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For Long, the name of the business is more than a pun. Its Feb. 15 opening was the culmination of a career that began about 30 years ago at the Old Erie Restaurant in Weedsport.

She went on to a few chain restaurants and then the Sherwood Inn, where she was general manager for six years. During COVID-19 she suddenly had to work as the historic Skaneateles establishment's line cook, takeout coordinator and outdoor seating manager, adding even more experiences to a career that began with washing dishes and hosting. She credited the Old Erie's Dave and Eileen Gibson and the Sherwood's Bill Eberhardt for teaching her the work and giving her the confidence to do it well. But she's wanted to be her own boss since falling in love with the industry on her first day in it.Ìý

"I think it's everybody's dream in this industry to have their own place. I think once that's in your blood, it doesn't ever leave," she said. "I love customer service, the guests, the hustle and the bustle." 

A few years ago, after Route 20 Grill & Tap closed due to a fire, Long found her opportunity. The restaurant was purchased by Auburn developer Matteo Bartolotta, who reached out to her husband, Jason Long, about leasing it. She was unsure at first. The space was a wreck, she recalled, stripped down to the studs in the more damaged areas. But Bartolotta sold her and Jason on the possibilities.

"This whole project wouldn't have been possible without Matt and Anthony Bartolotta having a vision of what this run-down building could have been," she said. "We owe them a lot for this beautiful spot."

The location was important to Long as well. She was born in Sennett, where her family owns a large dairy farm, and she continues to live in the town with her husband. Likewise, she drew from her experiences at local restaurants while devising At Long Last. At the Sherwood she learned the importance of quality ingredients and preparation, she said, and she looked to a former colleague there to help her apply that lesson to the upscale breakfast and brunch fare she wanted to serve: Zach Piraino, who also worked at The Krebs in Skaneateles. He's now executive chef of the new business.

Piraino told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV the menu consists of classic meals reinvented into unique ones. The already popular house-made bacon jam does that to the chicken and waffles, and the smash burger.

"Zach has a super funky brain," Long said. "I could see that he had a creativity that maybe didn't pair well with the Sherwood Inn menu or the Krebs menu. But I think it pairs really well here."

Long said she gave her executive chef a blank slate to engineer the menu, and the decor of the space reflects that mindset. The walls are completely white, save for a few accent spots that will feature wallpaper from A&M Graphics in Auburn with the cartoon toast, bacon and egg in the restaurant's logo. The morning sun through the many south-facing windows only accentuates Long's clean, minimalist ambitions. She thanked of Syracuse for its design help, and Bartolotta for building the wooden bar and booths by hand. The bar seats about 15, and the whole dining room about 90.

The second floor of the restaurant, once the subject of a lengthy court battle, was sealed off during its remodeling and will be used as an Airbnb, Long said. But she plans to use the patio area for outdoor seating during warmer months. She also wants to expand the drink menu, as her mimosa flights have been "selling like hotcakes," and possibly add dinner if she can find the staff that would require.

"It's been a fun ride so far," she said of the restaurant's first week. "At Long Last I had the courage, and my kids are a little bit older now, and I can just pour my heart and soul into this business."

After an investigation, Church was charged with one count of fourth-degree grand larceny, police said. He was processed and released on an appearance ticket for Seneca Falls Town Court.

While Affleck has been a competitive horseback rider since she was 9 years old, saddling up for hundreds of competitions ever since, Louis' sporting history is shorter. His owners, Amy Sweeney and her daughter Ava, both of Auburn, first brought him to Claire Affleck Training on Franklin Street Road in Sennett, where she trains horses and offers lessons, three years ago.

Speaking over the phone from Florida, where she's participating in more competitions, Affleck said she never considered for a moment that she and Louis would win enough points for the championship. He is her first national champion, she added. She received the news one morning in January after getting a text from Amy the night before, telling her to check her email.

She read the congratulatory message from the Equestrian Federation five times, but couldn't believe her eyes. It wasn't until she saw the news on the federation's website that it began to sink in.

"I was excited," Affleck said. "I was just really proud of Louis and grateful to Amy and Ava."

Affleck said she can't remember a time in her life when she didn't adore horses, having trained so many at her business for nearly 20 years. Although she works with and competes with other horses besides Louis, Affleck said her winning teammate is "extremely agreeable," relaxed in most situations and eager to please.

Even with some time passed since Louis was recognized, the human half of the winning team is still thrilled about his success.

"It felt pretty good. I still sometimes don't believe it," Affleck said. "The horse business and any sports competition can be tough going, so to have that hard work pay off was really nice."

After a long period of friendly chatter and laughter from attendees, a cry of "Attention!" immediately prompted corrections employees closest to the front to snap into salutes. As Corey emerged from the prison with a grin on his face, the laughter and conversation gave way to applause and congratulatory shouts, and the retiring superintendent stepped into the crosswalk.Ìý

Some members of the crowd dispersed after the sendoff, but a series of well-wishers waited their turn to approach Corey with a hug or a handshake. Auburn Police Chief James Slayton told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV he had interacted with Corey before, and appreciated being invited to his retirement ceremony. Slayton said he felt the turnout for Corey's last day reflected his impact.

