Oneida man sentenced for killing baby

by Carson Daniels (NCC News)
Nov. 18, 2010 7:13 p.m.

The Oneida County man who killed his 3-month-old son with a shotgun in front of state troopers was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison Thursday morning. Adam Theall, 21, of Rome pleaded guilty in September to second-degree murder after he shot his son outside his parents' home in Blossvale on June 22.

During his plea Theall admitted to being high on drugs when he shot the infant baby. Oneida County District Attorney Scott McNamara said drugs were not the reason Theal killed his son.

"Even though his might have been high, that isn't why he committed this act. He committed this act because he's a very mean and angry individual that when somebody doesn't do what they want, he punishes them," said McNamara.

McNamara said he believes Theal killed his son to get back at the baby's mother Jamie Baker for seeing another man. McNamara also said Theal has a history of physically abusing Baker and members of his own family, including his parents.

Along with his sentence Theal is ordered to have no contact with Baker or his other son Adam Jr.

A soldier’s body comes home

By Luisa Ardila (NCC News)
November 18, 2010

Remains received
A crowd of hundreds of people holding American flags assembled on the sidewalks of downtown Chittenango this Thursday to receive a fallen soldier’s remains.

Army Sgt. Edward H. Bolen, 25, died on November 10 in Afghanistan at a roadside bomb attack, leaving his newly married wife and a village-full of mourners.

Bolen was remembered fondly by those that knew him in Chittenango, including his chemistry teacher, Harold Muller.

“He was a good student, respectful, worked hard. In indoor track… [he did] whatever the team needed,” said Muller. “The kids had a fun time just being around him.”

Sgt. Edward H. Bolen
Bolen was born in Chittenango and graduated from the village’s high school. He was known for his athletic abilities and has been described as “a popular kid.”

After graduating from CHS, Bolen went to State University College at Cortland, where he met Andrea Perez, the woman he would later marry. He joined the military in November 2006, separating him from Perez as he moved from Iraq to Louisiana.

They married in September of this year.

Chittenango honors him
Although his parents currently live in California, his family has come to the area to celebrate his life and honor his service.

• He was received in Hancock Air Base by family, friends and a military honor guard


• Calling hours will be held from 2 to 8 p.m. on Friday at Chittenango High School gymnasium


• The funeral service will be held at the same place at 10 a.m. Saturday


• His remains will be buried, with full military honors, at Oakwood Cemetery in Chittenango

Photos by Stephen D. Cannerelli / The Post-Standard

Oneida Man Receives Sentence for Killing Three-Month Old Son

Tempers Flare in County Court

Adam Theall, 21 of Oneida County, was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison Thursday morning for killing his three-month old son with a shotgun on June 22. According to 9WSYR, Oneida County District Attorney Scott McNamara suggested Theall receive the death penalty, setting off an expletive-laced tirade from the Vienna resident. Theall cursed off McNamara, as well as family members of Jamie Baker, Theall's ex-girlfriend and mother of 3-month old Eithen.

"There's two Adam Theall's"

During Theall's last court appearance on September 30, when he plead guilty to killing his son in his mother's house, he expressed remorse and according to syracuse.com, was emotionally distraught during court proceedings. However, McNamara said that Theall showed his true colors Thursday, displaying a violent temper that has built up an extensive criminal history.

"When he started saying these things to people, that's the Adam that I became familiar with during our investigation...he's a very manipulative individual...he was very abusive to his parents and that's the real Adam," McNamara said.

Making Excuses

Oneida County Court Judge Michael Dwyer, as well as District Attorney McNamara, rejected Theall's explanation as to why he killed his son. Theall claimed he had been high from drugs taken at a friend's party, but both the prosecutor and judge in court today vehemently brushed aside Theall's alleged motive. McNamara said it was "the most ridiculous thing I'd ever heard." and Judge Dwyer referred to Theall's reaction to Jamie Baker leaving him when casting aside the drug excuse.

"It's not that you were high on drugs -- this is the way you thought was best to get back at Jamie Baker and that's why you did it," Dwyer said.

To listen to NCC News' Dan Cohen's report on the sentencing, click play below:

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Letter Carriers Cease Fall Collections

Local letter carriers will no longer be collecting food donations this fall. For 22 years carriers collected the donations, sometimes as much as 800,000 pounds of food a year.

"The pantries really looked forward to the fall collection because it was not something that they had to purchase and it kind of filled in the gaps in their shelves," said executive director of Interreligious Food Consortium of Central New York Michele Jordan.

Why the donations stopped

In 2008, Empire Vision ended its sponsorship of about 1.5 million postcards given out annually. Losing this means of advertising caused a major decrease in the amount of food collected, only 100,000 pounds in 2009. Because of this, carriers stopped taking donations in fall 2010, affecting the community.

"Unfortunately it was something that went on for a long period of time and they always counted on it," said Jordan. "When they didn't have it this year people were surprised and also a little concerned."

But letter carriers haven’t given up the donation effort. Their focus has shifted to the annual national food drive which takes place in the spring.

What it means for pantries

The loss of donations has also stretched the pantries. With fewer donations, they have had to buy more of their own food. They have also seen an increase in visitors in the past few months, adding to the strain.

Rundown Rationale

By Kenny Connolly (NCC News)

Nov. 18 , 2010, 8:00 p.m.

A1 Music & Heads

A2 Standoff Killer Sentenced

We began the newscast off with Carson's anchor actuality on the sentencing of Adam Theal in Utica. Theal shot his 3 month-old child in front state troopers during a standoff in June. The sentencing was easily the story of the day, and we were able to get sound on from the Oneida County District Attorney on the case. It was an easy choice to lead with this, and leading with an anchor actuality is always beneficial for the newscast.

A3 Welfare Fraud

Staying with the Central New York theme, this reader was on the 41 people who were caught stealing over $620,000 of welfare benefits that they were not entitled too. One of the couples charged was a Syracuse couple who stole $108,000 in benefits. These people were all charged in court, so it flowed with the Theal story.

A4 Soldier Funeral

We then went hyper-local with the story on Ed Bolen, the Chittenango native who was killed in Afghanistan last week. The soldier's body was returned to his home today, and there was a procession through the streets of Chittenango. It was more of a feature story, so we used it as a reader and the military aspect helped us set up our next story.

A5 Nuclear Treaty

To avoid three straight readers, we then went to our national anchor actuality. In this story, President Obama called on Congress to ratify a treaty that would allow the US to inspect Russian Nuclear facilities. So this story flowed well with the Bolen reader because of the military ties.

A6 Maffei Votes

This story was a reader updating the results of the 25th Congressional Representative seat. Democratic Candidate Dan Maffei picked up 521 votes to narrow Ann Marie Buerkle's lead. This story's political focus flowed well with our previous story on Congress.

