From the Newsroom : Christie Casciano

School Zone Speeders

Christie Casciano — Thu, 29 May 2008 16:44:00 GMT

For months now, Streets of Speed has been identifying areas where drivers need more training. Sadly, we're getting repeat calls to check out speeding problems in our school zones. Parents who have been complaining about fast cars on Court Street in front of Lyncourt Elementary School have good reason to worry. It's a clearly marked 20 mile an hour school zone. There are even flashing lights to alert drivers during school hours.

Less than five minutes after photographer Jim Kearns and I settled ourselves into a well-marked and very visible sheriff's patrol car, Deputy Michael Quigley's radar started picking up some fast speeds. Speeder one zapped! 38 in a 20. A few minutes later another driver was caught going 16 miles per hour over the posted 20. Think that's bad? It only got worse. Deputy Quigley asked the driver to produce a license. She couldn't. She was driving with a suspended one and get this....she was in a hurry to make it to court to answer to charges of driving with a suspended license! She was arrested and slapped with another AUO charge. In the past week, Deputy Quigley has written more than 25 tickets in that school zone and has heard all the excuses in the book when a driver gets pulled over. We all hope drivers who speed in school zones get the message because the price they pay could be more than a speeding ticket.

Also, I just wanted update those of you who called me on the crosswalk problem in front of Long Branch Elementary School. We've made some progress. The County Highway Department checked out the spot and agreed with those of you concerned about poor crosswalk markings. New signs went up over the weekend. An order for material to spruce up the crosswalk has been placed. Creating a more visible and safer crosswalk for the kids may happen as soon as this week. Baby steps, but steps, in the right direction.

Let's Go Crunch!

Christie Casciano — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:03:00 GMT

Hey hockey fans, how excited are we? There's no team hotter than the Syracuse Crunch right now. No team has been hotter all year! What a game last night. ( I especially love the music Tony) Now that the Crunch have won 9 games in a row, the team has set a franchise record for consecutive wins and is streaking into the playoffs. I think the team is only going to improve with the return of players like McKenzie, Smith, and of course the captain... Zenon Konopka! Who have you loved to watch this season ? How long do you think this streak will continue? Let's hope they maintain the hunger!

DNA Tracking through Family Going too Far?

shaunganley — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 19:23:00 GMT

Posted by Christie Casciano - We've all seen crime shows and we've seen how DNA has become an important part in solving crimes.

When found at a crime scene, DNA is run through a database looking for a perfect match. Sometimes the search yields a partial match. The DNA is so similar that it could be a brother, sister, mother or father.

Technology exists to yield those near matches, but Onondaga County District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick says the law won't allow it to be used as an investigative tool.

Fitzpatrick would like the law changed. What do you think?

On the Lookout

Christie Casciano — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 16:22:00 GMT

We have now hit 33 Fugitive/Caught on tape arrests. But we haven't caught them all. I just checked with the FBI again this morning and there are still no leads on the serial bank robber who struck six times in the past six months in Central New York. Four of the armed heists were in Utica, one was in Rome and the last one happened at the HSBC bank in Syracuse. There's a lot of concern in the law enforcement community about this guy because of the way he threatened people with a semi-automatic pistol at the last bank robbery in Syracuse. That's why there's a 25-thousand dollar reward being offered. No calls yet! Spread the word and ask folks to check out the photo of the look-a-like getaway car he used. It's a newer model four door Hyundai, possibly an Elantra, gold in color and was last observed heading north on North State Street on February 28th. You'll find the story and photos in our "On the Lookout" section. To get there, just click on The Morning news link on the left side of the home page.

You'll find other cases there too, like the one we just posted with surveillance video of a man and a woman at the Wal-Mart store on Brewerton Road. They're accused of using fake American Express gift checks to buy more than $1400 in merchandise. Cicero police think they could try to pull off the same scam at other retail stores so you're help is really needed on this case too. You'll also find a FEW of our other unsolved cases in Central New York. DeWitt police shared surveillance video of a cellphone thief at a gas station who they still haven't identified and one of the fugitives we most recently profiled is still on the run (Juan Cid). Thanks to viewers like you the solved cases outnumber the unsolved cases. Yeah! It feels good.

Are you Wiped out at Work?

Christie Casciano — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 16:09:00 GMT

Getting enough quality sleep is something most of us on The Morning News struggle with constantly. That's not a surprise given our odd hours. It was interesting to report this morning on how we're apparently not alone in our struggle with getting enough shuteye. A survey released by the National Sleep Foundation finds people average a little more than six and a-half hours a night on weekdays. About a third say they've become very sleepy or have even fallen asleep at work. So how tired are you at work and what's your secret to a good night's sleep? I could use some help!

