshore Road Elementary School)

Best Bridge Design – Madeline Shuron, Annika Bergquist and Izzi Zoanetti
(6th Grade, West Genesee Middle School)

Category II:

1st Place – Logan Miner (8th Grade) and Grant Searles (7th Grade)
(Homeschooled)

2nd Place – Robert Woodruff (7th), Connor Smith (8th) and Augustine Leavitt (7th)
(Homeschooled)

3rd Place – Amanda McGregor and Michelle Huffaker
(7th Grade, Homeschooled)

4th Place – Alexandria Koreniowski, Ashley McGrath and Jordan Roach
(8th Grade, Onondaga Hill Middle School)

Best Bridge Design – Caleb Duncan (8th), Ethan Duncan (7th) and Jordan Dowdy (8th)
(Lincoln Middle School)

Category III:

1st Place – Chelsea Parks (12th), James Bruska (8th) and Alessandro Carno (8th)
(Christian Brothers Academy)

2nd Place – Emily Herbst (12th), Seth Adams (10th) and Tyler Latulipe (9th)
(Camden Senior High School)

3rd Place – Eric Pitzeruse and Matt Rachubka
(12th Grade, West Genesee Senior High School)

4th Place – Robert Pfingsen, John Bonami, and Justin Farnett
(12th Grade, Christian Brothers Academy)

Best Bridge Design – Tho Le (11th), Kim Pham (10th) and Tuyey Lu (10th)
(George Fowler High School)

Strongest Crane – Jason Ceresoli and Robert Carpenter
(11th Grade, Chittenango High School)

Best Crane Design – Sarah Schreiber (11th) , Fauth Schreiber (8th) and Jess Turner (8th)
(Homeschooled)

Liverpool man crushed by tree

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 21:55:12 GMT

Liverpool, New York (WSYR-TV) - A Liverpool man is dead after he was crushed by a tree he was working to cut down Saturday afternoon outside his home on Sun Harbor Drive.

67-year-old Lynn Perry was found unresponsive by a family member shortly after 12 o'clock. Sheriff's deputies say it appears he was trying to use a chainsaw to cut the tree down when it fell back, pinning him underneath.

Members of the Liverpool Fire Department were able to get the tree off of Perry, but he had suffered a traumatic upper body injury. He was rushed to University Hospital where he later died.

Fire damages home where Erin Maxwell lived

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:05:12 GMT

Palermo, Oswego County (WSYR-TV) - An overnight fire has damaged a home that was at the center of the investigation into the death of Erin Maxwell, and now, investigators are trying to figure out how it started.

The call went out a little after 1 a.m. Saturday at the home on Rt. 264 in Palermo.

The home was at the center of the Maxwell case for filthy conditions inside, where Erin lived in squalor. It's also the home where Erin was found hanging from a string attached to a nail in a window.

There were no reports of injury at the scene.

On the same day that Erin's home caught fire, a playground was built in her honor.

A zip line and park bench was dedicated to her on Saturday.

Josh Russo put together the play set at the Palermo town park as part of a Boy Scout project.

He said he didn't know Erin, but what he heard was enough for him to do something about it.

“When that happened, I was like I got to figure out what I have to do for her. I want to have something dedicated and when my scout master proposed this project was going to happen, I just said I'm going to take this,” said Russo.

Armed Robbery at DeWitt Wingz

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:08:00 GMT

DeWitt (WSYR-TV) DeWitt Police are investigating an early morning armed robbery at Wingz in Nottingham Plaza.

Police say three to four suspects entered the restaurant, forced employees into the back at gunpoint and knifepoint and asked for cash. According to investigators, one suspect fired two rounds, but no one was hit. However, employees were injured when the suspects hit them with the gun and their fists.

The suspects ran from the scene. Police are not releasing how much money they got away with.

Police provided this description of the suspects:

#1 – black male, 20’s, 6’2, 170-190 lbs. wearing dark pants, white shirt, tan boots

#2 – black male, 20’s, 5’8 - 5’9, 160-175 lbs. wearing dark pants, dark hoodie, sneakers

#3 – black male, nothing further

If you have information, you can reach DeWitt Police on their tip line at 446-6262 or email tips@townofdewitt.com.

