Latest news with #Lewiston
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Lewiston Party House defendant seeks dismissal
The man who previously pleaded guilty to charges of providing booze and pot to teenagers in a Mountain View Drive home that became known as the 'Lewiston Party House' is asking to have his case dismissed. Gary Sullo, 58, has appealed to Niagara County Court Judge John Ottaviano, asking to have the charges he has already admitted to — and been sentenced for — thrown out because he claims his constitutional rights to a speedy trial were denied. Lawyers for Sullo and Niagara County District Attorney Brian Seaman argued the appeal before Ottaviano on Wednesday. Defense attorney Jessica Kulpit told the judge that after Sullo was first charged in 2018 it took '4 years, 9 months and 8 days' to resolve his case. 'There is no universe I can think of where it takes 5 years to resolve a misdemeanor case,' Kulpit said. While admitting that proceedings in the case were impacted by restrictions imposed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kulpit insisted that 'the Town of Lewiston Court did nothing, without explanation, the court did nothing (to advance the case). This is a deprivation of constitutional rights.' Sullo was sentenced by Lewiston Town Justice Hugh Gee to three years probation for his guilty plea to misdemeanor charges for providing alcohol and marijuana to teenagers in the home he shared with his late wife Tricia Vacanti, who was also originally charged in the case. His sentencing came more than six years after the first reports of booze and drug-fueled teenage parties at the home. Sullo was charged with multiple counts of endangering the welfare of a child and unlawful dealing with a child but ultimately pleaded guilty to just two counts of endangering the welfare of a child in a deal with Niagara County prosecutors. At the time of that deal, Sullo had filed a motion in Lewiston court to have the case dismissed, arguing that his speedy trial rights had been violated. Before prosecutors could respond to that motion, and before Gee could issue a ruling on it, Sullo reportedly emailed the judge and said he wanted to take the DA's plea offer. Kulpit said that despite her client's decision to take the prosecutor's offer, the request to have the case dismissed should have been ruled on in the Lewiston court. She said Sullo always expected to get a ruling. 'He took the plea believing he could still appeal,' Kulpit said. Assistant Niagara County District Attorney Laura Jordon told Ottaviano that Sullo has no right to appeal. 'The case law is clear,' Jordan told the judge. 'A guilty plea precludes a (speedy trial) appeal.' Jordan also said all of the delays in the case, before Sullo's guilty plea, were a result of either Covid restrictions or requests from his defense attorney. 'Not a single delay was attributable to the people,' Jordan said. 'The record (in the case) shows all those delays, outside of Covid, were at the defendant's request.' Sullo's sentencing followed the sentencing of the other remaining adult in the case, Jessica Long. Long, 43, was sentenced by Gee in January 2024 to six months of interim probation for her guilty plea to one count of first-degree unlawfully dealing with a child. Vacanti had faced 41 counts of unlawfully dealing with a minor and endangering the welfare of a child in connection with the house parties. But she died suddenly on July 3, 2022, and the charges against her were set aside. Specifically, Vacanti had been accused of providing booze and pot to at least three teenage girls, who later claimed they were sexually assaulted in her home by her then-teenage son, Christopher Belter. Belter was indicted, and pleaded guilty in June 2019, to felony charges of third-degree rape and attempted first-degree sexual abuse and two misdemeanor charges of second-degree sexual abuse for encounters with four teenage girls that occurred during the parties at the family's home in 2016 and 2018. In November 2021, Belter was sentenced to eight years of sex offender probation. A month later, he was classified as a Level 3 sex offender. Level 3 is the most serious classification and legally indicates a 'sexual predator.' Belter was also declared a sexually violent offender. Sullo and Vacanti were originally charged with 19 combined counts of unlawfully dealing with a minor and endangering the welfare of a child in connection with the parties at their home from 2016 to 2018. In January 2020, Niagara County prosecutors leveled an additional 22 counts of endangering and unlawful dealing against Vacanti and another eight counts of the same allegations against Sullo. Long was charged with single counts of unlawfully dealing with a minor and endangering the welfare of a child. Sullo, who now resides in Florida, was not present in court for the hearing on his appeal.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Standoff over red flag hearing continues in Maine Legislature, may go to court