Did you pick a favorite DWTS celeb yet?

Christie Casciano — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 18:11:00 GMT

Did you catch the celebrity lineup for next month's " Dancing with the Stars " competition? Once again it's a mixture of celebs, professional athletes and some odd surprises. There are no major superstars though. The 12 celebrities are :

Telenovela star Cristian de la Fuente
R&B singer Mario
Magician Penn Gillette
Actor Steve Guttenberg
Olympic Gold Medal Figure Skater Kristi Yamaguchi
Former tennis pro Monica Seles
NFL Player Jason Taylor
Actress Shannon Elizabeth
Radio/TV personality Adam Carolla
Actress Marissa Jaret Winokur
Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin
Actress Priscilla Presley

I could take or leave Priscilla Presley. I admire Oscar-winner and 42- year old hearing-impaired actress Marlee Matlin. She says she's more nervous about dancing in heels than dancing deaf. I think figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi will do well. She's graceful, spirited and very competitive. She'll be fun to watch. The last time a woman won was Kelly Monaca, back in season one. The show begins Monday March 17th right here on NewsChannel 9. Who do you think are the favorites to win?

A side note to the big TV competition. My co-anchor Michael Riecke and I will be keenly watching this season. We've both signed up for the Local Dancing with the Stars Competition. It's a fundraiser to save the grand George and Rebecca Barnes home on James Street that is so rich in history. We'll take the Hotel Syracuse Dance Floor on April 18th. We've been training for about six weeks now and my talented colleague has already mastered triple ball steps, lifts and complicated swings steps! That's okay. Slow...and steady right? I have much to learn and I am truly aching from neck to toe. My toes really aren't very pretty right now. For my first lesson, I showed up in my Converse sneakers. My young instructor shook his head and said...well, I guess we've got some work to do. He informed me that sneakers weren't going to cut it if I was serious about winning this competition. So, I'm practicing each week in heels. UGH! I'll address this one to all the women reading this, Do you know how, at the end of a wedding reception, your feet burn and you can't stand it anymore? Now you understand my pain!! But, I'm determined! To be continued....

Playoff Time for Hockey Moms

Christie Casciano — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 15:10:00 GMT

Posted by Christie Casciano - It's Pre-sectional (hopefully sectional), mite festivals and tournament time. As our long season quickly draws to a close, I wanted to share an article with all the other hockey moms to help keep us all motivated as we near the end. It was written by a dear friend and veteran hockey mom, who promptly put it on my desk the day she learned my son had laced up and vowed to never skate without a stick in his hand. I placed it in my top desk drawer six years ago and it's been there ever since. Here are some excerpts. Enjoy!

"The hockey mom is truly a model of unacclaimed virtue, a paragon of womanhood tested beyond all limits. She is someone who shivers at 4,015 rink sides from Elmira to Ottawa, from Niagara to New Jersey, and who drives through four-hour blizzards for a one-hour game. She buys $200 ice skates instead of furniture, lives six months in long underwear with skate guards in her pockets. She sifts through the moldy mysteries of a hockey bag, dripping over hockey pucks in drape folds or tries to maneuver past hundreds of splintered hockey sticks, too good to be thrown out, in the upstairs closet. She lugs the hockey bags on her shoulders when her child is a tyke, bakes cookies for the locker room when he's a squirt and billets young Canadian teenagers when he's a bantam.

There are no holidays or time-outs for a hockey mom. The day after Christmas is always spent on the road to a tournament. It's almost Easter before the season ends. That means six months of car breakdowns in Massena and whiteouts in Pulaski and Oswego. Hockey moms don't flinch when they hear that five more games have been added to the schedule, though. They just postpone their cleaning and cooking for one more month. The hockey mom endures and pays the price as long as the ice is available. Somehow the 12-and 13-year-olds who cuddle their hockey sticks in the night make it all worthwhile.
By Nancy Duffy

Cigarette Sales at Wegmans

Christie Casciano — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 15:12:00 GMT

Posted by Christie Casciano - Have you seen the story on the front page of our home page yet? If you've got a nicotine craving, starting February 10th, you won't be able to head to Wegmans to satisfy it.

The supermarket chain has announced it will stop selling tobacco products and cites health concerns as the main reason.

So, what do you think of this bold move? Do you think taking a line like this is risky business? Let's have a discussion.