Murder charge filed in deadly crash

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:15:57 GMT

Town of Cato (WSYR-TV) A Fulton man is in jail this morning, charged with murder after a deadly crash that deputies say he caused by ramming his car into another along Rt. 370 near Rt. 176 in Cato Friday night.

According to investigators, William L. Levea of County Route 6 in Fulton, repeatedly rammed his car into the rear of a pickup truck driven by Christopher J. Spack of Howlett Hill Road in Camillus. Deputies say the 'ramming' caused Spack to lose control of his pickup, and cross into the oncoming lane of traffic and into another pickup truck, driven by a 16-year-old. A third pickup then collided with the wreckage, but the 16-year-old, nor the driver nor passenger in the third vehicle were badly hurt.

Spack was ejected from his pickup, and died at the scene.

Levea was not hurt. He was charged with murder, driving while intoxicated, and reckless driving. He was arraigned in Ira town court and is currently behind bars at the Cayuga County jail. No bail has been set in the case.

Lt. Joseph Weeks from the Cayuga County Sheriff's office tells us Levea did not know Spack, but at this point, investigators are not ready to reveal a motive for Levea's alleged actions.

Murdered mother and daughter identified, man under arrest

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:40:14 GMT

Geneva (WSYR-TV) – Geneva Police have released the names of a mother and daughter who were stabbed to death. They have also arrested and charged a man with their murders.

The victims were Helen Buchel, 34, and her daughter Brittany Passalaqua, 12. Both were killed by knife wounds in their second floor apartment at 148 North Main Street in Geneva at approximately 3:35 p.m. this evening. Police would not say how many times they had been stabbed or if they had the murder weapon.

Police say they arrested and charged John Edward Brown, 35, from Palmyra with a parole violation and one count of murder in the first degree between three and four hours after the incident was initially reported. District Attorney Mike Tantillo explained there is only one charge of murder because of a specific subdivision of the law. "He kills one person and in the course of that criminal transaction kills another person, so even though there were two victims, it would only be charged as one count," he said.

Police say Brown was Buchel’s boyfriend, and that the incident began with a domestic dispute. Brown was on parole for assaulting an infant in 2003.

Buchel is survived by a son.

Brown was arraigned tonight and is being held in Ontario County Jail. He will return to court on Monday.

Syracuse runs away from No. 6 North Carolina

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:47:49 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) - Brandon Triche and Arinze Onuaku combined for 13 points in Syracuse's 22-1 run to open the second half and the Orange went on to a 87-71 victory over No. 6 North Carolina on Friday night in the championship game of the 2K Sports Classic.

The Orange (4-0) were the only unranked team in the semifinals of the tournament that benefits Coaches vs. Cancer but they left Madison Square Garden with blowout wins over No. 13 California and the Tar Heels (4-1).

North Carolina had a 39-37 halftime lead but that was gone in a hurry as Triche and Onuaku had field goals in the first 40 seconds. By the time the run ended 8 minutes into the second half Syracuse had a 59-40 lead.

Tournament MVP Wesley Johnson had 25 points for the Orange, who beat California 95-73 in the semifinals. Onuaku finished with 15 points and Triche had 11.

Johnson, a 6-foot-7 junior transfer from Iowa State, was 10 of 17 from the field, including making half of eight 3-point attempts, and had eight rebounds.

Ed Davis had 16 points and 10 rebounds and Marcus Ginyard added 15 points for the Tar Heels, who lost almost all of a 19-point second-half lead before beating No. 15 Ohio State 77-73 to reach the title game.

North Carolina missed its first 13 shots of the second half and turned the ball over six times as the Orange just didn't miss. Syracuse started the half by making 10 of its first 14 shots and the baskets were coming down low from Onuaku and from the perimeter including a 3 by Johnson that made it 57-40.

The Tar Heels closed to 68-60 on a 3 by David Wear with 7:04 left, but Onuaku had the first and last baskets of a 6-0 run that ended any thoughts of a comeback for the ages.

The first half had the crowd, which was split almost evenly between Carolina Blue and Syracuse Orange, on a ride of runs that kept Madison Square Garden in a constant roar more accustomed to late in the season than late November.

Syracuse scored the first eight points of the game and was up 11-2 when Andy Rautins hit a 3.

