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When an Auburn woman was diagnosed with cancer in May, her family wrote in to the syndicated "Rachael Ray Show" to see if she could help make their mom's dream of a new kitchen come true.

Ray responded, and the results will be aired in an episode of the show on Thursday. The show came to the home of Theresa Diego on Standart Avenue to provide the full makeover.

Diego's daughters, Elizabeth and Kaitlyn, wrote in to the show to request the kitchen remodel, show producers said. Their kitchen was outdated and not meeting the family's needs, according to the daughters' application to the show.

Ray teamed up with designer John Gidding — who formerly had his own home-improvement show on HGTV called "Curb Appeal" — and went to work on the kitchen earlier this month.

The episode airs at 9 a.m. Thursday on WSYR and will tell the family's story, as well as detail the renovation process. The family also will join Ray and Gidding in studio to discuss the process during the show. 

AUBURN | Tiffany Ernst said she has suffered through much in her 32 years on earth.

One look at the Auburn woman's recent criminal history shows Ernst has, at least legally, been through a lot. Since Nov. 2012, Ernst has been arrested five times for nine different charges ranging from trespassing-related offenses to criminal obstruction of breathing.

And , Ernst will spent up to the next three years in prison for her first felony conviction.

On Tuesday morning in Cayuga County Court, Ernst tried to backpedal away from the guilty plea she entered in October — arguing her mental health issues rendered her overly compliant and incapable of understanding the ramifications of pleading guilty.

"I felt really confused about what was going on," she said. "And when I get overwhelmed and agitated, I just say what everybody wants me to say."

Arguing she needed a mental health advocate, Ernst asked Judge Mark Fandrich to withdraw her guilty plea.

However, neither Fandrich nor District Attorney Jon Budelmann accepted Ernst's assertion that she did not understand what was happening when she admitted stealing on June 28 from Auburn's Wegmans, where she had been banned from shopping after a previous shoplifting incident.

Stating he believed she voluntarily pleaded guilty, Budelmann argued prison was the right sentence.

"I think she needs the treatment options that are available only in prison," he said.

Ernst's defense attorney, Adam Van Buskirk, disagreed — opining that county jail time would be more appropriate for his client, who he said wrangles with mental health issues.

"The people have taken a very hard line with Ms. Ernst, and I'm not clear why," he said.

Fandrich denied Ernst's motion to withdraw her plea, agreeing that the defendant's guilty plea was entered knowingly and voluntarily.

Ernst started to cry after hearing Fandrich's decision, stating she needed help to become a better person and a better mother to her three children.

"I went through a complete mental breakdown, and I'm trying to put the pieces of myself back together," she said. "I just want to be a good person."

For first-degree burglary, a felony, and petit larceny, a misdemeanor, Ernst was sentenced to one to three years in prison. Fandrich also gave Ernst a shock camp order to help the defendant obtain treatment while in the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision's custody.

"I don't doubt that you want to be a good mother," Fandrich told Ernst. "There's collateral consequences to each action, and you're not going to hide behind your children."

AUBURN | No one in Cayuga County Court doubted that the past 10 months have been difficult for Brandon Hinman.

After his wife, Jenna Hinman, gave birth prematurely via cesarean section to twin girls in March, — a rare, pregnancy-related cancer.

After a two-month fight for her life, Jenna Hinman died, leaving behind her infant daughters, a grieving husband and family.

Then, three months after he lost his wife, from a bank account set up to help cover Jenna Hinman's extensive medical expenses.

The Afghanistan war veteran was accused of forging his father-in-law's signature on 17 checks and charged with third-degree grand larceny and second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, both felonies.

And while recognizing Hinman's many tribulations, Judge Thomas Leone encouraged the defendant on Thursday morning to seriously focus on resolving his criminal case — and, in addition, a family court case regarding the custody of his 9-month-old daughters, who are currently being cared for by his late wife's parents.

"We haven't moved very far with that either," Leone said. "You've got some pretty serious criminal charges in front of you."

