Local Man to Give Away Thousands of Bikes

by Kevin Belbey (NCC News)

Dec. 1, 2010, 6:00 p.m.

SYRACUSE, N.Y.--

For the 15th straight year, a man from DeWitt will be giving away thousands of bikes for the holiday season.

Back in the sixties, Jan Maloff would ride his bike to school every single day. Soon enough, Maloff took notice of the Elm Crest Orphanage which he rode past daily. The orphanage was home to about 100 kids that attended Maloff's school. However, they had just five or six bikes to share between them all.

"Some of my friends and I would stay after school to give them the opportunity to ride a bicycle" Maloff said. "It just kind of stuck with me, and when I was able to reach out in my professional life, that thought came back to me. And that's how I started the bicycle program."

Maloff Plans to hand out 2,500 bikes on December 18th. But he needs some help. Maloff is looking for volunteers to help repair bikes, people to donate bikes, and donors to give money for:

• Tubes
• Tires
• Tools
• Other Supplies

People looking to help with the bike drive can reach Jan Maloff at 446-7570.

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Team 3 Rundown Rationale

by Kimberly Caruba (NCC News)

Dec. 1, 2010, 7:30 p.m.

Team 3 consisted of Chet Davis as anchor, Ethan Kwassman as the live reporter, Lauren Fabrizi as the recorder reporter, and myself as the producer.

A1 - Chet teased Jenni-Lyn's funeral, three missing Michigan boys and the improvements being implemented on the Oswego River.

A2 - Jenni-Lyn Funeral

My lead story was about the funeral that was taking place today for Jenni-Lyn Watson, the missing Clay resident and Mercyhurst College student. The piece was newsworthy since the story had received national attention since her disappearance, and it was timely since the funeral services were taking place today. The story was a reader.

A3 - Missing Michigan Boys

The following story was about 3 missing boys from Michigan that were last seen at their father's house on Thanksgiving. I felt that this was a good story to follow the lead, as they both involve missing people. In addition, this story was newsworthy because of how much national attention it has received and the new developments to the case. Chet Davis did this story as his national anchor actuality.

A4 - Parking Meter Thefts

The next story was a reader about a Rome resident who is going to jail for stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from Syracuse parking meters. I thought this was a good story to use as a transition back to local news since it also dealt with crime and theft.

A5 - Cuomo Outspent

The following reader was about Andrew Cuomo outspending rival, Carl Paladino 3 to 1 in the New York Governor's race. I thought the story was interesting considering Paladino is the millionaire and spent a great quantity less than Cuomo. The story was a reader, and a nice transition from the previous story as it kept things on a monetary level.

A6 - Anaren Contract

The next story was a recorded wrap by Lauren Fabrizi about the local company Anaren Incorperated receiving a $20 million contract to build satellite components. The story was interesting since a local company was chosen by a French company to do the parts, because of their experience. This story also kept with the monetary thread.

A7 - Tax Revenues Rise

The next reader was about tax revenues in New York state rising for the third straight quarter. I felt that it was an important story for local residents as it directly affects them and the new data was just released. It also kept things local and had to do with money.

A8 - Oswego River Safety

The next story was an anchor actuality by Chet Davis about new measures that are being taken to increase the safety of fishermen on the Oswego River. As in recent weeks there have been a number of accidents on the river, I felt the story was an important one to the community. This story brought the thread back to a local level.

A9 - TLC Housebound

The following story was a live wrap by Ethan Kwassman about a local resident that is being featured on TLC's show 'Housebound' tonight. The show will feature the efforts of therapists to help the resident overcome her agoraphobia. The show is popular and I felt it was newsworthy because of the shows prominence and the fact that a local resident was appearing on the show. In addition, the Rosamond Gifford Zoo is a location used on the show. This story had local threads but also set things up for a national feel for the next story.

A10 - Food Safety

The final reader of the block was about the Senate passing new measures to make food safer. As the previous story was about improving one's life, I felt this story was good to close with as it is also about making improving life. This story was also especially newsworthy as it tied to the recent outbreaks of E. coli poisonings.

Chet teased our kicker story about Hanukkah.

B1 - Hanukkah

Our kicker story was about Hanukkah beginning at sundown today. I felt the story was important since there are a lot of Jewish people that attend Syracuse and live in the area. It is also a nice way to bring a happy feeling to the end of the newscast with promise of the upcoming holiday season.

B2 - Weather

Chet read today, tonight, tomorrow, and the current weather conditions.

We ended the newscast on time and that was our show!

World AIDS Day's Final Central New York Vigil

The Central New York HIV Care Network held its final vigil for World Aids Day today.
The organization will run out of funding as of December 31st. This is due to the overall reduction in state support which will go towards servicing uninsured victims of HIV/AIDS.

