— Onondaga County District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick told CNY Central on Monday that Westhill lacrosse players had a failed hazing attempt the night before they successfully hazed a younger student on April 24 The I-Team previously reported that students practiced the act before doing it The District Attorney told CNY Central that everyone targeted knew it was a joke The DA now says it was a failed abduction attempt But no victims have come forward with a formal complaint The DA also confirmed that the weapon that "appeared" to be a gun is believed to be an airsoft gun He told the I-Team that authorities were making arrangements to seize the weapon Authorities said those charged targeted five younger students put in the trunk of a car and the culprits videotaped this frightening ordeal PREVIOUS COVERAGE | TIMELINE: Westhill criminal hazing incident investigation Susan Lipkins said it'll take a while for the trauma of this to go away for everyone involved "Students will have post-traumatic stress disorder," Dr "They will re-experience some of the visuals and some of the things they've heard Everybody should get therapy as far as I'm concerned." One of the largest reconstruction projects in Belleville’s history to revitalize the central Bridge Street corridor from the Moira River to Avonlough Road will be cost-shared by the federal government We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentBelleville officials learned the $57 million infrastructure project will be offset by $16.1 million in federal funds announced Saturday for 40 per cent of the total estimated cost The money will be funneled from Ottawa through the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund Direct Delivery Stream as announced by Minister of Housing Infrastructure and Communities Nathaniel Erskine-Smith At heart of the project is the proposed construction of a new Avonlough Sanitary Pumping Station that will connect to replacement of underground sewer lines to service the construction of up 9,000 new housing units to be constructed in the Potter Creek subdivision on the city’s western fringes as part of the Loyalist West Secondary Plan Your weekday digest of the top stories from our newsrooms in Cornwall By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc The next issue of Eastern Ontario Midday Roundup will soon be in your inbox Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. The project will provide a vital wastewater link from the new pumping station, eastward along a rebuilt Bridge Street to Isabel and Coleman streets, cross the Moira River in a trenchless sewer and then connect to the existing pressure sewer system that extends southerly to the Wastewater Treatment Plant on St. Paul Street. Final details of the design and property acquisitions are now wrapping up before construction work is expected to begin later this spring. The project is expected to take at least two years to complete. Mayor Neil Ellis said in an interview the new federal funding is a big win for city given it will relieve a large portion of the cost of the project for local taxpayers. “This federal funding will greatly help with the cost of the project. It will contribute largely to the completion of the project and lessen the burden on city taxpayers,” Ellis said, adding he was grateful to federal Housing Minister Erskine-Smith for the funding. “This is the largest infrastructure project the city has ever taken on dollar wise and it’s great to have the federal government on board with 40 per cent of the cost,” Ellis said. The funding comes not long after the federal government provided in February separate $10.5 million in Housing Accelerator funding to Belleville bringing federal grant monies to the city to more than $27 million awarded so far this year. Meanwhile, one of the major upsides will be the resurfacing of the long-neglected Bridge Street hill after years of band-aid patching of the concrete road surface. The street was voted the fifth worst street in Eastern Ontario according to the CAA Worst Roads Survey 2023. The project will also include the Bridge Street West-Sidney Street Intersection Widening project which has been merged into the pumping station project for efficiencies. Substantial road reconstruction upgrades are in store for Sidney and Bridge streets to prepare for more traffic expected for new homes and a new YMCA Centre for Life set for construction on the old city fairgrounds as well as commercial and residential development on the former Ben Bleecker property disposed of by the municipality. Roads reconstruction will see Sidney Street and Bridge Street widened and several key intersections nearby altered to steamline traffic flows. The road widening and intersection design work will include a number of reconstruction elements to improve traffic flows including widening Sidney Street to five lanes between Bridge Street West and Catharine Street featuring two northbound lanes, two southbound lanes and one centre two-way left turn lane. Sidney Street will also be widened to four lanes between Catharine Street and Wilkins Street. The Bridge Street West and Sidney streets intersection will be upgraded to include one dedicated left turn lane, one through lane, and one shared through / right turn lane on all approaches. Pedestrian crossings will be provided on each approach. The Sidney Street and Catharine Street intersection will become a four-way intersection with future traffic signals to accommodate the redevelopment of the former agricultural fairgrounds site on the west side of Sidney Street. The Bridge Street West/Yeomans Street/Wellington Street intersection will be upgraded to provide for future traffic signals as will the Bridge Street West/Dunnet Boulevard intersection into a four-way intersection to accommodate a new entry way into the old city fairgounds’ redevelopment. Low-level planter beds (similar to Bell Boulevard) are planned along Bridge Street West. transmission or republication strictly prohibited This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page some of the players attempted an abduction on Wednesday but it failed when the targets of the hazing attempt recognized the older players and knew it was "sick joke." None of the potential victims of the failed attempt but the District Attorney's office is continuing to investigate this incident as well after several team members attended another local high school lacrosse game together a vehicle transported several of the younger players to what they expected was a post game meal at a local McDonald's The driver said he was lost before a group of Westhill students emerged from the trees disguised as kidnappers and armed with an airsoft gun and a knife The frightened group of young teens ran from the scene He was tied up with a pillow case placed over his head and thrown in the trunk of a car He was driven to another wooded area where he was left alone before his captors returned to reveal it was all a prank and drove him home but would have been had they not turned themselves in to authorities On Friday, Westhill lacrosse coach Aaron Cahill made a statement denying any advance knowledge of the hazing plot and stating that the events do not reflect the culture of the program the school district to cancel the remainder of Westhill's lacrosse season even though not every member of the team was involved "Some may argue that all student-athletes should not be punished for the actions of a few," said Westhill School Superintendent Steve Dunham in a letter to parents announcing his decision we must address the culture of the program and the most appropriate way to do that is with a reset." GARY ADORNATOGary Adornato began covering high school sports with the Baltimore Sun in 1982 while still a mass communications major at Towson University and in 2003 became one of the first journalists to cover high school sports online while operating MIAASports.com the official website of the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association Adornato pioneered market-wide coverage of high school sports with DigitalSports.com introducing video highlights and player interviews while assembling an award-winning editorial staff he launched VarsitySportsNetwork.com which became the premier source of high school media coverage in the state of Maryland he sold VSN to The Baltimore Banner and joined SBLive Sports as the company's East Coast Managing Editor © 2025 ABG-SI LLC - SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER Cuthbert Butchart is not so well known as many other golf course architects but it was he who gave life to some Willie Park Junior design ideas He also designed another very good local course This is an evergreen and in many ways unanswerable question The Golf Monthly rankings have West Hill as the middle-ranked of the three but there are plenty of knowledgeable golfers who will argue the case for any one of the three and there is an argument that West Hill is the fairest and most consistent from 1 to 18 of the three This prestigious foursomes event dates back to 1929 and became an open event two years later It is held close to Easter and the matchplay begins with a full field of 128 pairs The fourth is the first of a strong handful of par 3s West Hill runs through majestic pine and abundant heather - it is currently ranked 71st in our Top 100 UK&I Course Rankings in association with Peter Millar Header Cell - Column 0 Header Cell - Column 1 Address westhillgc.co.uk manager@westhill-golfclub.co.uk Surrey has more Top 100 courses than any other county and this intensity as well as the fame of some means that others are less well-known West Hill’s brilliant journey through the pines would position it at the very top totally fair and consistent test of heathland golf – One of the best-conditioned courses that continues to improve – Decide which of the three Ws you prefer UK & Ireland Top 100 Golf Courses 2025/26 - 71 Along with Worplesdon and Woking it is also one of the three Ws a trio of first-class courses that near enough border one another great and continued efforts are continuing towards subtle and in-keeping improvements Much has been focussed on the conditioning and there has also been extensive tree removal to create more light and air movement I always love returning to see the latest changes Little has been changed to the original design and while on paper it is not particularly long there are five lovely and varied par 3s that mean it plays every inch of its total length and the Brookwood stream comes into play on a few holes and these are all the more visible and impressive from the renovated tees The course opens with a pair of very attractive par 4s before the demanding 3rd which runs parallel to the railway and requires two very solid strikes to get home in regulation and it would seem fair to say that to score well at West Hill though if the wind is in its usual direction the back nine has even more variety with two lovely short