Hinman appeared in court Thursday in regard to a motion filed by Eileen Walsh, his defense attorney.

Walsh asked the court for leave to no longer serve as Hinman's attorney, stating her client had stopped working with her. Without Hinman being willing to assist in his own defense, Walsh stated she feared she could not properly represent him.

"There's definitely a breakdown in communication," she said.

When given a chance to speak, Hinman attributed his lack of communication to an attempt to "address some issues with my self."

When his wife died, Hinman said other issues haunting him — including his experiences in Afghanistan and learning his father has cancer — became overwhelming.

"I kind of got lost in the sauce, and everything came to a head," he said.

Hinman said he recently checked himself into Crouse Hospital, where he spent a week receiving treatment. He now attends counseling and works part-time — all in preparation for taking care of his daughters.

"All my other time is spent working on myself," he said.

Stating she didn't know Hinman had received treatment at the Syracuse hospital, Walsh told the court she was worried her client would "fall into the same pattern" of not communicating with her.

"I'd like to assist Mr. Hinman," she said. "I have real concerns."

However, after Hinman expressed a desire to continue retaining her as his defense attorney, Walsh agreed to give her representation of Hinman another try.

As Hinman, who remains out of custody on $2,500 bail, left the courtroom, Leone urged the defendant to stay in contact with his attorney.

"Brandon, it's really imperative," Leone said. "I think everyone's taken into consideration the history of what you've been through."

During her battle with cancer, Jenna Hinman's fight captured the attention of people across the world, who followed her story as it was covered by a host of local, national and international media organizations.

The Facebook page run by the her friends, features updates on the Hinman couple's twins, Azlynn an Kinleigh. The page currently has 462,917 likes.

Hinman's next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 15.

An Auburn man has been charged with arson and burglary in relation to a fire that damaged a building at the Mirbeau Inn and Spa in Skaneateles.

Peter D. Lewis, 37, of Myrtle Avenue, a former employee of the resort, was arrested Wednesday and charged with third-degree arson, a class C felony, third-degree burglary, a class D felony, and fifth-degree arson, a misdemeanor, according to a news release from state police in Elbridge.

Police said the initial investigation by the Onondaga County Fire Investigation Unit found fire damage in a storage building on the Mirbeau premises Oct. 8. The fire's cause, they determined, was arson.

According to Trooper Jack Keller, the structural damage was estimated at $25,000 and damage to interior contents was valued at $18,000.

Keller could not comment on the details of the investigation related to the two months it took for Lewis to be arrested.

Mirbeau general manager Richard Malcolm did not release any information Thursday on the October incident other than to say Lewis was a former employee of the establishment.

The New York Penal Code states that a person is guilty of arson in the third degree when he intentionally damages a building or motor vehicle by starting a fire or causing an explosion.

Lewis was arraigned Wednesday in Town of Skaneateles Court and released on his own recognizance. He is due to reappear in court at 7 p.m. Wednesday Jan. 7.

AUBURN | When the pain struck Donna Deyo, it came suddenly.

It was Nov. 9, and the 62-year-old Auburn woman was taking a shower after spending the day running errands and vacuuming her car with Matthew Kulis, her 12-year-old grandson.

As pain pulsed through her chest, Deyo summoned just enough strength to exit the shower and get dressed before calling out for help.

"The burning was ungodly," she said. "It was terrible."

When Kulis came to her aid, Deyo said she dialed 911 — immediately handing the phone to her grandson after she realized she was unable to speak. As his grandmother violently vomited, Kulis answered the dispatcher's questions, even running upstairs to check what medications his grandmother was on.

"He talked to them, and was rubbing my arm as I was puking," Deyo said, smiling. "Matt kept asking, 'Grandma, are you OK?'"

Soon after, TLC Emergency Medical Services paramedics arrived at Deyo's South Seward Avenue home. After reading her electrocardiogram and determining Deyo was having a heart attack, paramedics rushed her to St. Joseph's Hospital in Syracuse for treatment.

