Weekly top reads: Winter weather in Cayuga County, developers want to reopen historic Auburn diner
- ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» staff
- 0
ÈËÊÞÐÔ½»'s top 10 most-read stories of the week.Ìý
- ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» staff
- Updated
Cancellations and closings for Friday, Dec. 6, in the Cayuga County area:Â
Schools
Auburn: Two-hour delay
Cato-Meridian: Two-hour delay
Cayuga Community College: Auburn campus opens at 10 a.m.Ìý
Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES: Two-hour delay
Jordan-Elbridge: Two-hour delay
Moravia: Two-hour delay; no morning BOCES or fitness center
Port Byron: One-hour delay
Skaneateles: Two-hour delay
Southern Cayuga: Two-hour delay, no morning BOCES
Union Springs: One-hour delay
Weedsport: One-hour delay
Businesses and organizations
SCAT Van: Closed
Report closings
To report a cancellation or closing, email ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» at citizennews@lee.net.
- ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» staff
- Updated
One person was killed in a two-vehicle crash as snow swept through Cayuga County on Thursday.
The Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office said in a Friday news release that at about 7:13 p.m. Thursday, an SUV traveling north on Route 34 in the town of Brutus crossed into the southbound lane and struck an oncoming pickup truck. The driver of the SUV was pronounced dead at the scene, and the passenger was transported to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse with non-life-threatening injuries.
The driver's name was being withheld Friday pending notification of family members, the sheriff's office said. The driver and passenger in the pickup truck were not hurt.
The sheriff's office said weather conditions at the time of the crash were a contributing factor.
The sheriff’s office was assisted at the scene by the Weedsport Police Department, the Sennett, Weedsport, Jordan and Port Byron fire departments, Auburn City Ambulance, New York State Police, the Cayuga County coroner’s office, Cayuga County 911 and the New York State Department of Transportation.
- Robert Harding
- Updated
AUBURN — A group of developers is willing to invest in rehabbing and and reopening the Hunter Dinerant, while keeping it at the location it's occupied on Genesee Street since 1951.Ìý
Tony Daddabbo, who owns Auburn Bagel Co. and has worked as a restaurant consultant, is leading the group that pitched its $4.8 million project at the Auburn City Council meeting Thursday. The presentation led off a public hearing on the city's application for a $1 million state grant through the Restore NY Communities Initiative that would support the project.Ìý
Daddabbo recalled working as a newspaper carrier for ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» and delivering to several downtown businesses, including the Hunter Dinerant. He also remembers what happened to downtown after urban renewal. It's one of the reasons why he is "proud to be part of the renaissance that's happening," he told the council.Ìý
"I'm committed and my partners are committed to helping not just restore Hunter Diner, but to help maintain the character that is still left over from urban renewal," Daddabbo said.Ìý
Andy Ramsgard, CEO and creative director of Ramsgard & Drumm Architects, is working with Daddabbo's group on the project. He acknowledged the challenges with the diner, mainly its location over the Owasco River.Ìý
The city of Auburn, which acquired the diner through a tax foreclosure, issued a request for proposals in 2023 to move the diner. Officials are concerned about the current location if there is a major flood due to a breach in the Mill Street Dam.Ìý
Auburn City Manager Jeff Dygert reiterated those concerns and others, including the structural integrity of the diner.Ìý
"We stand by our decision that the way the building currently exists and is supported on piers in the riverbed is not safe, is not appropriate and needs to be modified," he said.
But the group is willing to invest more money — hence the $4.8 million price tag — to keep the diner where it is. Ramsgard explained the diner would be removed temporarily from the site for restoration. The footing below the diner is good, he said, but the superstructure above it would need to be rebuilt.Ìý
Auburn Mayor Jimmy Giannettino asked how the group would address the obstructions in the river, including the piers and a tree. Ramsgard responded that the new substructure would be built on the piers that are sound. Other piers would be removed.Ìý
The project would require state Department of Environmental Conservation approval because it involves work in the river, according to Seth Jensen, the city's director of municipal utilities. He responded to a question from Giannettino about whether the plans outlined by Ramsgard would address the city's concerns about flooding. He said it would depend on which piers are used.Ìý
Councilor Ginny Kent, who praised the project as "a really exciting concept," asked the group about its commitment to keeping the Hunter Dinerant at its current site.Ìý
"There are other locations, but that takes away from the historical aspect," said Ramsgard, who added that keeping the diner where it is "adds to the vibrancy of downtown."Â
The council did not vote on the grant application — that will happen at a future meeting — but Giannettino is encouraged by the group's plan.Ìý
"I think it can only add to what is going on in downtown Auburn," he said.Ìý
In other news
• The council tabled a resolution to sell 197 State St. to Housing Visions, a Syracuse nonprofit.Ìý
Housing Visions is planning to buy the property and transform it into affordable housing units. However, Giannettino said there are issues with the contract that must be resolved. A vote on the sale will likely happen next week.Ìý
• Kristin Garland, who has served as associate Auburn City Court judge since 2019, was reappointed Thursday. She will serve a six-year term, from 2025 through 2030.Ìý
Garland is the first woman to serve as an Auburn City Court judge.Ìý
• The council approved two resolutions related to the lease and purchase of a sewer cleaner truck.Ìý
The city's Department of Municipal Utilities received a $550,000 grant from the state Department of Health to lease the vehicle. Because of federal rules, the funds could not be used to purchase the truck.Ìý
To get around that bureaucratic hurdle, the city will lease the truck for three years. When the lease ends, it will use city funds to purchase the truck for $81,874.47.Ìý
- ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» staff
- Updated
A person was taken to a hospital with serious injuries after their truck collided with a snowplow in northern Cayuga County on Friday.