It didn't take long for North Carolina to get right back in it as the Tar Heels scored 11 straight points, including two 3s by Will Graves.

There were four lead changes and four ties the rest of the half, which ended with the Tar Heels leading 39-37. It wasn't a perfect half as both teams had 10 turnovers.

Ohio State beat California 76-70 in the third-place game.

Click Here for more game notes.

Members of NewsChannel 9's sports department were at the game and sent these Tweets while the Orange were on the hardwood:

Another HUGE win for the Orange. 2 blowouts over ranked teams -- including the defending nat'l champs. SU zone defense looks scary good.
Rautins w/ a steal, then -- while seated on the ground -- hit Joseph for a huge dunk. 81-62 'Cuse. 3:17 to play.
Rautins w/ a big 3, then Kris Joseph takes a charge. 77-62 Orange.
Travis Wear 3-pointer makes it a single-digit SU lead ... but Orange responds w/ back-2-back buckets. 72-60. 6:14 to go.
http://twitpic.com/qaziv - Coach Boeheim & Roy Williams before the game.
UNC cuts lead to 10. 65-55. 7:55 to play.
http://twitpic.com/qayu5 - SU leads by 16. 65-49. 9:30 to go.
UNC just hit it's first bucket in a while. Kris Joseph w/ a jumper of his own. Orange now leads by 20, 62-42, w/ 11:30 to play.
Wes Johnson hits his 5th 3-pointer of game. Garden is going nuts. Makes you wonder how home games would be if SU played in a smaller arena.
Rick just picked up his 3rd foul. Wes has 3 fouls too.
Triche just took one to the lane, thru a UNC defender. FT good. 3 pt. play. SU leads 52-40 w/ 13:33 to go.
Andy w/ a no-look fastbreak pass to AO for a huge dunk. UNC calls timeout. SU up 47-40. 15:56 to play. "Let's go Orange" chants reverberate.
SU comes out strong. They lead 43-39 w/ 18:42 to play. UNC air-balled their first 2 shots.
39-37 UNC @ the break. General impression of 1st half: sloppy play by both sides. Let's see which coach uses halftime the best.
Garden crowd coming to life w/ chants of "Let's Go Orange" and "De-Fence."
SU really seems to be stuggling on the boards. Heels have a lot of 2nd chance opportunities.
SU just called for 10th team foul. 2:07 to play. 37-35 UNC.
Triche called for offensive foul for pushing-off. UNC takes lead. 35-33. 2:30 to go.
Scoop just pulled a nasty drive and lay-in ... but it's waved off for shot clock violation. UNC is trying to amp up permimeter pressure.
Ed Davis cuts lead to 3, 33-30. 5:05 to play. Still a lot of turnovers and poor defense by both teams.
Sloppy, back-&-forth game. This one comes down to coaching. Who gets their team to calm down & execute? Who uses timeouts/halftime best?
SU just committed it's 7th team foul of half, w/ 9:05 still to play. This is UNC's chance to come back. SU up 31-23.
Both teams are playing very sloppy on both ends of the floor (10 combined T0's). SU leads 29-22 w/ just under 10:00 in the 1st half.
UNC went on 11-2 run to take lead at 13-10. SU finally scored, them commited their 5th foul of half on other end. 15-12 Heels. 14:00 to play
Andy just drilled a 3 to put SU up 11-2. Must feel OK.
Andy Rautins just tried taking a charge on a fastbreak, and is slow to get up. Noticeable limp, but he's staying in the game.
The Garden is PACKED, and it's nearly all SU fans. 'Cuse is on an 8-0 run to start, and the crowd is going nuts.
SU-UNC. Coaches vs. Cancer finals. Roy Williams-Jim Boeheim. That's almost 1400 career wins, and 3 nat'l titles between them.
Cuse score first. 3pts from Johnson
the game is underway. UNC takes the first shot and misses a three

Paving work: The Real Deal

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:23:32 GMT

Brewerton (WSYR-TV) - A Brewerton woman was promised a great deal on a patch job for her driveway, but 15 minutes later, she was out nearly $2000.

Deb Corbett was mowing the lawn the other day, when a man from a paving company showed up. “He said I noticed at the end of the driveway, it's breaking up and I’m just doing a job around the corner, I have some left over asphalt, I could fix that for you,” she said.