Jun. 6—A partisan standoff over whether to hold a public hearing on a citizen-initiated red flag referendum is likely to stretch into next week's legislative sessions and could wind up in court. Senate Minority Leader Trey Stewart, R-Presque Isle, tried late Thursday to force Democrats to schedule a public hearing on the referendum, proposing a series of floor motions in the Senate, all of which were rejected. He said Friday that he intends to introduce additional motions next week if Democrats still haven't agreed to hold a hearing on the initiative. "I don't think this thing is over yet," Stewart said. "If I had to wager a bet, there are some other motions I'm intending to make when we get back next week, assuming they still haven't done the right thing." The red flag proposal, if passed by voters, would make it easier to confiscate the guns of a person in crisis by allowing family members to initiate the process and by removing a required mental health evaluation. The proposal came forward in the wake of the mass shooting in Lewiston in October 2023 and is certain to generate intense debate over gun rights and restrictions ahead of the November vote. Meanwhile, the impasse over a public hearing on the proposal has added to tensions at the State House as lawmakers are in the busy final days of the legislative session. Republicans point to a 2019 law that requires public hearings for citizen initiatives that are headed toward statewide referendum votes, unless lawmakers formally vote to waive the requirement. Such hearings have been held on other citizen proposals, but not all: A 2021 citizen initiative never received a hearing or the required waiver and was still sent to referendum and passed by voters. Democrats have so far not backed down, arguing in part that the Maine Constitution does not require the hearing and also citing legislative rules. Gun rights supporters who are opposed to the referendum proposal are pointing to the state law and threatening legal action against Democratic leaders, with one top advocate saying Friday that they have attorneys drafting a lawsuit. "When there's a state law on the books the Legislature can't just ignore it, so that will be the basis for the challenge," said David Trahan, executive director of the Sportsmen's Alliance of Maine, an advocacy group for gun owners and sportsmen that is working on the lawsuit. Nacole Palmer, executive director of the Maine Gun Safety Coalition, which initiated the citizen's referendum, said in a written statement Friday that the group is "happy to debate this issue any time" and accused Republicans of playing "political tricks" by waiting until the end of the session to raise questions. "Now the National Rifle Association has joined them, parachuting into our state to muddy our Democratic process," Palmer said. "While they are doing that, we are focusing on the next five months, where we will be having this conversation publicly, talking to voters throughout the state, and in November every Maine voter will have the chance to make their voices heard." Citizens initiatives are brought forward by voters though a signature-gathering and application process. While the Legislature can choose to enact the proposals, they typically send them to statewide referendum votes. Maine's Legislature held a public hearing last month on the only other citizen initiative currently pending. That proposal would require photo identification prior to voting in Maine and put new restrictions on absentee voting. It also is headed for a fall referendum vote. Lawmakers also held a public hearing last year on the only citizen-initiated referendum they received in 2024, LD 2232, to limit contributions to political action committees that make independent expenditures. All four citizen initiatives in 2023 also received hearings. Legislative records, however, show that no public hearing or vote to waive the hearing was held for an initiative in 2021 that was aimed at stopping the New England Clean Energy Connect transmission line through western Maine. At a committee work session on that initiative, a legislative analyst did not address whether lawmakers needed to hold a public hearing but did note some unique circumstances. Two weeks after the initiative was handed to the Legislature, lawmakers adjourned and the bill was carried over to a special session. Sen. Dick Bradstreet, R-Vassalboro, the sponsor of the 2019 law to require public hearings, said Friday that the circumstances of the 2021 case were different because lawmakers are supposed to hold the hearing in the same session in which they receive it and in that case they had just received the proposal when they ended up adjourning. He said the reason no hearing was held in 2021 was "kind of a technicality." LD 1378, the bill resulting from the red flag citizen initiative, was transmitted to the Legislature on March 27, during the current session that's scheduled to end June 18. "You really can't compare the two because in this case they're choosing not to have the hearing, even though the legal requirements are there," Bradstreet said. "Before, they could say they weren't in the same session. ... Now they're kind of flouting the law." Bradstreet said he didn't recall any outcry over the lack of a public hearing on the 2021 measure, but said there was less knowledge of the relatively new law at the time. He said he put forward the bill in 2019 because of a handful of initiatives that had been put forward around that time that were generating a lot of advertising. DISCERNING FACT FROM FICTION "I thought, 'How can people discern fact from fiction?'" Bradstreet said. "The only way to do that would be some type of hearing where people could question what the initiative does and what some repercussions would be, and where both sides would have a chance to present their arguments without the propaganda." In a late-night session Thursday, Senate President Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, rejected a proposal from Stewart to consider a formal waiver of the public hearing requirement to comply with state law, saying that his proposal was "not properly before the body." Daughtry said the Legislature's rules take precedence over statutes passed by prior groups of lawmakers regarding legislative proceedings and that Stewart's motion was asking for lawmakers to take an "unnecessary vote" on the citizens initiative. Daughtry also noted that the initiative was still before the Judiciary Committee, where she said it could have further action. A spokesperson for Daughtry and