holes at the 13th and 15th There is also a strong finish with two tough par 4s sandwiching the sweeping par-5 17th One of the country’s leading amateur tournaments is held here each Spring, the very popular Father and Son Foursomes which attracts golfers from far and wide. This is one of the best heathland golf courses in the UK Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts Mike ChapmanGolf Monthly Top 100 PanellistWest Hill is a joy to play and gives the golfer a sporting chance to play to their handicap it will punish errant shots so you need to focus to score well Cathal DevlinGolf Monthly Top 100 PanellistSatisfying and grand and you’ll be forever happy to have visited Chris DobsonGolf Monthly Top 100 PanellistAn immaculately presented and extremely fair test of golf of which the friendly membership are rightly extremely proud John WinterGolf Monthly Top 100 PanellistMajestic trees a brook that winds its way through the course the course is consistently strong from start to finish It may only be 6,000 yards from the yellows but with five par 3s and heather eating into the course it plays every inch of its length and more Many golfers regard this gently-undulating and very pretty heathland classic as a quite ingenious example of a course that can test the best golfer while still remaining playable and enjoyable for all this ever-improving heathland beauty will delight and test golfers of every standard a game here is very much a journey back in time free-draining course should be on every golfer’s radar this friendly pub with rooms is a spacious and at times lively place to stay The restaurant serves freshly cooked char-grilled food Set in a contemporary glass-fronted building aromatic crystal steam room and relaxation room He specialises in course reviews and travel and has played over 1,250 courses in almost 50 countries he played all 21 courses in East Lothian in 13 days One of Rob's primary roles is helping to prepare the Top 100 Courses of the UK&I as well as the Next 100 where he is missing two in Scotland and two in Ireland He has been a member of Tandridge for over 30 years where his handicap hovers around 15 You can contact him at r.smith896@btinternet.com you will then be prompted to enter your display name The Lake Country Co-operative Association has offered the City of Prince Albert $400,000 plus GST for 1.64 acres of land in the West Hill area to build a new multi-unit commercial building The parcel is located at the corner of 28th Street and 10th Avenue West immediately south of the Alfred Jenkins Field House The development will include a liquor store as well as space for other commercial uses according to a report included in the agenda for Monday’s council meeting City administrators have recommended council give the sale conditional approval The parcel of land was previously linked to the First Nations University (FNU) who sent the City a letter of intent in 2022 outlining plans to purchase the land for their future campus “While FNU has provided the City with an LOI to purchase the same land and the land in question may not be taxable in the future,” reads a report written by Planning Manager Kristina Karpluk “With this land being on the corner of 28th Street and 10th Ave so selling it for commercial development maximizes the future tax revenue that may be generated.” Karpluk wrote that the City still has land available to the south and west of the parcel She suggested the City sell that land to FNU instead “(That) means their future location can still be in the West Hill,” Karpluk wrote “As part of the continued review of the offer to purchase Administration is in communication with FNU to discuss the change in location with the goal of ensuring that they are satisfied and can move forward as intended.” Karpluk added that selling the parcel to Lake Country means the City can expect “a considerable amount of revenue” through application and permit fees Lake Country still has a number permits and processes to complete before the sale can be finalized City administrators began discussing the potential sale with Co-op representatives in November The Co-op has the only remaining available liquor licence in Prince Albert and must use it within a specific timeline per SLGA regulations The sale will also need to be approved by the Lake Country Co-op Board of Directors The development also must be approved by the SLGA In addition to the FNU campus and proposed Lake Country-Coop development a new Francophone School will also be built in the area The Lake Country offer is one of 13 reports city council will vote on during the next council meeting on Monday There are also three motions from councillors and a public hearing on bylaws that need to be approved so the Metis Nation – Saskatchewan can move ahead with a land development project south of 30th Street West Prince Albert's only locally-owned daily newspaper It’s not clear if an alternative affordable housing plan proposed Monday to preserve more of West Hill’s only remaining green space situated at the former Queen Mary School property will placate angry residents who are regular patrons of the city-owned land We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentBut in the name of balancing more badly needed new homes in the city and keeping the last green space in the neighbourhood for posterity city council decided Monday to take the matter to the people for open discussion for a longer view Council agreed to host a public information centre meeting in the near future to solicit public input before the city releases a housing proposal package publicly for expressions of interest from developers on the affordable housing project 26 deputation to council by Friends of West Hill Green Space who asked for the green space and its existing popular playground equipment to be saved At stake is a tiny 4.7-acre land parcel fronting Octavia Street serving families in a West Hill neighbourhood that encompasses a total of roughly 640 acres in size or one mile squared that is bounded by Sidney Street in the west the CNR tracks to the north and the Moira River to the east The park is also the only open public grassy area in the neighbourhood other than nearby Prince Charles Public School grounds at the foot of Ritchie Street which remains closed and fenced off to the general public since the COVID-19 pandemic. Council was informed Monday of a new second option recommendation that would preserve up to two acres of the 4.7-acre property as parkland opposed to the first option design that would only leave up to one acre of parkland intact. The new recommendation leaves 2.7 acres of the property left open to new residential development, according to a revised site plan released Monday to the public showing the proposed park area be moved to the southern portion of the property. Under the second option, if approved, the city would remove the community gardens and existing playground equipment in the northeast corner of the property to make way for new housing of up to 100 residential units with a six-storey height cap. New playground equipment would be installed at later date when city budget funds became available. Reporting to council, Catherine Tran, city principal planner, “recommended that council proceed with Option Two to strike a balance between housing and parkland needs.” “Staff will consider the feedback received through public consultation and will release a proposal package for an affordable housing development,” Tran said. She also noted that a “building condition assessment report prepared by Q&E Engineering Inc. in support of the adaptive reuse of the former school building has been completed. The report concluded that the structure of the building is in good to fair condition, and the existing floor and roof framing is generally adequate to support residential occupancy, however, structural upgrades would be required to support commercial occupancy.” “Based on the findings of the report, staff intends to stipulate a condition within the proposal package that no proposal for demolition of the former school building will be accepted. Additionally, staff encourages proponents to seek out partnership opportunities to support the adaptive reuse of the building.” The report did not explore why an even smaller development footprint could be proposed with only the former school being renovated for housing units in order to leave even more green space remaining as it has since the early 1900s. Coun. Garnet Thompson said the city’s second option coming forward is a good sign “that we’re following what they [neighbourhood residents] wanted from us, they want more consultation with the public, with the staff and with the developers.” “I certainly encourage the residents to get a hold of us and the developers with their input and it goes to show the public that we’re listening to them and we want to know what they want before we make a big decision,” Thompson said. Coun. Paul Carr queried, with the second option’s reduction of housing units to 100 from the original 150 proposed, “is there a way the city could consider increasing the maximum height to allow for more density to compensate for the greater green space?” He was informed by Desta McAdam, city planning policy manager, that the city wants to be flexible but also make sure the housing project is “transitioned to the existing community” as to conform to the surrounding low-density housing nearby. with plans to cap off their evening with a stop at a local fast food restaurant The events which took place on the trip from the game to the restaurant They also do not reflect the typical behavior of those allegedly involved in the hazing act, according to a former teammate who gave an exclusive interview to ABC News this week on Good Morning America who left the team a few weeks prior to the hazing incident said "I think this was a mistake that was made by good people that I had known for many years," during the interview which has brought international attention to this Syracuse high school community It has been described as everything from a criminal act of kidnapping to poor judgement by a group of high school kids looking to prank some of their teammates As described by Onodaga County District Attorney William J the event was "hazing on steroids." As many as 11 teens were involved in the plan to prank the younger lacrosse players the victims were in a vehicle that pulled over during the drive from the lacrosse game to a McDonald's restaurant a large group of teens emerged from a wooded area A number of the potential victims fled from the scene which reportedly had at least one knife and a handgun tied him up and threw him in the trunk of a car He was transported to another wooded area where he was released several of those involved returned to the area The entire incident was also captured on video The next morning, the victim's family reported the incident to Westhill officials, as video of events began to circulate among members of