The state Health department has already cut about $2 million in funds to be used for the care and treatment of the victims.

The network’s coordinator, Stephen Waldron, feels that this is for the greater good of the victims and it takes precedence in spite of the prospect for the group.

"We have sent out proposals to various foundations for monetary help, but in reality the results are not great and we might cease to exist at the end of this month."

The vigil took place at 5:00 pm this evening at the University United Methodist Church on Genesee Street. In spite of the weather, Waldron says that they will still continue to spread awareness for those around.
"The weather might not be the best but we'll move it into the church's hall and take time out to remember the lives lost and how to press on in spite of it"
This network has made awareness through:

• Syracuse University Campus efforts
• Campus ministries
• Local churches
• Social Media
• Hospitals and Clinics

With over 3,500 suffering with the disease in the Central New York area, Waldron emphasizes that we are all affected by this epidemic and we should try to be advocates for change.

"AIDS affects everyone; indirectly, directly, whether you are paying taxes for someone's medical bills or whether you lost a loved one or even if you have it yourself and should try to help each other get through this process."

Power outages across New York

By Callan Gray (NCC News)

December 1, 2010 6:40 p.m.

Outages across New York State

Many in Onondaga County woke up in cold, dark houses Wednesday morning as strong winds caused power outages across the county. National Grid reported at noon there remained 544 outages among the company’s customers in the county and 9,000 across New York State. When the day started there were over 10,000 outages.

National Grid spokesperson Patrick Stella said the highest concentrations of outages were in the Mohawk Valley and Utica and Rome areas. But the company had seen a scattering of darkness in the Syracuse area. National Grid continued to respond to calls from customers throughout the morning, said Stella.

“We’re making a little bit of progress, and of course we are restoring customers,” Stella said. “And we’ll pick up some new outages after that so the numbers have gone up and down steadily throughout the morning."

Heavy rains turned into snow by around 3:00 p.m. in Syracuse. But Stella said the snow should not be a problem for the power company.

“The only thing snow really brings for us and our equipment would be wet heavy snow that could weigh down lines or weigh down trees that would come down and hit our lines,” he described. “If its not that kind of snow it doesn’t tend to have a huge affect on our equipment.”

Stella said the company trains its employees well to prepare for those snowfalls, which are common in Upstate New York.

“We prepare for emergencies all year round,” Stella said. “We do drills all year round and we certainty can call in crews from other areas if needed if we do see an influx of outages.”

More bad weather on the way

Wednesday evening provided a different set of weather problems for the county as the National Weather Service issued a flood watch until 1 a.m. Thursday morning. The heavy rain, sleet and snow were the result of a cool front that brought temperatures in the region down from 60 degrees to the low 30s.

On its website, New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) offers these tips to customers out of power:

· Keep flashlights and fresh batteries handy

· Have at least one telephone not dependent on electricity

· Keep non-perishable food and water on hand

· Make sure your cell phone battery is fully charged

· Call your neighbors to see if their power is off; you may have just blown a fuse

Oswego River safety

by: Chet Davis (NCC News)

December 1, 2010 5:30 p.m.

New safety measures will be employed regarding fishing on the Oswego River.

In a meeting discussing angler safety, Oswego Major Randolph Bateman, area official, residents and fisherman discussed the easiest ways to make Oswego River safer. The ideas include:

• Placing signs on the east side of the river to show river levels can rapidly change

• Installing depth poles to provide water levels in the river

• Placing life wings on the west linear park that could be used to save fishermen in trouble

• Installing distance markers to assist with the exact location along the river when in an emergency

The improvements come following the deaths of two fishermen on September 28 on the Oswego River. Leonard Nichols, 45, and Clifford Luther, 52, were swept down river after the water level quickly rose. Both men died soon after the accident.

The Oswego County Department of Community Development, Tourism, & Planning is also getting involved. David Turner, the director of the county planning, said the departments will make pamphlets with safety information for the public.

“I think general education is key to anything you do over there,” Turner said. “If people aren’t informed about it and what it means, it’s not going to be successful.”

Turner believes that even the most experienced hunters or fishermen need to be updated on safety measures. Sometimes the unexpected can happen to anyone.

“Things just happen and no matter what the sport is, I think that constantly reminding folks that there are dangers and you should take precautions, that should go on no matter what,” Turner said.

Turner and his department are willing to partner up with other groups to help spread safety information.

The safety upgrades will be worked on throughout the winter and be in place come spring.

Anaren Inc. gets $20 million contract to build satellite components

by: Lauren Fabrizi (NCC News)
Dec. 1, 2010, 4:19 p.m.

