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Lunn and Rathbun were released at arraignment, according to a news release. 

Five others were charged with criminal possession of methamphetamine manufacturing materials and fourth-degree conspiracy: 

• Raymond Cox, 37, of 68 Orchard St., Auburn

• Shaun Cronin, 40, 36 Franklin St., Auburn

• James Delaney, 33, of 54 Orchard St., Auburn

• Heather Hutton, 46, 8 Throop Ave., Auburn

• Theresa Hutton, 23, 54 Orchard St., Auburn

Cox, Cronin, Delaney and the Huttons were released and scheduled to appear Wednesday, Dec. 12 in Auburn City Court. 

Thomas L. Hutton, 54, of 54 Orchard St., Auburn, was arrested Nov. 21 and charged with second-degree manufacture of methamphetamine, third-degree criminal possession and fourth-degree conspiracy. 

Hutton is being held at Cayuga County Jail on $5,000 cash or $10,000 bond. 

The eight arrests stem from a raid Nov. 9 at 54 Orchard St. Police found that the Auburn residence was being used to manufacture methamphetamine. 

Some individuals inside the home at the time of the bust were transported to Auburn Community Hospital for treatment. There were children present when police entered the house, police said. 

Following the raid, Orchard Street between Baker and Jefferson streets was blocked off for several hours. The sheriff's office was assisted by the New York State Police Contaminated Crime Scene Emergency Response Team, which removed dangerous substances from the home.  

The Christensons moved to central New York last year from Tacoma, Washington. It was out west where Gretchen studied chocolate, graduating from Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School in Seattle and interning at Tease Chocolates in Tacoma. She has since taken classes in Montreal and Chicago, and completed the online Ecole Chocolat's Certified Chocolatier Program.

One of the more popular items at Gretchen's Confections resulted from a homework assignment: Stargazers, which consist of passionfruit jelly and white chocolate vanilla bean ganache dipped in dark chocolate. Tart and decadent, it's already one of the shop's most popular items, Christenson said. Another is the Dreamboat, a slow-cooked caramel dipped in bittersweet chocolate and topped with a sprinkle of sea salt. Christenson said she honed its recipe over the course of a year, noting that a single-degree change in temperature can significantly affect the character of the caramel. 

"I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to flavor, combination and mouthfeel," she said. "The chocolates I produce are at my highest standards."

That approach extends to Christenson's ingredients. She uses premium Belgian chocolate, and sources other items locally whenever possible. The cream and butter in her creations is genuine and fresh, the chocolate and cocoa butter pure. She also doesn't use additives like palm oil, nor preservatives that extend the shelf life of mass-produced chocolates. 

For those reasons, Christenson encourages eating her chocolates within a month or so. They don't spoil, she said, but their flavor quality begins to dip.

No matter how good the chocolate, though, Christenson said that making it for so long has dulled her sweet tooth. She takes tiny tastes for quality control purposes, but at the end of the day, she's done with sweets. That also makes her perfectionism easier: Christenson has to throw out a lot of chocolate, she said, despite the cringes of onlookers. 

Quality control will be a concern if Christenson is able to mass-produce and distribute Gretchen's Confections chocolates, which she hopes to do one day.

"We would love Auburn to be the birthplace of that," she said. "We want to be part of Auburn's growth."

Before that, though, Christenson has to set up another kitchen to make her chocolates. After she and William moved to the area to be closer to Gretchen's family in Skaneateles and raise their daughters, Desi and River, the Christensons purchased the former Poppy's ice cream shop on Mattie Street. They wanted the space for its commercial kitchen, but in the process, they decided to open the shop as Sweet William's Ice Cream Cafe in June. However, the Christensons realized the shop wasn't a good fit as they focused on opening Gretchen's Confections, so they've since closed it.

Because Christenson is using the East Hill shop to prepare her chocolates, its hours are currently limited to Wednesday through Saturday mornings and afternoons. After she moves into her new kitchen, though, the hours will be extended. Meanwhile, she's been swamped with online orders, as her chocolates are available as packaged gifts, wedding favors, corporate gifts and more.

Also in the works, Christenson said, is partnering with Potatoes and Molasses food truck, of Skaneateles, to sell its soups and salads at Gretchen's Confections. She'd like to offer paninis as well.

And when it comes to chocolate, Christenson believes she still has "a long way to go" before she's the best she possibly can be at making them. She doesn't know if she ever can be. But as far off as she may be, and as much patience and precision as chocolatiering requires, she's having fun doing so.

"Making products that people just love and come back for," she said, "that's satisfying."

Benedict, the founder and principal designer of Sixty55 Design, hopes to kill the silence with a ribbon cutting and an open house of her new studio.  