the student body. According to a report by CNN a school resource officer then reported the incident to the Onondaga County Sherrif's office leading to an investigation by the school district and the district attorney's office Talucci told Good Morning America that he left the team to focus on school and his personal life but said he has known many of the 11 students facing charges the large majority of which are members of the Westhill lacrosse team since middle school and describes them as "good people that made bad decisions." "I've known these boys for so long this is not something I would have expected from any of them and anybody at Westhill for that matter This whole story does not reflect every one of the athletes or students or anybody related to Westhill at all." Westhill lacrosse coach Aaron Cahill, who is in his first year with the team, claimed to have had no prior knowledge of the hazing plans during a lengthy statement on the matter on social media He echoed Tallucci by saying the incident does not reflect the culture of the program which he said is "built on inclusion Westhill School Superintendent Steve Dunham informed the school and its lacrosse families that he was cancelling the remainder of its season "Some may argue that all student-athletes should not be punished for the actions of a few and the most appropriate way to do that is with a reset," Dunham said in an email announcing his decision Talucci termed this decision "unfair" and expressed concerned for those members of the team who were not involved "My worry about this whole thing is that it's going to change the stigma that's already been happening with lacrosse that these boys are seen as degenerates and the whole community is just not good." "The boys who did this are good kids," said Rosemary Talucci They just made a huge mistake and I think a lot of schools can learn from that." — CNY Central has obtained a criminal complaint involving a suspect in the Westhill boys lacrosse hazing incident The criminal complaint is heavily redacted including the suspects name and date of birth The document does reveal some of the explanation behind the misdemeanor charge of Unlawful imprisonment in the second degree that all 11 individuals in the hazing case are facing while acting in consort with several other co-defendants The defendant is due to appear in court on May 15 All 11 suspects involved in a hazing incident turned themselves in to authorities Onondaga County District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick announced Wednesday The District Attorney's Office gave the suspects who were members of the Westhill High School men's lacrosse team 48 hours to turn themselves and be given a ticket for unlawful imprisonment Fitzpatrick said they turned themselves in within 24 hours sparing themselves from facing a more serious charge Fitzpatrick held a news conference on Tuesday to quell rumors of the hazing The district attorney said older students at Westhill High School decided that they'd play a prank on younger members of the lacrosse team which Fitzpatrick referred to as "hazing on steroids," involved making the victims believe that they'd be taken to a lacrosse game and later get food at McDonald's the victims were set up in a ruse that involved the older students pretending to get lost on the road and being ambushed by perpetrators wearing all black Fitzpatrick noted that one victim had a pillow case put over his head his hands were tied and an apparent gun and knife were pointed at him before he was thrown into the back of a car Fitzpatrick said the victim was eventually returned home by the perpetrators but the aforementioned one sustained the worst of the harm as the other managed to escape The Onondaga County Sheriff's Office said the gun used in the crime was not handed over to them the names of the suspects who are 18-years-old and charged as adults were not released Westhill High School cancelled the remainder of the men's lacrosse season due to the incident January rains on the weekend didn’t dampen the resolve of Friends of Queen Mary Greenspace to save their neighbourhood parkland from developers building new housing on the last open public green space in Old West Hill We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentFor more than two hours about three dozen people braved a steady drizzle to share their concerns at a spirited event dubbed Save Our Park Winterfest at 41 Octavia St. where the former school and its sprawling grounds opened 110 years ago The property is designated parkland under Belleville’s Parkland and Recreation Master Plan neighbourhood residents shared baked goods and hot cocoa around two fire pits as they swapped family stories of childhoods spent on the green open spaces at the former Queen Mary School property declared surplus in 2019 by the City of Belleville Their children and grandchildren now play on the same 4.7-acre property that has long been a jewel for young families nearby who do not have the resources nor mobility to travel to other remote green spaces across the city Children played ball hockey on a fenced-in cement pad nearby as others huddled under a small marquee tent Saturday where members talked about a growing petition that now has 828 signatures opposing the City of Belleville’s plans to replace a community garden and playground on the property with new housing Semi-retired nurse and longtime neighbourhood resident Mary Storms is one of 78 members of the group working to protect the green space “I’ve lived in this neighborhood — two different places — one house from ‘79 to ‘88 My kids attended Prince Charles public school until they went to Centennial Secondary School,” Storms said With Prince Charles Public School grounds open exclusively to registered students the only place for kids to play in the neighbourhood is now Queen Mary parkland Fighting to save the park is important not only today’s kids and families but for those of tomorrow. “We are here because we want this part to just stay the way it is now,” Storms said. “We’d like to see it upgraded, we’d like to see it made better, but we don’t want to lose any of the acreage, we don’t want it made smaller.” Storms said she and members understand Belleville is experiencing a serious housing crisis but said the city does not have to forfeit precious little remaining public green space when it can approve the building of homes elsewhere across the municipality. “We do understand the need for housing. That is definitely an issue, but there are lots of other places in the city where they could do it [such as] the Clifford Belch Park in Hillcrest. Did they even talk about putting any housing on that point?” Increasing housing density in an already established neighbourhood doesn’t make sense from a planning perspective either, she suggested. “If we bring more people into this neighborhood and there’s less place for them to play, what are we going to do? We’ve got kids stuck in their houses,” she said. “As a nurse. I know how important being outside and playing outside and moving around is, not just for kids, but for everybody, we need to be outside,” Storms said. Group member Sabeena Grewal said it’s critical to inform the public of the city’s plan to cut back the green space because it is becoming a rare commodity in established neighbourhoods. Grewal said the fight to save Queen Mary green space is important “because once it’s gone, it’s out of our hands, we’re doing our civic duty to keep engaging, that’s what we can do and ask questions.” A website has been launched, Grewal said, to keep the neighbourhood informed and to encourage others to sign the petition. As parkland, it is availed by neighbours “year-round for various recreational activities: playground for children, hockey, cricket, soccer, football, learning to ride bikes, dog walking, community gardens, and community events,” the group said. The website can be found at www.friendsofwesthillgreenspace.ca. Queen Mary School was erected in 1913 and opened to students the following year. By 1947, the school welcomed 432 students and 14 teachers before talk several decades later of closing the school due to declining enrolment of students in the public school system in Belleville. After the school’s closure, the school served as a community centre until costs to maintain the building prompted the building to be closed. In October last year, Belleville city council was presented with a new second recommendation for its Queen Mary Affordable Housing Project option at the site that would preserve up to two acres of the 4.7-acre property as parkland opposed to an earlier first option design that would only leave less than one acre of parkland intact. The latest option being considered by council leaves 2.7 acres of the property left open to new residential development, according to a revised site plan showing the proposed park area be moved to the southern portion of the property. Under the second option, if approved, the city would remove the community gardens and existing playground equipment in the northwest corner of the property to make way for new housing of up to 100 residential units with a six-storey height cap. Before any decisions are made by council, the city is now seeking public input on the latest recommendation. The municipality said in an advisory, “staff will be hosting a Public Information Centre (PIC) on Feb. 4 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The envisioned development would include affordable housing units while maximizing the amount of useable parkland. This is an opportunity for the public to get involved and provide feedback about the project, which would inform the future design of the site.” The public event will be held at Prince Charles Public School, 75 Ritchie Ave. Input can be submitted through an online form. For more information, email planning@belleville.ca, or visit Belleville.ca/QMProject. (WSTM) — All 11 suspects involved in a hazing incident have turned themselves in to authorities said stuffing victims into trunks is a common form of hazing She said it's commonly considered kidnapping "They usually drop the student off or students off at an unknown place," said Dr sometimes they are made to drink alcohol so they're drunk and blindfolded." Lipkins said many of the questions that have yet to be answered will shift to who knew about the incident beforehand including the lacrosse coach and his staff and school leaders "It may or may not have been reported in the past doesn't mean it hasn't happened in the past," said Lipkins "I wouldn't be surprised if the perpetrators use as a defense that a lot of parents say yeah this has been happening and this is how you create team bonding." parents in the community told CNY Central that they are shocked that something like this could happen to their community has two sons who play sports at Baldwinsville High School He said it was unfortunate that Westhill High School canceled its lacrosse season "Anytime you put