DEWITT, N.Y. - Anaren Inc. received a $20 million contract Tuesday to make components for new communication satellites.

Anaren has been selected by the French company, Thales Alenia Space, to build beam-formers, a type of satellite component. Thales Alenia Space makes satellites for Iridium Communications, and has hired Anaren to aid in the production of 81 new satellites.

John Hoeschele, Anaren's marketing communications and government retail manager, said Anaren has worked with Iridium in the past, and explained why Anaren is the right company for the job.

"In very broad strokes I would say because of experience," Hoeschele said. "Actually we had some content on the earlier version of Iridium, which was deployed in the late '90s, and we've got a lot of experience in that territory."

Hoeschele is glad that Anaren has been given the opportunity to continue working with Iridium.

"The fact that we have a legacy in producing context for the Iridium network," Hoeschele said. "It's just kind of nice to be back on the project for the new version, which is called IridiumNEXT."

The Iridium Constellation is a network of 66 satellites, called LEO satellites, that spin around the earth in a low earth orbit, Hoeschele said. As these satellites rotate, they communicate with one another and also with the ground.

Hoeschele said the Iridium Constellation will provide total global coverage for a number of uses, including:

• cellular phone communication
• data transfer
• weather analysis
• transportation tracking

Anaren will begin production immediately, Hoeschele said.

Galeville Grocery To Close In The Spring

By Gino Zarrillo (NCC News)

December 1, 2010, 2:30 p.m.

SYRACUSE, N.Y.-- After standing for over one hundred and fifty years, the Galeville Grocery in Liverpool will be closing its doors in the spring.

The local landmark was built as the headquarters of the Thomas Gale Salt Company in 1851 and has been in continuous operation as a grocery for the community since 1888. The building will be demolished in the spring to make room for a new Byrne Dairy store.

"Unfortunately, stores like ours are just falling by the wayside," said store manager Marty Campbell. "We actually lasted longer than a lot of other people. We can't compete with the dollar stores."

Campbell also lamented that some of the personal touch will be lost on local shoppers when the store closes.

"Everbody knows everybody by name right now," Campbell said. "When Byrne Dairy comes in, they may not."

Byrne Dairy plans to uphold several community traditions such as sponsoring little league baseball teams next season.

Team 2 Rundown Rationale

by Kit Rodophele (NCC News)
Dec. 1, 2010, 11:55 a.m.



A1: Gino was our anchor and he opened the show with three important headlines.

A2: I put in a reader about the funeral of a local woman who had been slain around the Thanksgiving holiday week. I lead with this story because it was relevent as the woman had been missing for around a week and had been all over the news.

A3: Next, I had another reader on a death following A1. It was about a toddler who was shot in the head and killed after a random gundown of the car he was a passenger in. The reader was about how the gunman had been charged with second degree murder.

A4: Next, Kevin, the recorded reporter, had a great wrap on a local effort to provide underprivileged children with bicycles. The bike giveaway is being organized in time for the holiday season so it is a timely story and a lighter story in the midst of heavier local stories. Kevin got great soundbites. I put a wrap in here to break up the readers for a longer and more personal story for pacing.

A5: Gino did a great anchor actuality on a local grocery store that is closing. The store had been around for over 100 years but will soon be torn down and replaced with a new company and building. It was a quick local story, gino had a greatsound bite. This was good for an anchor actuality because it was shorter and lighter story.

A6: For pacing, I went back to using readers since I put a wrap and anchor-actuality back-to-back. So this reader was about a local dentist who, after a few botched procedures, has been forced to go back to school for retraining and has had her dentistry license suspended. She practiced in Syracuse so it was a relevent and kind of creepy story.

A7: Next reader was about a car crash that killed an older woman on I-81...this reader was in keeping with the kind of morbid theme I unfortunately had throughout my rundown.

A8: Next, to change up pacing, we had Rochelle's live wrap about a vigil tonight for World's AIDS Day. This was nice story...again broke up the morbid theme. Gino, Rochelle, and Kevin....all of there stories we lighter and lifted up the newscast at different point. The worked well as wraps and actualities because of their nature...great soundbites could be collected because the stories were not controversial.

A9: This was a reader: a local man was found dead in woods northwest of Syracuse. Sad story...it was a quick reader.

A10: Last reader before teaser....it was just a quick reference back to Rosa Parks and how today is the anniversary of her refusal to get up from her seat on a bus in 1955, which sparked the boycott of buses by blacks.

A11: The tease was about a new formula to keep ice of roads.

B1: Kicker: New formula using beet juice (a unusual, new and environmentally-friendly method of melting ice off roads this winter). i used it as a kicker because it was just an out of the ordinary formula for an ordinary winter-road problem.

B2: Weather went great. Gino was even able to read some of the weekend weather.