Nearly two months later, Deyo is home for Christmas — and, thanks to her grandson, alive.

On Friday afternoon, TLC employees stopped by Deyo's home to recognize Kulis for saving his grandmother's life. Standing next to his grandmother, mother and a cheerily decorated Christmas tree, Kulis grinned as Michelle Coyle, TLC's duty supervisor, handed him a certificate recognizing his actions.

"Matty's my buddy," Deyo said, beaming proudly.

As a living room full of paramedics took turns congratulating Kulis and shaking the seventh grade Auburn Junior High School student's hand, John Bush, a TLC supervisor, lauded Kulis for keeping his cool in a frightening situation.

"It's very seldom that we come across a young guy like you who is calm enough to answer our questions," Bush said.

Lon Fricano, director of operations for TLC, agreed.

"If you hadn't done what you did the way you did it, your grandma might not have been here," he said. "You really saved her life."

For his part, Kulis didn't boast. After receiving his certificate, the Auburn boy headed outside for a tour of one of TLC's ambulances. As he checked out an EKG machine, Kulis said watching his grandma have a heart attack was "kind of" scary.

Getting recognized, he said with a smile, was nice.

"Good," he said, describing how he felt about receiving a certificate from TLC. "Very thankful."

Fricano said TLC likes to recognize citizens who, in times of medical crisis, take action and play a significant part in saving another person's life. When they heard from Cayuga County 911 dispatchers what a "great job" Kulis had done answering critical questions, TLC was more than happy to praise him.

"What was happening to her, you don't survive if you don't take action right away," he said. "This 12-year-old boy saved his grandma's life."

This Christmas will have a happy hour for John and Nancy Mortimer.

The owners of Tinkers Guild will reopen the Auburn tavern Christmas Eve — exactly 10 months to the day it was in a blaze.

They likely won't celebrate alone: The Mortimers made the decision to rebuild Tinkers after an outpouring of support that saw their page visited 14,000 times the day of the fire, its wall a virtual funeral guestbook of memories and condolences.

"You could associate it to 'Cheers,'" patron Stacey Hearn said of Tinkers Guild, speaking to мÓƶà¶à¿ª½±¼Ç¼ in March. "You walk in and you know everybody."

Depending on how smoothly things go Christmas Eve, Tinkers will be back in business for good the 26th, John said. Bookings for birthdays and other private parties are already filling out the schedule.

A seven-and-a-half-week  process saw Tinkers resurrected as almost the exact same bar the Mortimers bought in 1975. Still, they took the opportunity to make improvements, such as doubling the number of beer taps from 10 to 20, and raising a roof over the outdoor area.

Otherwise, Mortimer said, the new Tinkers feels just like the old Tinkers.

"We're just shocked we got it done in seven and a half weeks," Mortimer said Friday. "The builders were fabulous. Everyone — the city, state — everyone was really good to us."

AUBURN | After admitting he stole checks from his father, Sean Conner will get a chance to address his heroin addiction.

On Tuesday morning in Cayuga County Court, the 28-year-old Auburn man pleaded guilty to second-degree forgery, second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument and two counts of first-degree identity theft, all felonies.

In exchange, Conner was promised a sentence of felony drug treatment court.

Conner, of 22 Grant St., admitted forging and cashing a $410 check stolen from his father on Aug. 18. He also conceded he attempted to cash a $220 forged check two days later, but was denied by bank workers.

The defendant will remain in the Cayuga County Jail's custody until a bed opens up at an inpatient treatment center.

Also in court:

• A 45-year-old Camillus man denied a 12-count indictment charging him with pawning stolen goods in Auburn.

According to District Attorney Jon Budelmann, across New York state and selling the products at an Auburn pawn shop this spring.

"He was a multi-county booster," Budelmann said.

Jeffrey DeRoberts, Wescott's defense attorney, disagreed with the DA's "theory." He also questioned claims his client is wanted on an active warrant, adding that the defense believed the warrant was fabricated to put his client in jail and allow investigators to put a tracking device on Wescott's vehicle.

