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The 20-second video, which was shared on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, shows two boys, ages 12 and 14, torturing the kittens. Adessa declined to share further details due to the nature of the video and the age of the boys. The video was deleted from social media within about 36 hours, but Adessa said it led him to receive about 40 messages and calls to the SPCA's animal cruelty line.

"I have never, ever seen anything like this before. To me, this is one of the most disturbing things I've ever seen," he said. "It's not just the type of abuse, but the age of the individuals involved."

Authorities found the residence based on information provided to Adessa by the public. After conducting interviews and confirming the boys were minors, he reached out to police and the district attorney. He said any animal cruelty charges against the two boys will go to family court due to their age, but added that other charges are pending against third parties who are not minors.

As the investigation continues, Adessa asked anyone with information about the case to contact the Finger Lakes SPCA of CNY at (315) 707-8147 or , the Cayuga County District Attorney's Office at (315) 253-1391, or Officer Michael Weeks at the Auburn Police Department at (315) 253-3231 or mweeks@auburnny.gov.

In June when Ray announced she was retiring as Auburn's director of health, physical education and athletics — a position held since 1996 — Maher was a natural successor. 

"Tam has always been a professional and personal mentor," Maher said in a phone interview on Tuesday. "She's always looped me into different things. I'd be a supervisor when she was potentially unavailable. She was instrumental in my career here at Auburn. 

"To come back here as a vice principal for a few years and get this position, when Tam took her ride into the sunset, was one of those things. ...This is where I want to be and this is what I want to do, no question about it."

Following a process that included multiple interviews, one with a panel of community members and the next with the Auburn Enlarged City School District board of education, Maher was officially announced as the new athletic director on June 22. 

Maher's resume includes stops all over New York state, and even within Cayuga County. After earning his Master's degree from SUNY Cortland — where he was also a member of the Red Dragons' football staff — Maher had stops at the Valley Central and Hamilton school districts. His roles ranged from coach of several different athletic programs to teaching physical education to being an athletic director. 

In 2006, he was a vice principal at Rome Free Academy, and was on the opposite sideline when the Knights fell to Auburn in the Section III football championship. 

The next five years, he spent in Auburn as a vice principal, before departing to Weedsport where he'd again coach, teach, and later serve as athletic director through 2018. He then returned to Auburn, where he's been ever since. 

"Throughout my career, if anybody asked me what my culminating goal was, athletic director was always there, whether at Auburn or a different school," Maher said. "That's the last hat I want to wear. Tam and I talked frequently, and I always told her when she's ready (to step down), I'm eager. I didn't want to be disrespectful, but anything she could do to prepare me, I'd be more than willing."

An athletic director's role includes plenty of work behind the scenes, including creating schedules, securing buses for road trips, collaborating with coaches and finding officials. 

Maher believes it's also important to help foster school spirit and a supportive culture. That's why, even in his previous role as an assistant principal, he'd make a concerted effort to be in attendance for basketball games, football games, et cetera. 

"It's a fantastic way to springboard conversations while you're in school. 'Hey, you did a fantastic job last night at your game,' or 'Hey, tough break, you guys almost had them,'" Maher said. "It's part of our responsibility, but there's also a desire to be there."

One of Maher's primary responsibilities during the 2021-22 school year will be navigating Auburn athletics through another year of COVID-related protocols. 

Last year, Auburn was one of the few school districts in Cayuga County that continued to participate in athletics through every season, when allowable by New York state. 

Maher was clear that while precautions will be taken to ensure safety of the student-athletes, coaches and spectators, Auburn wants to continue to provide extra-curricular opportunities. As fall sports begin, there are no restrictions for spectators at outdoor sporting events in Auburn. For indoor events (volleyball is the only indoor fall sport), all spectators are required to wear masks. 

In the field of play, Maher's goal is to keep the train moving. Last spring, Auburn won section titles in girls lacrosse and softball (the first ever for both programs), individual section titles in boys and girls track, and also had a baseball team finish runner-up. 

"We want to build off the foundation that's been established by the athletic leadership here," Maher said. "Whether it's a program in transition or , we're gonna build off what we learn both through success and failure. I hope through my experiences within the community as a former student, athlete and coach, together we can continue to build that momentum."

Maher is not Cayuga County's only new athletic director for the upcoming academic year. Caitlin Wasielewski is Southern Cayuga's new athletic director and assistant principal. 

Wasielewski comes to Southern Cayuga with over six years of teaching and coaching experience. She most recently worked within the North-Rose Wolcott school district. Wasielewski replaces Justin Frisbee, who was the interim athletic director in 2021 following Cathy Haight's retirement. 

Following superintendent Neil O'Brien's retirement, Port Byron is also restructuring its administration which will impact the athletic department. Mike Hermann has been hired as assistant athletic director to Kim Brown, who was recently promoted to Dana West High School principal. 

Brown told ÓÐÁϺÐ×Ó in April that he'd remain involved with athletics during the 2021-22 school year, but the school district was seeking another administrator that can be groomed as his replacement. 

In addition to his athletic department role, Hermann is a middle school math teacher and cross country coach. He was also previously the varsity boys basketball head coach. 

It was a moving experience for James, who toured the center for about an hour. Courtney Rae Kasper, the visitor experience manager at the Equal Rights Heritage Center, led the tour. 