A county plow traveling north on Route 176 in the town of Ira collided with a Ram pickup truck traveling south at about 6:25 that morning, the county sheriff's office said in a news release.
The driver of the pickup truck was taken by ambulance to Upstate University Hospital with serious injuries. The driver of the plow was taken to Auburn Community Hospital and release after an evaluation.
The sheriff's office was assisted at the scene by Jordan ambulance, CIMVAC, the Cato and Ira fire departments, Cayuga County 911 and the New York State Police.
Anyone with further information about the accident is asked to call (315) 253-1610 or leave a tip at .
Tips can also be left using the SaferWatch app, available in app stores. For more information, visit .
- David Wilcox
- Updated
AUBURN — Brian Bell and his family have a roof over their head. They have a bed and a bathroom. But they don't have a home.Ìý
Like many local homeless people in the Auburn area, Brian and his family have been housed in hotels by the Cayuga County Department of Social Services since September 2023.Ìý
Brian, 52, his wife, Jennifer, 46, and their son, Brian, are currently living at the Rodeway Inn in Weedsport.
When Brian and Jennifer spoke with ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» in September, they were living at the Cayuga Inn at the Finger Lakes in Auburn, formerly a Days Inn. Before that, they lived at the Auburn Inn.
They described the conditions at the hotels as substandard: stained linens and carpets, unpleasant smells, signs of drug use.
Their descriptions match those of other homeless people interviewed by ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» in recent months, as well as observations from visits to the hotels and pictures provided by occupants.
But the biggest problem with living in a hotel room, Brian and Jennifer said, is just that — living in a hotel room.
"You can't live out of a microwave and minifridge," he said.
The Bells became homeless because they stopped paying rent on their last apartment after going without heat for six months, Brian said. Finding a new one has been hard. Many landlords charge up to $20 to conduct background checks, an emerging practice confirmed to ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» by several homeless service providers.
"How can I set money aside for a month's rent if it's taken me $400 to look at different apartments?" he said.Ìý
Brian's livelihood has been decimated for the last nine years by a degenerative spine and nerve condition caused by a work injury, he said. He has 10 seizures a day, and is considered terminal.
A surgical procedure could have helped, he said, but it came with a 60% risk he wouldn't be able to walk again. Instead, he's been medicating with cannabis. He wants to be able to take care of his wife of 27 years and their son, who has autism and schizophrenia. In turn, she serves as her husband's nurse sometimes.
Also helping Brian are two emotional support dogs. They rouse him from seizures, he said, and take him home when he has "amnesia moments." But they've not been welcome with hotel managers. They're not certified service dogs, and though he claims otherwise, that doesn't give them the same legal protections.
The county's commissioner of social services, Christine Bianco, told ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» that emotional support dogs and other pets are common among the people her department houses in hotels.
"Having any pet live in a small room is tough for people to be living there, and having it be kept up the way it needs to be," she said. "That's why this kind of housing is not ideal."Â
Another reason why housing homeless people in hotels is not ideal, Bianco said, is the cost to the county. It $2,567,000 to rent rooms to 455 adults and 175 children last year, which amounted to $1.3 million after state reimbursements. She said the cost of rooms this year will be at least as much, if not more.Ìý
The Department of Social Services has received complaints about the hotels like the ones voiced by the Bells, Bianco said. Staff shares them with management and code enforcement.Ìý
Other complaints the department can't do anything about, Bianco said, because hotels are ultimately businesses that can make their own rules. For the Bells, those complaints include the use of an outdoor common space at the Cayuga Inn at the Finger Lakes. Management closed it late in the summer, Brian said.
"We had a community," he said. "We'd have picnics to save money, and kept the kids out of trouble."
Instead, management asked the homeless people housed at the hotel to use a smaller, enclosed area as their common space. It made Brian feel like they were "prisoners," he said. Bianco said the change was a response to neighbors who about the hotel's occupants at the Aug. 22 meeting of Auburn City Council.