Wescott, of 221 Forsythe St., pleaded not guilty to two counts of third-degree criminal possession of stolen property, six counts of first-degree falsifying business records and two counts of third-degree criminal possession of stolen property, all felonies. He also pleaded guilty to possession of burglar's tools and fifth-degree conspiracy, both misdemeanors.

Wescott was remanded to jail in lieu of $15,000 cash or a $30,000 bond.

• Robert Lamphere III will serve five years on probation for .

The 27-year-old Auburn man was sentenced to serve half a decade under supervision for first-degree reckless endangerment, a felony. Lamphere, of 29 Madison Ave., previously admitted some of the bullets he and his brothers, Steven Lashomb and Michael Bertollini, fired on June 10 struck a nearby occupied home.

Lashomb and Bertollini are both due to soon be sentenced for their roles in the Aurelius incident.

• For possessing approximately 22 ounces of marijuana, Brian Tuff faces spending a year in prison.

The 33-year-old Syracuse man pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal possession of marijuana — admitting he possessed over 16 ounces of the illicit drug in the Fingerlakes Mall's parking lot on Deb. 26.

In exchange for his felony plea, Tuff was promised a sentence of one year in prison. The sentence will merge with the one year he is serving for an Onondaga County conviction.

• A 59-year-old Moravia woman denied accusations charging her with selling drugs in Dec. 2013.

Patricia Livingston, of 44 Lisa Lane, pleaded not guilty to two counts of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, all felonies. She remains out of custody on $500 cash bail.

AUBURN | Benjamin Maeso was looking for the opportunity.

Dawn Schulz was looking to grant it.

Maeso, of Rochester, is head brewer at Schulz's new Prison City Pub & Brewery, which opened Friday at the corner of State and Dill streets. 

Though it's Maeso's first full-time brewing job, his resume runneth over with accolades and apprenticeships. Along with doing time at Rohrbach Brewing Co. in Rochester and Stoneyard in Brockport, Maeso was recognized as the New York State Home Brewer of the Year in 2011. His ales, barrel-aged beers and other concoctions have earned him more than 100 awards, as well.

At Prison City, Maeso oversees a five-barrel system whose first full batch will arrive early this week, he said.

"It's exciting and nerve-racking at the same time," he said.

Maeso has brewed every style in the guide, he said, and is also working to become a cicerone — the beer equivalent of a wine sommelier. Among the many styles he's brewed, he specializes in Belgian (wild, sour), fruit-based and aggressively hopped American (pale ale, India pale ale).

More than any one style, however, it's adventurousness that characterizes Maeso as a brewer. He looks forward to taking patrons of the new brewpub on the ride with him, from cucumber saison and double IPA to barrel-aged Russian imperial stouts and sour Berliner vice flavored by local blueberries or peaches.

"We're gonna make some standard beers that are more approachable, of course," he said. "But I kind of want to introduce people to stuff where they'll drink it and go, 'Wow, this doesn't taste like beer at all.'"

Along with a spate of other craft beers, two to four of Maeso's beers will be on tap at Prison City to start, eventually followed by six or seven. For now, beer can be bought in pints or flight. But when Prison City's own beer starts flowing fully, growlers will be available, as well.

With his brewing space separated from the restaurant by swinging double doors next to the bar, Maeso also expects to be around often enough to answer patrons' questions about his brewing process, or craft beer in general. And if he's not there, servers will also be schooled in the house brews.

"We want to focus on beer education," he said. "It's really fascinating."

Schulz and her husband, Marc, both fans of craft beer and frequenters of regional breweries, found Maeso through mutual contacts.

"The kid can clearly make great beer," Marc said. "And that's paramount to everything that goes on here."

Dawn had ambitions to open a brewpub since before she and Marc  their Bistro One restaurant on Genesee Street in 2010. With no breweries in Cayuga County as of the beginning of 2014, Prison City appealed to not only her own enthusiasm for local craft beer, but everyone's in the area.

