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Chris Trevisani, vice president of business development for Housing Visions, detailed the plan during a presentation at the county Legislature meeting Tuesday. He told legislators that the current shelter, which has 16 beds, is "dramatically undersized." 

The new building would be operated by the Syracuse-based Rescue Mission. It would have 80 beds and nine permanent supportive housing units. Case management will be available and security will be on site. 

One goal, according to Trevisani, is to provide space for homeless individuals who are either housed in hotels or stay with friends because there aren't enough beds at the shelter. 

"One development and one project doesn't solve that problem," he said. "It's something that needs to happen over time, but we need to gain momentum and we're hoping to kind of get that started." 

The idea for the county to use federal funding — specifically, $1 million from its American Rescue Plan award — was first raised at the county Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee this month. A late addition to the committee's agenda was to allocate that funding to support the construction of the new homeless shelter. 

If the county signed off on the $1 million investment, it would open up other funding sources to finance the project. Trevisani explained at the committee meeting that with the American Rescue Plan funds, they can apply for additional funding through the Homeless Housing Assistance Program, which supports emergency housing projects. Legislator Elane Daly, who chairs the Health and Human Services Committee, said the county's contribution would help leverage $8 million in federal and state funds. 

Legislator Chris Petrus said he had a "change of heart" regarding plans for an emergency shelter. His shift is due to what he's seen in his district with homeless individuals being housed at hotels in the town of Brutus and village of Weedsport. 

"I am 100% in support of this at this point," said Petrus, a Republican who encouraged his colleagues to vote for the resolution. 

Another legislator, Jim Basile, noted the county covers the costs — $100 a night — for homeless people to stay at the hotels when there isn't enough space at the shelter. He said he supports the project because it could save taxpayers money. 

When the full legislature voted on the proposal Tuesday, there was unanimous support from those in attendance. One legislator, Michael Didio, was not at the meeting. 

Although the county's support is important, the city of Auburn must also approve the project. Site plan approval is needed before Housing Visions applies for additional funding. 

While the shelter will be a separate project, it is part of Housing Visions' plan to provide more housing options in Auburn. The organization has also entered into a contract with the Diocese of Rochester to buy the Holy Family School on North Street. Trevisani said the reuse of the school will include 15 to 20 permanent housing units and recreation space. 

He also mentioned the affordable housing project at 197 State St. — the state awarded $1.5 million for Housing Visions to convert the 25,000-square-foot building into 16 apartments — and the nonprofit's plans to renovate existing units on Fort and Westlake streets in the city. 

In a news release, police said that the lone occupant of the vehicle, Gregory C. Church, 54, of Ogdensburg, was found unconscious behind the wheel. EMS personnel used Narcan on Church, who became conscious and was subsequently transported to Auburn Community Hospital.

Police said that approximately 56.3 grams of cocaine were located inside the vehicle and that when Church was released from the hospital, he was arrested on two class B felony charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance, and also a misdemeanor of driving while ability impaired by drugs.

Church was transported from the hospital to the Cayuga County Jail for arraignment.

A resident told officers that they were being targeted with "harassing behavior and a continued course of unnecessary conduct" from a neighbor. Over the course of the next four weeks, the sheriff's office said, deputies reviewed evidence and conducted interviews that ultimately corroborated that the behavior "was in fact occurring and served no legitimate purpose other than to disrupt and annoy."

Officers arrested Barbara J. Stotler, 69, Oct. 19 on a charge of fourth-degree stalking, a class B misdemeanor.

Stotler was processed at the sheriff's office and arraigned at CAP court, where she was released on her own recognizance.

Drivers traveling south on Route 34 will be detoured west at Turnpike Road to Route 38 south to Routes 5 and 20 east back to Route 34.

Drivers traveling north on Route 34 will be detoured at Routes 5 and 20 west to Route 38 north to Turnpike Road back to Route 34.

For more information, visit or .

A previous tenant of the residence, Kira M. Monroe, was arrested on a charge of second-degree attempted arson (a class B felony), and the Auburn Police Department is asking anyone with information related to the case to contact Detective Adam Rivers at (315) 567-0073 or (315) 253-3231.

Both reported that James M. Russell, 56, sexually assaulted them "a number of years ago," state police said. 

During the investigation, state police learned that Russell was a long-haul trucker and not currently in New York. He returned to the state Oct. 11 and was taken into custody at the Petro truck stop in Tyre.

Russell was charged with first-degree course of sexual conduct against a child, a class B felony. The charge was filed in Hector Town Court in Schuyler County.

