Weekday top 5: Two dead in Auburn house fire, new Auburn police chief named
- ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» staff
- 0
ÈËÊÞÐÔ½»'s top five most-read stories of the work week.Â
- Robert Harding
- Updated
On Wednesday, Jan. 29, public schools in New York will be closed.Â
Why? A state law signed in 2023 provides the answer.Â
That year, Gov. Kathy Hochul declaring the Lunar New Year as a public school holiday in New York.Â
The Lunar New Year is celebrated by several Asian countries and Asian-Americans. It begins on the first new moon of the lunar calendar.Â
In 2025, the Lunar New Year is on Jan. 29.Â
The bill signed by Hochul was sponsored by Assemblyman William Colton and state Sen. Brian Kavanagh. According to the legislative summary, the Lunar New Year is "one of the most important traditional holidays amongst the Asian community and is widely celebrated among the many Asian communities within New York state."Â
Assemblywoman Grace Lee, who co-chairs the Assembly's Asian Pacific American Task Force, said at the time of the bill signing that it recognizes Asian-Americans for their contributions to New York's history.Â
"This law will expose new generations to Asian culture, and it will promote diversity and inclusion at a time when Asian New Yorkers are suffering from anti-Asian hate," Lee added.Â
New York is the first state to make the Lunar New Year a public school holiday.Â
Although Hochul signed the legislation in 2023, schools weren't closed for the Lunar New Year in the 2023-24 school year. The holiday was on Feb. 10, which is a Saturday.Â
The state Education Department's guidance explains that when the Lunar New Year falls on a weekend, it won't be observed on a weekday because it's not a state holiday. State holidays that fall on a Sunday, for example, are observed on Monday.Â
The 2024-25 school year is the first with the Lunar New Year occurring on a school day since the law was signed by Hochul.Â
- David Wilcox
- Updated
The Auburn Police Department is conducting an internal investigation after off-duty officers were involved in a fight at a downtown bar in October.
The department, including Chief James Slayton, has declined comment on the investigation because it's still open. However, on Dec. 19 ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» obtained details about the fight and body camera footage of its aftermath through a Freedom of Information Law request for records of the department's call for service, as on-duty officers responded to it.
The fight appears to have already led to the demotion of one officer, Michael Merkley, who can be seen in the footage. He was promoted to lieutenant in August 2023, but is now listed on the as a school resource officer sergeant. Asked about Merkley's change of rank, Deputy Chief Timothy Spingler declined comment to ÈËÊÞÐÔ½».
The fight took place around midnight Oct. 5 at A.T. Walley & Co. at 119 Genesee St. It began when a customer at the bar was told to move by an off-duty officer so he could buy a drink, the customer told responding officers. ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» is not publishing the customer's name, as neither he nor anyone else involved in the fight has been charged with a crime.
The customer went on to tell officers that he replied to the off-duty officer that he would not move, at which point that officer grabbed him by the shirt, shoved him and said he would make the customer move. The customer noted that he did not know the name of the officer who grabbed him. Next, the customer said, he threw a punch at the officer.
What followed was a large fight involving several people inside the bar, according to body camera footage and reports by responding Officers CJ Gray and Eric Leach. Footage from the bar's security cameras is not yet available through Freedom of Information Law, the department told ÈËÊÞÐÔ½», as it is part of the continuing internal investigation.
When the officers arrived at the bar, they said, they saw off-duty officers outside, including Merkley, Thomas Fabiani and Nathaniel Barnes. Fabiani told the responding officers he was punched in the head.
A bar employee tells a responding officer of Fabiani, "He's going crazy, said he's Auburn P.D. He's looking for the guy — the kid, we told him to leave. ... (Fabiani) is the guy you gotta watch out for."
Body camera footage also shows Merkley, as he reenters the bar, telling a responding officer, "I want to know who's that pillow hands, because I'm gonna f--k him up. Come join if you want."
Meanwhile, officers Alexa Smalley and Morgan Jensen had found the customer on the rear patio of the bar. At one point, Barnes can be seen telling the two officers to bring the customer around to the front of the bar, where the other off-duty officers were gathered, saying, "He's the one who hit Fabiani. He needs to go." The two officers brush him off.