B3: Closing: Gino got us out on time

Team #4 Rundown Rationale Francis ft. Gray

by Marquise Francis(NCC News)
Dec. 1, 2010, 12:39p.m.

Team #4 Rundown Rationale

I, Marquise Francis, was producer for this newscast along with Callan Gray as the anchor. We worked in a duo and I recieved additional help from Tim and Maddy with two reporter wraps. For the most part the newscast focused on mostly local stories and unfortunately had a few stories about death and deficit, two things that are not so positive. Even so, I did my best to have the flow of the newscast go from one story to the next and connect in some way.

A2. Watson Funeral was the lead out of the opening that was a bit lively. The Watson story I felt had to lead because it has been the biggest story of the past few weeks and has had the community on full alert. It was done as a reader to ease into the cast and has a nice mood to it.

A3. The second story also had to do with death as it was another big story that had to do with a car crash. Two cars were involved with elderly individuals losing control of their vehicles. This was another reader that went well because it would work up to more local story after it and still had tragedy connecting fromt he first story.

A4. The third story was a live wrap from Tim that stayed local, but got away from tragedy. Flowed with the second story after a tragedy that probably needed more safety because this story was all about increased safety on the Oswego River. This live wrap broke up the readers and was a different voice from the anchor. The new safety measures of the river had to do with rising waters and such things.

A5. The next story was an anchor actuality that is most recent and still affecting people in the community. Over 500 people in the county have lost power and over 9,000 in the state. This was a great anchor actuality local story done by Callan and stayed as a local story from Oswego River.

A6. The next story was a recorded wrap done with the help of Maddy. It was about the AIDS vigil celebrating AIDS day today celebrating those who have passed away because of the struggle, survived from it and continue to fight. This was an uplift story after all of the sad stories of the newscast. It was well done.

A7. The next story went national with a Presidential Obama panel pushing leaders to make hard choices about the deficit. This was a nice slide into national news and would lead more into the last reader. It was another good story that was not sad. It flowed fromt he aids wrap into more national news.

A8. This was the final reader that flowed lovely from the national deficit story into a final local story that explained how New York State's budget is doing.

A9. This teased into the teaser about Kim Kardashain and AIDS help.

B1. This was a great kicker tying into the AIDS story about Kim Kardashian posing in a coffin and retiring from Twitter for a great cause. This flowed and ended the news portion because it was not sad and actually quite uplifting.

B2. The weather went well and in the newscast we were able to read most of it.

B3. We ended on time and it was a great show.

Z1-2. I had two kickers prepared, but we didn't even need them.

Central New York HIV Care Network to Hold Candlelight Vigil

by Maddie Dockery (NCC News)

Dec. 1, 2010, 11:27 a.m.

SYRACUSE, N.Y.- The Central New York HIV Care Network will hold its final World AIDS Day candlelight vigil tonight, before the network's funding runs out. The vigil will be held at the University United Methodist Church in Syracuse at 5 p.m.

This is the last time the network will be able to hold the vigil, as the state Health Department recently cut all of its funding.

The Vigil

Stephen, Waldron, Coordinator of the Central New York network, says the vigil will be an hour of remembrance for those who have died from AIDS. It will also reach out and provide support to those who are living with the virus now.

"It's something that we have done every World AIDS Day for a number of years to bring together people from the community, as part of a global effort to recognize the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic here and around the world," Waldron said.

The Next Step

The money that would have gone to the Central New York network, and ten other networks like it across the state, will now go toward providing direct care to patients with HIV or AIDS. This will include paying for medications for people who are uninsured.

Waldron says that the network is now looking into different sources of funding.

"We are currently look to see if there's any possibility of finding any alternative funding that would enable us to continue some of our functions," said Waldron. "So far we have not been successful."

If the network cannot find a new source of funds within the next few weeks, it will be forced to close at the end of December.

Click below to listen to the audio version of this story:

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New TLC Show features Rosamond Gifford Zoo

"Housebound: Trapped Inside" airs tonight

By Ethan Kwassman (NCC News)
Dec. 1, 2010, 1:00 pm

SYRACUSE, N.Y.- A new TLC show about agoraphobia that will air at 10 p.m. tonight, features the Rosamond Gifford Zoo.

The final challenge of the TLC program, "Housebound: Trapped Inside" was filmed at the zoo at Burnet Park. Psychiatrist and show host Dr. Keith Ablow helps Syracuse resident Jody Dunham overcome her extreme panic attacks.

Agoraphobia is an abnormal fear of crossing or being in open spaces. According to the TLC website, the episode tonight "reveals the hidden worlds of two women with severe agoraphobia."