To begin figuring out how to fill that void, Shurtleff has asked AMR to provide the county more detailed call response data. The provider operates one 24-hour rig and one 12-hour daytime rig from its Auburn station, he explained. Sometimes it responds with a full rig and sometimes with advanced life support intercept services for smaller providers, riding in their ambulances to the hospital.

That data will help the county "determine a path forward," Shurtleff said, in partnership with Auburn City Ambulance and the handful of other ambulance providers that will be left in the area.

"Those are conversations that will have to happen with agency chiefs and leaders in the very near future," he said. "We need to find an immediate solution in order to handle the call volume."

AMR, a subsidiary of Global Medical Response, confirmed in a statement to Ë®¹ûÅÉAV on Monday that its Auburn operations will close effective Dec. 31. The private provider has served Cayuga County for more than 40 years. All local employees will be offered positions at its Syracuse operations, and AMR said it is "committed to a successful transition of services as determined by the county."

AMR said its decision to leave the county was made due to "stagnant reimbursement rates, rising costs of apparatus and medical supplies and the cost of a qualified workforce in a post-pandemic society."

Emergency medical services providers nationwide face similar problems, Shurtleff said. The fact New York state does not classify EMS as essential — meaning that municipalities don't have to provide them like fire and police services — exacerbates those problems, in his opinion. But he hopes that will change with a bill to the state Senate in 2021 that would classify EMS as essential.

"There's potential for a reworked system out of this," he said, "but truly Cayuga County is seeing the local effect of health care and EMS systems struggling at a national scale." 

What didn't play a role in AMR's decision, Shurtleff continued, was Auburn's creation of a municipal ambulance service in 2021.

Lon Fricano, who served as director of operations for the city service's predecessor, TLC Emergency Medical Services, said in a letter to the editor in Ë®¹ûÅÉAV this week that the change "destabilized" local ambulance service and led to AMR's decision. He also accused the city service of "traveling to distant facilities while you may be waiting for an ambulance and AMR was being underutilized."

According to data received from the city of Auburn through a Freedom of Information Law request by Ë®¹ûÅÉAV, however, city ambulance hospital-to-hospital transports have decreased since the creation of the new service. TLC averaged 70.7 transports a month in the 10 months of 2021 prior to the change, while Auburn City Ambulance has averaged 55.2 transports a month since. 

Shurtleff said he thought the city's service "worked well" with AMR.

"I would actually say there were a number of times when AMR was covered by the city, and the city was covered by AMR," he said. "You can't predict when people have heart attacks." 

The city service, and other ambulance providers in Cayuga County, now have a little more than two months to figure out how to work best together in the absence of AMR.

"EMS is a unique animal," Shurtleff said. "These additional agencies will have to look at their own structures to see where they can pick it up to move forward and continue serving the public." 

"Believe in yourself," she told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV. "That's the message I took from the story. It helped me push through."

White Rabbit opened Sept. 6 in the former Nickel Back Jacks redemption center at 8905 S. Seneca St. in the village. Along with coffee roasted by Bucci-Taylor, the café serves teas by Earthly Emporium in Port Byron and baked items by several local producers, including doughnuts, Danishes and muffins by Camerons Bakery in Auburn and, soon, cinnamon buns by Doughlicious in Auburn.

White Rabbit also features candles by Eclectic Hedge in Port Byron, a little free library in coordination with the Weedsport Free Library, and tumblers custom-made by Lake Life Laser Studio in Auburn.

Being a local café is something Bucci-Taylor takes seriously, she said. White Rabbit is the first in Weedsport since Burritt's in 2010.

"Since then the only coffee place we've had is Dunkin' and Tim Hortons. We haven't had a welcoming, kind of community-based place to hang out, sit and talk with friends," she said. "And, being from Weedsport and starting small and having a handful of small businesses that helped me grow, I want to help them grow as well."

A village native, Bucci-Taylor previously worked as a licensed practical nurse at Victory Sports Medicine in Skaneateles. She began roasting her own coffee as a hobby while staying home with her son, and shortly thereafter became stuck there due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Encouraged by her husband, Taih, she researched, bought machines and roasted for herself, and then friends and family.

Bucci-Taylor said she tries to use the highest quality coffee beans she can find, such as specialty, fair trade and organic. At White Rabbit, it's available by the cup and by the bag.

"I try to keep it as fresh as possible," she said, "so there are only a few bags on the shelf at a time." 

