Kate O'Connell

Fighting fire blight in New York's apple industry

Kate O'Connell — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:25:44 +0000

New York is the second biggest apple producing state in the country. But, last year production dropped dramatically due to a warmer winter, early blooms, and harsh spring frosts. The total production from the state plummeted from 1.2 million pounds in 2011, to just 710,000 pounds in 2012. But, weather isn’t the only challenge growers are contending with.

IDAs need to be more transparent, accountable, says comptroller

Kate O'Connell — Wed, 08 May 2013 20:48:22 +0000

The New York state comptroller’s office has released its annual report on New York’s 113 Industrial Development Agencies (IDAs), with concerns raised about the effectiveness and transparency of the organizations.

A step closer to online patient portals

Kate O'Connell — Tue, 07 May 2013 20:25:15 +0000

The state is one step closer to giving patients access to their medical information online. The New York e-Health Collaborative has announced nine finalists in their competition to design an online patient portal.

Court decision no deterrent for gas companies

Kate O'Connell — Mon, 06 May 2013 16:08:25 +0000

New York’s second highest court upheld the right for two municipalities to ban gas drilling last week. But, that decision won’t deter gas and oil producer Lenape Resources from appealing a similar ban in the upstate community of Avon.

Rising concern about changes to Lake Ontario water levels

Kate O'Connell — Sat, 04 May 2013 09:58:00 +0000

The water levels in Lake Ontario have a significant impact on the economic and environmental viability of harbors in upstate New York and Canada. As a result, a proposed plan to change the management of those water levels has raised some concerns in waterfront communities.

Fewer jobs downtown in U.S. cities, upstate New York

Kate O'Connell — Fri, 03 May 2013 12:21:00 +0000

The first decade of this century has seen a steady flow of jobs moving away from city downtowns around the U.S according to a new report from the Brookings Institution. But cities in upstate New York have fared better than some.

Kodak could exit bankruptcy as early as July

Kate O'Connell — Thu, 02 May 2013 17:07:00 +0000

Kodak expects to emerge from bankruptcy as early as July, according to the company’s reorganization plan filed late Tuesday.

Report finds little evidence to support expansion of guest worker programs

Kate O'Connell — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:26:43 +0000

A new report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) says there is little evidence to support the expansion of high-skilled guest worker programs, like those proposed in the immigration bill being debated in the Senate.

Home rule fracking decision challenged in Avon

Kate O'Connell — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 20:03:46 +0000

Gas and Oil producer Lenape Resources has filed a note of appeal as part of an attempt to overturn a court decision made in March that allowed the town of Avon to maintain its moratorium on fracking. This is the third case of this kind in upstate New York.

Privatizing aged care is controversial, as counties feel the financial pinch

Kate O'Connell — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:02:46 +0000

The Civil Service Employees Association, or CSEA, is currently involved in several law suits across New York state with counties, including Onondaga County, that are trying to get out of the business of running nursing homes. Now Ontario County may now face legal action from the union over its decision to put its county-run nursing home on the market.

New water treatment technology holds many possibilities

Kate O'Connell — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:21:05 +0000

A new water treatment technology has applications ranging from purification in African and Indian coastal slums, to decontamination of water produced in gas and oil wells.

Advanced video processing could help law enforcement

Kate O'Connell — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:31:59 +0000

Investigators in Boston this week quickly began sifting through more than two thousand videos and still images of the marathon route looking for potential suspects in bombing, with crowd sourcing becoming the newest tool in the arsenal of law enforcement agencies.

Small businesses push for further reform in New York state, including immigration

Kate O'Connell — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 20:50:09 +0000

Small businesses from around the state took their concerns to legislators in Albany Wednesday. The message from leaders in the agricultural industry particularly highlighted the need for reforms to support small farms, and boost local economies upstate.

Kodak reaches potential deal to sell document imaging business

Kate O'Connell — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 20:02:33 +0000

Kodak is hoping to sell its document imaging business for $210 million. The company has reached a tentative deal with Brother Industries that would see them take over operation of the portfolio of scanners, capture software and services.

Canada woos entrepreneurs with visa program; should U.S. follow?

