Ellen Abbott

A recent report by the Federal Reserve shows certain zip codes in the city of Rochester lack access to credit. This sort of credit inequality also most likely exists in the city of Syracuse.

New York State is getting $25 million in federal funds to help fight the opioid addiction epidemic.

Lieutenant Gov. Kathy Hochul says among other things, the funding will target a particular population: addicts in more rural areas where treatment is an hour or two away.

The Onondaga County shared services committee approved a county-wide shared services plan Wednesday, and local governments could be in line for $5 million in savings, plus a $5 million match from the state. 

The just over two month timeline to get something done that was required by the New York forced towns, villages, school districts and city of Syracuse to spend a lot of time communicating this summer. 

After three years of advocacy, the Onondaga County Legislature unanimously took a stand this week against the practice of placing juveniles in solitary confinement within the county’s criminal justice system.

Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner will visit to Israel this weekend as part of the American Jewish Committee Project Interchange. She’ll travel with mayors from nine other U.S. cities, and meet with local and national leaders and non-profits in Israel. But there are some who don’t want Miner to go.

Onondaga County lawmakers passed an ethics reform law during its meeting Tuesday. The new law stems from a simmering political back and forth between county officials, which has led to the law that will limit outside income for certain elected officials.

More people visited the 2017 edition of the New York State Fair in Geddes than any other. 1,161,912 million visitors came to the fair during its 13-day run, breaking the overall attendance record set last year. 

Onondaga County lawmakers are looking at a trio of packages targeting ethics reform. Two spring out of an ethics proposal put forth by County Executive Joanie Mahoney in June and a third targets the Mahoney administration. At the root of this flurry of reforms is a long simmering feud between the Mahoney administration and County Comptroller Bob Antonacci.

District Attorney William Fitzpatrick, who sits on the county’s ethics board, says Antonacci’s outside income officiating basketball games and doing bookwork for personal clients creates ethics questions.

Onondaga County voters will decide in November whether the county’s corrections department will move under the control of the sheriff’s department. Lawmakers voted 13 to 3 to move ahead with the referendum, despite some concerns.

Several central New York organizations are planning relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, which has dumped more than 50 inches of rain across parts of southeast Texas.

Oswego County is expected to be conduct aerial spraying Monday evening along the north shore of Oneida Lake, after Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West Nile Virus showed up in samples of mosquitoes earlier this month. 

As the opioid epidemic continues across upstate New York, Naxalone, known by its brand name as Narcan, has become a critical component in stopping overdoses. The Upstate New York Poison Center is trying to drive that point home at the New York State Fair.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday that a new $50 million expo center will be built at the New York State Fairgrounds near Syracuse, and work will happen quickly.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo opened up the first “Preview Day” of the New York State Fair near Syracuse Wednesday. The fair expanded to 13 days this year, with this first day called a preview day because some features, like the animal buildings, aren’t fully open yet. Admission to the fair today was just $1. Rides also cost $1 early in the day.

The 2017 edition of the New York State Fair opens Wednesday near Syracuse. The fair has typically opened on a Thursday, but it's opening a day early this year, with officials calling it "Preview Day."

State lawmakers and volunteer firefighters are putting pressure on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to sign a bill that would provide better coverage for volunteers who develop cancer because of the job they do.

Brian McQueen has been a longtime volunteer with the Whitesboro Fire Department. When he was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma several years ago, he was forced to take on the cost of much of the treatment himself. He doesn’t want any other volunteers to have to face that.

A yearly procession to commemorate the use of nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki Japan took place in Syracuse yesterday. Organizers said the drive to abolish nuclear weapons is more important than ever in today’s political climate.

Activist Rea Kramer said we can not forget the destruction that followed the use of nuclear weapons over 70 years ago.

"I think we should all be especially anxious now because there is a president who uses the words, “fire and fury,” as a response to the threatening postures of North Korea," Kramer said.

Onondaga County lawmakers are considering legislation that would ensure that juveniles are not thrown in solitary confinement in any of the county’s criminal justice facilities in the future.

Syracuse Mayoral Hopeful Laura Lavine says, if elected, she would push for mayoral control of the Syracuse City School District.

It’s been a busy summer for the Onondaga County Board of Elections. There were more challenges to the petition process than usual, and appeals of decisions will soon be underway. But September primary ballots are coming together.

Spring and early summer is the time political candidates go door to door asking for help getting on the ballot. Election law is very precise when it comes to who can sign petitions for particular candidates, and how election workers handle the documents.

The future of Interstate 81 through downtown Syracuse hinges on an independent investigation of the options, currently being overseen by the New York State Department of Transportation. In the meantime, champions of different options for the aging highway continue to butt heads.

There was a light turnout last night for the first public hearing regarding Onondaga County’s shared services proposal.