At first Bucci-Taylor considered getting a coffee truck, but her bond with Weedsport led her to look for a storefront there instead. Taih, who owns a contracting business, built the tables, shelves and coffee bar. Meanwhile, her parents and other family staff the café. There's enough seating for 20 people, with outdoor seating coming next summer. So far the response has been "really great," she said.

"My whole goal was to have community support and build community within the shop," she said. "It's a nice, whimsical place for people to come together and enjoy good food and good coffee."

Martin was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon for the handgun (a class C felony), two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance for the meth and fentanyl (a class B felony), unlawful purchase of body armor (a class A misdemeanor) and possession of an imitation controlled substance for the molly (a class A misdemeanor).

Martin's passenger, Lindsay M. Mitchell, 30, of Weedsport, was also charged with third-degree criminal possession of a weapon for the metal knuckles and due to a previous conviction (a class D felony), seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance for the fentanyl (a class A misdemeanor) and possession of an imitation controlled substance for the molly (a class A misdemeanor).

Both Martin and Mitchell were remanded to the Cayuga County Jail and will be prosecuted by the Cayuga County District Attorney's Office.

The task force, which was assisted by the Auburn Police Department's Gun Involved Violence Elimination Team, asks anyone with more information on the case to call (315) 282-7540.

The Spartans' winning score came inside the final minute of regulation. At no point prior did ESM hold an advantage on the scoreboard. 

"We had fighting chances throughout the night, had opportunities throughout the game but we hurt ourselves," Moskov said. "We had chances to put the game away but couldn't get it done.

"It's a game we shouldn't have lost, and it's my fault. We just didn't seem like we were ready to play tonight."

The chances Moskov alluded to were four forced turnovers by the team's defense, and multiple possessions deep in ESM territory in the fourth quarter that could've extended Auburn's lead. 

Ultimately, the Maroons turned their four turnovers into a touchdown only once, when Aidan Musso's second quarter interception preceded Kemauri Perry's 3-yard touchdown run that put Auburn ahead 8-0. 

That was one of few bright spots on offense for the Maroons. Perry, who entered Friday's game with 14 touchdowns and nearly 1,300 yards on the season, struggled to break off long gains as was typical for Auburn's senior tailback. 

"We were inconsistent with our blocking, just simple schemes that we weren't getting right," Moskov said. "We fumbled the ball, we dropped some balls. It's (defenses) we've seen all year, but just weren't able to get momentum going."

Despite the running game's struggles, Auburn was in position to win it in the final quarter. ESM had three possessions in the final seven minutes of the game, all with disadvantageous field position. 

The first began at the Spartans' own 1-yard line and resulted in a three-and-out. 

The next — which followed an Auburn turnover — started at the 18 and ended when Robert Williams' heavy hit forced a fumble and Maroons recovery. 

Auburn was unable to take advantage of that favorable field position, though, and returned the ball to the Spartans, who took over at their own 8-yard line with 1:28 to go, down by two points. 

Within three plays, Auburn's season came to a screeching halt. 

The gut-wrencher came on second down, when the Spartans' Avery McMullen hauled in a short pass from quarterback Nicholas Commisso and ran nearly the entire length of the field, before Williams chased him down for a tackle at the 3-yard line. 

Williams' potential game-saving play was nullified on the next down, when Commisso bounced into the end zone for the Spartans' first lead, 12-8, with 54 seconds to go. 

While Auburn had one last gasp on offense, it was ultimately fruitless. Sophomore quarterback Matt Smith heaved a pair of passes on third and fourth down — the first was batted away to the turf, the second intercepted. 

That spelled the end of the Maroons' season, evident by stunned postgame expressions from players and coaches alike. 

"My heart is broken for those kids," Moskov said. "Watching them come off the field, watching the seniors, all I feel is pain for those kids."

Many of those seniors will prove difficult to replace. Perry was the team's leading rusher, while the runner-up in that respect — Lee Joyner — also departs for graduation. Moskov will also say goodbye to forceful defensive end Isiah Council, reception leader Phillip Peterson and captain Mac Maher. 

It's a group that won't be soon forgotten, even as Moskov settles into the offseason and begins preparation for next fall. 

"No question about it, it was really their 12-month commitment to the program, in terms of leadership and showing the other kids what it means to be part of Auburn football," Moskov said. "It's not just game night but what you do in the weight room, volunteer work and helping people out, and representing your families and communities well. 

"They set a very high standard with their behavior. They're respected at school and in the community, and I hope that's something that will continue with our young players."