Scott Willis

Central New Yorkers who want to see the ancient art of glass making come alive in a unique setting have a chance this weekend on a canal barge in Baldwinsville.  The Corning Museum of Glass is replicating the relocation of the former Brooklyn Flint glass company 150 years ago from Brooklyn, up the Hudson River, along the Erie Canal, to its current home in Corning.  WAER News caught up with a veteran glassmaker from the Museum to talk about his craft. 

A nearly forgotten WWI monument on the southern edge of Downtown Syracuse will be rededicated Sunday to mark the 100th anniversary of the regiment and battle it commemorates.  WAER News met Curator of History at the Onondaga Historical Association Bob Searing at the monument in Billings park bound by S. Warren, E. Adams, and S. Salina Streets.  

Syracuse Police are investigating what’s behind a rise in “spike” overdoses this week.  Synthetic marijuana overdose cases across the city have increased from one or two per day, to upwards of 20, with more likely going unreported.  

Sergeant Rick Helterline says this may be due to what he calls a “bad batch.”

More than 700 cyclists stopped in Syracuse Wednesday night on their trek across the state on the 20th annual Cycling the Erie Canal tour.  The ride also marks two other milestones:  The bicentennnial of the original canal, and the centennial of the barge canal.  WAER’S Scott Willis caught up with some of them earlier in the day at a rest stop at Sims store in Camillus, the halfway point between Buffalo and Albany on the 400 mile journey.  

The City of Syracuse Innovation team is looking for input from residents about challenges with…and ways to improve housing stability in their neighborhoods.   The first of three “ideation sessions” will be held Thursday at the Westcott Community Center.

The Rescue Mission broke ground Wednesday on a new $5.8 million expansion project to remodel its food service center in Syracuse.  The much-needed upgrade has been about two years in the making.  With lines often out the door, the additional space is designed to serve more meals to people and cut down on wait times. 

Carolyn Hendrickson with the Rescue Mission is ready to help the growing need for meals and housing.

"This project in particular is near and dear to my heart.  I'm so excited to see us at this juncture and seeing the project come to fruition."

For the second day in a row, Governor Cuomo held rallies criticizing President Donald Trump’s choice for the Supreme Court, and urging action on a measure that would protect the right to choose abortion in New York.

President Trump’s appointee to the Supreme Court is sparking conversation among political observers here in Syracuse, as well as among the state’s elected officials. 

Professor of Political Science at the Maxwell School, Thomas Keck, says Brett Kavanaugh’s appointment means issues that had partisan debate in recent history would now be taking a consistently conservative bend. 

Syracuse’s P-tech school at the Institute of technology received a guest Monday that they hope will champion the program on a national level. 

First daughter and presidential advisor Ivanka Trump praised the school, local colleges, and business partners for their roles in preparing the local workforce.

Ms. Trump hosted a roundtable discussion to learn more about how the specialized high school curriculum connects students to local companies through mentorships and job shadowing, which could lead to future jobs. 

Central New Yorkers have grown all too accustomed to occasional beach closures over the summer due to unsafe levels of bacteria in the water. Cornell University and a bio-technology device maker are working on a new and much faster way to test the water and get swimmers back in the lake. 

For Ruth Richardson, this is where she says her heart meets her science.