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Authorities with the Finger Lakes Drug Task Force arrested more than a dozen people on conspiracy charges stemming from what they are calling the biggest drug bust in Cayuga County in the last 10 years.

Authorities from multiple law enforcement agencies on Monday arrested people who authorities said were involved in a drug selling ring in most of central New York but that also stretched as far as California. The arrests stem from an investigation into Auburn drug sales that started in April 2021, according to a task force press release issued through the Auburn Police Department.

Police said the leaders of the ring were Auburn residents Nicholas Neville and Merritt Fletcher IV, who they said are members of the gang Gorilla Stone Nation, which is unit of the Bloods.

"During the investigation it was found that Neville and Fletcher were being resupplied with cocaine from New York City and City of Rochester," the task force said in a press release. "It was also found that the drug organization was also being supplied with pressed blue fentanyl pills and methamphetamine from California."

Fletcher, 31, of 6 Steel St., Auburn, was charged July 1 with third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Neville, 32, of 61 Cayuga St., Auburn, was charged July 5 with the same counts.

Those arrests followed the execution of multiple search warrants in January and April 2022 in Auburn, Cortland, Syracuse and Bakersfield, California.

Items seized in a search conducted in January.

In January, authorities said they recovered approximately 2.6 kilos of cocaine, 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine, over a pound of pressed blue fentanyl blues (approximately 7,000 pills), two defaced handguns, over $20,000 in cash, $15,000 in jewelry, a kilo hydraulic press and multiple cutting agents in searches conducted in Auburn and Cortland.

A search of a Syracuse storage locker in April 2022 found approximately 70,000 pressed blue fentanyl pills. On the same day in Bakersfield, California, a search by federal drug enforcement officers recovered 103,000 pressed blue fentanyl pills, 133 grams of fentanyl, 30 grams of cocaine, 17 firearms and $33,000.

Items seized in an April search by DEA agents in Bakersfield, California.

The task force said 13 people were arrested on Monday and charged with second-degree conspiracy. Those arrests required the work of the Cayuga County District Attorney's Office to prepare a grand jury indictment, which took time due "new bail reform and discovery laws along with the magnitude of the case," the task force said.

The names of the defendants charged with conspiracy on Monday are as follows:

Another defendant, Caitlyn E. Jacobs, was arrested on June 29 and charged with criminal possession of a firearm and first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

Agencies and units within those agencies that were involved in searches and arrests included the Finger Lakes Drug Task Force, Auburn Police Department, Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police, Cayuga County District Attorney’s Office, Auburn Police Emergency Response Team, Cayuga County Sheriff ERT, New York State Police SWAT, New York State Police Violent Gang Narcotic Enforcement Team from C, D, and E Troops, Cayuga County Sheriff’s K-9 Unit, New York State Police K-9 Units and US Army National Guard Counter Drug.

A motorcyclist died Wednesday after being injured in a collision with a delivery van in Aurelius.

The Cayuga County Sheriff's Office said that a 2007 Honda motorcycle was being ridden northbound on Fuller Road at about 1:13 p.m. when it collided with a van that was turning into a driveway.

The operator of the motorcycle was transported to Auburn Community Hospital by ambulance and later succumbed to their injuries.

Police said the driver of the van was the only person in the vehicle and was not injured.

The names of those involved were not being released Wednesday afternoon, police said, due to ongoing notifications to family members.

The investigation was still ongoing Wednesday and the sheriff’s office asks that anyone with information regarding the crash contact its Criminal Investigations Division at (315) 253-1610.

The sheriff’s office reported that it was assisted by the New York State Police, Cayuga County E-911, Aurelius Fire Department, AMR Ambulance, the Cayuga Fire Department and the Cayuga County Coroner’s Office.

A proposal to create a parking lot in a historically significant area of Auburn has been withdrawn from the city's planning board.

Stephen Selvek, the city's deputy director of planning and development, told The Citizen that the proposal to create a lot for customers of O'Toole's Tavern at 116-118 Osborne St. has been withdrawn by the bar's owner, John "Jack" Voorhees. When reached for comment on Thursday by The Citizen, Voorhees hung up. His attorney, Sam Giacona, also declined comment to The Citizen.

Giacona presented the proposal to the city's zoning board of appeals in December. After obtaining a variance there, the proposal was reviewed by the city's planning board in March. The 22-space lot was supposed to address complaints about the behavior of the bar's patrons by neighbors, particularly James Udall, of 106 Osborne St., who lives next to the bar's current four-space lot.

