Tom Magnarelli

Last week, Republican candidate for mayor Laura Lavine proposed mayoral control of Syracuse’s public schools. But Syracuse’s teachers union and some of Lavine’s opponents are calling that plan a mistake.

Passionate messages on Syracuse’s future came through Thursday at a forum for the city’s mayoral candidates. The candidates spoke to an intimate crowd of downtown’s young professionals.

The event was hosted by the pro-Syracuse advocacy group, 40 Below, in a co-working space. Designated Democratic candidate and common councilor Joe Nicoletti wants them to know his experience and his relationships at the state and federal level will move the city forward.

Four children in central New York were hit by cars last week and three of them died from their injuries. It can be a dangerous time of year for kids out of school.

Sgt. Jon Seeber with the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office said they have seen this increase in kids being hit by cars during the summer before and many times it comes down to child pedestrian errors.

“They tend to play, talk and not pay attention to cars when crossing the street,” Seeber said. "I think it is really important for parents and adults that we supervise them as best we can."

A hot topic among local governments in central New York recently, is proposing ways to share services. But one Syracuse mayoral candidate with ties to the Consensus Commission on government consolidation is sharing his thoughts on its most controversial recommendation.

Parts of upstate New York have been receiving record amounts of rainfall this year. The rain is one of the contributing factors to the high water levels on Lake Ontario which has caused extensive property damage. But it is also taking a toll on local farmers.

Upstate New York, like the rest of the country, has suffered through decades of job losses in manufacturing. But some manufacturing companies in the Mohawk Valley and Southern Tier can’t find enough skilled workers to fill job openings.

There have been some bumps in the road since ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft started operating in upstate New York more than a month ago. One concern has been traffic congestion in a small, popular area of downtown Syracuse.

Heavy rains wreaked havoc on Oneida County about a month ago causing flash floods, power outages and destroying some homes. Gov. Andrew Cuomo visited one area on Tuesday to announce funding that may help prevent flooding in the future.

Independent candidate Ben Walsh is leading the Syracuse mayoral race in terms of fundraising. That does not concern the designated Democratic candidate.

The city of Syracuse could soon be speeding up its process of code enforcement of property owners. Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation allowing Syracuse to create a new municipal violations bureau.

Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner said if the Syracuse Common Council cooperates, the city could have the bureau up and running this year.

"It's been my experience that I tend to be very ambitious with what I think can be accomplished," Miner said. "I think we will get the lion's share of it done."

The bureau would circumvent the courts in handling code violators.

The Onondaga County Legislature is in the process of hiring legal counsel to sue opioid manufacturers and distributors over the costs of the heroin and opioid epidemic. Some legislators say opioid manufacturers lied about the addictive nature of their products.

Although they do not have a number yet, Onondaga County Legislative Chairman Ryan McMahon said whatever amount they end up suing opioid manufacturers for will never be enough.

The wet weather has made it another challenging year for dairy farmers. State agriculture officials are trying to help farmers cope how ever they can, including expanding the New York State Grown & Certified marketing campaign to include dairy products.

Chuck Luchsinger’s Silver Spring Farm is more than 100 years old. It has about 240 cows, 200 acres and produces about 600 gallons of milk a day.

New York state residents receive a five percent discount on Thruway tolls if they have an E-Z Pass. Last year, the New York State Thruway Authority decided to eliminate that discount for out-of-state drivers. Some state lawmakers want to see that new revenue go to local governments.

Big changes could be coming to the Onondaga County War Memorial if the county legislature gives its approval. County officials are keeping veterans in the loop as the county looks to sell the naming rights to the War Memorial arena.

The arena is where the Syracuse Crunch hockey team plays and Deputy County Executive Bill Fisher said selling the naming rights could bring in revenue for renovations to areas like the bathrooms which Fisher called a disgrace.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) kicked off a series of town halls across the state at Syracuse University Friday. The generally friendly audience gave Gillibrand a warm reception but asked questions on the biggest issues facing Washington.

Gillibrand was welcomed with a standing ovation but the attention quickly turned to health care and President Donald Trump. Gillibrand called the Republican health care bill "terrible" and said millions of people could lose coverage.

New York State led the country in a decorative arts movement in the early 20th century and an exhibition at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute in Utica showcases those products and objects. The country lacked a modern art identity in the mid-1920s, but the revolutionary time period changed everything.

In addition to New York’s free college tuition program being offered to some middle class students that attend state schools, there is also the Enhanced Tuition Award for students attending private schools. But the majority of private colleges and universities across the state are not taking part in the program this year.

A teenager in Syracuse is being honored for his work with the Boys & Girls Club. His leadership extends beyond the organization to his family at home.

Dominique Agee, 17, is adjusting to the accolades.

“It’s weird,” Agee said.

He represented Syracuse at the Boys & Girls Club of America, New York State Youth of the Year Competition at Siena College last month.

“At first it was just for school and then I stayed," Agee said. "It’s fun because of the kids, they’re nice kids, it’s not like they are bad kids. We got good kids.”

A record amount of rainfall this year has been one of the contributing factors to Lake Ontario’s high water levels and the damage along its shoreline. But all the rain has at least one benefit for the city of Watertown.

Juveniles, age 16 and 17, will no longer be subjected to solitary confinement at the Onondaga County Justice Center. A recent lawsuit was settled between the county's sheriff's office and the New York Civil Liberties Union on behalf of six juvenile plaintiffs. The settlement includes the start of a new behavior management system at the justice center. 

NYCLU Senior Staff Attorney Molly Kovel said juveniles could spend weeks or months at a time in a place they referred to as the box.

Syracuse common councilors and their challengers are defending their records and offering new ideas ahead of the upcoming election in November. A recent public forum for all the council candidates focused on jobs, the city's finances and police.

The two women running to be the next council president debated the importance of city contractors hiring Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises or MWBEs. The Democrats’ designated candidate, Councilor Helen Hudson, said she has been strengthening MWBEs. 

A Planned Parenthood clinic in Syracuse is taking part in a national campaign to bring awareness to the organization as its federal funding remains uncertain. Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner showed her support and took some jabs at congressional Republicans.

All nine Syracuse mayoral candidates participated in a forum this week. It was a crowded stage that produced a wide range of different answers.

Ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft will be allowed to operate in upstate New York starting June 29th. But some in Syracuse want the city to opt out. 

A new exhibition at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute in Utica looks at how New York state led America into a new artistic and decorative era in the early 20th century. Many of the pieces on display  were manufactured in upstate New York.

From flapper hats made in Buffalo to Eastman Kodak cameras in Rochester and Steuben Glass in Corning, more than 100 objects from across the state, defining the modern era, are featured. Guest curator Lori Zabar notes modernism is a difficult term to describe.

Progress is mixed on some redevelopment projects in downtown Syracuse. The Redhouse Arts Center is moving forward with construction in the old Sibley’s department store as part of a larger restoration of the building.

Workers are closing off a wall with cinder block tiles in what will be the Redhouse’s new 350-seat main stage theater in what used to be the Sibley’s warehouse. A concrete ceiling was cut out to raise the room’s height to 25 feet so rigging equipment can drop in set pieces.

Symphoria, the professional symphony orchestra of central New York, will play 13 free shows around the region this summer. And the organization has renewed Music Director Lawrence Loh’s contract for four more years.

In addition to traveling around the country as a guest conductor, Loh was also selected as the music director of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra. Which begs the question, how is he able to wave so many batons at once?