Barnes later tells Merkley the customer is on the patio. Merkley says, "No, f--k that," and starts walking toward the patio until he is restrained.
Smalley and Jensen eventually direct the customer to leave out the back of the bar, avoiding the off-duty officers in front.
No one in the body camera footage appears injured.
While the department is still investigating the off-duty officers' involvement in the fight, Officers Gray, Smalley and Jensen have received counseling for selective activation of their body cameras, according to the records provided to ÈËÊÞÐÔ½». Gray told supervisor Lt. David Walters he turned his off because he believed it would encourage cooperation from the off-duty officers, and Jensen said she does not "commonly record conversations with co-workers." Smalley recorded fewer than eight minutes of footage from her 22 minutes at the scene.
Walters told the three officers selective body camera activation "paints a negative picture of us (Auburn police) and will lead some to believe that we were 'covering it up.'"
Spingler told ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» he anticipates the department's internal investigation will take several more weeks to complete.
- Kelly Rocheleau
- Updated
Two people were found dead during a blaze that destroyed an Auburn house on Tuesday morning.
Jeff Clark, assistant fire chief with the Auburn Fire Department, told ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» a call came in about a house on fire at 12 Foote St. in the city at about 2:10 a.m. Tuesday.
Two adults were found dead inside the building while firefighters fought the blaze, Clark said. The fire department is not yet releasing their names.
Clark said the fire was "well-involved" and spanned two floors of the structure by the time the department arrived.
"No fire department ever wants to have a tragedy like this," he said, stressing the importance of residents having a safety plan in the event of a fire.
Assistant Chief Mike Grady told ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» the fire was under control by about 2:30 a.m. Two other adults at the house were displaced and assisted by the American Red Cross.
Grady said the building is considered a complete loss and has been condemned by the city's code enforcement office. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The Auburn Police Department, Auburn City Ambulance, the city's department of public works and Cayuga County 911 dispatchers were also involved with the scene.Â
- Kelly Rocheleau
- Updated
The next leader of the Auburn Police Department has been selected.Â
Auburn City Manager Jeff Dygert said in a news release Friday that Capt. Matthew Androsko will begin as chief Jan. 21, succeeding current Chief James Slayton, who is retiring.
Dygert said Androsko will work with Slayton in the coming weeks "to ensure an orderly transition," and he said he was looking forward to working with Androsko.
"I thank both these dedicated officers for their years of service and dedication to our community," Dygert said.
Androsko, who leads the department's patrol division, has a bachelor's degree in public justice and forensic science from SUNY Oswego. He began with the department in 2007 and became an evidence technician and field training officer in 2009. He moved up to road patrol sergeant in 2017, to lieutenant in 2020, to supervisor of the Finger Lakes Drug Task Force in 2021 and to captain in 2023.
His duties have also included being a member of the emergency response team, supervising the hostage negotiations team and drone unit, and running the Gun Involved Violence Elimination unit.
Androsko became eligible for the position by passing the Auburn Civil Service Commission's most recent exam for it in March 2023.
Slayton's last day will be Jan. 20, after three years in the role and over 25 with the department. Dygert previously said the city hoped to announce Slayton's successor before his retirement.
- ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» staff
- Updated
The National Weather Service has upgraded the winter storm watch for northern Cayuga County to a lake effect snow warning that now covers the entire county.Â
The warning for northern Cayuga County will be in effect from 1 p.m. Wednesday to 6 p.m. Sunday. It will expire at 4 p.m. Sunday for the southern part of the county.Â
For the northern half of the county and other counties along Lake Ontario, total snow accumulations of two to three feet are expected. Wind gusts could be as high as 40 mph.Â
The forecast for southern Cayuga County, including the city of Auburn, calls for localized snow accumulation of six to 12 inches, with wind gusts up to 45 mph.Â
Travel could be "very difficult to impossible," according to the National Weather Service. Hazardous conditions could affect commutes Wednesday evening and Thursday morning. Visibilities could be rapidly changing during the storm.Â
More like this...
