Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.

Schumer asks Congress to extend Medicare telehealth service
HAMILTON, N.Y. — U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) is urging lawmakers to extend Medicare’s telehealth program, which could expire at the end of

Naturally Lewis awards nearly $104,000 to Lewis County businesses
LOWVILLE, N.Y. — Naturally Lewis, Inc. says it has awarded close to $104,000 to Lewis County companies through two different funds. The organization in late November announced the recipients of grants from the Building Business Fund and the Small Things, Big Impacts Fund. Building Business Fund is designed to provide matching funds to businesses looking

State completes Thruway work in Herkimer and Montgomery counties
New York State wrapped up a $13.7 million infrastructure project on the Thruway (I-90) in Herkimer and Montgomery counties. Work included full- and partial-depth repairs

Binghamton University to use federal grant for school-based mental-health workers in Chenango County
VESTAL — The U.S. Department of Education has awarded Binghamton University Community Schools (BUCS) a five-year grant totaling more than $4.5 million to expand mental-health services in Chenango County. The effort is part of the Mental Health Service Provider Demonstration grant program, Binghamton University said in its announcement. The initiative — entitled Empowering Rural Communities:

Five Star Bank parent company to pay Q4 dividend of 30 cents a share in early January
WARSAW, N.Y. — Financial Institutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISI), parent company of Five Star Bank, recently announced that its board of directors has approved a quarterly cash dividend of 30 cents per share of its common stock outstanding. The banking company will pay the fourth-quarter dividend on Jan. 2, to shareholders of record as of Dec.
Jefferson County hotels register another strong month in October
WATERTOWN — Jefferson County hotels posted substantial improvement in three important indicators of hotel-business performance in October, following up solid gains in September and August. The hotel-occupancy rate (rooms sold as a percentage of rooms available) in the North Country’s most populous county rose 7 percent to 56.8 percent in the 10th month of this
Oneida County hotel occupancy falls 3 percent in October
UTICA — Oneida County hotels registered a decline in overnight guests in October, as two other key indicators of business performance improved. The hotel-occupancy rate (rooms sold as a percentage of rooms available) dipped 3 percent to 66.4 percent in the 10th month of this year compared to the year-ago month, according to a report

Greater Utica Chamber names Business of the Year nominees
UTICA — It’s time for the Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 Business of the Year Awards, and this year, more than two dozen businesses are vying for awards in five different categories. The chamber will present the awards on Dec. 12 at the Delta Hotel by Marriott Utica. The event begins at 11 a.m.

Tompkins Financial names director of marketing
ITHACA — Tompkins Financial Corp. (NYSE: TMP) — parent company of Tompkins Community Bank, Tompkins Insurance Agencies, Inc., and Tompkins Financial Advisors — recently promoted Erin Freije to director of marketing. She will oversee day-to-day operations across Tompkins’ marketing communications, internal communications, product management, and customer experience units. Freije previously was the retail-loan product manager

Exit 31 study council plans public meeting in Utica on Dec. 3
UTICA, N.Y. — The Herkimer-Oneida Counties Transportation Council (HOCTC) will present improvement options for the Exit 31 interchange of I-90 at a public open house
Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.