At first Corbett refused, and said she'd want to talk something like that over with her husband, but the salesman persisted, promising a great deal. “I said how much we talking...2-3 hundred? He said yea, not much at all,” she said.

She agreed and went back to mowing, about 10 minutes later, her husband got home. “He said well how much are we talking here?” Corbett said. “The guy said well with square footage right now about 22-hundred dollars, so at that point he said stop work!”

The workers from K and K paving had gone up the driveway instead of across the bottom and now they were quoting, 3 dollars a foot. After a heated exchange, Corbett and her husband paid $1,800, she says, just to get them to leave.

Russell Kirk, the owner of K and K paving, admits he instructs his employees to try and get rid of left over asphalt but they basically make their own deals. Since there was no paperwork signed by either homeowner, aside from receipts after the fact, a refund is not likely.

K and k paving has a bad track record. The owner admits he gets 12-15 complaints every year, the Better Business Bureau gives him an "F" rating and he's got at least two outstanding judgments against him. If you need any paving done, including patch work, you're best bet is to get estimates, check references and make sure every quote is in writing.

The answering machine for K&K paving is full. If you have a complaint against them, you should contact the NYS Attorney General's Office

Six people charged with prostitution in Syracuse

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:22:00 GMT

Syracuse (WSYR-TV) – Six individuals have been arrested on prostitution-related charges in the City of Syracuse. Onondaga County Sheriffs say that the arrests came after a yearlong investigation the business known as the New York Body Rub.

Detectives concluded their investigation by serving search warrants at four locations, arresting the six individuals and recovering business records and a small amount of drugs.

The locations detectives searched were:

5858 East Molly Road in the Town of DeWitt
441 Beechwood Avenue in the Town of Salina
An unspecified address on Arterial Road in the Town of Salina
608 Abell Avenue in the Village of Solvay

608 Abell Avenue in Solvay is the home of business owners Kathy and Robert Slade. Both were arrested on charges of promoting prostitution, and permitting prostitution. Detectives found a small amount of marijuana and business records in the home. Kathy Slade was also charged with prostitution.

All the employees of the business, Lori A. Williams, 31, Jennifer Hamel, 35, Wendy Roberts, 34, and Kimberly Barch, 29, were also charged with prostitution and issued appearance tickets. Lori Williams was additionally charged with Criminal Possession of Controlled Substance.

Kathy Slade, 47, was arraigned and remanded to the Justice Center while her Husband Robert Slade, 54, was also arraigned but was released on his own recognizance. He is scheduled to appear in court at a later date.

Attempted armed robbery in DeWitt: On the Lookout

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:43:06 GMT

DeWitt (WSYR-TV) – Police are On the Lookout for a suspect who attempted to rob a home on Bradford Road in DeWitt at knife point.

The suspect entered the victim’s home through an open garage door and confronted the victim in the kitchen. When the victim turned around, the suspect held a knife to her and demanded money. The victim did not cooperate and the suspect fled the home on foot, north of Bradford Road.

The suspect was wearing a Halloween mask that may have looked like a skull. He was armed with a silver knife and is described as a white male, in his early 20’s, 5’ 9”, and weighing between 160 and 180 pounds. In addition to the mask, he was wearing a grey sweatshirt, dark colored pants, and possibly wearing gloves.

Shortly after the incident in DeWitt, there was a second attempted armed robbery in the City of Syracuse near the DeWitt line. The suspect in that case had a similar description.

If you have any information about this case, you are asked to contact DeWitt Police TIPS line at 446-6262 or by email at tips@townofdewitt.com.

Senate girds for historic debate on health bill

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:03:58 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) - Congressional budget crunchers said Thursday the Democrats' latest health care plan would hold down federal red ink for at least 20 years, an assessment that gave supporters hope as the Senate moved gingerly toward a historic debate.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said that Majority Leader Harry Reid's 10-year, $848-billion bill would produce a net reduction of $130 billion in federal deficits in its first decade. Perhaps more significantly, the legislation would continue to give back over the next 10 years and beyond, the budget umpires said, because "added revenues and cost savings would probably be greater" than the cost of covering uninsured Americans.

The budget office put a big asterisk on its forecast, using words like "imprecision" and "uncertainty" to describe the long-range projection. It noted that, overall, health care spending remains on an unsustainable path.