Other noteworthy details regarding Syracuse's ties to the episode:

• Cast and crew spent several days in early October filming in Syracuse
• You can tune into TLC's Housebound on Time Warner Cable channel 49 and 139 on FIOS
• The zoo played a role in helping Dunham to overcome her fears
• In this episode, the two women with severe agoraphobia will "confront brutal psychological truths as they stuggle to break free from this devastating mental disorder."

According to Zoo Spokeswoman Lorrell Walter, it wasn't easy to convince Dunham to leave the house.

"They had been working with her for several days. She hadn't been able to leave her house in a couple of months. And they surprised her and said, we're going to go into the zoo," Walter said.

Walter also thinks that the zoo played a role in helping Dunham overcome her fears.

"Her boyfriend enjoyed visiting zoos, but they haven't been able to come to our zoo together because of her illness. That was the goal, to get them together, and it worked," he said.

Listen to my reporter wrap on this story for Newscast #8 below:

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Four Safety Measures To Be Installed On Oswego River

Oswego Mayor Randolph Bateman announced Tuesday night that new safety measures will be put into place on the Oswego River. After several meetings with local fishermen and Oswego officials, Mayor Batement came up with the following plan:

• Install signs along the east side of the Oswego River saying that river levels can rise and fall rapidly
• Place depth poles at various points in the river to visually show the water levels in the river
• Place life rings on the west shore of the Oswego River to be thrown to fishermen in trouble
• Install distance markers along the river to help people calling 911 to identify the exact location of people in trouble.

The safety measures come following the death of two fishermen back in September. The two men were fishing on the Oswego River, when the Varick Hydro-Electric Dam released water, causing the men to be swept away.

Mayor Batemen said that the dam operators, Brookfield Power, will be working with the town to install the new safety measures and will fund most of the project.

David Turner, director of Oswego County Planning, Community Development and Tourism, said publicity about the safety measures is vital for the plan to work.

"Well I think general education is a key to anything you do over there," Turner said. "If people aren't informed about it and what it means, then it's not going to be succesful."

Oswego Officials will be working with local fishermen to identify the key locations to place these safety measures. Turner said that there are several areas that are very popular, where it is highly dangerous because some fishermen relax and forget about dangers on the water.

"Sometimes people get very comfortable out there," Turner said. "Things just happen, but constnatly reminding folks that there are dangers will be a lot safer than what we had before."

The changes will be worked on during the winter, and will be ready for fishing in the spring of 2011.

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Central New York Power Outages

By Andrew Kanell (NCC News)
December 1, 2010, 11:00 a.m.

Almost 14,000 National Grid customers find themselves without power this morning, most of them in Central New York.

National Grid spokesman Patrick Stella says his company is working to fix the problem.

"We do have a full compliment of crews that are engaged in restoring power across the area," Stella said. "And we're assessing whether or not were going to be being in additional crews for the night depending on how long the wins remain steady throughout the day."

High winds are to blame for knocking out the power. Wind gusts are topping over 40 miles per hour in some areas.

According to National Grid, here are the counties in Central New York with the highest outage totals:

- Madison 1,074
- Oneida 1,294
- Herkimer 3,716
- Jefferson 1,236
- Lewis 1,085

Weather Outlook
The heavy winds are expected to continue until at least 1 p.m. The rough weather will continue throughout the day in the form of rain, which will most likely turn into snow tonight. The tempereature will also drop from a morning high in the 60s to the 30s by nightfall. The National Weather Service has given out flood warnings for many parts of the upstate region.

Team 1 Rundown Rationale

By Callan Gray (NCC News)

November 17, 2010 8:00 pm

Headlines:

These headlines were chosen for the newsworthiness of each story. The Syracuse School District budget plans was one of our top stories that has good proximity and discusses many of the influential people in the school system in Syracuse. The story about Honeywell cleaning up the Camillus waterbeds was teased because it is an interesting and informative story as well as very local. The blood pressure story was teased because a significant amount of Americans suffer from high blood pressure, making it relevant to a wide audience.

A2- OCC SU

This story was about a new program making it easier for Onondaga Community College students to transfer to Syracuse University after two years. The story lead the newscast because it is a breaking story and relevant to a good portion of the Syracuse academic community. The program was actually announced at 10 a.m. the morning of our cast, so only about an hour before we went on air. The story was both informative about the new program and similar programs SU has been involved in. This is important for the community to know so that community members can determine how the new action will affect them.

A3- Consumer Prices

Segueing out of the OCC SU story we used a story about the state of inflation in the United States. The original flow was to go from the OCC story to one on the budget deficit in the Syracuse School District and then go into this story. But with that flow I ended up with 3 readers in a row, which would cause me to lose the listener. I therefore put this one above the Syracuse School District story, breaking the flow from education to the economy. Instead the flow because the OCC story and then stories on the economy. This story was a reader about the current state of inflation in America. It is timely since the results were just released and it has relevance because many Central New Yorkers are affected by the poor economy in the state and nation. It also gives listeners an idea of the trend the economy is taking.