Despite what those neighbors may think, Brian said, he and his family aren't bad people. They've simply fallen on hard times — and hope to find a home that isn't limited to a hotel room.
"I got here doing the right things," he said. "I just didn't come out the right way."
- Kelly Rocheleau
- Updated
Elementary and middle school students at most of the nine school districts in the Cayuga County area recorded below-average state test scores this year.
According to recent data from the New York State Education Department, the Auburn, Cato-Meridian, Jordan-Elbridge, Moravia and Port Byron school districts recorded proficiency rates below the state average in English language arts and math for third through eighth grades for the 2023-24 academic year.
The four other Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES districts — Skaneateles, Southern Cayuga, Union Springs and Weedsport — recorded rates above the state averages of 46% for ELA and 54% for math.
Auburn had the worst rates of the nine districts, with 26% in ELA and 38% in math. The former was the same as the previous year, and the latter was up 3%.
Out of 658 school districts statewide, the rates place Auburn at 605th in ELA and 459th in math.
The district's superintendent, Dr. Misty Slavic, did not respond to requests for comment by ÈËÊÞÐÔ½».
Port Byron recorded the biggest proficiency rate increase over last year, going from 35% to 46% in ELA for a gain of 11%.
No Cayuga County districts saw decreases from last year in math proficiency rates. Skaneateles stayed at 76%, the highest of the nine Cayuga County-area school districts. The district also boasts the best ELA proficiency rate for 2023-2024, at 63%. Its superintendent, Eric Knuth, expressed happiness about the results.
"We are proud of our kids and all the hard work on the part of our teachers that make this possible, but these scores are just one data point along the way," he told ÈËÊÞÐÔ½».
"Our students mean a lot more to us than just these numbers."
Knuth noted that 2023-2024 was the district's first year of full computer-based testing, so the format was unfamiliar. That's one reason he believes Skaneateles can improve its numbers in the future.
"We focus on good teaching, building relationships with students and making connections between learning and the student experience," he said.
"It is certainly about more than just the test results. We plan to have our students more familiar with the computer-based testing format moving forward."
Skaneateles students also scored above the state average in all 10 listed 2023-2024 Regents exam categories, as did Weedsport students.Ìý
Every Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES district scored above the average in the majority of categories. Some recorded scores of 100% in particular subjects, such as Southern Cayuga in physics. Union Springs achieved perfect scores in algebra II and geometry, while Weedsport did the same thing in U.S. history and government, and algebra I and II.
Knuth said he was proud of his Skaneateles students' Regents performances.
"Our kids are amazing, they work very hard and genuinely want to do well," he said.
"This is the culture here. It starts at home and is reinforced by our teachers every day where they create experiences that inspire curiosity and a desire to learn, not just to do well on a test."
- ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» staff
- Updated
A person formerly incarcerated at Auburn Correctional Facility will get an additional five years behind bars for assaulting an officer earlier this year.
The Cayuga County District Attorney's Office said in a news release Tuesday that Taj Williams pleaded guilty in Cayuga County Court that morning to second-degree assault. Williams punched a corrections officer who was frisking him upon admission to the special housing unit on March 14, knocking the officer unconscious and sending him to a Syracuse hospital with a broken nose and other injuries.
The DA's office said Williams will be sentenced on Dec. 20 to five years in prison plus five years of post-release supervision. By law, the new sentence will run consecutively to his current one.
- Robert Harding
- Updated
AUBURN — Auburn Community Hospital marked the beginning of a $50 million capital campaign by breaking ground Thursday to expand its heart institute and add three operating rooms.
The Auburn Heart and Vascular Institute was established in 2023 and occupies space on the third floor of the hospital. It was created to address a "large unmet need" in the community, according to Scott Berlucchi, the hospital's president and CEO.Ìý
The launch of the heart institute became more important when Berlucchi learned that Dr. Rama Godishala, a longtime cardiologist in Auburn, would be retiring this year. Godishala's practice, Auburn Cardiology Associates, closed Sept. 30.Ìý
At a groundbreaking ceremony outside of the hospital's cancer center, Berlucchi highlighted the recruitment of cardiologists who have joined the institute. Among them is Dr. Jay Varanasi, a New York native who had an interventional cardiology practice in North Carolina. He returned to his home state to launch Auburn hospital's cardiac catheterization program.Ìý
Cardiac catheterization is how heart blockages are detected and treated. The heart institute will also offer electrophysiology, which addresses abnormal heart rhythms. This includes implanting defibrillators and pacemakers.Ìý
For now, patients with heart disease or heart rhythm problems must go to another hospital, likely in Rochester or Syracuse, for treatment. Once these services are offered at Auburn Community Hospital, they won't have to leave the county.Ìý
"Patients who are suffering from chest pain and congestive heart failure and, ultimately, having heart attacks are going to get high-quality care in a rapid fashion — and they won't have to be inconvenienced with going some place else," Varanasi said.Ìý
Berlucchi lauded Dr. Ronald Kirshner, who was instrumental in the establishment of the heart institute as its first chair. Kirshner was the chief of cardiac services and cardiothoracic surgery at Rochester Regional Health's Sands-Constellation Heart Institute.Ìý
When Auburn hospital sought the state Department of Health's approval for the heart institute, Berlucchi recalled that Kirshner joined him for the presentation. While Berlucchi could answer general questions about the hospital's proposal, it was Kirshner who handled the technical questions about cardiac care.Ìý
Kirshner, who attended the ceremony Thursday, explained why the heart institute is important in Auburn. They found more patients with heart disease in Cayuga County were having poor outcomes.Ìý
"This project was put together in order to erase this health care disparity," he said.Ìý
The improvements also include expanding operating room capacity. Three more operating rooms will be added to the hospital's existing six-room department.Ìý
The project will be supported by a $21 million state grant that was awarded in February 2023.Ìý
There will be more work at the hospital's North Street campus in the future. Berlucchi previewed other aspects of the strategic plan, including a bone and joint center, neuroscience facility and women's health center.