However, the bill would not make matters any worse, and maybe even a little better.

With President Barack Obama pledging to tamp down ruinous health care costs, Democrats took the new CBO estimates to the bank, while skipping over the caveats. At a noontime rally with supporters, Reid, D-Nev., said the legislation would "save lives, save money and save Medicare."

Standing shoulder to shoulder with other Democrats, Reid evoked a Democratic president who had tried to overhaul health care - Harry S. Truman - and said the bill "is not just a milestone in a journey of a few months or a few years. We have been working to reform health care since the first half of the last century."

The CBO said Reid's bill would extend coverage to 94 percent of eligible Americans, after subsidies to make premiums more affordable start flowing in 2014. That's one year later than in the House Democratic bill - and well into the next presidential term. Postponing the subsidies by one year allowed Reid to offer somewhat more generous assistance to defray the cost of insurance premiums.

On one of the major controversies of the health care debate, the CBO said Reid's bill would make a government health plan widely available - but said few Americans would sign up.

About two-thirds of the U.S. population would have a public plan available in their state, even though the bill would allow individual states to opt out. Still, only 3 million to 4 million people would sign up, partly because private insurance plans would still be able to offer lower premiums.

While most Americans would get to observe the new experiment with government coverage in their states, few would actually participate.

Facing a Senate vote on Saturday, Republicans remained unflinching in their opposition.

"Now it's America's turn, and this will not be a short debate," warned Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader. "Higher premiums, tax increases and Medicare cuts to pay for more government - the American people know that is not reform."

Reid's bill relies on cuts in future Medicare spending to cover costs, as well as higher payroll taxes for the well-off, a new levy on patients undergoing elective cosmetic surgery, and a laundry list of other taxes, fees and penalties.

The Democratic leader wrote the legislation with White House aides during weeks of secretive negotiations, selecting elements from two committee-passed bills with the aim of securing the necessary 60 votes in a Senate debate that will be decisive for Obama's health care agenda.

The mammoth, 2,074-page bill would, for the the first time, require most Americans to carry health insurance. It would provide hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies to help those with lower incomes afford coverage.

Employers would not be required to offer coverage, but medium and large companies would pay a fee if the government ended up subsidizing employees' insurance.

Democrats hold 58 seats in the Senate, and two independents generally vote with them, but several moderate Democrats - Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas - have yet to commit to allowing debate to begin. Reid met privately with the three before releasing his bill Wednesday, and Nelson later issued a statement strongly suggesting he would support fellow Democrats on the procedural vote.

Landrieu said Thursday she has not yet decided how she'll vote, adding: "I want to get to the debate. I am not trying to derail this bill.

Reid has pointedly declined to claim the 60 votes needed to clear a must-pass procedural hurdle this weekend before debate can begin. "We'll find out when the votes are taken," he said Thursday.

On a controversial issue that threatened to derail the House-passed bill, Reid would allow the new government insurance plan to cover abortions and would let companies that receive federal funds offer insurance plans that include abortion coverage.

A provision in the House bill - passed at the insistence of anti-abortion Democrats over strenuous objections from liberals - banned both those things. Reid attempted to tighten up the abortion language to strictly segregate private from public funds, but that did not pass muster with the National Right to Life Committee, which issued a statement Wednesday night calling the language "completely unacceptable."
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Associated Press writers David Espo and Ken Thomas contributed to this report.

Attorney: Hospital hearing set for Fort Hood suspect

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:29:01 GMT

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - An attorney for the Army psychiatrist charged in the mass shooting at Fort Hood says his client will have his first court hearing in his hospital room on Saturday.

Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan's civilian attorney, John Galligan, said Friday that military prosecutors notified him of their plans for the hearing at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio.

Hasan has been recovering there since the Nov. 5 rampage at Fort Hood that left 13 dead and more than 30 wounded. Hasan was shot by civilian members of Fort Hood's police force.

The hearing is to determine whether Hasan will be placed in pre-trial confinement - which usually means jail. But Galligan says he'll argue that Hasan should remain in intensive care because he is paralyzed and still needs hospital care.

Fort Hood officials didn't immediately return a call about the hearing.

