By Joyce Gramza

Oswego, NY – A Martin Luther King Day poll of New York State voters finds improvements in race relations still leave something to be desired.

"We still see a wide gap between black voters and white voters on this question," says Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg.

The poll finds 55 percent of registered voters in the state say race relations are excellent or good, while 43 percent rate them fair or poor.

By Michael Benjamin

Oswego, NY – Parents are protesting a proposed school closing in Syracuse. That story and more in today's newscast.

WRVO – Parents used the Martin Luther King holiday to protest a plan that will take their children out of their neighborhood school.

Several dozen parents held picket signs and petitions outside Elmwood Elementary School.

Elmwood and one other school are slated to close eventually, as part of a plan to save money for the Syracuse City School District.

Under the plan, students at Elmwood and Bellevue elementary schools would be moved to middle schools starting next year. The middle schools would become K-8 schools.

By Michael Benjamin

Syracuse, NY – Governor Andrew Cuomo has indicated he will soon propose legislation to cap local property taxes at the rate of inflation.

That seems like a popular move - providing some relief for taxpayers struggling to pay some of the highest property taxes in the country.

But, Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney says every single dollar Onondaga County receives from property taxes goes to the state, due to a series of programs for which counties are required to pay the state.

By Dan Bazile, the Innovation Trail

ALBANY, NY – Gov. Cuomo is winning praise and drawing some fire for his plan to grow green jobs in New York State.

WRVO Innovation Trail reporter Dan Bazile says environmental groups like the plan but worry it may be underfunded.

WRVO – The morning news headlines from the WRVO newsroom.

By Joyce Gramza

Oswego, NY – The Thruway Authority now has a plan for winter weather emergencies. And the projected $10 billion state budget deficit could reach $11 billion. Those stories and the forecast in our newscast.

By Joyce Gramza

Oswego, NY – The Thruway Authority Executive Director Michael Fleischer released a draft report today on the agency's plans for preventing blockages like the one that stranded hundreds of vehicles in Buffalo for up to 24 hours.

Fleischer says Governor Andrew Cuomo "on literally his very first day" convened all of the agencies involved into a "Winter Emergency Action Team" to develop the plans and procedures.

By Ryan Morden

Massena, NY – The company known as "Old GM"- the asset liquidation offshoot created from the General Motors bankruptcy -- must put money aside for the environmental cleanup of several old contaminated factories. It's a condition of the federal government helping give the auto giant new life. Ryan Morden takes us to the home of the most contaminated property in the northern New York town of Massena.

By Joyce Gramza

Syracuse, NY – On the sixth floor of Loretto's Cunningham skilled nursing facility in Syracuse, 92-year-old Ben Harkola scoots his feet to wheel himself, and his wife, 88-year-old Margaret, toward the dining room.

"He don't have to," says Margaret Harkola. "I can pump my way wherever the hell I'm going. But he likes to, so, he's a perfect gentleman-- most of the time."

"Most of the time," Ben Harkola laughs, "that would be all of the time!" They laugh.