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State police said Gotsis had sexual contact with "a female under the age of 17 at his place of business" on June 15. The arrest was announced Wednesday afternoon.

Gotsis, who goes by "Sam," is the owner of Dimitri's Pizzeria, which opened a new location at 1124 Route 5 in Elbridge in June. The pizzeria originally opened in Elbridge Plaza in 2018.

Gotsis was issued appearance tickets and is scheduled to appear in Elbridge Town Court at 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 21.

Merkley said police have not yet positively identified nor located the suspects, but "think they know who they are" and are searching for them. 

Merkley added that police do not believe the suspects are a danger to anyone else, as the assault "looks like a targeted thing." The victim was taken to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse. 

Police could be seen Wednesday afternoon at the residence at 110 Owasco St., which was wrapped in caution tape. Merkley said the investigation is ongoing. 

Tips can be submitted anonymously to Auburn police by calling (315) 253-3231 or using the submission form at .

The nation said in a news release that the casino's opening "comes at a time of significance for the tribe, following a recent land trust decision. The decision, which recognized the sovereignty and rights of the Cayuga Nation, reaffirms the tribe's historical ties to the land and allows for the development of economic opportunities that benefit both Cayuga citizens and the local community."

The casino will feature 128 gaming machines, making Lakeside Entertainment 4 the largest Cayuga Nation casino and its new "flagship" gaming facility. The nation said that its partnership with Everi Gaming provides a wide array of gaming options and that, as with all of its casinos, the nation "will prioritize responsible gaming practices, ensuring a safe and enjoyable environment for all patrons."

The nation said this fourth casino "is a testament to the Cayuga Nation's commitment to enhancing the economic landscape, allowing them to preserve the cultural heritage and traditions of their ancestors."

"We are thrilled to unveil our latest venture, Lakeside Entertainment 4, which represents the progress of our people," said Clint Halftown, the federally recognized representative for the nation.

"With this new establishment, we aim to not only provide an exceptional entertainment experience for our customers but also to foster economic development and improve the quality of life for our citizens and community members."

The restaurant's hours will be 10:45 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.

Located near Staples and Panera Bread, the restaurant is approximately 2,400 square feet and will feature a Chipotlane drive-thru pickup lane for digital orders, and a dining room.

Chipotle averages 25 jobs per restaurant, the representative said, and offers employees "competitive benefits" as well as debt-free college and mental health care programs.

Founded in 1993, the chain has more than 3,100 locations worldwide. The closest one to Cayuga County is on West Genesee Street in Fairmount.

In the local Mexican restaurant marketplace, Chipotle will join fellow chain Moe's Southwest Grill, also on Grant Avenue in Auburn Plaza, and the locally owned Mesa Grande Taqueria on Genesee Street.

A local sit-down Mexican restaurant, Costa Grande, opened this spring in Grant Avenue Plaza in Sennett.

For one of those involved, even as the years pass, the memory "feels like it was just yesterday."

"I can still remember everything," said Bob Lee, the team's coach. "I've got all the memorabilia." I've still got the scorebook with all the games in it. It's hard to believe it's been 40 years."

Lee, while technically the team's head coach, considered himself a co-coach along with Dennis O'Donnell. The pair guided a group comprised of Auburn's best Little Leaguers, most of whom were 12 years old at the time of the title. 

Auburn's state title run began with a win over Southern Cayuga, and en route to the state title game beat teams from Seneca Falls, Penn Yan-Canandaigua, Batavia and Amherst. Those were programs that, shortstop Mike Lowe told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV during the team's 20th anniversary, looked at Auburn as "underdogs."

Lee echoed that sentiment.

"We're from a town. 'Auburn, where the hell is that?' Especially when we got out of district, not only were we playing bigger towns, but those kids were huge," Lee said. "We weren't physically imposing like some of these other teams. But everybody started rooting for us. The longer we went on, the more support we got."

Lee said he still keeps in touch with a fair amount of the players. Lowe, for example, is someone he speaks to every day as the pair are heavily involved in Auburn's youth softball community. 

Others, he'll run into from time to time around town. The Little League memories are a frequent topic when catching up, even as the players are in their early 50s while Lee is 71 years old. 

Reflecting on the team's run, Lee said he believed his group had the talent to win the district, but, "I don't think anybody believed we'd win the state championship when we started."

"Winning the district was our No. 1 goal," Lee said, "and everything after that was gravy."

While the state championship game against Colonie had its share of dramatics, Auburn never trailed. The team went ahead 3-0 in the top of the first on Marty Black's three-run home run, only for Colonie to tie the score, 4-4, by the third. 

In Auburn's at-bats in the top of the sixth — Little League only plays six innings — Tom France punched in a double to score Keith Klein for the deciding run. Auburn tacked on two insurance runs, one on an infield hit by Black to score Lowe, and the last on Jim Salvage's at-bat that brought in another run.

Black, who entered the game as a reliever in place of France, recorded two strikeouts to start the final half-inning, then induced a groundout to clinch the title. 

"We had some incredible games, and I mean incredible games," Lee said. "They were a pleasure to be around because they were really good kids that were a lot of fun. They played baseball for the right reasons, because they liked to compete and liked to have fun.

"And they had a knack for winning. Just in the district alone, we won one game that went 12 innings, and won the district championship on a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth."

Auburn lost its next game to Pennsylvania state champion Newburgh, ending the team's chances of reaching the Little League World Series in Williamsport. 

Despite that, the Auburn Little Leaguers received the treatment of heroes. The players and coaches were involved to the State Capitol where they met with, among others, then-Gov. Mario Cuomo. 

The team was also invited to a game between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians, as special guests of former owner George Steinbrenner. 