As such, she tailored the brewpub's to the beer: burgers, pork belly tacos and other hearty fare.

"Our main focus is on the beer," she said. "And what we like from all of our travels is brewpub-style menus."

As 2014 draws to a close, though, Prison City is not the only brewery to pop on the Cayuga County map recently. With in Auburn and in Weedsport, Prison City is instead part of a promising pattern, Maeso said.

"Three breweries opening up in the last year is pretty amazing, when you think about it," he said. "People go out of their way to visit breweries. If there's more than one in a town, they're going to hit up everything."

AUBURN | One crime was particularly prevalent in Cayuga County Court cases this week: driving while intoxicated.

On Thursday morning, three defendants — Susan Dellostritto, Scott Martin and Julie Ellinger — appeared in court to either plead guilty or be sentenced for unrelated DWI offenses committed across the county.

Dellostritto was sentenced to serve five years shock probation for .

After getting a chance to receive inpatient treatment for her alcohol addiction, the 57-year-old Port Byron woman tearfully thanked the court for helping her get treatment.

"Thank you very much for caring and giving me a chance," she said. "I will not let you down."

In addition, Dellostritto, of 7534 Swanson Drive, must attend and successfully complete felony drug treatment court.

The shock portion of her sentence has already been served.

Martin, who asked to be incarcerated before Christmas to ensure he did not drink during the tempting holiday season, was sentenced to five years shock probation — the first six months of which will be spent in the Cayuga County Jail.

Before being sentenced for his third DWI, Martin expressed remorse for drunkenly driving without a license in Weedsport on April 26.

"I'd like to apologize to the court, the people, my mom for pretty much what I've put everyone through," the 34-year-old Weedsport man said.

Like Dellostritto, Martin, of 9552 Oakland Road, will go without a license for at least one year.

As Dellostritto and Martin resolved their cases, Ellinger headed toward a resolution.

The 22-year-old Moravia woman pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle and driving while intoxicated — admitting she drove with a blood alcohol content of .10 percent on Oct. 12, 2013 in Victory.

At the time of her arrest, Ellinger's license was suspended after she received 22 tickets for failing to answer summons or pay fines.

Ellinger, of 1920 Mosher Road, pleaded guilty to the felony and misdemeanor charges without a plea deal, leaving her fate up to the court.

Also in court:

• The 13-count indictment against Charles Baker has been dismissed.

A week after the 40-year-old Auburn man was , Judge Thomas Leone ruled to toss out the indictment against Baker after ruling the defendant had not fully gotten a chance to testify on his own behalf.

Baker's case will be represented to the grand jury.

Last week, Baker was arraigned on eight felonies and five misdemeanors in connection with burglaries and thefts allegedly committed at the Pit Stop Convenience Store in Fleming, Suzy's Tavern in Auburn and other locations.

• An Auburn man previously called a "Jekyll and Hyde" will spend a year behind bars for with a knife.

Douglas Porten, 55, was sentenced to one year in jail for two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, both felonies. Porten agreed to the sentence after Leone was not willing to only sentence the defendant to probation.

Porten, of 92 Walnut St., previously admitted cutting a woman's knuckles, nose and left cheek with a knife in Nov. 2013 and holding a knife up to the same woman's throat in February.

During both occasions, Porten said he was "highly intoxicated."

• A 43-year-old Auburn man faces prison after admitting he sold and possessed cocaine.

Joseph Ferrara, of 28 Bradford St., pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance — admitting he sold cocaine to a confidential informant on Dec. 19, 2013 and possessing the illicit drug at his home on Jan. 8.

In exchange for his two felony pleas, Ferrara was promised two years in prison and two years of post-release supervision. He must also pay $400 restitution to the Finger Lakes Drug Task Force.

• For stealing $1,172.55 worth of merchandise, a Syracuse man is starting his fifth stint in prison.

Steven Kilgore, of 120 Cook Ave., was sentenced to 1 1/2 to three years in prison for fourth-degree grand larceny, .