The hospital has launched a $50 million fundraising campaign to support those projects and other improvements, such as additional parking and a new emergency department.Ìý
- Robert Harding
- Updated
When the calendar turns to 2025, Cayuga County will have a new Republican elections commissioner.Ìý
The Cayuga County Republican Committee named Chantell Hotaling to succeed John Camardo, the party's former chair who has served as GOP elections commissioner since 2023.Ìý
Hotaling has been an active member of the local Republican Party. Her involvement includes 20 years as chair of the town of Brutus Republican Committee and 14 years as president of the Cayuga County Women's Republican Club. She has also served on the executive board of the Republican Women of Central New York.Ìý
Outside of politics, Hotaling is a retired county employee — she held various jobs for 32 years — and co-owns Smokey Hollow Maple Syrup with her husband, Jim. She worked as a constituent liaison for Assemblyman Brian Manktelow, whose district previously included Cayuga County.Ìý
Cayuga County Republican Chairman Nate VeVone noted that Hotaling has been a part-time employee for the county Board of Elections. She began as a poll worker and later became a poll manager.Ìý
"I am thrilled about Commissioner Hotaling's appointment and the renewed excitement she brings to our party," VeVone said.Ìý
Hotaling added, "As commissioner, my goal is to provide the voters of Cayuga County with the assurance that every vote they cast will be counted accurately. I am committed to serving our community with integrity and dedication."Â
At the local level in New York, county election boards are led by bipartisan commissioners — one representing the Democratic Party and one representing the Republican Party. The party committees select the commissioners, who are formally appointed by the county Legislature.Ìý
Keith Batman will continue to serve as the county Democratic elections commissioner — a post he has held since 2023. The county Legislature approved the appointments at its Nov. 26 meeting. Batman and Hotaling will serve four-year terms beginning Jan. 1 and running through 2028.Ìý
- Robert Harding
- Updated
Two years after the initial sale was approved, the Auburn City Council will vote Thursday to sell a vacant three-story building — the first step toward transforming the 197 State St. property into a housing complex.Ìý
The building was acquired by the city through a tax foreclosure in 2019. A physical therapy office was housed there, but it's best known as the former Polish Home — a community center that was owned by the Society of St. John the Baptist.Ìý
In 2022, the council approved the sale of the building to Housing Visions, a Syracuse-based nonprofit. Housing Visions planned to invest $5.6 million to renovate the property and create 16 one-bedroom apartments and common living areas.Ìý
A $1.5 million state grant was awarded through the Restore NY Communities Initiative to support the project.Ìý
According to the purchase offer submitted in 2022, Housing Visions would've closed on the property "on or about April 25, 2024." But records show 197 State St. is still owned by the city.Ìý
Jennifer Haines, the city's director of planning and economic development, wrote in a memo to the council that "the scope and timeframe of the project have changed, including the demolition of the building, increased number of units, increased project cost and lengthened timeframe for completion."Â
Because of the changes, Haines explained, Housing Visions submitted an updated purchase offer.Ìý
The cost of the transaction — $1 — remains the same. But Housing Visions plans to invest $6 million, instead of $5.6 million, to establish the affordable housing units. The terms of the sale require the project to be completed by the end of 2027 or the city will take back ownership of the property.Ìý
The project is part of Housing Visions' plan to address Auburn's housing needs. Another proposed project is the construction of a homeless shelter on Grant Avenue that has been met with opposition by neighbors. The city of Auburn Planning Board approved the site plan for the homeless shelter in July, but a group of residents and a nearby apartment complex are suing to block the project.Ìý
The lack of affordable housing has been cited as a leading cause of the homelessness problem in Auburn and Cayuga County.Ìý
Housing Visions is advancing its projects as Auburn aims to encourage more development. The city has been certified by the state as a pro-housing community, which opens up funding opportunities. The city Council adopted a pledge earlier this year to support fair housing, streamline permitting and address regional needs.Ìý
More like this...
- ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» staff
Cancellations and closings for Friday, Dec. 6, in the Cayuga County area:Â
Schools
Auburn: Two-hour delay
Cato-Meridian: Two-hour delay
Cayuga Community College: Auburn campus opens at 10 a.m.Ìý
Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES: Two-hour delay
Jordan-Elbridge: Two-hour delay
Moravia: Two-hour delay; no morning BOCES or fitness center
Port Byron: One-hour delay
Skaneateles: Two-hour delay
Southern Cayuga: Two-hour delay, no morning BOCES
Union Springs: One-hour delay
Weedsport: One-hour delay
Businesses and organizations
SCAT Van: Closed
Report closings
To report a cancellation or closing, email ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» at citizennews@lee.net.
- ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» staff
One person was killed in a two-vehicle crash as snow swept through Cayuga County on Thursday.
The Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office said in a Friday news release that at about 7:13 p.m. Thursday, an SUV traveling north on Route 34 in the town of Brutus crossed into the southbound lane and struck an oncoming pickup truck. The driver of the SUV was pronounced dead at the scene, and the passenger was transported to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse with non-life-threatening injuries.
The driver's name was being withheld Friday pending notification of family members, the sheriff's office said. The driver and passenger in the pickup truck were not hurt.
The sheriff's office said weather conditions at the time of the crash were a contributing factor.
The sheriff’s office was assisted at the scene by the Weedsport Police Department, the Sennett, Weedsport, Jordan and Port Byron fire departments, Auburn City Ambulance, New York State Police, the Cayuga County coroner’s office, Cayuga County 911 and the New York State Department of Transportation.
- Robert Harding
AUBURN — A group of developers is willing to invest in rehabbing and and reopening the Hunter Dinerant, while keeping it at the location it's occupied on Genesee Street since 1951.Ìý
Tony Daddabbo, who owns Auburn Bagel Co. and has worked as a restaurant consultant, is leading the group that pitched its $4.8 million project at the Auburn City Council meeting Thursday. The presentation led off a public hearing on the city's application for a $1 million state grant through the Restore NY Communities Initiative that would support the project.Ìý
Daddabbo recalled working as a newspaper carrier for ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» and delivering to several downtown businesses, including the Hunter Dinerant. He also remembers what happened to downtown after urban renewal. It's one of the reasons why he is "proud to be part of the renaissance that's happening," he told the council.Ìý
"I'm committed and my partners are committed to helping not just restore Hunter Diner, but to help maintain the character that is still left over from urban renewal," Daddabbo said.Ìý
Andy Ramsgard, CEO and creative director of Ramsgard & Drumm Architects, is working with Daddabbo's group on the project. He acknowledged the challenges with the diner, mainly its location over the Owasco River.Ìý
The city of Auburn, which acquired the diner through a tax foreclosure, issued a request for proposals in 2023 to move the diner. Officials are concerned about the current location if there is a major flood due to a breach in the Mill Street Dam.Ìý
Auburn City Manager Jeff Dygert reiterated those concerns and others, including the structural integrity of the diner.Ìý
"We stand by our decision that the way the building currently exists and is supported on piers in the riverbed is not safe, is not appropriate and needs to be modified," he said.
But the group is willing to invest more money — hence the $4.8 million price tag — to keep the diner where it is. Ramsgard explained the diner would be removed temporarily from the site for restoration. The footing below the diner is good, he said, but the superstructure above it would need to be rebuilt.Ìý
Auburn Mayor Jimmy Giannettino asked how the group would address the obstructions in the river, including the piers and a tree. Ramsgard responded that the new substructure would be built on the piers that are sound. Other piers would be removed.Ìý
The project would require state Department of Environmental Conservation approval because it involves work in the river, according to Seth Jensen, the city's director of municipal utilities. He responded to a question from Giannettino about whether the plans outlined by Ramsgard would address the city's concerns about flooding. He said it would depend on which piers are used.Ìý
Councilor Ginny Kent, who praised the project as "a really exciting concept," asked the group about its commitment to keeping the Hunter Dinerant at its current site.Ìý
"There are other locations, but that takes away from the historical aspect," said Ramsgard, who added that keeping the diner where it is "adds to the vibrancy of downtown."Â
The council did not vote on the grant application — that will happen at a future meeting — but Giannettino is encouraged by the group's plan.Ìý
"I think it can only add to what is going on in downtown Auburn," he said.Ìý
In other news
• The council tabled a resolution to sell 197 State St. to Housing Visions, a Syracuse nonprofit.Ìý
Housing Visions is planning to buy the property and transform it into affordable housing units. However, Giannettino said there are issues with the contract that must be resolved. A vote on the sale will likely happen next week.Ìý
• Kristin Garland, who has served as associate Auburn City Court judge since 2019, was reappointed Thursday. She will serve a six-year term, from 2025 through 2030.Ìý
Garland is the first woman to serve as an Auburn City Court judge.Ìý
• The council approved two resolutions related to the lease and purchase of a sewer cleaner truck.Ìý
The city's Department of Municipal Utilities received a $550,000 grant from the state Department of Health to lease the vehicle. Because of federal rules, the funds could not be used to purchase the truck.Ìý
To get around that bureaucratic hurdle, the city will lease the truck for three years. When the lease ends, it will use city funds to purchase the truck for $81,874.47.Ìý
- ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» staff
A person was taken to a hospital with serious injuries after their truck collided with a snowplow in northern Cayuga County on Friday.
