Candlelight Vigil Scheduled At Utica's Proctor Park For Monday

A candlelight vigil will be held for Principal Gerling in Utica Monday August 26th. Here's how you can donate and be involved.

The candlelight vigil will be held from 7:30PM to 8:30PM Monday, August 26th at F.T. Proctor Park on Culver Avenue in Utica. This is according to school officials. A collection will be taken to start a scholarship fund in Gerling’s honor.

Gerling was the Principal of Columbus Elementary School on Armory Drive in East Utica. WIBX reports Oneida County Sheriff Rob Maciol held a press conference Thursday morning at The Deputy Kurt Wyman Law Enforcement Building on Judd Road in Oriskany to announce Gerling's death is being investigated as a homicide. Maciol was joined by several members of his Criminal Investigations Division for the briefing.

Maciol announced on the morning of Tuesday, August 20th, 2024 an individual called 911 from 9111 Birch Circle in Marcy, NY reporting the discovery of Gerling's body. Maciol says when deputies arrived on scene at approximately 10 a.m. they found the 50-year-old woman dead in her bed. Upon arrival, deputies deemed the circumstances at the scene as "suspicious" and the decision was made to transport the body to the Onondaga County Medical Examiner's Office for further autopsy, according to Maciol.

As the investigation was underway, it was determined by investigators that Gerling's boyfriend, 45-year-old Jeremy J. Kirch, had been at the residence the night before and had become a person of interest. Students, faculty and staff were given counseling opportunities and support is still available. If additional support is needed, you can dial 315-368-6869.

Support Noah's Future in Memory of Elizabeth Gerling

Gerling’s sister in law, Karyn Burns Gerling, has started a GoFundMe fundraiser for Principal Gerling's son Noah.

I am honored to be facilitating this GoFundMe as a means to honor Beth by supporting Noah and his future through a college trust. Funds raised in this effort will continue to honor Beth by supporting Noah with his college and future expenses and academic pathway as his continues his studies at Cornell University.

You can donate and read more online here.

US News & World Report 2024: Central NY's Best High Schools

U.S. News & World compared data of the nearly 25,000 high schools across the country to determine the best of the best. While the top 10 schools here in New York State were all from the NYC School District, here's how some CNY schools ranked in the annual report.

Gallery Credit: Megan

O'Scugnizzo's Pizzeria is 110 Years Old in Utica, NY

Founded in 1914 by Eugenio Brullino, a determined immigrant from Naples, Italy, O'Scugnizzo Pizzeria has become synonymous with quality, consistency, and the unique flavors of

Utica.

Eugenio Brullino arrived in America in 1913 on the Canopic to Boston, Massachusetts, from Naples at the age of 25. Settling in Utica with his wife Maria, he began his American journey as a pastry chef. To supplement their household income, Maria would prepare little tomato pies, which Eugenio sold at church feasts each weekend. The name "O'Scugnizzo" comes from Naples, which was a slang term used for street urchin’s looking for a day’s work.

When he decided to open his pizzeria in 1914, it was this term that became the trade name, a legacy that would endure for generations.

Gallery Credit: Permission by Lisa Burline Roser for TSM