Kate O'Connell — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 12:35:00 +0000

Canada is aiming to woo bright young entrepreneurs with a startup visa program. The plan offers immediate permanent residence to foreign nationals who are able to secure business funding from Canadian investors. But, there are mixed feelings in the U.S. about the benefits of following suit.

Finger Lakes tops the class for business friendliness in New York

Kate O'Connell — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 20:44:40 +0000

The grades are in and the Finger Lakes region is top-of-the-class for business friendliness in New York state. That’s the conclusion of a new small businesses survey conducted by Thumbtack.com. But the survey also shows that the state still lags in a national comparison.

Wearable sensors could unlock secrets to epilepsy, stress and autism

Kate O'Connell — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 10:41:00 +0000

It’s exactly what it sounds like. "Wearable technology" involves sensors that are worn in something like a bracelet that gather information and sends the data to a computer via Bluetooth. This technology is now being developed for use across a range of health-related applications. New research suggests that it could be used to help prevent seizures in people living with epilepsy.

Images of the brain could unlock learning difficulties

Kate O'Connell — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 19:38:19 +0000

Researchers in western New York have been using brain scans to add to our understanding of how humans comprehend numbers. The new data could have implications in diagnosing learning disabilities earlier on, and aid in our understanding of why some kids struggle at school.

SU among those chosen to be NASA competition sites

Kate O'Connell — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 13:34:04 +0000

Syracuse University is one of two upstate universities have been chosen as host sites for the international NASA space apps challenge. The challenge, taking place this month, brings together collaborators in 41 different countries to solve some of the toughest challenges facing space exploration and society.

Home monitoring device aims to prevent property damage

Kate O'Connell — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 16:09:07 +0000

An upstate New York company has created a small plug-in device that could help home-owners avoid costly problems. The MarCELL monitoring device works on a cellular connection and can alert homeowners to problems like a power failure or a broken pipe.

Taste-NY program dropped from state budget

Kate O'Connell — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 14:28:00 +0000

Funding for a program to promote locally grown produce through a network of duty-free stores across New York has been axed from the final version of the state's budget.

How the "innovation agenda" faired in the state budget

Ryan Delaney and Kate O'Connell — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 20:23:29 +0000

Gov. Andrew Cuomo laid out an ambitious agenda around economic growth, innovation and clean energy in his proposed 2013-2014 Executive Budget.

State budget includes more tax credits for film industry

Kate O'Connell — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 20:27:28 +0000

The state budget includes a provision aimed at boosting the film industry in upstate New York. The new tax credit creates a two-tiered system that includes a 10 percent credit for productions using particular upstate locations.

"Virtual march" on Washington lobbies for immigration reform

Kate O'Connell — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 19:53:33 +0000

The technology industry is using social media to create a "virtual march" on Washington. The March for Innovation, launched by the Partnership for a new Economy, is lobbying for immigration reform, including putting pressure on Congress to provide more visas for high-skilled workers and entrepreneurs.

Avon fracking ban upheld

Kate O'Connell — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 20:31:54 +0000

The town of Avon has become the third community in upstate New York to win a court case over the right to ban fracking operations.

New York's coal-fired power plants: repower or take offline?

Kate O'Connell — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:51:16 +0000

It's a tough environment for coal-plants in New York state. The state is home to some of the oldest power facilities in the country, which operate under stricter emissions regulations introduced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Protesters arrested at gas storage site in Finger Lakes

Kate O'Connell — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:13:13 +0000

A number of protestors were arrested for blockading the entrance to a natural gas storage facility in the Finger Lakes region early Monday.

3D printing replaces 75 percent of man's skull

Kate O'Connell — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 10:48:00 +0000

3D printing technology has been working its way into a multitude of sectors - from manufacturing, to printable electronic circuits.

RIT students invent new luggage tracking device

Kate O'Connell — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:59:19 +0000

A team of Rochester Institute of Technology students has created a system that allows travelers to get real-time updates on the location of their luggage by way of an embedded device in their suitcase.

Private-sector jobs up statewide, but it's not all good news

Kate O'Connell — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:32:58 +0000

Job figures are on the rise across New York state, however private-sector jobs in some upstate areas have declined according to the state Department of Labor’s latest jobs report.