"Containing all of this in a larger space is a good idea," Udall told the zoning board. "It would get a lot of cars off of Osborne Street."

Voorhees owns 116 Osborne St., according to Cayuga County property records. Giacona told the zoning board his client had an agreement in place to purchase 118 from its owner, Patricia Cameron, pending the parking lot's approval. There is one building on the property, a dilapidated gas station, but otherwise it is vacant. Trees would have been planted between the lot and the street.

However, the planning board tabled the proposal due to the history of the property. As noted at the March meeting by resident Leroy Leubner, the property belongs to a segment of Osborne Street running along the Owasco River that was once known as New Guinea, a settlement of free Black men and women founded by Harry and Kate Freeman in the early 19th century. 

Leubner asked the board to request a historical review of the property by the state Historic Preservation Office. Selvek responded that because the property does not meet the state's criteria for archaeological sensitivity, a review would not be necessary for the board to approve the proposal. But Voorhees agreed, and the state office confirmed to The Citizen it was contacted March 21.

A representative of the office said it recommended to Voorhees that he commission a Phase IA Literature Search and Sensitivity Assessment, and if that finds areas of "no or minimal ground disturbance," then Phase IB archaeological testing. Days before the board's April 5 meeting, Selvek told the board the proposal would remain tabled as Voorhees awaited the results of the review.

The proposal appeared once more on the May agenda, still tabled, but did not appear on the agenda for June.

Little is known about New Guinea.

COVID-19 forced The Rev Theatre Company to postpone "State Fair" for two years, and now, the pandemic has forced the Auburn company to cancel the remainder of the production.

Positive tests among the cast initially led The Rev to cancel its Monday and Tuesday performances of the musical at the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse in Owasco. But when the company's COVID-19 backup plans failed to stop the spread, Producing Artistic Director Brett Smock decided to cancel all eight remaining shows through Tuesday, Sept. 6, he said in a letter to patrons on Wednesday.

The musical, originally planned for 2020 until the pandemic forced that season's cancellation, opened Aug. 17.

"Trust me — this was very much a last option," Smock wrote. "Making a choice to push forward with the show means sacrificing something else — and that's not how we work — it's not in line with my ethics as an arts leader and it's not in line with The Rev's priorities or governance. Theatre is only possible with people — healthy people. We must prioritize them first — and the show second."

Smock said the company's box office team will be in touch with the thousands of ticket-holders affected by the cancellation.

The company's next show, "Ain't Misbehavin': The Fats Waller Musical," will proceed as planned Wednesday, Sept. 21, through Tuesday, Oct. 11, at the playhouse.

There are many prize lines and lyrics in Rodgers and Hammerstein's "State Fair."

"We will miss our 'State Fair.' For those of you (who) were not able to see it, we are sorry. It was a beautiful production centered around family, young love, and chasing your dreams. Its characters navigate what life brings and figure out how to adjust. We are taking a lesson and following suit," Smock wrote.

"For those of you who were able to see it, thank you for supporting live theatre. We need you now as much as we did in 2020 — perhaps more."

The company performs in The Rev Theatre Company's production of "State Fair."

Kim Sava is Emily Arden and Jackson Goad is Wayne Frake in The Rev Theatre Company's production of "State Fair."

Crissy Guerrero is Melissa Frake and Martín Sola is Abel Frake in The Rev Theatre Company's production of "State Fair."

J Savage is Pat Gilbert and Anne Wechsler is Margy Frake in The Rev Theatre Company's production of "State Fair."

The company dances in The Rev Theatre Company's production of "State Fair."

Two downtown Auburn art projects were approved to move forward Tuesday, including a sculpture of local cultural significance.

At its Tuesday meeting, the Auburn Public Arts Commission unanimously voted to approve "Sky Woman," a sculpture that will be installed in the circular grass median at the corner of William and Lincoln streets, next to the downtown parking garage. The bronze, life-sized sculpture was designed by Audrey Iwanicki, of Auburn, who also created the "Wheel to Reel" sculpture nearby on Exchange Street.

The sculpture takes its name from the Haudenosaunee creation story. The pregnant Sky Woman is dropped through a hole in the clouds, and as she falls, swans catch her. They guide her to the back of a great turtle, where animals have patted mud. The mud would become North America, and the twins the Sky Woman birthed there would become light and darkness, whose eternal battle defined creation.