The Equal Rights Heritage Center has exhibits featuring important historical figures, such as abolitionists Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman, women's suffragists and leaders of the LGBTQ movement. As James made her way through the facility, which opened in 2018, she took time to digest the information and utilize some of the interactive features of the exhibits. 

At the center's social justice table, James paused to scroll through a tablet before continuing her tour. The final part of the tour was a timeline detailing the history of New Yorkers organizing for human rights, LGBTQ rights and women's suffrage. The timeline contains photos of women's suffrage rallies in the early 20th century and Women's Marches in 2017. There are also photos of the Black Lives Matter movement and marches in support of civil rights. 

From start to finish, it takes about 20 minutes to complete the timeline. James did not move and rarely spoke as the slides appeared, one by one, on the screen. 

The tour concluded with a stop at the Taste NY Market inside the heritage center. New York-made products, including several food items, are available at the market. James made several purchases, including granola and maple syrup. 

After the tour, James told Kasper that the center is "amazing." She offered a similar review in an interview with ÓÐÁϺÐ×Ó. 

"I enjoyed it, but I need more time here," she said. "I look forward to coming back." 

James' visit carried political significance because of her standing as a statewide elected official and, potentially, a gubernatorial candidate in 2022. Auburn elected leaders, including Mayor Michael Quill, joined the tour. Some Democratic candidates for local offices were also present. 

So far, James hasn't committed to running for governor. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who was sworn in last week after Andrew Cuomo's resignation, plans to seek a full term. 

Before visiting the Equal Rights Heritage Center, James attended the New York State Fair. When asked by reporters there whether she will run for governor, she said her focus is on the fair. 

James would be a formidable candidate for governor. She is in her first term as attorney general and previously served as public advocate in New York City. She is also a former New York City Council member. 

Her political aspirations weren't the focus of her visit on Wednesday. The visit to the Equal Rights Heritage Center served as a reminder of what she strives to do each day as the state's top law enforcement officer. 

"It's about the law and using the law both as a sword and a shield," she said. "And standing up for justice each and every day and ensuring that no one is locked out of the sunshine of opportunity and recognizing that everyone should live to the fullest potential and every child in the state of New York should thrive." 

James added that she uses her office and the law to knock down barriers to New Yorkers' right to vote, right to health care and access to a clean environment. 

"That's my role. That's my mission," she continued. "It's my commitment to justice. It's the reason why I wake up each and every day with this fire in my belly to do the right thing on behalf of the residents of the great state of New York." 

Casey Park, Genesee, Owasco and Herman Avenue elementary schools are all undergoing work as part of a multi-year, multi-phase capital project, and district employees and teachers are scrambling this week to clean buildings and set up classrooms as workers vacate buildings.

Superintendent Jeff Pirozzolo said that the work overall is behind schedule because of pandemic-related difficulties in obtaining some building supplies, and that the crews working on the Casey Park and Genesee also fell a day behind schedule getting their equipment moved out of the buildings after completing a current interior phase of the project.

There are two separate construction companies working on the elementary school projects, each in charge of two buildings, and "one got done a little earlier than the other," Pirozzolo said.

Herman Avenue and Owasco are going to be ready to go on Sept. 7, Pirozzolo said, but workers were still removing materials from hallways and classrooms at the other schools this week and the district needed to get cleaning crews into the buildings and give teachers enough time to set up their classrooms.

Affected families were notified about the delay on Tuesday.

In addition to exterior work, construction this summer included buildings receiving improvements to their HVAC systems, and some are getting new front entryways, secure vestibules and redesigned main office areas.

A majority of ballots cast were needed to determine whether to keep or decertify the union. It was a narrow vote, with 32 employees voting to disband the union and 30 who supported keeping it. A plurality of members (43) did not vote. 

Allison Krause, an 1199SEIU spokesperson, said the union is disappointed with the outcome. 

"Management delayed negotiations so long that workers lost faith in their own power to create change," she said. 

After workers unionized in 2018, 1199SEIU attempted to negotiate a contract with Auburn Memorial Medical Services, but an agreement could not be reached. COVID-19 interrupted talks as both sides agreed to a months-long pause. 

When AMMS and the union returned to the negotiating table, there was no progress, even as the hospital agreed to a new contract with the nurses' union. 

On June 23, a decertification petition was submitted to the National Labor Relations Board. Five days later, 1199SEIU, in a charge filed with the board, accused AMMS of bad faith bargaining and refusal to bargain. 

The union alleged that AMMS participated in negotiations without offering substantive counter-proposals. It is illegal to engage in "surface bargaining," which is negotiating without the intent of reaching an agreement. 

Laurie Lupien, an LPN at Urgent Care of Auburn and a member of the union, said in June that AMMS management "has dragged negotiations on so long that many of my co-workers feel that there's no hope and we will always be treated this way." Krause added that the lack of a contract could make workers lose faith in the union and support decertification. 

AMMS representatives could not be reached for comment on this story. 

The union withdrew its initial charge against AMMS, but filed a new case in August — shortly before secret ballots were delivered to union members — alleging again that management engaged in bad faith negotiations. 

That case remains open, according to the National Labor Relations Board.