together a group of teenage boys together they usually make dumb decisions," said Scullion "It feels like this is what this is and they took it way too far." The suspects were issued appearance tickets returnable to the Town of Onondaga Court CNY Central has reached out to the lacrosse team's coach Belleville’s mayor says residents of the West Hill neighbourhood deserve a proper park and a proposal to reduce the current one’s size in favour of new housing is just that: a concept We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentResidents are alarmed by the proposal submitted by developer not yet identified publicly It proposes reducing the city-owned Westhill Greenspace property on Octavia Street by about 80 per cent Those who live in the area say they understand the need for housing but it’s their only park and a vital part of life there Members of the informal Westhill Greenspace group expressed their concerns to city council during an August meeting Mayor Neil Ellis told The Intelligencer Friday he understands their views and wants to work with the group – and ensure residents don’t end up with the proposed one acre of the five they now have “I will not let that happen Ellis said in an exclusive Intelligencer interview in his city hall office He cautioned against assuming development proposals are done deals They require council approval at several stages He said he is not yet sold on there being housing on the property that rule also applies to the group’s original hopes for further phases of park improvement Those projects never made through – and possibly even to – the city’s budgeting process “We won’t put it out to an RFP (request for proposals from developers) till we have a public meeting on the concept designs and an open house.” Budgeting would occur only after council chose a development proposal – if council in fact chooses any. “What we’d like to do is affordable housing … (but) affordable housing, right now, is built by developers.” Municipalities often provide the land for such projects. That’s why the city must first gauge builders’ interest, he said. “We have one right now, so I’m assuming there would be many developers interested in it.” Ellis said he sees three options for the land: housing development, park upgrades, or making no changes. “The (provincial) government hasn’t really been funding geared-to-income housing or transitional beds.” He said that means projects involving “affordable” housing – deemed to be rented at 20 to 30 per cent below market rate – involve a combination of those units and market-rate ones. Ellis said the reduced price is not geared to a person’s income and for many is still not actually affordable. “Out here on the West Hill, we always feel like we get the short end of the stick,” said Mary Storms, a Greenspace member and a nurse who’s lived in the area since 1979. She said open spaces are important for physical, social, and mental health. “If you create more housing, you need more space for people to get outside,” she said. She and fellow member Andrea Mesones said they have heard little from the city since August, though some members spoke with Coun. Chris Malette during an Oct. 5 gathering in the park. They have asked the city to put playground upgrades into the 2025 budget instead of the previously-scheduled 2026 renewal. It would be “premature” to upgrade the playground before there’s a decision on the land’s development potential, the mayor said. Some of the playground equipment is damaged and can’t be used, Mesones said. She takes her two-year-old son there regularly. “It’s where we meet up with friends, and where he’s learning how to climb and run around. Sometimes we feel we have to be careful, because it’s not totally safe. We want there to be a place for him that is safer and is more up-to-date and modern.” It’s disheartening to see large investments in other parks while theirs sits in disrepair and at risk of been reduced, said Mesones. “We’re supposed to be happy we’re keeping a part of it? That’s just not enough.” Even a city promise to replace some sand has yet to lead to action, she said. “We have been to all the other parks and it’s so upsetting.” Ellis said he met with neighbourhood residents a few months ago and gave them “high-level” information about the proposal. He said he understands the group isn’t against new housing but simply wants to preserve the area’s only park. “It was a great meeting with the community. Ellis said he could not suggest ratios for how the land could be divided between recreational space and housing, since he would first need to see developers’ proposals. But he said if the park is reduced in size, it should not be the proposed reduction of roughly 80 per cent. “I personally believe it should be more than an acre. It should be a park we’re proud of.” In the meantime, residents want to know what happened to the more than $100,000 they raised more than a decade ago for what was envisioned as a multi-phase improvement of the site. Only the playground was built. “Probably it went into the playground equipment,” Ellis said, suggesting such a project could, at that time, have cost more than $100,000. “I’d like to see the city keep us in the loop – not just us, but the whole city,” Storms said. Ellis said a study of the site’s former school building isn’t yet complete and it’s a key part of the process. Developers will want to see the study’s findings before conceiving further ideas, he said. The study’s projected completion date was not available Friday. Two loud explosions rocked a West Hill neighbourhood in Belleville on Thanksgiving Monday afternoon as flames raged through a family home We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentNeighbours witnessed tall flames licking the façade of the 85 Purdy Street home’s garage sometime around 3:15 p.m the flames spread into the rest of the structure when a first explosion boomed inside the garage followed quickly by a second explosion from deep inside the home Neighbour Greg Nolan was one of the first on scene when he noticed a bright orange glow from the front window of his nearby home and went outside to investigate as other neighbours came on to the street It was all flames in the garage right up to the peak,” Nolan said “Then we saw a cop bringing out the one mother on his shoulder It was then the sound of two explosions ripped through the neighbourhood. “Then the two explosions happened, we were ducking back into the house because we didn’t know what was going to happen next,” Nolan said. “Pretty wild. What a crazy thing to happen.” Purdy Street neighbour Chris Caissie said, “all we heard was a great big bang. We gathered our dogs, got into the trucks and then we heard another bang. Our first concern was if it was a [natural] gas fire.” Within minutes four large fire trucks were on scene after a short drive up West Moira Street hill from Fire Station 2 to arrest the blaze as quickly as possible, Deputy Fire Chief Mark Shannon told The Intelligencer on scene. The call for assistance came in at 3:20 p.m. Shannon said two residents were safely removed from the house and required medical attention from Hastings-Quinte Paramedics Services. One Belleville Police officer also required medical attention. The house was “fully involved” when firefighters arrived, he said. “Belleville police officers who had arrived first rescued an elderly woman from the residence and firefighters assisted a male resident from the structure,” Shannon said. Fire prevention officers were called into the scene, he said, to investigate the cause of the blaze. There was no word at press time on the cause of the explosions. No damage estimate was available at press time. pictured here in 2024 speaking to players as a varsity assistant took over the Westhill boys lacrosse program heading into the 2025 season In a post on his LinkedIn account Cahill said he and his coaching staff have fully cooperated with the investigation and as Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said in a news conference on Tuesday they had no prior knowledge of the incident “I’m not sure there are perfect words for everything that has happened this week—but some things need to be said,“ Cahill wrote and everyone in the Westhill community — my heart is broken for you The pain and hurt this has caused is very real and no one should ever have to endure this." Cahill was just six games into his tenure as varsity head coach after spending last season as a varsity assistant and the 2023 season as the modified coach He is a financial advisor and not a teacher at the school He did not respond to a question by syracuse.com Thursday morning as to whether he had been asked to or if he had plans to step down from his position He wrote that building a program based on “inclusion and accountability” has been his mission every day show them what doors can possibly open with the sport of lacrosse.” Cahill played lacrosse for both Onondaga Community College and Le Moyne He also captained the Ireland national team Cahill also spoke of organizing summer camps and winter clinics for young players in the community Cahill hosted a guest speaker talk for players and families from Doug Jackson of the 15 for Life Foundation a non-profit organization that focuses on mental health The organization was founded in memory of a former Syracuse lacrosse player who died by suicide in 2021 Westhill’s Tuesday home game against Skaneateles was to be the “Mental Health & Suicide Awareness Game,” but following Thursday night’s events along with Westhill’s Saturday road game against Cahill’s alma mater I’ve poured everything I have into this team — working to lead with integrity and support our athletes not just as players but as young people navigating a complex world,“ Cahill wrote education and family have been cornerstones of my approach — and they always will be.” players attended a lacrosse game that night older players on the team told five younger players they were going to get food together at McDonald’s The drivers pretended to get lost and drove to a “remote location” in the southern part of the county Other teens were waiting in the woods when they arrived at the remote location jumped out of the woods with what looked like a handgun and a knife The players attempted to grab five students A pillow case was put over the head of one player and he was tied up and thrown in the trunk of a vehicle The younger player thought he would be abandoned in the middle of nowhere but was eventually returned home by the older players Fitzpatrick said there isn’t any indication that the younger player was injured A school resource officer reported the incident Onondaga County Undersheriff Jeffery Passino said Deputies were notified of the incident on Friday a spokesperson for the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office “The actions involved in this awful incident do not reflect those values,” Cahill wrote “They are not representative of our program Fitzpatrick first