Breaking News

In Our Opinion

Are there any realistic options other than repairing city parking ramps?

Council members will be asked to approve, in the coming months, at least $2.16 million for necessary work on the Cherry Street parking ramp and another $4.1 million on repairs for the Spring Street parking ramp. That’s a hefty chunk of change for ramps with limited usage in a struggling downtown. It’s telling that at the same time the city is discussing investing in repairs, the DoubleTree Hotel located next to the Cherry Street ramp is being placed for sale because Hamister Development says visitor counts haven’t rebounded after the COVID-19 pandemic. So we get why Councilman ...

Progress in help for domestic violence victims doesn’t mean the job is done

If one thing is clear after our series of stories detailing the experiences of domestic violence survivors, it is that the system isn't perfect. We agree with Sally Jaroszynski, an attorney who has been practicing law for more than 30 years, though, when she says the courts have made strides in what is a tricky and difficult to navigate system. One of those improvements is the creation of the Integrated Domestic Violence Court, led in Chautauqua County by Judge Stephen Cass. The Integrated Domestic Violence Court allows Cass to hear several different cases or proceedings that may ...

Other Voices: While the economy is growing, purchasing power is not

The economy is strong by conventional measures, but most voters don’t feel it. Gross domestic product grew 3.4 percent in the third quarter, the fastest pace in a year. Consumer spending increased 3.8 percent, and nonresidential business investment surged 12.7 percent, propelled by artificial intelligence and the data center build-out. At the same time, the final Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll before the midterms found that 75 percent of Americans describe the economy as poor or not so good. Forty-eight percent say they’re financially not as well off since President Donald Trump took ...

Urban Deer Management program should expand

In 2024, the state Legislature approved a temporary Urban Deer Management Pilot program for Syracuse and Southfield to study new ways of dealing with expanding urban deer populations. The program has included placing bait within 300 feet of a road, taking deer from a public highway, use of a spotlight from a vehicle while in possession of an unloaded firearm, and additional exceptions for the discharge of firearms, long bows or crossbows within 250 to 500 feet of an occupied structures with notification of landowners or at distances less than 250 feet with written consent of all ...

Rand Expansion is a ray of economic sunshine

The former Serta Mattress building at 2375 Parkway Drive in Ellicott won’t stay vacant for too long. Premier Precision Machining, LLC, also known as Rand Aerospace and Defense Group, plans to buy the building to increase its capacity, retain 115 existing employees and add 31 new full-time jobs over the next three years. The company plans to keep its Allen Street facility while adding the Parkway Drive facility. Rosemarie Strandburg with the county IDA stated that Rand is acquiring the building to support the growth of its defense programs. Strandburg said Rand is looking to make ...

Vote today, or hold your peace for another year

Thousands of residents have already taken the time to cast their ballot during Early Voting, which was Oct. 24 through Sunday. If you have not, there’s one day left — that’s today from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Despite the advent of mail-in and early voting, Election Day remains a heavy turnout day. There is a large contingent of the population that hits the polls on the traditional day. As usual, we urge residents to be part of the process. This year’s races have important implications on the future. If you’re not happy with how things are being run in Washington, Albany and here ...