Syracuse Church to give out 1000 Turkeys

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:13:47 GMT

Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - With a little less than a week until Thanksgiving Day, a Syracuse church is doing its part to make sure families in need have a turkey on the table. This Sunday they'll be giving away a thousand birds for free.

Pastor Danny Thornton is involved in this year’s turkey giveaway, the third year the church has given away free turkeys for no charge with no questions asked. Long lines formed at the church for the first two years, when 500 and then 700 birds were handed out. This year, they're giving away a 1000.

But there is some concern: not that people wont need the free birds, but that people won't know where the birds will be given away. Unlike the past two years, this year they'll be given away at the OnCenter.

They are moving to the OnCenter because entire families show up for the giveaway. Each one will be given a turkey to bring home to cook up on Thanksgiving Day.

River of Life Church wants to make sure that on one day at least, no one will go hungry.

The annual turkey giveaway takes place this Sunday afternoon, November 22st, at the OnCenter in downtown Syracuse. It begins at 2:00 p.m.

Syracuse Common Council discusses consolidation of SCSD

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:54:02 GMT

Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - The Syracuse Common Council finance committee is calling for a consolidation of government to help the city school district avoid issues like those pointed out in the State Comptroller's audit.

The committee had the district's Chief Financial Ofiicer go over all the findings in the audit, which include accounting errors of more than $1 million. The mistakes were made several years ago, and are blamed on an outdated system.

Common Councilor Ryan McMahon wants to see the financial departments ar the city and school district combined, since they work closely together anyway. “If we combine departments, we'd have experience and expertise for all the city functions. And since it is a dependent school district, not an independent school district, to spend money they need approval from the board and the council sets the budget. So I think this is a common sense solution,” said McMahon.

“What they're saying is, you don't have internal control strong enough to make sure people aren't taking advantage of that. It's like leaving the house and not locking the front door,” said Suzzane Slack, SCSD CFO.

SCSD says they are getting new soft ware to avoid accounting problems in the future.

North Syracuse and Elmwood Post Offices still on closure list

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:34:59 GMT

Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - Post office branches in the City of Syracuse and the Village of North Syracuse remain on an updated list of post office branches that could close.

The branches, located on Main Street in North Syracuse and Elmwood Avenue in Syracuse were targeted when the United States Postal Service came out with its closure list back in August.

The USPS updated the list on Friday and said only 241 of the more than 3600 originally considered were still under review.

USPS spokeswoman Maureen Marion says a final decision isn’t likely until early next year.

The possible closure of both locations has drawn outcry from residents and political leaders.

Unlike most federal agencies, America’s national mail system receives no tax subsidy for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. The Postal Service reported a loss of $3.8 billion at the end of its 2009 fiscal year in October.

North Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - Plans to possibly close their post office have gotten plenty of people in North Syracuse upset. Friday, they had a chance to tell postal officials directly why it should stay open.

A few dozen made their pleas for keeping the mail flowing in and out of the post office in the middle of the village.

Mary Anne is the sole worker at the facility, and the people that use the post office wanted to make sure they'll still be able to use her services. “An awful lot of us find it very convenient to have a post office on Main Street, ya know? Without things like that, we're just a bunch of buildings beside the road.”

All of the comments at Friday’s study session will be combined with written comments as part of the package postal officials will use to decide whether to keep the North Syracuse office and 370 other branches and stations open or not.

“This is an opportunity to really personalize and put a local flavor on each of the individual packages so I think its going to have quite a weight,” said Maureen Marion, post office spokesperson.

People who spoke at the meeting tried making their pitch to keep the office open. “We do have a large senior population. I think part of the draw for people to live here was having very localized services and it would be unfortunate to lose it."

A lot of people mentioned the sidewalks in the village, and about the convenience of the location to walk to. It's not just the residents that are worried about the closing, it's the businesses too.

"The many PO box holders at this location would be severely inconvenienced by having to move to Taft Road and it will also be costly, let's face it changing your address on your business card, on your web site, all your stationary,” one speaker said.

People will have ten more days to send in written comments to the Post Office's Consumer Affairs Office in Albany. The address for comments is Consumer Affairs, 30 Old Karner Road, Albany, NY 12288.

Folks could know as soon as early January the fate of the North Syracuse post office.

Postal officials also held a similar session Friday for the Elmwood Station post office in Syracuse which is also being considered for consolidation.