A4- School Budget

This story segued out of the Consumer Prices story nicely since it talks about how the poor economy is affecting the Syracuse School District, which has a budget deficit of $50 million dollars. The angle on the story was about how the cause of the deficit is New York State’s financial problems. This story is timely since the report was released Tuesday by Superintendant Lowengard at a day long meeting, if you weren’t at the meeting you wouldn’t have heard of the shortfall yet. It also has good proximity and affects all of the people within the Syracuse School District.

A5- Casino

This story continues the theme of the economy by discussing a plan Governor Paterson has to create jobs and bring hundreds of millions of dollars to the state. While the other stories discussed the problems with the economy, this one offers a solution adding a different perspective to the newscast. The story is about a casino Paterson would like to build that would be run by the Mohican tribe. It is not the most local story, which is why it is further down in the newscast. But it is still relevant to the area because if the casino were built, it would mean more money for the state, which could help Central New Yorkers in the long run. This is also a story that guarantees a follow up over the next few months when a decision is made.

A6- Cigarettes

This story flowed out of the Casino story well because it also has to do with an Indian Nation, the Cayugans. The story was about Cayuga County returning cigarettes it confiscated from the Cayuga Nation. The story is towards the end of the newscast because it broke yesterday but because it broke during the afternoon, it is still timely enough to include in the cast. This story is also timely because of the debates over the last few months about whether or not cigarettes should be sold on Indian reservations. The story is most relevant to smokers and those people who live in the Cayuga Nation. But this could be interesting to the citizens of Cayuga county in the sense that it could cause them to pay more attention to what county officials do.

A7-Honeywell

This story is about Honeywell International cleaning up polluted areas in Geddes and Camillus. This story is relevant because it is timely, since it was just announced; it is relevant because of the environmental impact it will have; and it affects a lot of people since it is taking place over two towns. The story was placed here because it acts as a transition between the Indian reservation stories and the next two stories based on health. It really did not flow with the rest of the class so it acted as a good break to recapture the listeners attention who may have gotten bored with the cast- its an attention grabber.

A8- Four Loko

This story was about how the FDA was making a decision on the health effects of Four Loko. The story was timely because the verdict was being made later the day and it was relevant because in previous casts we had covered the health risks of Four Loko. This story acted as a follow up to those stories. It was also relevant because the drink is so widely used on college campuses and Syracuse has a strong student base. The story was placed at the end of the cast because it is not a breaking story and is more of a public interest story. It also began the health block, which included this story and the next.

A9- Blood Pressure

This story was about a new procedure that would permanently reduce high blood pressure for those people on which medication has no effect. It was a human-interest story that flowed nicely from the Four Loko Health story. Many people throughout the United States suffer from high blood pressure so it was definitely relevant to put in the cast even though it did not have a direct local tie. It was also timely since the results of the trial run of the procedure were released the day of the cast.

Tease- We teased the Empire State Games being cancelled and the weather forecast.

B1- Empire State Games

This story was about the New York State Empire State Games being cancelled. This story was sports related so it worked well as the kicker. It was timely because it the decision to cancel the games was just made. It also affects all of the athletes in the state, including those in Central New York, so it had a wide audience. It would also appeal to the greater community, outside of athletes because the cancellation is a cost saving measure for the state.

Weather

We prepared extra weather with the weekend forecast but that was not read. The rest of the weather was read however and we still got out on time.

End of Show

Floaters

Z1-Hunter

We just had one floater since we only had 29 seconds of back time; I calculated this one 20 second floater would be enough even if we had extra time. The floater was about a hunter from Syracuse who’s body was found after he disappeared. The story was not used in the cast because the body had been found a few days prior. It was still local however and was an ongoing investigation so it was still relevant. Audiences would be interested in this story because of its human interest.

Syracuse school district faces $50 million dollar budget gap

by Kimberly Caruba (NCC News)

Nov. 17, 2010, 7:25 p.m.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Syracuse school district is facing a possible $50 million budget gap for the next school year that could result in eliminating 750 jobs.

Who to blame

Vice President of the Board of Education, Patricia Brady, said that a decrease in state funding is not the only reason for the gap.

"We had an increase of 400 children this year, and the state did not reimburse us for the increase of enrollment," Brady said.

Joining forces

Brady said that they are hoping to form a coalition with the city and county so they can go to the state with the problem. The board is also looking at ways to become more efficient and for other sources of revenue.