A7 NY Congress Censure

Continuing with the Political trend, this was a reader on New York Representative Charles Rangel agreeing to a plea. The ethics committee recommended Rangel be censured for his financial and fundraising misconduct. Rangel misused a rent-controlled apartment for political purposes and also improperly used government mail services.

A8 Post Office

Another smooth transition. After mentioning Rangel's misuse of mail services, we had an opportunity to break up two readers with Tony's live wrap on the post office. Letter carriers in Central New York will no longer collect food from local customers to give to local pantries because of a lack of funding. In past years, mail carriers have collected more than 800,000 pounds of food for donation.

A9 Syracuse Housing

This was a reader on the dispute going on in Syracuse's Housing Authority Board. Charlie Vinal currently holds his position as board of directors, but refuses to step down although Mayor Stephanie Minor has already appointed another person to the position. Like the mail carrier story, this story was story that was conflict-based, and was also local.

A10 Wegmans

Finally, we concluded the newscast with a softer story on a new batch of Wegmans commercials. The new advertisements feature actor Alec Baldwin. The commercials were shot at a Syracuse-based Wegmans and will be shown throughout the state of New York through the holidays. It was the softest story, so we placed it last to conclude the newscast.

A11 Lifetime Health Medical

This was a reader we were forced to drop because we were well over on our time limit.

A12 Teaser

B1 Kicker

Our kicker story was on the Syracuse International Horror, Science-Fiction and Fantasy Film Festival in East Syracuse. It was a soft story that works well to end the newscast because it is something interesting going on locally.

B2 Weather

B3 Music & Close

Rundown Rationale, Christina Jones, 3:45 P.M., 11/18/2010

By: Christina Jones

My stories were equally spread throughout the rundown; meaning there was never a reader read 3 times in a row. And most of my stories were hyper-local.

A2- I began my newscast with Dan's story on the man who was sentenced to 25 years to prison for shooting his 3-month-old child to death. This story is both heart-wrenching and hyper-local. Although the incident did not occur in Syracuse, but in Vienna, it was still local to our DMA. The story sparks interest and is an attention grabber; it is a story that would definitely pull the audience in.

A3- Next, Luisa's Anchor Actuality. Her story was on the soldier who died in Afghanistan on November 10. His body came home today, as veterans and townspeople of Chittenango honored the fallen soldier who was newlywed in September. This story is yet another heart-wrenching death story that has a great affect on people in our DMA. So both stories flowed well.

A4- Next on the rundown was Kevin's live wrap on Central New York's Postal Services decision to stop collecting food for the holiday season after a 22-year tradition. This story flowed because it is another local story that greatly affects local people in our area who want to give back during the holiday season, but can’t anymore because of failed advertising.

A5- The U.S. Postal Service story on closing the Post Office on South Main Street in North Syracuse was next on the rundown. This story easily flowed from one post office story to the next so that's why I placed it here. It is also local and relevant to those worrying whether this will cause job loss. Fortunately, it won't. All workers will be transferred to another office in the area.

A6- The crackdown on welfare fraud was next. This story was hyper-local because a Syracuse couple was involved in the case. The story flowed because the post office story was about cutting costs and this story was about theft and fraud of welfare money being stolen.

A7- Next: Luisa's Anchor Actuality on Charles Rangel. This was another story on fraud. Rangel was found guilty of breaking multiple House of Ethics rules. This story is state news, but still relevant to our DMA because he's an official for our state, and his decision not to pay taxes on a local home might have a negative influence on people in our area.

A8- Next on the rundown, the story on Charles Vinal refusing to step down from his position on the Syracuse Housing Board (SHB). This story flowed because it was another story of an official doing something ridiculous. Alike the Rangel story, Vinal's decisions might influence people in our DMA to react to his absurd actions at the SHB meeting.

A9- The Maffei and Buerkle votes were next on the rundown. The story is local and relevant, seeing just how far they've both come in the polls. I kept this story to the end just in case we needed to kill it because it wasn't that important. And we did wind up killing it.

B1 -Kicker: The kicker was on actor, Alec Baldwin and his mother being featured in a holiday-themed commercial. I thought this story added a light kick to the story. Listeners might like this story especially because the commercial was shot in the local Wegmans.

Local pantries scrambling for food donations

Without the expected food drive by the postal service, local charities are worried they may lacking donations this holiday season

By Kevin Barry (NCC News)
Nov. 18, 2010, 8:00 p.m.

For 22 years, local mail carriers have been collecting food donations from houses on their mail route and delivering those donations to food pantries in the area. However, without the drive's corporate sponsor, the postal workers will have to stop their holiday drive.

Empire Vision, a low cost eyecare provider, had been sponsoring the drive, donating $1.5 million to print postcards to remind residents of the drive. With the reminders some of the drives brought in nearly 800,000 pounds of donations, compared to only 100,000 pounds in year after Empire Vision withdrew its corporate sponsorship.

Interfaith Food Consortium
"The pantries really looked forward to the fall collections because, people donated the food so it was not something they had to purchase," said Michele Jordan, the Executive Director at Interfaith Food Consortium. "It kind of filled in the gaps in their shelves. And it's really good for the holidays too."

Jordan said Interfaith and other charities are expecting more requests from local residents for food this holiday season since pantries are expecting less donations than they received in past years.

"Our main concern is the people who use the pantries and the pantries themselves," said Jordan.

Outside competition
Jordan says that collection has become harder in recent years with the emergence of other charitable organizations that members of the community to which members of the community also donate.

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Rundown 3:30 Team 2

Our show began with Phil's live wrap dealing with Theall sentence because it was the most important story of the day. Then I put two readers to divide it from the anchor actuality. The first reader was about a man who was charged for child pornography, then I put the man who was accused of raping a underage girl because I felt it flowed well. Then I chose Shelby's Anchor Actuality about the soldier who was killed, because it was a moving story, and it changes the mood a little bit. Then I put a reader about welfare fraud to break it up with the wrap. Then I chose tony's wrap about Postal carriers, and then I chose the story of a Postal office that is closing next month since its similar to the other story. Then I went to national politics with Shelby's anchor actuality about Rangel who was censured by the house of representatives, and I felt that a good story to put after would be Sarah Palin running for presidency in 2012. Then I put my kicker, that was about a Wegman comercial starring Alec Baldwin... and then i put the weather, and that was the show.

Fallen local soldier returns home

The body of a Chittenango native who was killed in Afghanistan returned home this morning. Army Sergeant Ed Bolen was killed by a roadside bomb on November 10, only two weeks after being deployed.