spoke publicly of the incident in a news conference on Tuesday where he gave the 11 perpetrators a 48-hour deadline to turn themselves in or else face a second-degree kidnapping charge athletic director Jen Smarrelli and the varsity coaching staff held a mandatory meeting for boys lacrosse players and parents Dunham sent an email to parents informing them that the season was canceled “Let me be clear: the majority of the varsity boys lacrosse team was NOT involved in the incident from last week nor were they aware of it ahead of time,” Dunham wrote in the email “Some may argue that all student-athletes shouldn’t be punished for the actions of a few and the most appropriate way to do that is with a reset.” “I recognize this decision will be met with a range of opinions and emotions as it impacts many students and families,” the superintendent wrote “While this was an incredibly difficult step to take All 11 players turned themselves in on Wednesday and were issued appearance tickets for unlawful imprisonment Fitzpatrick said that “in all likelihood,” their cases would be handled in Family Court The identities of defendants typically are not public in that court For those who could not go to Family Court due to their age they would “end this situation without a criminal conviction and a criminal record,” Fitzpatrick said Tuesday Fitzpatrick has not released the identities of any of the 11 players “We do not shy away from difficult situations when they arise nor do we avoid having to make difficult decisions,” Cahill said in a statement to syracuse.com on Wednesday we are working through all of this in conjunction with law enforcement.” I’m not sure there are perfect words for everything that has happened this week — but some things need to be said and no one should ever have to endure this Since I was named head coach of Westhill Lacrosse I’ve made it a priority to hold our student-athletes to the highest standard — on and off the field The actions involved in this awful incident do not reflect those values They are not representative of our program Let me be clear: our coaching staff and I have cooperated fully with the ongoing investigation We have been confirmed to have had absolutely no prior knowledge of this incident but as young people navigating a complex world and family have been cornerstones of my approach—and they always will be This week has been one of the hardest of my life but I am incredibly grateful for the support of my family and those who know who I am and what I stand for As we all begin the long process of healing and figuring out the path forward please continue to keep our program—and each other—in your thoughts Contact Connor Pignatello anytime: Email | X Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More Student athletes at Westhill High School accused of unlawfully imprisoning their younger teammates may see some leniency if the students fulfill the terms imposed upon them by the judge the incident — which has been described as “beyond hazing” — would not appear on their record The incident itself has sparked a national conversation about hazing and how situations like this can be prevented the principal of StopHazing and a professor of higher education at the University of Maine says it’s never too early to start having those conversations “So many students will be impacted by hazing and are likely to experience it,” said Allen “So it’s just better to be informed and to be ready and to have those conversations early in.” a pediatric psychologist at Upstate University Hospital says non-verbal signs like mood or behavioral changes academic decline and a lack of sleep or appetite can signal that a conversation is overdue a larger situation maybe isn’t headed in the direction that people would want to or make it feel comfortable for them?” Reagan asked Experts say parents should also recognize that they’re not always who a student may want to talk to about these situations Reagan said that’s very normal and in that case parents can instead help their student find another trusted adult to open up to somebody in the organization that parents know,” Dr “At least their kids are going to talk through potential outcomes with somebody.” it’s important to make sure that students have access to tools and resources that can help them process their trauma to prevent long-term impacts based on what fits that student’s individual needs “One large situation or chronological small situations or chronic trauma that can have a significant impact on a developing brain,” Dr “But again the variables that go into somebody’s baseline mental health as well as their family system But you may not always be talking to a victim of hazing Sometimes your child or student may be the perpetrator “Likely they were a victim of hazing themselves not in any way that’s an excuse or rationalizes poor behavior understand where it came from and the normalization of this type of behavior in a larger organization or culture is really the thing that we want to also focus on and target on so that we can change that for the future," Reagan said even if you’re on the receiving end.  only about 10% identify what happened to them as hazing," Allen said That’s why having these conversations can make all the difference All 11 students from an upstate New York high school accused of orchestrating an armed kidnapping of a teammate in a prank that "goes way way beyond hazing" have turned themselves in said District Attorney William Fitzpatrick "I cannot really adequately express to this community the level of stupidity and lack of judgment involved in this case," Fitzpatrick said during a news conference on April 29 Fitzpatrick gave the students an ultimatum to voluntarily surrender themselves to authorities and be given an appearance ticket for unlawful imprisonment — a Class A misdemeanor The district attorney warned that those who do not turn themselves in would be arrested and face a more serious charge of felony kidnapping "You will not be spending time in the public safety building You will be released to the custody of your parents," Fitzpatrick said as he explained the 48-hour offer And if it can't be handled in family court because of your age you will end this situation without a criminal conviction and a criminal record." came forward voluntarily within 24 hours of Fitzpatrick’s deadline The students were each given a ticket for unlawful imprisonment and a majority of the cases will be handled in a confidential family court due to their ages Both the Onondaga County District Attorney's Office and the sheriff’s office did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s requests for comment on April 30 Fitzpatrick said he was informing the public of the case because of "rumors (that) have gotten completely out of control." He added that his office and the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office jointly decided to prosecute the case Fitzpatrick described the alleged incident involving members of Westhill High School's boys lacrosse team as "criminal activity" and "hazing on steroids." The sheriff's office was alerted to the incident by the high school's resource officer and launched an investigation the incident occurred during the evening hours of April 24 when the students decided to "haze or play some sort of prank" on younger members of the lacrosse team The sheriff’s office identified at least five potential victims Fitzpatrick said the group had come up with a "ruse" that involved inviting younger teammates to watch a lacrosse game and then eat at a McDonald's Some of the younger teammates were able to get away But one younger teammate was taken to a remote wooded area in the county after the person driving him pretended to be lost people came out of the woods all dressed in black They were armed with what appeared to be at least one handgun and at least one knife," Fitzpatrick added "The individual had a pillowcase placed over his head he was tied up and placed in the trunk of a car." Fitzpatrick said the incident was captured on video The district attorney also said the younger teammate thought he was "going to be abandoned in the middle of nowhere." The younger teammate was eventually returned home who added that he wasn't aware if the student suffered any physical injuries but "emotionally .. Some people were assigned different roles," the district attorney added His role is no different than the guy who held the knife than the guy who dragged this poor kid into the trunk of a car 'She was the ringleader': School director, 3 employees accused of running 'makeshift child fight club' in Arkansas Westhill Central School District Superintendent Steve Dunham announced that the remainder of Westhill High School's boys lacrosse season has been canceled In a statement, Dunham said the school district has been investigating “reports of a potential off-campus hazing incident" that involved several students of the varsity boys lacrosse team, WSYR-TV and television station PIX11 reported nor were they aware of it ahead of time," Dunham said "Some may argue that all student-athletes shouldn’t be punished for the actions of a few and the most appropriate way to do that is with a reset." "Hazing is an indefensible act," Dunham added we will address inappropriate behavior that negatively impacts members of our school community promptly and appropriately according to our Code of Conduct." Dunham did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment on April 30 Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_ Former Marcy Corrections Officer pleads guilty to manslaughter in case involving the death of an inmate in December 2024 — The Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office confirmed it is investigating an incident involving members of the Westhill Boys Varsity lacrosse team The incident was first reported on the evening of April 25 The department added that deputies did not “interrupt” or discover the incident when it happened so they’re basing the investigation on reports made to them and interviewing all the parties involved to the best of their ability Westhill Superintendent Steve Dunham told CNY Central: "Some Westhill High School students were involved in a making a bad decision involving a few other Westhill students off of school property and outside of the school day on Thursday evening A parent reached out to me on Friday morning." Additionally there isn’t going to be a lot that I can share even once we know specifically what happened." The Sheriff's Office says at this point While currently unable to confirm claims of what did or did not happen they plan to share more information if and when it becomes available Residents of Belleville’s West Hill neighbourhood are – for the second time in less than a decade – trying to preserve the only park in their area We apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Play VideoArticle contentWesthill Greenspace is on the former Queen Mary School property The former school