Cell phone Versus Landline

Christie Casciano — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 18:10:00 GMT

We had a great debate during The Morning News Show this week on using a cell phone as a main phone in our homes. Some of my colleagues have given up their landlines and argue it's been much better for their budgets. I can't do it! I can't pull the plug. I like the security a landline gives me. I don't have to worry about charging batteries. I know I won't misplace my wall phones as I do with my cell phone. How about you?

Help! What's the going rate for the tooth fairy?

Christie Casciano — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 15:33:00 GMT

My six year old is about to lose her first tooth. When I was a kid, I think I got a quarter..maybe. I’m thinking a dollar under the pillow is rather generous. Let me rephrase that. I thought a dollar under the pillow was generous until my daughter mentioned what her other little friends got. 10 dollars? $15.00? A new race car? What? When did that happen?! I’m going to resist and my tooth fairy is sticking with a dollar. Okay, maybe two since it is her first tooth. So, what are you leaving under your kids' pillows?

Pick a Pinata

Christie Casciano — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 15:59:00 GMT

Between the morning television newscasts, I enjoy being a part of the a.m. radio show with Ron and Becky on B104.7. The informal telephone survey is one of my favorite parts of their show. Some of the responses from their loyal fans are outrageous! We had a lot of fun with this morning's question and I'm curious to see how our TV and web viewers are going to react to this one. Becky recently saw a story on Bin Laden piñatas that are now for sale. That got her thinking. Wouldn't it be fun to create your own Piñata? Several women called in with images of their "ex's" swirling in their heads. So I'm throwing the question out to all of you. If you could pick a piñata, who would you like to swing a bat at?

Caught on Tape. Caught by You!

Christie Casciano — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 16:58:00 GMT

Posted by Christie Casciano - Every day surveillance cameras roll on criminals in the checkout line and catch them ripping people off. Many times, police are able to quickly identify the suspects and solve these cases without any help. But a recent unsolved "caught on tape" case really bothered Cicero Police Investigator Leslie Herrick. She didn't want to let this case go another day. She gave me a call, convinced our viewers could help. It was the first she had seen a guy caught on tape who had sunk to a new low.

She shared the surveillance video showing the suspect in a grocery store checkout line with a baby in his arms. The victim, an older woman, was seen turning around and playfully reaching out to the baby. When she left the store, the victim left her wallet behind on top of the grocery cart. The surveillance video shows the suspect using the baby as a shield to slip out of the store with the wallet filled with money and credit cards.

After we aired the surveillance tape, Cicero Police received a number of phone calls from viewers who recognized the man and one viewer even provided investigators with an address. When the man in question answered his front door, he told investigators he was feeling guilty and was just about to turn himself in. Cicero police say they were glad to save him the trip and asked me to pass along their thanks to NewsChannel 9 viewers who solved another one!

"Fun"draising with your kids

Christie Casciano — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 14:03:00 GMT

    We were so thrilled when my son landed a spot on the hockey travel team. This is all new to me and I'm gradually learning the ropes as a travel hockey mom. I figured a travel team meant a little more traveling, a few more games, but little did I know how many more dollars! The blow was softened when the coaches explained parents would not have to shoulder all of the extra costs for travel and tournaments. But then, just as I had feared, they said it. They said the dreaded "F" word. Fundraising. Ugh! Not again! At this point in my life (two kids in Catholic schools who've played other organized league sports) I have had my fill of fundraising. I think I'm suffering from battered fundraising syndrome. There are times when friends have pointed at me and warned others to look out, hide their money because Willy Wonka's coming! Chocolate bars, Christmas wreaths, candles, cookie dough, pies, jewelry, 50/50, Ipod raffle tickets, I've hawked it all. Being the travel team newcomer and because this meant so much to my son, I dared not complain. So I managed a pleasant smile as the team decided to go the bottle and can drive route, as our first effort. Fortunately, we did not have to go dumpster diving (I've done that too!)

     As we hit our team neighborhoods, all of us parents watched in amazement as our young hockey players tackled this task with great enthusiasm. They worked out strategies and set goals, just as we would soon see them do on the ice. By the end of our drive, we were all exhausted, smelly and sticky. But, we realized we had gained much more than 7,021 bottles and cans that day. The kids got to spend time getting to know each other outside of their pads, helmets and practices. Parents also found a lot of common ground. That's great when you can develop that kind of bonding early on in a long season that has you spending many hours together on the road and on a frigid bench in an unheated rink. .