Jesse Kline, the project's creative consultant and assistant director of the Auburn Downtown Business Improvement District, told The Citizen the sculpture will be one of the first pieces of public art in the city to honor its Native American history. She also believes "Sky Woman" will improve that corner, which was redesigned when the New York State Equal Rights Heritage Center was built there in 2019. 

"This is going to be a monumental change for that corner. It's going to be gorgeous," she said. "That circle is crying for a sculpture."

"Sky Woman" will hold concentric rings colored orange (the sun), green (the earth) and blue (the sky), and they will turn in the wind like a gyroscope. She will also stand atop and be surrounded by boulders that Kline said were sourced from the city's landfill, including one that will have an informational plaque. The blue parking sign above her will be removed so as not to clash aesthetically.

The sculpture will cost $68,750, all of which will come from the $285,000 public art portion of the city's $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant. Iwanicki designed and partially fabricated the sculpture more than a decade ago with funding from the Stardust Foundation. It was planned for the front of the Edward T. Boyle Center, but the city's winter crow population made that unfeasible.

On the corner of William and Lincoln streets, Kline said, "Sky Woman" will be part of an emerging sculpture trail in downtown Auburn. Along with "Wheel to Reel" the trail also includes the Harriet Tubman sculpture in front of the heritage center, and next year it will add Iwanicki's "Harriet Tubman: Life Cycle of a Freedom Fighter" bicycle series in Freedom Park at the corner of Dill and North streets.

In 2024, another project approved Tuesday by the Auburn Public Arts Commission should come to fruition.

The city and BID are working with landscape architect Sue Steele to install new public art at the corner of Genesee and South streets, near Genesee Center, and the commission unanimously approved the issuing of a call for qualifications from artists. Three finalists will be selected to submit proposals, for which they will receive $600 stipends. The proposals will be available for the public to review.

Kline said the height of the art will probably have to be limited due to the signs and lampposts in the vicinity. The low mosaic walls at the corner may come down as well, as there is only 11 feet of space between them. Otherwise, the particulars of the project are up to the artist. The city has no requirements except that it be locally significant, represent a variety of styles and be publicly accessible.

"We decided in the end that staying away from a specific theme was the best way to ensure we're not going to pigeonhole who applies," Kline said. "We're keeping it open-ended."

Work has begun on 99 Genesee St., owned by Dawn and Marc Schulz of Prison City Brewing. The upper three floors are being gutted and renovated into four apartments. The bottom floor, where Rudolph's Ice Cream opened in October, will receive window, entrance and flooring upgrades. The shop will reopen May 3, and Dawn Schulz said the building's renovation should be completed by late July. Share of grant: $173,000.

Work on the vacant building at 22 E. Genesee St. will probably not begin until later this year, said Joseph Bartolotta of owner R&M Real Estate. The developer is waiting to finish some other projects that have been delayed by the pandemic, he continued. When it does begin, the project will renovate the building into retail space on the ground floor and residential space on the second. Share of grant: $625,000.

The future home of Nick's Ride 4 Friends at 13 Chapel St. is about 70% of the way through its $1.3 million renovation, board of directors President Matt Chalanick said. He hopes the recovery organization can begin moving in there on June 12, the birthday of its namesake, Nick Campagnola. Chalanick hopes the move will be complete by the end of July. Then, at its new home, Nick's Ride will serve as a one-stop shop of services for people in recovery from substance abuse and addiction, from detox and medical assistance to support groups and employment resources. Share of grant: $940,000.

Auburn Public Theater will go out to bid in about two weeks for the renovation of its basement, which is the second phase of a $1.9 million expansion that saw the theater open Café 108 last summer. Once completed, the 13,000-square-foot basement will be able to host shows in a new black box theater and events like weddings in a new multipurpose space. The area will also be the site of a new Auburn music hall of fame showcasing the area's musical history in a manner similar to the Hard Rock Café. Carey Eidel, the theater's Executive Director, told The Citizen it hopes to complete the project by the end of the year. Share of grant: $700,000.

Final plans are being made to renovate Health Central on Garden Street and begin providing behavioral health services there, said Tom Minicucci, a managing partner of the health care facility. The project has been delayed by COVID-19, he continued, specifically the market uncertainty, construction delays, material price increases and work environment concerns it has caused. Still, Minicucci expects the project to be completed by the end of the year. Share of grant: $385,000.