The plane carrying Bolen's remains touched down at Hancock Air Base shortly before 11:15 a.m. A short ceremony was held before the casket was driven to Chittenango.

The Patriot Riders motorcycle group lead the entourage as they drove to Chittenango. People lined the streets of Chittenango, paying their respects to Bolen.

Calling hours will be held Friday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Chittenango High School. The burial will follow at Oakwood Cementary

Letter carriers' traditional food drive cancelled

22-years of helping local food pantries

For 22 years, mail carriers in Central New York have run a food drive to benefit local food pantries. Postal workers would pick up food that community members had left in their mailboxes, and would deliver a large holiday donation to the pantries. Some yearly drives would bring in as much as 800,000 pounds of food.

But after corporate sponsor, Empire Vision, backed out of its sponsorship, the letter carriers saw a drastic decrease in the amount of food donated. Empire Vision paid for 1.5 million postcards that would be delivered to residents alerting them of the drive. After the company backed out following the 2008 drive, the postal workers attempted to conduct the drive without the postcards, and saw donations drop to around 100,000 pounds. As a result, this year, the letter carriers have decided to cancel the drive for good.

Food pantries suffering from the cancellation
For some food pantries, the food collected from the letter carriers was one of the largest donations of the year. Michele Jordan, the executive director of Interfaith (Interreligious) Food Consortium in Central New York, says the lack of help from the letter carriers has had a big effect on the pantries.

"People donated the food, so it was not something they [pantries] had to purchase," Jordan said. "And it kind of filled the gaps in their shelves. So, it's hard, especially now, the way the economic situation is in our country." IFC provides donated food to supplement supplies at pantries in Onondaga County. Jordan added that it helped the food pantries get through the busy Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday periods.

The pantries turn to community members

The loss of collection from the postal workers, and an increase in families that require help from food pantries leaves the pantries searching for alternate ways to obtain food. Many pantries have needed to start buying their own food. As a result, many are turning to community members for their own donations of either money or food.

"I've always said Central New York is a very giving community," Jordan said, "and we hope that they'll support their pantry, or they can give us a call and if they're interested in helping us out, they can."

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Man sentenced for killing baby

Twenty-five years to life. That's the sentence Oneida man, Adam Theall faces after he killed his three-month old baby. The 21-year-old put his son on top of the muzzle of a loaded shot gun and pulled the trigger on his mother's porch last June.

Theall appeared in court today and his demeanor was very different from his plea where he sobbed through much of the proceedings. Theall swore at the baby's mother, Jamie Baker and her family during court proceedings today.

Theall claims that he committed the act last June because he was high on drugs.

According to Oneida County District Attorney, Scott McNamara, Theall "committed this act because he's a very mean and angry individual."

McNamara added that Theall was upset with the baby's mother because she began dating someone else. McNamara believes that since Theall couldn't hurt Baker, killing her child would be punishing her for doing something he didn't want her to do.

Rundown Rationale, Team 1, 11/18/10, 3:15 p.m.

By Marisa DeCandido

A2 Theall Sentence
I began the newscast with an anchor actuality about Adam Theall's sentencing for killing his 3-month-old child. The Theall sentencing was the biggest story of the day, and we also got great sound. Plus, an anchor actuality is more interesting to begin a newscast with for the listener because of the sound.

A3 Soldier Returns
We followed up the Theall sentencing with a reader about the Chittenango soldier's body returning home. It went well after the Theall story because it was local and involved someone dying. Pacing wise, the reader flowed well after the anchor actuality.

A4 Postal Carriers
Adam's wrap about postal carriers no longer holding their food drive came next because it was local and involved a government organization, similarly to the military aspect of the Chittenango soldier. Also, I used it for pacing to break up two readers.

A5 SHA Meeting
The story about the chairman of the Syracuse Housing Authority refusing to step down after being fired followed the wrap because it was another local story. It also paced well because it was a short reader after a long wrap.

A6 Welfare Fraud
This story involved a Syracuse couple and a Solvay couple being charged with fraud in a Central New York crackdown on welfare fraud cases. It was another local story that involved some sort of drama/tension, like the Housing Authority meeting. Also, it was the middle of the newscast so the two short readers back-to-back helped keep good pacing.

A7 Rangel
I then moved to a state-wide story about Democratic representative Charlie Rangel pleading for a drop of fairness and mercy because it also dealt with financial misuse, like the welfare fraud case. It was an anchor-actuality and thus interrupted a string of readers, keeping good pacing for the newscast.

A8 Madoff Associates
I followed the Rangel story with another state story dealing with fraud. It discussed the arrest of one of Bernard Madoff's assistants for helping him swindle investors. It was a short reader, and therefore helped break up the longer format anchor actuality and the live wrap that followed it.

A9 Baldwin Commercials
Next came Cayden's wrap about Wegmans' new commercials featuring Alec Baldwin. The wrap was state-wide, which helped it work after the Madoff associates. It was a lighter story, so I placed it towards the end of the A-block. It also helped pacing because it broke up two readers.

A10 Car Czar
I finished the A-block with a reader about Andrew Cuomo bringing two new lawsuits against Obama's former car czar Steven Rattner. Rattner ran the committee dealing with bailing out automakers. It was a state/national story so it went well after the Baldwin commercials wrap. Also, we wanted to end the A-block with a reader in case we needed to cut a story for time, which we did.

B1 Indie Movie Festival
I chose a story about the Syracuse International Horror, Science-Fiction and Fantasy Film Festival in East Syracuse as my kicker because it was an interesting, soft news story about a local event.

Adam Theall sentenced to 25 years to life

Defiant in courtroom

Philip George (NCC News)
November 18, 2010 - 3:11 p.m.

Adam Theall displayed a side of himself not seen during his past court proceedings. The Oneida County man who murdered his three-month old son in June was particularly defiant at his sentencing today, according to Oneida County District Attorney Scott McNamara.

Theall swore at members of ex-girlfriend Jamie Baker's family as well as the prosecutor after a judge sentenced Theall to 25 years to life.

"It's the same Adam that days before this homicide, he was trying to beat someone up because he knew that the baby's mother was dating somebody else," McNamara said. "His father went to the hospital once at Adam's hands. He beat his mother up before. So that's the real Adam."

Drugs not the reason

Theall admitted during his court proceedings that he was high on methamphetamine on the day he murdered his son. McNamara says that is not a valid excuse.

"I think it's the most ridiculous thing that I've heard," he said. "Very seldom do you see someone that is what he's trying to portray as 'I took some meth and became a deranged lunatic.' Adam's just a violent person."

Baldwin gives Wegmans a Boost

A local business is getting national publicity with Alec Baldwin appearing in their holiday-themed commercials.