A county plow traveling north on Route 176 in the town of Ira collided with a Ram pickup truck traveling south at about 6:25 that morning, the county sheriff's office said in a news release.
The driver of the pickup truck was taken by ambulance to Upstate University Hospital with serious injuries. The driver of the plow was taken to Auburn Community Hospital and release after an evaluation.
The sheriff's office was assisted at the scene by Jordan ambulance, CIMVAC, the Cato and Ira fire departments, Cayuga County 911 and the New York State Police.
Anyone with further information about the accident is asked to call (315) 253-1610 or leave a tip at .
Tips can also be left using the SaferWatch app, available in app stores. For more information, visit .
- David Wilcox
AUBURN — Brian Bell and his family have a roof over their head. They have a bed and a bathroom. But they don't have a home.Ìý
Like many local homeless people in the Auburn area, Brian and his family have been housed in hotels by the Cayuga County Department of Social Services since September 2023.Ìý
Brian, 52, his wife, Jennifer, 46, and their son, Brian, are currently living at the Rodeway Inn in Weedsport.
When Brian and Jennifer spoke with ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» in September, they were living at the Cayuga Inn at the Finger Lakes in Auburn, formerly a Days Inn. Before that, they lived at the Auburn Inn.
They described the conditions at the hotels as substandard: stained linens and carpets, unpleasant smells, signs of drug use.
Their descriptions match those of other homeless people interviewed by ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» in recent months, as well as observations from visits to the hotels and pictures provided by occupants.
But the biggest problem with living in a hotel room, Brian and Jennifer said, is just that — living in a hotel room.
"You can't live out of a microwave and minifridge," he said.
The Bells became homeless because they stopped paying rent on their last apartment after going without heat for six months, Brian said. Finding a new one has been hard. Many landlords charge up to $20 to conduct background checks, an emerging practice confirmed to ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» by several homeless service providers.
"How can I set money aside for a month's rent if it's taken me $400 to look at different apartments?" he said.Ìý
Brian's livelihood has been decimated for the last nine years by a degenerative spine and nerve condition caused by a work injury, he said. He has 10 seizures a day, and is considered terminal.
A surgical procedure could have helped, he said, but it came with a 60% risk he wouldn't be able to walk again. Instead, he's been medicating with cannabis. He wants to be able to take care of his wife of 27 years and their son, who has autism and schizophrenia. In turn, she serves as her husband's nurse sometimes.
Also helping Brian are two emotional support dogs. They rouse him from seizures, he said, and take him home when he has "amnesia moments." But they've not been welcome with hotel managers. They're not certified service dogs, and though he claims otherwise, that doesn't give them the same legal protections.
The county's commissioner of social services, Christine Bianco, told ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» that emotional support dogs and other pets are common among the people her department houses in hotels.
"Having any pet live in a small room is tough for people to be living there, and having it be kept up the way it needs to be," she said. "That's why this kind of housing is not ideal."Â
Another reason why housing homeless people in hotels is not ideal, Bianco said, is the cost to the county. It $2,567,000 to rent rooms to 455 adults and 175 children last year, which amounted to $1.3 million after state reimbursements. She said the cost of rooms this year will be at least as much, if not more.Ìý
The Department of Social Services has received complaints about the hotels like the ones voiced by the Bells, Bianco said. Staff shares them with management and code enforcement.Ìý
Other complaints the department can't do anything about, Bianco said, because hotels are ultimately businesses that can make their own rules. For the Bells, those complaints include the use of an outdoor common space at the Cayuga Inn at the Finger Lakes. Management closed it late in the summer, Brian said.
"We had a community," he said. "We'd have picnics to save money, and kept the kids out of trouble."
Instead, management asked the homeless people housed at the hotel to use a smaller, enclosed area as their common space. It made Brian feel like they were "prisoners," he said. Bianco said the change was a response to neighbors who about the hotel's occupants at the Aug. 22 meeting of Auburn City Council.
Despite what those neighbors may think, Brian said, he and his family aren't bad people. They've simply fallen on hard times — and hope to find a home that isn't limited to a hotel room.