The Auburn Downtown Business Improvement District's project to increase the amount of public art in the area has been delayed "greatly" by COVID-19, said Jesse Kline, the district's assistant director. But she hopes to finalize the contract with the state soon and secure a bridge loan from a local bank so the project can begin. It will consist of six public art installations:

Kline said she hopes to complete the projects by July 31, 2025. Share of grant: $285,000.

The Seward House Museum is moving forward with its plans to renovate the barn and carriage house behind the historic residence. An archaeology report is being reviewed by the museum and architects, Executive Director Billye Chabot said, before the report is sent to the state for approval. The $1,232,000 project, which will take about two and a half years, will convert the barn into a multipurpose room and the carriage house into both office space and a new home for the carriage used by former property resident William H. Seward when he was secretary of state to President Abraham Lincoln. Share of grant: $864,000.

The project to unify the neighboring Schweinfurth Art Center with the Cayuga Museum of History & Art as a single West End Arts Campus is regaining momentum after losing a year to COVID-19, said Kirsten Wise, the museum's executive director. The first part of an environmental review has been completed. But the discovery of evidence of a possible fuel tank on the property necessitated more testing in early April, delaying the project further. The results of that testing are pending, Wise said. When the campus is completed, it will connect the two institutions with accessible walkways, landscaping, signage and other improvements, making the area even more of a destination for arts and culture in Auburn and a western gateway to the city. Share of grant: $1.9 million.

Work is underway on Willard Memorial Chapel, the only complete and unaltered Louis Comfort Tiffany chapel in the world. Its project consists of restoring decorative elements on the chapel's chandeliers and upgrading the electronics so that the lighting levels can be more easily controlled. Kathy Walker, executive director of the Community Preservation Committee that stewards the chapel, said the improvements will allow the chandeliers to match the hues of the gas lighting the chapel used when it was completed in 1894, and provide better lighting for weddings and concerts. Meanwhile, the committee is working with the city of Auburn to coordinate landscaping between the chapel and the new public safety building nearby. That's part of a broader landscaping project, also funded by the grant, that will include new plantings, driveway and parking lot relocation, and fencing. Share of grant: $267,000.

Though most of Auburn's Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant is spoken for, $600,000 was set aside for future projects. The Small Project Grant Fund is available to businesses and organizations in the city seeking to renovate spaces, purchase equipment and more. Five projects were awarded in the first round of funding earlier this year, Verrier said, and applications for the second round will be due in June at cayugaeda.org/drigrantfund. The first five projects are: 

The Cayuga Culinary Institute at the Plaza of the Arts, scheduled to open soon, will give Cayuga Community College students a place to sharpen their skills in the kitchen. The $1.25 million facility includes training areas and a demonstration kitchen, and public classes are also possible. The institute is located in the plaza space previously occupied by Patty Shack, The Counter and other restaurants, and like them, the college is leasing the space from building owner Soules & Dunn Development Group. Its opening has been pushed back a few times by construction delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Share of grant: $800,000.

Perhaps the most visible Downtown Revitalization Initiative project is the new public safety building being raised at 31 Seminary St. Once finished in the fall, the building will serve as the new home of the Auburn Fire Department and potentially some Cayuga County emergency services. It replaces Save-A-Lot, which closed along with other locations in the grocery chain in March 2020, and some vacant commercial space. The project has a total budget of $10 million and is funded by the city of Auburn and a state Department of Environmental Conservation grant in addition to the revitalization grant. Share of grant: $1 million.

Almost a decade after becoming what's colloquially known in downtown Auburn as "the hole in the ground," 1-7 State St. will be developed this year. The former site of department store Kalet's, where efforts to build a theater were thwarted by legal challenges, will instead become a plaza. Work on the $1.4 million project began in April and is scheduled to conclude in November. The plaza, which will feature a mix of landscaping and hardscaping, will serve as a public space and site of events. The property is owned by the city of Auburn. Share of grant: $1 million.

Read through the obituaries published in The Citizen

Read through the obituaries published in The Citizen

Read through the obituaries published in The Citizen

Read through the obituaries published in The Citizen

Read through the obituaries published in The Citizen

Cayuga County addiction recovery support groups Nick's Ride 4 Friends, Heroin Epidemic Action League, and Confidential Help for Alcohol & …

Read through the obituaries published in The Citizen

The Citizen's top 10 most-read stories of the week. 

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