Before Sixty55 landed at its current spot, operations were running out of Benedict's grandmother's house. Before that, she was unsure of where her career was going. She had recently quit a job and uncertainty was lingering.

"I was sitting on my couch three years ago and I got a call from an old client asking me to do some freelance work," Benedict said. "I got a desk and I opened my business out of my grandma's old sewing studio." 

Benedict decided to honor her grandmother by naming the company after her house number. The former grocery store lies just down the road from where she used to lived. 

Her grandmother was Benedict's biggest fan. Whenever Benedict had a sports game in high school, her grandmother would show up decked-out in Jessica's gear. 

"She was awesome," Benedict said. "She also drove us with an iron fist. We didn't call her grandma, we called her Sarge. She pushed us, but out of love."

Benedict's grandmother passed away about a year after Sixty55's launch. 

In Sixty55's early days, Benedict worked a third of the time while the rest was spent creating a brand, a business plan and a message — all from scratch. After two years, Benedict took a step back to evaluate herself.

"Here I am," she said. "Let's do it. I'm here to stay."

She needed some help though. Benedict reached out to Onondaga Community College in search of an intern. Benedict, who began her interior design degree at OCC, had been more than satisfied with the school's program and knew a great candidate would be recommended. After examining an "impressive" portfolio, Benedict hired Ching-Hui Wang. A quick six months later, Wang would become a junior designer. 

Becoming an interior designer wasn't a quick click for Benedict. Although she grew up building things and asking for power tools for Christmas, interior design was a non-traditional path for girls at the time. She swung and missed at cosmetology and ultimately left high school with intentions of studying psychology.  

"I got very bored," Benedict said. "Then one day I was reading a book and it said 'If bridges amaze you, maybe you like architecture.'" 

Realizing that she did in fact love bridges, Benedict later enrolled at OCC. The rigorous interior design program would spare about half of her starting class by graduation time. 

Because Benedict is Sixty55's owner, the business is certified under the Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE) campaign. This means that a lot of Sixty55's work is state-funded.

In short, the state and federal governments issue money to MWBE companies via contract. With a MWBE certification, a business becomes more visible to contractors seeking to purchase goods and services.

After committing to a project, Sixty55 uses 3-D software to take clients on virtual tours of space potential. Depending on the space and the client, the company determines the product quality they want to work with. A color story, or a color palette with references is then constructed. 

Like an actor researching for a role, Sixty55 embeds itself into a space to watch every employee and any visitor that might stop by. Benedict said that doing so creates an opportunity to study a space's everyday atmosphere. Observing a behind-the-scenes environment helps Sixty55 better understand a client's identity.

Of course, Sixty55 does all of this while keeping budgets in mind. 

"We're not going to come in and use all your money," said Benedict. "We always want to beat your budget, and if you don't have one, we'll establish one. You can really do a lot with a little."

Sixty55 is looking to make some noise while building on its Auburn presence. 

A ribbon cutting featuring the Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce is slated for 3 p.m. Dec. 10 with an open house from 2 to 7 p.m. 

An investigation revealed that both men, William Gorman, 36, and Michael Andrews, 37, were involved in being the aggressor at different times during the altercation.

Andrews was transported via ambulance to Upstate Hospital and was released after being treated for multiple lacerations.

As a result of the investigation, Gorman was charged on Friday with second-degree assault, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and endangering the welfare of a child as a child was present in the home during the altercation. He was arraigned in the Town of Owasco Court and released after posting $1,000 bail.

Police said that Andrews turned himself in at the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday and was charged with second-degree menacing, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon and endangering the welfare of a child. He is scheduled to appear in the Town of Owasco Court Dec. 10 for arraignment.

The sheriff's office was assisted by the Cayuga County 911 Center, state police, Owasco and Fleming fire departments and AMR Ambulance.

Anyone with information regarding the investigation is asked to contact Detective Nicole Stewart at (315) 294-8093. Tips can also be left online at . Anonymous tips are welcome.

Just before 4 p.m., the North Syracuse Police Department informed the sheriff's office of a report of an armed suicidal and homicidal man in a vehicle in the parking lot of Park & Ride on Dunn Road near the state Thruway, Sgt. Timothy Axton said.

Police negotiated with the man, who had a long gun in his vehicle, until around 7:30 p.m., when he left the vehicle and was taken into custody by the sheriff's office.

The man had no injuries but was transferred to Auburn Community Hospital. Traffic was blocked off on Route 34 for about an hour and a half, Axton said, who added that no one was harmed during the incident.

"It went as well as it possibly could," he said.