Scott Willis

Ground was broken Friday on a facility in a rural area of DeWitt that’s expected to bring more of Hollywood to Onondaga County.  In fact, the Central New York Hub for Emerging Nano Industries already has a tenant.

    During the state of the county address earlier this year, California-based film and TV company “The Film House” announced it will relocate its headquarters, production, post production, and distribution operations to the facility.  President and CEO Ryan Johnson was on hand for the groundbreaking. 

"Not only will we get to work with this first kind of educational institution that will drive production and innovations globally, it will help train and develop our future workforce so  we can continue to grow in Syracuse and  build the film industry in Upstate New York."

Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy was among the officials turning over the first symbolic shovels of dirt.

  Justin Steele is director of the upcoming film “The Opium War,” which will be filmed and produced in Central New York using the hub’s resources.  But Onondaga County executive Joanie Mahoney says the hub goes beyond the film industry. 

  15 million dollars in state money will build and equip the facility at the Collamer Business Park, but officials say that should leverage 150 million dollars in private investment over seven years.  The project is expected to create 350 permanent, high-tech jobs and 150 construction jobs.  

WHAT'S NEXT FOR LT. GOV. DUFFY?

Syracuse  Mayor Stephanie Miner today sent a letter to President Barack Obama formally extending her offer to use the City of Syracuse as a site for relocating Latin American children who have crossed the Southern border.  In a release, she says the City of Syracuse is known for welcoming new immigrants and it currently is home a large population of refugees from across the globe. Miner says the City of Syracuse has been visited by representatives from federal agencies seeking to review a site for possible placement of migrant children.  She says Federal officials have made it clear that the Department of Health and Human Services will pay for and provide all services for children through its network of grantees. Miner says before the children would be placed in Syracuse, they would undergo a well-child exam, tuberculosis testing, and a mental health screening.  The mayor says children stay an average of 35 days while awaiting a hearing before an immigration magistrate and do not attend local schools.  More information on this can be found on a page on the City’s website,www.syrgov.net/unaccompaniedchildren. 

Onondaga County officials today announced that the Onondaga County Civic Center will close to the public and most employees today as of 12:30 due to the loss of potable water and sanitary services after being impacted by a nearby water main break. 

A popular craft brewery in Armory Square hopes to bottle its beer for the first time in its 20-year history with an expanded farm and bottling facility in Cazenovia.   Empire Brewing Company owns 22 acres of land off Route 13, and wants to grow the hops and barley there to make more beer in order to meet increasing demand. 

The term “rocket science” actually means something to the 3rd through 8th graders enrolled in Aerospace Engineering Camp at OCC's College for Kids…like, what goes up must come down, but not always where you expect.