"I got here doing the right things," he said. "I just didn't come out the right way."
- Kelly Rocheleau
Elementary and middle school students at most of the nine school districts in the Cayuga County area recorded below-average state test scores this year.
According to recent data from the New York State Education Department, the Auburn, Cato-Meridian, Jordan-Elbridge, Moravia and Port Byron school districts recorded proficiency rates below the state average in English language arts and math for third through eighth grades for the 2023-24 academic year.
The four other Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES districts — Skaneateles, Southern Cayuga, Union Springs and Weedsport — recorded rates above the state averages of 46% for ELA and 54% for math.
Auburn had the worst rates of the nine districts, with 26% in ELA and 38% in math. The former was the same as the previous year, and the latter was up 3%.
Out of 658 school districts statewide, the rates place Auburn at 605th in ELA and 459th in math.
The district's superintendent, Dr. Misty Slavic, did not respond to requests for comment by ÈËÊÞÐÔ½».
Port Byron recorded the biggest proficiency rate increase over last year, going from 35% to 46% in ELA for a gain of 11%.
No Cayuga County districts saw decreases from last year in math proficiency rates. Skaneateles stayed at 76%, the highest of the nine Cayuga County-area school districts. The district also boasts the best ELA proficiency rate for 2023-2024, at 63%. Its superintendent, Eric Knuth, expressed happiness about the results.
"We are proud of our kids and all the hard work on the part of our teachers that make this possible, but these scores are just one data point along the way," he told ÈËÊÞÐÔ½».
"Our students mean a lot more to us than just these numbers."
Knuth noted that 2023-2024 was the district's first year of full computer-based testing, so the format was unfamiliar. That's one reason he believes Skaneateles can improve its numbers in the future.
"We focus on good teaching, building relationships with students and making connections between learning and the student experience," he said.
"It is certainly about more than just the test results. We plan to have our students more familiar with the computer-based testing format moving forward."
Skaneateles students also scored above the state average in all 10 listed 2023-2024 Regents exam categories, as did Weedsport students.Ìý
Every Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES district scored above the average in the majority of categories. Some recorded scores of 100% in particular subjects, such as Southern Cayuga in physics. Union Springs achieved perfect scores in algebra II and geometry, while Weedsport did the same thing in U.S. history and government, and algebra I and II.
Knuth said he was proud of his Skaneateles students' Regents performances.
"Our kids are amazing, they work very hard and genuinely want to do well," he said.
"This is the culture here. It starts at home and is reinforced by our teachers every day where they create experiences that inspire curiosity and a desire to learn, not just to do well on a test."
- ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» staff
A person formerly incarcerated at Auburn Correctional Facility will get an additional five years behind bars for assaulting an officer earlier this year.
The Cayuga County District Attorney's Office said in a news release Tuesday that Taj Williams pleaded guilty in Cayuga County Court that morning to second-degree assault. Williams punched a corrections officer who was frisking him upon admission to the special housing unit on March 14, knocking the officer unconscious and sending him to a Syracuse hospital with a broken nose and other injuries.
The DA's office said Williams will be sentenced on Dec. 20 to five years in prison plus five years of post-release supervision. By law, the new sentence will run consecutively to his current one.
- Robert Harding
AUBURN — Auburn Community Hospital marked the beginning of a $50 million capital campaign by breaking ground Thursday to expand its heart institute and add three operating rooms.
The Auburn Heart and Vascular Institute was established in 2023 and occupies space on the third floor of the hospital. It was created to address a "large unmet need" in the community, according to Scott Berlucchi, the hospital's president and CEO.Ìý
The launch of the heart institute became more important when Berlucchi learned that Dr. Rama Godishala, a longtime cardiologist in Auburn, would be retiring this year. Godishala's practice, Auburn Cardiology Associates, closed Sept. 30.Ìý
At a groundbreaking ceremony outside of the hospital's cancer center, Berlucchi highlighted the recruitment of cardiologists who have joined the institute. Among them is Dr. Jay Varanasi, a New York native who had an interventional cardiology practice in North Carolina. He returned to his home state to launch Auburn hospital's cardiac catheterization program.Ìý
Cardiac catheterization is how heart blockages are detected and treated. The heart institute will also offer electrophysiology, which addresses abnormal heart rhythms. This includes implanting defibrillators and pacemakers.Ìý
For now, patients with heart disease or heart rhythm problems must go to another hospital, likely in Rochester or Syracuse, for treatment. Once these services are offered at Auburn Community Hospital, they won't have to leave the county.Ìý
"Patients who are suffering from chest pain and congestive heart failure and, ultimately, having heart attacks are going to get high-quality care in a rapid fashion — and they won't have to be inconvenienced with going some place else," Varanasi said.Ìý
Berlucchi lauded Dr. Ronald Kirshner, who was instrumental in the establishment of the heart institute as its first chair. Kirshner was the chief of cardiac services and cardiothoracic surgery at Rochester Regional Health's Sands-Constellation Heart Institute.Ìý
When Auburn hospital sought the state Department of Health's approval for the heart institute, Berlucchi recalled that Kirshner joined him for the presentation. While Berlucchi could answer general questions about the hospital's proposal, it was Kirshner who handled the technical questions about cardiac care.Ìý
Kirshner, who attended the ceremony Thursday, explained why the heart institute is important in Auburn. They found more patients with heart disease in Cayuga County were having poor outcomes.Ìý
"This project was put together in order to erase this health care disparity," he said.Ìý
The improvements also include expanding operating room capacity. Three more operating rooms will be added to the hospital's existing six-room department.Ìý
The project will be supported by a $21 million state grant that was awarded in February 2023.Ìý
There will be more work at the hospital's North Street campus in the future. Berlucchi previewed other aspects of the strategic plan, including a bone and joint center, neuroscience facility and women's health center.