30 Rock's Alec Baldwin and his mother visited Fairmount to film two Wegmans commercials, and they're airing just in time for the holiday season.



According to Wegmans' director of media relations, Jo Natale, Baldwin surprised the company by talking on the David Letterman Show about how much his mom loves shopping at Wegmans.



"A few weeks later he reached out to Danny Wegma, he said, what if I did some commercials for you, and Danny said, i think it's a great idea, Alec wanted his mom included, he wanted to do something special for her, and WE DID IT!" said Natale.



She explained that the Baldwin commercials that were shot at in the Fairmount store on a busy Saturday afternoon, were meant to surprise the employees for the holidays.



"It went almost unnoticed, people were shopping, and a few people noticed him, but most didn't, which was great for us because we wanted this to be a surprise for our employees," said natale.



The commercials are airing in Syracuse, Rochester, baltimore, and the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania, and Natale says they're getting amazing reactions.


To listen to audio for this story, click play below

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Police arrest man who crashed into house

Local man flees scene of crash

By Kenny Connolly (NCC NEWS)

Nov. 11, 2010, 8:00 p.m.

A man was arrested Thursday morning, two days after an incident in which he crashed his car into a house on Grant Boulevard in Syracuse.

Ryan Kyanka was traveling in his vehicle at around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning when he lost control of the car.

According to police and the homeowners, Kyanka ended up driving directly into the porch of the home, where his vehicle caused severe damage to the property.

The tenants saw Kyanka get out of the car and walk away from the scene, and they immediately proceeded to call the cops, according to 9WSYR.

Police track down Kyanka

Syracuse Police Sgt. Gary Bulinski said officers tracked Kyanka down this morning at an undisclosed location and made an arrest.

"He has four charges,” Bulinski said. “One was leaving the scene of a property damaged incident. He was charged with an open container, and imprudent speed."

Kyanka was also charged with failure to keep right, which caused him to run into the home on Grant Boulevard.

"At this moment, I can't give an idea of what Kyanka's sentence will be, but we are just pleased we made an arrest earlier today," Bulinski said.

Kyanka will be forced to pay for the damages to the home.

An insurance adjuster told the landlord that the damage to the house totaled $12,000.

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Cohen Rundown Rationale (11/10)

A2 Biden at Arlington for Veterans Day

This was our national anchor actuality, with a sound bite of Vice President Biden's speech at the wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Ceremony. Biden has national and local prominence in Central NY as a Syracuse Law graduate, and because Veterans Day is an important national holiday, I thought it would be important to start with this story, considering America's presence abroad from a military standpoint.

A3 Chittenango Student Dies in Afghanistan

Our first reader transitioned nicely from our first story, as a 2003 high school graduate of Chittenango HS died in Afghanistan while serving. Continuing the Veterans Day open of our broadcast, Biden spoke about those currently serving, and it provided a smooth track between stories. This is very important to our DMA as well.

A4 Cuomo Denies 9/11 Trial

With local and national implications, recent governor-elect Andrew Cuomo steadfastly said "no" to a civilian trial in the state of the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks. Attorney General Eric Holder and the Obama administration are close to a decision as to where the trial shall be, but Cuomo went on the record, saying he will resist any attempts to have the trial in New York. This was a nice transition as a story of importance for foreign and domestic policy, with a local appeal.

A5 Chittenango Pedestrian Crash

This broke up our readers as a recorded wrap and moved to local crime in the broadcast. It offered a second-day angle on the story regarding the man who hit and killed a woman while walking her dog, and according to police, he was impaired by drugs and distracted by a phone.

A6 Sexting Doctor

This continued our local crime, but most definitely a different genre, with a prominent local doctor pleading guilty to sending suggestive text messages to a teenage boy. This got our broadcast back to readers after the recorded wrap, and was another second-day angle story, providing the listener with new information about a notable individual and a unique/strange crime.

A7 Utica Bar Shooting

Our second straight reader about local crime came via the AP wires about a shooting at a bar in Utica involving a violent altercation with multiple weapons. Our track of crime stories went from a pedestrian car crash, a sexting physician, and now a shooting at a local bar, so this kept the crime thread going, but offered a new story to keep the listener interested.

A8 Syracuse House Car Crash

This broke up our readers, but continued the crime portion of our first block of stories. This local anchor actuality got sound from a member of the Syracuse Police Department regarding the arrest of a driver who crashed into a Syracuse residence, causing $12,000 worth of property damage. New kind of crime, same track of stories, and a new style with the actuality and sound bite.

A9 Syracuse Soup Kitchen

This live wrap was about a Syracuse Soup Kitchen that has seen a rise in the number of meals it is serving in the city to those living in poverty. This was our second and final wrap of the broadcast, and diverted away from crime with a reporter in studio. We continued our crime thread before the commercial break, but this gave listeners a break from the negative stories that mentioned the police and authorities.

A10 Syracuse Resident Arrested for Littering, Drugs

Returning to crimes and readers, this story was about a Syracuse man arrested early this morning for not just littering, but for a suspended license and possession of a controlled substance that tested positive for cocaine. An unusual combination of crimes in one arrest offered an interesting story.

A11 New York Drug Busts

This final story in our block was eliminated because of time, but was about two major drug busts in the state today, one involving marijuana and cocaine in Buffalo and $6.5 million worth of heroin in New York City.

B1 Kicker: WWII Souvenirs

Our kicker was a feature on a WWII veteran from Syracuse who dedicates his time and energy to sending souvenirs from the war back to the families of those who lost their lives, predominantly families from Japan. This went back to our Veterans Day stories at the top of the newscast, but was a human story with an angle not heard before.

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Chittenango man pleads guilty to DUI in Sullivan death

The victim was walking her dog with her husband

By Kevin Barry (NCC News)
Nov. 11, 2010, 8:00pm

(SYRACUSE, N.Y.) - The Chittenango man who hit and killed a pedestrian Nov. 10 pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of drugs. Jason Forshee, 37, was also distracted by his cell phone, causing him to drive his car off the road, killing 57-year-old Lynn M. Eggert, according to police.

The incident happened mid-day on Route 5 in Sullivan while Eggert and her husband, Steven Eggert walked their dog, according to authorities. Mr. Eggert was uninjured and the dog ran away after the accident but returned to the couple's home hours later.

The Investigation

Forshee told investigators that he had smoked marijuana in the 12 hours before hitting Eggert. He was also under the influence of many prescription drugs, according to authorities.

The drugs, coupled with Forshee’s ringing cell phone which he looked down to answer, caused him to lose control of his car, driving it completely off the pavement and striking Eggert, according to police.

Forshee's other charges

At the time of the accident, Forshee was driving a rental car since he had been involved in another accident the day before, where he ran into the back of another car and was given a ticket for following too closely, according to authorities.