"The showing for him today shows his commitment to this prison here and the city of Auburn and the residents, and all the employees will miss him when he's gone," Slayton said.

With his wife, Kathy, nearby, Corey told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV he was looking forward to retirement. Motioning to the corrections officers scattered around him, Corey said he felt the work of the prison's staff made his job easy "because they're so good." He added that he feels those employees do not receive enough recognition for their efforts.

"It's really got nothing to do with me," Corey said. "It's the staff."

Cayuga County Senior Assistant District Attorney Heather De Stefano and Rome Canzano, Nielens' attorney, told Leone they haven't reached a plea agreement yet, but they hope to have one soon.Ìý

"We aren't terribly far away, probably," De Stefano said.

Nielens is due back in court March 21.

He was arrested on the charges in December.ÌýCayuga County District Attorney Brittany Grome Antonacci told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV she could not comment on the charges while Nielens' case is pending.Ìý

According to state law, first-degree disseminating indecent material to minors involves communicating "either in words or images actual or simulated nudity, sexual conduct or sado-masochistic abuse" that "invites or induces a minor to engage in sexual intercourse, oral sexual conduct or anal sexual conduct, or sexual contact with him or her, (or to engage in a sexual performance, obscene sexual performance, or sexual conduct for his or her benefit)."

Nielens had been a member of the town board for 12 years before he became supervisor.

Mark Emerson, the current Mentz supervisor, told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV that Nielens served as supervisor from 2016 to 2021, and lost elections to Emerson in 2021 and 2023.

The Auburn Police Department said its patrol division and the Finger Lakes Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at Gilliam's residence at Thornton Avenue in late March 2023. He was located nearby, and possessed more than $7,500 in cash and a small quantity of cocaine. He was free while awaiting sentencing for unrelated gun and drug charges from July 2022, the department said.Ìý

After the task force executed the search warrant at Gilliam's residence, over 77 grams of cocaine was recovered, along with more than 49 grams of crack cocaine and associated drug paraphernalia.

Some cows died in the blaze, said LaFave, who wasn't sure if any other animals were killed as well. No humans were injured.Ìý

The barn was determined to a complete loss, but the home nearby was not affected. LaFave said the bulk of the fire was extinguished by around 10 p.m., with Genoa and other responding fire departments performing overhaul and looking for hot spots. The Genoa department left the scene around midnight.

A from the Genoa department's Facebook page said departments from Aurora, King Ferry, Lansing, Locke, Long Hill, Moravia, Poplar Ridge, Scipio, Sempronius and Union Springs were all at the scene.Ìý

Southern Cayuga Instant Aid, the Cayuga County Emergency Management Office, Cayuga County 911 and the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office assisted as well.

LaFave said Cayuga County fire investigators' inquiry into the cause of the fire is ongoing.

Shortly after the fire, a GoFundMe was  to support the owners of the barn. According to the fundraiser page, the barn is owned by Kevin Bassett and family, and has been a family business for years. The fundraiser has a goal of $50,000, and had reached $17,095 as of noon Friday. For more information, visit .

All but two of the districts, Auburn and Jordan-Elbridge, recorded proficiency rates above the state average in seven tests.

students recorded above-average rates in five subjects: algebra II, geometry, living environment, chemistry, and U.S. history and government. The district had rates below the state average in four subjects: English language arts, algebra I, Earth science and global history and geography II. Auburn's highest 2022-23 proficiency rate was for U.S. history and government, with 87% of students passing (217 out of 249), which had a state average of 80%. The district's 72% in ELA was its most below-average score, as the state's rate is 77%.

Regents exam scores in physics were not listed for Auburn, nor the Skaneateles or Southern Cayuga school districts, despite them being listed for most other districts.

Auburn Superintendent Jeff Pirozzolo told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV in an email that he was glad the district's exam rates were above the state average in most categories.ÌýWith a current student population of about 3,800, the Auburn district is by far the biggest of the Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES districts due to its more urban composition.

"We still have work to do, but we are getting there," Pirozzolo said.

Like Auburn, the recorded proficiency rates below the state average in four subjects, but above it in six subjects. Jordan-Elbridge also had the lowest 2022-23 rate of any Cayuga County-area district in a single subject, at 33% in physics, with seven students scoring as proficient out of 21 who were tested.

Meanwhile, the Union Springs, Weedsport and school districts scored above the state average in every Regents exam subject.

Gregory Stone, superintendent of the Weedsport Central School District since early January, told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV in an email that the district's English language arts proficiency rate of 96% for 2023 also exceeded every other school in Cayuga and Onondaga counties. Weedsport's 96% passing rate for geometry is the second-highest in the counties, he added.