- Robert Harding
On Wednesday, Jan. 29, public schools in New York will be closed.Â
Why? A state law signed in 2023 provides the answer.Â
That year, Gov. Kathy Hochul declaring the Lunar New Year as a public school holiday in New York.Â
The Lunar New Year is celebrated by several Asian countries and Asian-Americans. It begins on the first new moon of the lunar calendar.Â
In 2025, the Lunar New Year is on Jan. 29.Â
The bill signed by Hochul was sponsored by Assemblyman William Colton and state Sen. Brian Kavanagh. According to the legislative summary, the Lunar New Year is "one of the most important traditional holidays amongst the Asian community and is widely celebrated among the many Asian communities within New York state."Â
Assemblywoman Grace Lee, who co-chairs the Assembly's Asian Pacific American Task Force, said at the time of the bill signing that it recognizes Asian-Americans for their contributions to New York's history.Â
"This law will expose new generations to Asian culture, and it will promote diversity and inclusion at a time when Asian New Yorkers are suffering from anti-Asian hate," Lee added.Â
New York is the first state to make the Lunar New Year a public school holiday.Â
Although Hochul signed the legislation in 2023, schools weren't closed for the Lunar New Year in the 2023-24 school year. The holiday was on Feb. 10, which is a Saturday.Â
The state Education Department's guidance explains that when the Lunar New Year falls on a weekend, it won't be observed on a weekday because it's not a state holiday. State holidays that fall on a Sunday, for example, are observed on Monday.Â
The 2024-25 school year is the first with the Lunar New Year occurring on a school day since the law was signed by Hochul.Â
- David Wilcox
The Auburn Police Department is conducting an internal investigation after off-duty officers were involved in a fight at a downtown bar in October.
The department, including Chief James Slayton, has declined comment on the investigation because it's still open. However, on Dec. 19 ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» obtained details about the fight and body camera footage of its aftermath through a Freedom of Information Law request for records of the department's call for service, as on-duty officers responded to it.
The fight appears to have already led to the demotion of one officer, Michael Merkley, who can be seen in the footage. He was promoted to lieutenant in August 2023, but is now listed on the as a school resource officer sergeant. Asked about Merkley's change of rank, Deputy Chief Timothy Spingler declined comment to ÈËÊÞÐÔ½».
The fight took place around midnight Oct. 5 at A.T. Walley & Co. at 119 Genesee St. It began when a customer at the bar was told to move by an off-duty officer so he could buy a drink, the customer told responding officers. ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» is not publishing the customer's name, as neither he nor anyone else involved in the fight has been charged with a crime.
The customer went on to tell officers that he replied to the off-duty officer that he would not move, at which point that officer grabbed him by the shirt, shoved him and said he would make the customer move. The customer noted that he did not know the name of the officer who grabbed him. Next, the customer said, he threw a punch at the officer.
What followed was a large fight involving several people inside the bar, according to body camera footage and reports by responding Officers CJ Gray and Eric Leach. Footage from the bar's security cameras is not yet available through Freedom of Information Law, the department told ÈËÊÞÐÔ½», as it is part of the continuing internal investigation.
When the officers arrived at the bar, they said, they saw off-duty officers outside, including Merkley, Thomas Fabiani and Nathaniel Barnes. Fabiani told the responding officers he was punched in the head.
A bar employee tells a responding officer of Fabiani, "He's going crazy, said he's Auburn P.D. He's looking for the guy — the kid, we told him to leave. ... (Fabiani) is the guy you gotta watch out for."
Body camera footage also shows Merkley, as he reenters the bar, telling a responding officer, "I want to know who's that pillow hands, because I'm gonna f--k him up. Come join if you want."
Meanwhile, officers Alexa Smalley and Morgan Jensen had found the customer on the rear patio of the bar. At one point, Barnes can be seen telling the two officers to bring the customer around to the front of the bar, where the other off-duty officers were gathered, saying, "He's the one who hit Fabiani. He needs to go." The two officers brush him off.