“If they (the Madison County District Attorney’s Office) found a significant amount of negligence involved here on the part of Mr. Forshee, they could return an indictment of more serious charges,” said New York State Trooper Spokesperson Jim Simpson.

Forshee was also in another accident on Oct. 19 after which he received a speeding ticket.

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Veteran’s Day

How Onondaga honors their legacy

Thursday is Veteran’s Day—a day in which Onondaga County paid tribute to the local men and women who have served in the military. From Skaneateles to the city of Syracuse, retired service members were honored in ceremonies and symbolic gestures.

Shotwell Memorial Park in Skaneateles was covered with more than 100 flags for Veteran’s Day as a salute to veterans. Skaneateles High School girls’ lacrosse team sold the flags in honor of a veteran of the buyers choosing. They then placed them in the park, which is dedicated to veterans.

Syracuse University sought to, not only honor their veteran alumni, but also their former students currently diploid around the world, with a traveling flag. The flag had been shipped all over the world, to veterans and military members across the country and across the world. Some of the places include Afghanistan, Fort Drum in New York, and North Carolina’s Fort Bragg.

A veteran’s memorial
Jack Raffaele, retired Lt. Col. of the U.S. Army, was involved in the flag’s visit to Fort Bragg. For him, performing a tribute to his fellow veterans was as gratifying as seeing students honor him on this day.

He was also impressed with the reception veterans got at Fort Bragg from the fellow soldiers currently diploid there. “Not only did they fly [the Syracuse University flag], but they flew it for over 24 hours,” Lt. Col. Raffaele said. “And at the eng, when they took it down they had full color guard for us… We were very proud.”

As a veteran, he thought that this day has a growing significance. “Veteran’s Day is very important, and our country is—I think—finally understanding the importance of our veterans.”

A day off to commemorate
Several offices around the county took the day off to celebrate Veteran’s Day. Among them are:
• The Village of Skaneateles Mayor’s Office
• Syracuse City Schools
• County Public Libraries

Photo by eqqman

Rundown 11/11/10

I opened with Luisa's wrap about Veteran's Day celebrations in the area because today is Veteran's Day and it didn't fit anywhere else.

I moved to the Doctor who pleaded guilty to sending suggestive text messages to a teenager and now has to register as a sex offender. I put this second because if not for the Veteran's Day story I would have lead with this, and it starts a block of crime stories.

The following story was the sentencing of a local woman to 23 years in prison for spiking her boyfriend's margarita with anti-freeze, resulting in his death. Fit in with the crime block.

I broke up the readers with Kevin's wrap about Jason Forshee. Forshee pleaded guilty to DUI after hitting a woman, her husband, and their dog, killing the woman. It was Forshee's third incident this month, which could increase his penalty.

This was followed by the story of a mother who crashed while swerving to avoid a deer. She lost control of the car and hit a tree, which killed her 5-year-old son. I added this because it tied in with the auto accident in the previous story.

I followed with Christina's anchor actuality about an alarming rise in the number of people who are attending the Samaritan Center Soup Kitchen. I did this to break up the readers and move away from crime.

Next, I wrote about Chuck Schumer encouraging the state Liquor Authority to ban caffeinated alcoholic beverages. He said he was frustrated by the pace at which the FDA was investigation the drinks, and, because caffeinated alcoholic drinks were never approved by the FDA, the state itself could ban it. There wasn't anywhere else to put it, but such a move could affect a city like Syracuse which revolves so much around the university.

After that came Christina's anchor actuality about the successful docking of the cruise ship that caught fire off the coast of Mexico. I thought this was a big enough national story, but it comes after the more local news.

The decline in mortgage rates came last because, while it was interesting and certainly applicable information, I didn't explain the numbers because it was a reader. I could afford to drop it, which I did, but if it did get on air it was a good enough story.

Samaritan Soup Kitchen sees a rise in visitors

By Christina Jones (NCC News)

November 11, 2010 5:00 p.m.

Samaritan sees a rise in visitors and a rise in making meals

Unemployment has hit Syracuse hard over the past two years, leading to a record high of needy people attending a local soup kitchen. The Samaritan Center Soup Kitchen is serving 350 meals a day at its St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral location in downtown Syracuse. This is about 20-percent more meals than they distributed last year.

"People are exhausting all their means and are turning to social services for help," resources and referral manager of Samaritan, Julie Gilbert said.

People who are in need

One-fourth of the residents in the City of Syracuse live in poverty. In the suburbs, one out of every eight people lives in poverty.

“We find that a lot of our guests are people who are making choices between food and rent, food and medication, food and stuff for their kids,” Gilbert said.

A lot of the people attending Samaritan are the working poor, large families, under-employed or people who are part-time, and are seen more frequently than people who are homeless, according to Gilbert.

Samaritan needs more volunteers

The kitchen is in desperate need of volunteers as winter approaches, when an increase of visitors is expected.

“We've seen a 15 to 20 percent increase per month in the number of people who we facilitate through our services,” Gilbert said.

The kitchen requires about 400 volunteers per month to have soup kitchens run smoothly.

“Our overhead is pretty low because we have a staff of only six. And with such a small staff, it is hard to help all of our visitors the right way," Gilbert said.

Photo Courtesy of Flickr.

Rundown Rationale

A2- DRIVER CHARGED: We opened our newscast with an anchor actuality about the man who hit and killed a woman walking her dog in the town of Sullivan the night before. The today information was that police discovered the man was under the influence of several drugs when he hit the woman. I thought the story was fresh and important enough to lead with. Also it's good to lead with an anchor actuality.

A3-SEXUAL TEXTS: Next was a reader about a CNY doctor pleading guilty to sending sexually suggestive text messages to a teenage boy. It's another crime story so it flows well from the previous story and involves a minor and inappropriate behavior that would catch the attention of the audience.

A4-UTICA PLEADS GUILTY: This story is another reader about a man pleading guilty to a fatal shooting. The shooting was back in January, but the man just plead guilty so it has a today spin to it. It is also a crime story so it flows from the previous story.

A5-SYRACUSE FLAG: Since it's Veteran's Day, a wrap on SU's Hendrick's Chapel memorial ceremony seemed appropriate. The ceremony commemorated a flag purchased by the school that had traveled to alumni in the service around the world over the past five months. The event covered in the wrap was local and had national interest as well because it is for a national holiday. The wrap broke up the readers to better the pacing of the rundown.

A6-CHITTENANGO GRAD KILLED: To go with the idea of people in the service, we followed the last story with a reader on a Chittenango grad student who had died in Afghanistan. His family was just informed of his death today. The story went with the Veterans Day mood of this portion of the rundown.