The hospital has launched a $50 million fundraising campaign to support those projects and other improvements, such as additional parking and a new emergency department.Ìý
- Robert Harding
When the calendar turns to 2025, Cayuga County will have a new Republican elections commissioner.Ìý
The Cayuga County Republican Committee named Chantell Hotaling to succeed John Camardo, the party's former chair who has served as GOP elections commissioner since 2023.Ìý
Hotaling has been an active member of the local Republican Party. Her involvement includes 20 years as chair of the town of Brutus Republican Committee and 14 years as president of the Cayuga County Women's Republican Club. She has also served on the executive board of the Republican Women of Central New York.Ìý
Outside of politics, Hotaling is a retired county employee — she held various jobs for 32 years — and co-owns Smokey Hollow Maple Syrup with her husband, Jim. She worked as a constituent liaison for Assemblyman Brian Manktelow, whose district previously included Cayuga County.Ìý
Cayuga County Republican Chairman Nate VeVone noted that Hotaling has been a part-time employee for the county Board of Elections. She began as a poll worker and later became a poll manager.Ìý
"I am thrilled about Commissioner Hotaling's appointment and the renewed excitement she brings to our party," VeVone said.Ìý
Hotaling added, "As commissioner, my goal is to provide the voters of Cayuga County with the assurance that every vote they cast will be counted accurately. I am committed to serving our community with integrity and dedication."Â
At the local level in New York, county election boards are led by bipartisan commissioners — one representing the Democratic Party and one representing the Republican Party. The party committees select the commissioners, who are formally appointed by the county Legislature.Ìý
Keith Batman will continue to serve as the county Democratic elections commissioner — a post he has held since 2023. The county Legislature approved the appointments at its Nov. 26 meeting. Batman and Hotaling will serve four-year terms beginning Jan. 1 and running through 2028.Ìý
- Robert Harding
Two years after the initial sale was approved, the Auburn City Council will vote Thursday to sell a vacant three-story building — the first step toward transforming the 197 State St. property into a housing complex.Ìý
The building was acquired by the city through a tax foreclosure in 2019. A physical therapy office was housed there, but it's best known as the former Polish Home — a community center that was owned by the Society of St. John the Baptist.Ìý
In 2022, the council approved the sale of the building to Housing Visions, a Syracuse-based nonprofit. Housing Visions planned to invest $5.6 million to renovate the property and create 16 one-bedroom apartments and common living areas.Ìý
A $1.5 million state grant was awarded through the Restore NY Communities Initiative to support the project.Ìý
According to the purchase offer submitted in 2022, Housing Visions would've closed on the property "on or about April 25, 2024." But records show 197 State St. is still owned by the city.Ìý
Jennifer Haines, the city's director of planning and economic development, wrote in a memo to the council that "the scope and timeframe of the project have changed, including the demolition of the building, increased number of units, increased project cost and lengthened timeframe for completion."Â
Because of the changes, Haines explained, Housing Visions submitted an updated purchase offer.Ìý
The cost of the transaction — $1 — remains the same. But Housing Visions plans to invest $6 million, instead of $5.6 million, to establish the affordable housing units. The terms of the sale require the project to be completed by the end of 2027 or the city will take back ownership of the property.Ìý
The project is part of Housing Visions' plan to address Auburn's housing needs. Another proposed project is the construction of a homeless shelter on Grant Avenue that has been met with opposition by neighbors. The city of Auburn Planning Board approved the site plan for the homeless shelter in July, but a group of residents and a nearby apartment complex are suing to block the project.Ìý
The lack of affordable housing has been cited as a leading cause of the homelessness problem in Auburn and Cayuga County.Ìý
Housing Visions is advancing its projects as Auburn aims to encourage more development. The city has been certified by the state as a pro-housing community, which opens up funding opportunities. The city Council adopted a pledge earlier this year to support fair housing, streamline permitting and address regional needs.Ìý