"Everyone was very, very good to us," Lee said. 

Auburn has a rich baseball and softball history. The city was home to minor league baseball for decades, has had competitive programs at the high school level (including a baseball state title in the 1980s), and has seen several players drafted into the major leagues — a select handful of whom have reached the top level of the professional ranks. 

Forty years later, Lee remains proud that his group of elementary-aged kids put their own unique stamp in Auburn's baseball lore. 

"I live and breathe for baseball and softball, there's no doubt about that. And to be part of that experience, it's something you don't ever forget," Lee said. "Auburn has a big baseball legacy. It's nice to be some part of that legacy."

Thanking central New York for its support, the billboard is part of what Tulley hopes is the next phase of his business. Eight I'm Stuck locations, including the one in downtown Auburn and the Weed Warehouse in Aurelius, were shut down and padlocked by the state Office of Cannabis Management July 31 for selling cannabis without a dispensary license and selling cannabis to minors, the state said.

Tulley's attorney, Joseph A. Bondy, has filed a motion to dismiss the state's injunction closing I'm Stuck. A hearing will be held Sept. 6, Tulley said. In the meantime, Bondy is negotiating with the state in hopes of securing Tulley a cannabis processor license in exchange for agreeing to keep his locations closed. Tulley said the deal would be a "win-win" for him and the Office of Cannabis Management.

"They're short on processors," he said. "That's why they have the same products in every store. Some farmers aren't even getting into stores because there aren't enough processors." 

A representative of the state Office of Cannabis Management told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV they could not comment on the validity of Tulley's statement.

The I'm Stuck owner said he has a facility in Syracuse "ready to go" for processing cannabis into products like prerolled joints and edibles. Those products would carry the I'm Stuck and I'm Baked brand names and logos advertised by the downtown Auburn billboard. However, the state's Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act holders of processor licenses from also holding dispensary licenses.

The next phase of Tulley's business could see him doing both in Minnesota, which became the 23rd state to legalize recreational cannabis in May. He spoke to Ë®¹ûÅÉAV by phone from the Twin Cities, where he said he is meeting with landlords about opening I'm Stuck locations. Like in New York, they would technically give cannabis products to customers for free while charging them for consultations.

Tulley doesn't believe his locations in Cayuga, Wayne, Monroe and Oswego counties will ever be allowed to reopen, he said, despite Bondy's  that such "gifting" is legal in New York.

Along with the shutdown of I'm Stuck, Tulley could also face millions of dollars in fines, the state said in a news release. There is a $10,000 penalty for each day of selling cannabis without a license, or $20,000 if the seller has received a notice to stop selling by the Office of Cannabis Management. He had received several such notices, including a July raid of his Auburn and Aurelius locations.

"It won't be in the millions because I don't have that," Tulley said of the fines he will face. "I gave it all back to the community."

Schenck said the charges resulted from an investigation into allegations that Smith was contacting the protected party of an active order of protection. He was processed at the Cayuga County Jail, where he was being held on other charges. He had been charged April 16 with fourth-degree criminal mischief and first-degree criminal contempt.

Anyone with information regarding this latest incident is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at (315) 258-3868 or tips can be left at .

What the city plans to do with the iconic downtown diner is unknown, however, as officials declined comment on the acquisition to Ë®¹ûÅÉAV this week.

The Juhls purchased the Hunter Dinerant in 2011. Aside from a brief stoppage at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, they ran the diner until it served its last burger melt on Dec. 31, 2022.

The steel railcar diner opened on Genesee Street in 1951 after being there. Perched atop beams over the Owasco River, it was beloved for its neon signage and famed for its connection to U.S. President Joe Biden. His first wife, Neilia Hunter, was the daughter of the restaurant's namesakes and owners, Robert and Louise Hunter. The Biden family has visited the restaurant, most recently in 2014.

In 2020, the Juhls weren't sure they would be able to reopen the Hunter Dinerant due to COVID-19. But they were sure, Bill Juhl told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV at the time, that the diner's legacy would continue. 

"It's the city's diner, it never was really ours. We're just caretakers of it," he said. "The diner will be back, no matter who owns it. It will always be a part of Auburn."

The White Bridge Road location (89.5) edged East Lake Road (89) for the top score, with Sand Beach Road (73.4) finishing third. The remaining two sites — Colloca Estate (59.5) and McDonald Point (49.5) — did not receive high marks. 

Karen Kuhl, executive director of the Cayuga County Office of Tourism, detailed the draft study's findings in her report to the Cayuga County Legislature's Planning and Economic Development Committee. The committee is scheduled to meet Wednesday. 

According to Kuhl's summary, REVPAR's analysis determined the White Bridge Road and East Lake Road sites had "the most attributes for a successful small boutique, full-service hotel project." 

"Primary advantages of these two locations include their location near Emerson Park and Owasco Lake (and) proximity to area attractions," she wrote. 

Kuhl told the committee that the Cayuga County Convention and Visitors Bureau has approved REVPAR International to proceed with a lodging feasibility study of the White Bridge Road site. 

For years, there have been discussions about building a hotel near Owasco Lake. In 2016, the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council named a proposed $8.7 million boutique hotel near Owasco Lake as one of its priority projects. The project was led by Sean Lattimore, owner of the Springside Inn in Fleming. 

The proposed hotel was awarded more than $1.1 million in state funding through the regional economic development council initiative. However, the project stalled.

In a released in 2022, the central New York council noted that the project has either been canceled or the funding was declined. 

Over the years, local officials have said more accommodations are needed near Owasco Lake. Springside Inn can host overnight guests, but it has seven rooms. The closest hotels are in the city of Auburn, about three miles away from the lake.