has been vacant since 2019 the year city council declared it to be surplus Council last year proposed an affordable-housing development for the site Engineering and development services director Stephen Ashton said the city has hired consultants to determine whether the building is structurally sound Mayor Neil Ellis said in a later interview the city will seek expressions of interest in such a development Members of the Friends of the Westhill Greenspace group spoke Monday at city hall asked council to work with residents to find a compromise Appearing before about 20 supporters in the council chamber gallery they suggested it may be possible to create new housing while preserving vital park land “We’re asking you to improve and preserve this actively-used and well-loved part of our community,” Rupnik told council It was leased to the Community Resource Centre Quinte in 2002 and housed various local agencies until 2019 In a grassroots effort between 2005 and 2008 residents raised $126,000 to improve the park in what was intended to be part of the first phase of a two-phase improvement plan “Since then only phase one of the plan was partially completed with the erection of the playground equipment,” said Rupnik He later added that equipment now needs to be brought “up to code.” The federal government declined the city’s request for funding to aid the housing concept. “There has to be park land in there and we would like to save the school as well,” Mayor Ellis said in 2023. “It’s been closed for a number of years with the heat and hydro off, but I think it can be done.” Council on June 10, 2024 passed a resolution to lease the property for an affordable-housing project, “with the exception of the lands that will be designated parkland.” A report on that date by city principal planner Catherine Tran stated the city’s intent is to maintain the current playground and community garden area – about three-quarters of an acre to one acre – as parkland. It also suggested updating the Greenspace during the housing redevelopment. The Friends went door-to-door recently and gathered 563 signatures on their petition requesting the site’s preservation. “The vast majority of people had no idea about these proposed developments,” said Rupnik. “Most people were less than pleased with the current plans.” Rupnik displayed the Friends’ past plans for “a lot of really cool ideas” he said a past council had supported. They included walking paths and benches. Yet he said the new plan “no longer values” the site’s basketball court, multipurpose field, and more. Rupnik said it’s “deeply troubling” the current development proposal could reduce the green area by about 80 per cent from the current total of 4.62 acres. “We’re not against affordable housing, and we commend the city’s efforts to support the community,” he noted. He said the Friends’ goal is to “work together amicably” with council to address housing and park needs. Mary Storms, a resident for 55 years, 45 of them on the West Hill, said Westhill Greenspace is the neighbourhood’s only safe place in which to play and used by many. Storms said green spaces have many health benefits and the community gardens in Westhill are producing fresh produce. Rupnik added the city’s parkland and recreation master plan shows a large area in the west end lacks playgrounds – defined in the plan as open outdoor spaces, not only those with equipment. The Friends suggest improving the site by adding trees, providing shade, a lockable portable washroom, new playground equipment and possibly a splash pad, drinking fountain, and facilities for tennis, pickleball and/or cricket. They also call for reinstallation of basketball nets and suggest a pop-up library. Rupnik said there is a book-sharing box, but he would be willing to take on the pop-up library “at my own expense, pending city approval.” Coun. Paul Carr, who chairs the city’s library board, offered to meet with Rupnik. The Friends presented six recommendations to council: retaining the existing green space; moving discussion of playground upgrades ahead by one year to the city’s 2025-2026 budget; supporting the former school structurally; retaining the multifunctional court area; and allowing the Friends to raise funds for upgrades. Coun. Chris Malette said he met a month ago with the group. “Frankly, as chair of the (city’s) Green Task Force, I share a lot of your concerns,” he said Monday while also citing the shortage of affordable housing. “We can always build more housing, but we’re not very good at creating more green space.” He said he’s willing to work with the Friends. When questioned by Malette, Rupnik confirmed the group would ideally like to see the full area preserved and the grassy area is “well-used.” Coun. Carr asked if the Friends had participated in the parkland and recreation master plan’s creation. Storms said she was unaware of the process; Rupnik said he didn’t live in the city at the time. In closing, both Friends said they were open to compromise. “I think we can achieve a balance,” said Storms. As is common after a deputation during a council session, council took no further action during the meeting. Mayor Ellis said he met two months ago with the Friends and he and council are open to further talks. He also said he expected prospective developers would consider the Friends’ concerns. Like Coun. Carr had noted during the meeting, Ellis said government-owned land is far more likely than private land to become affordable housing. The 2023 report stated the city could retain more control over the housing development if it were to lease, not sell, the land. To date, he said, there have been “a couple” of parties interested in the property but he said that interest may be premature pending the request for expressions of interest. He said he didn’t expect the issue would appear before council again before that request is formalized. Staff will then rank the proposals and submit their top choices for a council vote. The process will be similar to that used when the city declared Memorial Arena to be surplus, he said. “We’re looking for community input,” Ellis said. “This is definitely a group we should listen to. “If we can build affordable housing – which everyone knows is needed – and come up with a compromise, that might be the best thing for everybody.” — The Onondaga County Sheriff's Office said Monday afternoon that it's continuing to investigate an incident involving the Westhill High School men's varsity lacrosse team that occurred last week Onondaga County District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick said his office is aware of the investigation that involves team members and other students Fitzpatrick told the I-Team that his office will review information once the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office wraps up its investigation in the matter PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Members of Westhill lacrosse team under investigation by Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office Westhill Superintendent Steve Dunham told CNY Central that Westhill High School students were "involved in making a bad decision involving a few other Westhill students off of school property" after school on Thursday evening The specific details of the incident were not revealed Dunham said a parent reached out on Friday morning and there are minors involved The Onondaga County Sheriff's Office became involved in the investigation on Friday the Sheriff's Office said it has not made any arrests in the investigation CNY Central spoke with a lawyer and an expert who studies hazing in high school and colleges across America whether this incident at Westhill High School ends up being hazing or not there are instances of this behavior going under the radar every day Dr. Susan Lipkins started her research in 2003 after an incident with a football team near where she worked you want to be part of a group or a team that has a tradition of hazing and you are hazed," she explained you are the bystander watching as the newbies get hazed you're a senior and now you have the status and the power and you feel like you have the right and duty to do unto others what was done to you suffer in silence over fears of what speaking out could mean "Probably thousands of hazings go on every day and they're never reported," said Dr one will be reported and that's usually because it's broken through a threshold such that the victim can't take it." a founding partner at the Tully Rinckey Law Firm hazing is a misdemeanor and punishable by up to a year in prison "Civil liability it's the same thing these are the type of cases that we've seen Where the school district or coach or someone is aware that there's this hazing going on.. Whether it be on school grounds or even off school grounds There could be liability for the district." The I-Team reached out to the Superintendent to follow up as well as the district's public information officer and its school board SYRACUSE — Continuing our coverage on the extreme hazing incident involving 11 boys from the Westhill lacrosse team they all but admit involvement in a criminal hazing incident that involved a gun and a knife At last check – authorities tell us they have not recovered the gun or knife used in this criminal hazing incident This week the District Attorney admits he doesn’t know if the gun is real or fake but he’d like authorities to have it so they can see what was used With weapons involved and privacy laws preventing the release of student punishments we simply want to know if these students are being allowed back on school ground or not Privacy laws prevent Westhill high school superintendent Steve Dunham and any school official from releasing specifics about student discipline But it’s on the minds of many as more information about this criminal hazing incident becomes public “Sometimes kids do crazy things and they don’t mean so much but there has to be a limit and they went overboard,” said local neighbor Joe Dillman “I think that some parents would be against it.” We asked superintendent Dunham to tell us if any of these 11 students are allowed back on school grounds – a question we believe can be answered without violating privacy laws His response didn’t provide an answer but reads in part quote – “Any behavior that endangers the physical safety or well being of our students will always be addressed promptly and in accordance with our code of conduct.” It’s a response that doesn’t settle the minds of neighbors we spoke to - “They’re not safe in the regard if that’s what’s going to happen,” said Dillman "Some parents would disagree with them walking the hallways The Westhill School District’s code of conduct is publicly available on the district’s website penalty may range from a warning to late detention to suspension For subsequent offenses - late detention to suspension The folks we spoke to wonder if that’s enough “Short of that they should probably be expelled A suspension