According to the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Kilgore entered prison in 1982 for attempted robbery, in 1988 for grand larceny and attempted robbery, in 1992 for selling drugs and in 2006 for robbery.

• A 23-year-old man serving time in prison for attempted assault will spend a few more years behind bars.

Trevor Anderson, who is currently housed in the Five Points Correctional Facility, was sentenced to two to four years in prison for possessing a slashing-type weapon in February while incarcerated in the Auburn Correctional Facility.

His felony first-degree promoting prison sentence will run consecutively to the five years he's serving for a 2012 first-degree assault conviction out of Onondaga County.

SENNETT | Both the Sennett Zoning Board of Appeals and Town Board passed resolutions aimed toward settling a lawsuit the town board had filed against the ZBA on Tuesday night. But as progress was made toward ending that lawsuit, the threat of another was brought the town board's attention.

Michael Bersani — the attorney the ZBA recently hired to represent it in the litigation with the town board — told the board about an email he had received from Bucket BBQ attorney Meira Hertzberg that said if the board refused to agree to compromise with the Bucket BBQ at the meeting, she would be filing a section 1983 federal claim lawsuit against the Sennett Town Board on Friday.

In the email, Hertzberg wrote that she had "held off for months, but rather than making progress, I believe the Town continues to unconstitutionally victimize my client to his financial and personal detriment."

Reached by phone following the meeting, Hertzberg said that she intended to file the lawsuit, seeking $14 million in damages, either Friday or early next week. 

"What they've done is continue to bring more lawsuits and try to destroy my client's business," Hertzberg said.

The first discussion in regard to settling the lawsuit between the ZBA and the town board happened at a 6:30 p.m. ZBA meeting before the town board meeting at 7 p.m.

The ZBA passed a resolution that asked the board and Sennett Code Enforcement Officer J. Patrick Doyle to withdraw the Article 78 lawsuit the town board had filed against the ZBA. In return, the ZBA would take no position on the use of the Bucket BBQ's second floor and "encourages the Sennett Town Board, Bucket BBQ and Paul Bush to work out a solution."

Finally, the ZBA recognized the findings of the Cayuga County Supreme Court regarding the Bucket BBQ property — referring to Cayuga County Judge Thomas Leone decision that reaffirmed a 2008 ruling he made to stand by the town's determination that the Bucket BBQ's second floor could not be used as part of the restaurant.

The motion passed in a 4-0 vote. ZBA Chairman Gerald Patience and member Ed Magdziak were not in attendance. ZBA alternate member Jerry Taylor was the fourth vote. 

"I think this is a very fair solution to the problem," ZBA member Mark Miller said.

ZBA member John O'Connell said he and fellow ZBA member Christopher White had been working with members of the town board to come to a solution for several weeks. 

The other side of that work was on display during the town board meeting 20 minutes later. Board member Michael Adrian proposed a resolution that the town would withdraw the Article 78 and any other pending litigation agianst the ZBA, so long as a the ZBA pass a "binding resolution" recognizing the Cayuga County Supreme Court's decision on the property.

"We can't fix everything that's going on right now," Adrian said. "But with that in mind, I'd like to take a stab at at least starting." 

Edward Rizzo offered an amendment to the resolution that would require the ZBA to also rescind a Sept. 11 resolution from the ZBA meeting that Rizzo said could lead to "further litigation in the future."

When Town Supervisor Thomas Gray seconded the motion, board member Jerrold Eades asked members of the ZBA, still seated in the back of the room, if they would agree to do such a thing.

Bersani said the ZBA would not withdraw a ruling it felt was correct at the time it was made.

After discussion between town board attorney Thomas Blair, the board voted to go into an executive session with Blair to "discuss pending litigation."

After the board returned, Gray withdrew his second to Rizzo's motion. Adrian's original resolution passed with a 4-1 vote. 

Rizzo voted against the resolution, citing his concern with the ZBA's September ruling not being withdrawn.