Barnes later tells Merkley the customer is on the patio. Merkley says, "No, f--k that," and starts walking toward the patio until he is restrained.
Smalley and Jensen eventually direct the customer to leave out the back of the bar, avoiding the off-duty officers in front.
No one in the body camera footage appears injured.
While the department is still investigating the off-duty officers' involvement in the fight, Officers Gray, Smalley and Jensen have received counseling for selective activation of their body cameras, according to the records provided to ÈËÊÞÐÔ½». Gray told supervisor Lt. David Walters he turned his off because he believed it would encourage cooperation from the off-duty officers, and Jensen said she does not "commonly record conversations with co-workers." Smalley recorded fewer than eight minutes of footage from her 22 minutes at the scene.
Walters told the three officers selective body camera activation "paints a negative picture of us (Auburn police) and will lead some to believe that we were 'covering it up.'"
Spingler told ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» he anticipates the department's internal investigation will take several more weeks to complete.
- Kelly Rocheleau
Two people were found dead during a blaze that destroyed an Auburn house on Tuesday morning.
Jeff Clark, assistant fire chief with the Auburn Fire Department, told ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» a call came in about a house on fire at 12 Foote St. in the city at about 2:10 a.m. Tuesday.
Two adults were found dead inside the building while firefighters fought the blaze, Clark said. The fire department is not yet releasing their names.
Clark said the fire was "well-involved" and spanned two floors of the structure by the time the department arrived.
"No fire department ever wants to have a tragedy like this," he said, stressing the importance of residents having a safety plan in the event of a fire.
Assistant Chief Mike Grady told ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» the fire was under control by about 2:30 a.m. Two other adults at the house were displaced and assisted by the American Red Cross.
Grady said the building is considered a complete loss and has been condemned by the city's code enforcement office. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The Auburn Police Department, Auburn City Ambulance, the city's department of public works and Cayuga County 911 dispatchers were also involved with the scene.Â
- Kelly Rocheleau
The next leader of the Auburn Police Department has been selected.Â
Auburn City Manager Jeff Dygert said in a news release Friday that Capt. Matthew Androsko will begin as chief Jan. 21, succeeding current Chief James Slayton, who is retiring.
Dygert said Androsko will work with Slayton in the coming weeks "to ensure an orderly transition," and he said he was looking forward to working with Androsko.
"I thank both these dedicated officers for their years of service and dedication to our community," Dygert said.
Androsko, who leads the department's patrol division, has a bachelor's degree in public justice and forensic science from SUNY Oswego. He began with the department in 2007 and became an evidence technician and field training officer in 2009. He moved up to road patrol sergeant in 2017, to lieutenant in 2020, to supervisor of the Finger Lakes Drug Task Force in 2021 and to captain in 2023.
His duties have also included being a member of the emergency response team, supervising the hostage negotiations team and drone unit, and running the Gun Involved Violence Elimination unit.
Androsko became eligible for the position by passing the Auburn Civil Service Commission's most recent exam for it in March 2023.
Slayton's last day will be Jan. 20, after three years in the role and over 25 with the department. Dygert previously said the city hoped to announce Slayton's successor before his retirement.
- ÈËÊÞÐÔ½» staff
The National Weather Service has upgraded the winter storm watch for northern Cayuga County to a lake effect snow warning that now covers the entire county.Â
The warning for northern Cayuga County will be in effect from 1 p.m. Wednesday to 6 p.m. Sunday. It will expire at 4 p.m. Sunday for the southern part of the county.Â
For the northern half of the county and other counties along Lake Ontario, total snow accumulations of two to three feet are expected. Wind gusts could be as high as 40 mph.Â
The forecast for southern Cayuga County, including the city of Auburn, calls for localized snow accumulation of six to 12 inches, with wind gusts up to 45 mph.Â
Travel could be "very difficult to impossible," according to the National Weather Service. Hazardous conditions could affect commutes Wednesday evening and Thursday morning. Visibilities could be rapidly changing during the storm.Â