is no good unless they are under some kind of guidance whether it’s where they are receiving counseling for what they did,” said Dillman We don’t know if these 11 students who turned themselves in are allowed back on school grounds this week At last check – the weapons involved in their crime are still not in the hands of the authorities — The CNY Central news team confirmed on April 27 that members of the Westhill lacrosse team were under investigation by the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office The investigation was first reported on April 24 There was an initial response from Superintendent Steve Dunham "Some Westhill High School students were involved in making a bad decision involving a few other Westhill students off of school property and outside of the school day Thursday evening," he said CNY Central began following this relentlessly The Onondaga County District Attorney was made aware of the case and planned to review it and determine if criminal charges were appropriate With no other details coming from the Sheriff's Office or the DA the I-Team looked for outside perspective from a lawyer and hazing expert who started her research in 2003 on high school and college hazing There are times when it's starting in middle school like eighth graders who are often pulled up to the high school teams," she said questions were swirling in the community about what happened and how serious the incident was District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick's revealed details about the hazing that were previously rumored The DA said some Westhill students "decided that they were going to haze or play some sort of prank on some of the younger members of the lacrosse team There were at least five potential victims that the sheriff's office has identified." Fitzpatrick explained what he called "hazing on steroids." These students telling the younger student they would go to a lacrosse game and then to McDonald's for something to eat had a pillowcase placed over his head and was driven to a remote part of Onondaga County in the trunk of a car They were armed with at least what appeared to be a handgun and at least one knife," explained DA Fitzpatrick He then gave a firm 48-hour deadline for anyone involved to turn themselves in to the sheriff's office or face kidnapping charges The DA confirmed all 11 students believed to be behind the hazing incident turned themselves in They got appearance tickets for unlawful imprisonment The DA's office said they would not be releasing the names of the students the I-Team obtained letters sent to parents by the school Superintendent he confirmed the rest of the lacrosse season for the boy's varsity team is canceled CNY Central continued to press authorities about the weapons allegedly involved: What appeared to be a gun and a knife and everyone in the Westhill community—my heart is broken for you and no one should ever have to endure this." He added he and his staff had "absolutely no prior knowledge of this incident." CNN spoke with Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon "These students are very lucky something very bad did not happen from this act," he said The County Executive also added that he went to high school a few miles away at a rival school to Westhill and is still friends with people who graduated from there The I-Team filed a Freedom of Information request with the sheriff's office to get the appearance tickets given to the students Authorities told CNY Central that students may have practiced the hazing with a "dry run" on April 23 The coach of the Westhill High School boys' lacrosse program says he acknowledges pain caused by the alleged hazing incident that led to 11 of its lacrosse players to be charged with unlawful imprisonment said he and the rest of the Westhill lacrosse coaching staff "have cooperated fully" with the investigation into the incident which prompted charges announced by Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick That has been my mission every single day," Cahill wrote in the post "The actions involved in this awful incident do not reflect those values The coach added that he and his staff "have been confirmed" to have no prior knowledge of the incident younger members of the team were promised a lacrosse game and a McDonald's meal with upperclassmen they were taken to a remote area of Onondaga County where people dressed in black were waiting with a knife and what appeared to be a gun Prosecutors say one student was tied up with a hood over his head and placed in the trunk of a car before later being released — Westhill High School men's varsity lacrosse coach Aaron Cahill has broken the silence on an April 24 hazing incident involving members of his team According to Onondaga County District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick the incident involved 11 older players making five victims believe that they'd be taken to a lacrosse game and later get food at McDonald's those victims were set up in a ruse that involved older players pretending to get lost on the road and being ambushed by perpetrators wearing all black District Attorney Fitzpatrick noted that one victim had a pillow case put over his head They turned themselves in within 24 hours after Fitzpatrick made the ultimatum on the afternoon of April 29 in a public news conference In a statement posted on his LinkedIn account Coach Cahill expressed condolences to the victims and their families Westhill High School has canceled the remainder of its lacrosse season in response to the hazing incident Superintendent Steve Durham was hesitant to release additional information on the hazing on Thursday RELATED | POLL: Is the Onondaga County DA handling the Westhill hazing incident appropriately? The superintendent says "While this dark cloud hangs over us, we must choose to move forward." Highlighting the range of upcoming extracurricular events the district has planned, Dunham says "Each of these is a moment of light, and I encourage everyone to embrace them." Read the entirety of Superintendent Dunham's statement below: Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. The Westhill High School students have been given 48 hours to turn themselves in to police I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice At least 11 high school lacrosse players from Syracuse, New York, will face felony kidnapping charges if they don't turn themselves in after a hazing incident gone wrong Student athletes at Westhill High School — who are not being identified because they are minors — have been accused of kidnapping and terrorizing five younger players Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said on Tuesday that the incident went "way beyond hazing." The students have been accused of tricking the younger players by telling them they were taking them to McDonald's for food following a lacrosse game the driver allegedly claimed they were lost in a remote wooded part of the county at which time "accomplices jumped out of the woods pretending to be kidnappers," according to the district attorney The faux-kidnappers were dressed in black and at least one was allegedly carrying what appeared to be a handgun and another was wielding a knife, CNN reports. "Some of the [victims] were able to escape," the DA said, but noted that others were stuck with the fake kidnappers. One of the accomplices allegedly put a pillowcase over a student's head, tied him up, and threw him into the truck of a car before leaving him in another wooded area elsewhere in the county. The player was eventually taken back to his home, but the DA said, "There was a period of time where he thought he was going to be abandoned in the middle of nowhere." Fitzpatrick said a video he saw of the incident was beyond anything that could be, in his estimation, considered good-natured hazing. “I’ve seen the videotape of what happened to this young man,” he said. “It is not a rite of passage. It is not a trivial matter. I don’t know how long this young man will be affected by what happened to him.” He also noted that some of the suspects can be heard on the video and said they found the victims' terror "amusing." Joseph Coolican, the county's First Chief Assistant District Attorney, said there were "at least" 11 suspects, and that most of them are minors, though one is over the age of 18. On Tuesday, Fitzpatrick called on the suspects to turn themselves in within 48 hours or face felony charges and trial as adults. “If you don’t — if you’re tougher than me, you’re a gambler and you’re going to play the odds, you don’t think you’re going to get caught — trust me, the men and women of the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Department are going to identify you,” the district attorney said. “You’ll be arrested, you’ll be prosecuted as an adult, and you’ll be charged with the very, very serious felony of kidnapping, perhaps in the second degree.” Fitzpatrick did not confirm if the gun that was allegedly spotted in the video of the incident was real or fake, but said he did not plan to charge anyone with the possession of a weapon. The school has cancelled the rest of the varsity boys' lacrosse season, according to Westhill Central School District Superintendent Stephen Dunham. Most of the team was not involved in the incident and there is no evidence that they knew what their teammates were planning for the younger players. The school district has launched its own investigation, but could not provide specific details about its inquiry. “Hazing is an indefensible act,” the superintendent said. “ It can be humiliating and degrading, potentially causing physical and emotional harm.” govt and politics"},{"score":0.644244,"label":"/law A central New York community is grappling with the devastating consequences of hazing Onondaga County District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick said 11 members of the Westhill High School men’s lacrosse team were involved in what he called “hazing on steroids,” in which they allegedly led at least one team member into the woods and came out of the woods dressed in black with what appeared to be a gun and knife Anne Reagan works with children and adolescents as section chief of inpatient psychology services at SUNY Upstate She said hazing can happen in any type of group setting "There's a lot of psychological group theory at play with hazing and these types of things and wanting to fit in and group acceptance and identifying to be an important part of an organization." Reagan said it’s a good time for parents or other trusted adults to start a conversation about hazing with the kids and teens in their lives talk about how words and actions can hurt people’s feelings "We really encourage open-ended conversations because what that does is it really helps the adults better gauge where the kids are really most troubled by it and what is bothering the kids the most which can be very different than us as adults and parents." “What have you