     So, the next time your son or daughter's team asks you to help raise money, think of the other benefits that go along with working together for a common "goal" both on and off the ice.   Do you have a unique team fundraising idea? I would love to hear from other hockey moms!

Getting Students to React to a Message

Christie Casciano — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 14:53:00 GMT

Posted by Christie Casciano - It doesn't matter how many years have passed, I can still instantly summon the painful images and memories of the car crash that forever changed the lives of my two dear friends.   I made a promise to myself, to do what I could to try and spare other parents a lifetime of heartache. It's a very rough place to be. So I set , as a personal goal, to look for opportunities to educate parents and their teens about the dangers teens face when they get behind the wheel.

   An opportunity came when we got a call from the Onondaga County Traffic Safety Advisory Board seeking to secure participation at an upcoming traffic safety fair. I pitched an idea to them. I wanted to try something different to reach our teen drivers. I proposed we team up to challenge area high school students to come up with their own safe driving messages in the form of a TV commercial contest.   We drew up the contest rules and delivered them to every high school in Onondaga County. You can now see the results on our Safe Driving Page. I invite you to head there now and tell me what you think of the TV commercials your kids have created. To get there, you'll need to click on the safe driving link, which can be found on the left side of our home page.

        I hope you'll spread the word and encourage teens to view these spots. Some will make you laugh, but their message is a serious one.    I'm certain you won't be able to hold back tears after watching others.    I think you'll appreciate the intelligence, sensitivity and images reflected in these 30 second spots   We all need to keep trying.   Just maybe , by all of us doing whatever we can, we can help save lives of teens and keep the hearts of parents whole and strong.

Link: Safe Driving Page

Profiling CNY Fugitives

Christie Casciano — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 19:27:00 GMT

Posted by Christie Casciano - Each week we work with the Central New York fugitive task force to profile a wanted criminal. When you talk to police, they'll tell you these fugitives pose threats to our community .

When they're on the run, they often commit other crimes. When we began "Fugitive of the week" six months ago, we never thought we would have this much success. Accused drug dealers, prostitutes, repeat drunk drivers, burglars and sexual predators have been profiled, and caught thanks to NC9 viewers. To date, 17 fugitives profiled on NewsChannel 9 have been caught.

One of the most impressive captures happened with the arrest of a repeat drunk driver. After our story aired, a viewer called the task force tip line to report seeing the fugitive raking leaves in a yard in Elbridge. The officers headed right out and there he was, just as the viewer had reported. The wanted man was outside of a home raking leaves and shocked when police showed up to take him in. There were two cases of fugitives turning themselves in after seeing themselves on the news

The Central New York Fugitive Task force says NewsChannel 9 viewers have become a crucial part of tracking down fugitives. These hard working police officers want to send out a thank you, to you! Check out the fugitives every week by Clicking on " The Protectors" on the home page.

Something to Stop and Think About

Christie Casciano — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 14:12:00 GMT

Posted by Christie Casciano - We recently got a call from a Bridgeport mom, very upset with the way drivers are speeding through her normally quiet street. When we followed up with a phone call to Cicero's Police chief, he was hardly surprised. He hears it all the time. Traffic troubles top Chief Joe Snell's list of neighborhood complaints for in the rapidly growing suburb of Onondaga County. Connecting developments are sprouting up, and drivers are speeding through them to get to work, shopping centers and schools in a hurry.

The chief says two weeks ago at a Bridgeport community meeting, traffic was by far the number one complaint. He heard the same complaint we heard; too many speeders and not enough stop signs in Bridgeport's Val park development, off of Route 31. All it took was a drive around the neighborhood to convince the chief, neighbors may be right. Val Park is an older, established neighborhood with many young families. Without stop signs, long streets like Rinaldo Blvd. and Areopagitica Avenue do, at times, turn into mini-race tracks. We talked to a number of families who are hoping to see stop signs sprout up soon. Watch for our Streets of Speed story to air Wednesday October 17th, on The Morning News.

As we'll explain in our Streets of Speed report, not everyone who asks for a stop sign will get one. There is, of course, a formal process. The first step is to make your request. This initiation goes out to all Cicero neighborhoods. Right now, stop signs are on the chief's radar and he's asking for input.

If you live in a Cicero development where you think a stop sign can help keep you and children safe, you can send an e-mail to: Neighborhoodwatch@ciceropd.us. We're here for you too. If speeders are putting your family at risk, you can send us an e-mail; Yourstories@9WSYR.com and we'll check out your concerns.