A7-VA HOSPITAL: This reader also followed the Veteran's Day theme. It was about the Syracuse VA Medical Center being ranked number one nationwide for prosthetic services out of 153 other VA hospitals.

A8-SOUP KITCHEN: We broke up the readers with a live wrap about the soup kitchen in downtown Syracuse and how it is seeing a large increase in meals served. It's a softer wrap so it was put towards the end of the rundown.

A9-CUOMO OPPOSES: We moved from local to state news with a reader about Andrew Cuomo not wanting to have the trial for the man who allegedly planned the 9/11 attacks in New York State. It's a short yet interesting reader because Cuomo is so opposed to having the trial in New York.

A10-PEACE TALKS: From state we moved to national news about Secretary of State Hillary Clinton resuming peace talks with the Israeli Prime Minister in New York City this morning to encourage negotiations between Israel and Palestine. This was a national anchor act that is of interest because of how difficult relations have been between Israel and Palestine and because the United States is getting involved in initiating peace talks between the two nations.

A11-STRIKEN SHIP: This reader was cut for time, but it was about a cruise ship that made it safely to shore in California after being struck and stranded for three days without food, working toilets, or power. 4,500 people got of the ship. I feel that it is a story of universal interest.

B1-WHITE PAGES: Our kicker was about Verizon wanting to eliminate printing out the white pages in phone books. It's a short interesting story because for years everyone has gotten a phone book at their doorstep and now they may not get them anymore.

Z1-LITTERING AND DRUGS: Our floater story which we didn't need to use was about a man pulled over for littering who ended up being charged for having drugs on him. Not a huge story, but somewhat interesting and was there if it was needed.

Producer Rundown Rationale - Adam Feldfogel - 11/11/10

For today's newscasts, I tried to focus on the local stories first, and then the national or international stories last. It also happened to be that the local stories were more current than the national stories, so i really wanted to focus on them.

I started off with Phil's wrap about the Chittenango man who is accused of hitting and killing a pedestrian with his car. I chose to lead with this story because there was a brand new angle in the story - the man was not only looking at his cell phone when he hit the pedestrian, but he was on drugs and now faces DUI charges.

Then we moved to a car crash that killed a five-year-old boy in Otsego County. His 28-year-old mother was driving when she lost control of her car in an attempt to try to avoid hitting a deer. The new angle in this story was that the son passed away in the hospital this morning, even though the crash happened yesterday.

We then went to a story about Veterans Day and how and where it was being observed in Syracuse. I chose this story because it actually is Veterans Day today and I thought it was important to highlight where it was being observed publicly, and which specific groups were being honored.

The next story was about the American Flag returning to Syracuse. I put this story here because I thought it was a cool transition from talking about veterans who served the country to the flag returning, and the flag is a symbol of the country that the veterans served.

Then we transitioned to the story about the soup kitchen in Syracuse. I thought it was good to keep the stories both about Syracuse. But i also liked how it transitioned from two stories about people helping others for the betterment of the country to a soup kitchen which does the same thing. And i found it really interesting that there has been such a drastic increase in the amount of people that need assistance from the soup kitchens in this area.

I kept the next story local as well, talking about the Syracuse man who was originally pulled over for littering, but ended up getting busted for cocaine possession. He threw a soda bottle out his window, and when he was pulled over for littering, a records check revealed his license had already been suspended. Upon getting out of the car, the officer noticed a bag of cocaine sitting in the front seat. He was pulled over for simply littering, and ended up getting busted for three separate violations.

I kept the next story local with the Uitca bar shooting. This had a second day lead in it, as the shooter pleaded guilty today for a shooting that happened back in January. This was the last of the local stories in the newscast.

I started out the national/international with Leonardo's anchor-actuality about the Israeli peace talks. I put this here because it broke up 3 readers in a row.

At the very end, before the break, I had a story about a power line in Ohio falling the wrong way when it was being demolished. I thought this was a good story to go into the break with, but we were running a little short on time, so I ended up cutting this story during the actual newscast.

Our kicker was about the ship that had floated adrift after an engine room fire. The catch in this story was that the passengers on the ship were forced to eat SPAM and pop tarts for the remaining 2 days while Mexican tugboats pulled the ship 200 miles back to San Diego. I thought this was an interesting angle on the story, because normally the food on cruise ships is lavish and extravagant...not canned meat and boxed pastries.

The floater story was about a local doctor who pleaded guilty to charges of sending indecent material to a teenage boy. The ironic part of this story was that this particular physican was a part-time medical director for the Syracuse City School District.

To hear audio, click play below.

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A local soup kitchen sees an increase

The Samaritan Center Soup Kitchen sets a record-breaking increase


By Leonardo Feldman


November 11th, 2010 3:50 p.m.








The Samaritan Center Soup Kitchen is serving 20-percent more meals. The center which is located in the basement of the St.Paul's Episcopal Cathedral in Downtown Syracuse now serves roughly 350 meals.





The resources and referal manager at the center, Julie Gilbert says the economy continues to affect locals.

"people have to make choices between rent and food, medicine and food, unpaid medical bills and food. When you think about it food is the biggest wiggle room in your budget," Gilbert said.

Gilbert added that the federal government does not give them financial support, and the center continues to work solely on donations and volunteers.

The high demand for meals is expected to increase even more as winter gets closer.

The need of volunteers continues to increase as the number of needy people increases.

According to WSYR, one-fourth of the residents in the city of Syracuse are living in poverty.

Photo Courtesy by Charles Haynes/flickr.com

Samaritan Center Sees an Increase in Need

The Samaritan Center in Syracuse has opened it's doors to more community members in need of food.
by Jackie Dresch (NCC News)





One-fourth of the residents in the city of Syracuse live in poverty, and in the suburbs one out of every eight people lives in poverty.

The Samaritan Center downtown is looking to help those residents by serving hot meals every day of the year. The Center's kitchen serves roughly 350 meals a day.

The kitchen is currently serving 20% more meals than it did last year. Since those numbers have increased, the number of volunteers needed has also gone up.

Samaritan Center spokesperson, Jill Gilbert says that the increase has "to do with the economy" and that "people's resources are sort of dwindling."

The center is located in the basement of St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral. Gilbert says that people who come to the center do not need to fill out paperwork and will be served food, "no questions will be asked."

Photo courtesy of blog.syracuse.com

Driver in fatal Chittenango accident was driving under the influence

Chittenango man charged with DUI

By Marisa DeCandido (NCC News)

November 11, 2010, 2:40 p.m.

A driver who struck and killed a Chittenango woman as she walked her dog Wednesday was under the influence of multiple narcotics, according to state police.