"About 80 percent of our budget is positions, so we will be looking at everything," Brady said.

Members of the coalition include:

• Say Yes to Education
• City
• County
• School Board
• Union Representatives
• State and National consultants

The board cut 450 jobs last year to balance this year's budget.

New law to lessen teen tobacco usage

By Rochelle Scott (NCC News)

A new proposition was made to aid in the lessening of tobacco use in teens within the Central New York area. From this law, students found in possession of the narcotic would be written up and the drug confiscated.

Students in the areas surrounding Oneida high school would gather in bundles of up to 20, to smoke tobacco at what is commonly known as "Cancer Corner". It was because of this main area why this proposal was drawn up.

Yet this proposal was met with people claiming that the police force could be doing more for this by taking on bigger companies like the city’s cigarette factory.

Although seen as a positive in the eyes of Oneida mayor, Leo Matzke’s eyes, Oneida Healthcare’s Paula Daher thinks that the force should be tracking down the real threat on society such as those dealing the drugs to children rather than children themselves.

"I think it is absolutely pointless...take on bigger things rather than children who, in spite of their habits, still continue to attend class and aren't dealers in the neighborhood themselves."

The mayor and other people for this proposal believe that this is beneficial to all because:

• Teen and children use prevention will lessen in future years
• It lowers overall health care costs
• Influences other neighborhoods to follow suit

The effects on teens vary but in the long run they acknowledge the fact that tobacco use is unhealthy by fleeing the scene when caught.

The Oneida Common Council will meet today to finalize this proposal.

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Onondaga County residents being encouraged to get flu shots

Flu season has arrived

By Ethan Kwassman (NCC News)

Nov. 17, 2010, 8:00 pm

SYRACUSE, N.Y.- Flu season has arrived in Onondaga County.

Dr. Cynthia Morrow, the county's health commissioner, said some health care providers are reporting that they are starting to see patients with the flu. Morrow says that if people haven't gotten their vaccines, now it's a great time to go out and get vaccinated.

The 2010-2011 version of the vaccine protects against three different flu viruses, including the H1N1 virus. According to the state Health Department, the overall level of flu activity statewide is low.

Other noteworthy details regarding the flu:

• The Onondaga County Health Department has confirmed three cases of influenza
• Public health officials are recommending all people 6 months and older get vaccinated
• Flu vaccinations will be administered at clinics through Tuesday, Nov. 23
• Residents can schedule appointments online or by calling 435-5752

Morrow says that the flu does not usually peak until February or March.

"The flu is showing up a little bit earlier than usual this season," Morrow said.

Health Department Medical Director Quoc Nguyen says that the low flu activity shouldn't be a reason for people not to get vaccinated.

"It just started, so we don't yet. You can only pass judgement when the season is over, you know how many cases you have," Nguyen said.

Nguyen also says that the inclusion of the H1N1 virus is crucial because the swine flu caused so much illness last year.

"We already have the H1N1 swine flu in this year's vaccine. Whether the virus does us a favor, by not mutating too much, we don't know yet," he said.

Listen to my reporter wrap on this story for Newscast #7 below:

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SU And OCC Announce New Transfer Agreement

By Gino Zarrillo (NCC News)

November 17, 2010, 7:10 p.m.

SYRACUSE, N.Y.-- Syracuse University and Onondaga Community College announced a new agreement today that will make transfer to SU easier for OCC students.

The new agreement will guarantee OCC students with good grades admission to SU for their junior year, according to the Post-Standard. In their freshman year, prospective transfers will also be given an estimate of what their financial aid package will look like at SU. Syracuse University has also reached a similar agreement with Georgia Perimeter College in Atlanta.

"The students are always looking for a four-year degree," said Nina Hudson, admissions office representative at GPC. "They're looking to see how they can earn their bachelor's degree. So by these schools coming together with Georgia Perimeter College, I think there's going to be a big impact for the students as well as for the college."

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Team 2 Rundown Rationale

by Maddie Dockery (NCC News)

November 17, 2010, 5:00 p.m.

Team 2 consisted of Kit Rodophele as the anchor, Gino Zarrillo as the live reporter, and Rochelle Scott as the recorded reporter.

A2: SCSD Budget Deficit

I decided to lead off with Kit’s anchor actuality about the Syracuse City School District’s $50 million budget deficit because it was an important story about a local school district. Kit got a great soundbite from Dick Strong, the President of the School Board. I think a lot of people would be interested in this story, especially if they have children who go to school in the SCSD.

A3: SU Transfers

We followed Kit’s anchor actuality with another school-related story, this one a wrap by Gino. This story was about a new agreement between Syracuse University and Onondaga Community College, which will guarantee admission to OCC students who maintain good grades for two years. SU also reached a similar agreement with Georgia Perimeter College in Atlanta. I thought this story would appeal to a lot of people in the area, as it deals with both education and money.