Sen. Anne Carney, D-Cape Elizabeth, the Senate chair of the committee, said Friday that they would not comment on the calls for a public hearing. Rep. Amy Kuhn, D-Falmouth, the House chair of the committee, did not respond to a voicemail message or email. Trahan, from the Sportsmen's Alliance of Maine, said his group in conjunction with Gun Owners of Maine and the National Rifle Association will focus their lawsuit on the 2019 law and argue that lawmakers need to either hold the hearing or vote by a two-thirds majority to waive it. The group is also fundraising to support the effort. Trahan said that just because lawmakers "got away with" not holding a hearing on the 2021 initiative, it does not mean it's not required in the law. "Why don't they just make this easy and hold the public hearing?" he said. "There's nothing to hide. Good public discourse adds to the debate." Copy the Story Link
CBS News
4 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Wayne County Lottery Club wins $793K playing Fast Cash progressive jackpot
Members of a Michigan lottery club plan to live a debt-free life after winning $793,304 on a 5 Win Lucky Clover Fast Cash jackpot from the Michigan Lottery. The Wayne County lottery club purchased its winning ticket at Talley's Log Cabin Bar, located at 2981 Kneeland Street in Lewiston. "My friend, the other club member, lives in Northern Michigan, and we just recently started playing the Lottery together whenever I am up north at my cabin," said the club's representative in a news release. "We bought a Fast Cash ticket together and weren't sure how much we won, so we scanned it and got a message to visit the Lottery office. "We scanned it on the Michigan Lottery app next and flipped out when we saw we won the jackpot plus $250,000! It was a total shock and took a while to wrap our heads around it. I don't think it's going to fully sink in until we cash our checks." With their winnings, club members plan to live debt-free. The Michigan Lottery offers several Fast Cash instant-win games. Fast Cash games offer players a progressive jackpot that can be won instantly, according to the Michigan Lottery. Games include Wild Time Progressive, Lucky Clover, Diamond Wild Time Progressive, Jumbo Jackpot Slots, Jackpot Slots Millionaire and Super Lucky 7s. Tickets range in price from $2 per play up to $30 per play.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
LSU Shreveport achieves perfect 59-0 season, wins NAIA national championship
Perfection achieved for the LSU Shreveport baseball program. The Pilots completed a perfect 59-0 season with a 13-7 win over Southeastern (Fla.) at Harris Field in Lewiston, Idaho, in the NAIA national championship game on May 30. LSU Shreveport ended the season with a perfect 59-0 record to win the first national title in school history. Advertisement REQUIRED READING: College baseball tournament bracket winners and losers start with SEC LSUS is the first NAIA baseball team to complete an unbeaten season. The Pilots' 59-game win streak topped the previous college baseball record of 57 straight wins achieved by junior college Howard College of Texas, which ended up finishing its 2009 season with a 63-1 record and winning a national title. Despite the perfect record, the path to baseball immortality and the championship was not always a smooth one. The Pilots faced 4-0 and 7-5 deficits in the championship game. However, back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning by Jackson Syring and Ian Montz helped them overcome a season-high deficit of four runs. LSUS set the college baseball record for winning streak with its 58th straight win a day earlier with a 14-4 victory over Hope International (Calif.). LSU Shreveport achieved a 30-0 record in Red River Athletic Conference games and won 28 games by 10 runs or more. Advertisement Brad Neffendorf, who is in his sixth year as the coach, has posted a 270-49 record with the Pilots. 'It's the most unbelievable thing we may ever see in college baseball,' Neffendorf told the SBC Advocate. 'They deserve to be applauded like there is no tomorrow. They haven't done anything but continue to put their foot on the gas pedal to keep getting better.' This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LSU Shreveport finishes perfect season with NAIA national championship
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
LSU Shreveport completes unbeaten season; wins 1st national championship
LEWISTON, Idaho (KTAL/KMSS) — The LSU Shreveport baseball team made history Friday night winning the NAIA National Championship with a 13-7 win over Southeastern (Fla.) in the World Series title game. The Pilots (59-0) fell behind 4-0 in the 2nd inning but never flinched. Jose Sallorin drove in two runs in the bottom of the 2nd inning with a bases loaded single up the middle. Shreveport scored three runs in the inning to pull within one. With the Pilots trailing 7-6 in the bottom of the 6th inning Jackson Syring belted a solo homerun over the centerfield fence. You could feel the confidence building with one swing of the bat. The very next hitter, Ian Montz drove the ball over the right-centerfield wall to give LSUS the lead for good. Ryan Davenport and Sallorin drove in three runs each in the win. While Brock Lucas and Draven Ziegler didn't have their best stuff through the first four innings of the game on the mound, giving up seven runs on six hits, Kenneth Schechter was brilliant in relief. Schechter went four innings, while giving up no runs on two hits while striking out two to pick up the win. Ace Isaac Rohde came on in relief and pitched the final inning of the game. The Pilots extended the longest win streak by a college baseball team at any level to 59 games. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