Jason Forshee, 37, of 519 Dyke Road, Chittenango was charged with driving under the influence of drugs, including marijuana and prescription drugs.

Forshee was driving on Route 5 in the town of Sullivan when he struck and killed Lynn Eggert, 57, of Lonsdale Road as she walked her dog with her husband.

Eggert died at Upstate University hospital from her injuries.

Forshee distracted by cell phone

The multiple drugs were not the only thing affecting Forshee's driving, State Trooper Joe Simpson said.

"Mr. Forshee told investigators that he was looking at his cell phone, was distracted at the time of the collision, and didn't see Mrs. Eggert," Simpson said.

Forshee has also been ticketed for two other collisions within the past month.

Forshee could face other charges

The Madison County District Attorney's office could bring additional charges against Forshee if they determine there is significant evidence of negligence.

Forshee posted bail and was released from Madison County jail Wednesday.

He will appear in Sullivan Court November 16.

Photo Courtesy of The Post-Standard

Flag returns to Syracuse after five month journey

by Shelby Fenster (NCC News)
November, 11 2010

SYRACUSE (NCC NEWS) - The American Flag purchased by Syracuse University flew during the University's Veterans Day Ceremony Thursday.

The flag left Syracuse on Flag Day, June 14, 2010, and traveled to:
-3 military bases in Afghanistan
-Fort Bragg, North Carolina
-Fort Drum, New York
-the United States Justice Department
-the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

Effort to Unite Alumni

The flag visited Syracuse University alumni serving overseas and in the United States. The flag was meant to unite alumni and recognize their service.

Jack Raffaele, Retired Attending Colonel for the US Army, was one of three veterans to fly the flag over Fort Bragg and appreciates the University's recognition.

"I see a better change now in the acceptance of veterans and the acceptance of service by college students at all levels than I did before and I think the veterans are setting a good example," Raffaele said.

Veterans Day Ceremony

Syracuse University's Veterans Day Ceremony was held at Hendricks Chapter at 11 a.m.

The Invocation was delivered by Dean Tiffany Steinwert followed by the National Anthem sung by Grammy and CMA nominee Michael Peterson.

After several speakers, there was a presentation of the American Flag flown by the Syracuse University Veterans.

Following the ceremony, the flag is being displayed in glass case in the Veterans Lounge at the University College.

Burkle pulls ahead

Republican Anne Marie Buerkle now leads in the race for the 25th Congressional District seat against incumbent Dan Maffei.

by Carson Daniels (NCC News)
Nov, 4, 2010 7:30 p.m.

The game has changed since election night. Republican Anne Marie Buerkle now leads in the race for the 25th Congressional District seat against incumbent Dan Maffei by 659 votes. Buerkle originally trailed Maffei by 5,600 votes.

Buerkle's new lead comes from the addition of Wayne county's votes into the total. Wayne County was the last of four counties to report its results in the race. Buerkle won the county by 15,429 votes to Maffei's 9,191, according to returns Wayne County released Wednesday evening.

With the race too close to call, the election will be decided by absentee and military ballots. A large percentage of the absentee ballots were distributed in Onondaga County (8,154 ballots) where Maffei had the majority of the votes. Dan Maffei's Communications Manager Abagail Gardner remained hopeful about the results.

"The absentee ballots are mostly from Onondaga County which we won very handily, so there's every reason to believe that in the end we will still win."

Eleven-thousand absentee ballots have yet to be counted. Military ballots postmarked by Nov. 1 can be counted up until Nov. 24.

Absentee Ballots to Decide Maffei-Buerkle

Race Still Too Close to Call; Republicans Watch with Anticipation

by Dan Cohen (NCC News)

7:45 PM

SYRACUSE, NY - After voters signaled a midterm shift on the national political scene, one race in Central New York hangs in the balance and could continue that rightward shift in Washington. Republican challenger Ann Marie Buerkle leads Democratic incumbent Dan Maffei by just 659 votes, rendering the Congressional race in the state's 25th District too close to call. Buerkle began Wednesday trailing by 5,600 votes, according to unofficial returns, but a resounding victory (63% of the vote) in Wayne County has her in front. It will now come down to absentee and military ballots as the G.O.P. hopes for another House seat to add to its new majority.

And then there were 11,000

Military and absentee ballots for the midterm elections were distributed in Onondaga, Wayne, and northern Cayuga counties, as well as three Monroe County towns, according to election officials. Those ballots total 11,000, but there is hope for Congressman Maffei to bounce back, according to his campaign communications manager, Abigail Gardner.

"The important thing is that every single vote be counted and that hasn't happened yet...we are waiting to see how the process unwinds," Gardner said. "The absentee ballots are mostly from Onondaga County, which we (Maffei) won very handily, so there's every reason to believe that in the end we will still win."

According to the Post-Standard, 8,154 of those absentee ballots are courtesy of Onondaga County, which Maffei won by six percentage points.

Insult to Injury

Dissatisfaction with the Obama administration was in full view Tuesday night, as Republicans took the House of Representatives majority with 60 new seats. Democrats maintained control of the Senate, but new conservative faces are arriving to Washington, including some members of the Tea Party. Buerkle, who could be the first female congresswoman in the Syracuse area, is hoping to contribute to the change of power in the country's political center, and continue Democratic woes in 2010.

Rundown Rationale

A1 Music & Heads

A2 Buerkle Leading (LWRAP)

We led with this story because of its significance. The 25th Congressional District race has been highly publicized and a high importance has been placed on it. The fact that the race is so close and will come down to the wire makes for a good lead story.

A3 St. Joseph's (RDR)

This was another high-impact story; the merger of two hospitals to create one of the largest health care networks in the state of New York.

A4 Lung Cancer (ANCAC)

This was an ideal transition from the previous story because the two are both about health. Additionally, to have a few soundbites in this story after a reader helped to break up the rundown from being just one voice. Lung cancer is a prevalent health issue in our society and the fact that it can now be more easily detected is important.

A5 Store Clerks (RDR)

A story about clerks who were busted selling alcohol to minors: This story starts a string of crime stories (helps with flow) and is especially big in the college region that is Central New York, given the alcohol consumption by minors that occurs in such places

A6 Counterfeiting (RDR)

This story continues the stretch of crime stories. The significant value of the counterfeited items makes this story important as well as the well-known brand names that were counterfeited. It's highly possible that someone who hears this story may own one of the counterfeited items.

A7 Halloween Shooting (ANCAC)

An anchor actuality breaks up a string of readers while keeping up the line of crime stories. Any story involving a shooting that causes casualties is important, and especially those carried out by teenagers.

A8 Man Freed (RDR)

Coming down from the crime angle, this provides a transition into a story regarding a crime that occurred 27 year ago, but with a present day angle.