heard about what happened?” or “How would you have handled this differently if you had been there?” And she said let teens know you’ll always have their backs if they do the right thing “If other parents maybe knew their kids were victims to think that it's just going to stop there is unlikely so I think there's a larger community conversation and organizational types of conversations that need to happen." As for the incident with the Westhill students Fitzpatrick gave the students involved 48 hours to turn themselves in to be ticketed for unlawful imprisonment Westhill superintendent Steve Dunham said in a letter that although the majority of the lacrosse team was not involved in the incident the rest of the team’s season has been canceled to allow for a reset in the program’s culture next year — Reporting by CNN and CNY Central provides new insight into the moments leading up to a hazing case that shocked the Westhill community Members of the Westhill boys varsity lacrosse team were in the stands at a crosstown rivals' lacrosse game when text messages regarding a "prank" started it was a good night to play a prank on the younger players two sources familiar with the discussions told CNN CNY Central has been reporting that the staged kidnapping led to a victim being traumatized and 11 different members of the lacrosse team arrested and facing a misdemeanor charge ultimately involved the abduction of one of them who was tied up and stuffed in a trunk with a pillowcase over his head A source talking with CNN claimed the students used an airsoft gun a non-lethal weapon that fires lightweight plastic pellets Authorities have not revealed to the public or CNY Central any details on the "weapons," real or fake used during the hazing incident the Onondaga County Executive spoke about the incident "What is painful is that everybody knows each other the parents know each other the students know each other and now it's trying to be accountable so that kids know that this is not acceptable in any shape or form but how do we move forward as a community," Onondaga County Executive Ryan Mcmahon said Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight The Montgomery County Old Courthouse in Fonda Old Fort Johnson in the hamlet of Fort Johnson The former West Hill School in Canajoharie MONTGOMERY COUNTY — Three historic sites in Montgomery County each have been awarded $100,000 grants to aid preservation and restoration projects the Montgomery County Old Courthouse and the former West Hill School were among the first recipients of Mohawk Valley Historic Rural Revitalization Grant Program awards through the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content More Montgomery County Reach Ashley Onyon at aonyon@dailygazette.net Email notifications are only sent once a day Have the latest local news delivered every morning so you don't miss out on updates Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Have the latest food and drink articles delivered to your inbox every Thursday Have the latest local news delivered every afternoon so you don't miss out on updates Sign up today to receive email newsletters of local daily obituaries Get the Register Star and Daily Mail E-edition delivered directly to your inbox Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account The Westhill Central School District in Syracuse is addressing a serious hazing incident involving 11 members of the Westhill High School boys' lacrosse team Superintendent Steve Dunham announced that these students will face disciplinary actions according to the district's code of conduct after they were involved in a hazing incident that took place on April 24 Dunham expressed his heartbreak for the victims and their families acknowledging the pain caused by the incident He stated that the Westhill community is navigating a range of emotions and is committed to moving forward together — The Onondaga County District Attorney's Office announced Wednesday that 11 student suspects who were members of the Westhill High School men's lacrosse team had turned themselves in following an egregious hazing incident against the team's younger members on April 24 Those students surrendered after District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick gave them a 48-hour ultimatum That amnesty deal included that they turn themselves and be ticketed for unlawful imprisonment BACKGROUND | All 11 suspects involved in Westhill lacrosse team hazing turn themselves in, DA says The amnesty deal was presented after Fitzpatrick described the hazing to the public It involved making the victims believe that they'd be taken to a lacrosse game and later get food at McDonald's the names of the 18-year-old suspects were not released There is also no information from Westhill High School administrators if the 11 students involved are reporting to school the team's lacrosse season has been terminated Below is a poll asking you if you think the District Attorney's Office is handling the matter appropriately An apparent prank involving Westhill High School students has led to 11 of its lacrosse players to be charged with unlawful imprisonment Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said Wednesday The DA told reporters Tuesday that young members of the lacrosse team were lured out by some teammates by the promise of a night at a lacrosse game the DA said they were taken to a remote area where people dressed in black with a knife and what appeared to be a gun were waiting A student was tied up with a hood over their head before they were put in a car trunk "I cannot really adequately express to this community the level of stupidity and lack of judgment involved in this case This goes way beyond hazing," Fitzpatrick said Fitzpatrick had given the people involved until Friday morning to turn themselves in with a lawyer The DA said on Wednesday that 11 lacrosse players had turned themselves in and were charged with unlawful imprisonment The school district is cooperating with the investigation and said Tuesday's varsity lacrosse team's game was postponed Source:  Image by Andy Sutherland Shutterstock Hastings Borough Council is seeking a design team for an upgrade of its Grade II-listed West Hill Lift [Deadline: 7 May 2025] The winning team selected for the estimated £120,000 contract will carry out a condition survey feasibility study and design reports exploring options to renew and enhance the West Hill Lift which connects George Street in Hastings Old Town to Hastings Castle The project aims to improve accessibility and preserve heritage of the 1891 funicular railway and the approaches to its upper and lower stations. The search for a design team comes five months after Poroban won a competition for a new visitor centre at Hastings Castle According to the brief: ‘The Grade II-listed West Hill lift is a tourist and heritage attraction It is a Victorian funicular railway that is tunnelled into the cliff face It provides transportation from Hastings Old Town to the top of West Hill where Ladies' Parlour and Hastings Castle are located ‘A key objective of this project is to produce a comprehensive assessment of the current condition and long-term maintenance requirements of the lift carriages and surrounding area including the steps and approaches to the steps This project will provide crucial insight into the condition of the asset and produce feasibility reports and designs which can be utilised to progress to the next phase and aid in applying for funding to undertake the capital works.’ Hastings is a south coast resort town located around 85km from London. Local landmarks include HAT Projects’ Jerwood Gallery, the waterfront Stade open space by Tim Ronalds Architects and dRMM’s redevelopment of Hastings Pier, which won the 2017 Stirling Prize but changed owner within 12 months The latest procurement comes shortly after IF_DO created a new community hub for Hastings. Holy Trinity Hastings launched a search for a design team for a £2.14 million overhaul one year ago Bids for the latest commission will be evaluated 80 per cent on quality and 20 per cent on price Applicants must hold employer’s liability insurance of £10 million public liability insurance of £10 million and professional indemnity insurance of £2 million Tags Hutchison Ports is recruiting a design team for its new £9 million… An open international contest is being held for a major €27.5 million… An international design and build contest is being held for 25 new… The UK Research and Innovation Science and Technology Facilities Council (UKRI-STFC) has… The Westhill boys lacrosse team huddles up during a matchup against General Brown at Westhill High School FILE — Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick speaks during a news in Syracuse (AP) — Members of a high school lacrosse program in upstate New York are accused of staging an armed abduction of younger players in a stunt that “went way beyond hazing,” prosecutors said this week All 11 people believed to be involved in the events linked to the team at Westhill High School in suburban Syracuse have turned themselves in to face charges the Onondaga District Attorney’s office said Wednesday They were given appearance tickets for a later date District Attorney William Fitzpatrick had given the students until Thursday to come forward voluntarily and face only misdemeanor charges of unlawful imprisonment He warned Tuesday that those who did not would be charged with more serious felony kidnapping Fitzpatrick said the group was part of a “ruse” that involved inviting younger players to watch a game and then go to McDonald’s blindfolded and put into the trunk of a car “I cannot adequately express to this community the level of stupidity and lack of judgment involved in this case,” Fitzpatrick said Fitzpatrick said a person driving the younger players on the team pretended to get lost and pulled over in a remote area where other participants in the prank lay in wait in the woods armed with at least one knife and a weapon that appeared to be a gun That’s when the students launched the fake abduction There were at least five alleged victims set up in the stunt The one who didn’t escape had his hands tied and some sort of hood placed over his head He was led to believe he would be abandoned that’s going to be long term,” Fitzpatrick said “This is not lighting a bag on fire on Halloween and sticking it in your driveway adding that it could have led to a fatal shooting if police had come across the scene and saw “a kid with a hood over his head being abducted at gunpoint.” and Fitzpatrick said the local sheriffs office identified the 11 people — some of 18 years old — whom they believe participated either directly or indirectly Asked if all were members of the boys’ lacrosse team but I don’t know that.” He noted reports that the district’s superintendent had canceled the rest of the varsity team’s season Messages seeking comment were left for Westhill School District Superintendent Steve Dunham