"It's clear that Weedsport has a longstanding tradition of academic excellence, which owes much to our exceptional teachers and staff, diligent students and the unwavering support of our community," he said. "Since stepping into the role of superintendent, I've witnessed firsthand the resolute dedication to maintaining and even enhancing this commitment to academic excellence throughout our district."

Skaneateles boasted some of the highest proficiency rates of all local districts. Its lowest rate for 2022-23 was 87% in living environment, which had a state average of 66%. The only local district with a higher living environment rate was Weedsport, at 88%. Skaneateles is also one of a handful of Cayuga County-area districts in the last school year to have achieved a 100% rate in any subject, with all 83 students who took the geometry exam passing. The Southern Cayuga, Cato-Meridian and Moravia districts posted perfect scores for algebra II.

Eric Knuth, Skaneateles' superintendent, expressed happiness about the district's 2022-23 results in an email to Ë®¹ûÅÉAV.

"We are extremely proud of our students and their performance on these Regents exams, but more so the hard work and sustained effort required to perform at this level," he said. "Our teachers are incredibly engaging, dedicated to individual student success and a cycle of continuous improvement professionally."

Exam scores for the majority of Cayuga County-area districts also improved from the prior school year, with five out of the nine districts achieving increases from 2021-22 to 2022-23. The Auburn, Jordan-Elbridge, Skaneateles and Southern Cayuga school districts saw more year-to-year decreases than increases in the majority of subjects.

The Union Springs Central School District saw the largest year-to-year increase in a single subject, 28% in algebra II, from 68% in 2022 to 96% in 2023. Jordan-Elbridge saw the largest year-to-year decrease, 47% in physics, from 80% in 2022 to 33% in 2023. Jordan-Elbridge also recorded year-to-year proficiency rate decreases in eight subjects, the most of any local district.

The Moravia, Port Byron and districts achieved the most year-to-year increases in Regents exam scores, in six subjects apiece.

"Our mission focuses on preparing our students for the dynamic challenges of our ever-changing world," Stone said of Weedsport. "We recognize the pivotal role that high rates of literacy and comprehension play in shaping successful futures, and we are proud to continually focus our efforts to ensure that every student excels."

Speaking to Ë®¹ûÅÉAV on Friday afternoon, Schillo said he was waiting for the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office to enforce the eviction.

Park owner Kim Berry declined comment to Ë®¹ûÅÉAV.

Schillo lives at the park with his wife and two children, ages 3 and 13, and they're expecting a third child this year. They've stayed at Rolling Hills for the affordable rent, he said, but the poor water quality has been such a persistent issue that they would be looking to move even if they weren't being evicted. As reported by Ë®¹ûÅÉAV last year, the park's water has contained high levels of PFAS, or "forever chemicals," which have been linked to health problems like increased risk of kidney and testicular cancers, liver disease and reproductive damage.

Since his family moved into the park, Schillo said, neighbors have told him, "Don't drink the water." Instead, his family has purchased bottled water for drinking, washing and brushing their teeth.

The park was by the state Department of Health for having forever chemicals in its water throughout 2022, the most recent year drinking water compliance data is available. The park is now listed as "no longer in violation." However, Schillo provided Ë®¹ûÅÉAV a copy of a boil water order issued in December by the Onondaga County Health Department due to "inadequate disinfection."

Along with contacting the health department, Schillo has attempted to address the water quality and other problems, including just 10 psi of water pressure in his unit, with park ownership. He acknowledged that they've "gotten into it," but still believes he's been singled out for speaking up. In January, he said, he was the only resident to receive a list of unit violations, which included "overgrown vegetation," "repair home" and "illegal pet." After he called attention to the fact that no one else received such a list, he continued, others residents were issued them.

Schillo has also sought legal counsel over the potentially retaliatory eviction, but said he has not been able to afford a lawyer who can help him until it is underway.Ìý

As he weighs his options, Schillo said he's staying mindful of the advantages of having to move out of the mobile home park.

"Up at camp my oldest daughter loves being outdoors," Schillo said. "Here, she doesn't like being outside."

Restaurants and restrooms are closed at DeWitt Service Area during the project. However, fuel services remain available to motorists.Ìý

DeWitt is projected to reopen by the end of this year. When it does, it will be one of the smallest service areas along the Thruway. The 3,896-square-foot facility will have one restaurant, a Starbucks, and an Applegreen convenience store.Ìý

The service area will offer other amenities, including free wireless internet, Taste NY beverages and food products and level 3 electric vehicle charging stations.Ìý

Most of the Thruway rest stops in central New York have already been rebuilt or are on the verge of reopening. Warners Service Area, which is along I-90 west near Syracuse, is scheduled to reopen in the first quarter of the year.Ìý

The $450 million project is led by Applegreen, an Ireland-based company that operates convenience stores and travel plazas. Twenty-three of the Thruway's 27 rest stops will be rebuilt and four will be renovated.Ìý

Frank Hoare, acting executive director of the New York State Thruway Authority, has said the service area construction project will be completed by fall 2025.Ìý