A9 OCCRA Recycle (LWRAP)

This wrap gives voice variety coming off a reader and an anchor actuality. It's a light story that fits more toward the end of a newscast and deals with recycling, something most people can agree is a good and important thing.

A10 Beer Week

Another light story that fits at the end of a newscast and provides a good transition from another event story. We had to cut it, but that's okay because it was the least important story in our rundown.

A11 Tease B

B1 Swans - The kicker story; a light story about two new swans in Manlius

B2 Weather

B3 Music & Close

Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency will host electronic recycling event Saturday

OCCRA encourages Onondaga County residents to recycle

By Christina Jones (NCC News)

November 4, 2010, 5:00 p.m.

The Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency, or OCRRA, will host an electronics recycling event Saturday at Ley Creek Transfer Center in Salina to help residents safely dispose of unwanted electronic wastes. The event is open to all residents of Onondaga County.

“All residents of Onondaga County can come in with their e-wastes like computers, televisions, monitors, cell phones, radios, and game systems,” spokeswoman of OCRRA, Kristen Lawton said.

Televisions, computer monitors and laptop computers may be dropped off for $10 each. All other acceptable electronics are free. Only household electronics will be accepted. Business material will not be taken. All participants must complete a certification form and bring it to the event.

Maven Technology of Rochester will take all of the material and recycle it.

OCRRA wants to keep the tradition alive

OCRRA wants to continue to help the community combat waste by recycling, and the agency seems happy with the community’s results so far, Lawton said.

“There are hundreds of people in our community that attend each of the events. It’s a great turnout and we’re always appreciative of the community making the effort to come in and recycle these items,” Lawton said.

OCRRA has been hosting the event for the past two years.

The details

The event will take place 8 A.M. to noon on Saturday at Ley Creek Transfer Station on 7th North Street in Salina. Two events are held each year. This will be the last event for this year.

Photo Courtesy of Flickr.

Horse show transforms Oncenter

A hockey rink was quickly transformed into a  horse ring for this week's equestrian event.

by Jackie Dresch (NCC NEWS)

November 4, 2010, 4:30 p.m. 

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The War Memorial arena in the Oncenter has been changed from an ice rink to a horse ring for this week's Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament. 

The 16-hour process required 40 people to break down the ice rink and build the horse rink over the covered ice. The workers had to wait for the Syracuse Crunch game to end before they could break down the rink.  

According to The Post-Standard, the job started at 10 p.m. when workers began removing glass around the rink, the nets and the bleachers. Eventually the staff covered the ice before the horse show came in to set up the ring. 

The approximate cost of the changeover was $25,000 which the horse show staff paid for. 

Although the job required a lot of time and money, the Oncenter's Director of Operations, Danielle Goss says the effort will pay off in the end.

"It will draw thousands of people from all over the world and attached to that would be room a lot of room nights and things like that. There's a huge economic impact on this city," said Goss.  

Rundown Rationale

November 4, 2010, 5 p.m.
By Kenny Connolly (NCC News)

A1 Music and Heads

A2 Halloween Shooting - I decided to lead with the arrest made in one of the Halloween night shootings because it was a hyper local story. On the wire, it was reported that Police Chief Frank Fowler had just announced the arrest that was made so I felt it was timely, and was a second hour lead to update a mjor story that was still fresh in people's minds.

A3 Accidental Shooting - Keeping up with the crime trend, we followed up the Halloween shooting with a reader on an accidental shooting that had also occurred in Syracuse. Again, it was hyper local so we wanted to put it up high in the script. The man had been indicted on the day of our newscast, so it was timely as well.

A4 Buerkle Leading - We needed something other than a reader in this slot because we did not want to have three consecutive readers. Staying with the local trend, we updated the Anne Marie Buerkle-Dan Maffei race for the 25th Congressional District Seat. The story was our local anchor actuality, which included a quote from Maffei's Communication Manager. Again, the hyper local trend continued, and it broke up consecutive readers.

A5 Law Building - Continuing with the hyper local trend, the next story was a reader on the new Law Building being dedicated this weekend on Campus. It flows with the Beurkle story because politics and law are definitely related to one another, and the fact that it is happening this weekend on campus added to the story's appeal.

A6 St. Joseph's - Another reader that had to do with property. St. Joe's bought the rights to North Medical Hospital, making it the largest private practice in Central New York. Going along with SU's new building on campus, it seemed logical to follow that up with St. Joe's acquiring new property.

A7 Tax Cuts - To break up consecutive readers, we put the national anchor actuality about tax cuts. The President had just announced his intentions to extend the Bush-era tax cuts for middle class families. There was a decent flow from property acquisition to taxes.

A8 Recycling - After a national story, we decided to bring the focus back on the local community with a bit of a softer story. The recycling event held in Onondaga County allows locals to bring in their old electronic devices for safe disposal. The event was targeting a middle-class audience because they were not accepting electronics from businesses. So just like the tax cuts, this story focused on local middle-class families.

A9 Minors Alcohol - To avoid putting two wraps together, we needed a reader to break that potential problem up. This reader was local and focused on store clerks in Madison County selling alcohol to minors. The Madison County sheriff's office cited nine clerks for the illegal sale of alcohol. And tying this in with the recycling story, the teens could have recycled the cans they illegally purchased.

A 10 Sports Horse - This wrap also prevented us ending the A-block with three straight readers. It was a local story on Equestrian events going on at the On-Center this coming weekend. Again, a local story that ended up capping the A-block.

A 11 Madison Square - We ended up cutting the story on asbestos in Madison Square Garden. It was okay to cut because it was the softest of the stories, and New York City is not in our DMA.

A 12 Tease

B1 Kicker - Syracuse Beer Festival. An annual event that is held at the State Fairgrounds.

B2 Weather

B3 Music and Close

Arrest Made, Search Continues in Halloween Shooting

An arrest has been made regarding a shooting on Halloween. A 14-year-old male has been charged as an adult for allegedly shooting a 19-year-old man Sunday. The shooting occurred from a car that pulled up to the victim on the street near Bellevue Elementary School, police said. This means there are suspects still at large.

"We do have several other people that we're looking for that were in the car that took part, including a driver," Tom Connellan, Syracuse Detective Sergeant, said. Connellan added that the two parties "had some type of a confrontation earlier where the kids in the car where the shots were fired from had gone around and threw eggs at the victim and some of the younger kids that he was taking out trick-or-treating."

The victim was taken to the hospital where he remains in critical condition, police said.

The gun used in the shooting was determined to have been stolen from Stratford, NY in a burglary, but police do not know how the alleged shooter obtained it. The 14-year-old faces charges of first-degree assault, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and criminal use of a firearm.

photo courtesy of syracusecityschools.com