A4: Laundry Money

Our next story was a local reader about a Syracuse man who stole $176,000 from his job over a time period of 17 years. The man was an accountant for the Syracuse Housing Authority and he stole the money from laundry machine tokens. I thought this story flowed nicely out of A3 because it still involved Syracuse, and it was also about money.

A5: Oneida Tobacco

Next we had a wrap from Rochelle about a new law that would forbid minors from possessing tobacco. The law was proposed by the City of Oneida, which is not far from Syracuse, and would likely interest many people here. This story kept with the law/crime theme that was also present in A4.

A6: Four Loko

I decided to follow that story with a reader about Four Loko, because it also involves a ban. As a class, we have been following Four Loko in the news for a few weeks now, so I thought it was appropriate to include it in the newscast again. This particular story was about Senator Charles Schumer’s announcement that caffeinated alcoholic drinks will likely be banned as soon as this week. This story would be of high importance to many college students, among who the drink is very popular.

A7: Rangel Guilty

Next we stuck with the law/government theme with an anchor actuality from Kit. The story was about New York Congressman Charles Rangel, who was found guilty of 11 out of 13 ethics violations. Kit got a soundbite off of ABC Newscall from one of the representatives on the ethics subcommittee. This was more of a statewide story, which transitioned well into the rest of the A block.

A8: Catskill Casino

The next reader stayed with the government theme. The story was about an announcement from Governor David Paterson, saying that he is working to reach an agreement to approve construction of a casino in the Catskills. This story also mentioned the effect the casino would have on the state’s economy, which is important to a lot of people.

A9: Economy

We followed that story with a reader that gave perspective on the national economy. The Commerce Department says that the construction of new homes and apartments fell sharply last month. It was the housing industry’s poorest showing since April 2009. I thought this flowed really nicely out of A8 because it stuck with the economic theme, while giving more of a national viewpoint.

A10: Empire State Games

Our final story of the A block was a reader about the cancellation of the 2011 Empire State Games. The Games were canceled because of New York State’s $9 billion budget gap. Like the last few leading up to it, this story was also about the economy. I also thought that by putting this story last, it made the A block come full circle, as it started and ended with stories about budget gaps. We ended up dropping this story because we were running short on time.

Kicker: Royal Wedding

The kicker was about Prince William’s engagement to his longtime girlfriend Kate Middleton. I thought it was important to include this story because so many people are enthralled by the royal family, especially since Princess Diana’s death. The story was heartwarming because Prince William gave his fiancé his late mother’s engagement ring.

B2: Weather

Kit read all of the weather, including the weekend forecast. She ended the newscast right on time.

Floater 1: Canal Traffic

The first floater was about an increase in traffic on the New York State canal system. This story was interesting because traffic along the waterways has increased, despite a decrease in commercial traffic. We did not end up using this floater.

Floater 2: Cafeteria Manager

The second floater was about a former cafeteria manager for a school in Buffalo, who admitted to stealing $40,000 from the school over a 6 year span. This story was very similar to A4. I thought it would have worked well with the rest of the rundown because it is about crime and money. We did not end up using this floater either.

Honeywood to spend millions on cleanup

by: Chet Davis (NCC News)
November 17, 2010 6:30 p.m.

Honeywell International has agreed with the state to cap its waste beds in Geddes and Camillus for safer recreational use.

The agreement will force Honeywell to reach deep into its pockets, possibly millions of dollars. Ironically, the company isn’t even responsible for the polluted area. AlliedSignal Corp. dumped chemical products into waste bends from the byproduct of soda ash for at least 40 years. In 1999, the two companies merged.

According to Diane Carleton, Public Affairs Director of the Department of Environmental Conservation, said the land doesn’t pose a health risk.

“It isn’t really a danger to people, but it’s more of a danger to the environment,” Carleton said. “We want to clean the whole area up because those are chemicals that were contaminated and they need to be removed.”

In addition, the company will spend more than $2 million on other improvement projects including:

• Building a boat launch along the southwest shore of Onondaga Lake ($250,000)

• Paying for future lake water study of phosphorus and oxygen levels ($150,00)

• Paying Onondaga Soil and Water Conservation for an employee to oversee stormwater management of the Onondaga Lake watershed ($100,000 per year for three years)

• Helping find a solution to reduce or eliminate mudboils in southern part of Onondaga Creek Valley ($250,000 a year for five years)

• Allowing fishing for at least five years on its property on Nine Mile Creek and Tully Farms Road. May also need to construct public parking and trails to fishing areas

Carleton said the project will take about 10 years to complete.

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