Broome Tioga talent task force says pandemic will affect workforce development going forward

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DICKINSON, N.Y. — Participants in the Broome Tioga talent task force say that the COVID-19 pandemic is having a lasting impact on workforce development in

Pawsitivitea CNY opens at CNY Regional Market in Syracuse

Small Business, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — Central New Yorkers have a new spot to grab a coffee, a snack, and relax with a few furry, feline friends. Pawsitivitea CNY has opened in a 1,200-square-foot space at the CNY Regional Market at 2100 Park St., according to JF Real Estate, which helped arrange the transaction. Matt Funiciello and Alec Sessa

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New York state’s organic-farm sales grew nearly 40 percent in last three years

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Certified-organic farms in New York state sold a total of $298 million in organic products in 2019, up 38 percent from $216 million in 2016, according to a new report from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). The Empire State had 1,321 certified organic farms last year. Nationally, 16,585 certified-organic farms sold a total

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Ithaca firm wins $500K in 76West clean-energy contest

Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Regional News, Subscriber Only, Technology

Combplex of Ithaca was one of the three companies winning $500,000 funding award in the 76West clean-energy competition during the Oct. 19 award announcement. A company from the Montreal, Quebec area captured the $1 million grand prize in this year’s contest, the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a news release. Combplex works to create

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Combplex of Ithaca was one of the three companies winning $500,000 funding award in the 76West clean-energy competition during the Oct. 19 award announcement.

A company from the Montreal, Quebec area captured the $1 million grand prize in this year’s contest, the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a news release.

Combplex works to create a “more resilient” farming ecosystem by eliminating pests that threaten the health of honeybee hives. The firm uses low-power laser technology and sensors to collect data, prioritize hive health, inform crop-yield forecasts, and identify intensive pesticide use, as a described in Cuomo’s release.

Finalists are required to move business operations to the area or establish direct connections with the Southern Tier economy, such as enhancing supply-chain opportunities, adding jobs, or establishing other strategic relationships, the state said.

Competition finalists also receive continued mentoring support for up to two years after the awards are made. If a company is already in the Southern Tier, it must “commit to substantially growing” the business and employment in the region.

The winners, along with 19 semifinalists, were paired with regional companies for mentorship and advisement as part of advancing through the competition. The semifinalists, selected from over 183 applicants worldwide, presented final project pitches of the competition to a panel of judges in August and were selected based on how their technology reduces carbon emissions, promotes renewable energy or energy efficiency.

2020 76West grand prize winner

The $1 million grand prize winner — ThermoAI of Montreal, Quebec — is utilizing artificial intelligence and its software helps industrial companies optimize combustion operations with the goal of decreasing greenhouse-gas emissions by up to 50 percent and increasing efficiency by up to 20 percent.

Other $500,000 winners

COI Energy Services of New York City offers an end-to-end product that helps utilities and businesses improve building-energy performance and grid optimization. The company has software that helps reduce grid constraints and improve capacity utilization while decreasing energy spending and increasing operational efficiency, the state said.

AGreatE of Carlsbad, California makes renewable energy, such as solar and wind, “more affordable and accessible to all people by developing and deploying a wide range of artificial intelligence-enabled, safe, and environmentally friendly battery-based energy storage systems.”

SUNY trying to prevent virus spread by requiring tests before students leave town

Health Care, Subscriber Only

Campuses must develop schedules that conduct the test as close to a student’s departure date as possible, SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras announced Oct. 27. In all, SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities will test about 140,000 students over a 10-day period preceding Thanksgiving break, SUNY said. SUNY contends that this testing requirement will help prevent community

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New York home sales climbed 12 percent in September

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Subscriber Only

Pending sales skyrocketed ALBANY, N.Y. — New York realtors closed on the sale of 13,322 previously-owned homes in September, up 12.2 percent from the 11,878 homes sold in September 2019, amid strong buyer interest as the market emerged from the worst effects of the pandemic. Pending home sales jumped 49.3 percent to 16,813 in September from

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Pending sales skyrocketed

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York realtors closed on the sale of 13,322 previously-owned homes in September, up 12.2 percent from the 11,878 homes sold in September 2019, amid strong buyer interest as the market emerged from the worst effects of the pandemic.

Pending home sales jumped 49.3 percent to 16,813 in September from 11,264 a year ago. That’s according to the New York State Association of Realtors (NYSAR)’s September housing-market report issued Oct. 22.

“As cooler weather approaches, the New York State real estate market continues to heat up with strong buyer activity amid continued low inventory,” NYSAR said in the report.

New listings increased as well, rising 13.6 percent from 18,542 homes a year ago to 21,062 this September.

As buyer demand rose amid limited inventory, it caused house prices to soar. The September 2020 statewide median sale price popped 17.5 percent to nearly $325,000 from over $276,000 in September 2019.

The months’ supply of homes for sale at the end of September stood at 4.5 months’ supply, down about 22 percent from 5.8 months a year ago, per NYSAR’s report.

A 6-month to 6.5-month supply is considered to be a balanced market, the association said.

The number of homes for sale fell 21.5 percent from 67,107 units in September 2019 to 52,687 homes this September.

Central New York data

Realtors in Onondaga County sold 481 previously owned homes in September, down 4 percent from the 501 homes sold in the year-ago month. The median sale price rose 16.7 percent to $178,000 from $152,500 a year prior, according to the NYSAR report.

The association also reports that realtors sold 195 homes in Oneida County in September, up 8.9 percent from the 179 homes sold during September 2019. The median sale price increased 14.4 percent to $152,950 from $133,700 a year ago.

Realtors in Broome County sold 189 existing homes in September, up 21.9 percent from 155 a year earlier, according to the NYSAR report. The median sale price rose 8.4 percent to $135,500 from $125,000 in September 2019.

In Jefferson County, realtors closed on the sale of 143 homes in September, up 32.4 percent from 108 a year ago. The median sale price rose 5.7 percent to $161,000 from $152,350 in September 2019, according to the NYSAR data.

All home-sales data is compiled from multiple-listing services in New York state and it includes townhomes and condominiums in addition to existing single-family homes, according to NYSAR.

New AMA survey finds physician practices struggling to stay viable financially

Health Care, Subscriber Only

Doctors’ practices are in a fight to stay financially viable as they battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. Results of a new nationwide physician survey, issued Oct. 28 by the American Medical Association (AMA) shows medical practices have been economically stressed by the public-health crisis with a 32-percent average decline in revenue. “Physician practices continue to be

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“Physician practices continue to be under significant financial stress due to reductions in patient volume and revenue, in addition to higher expenses for supplies that are scarce for some physicians,” AMA President Susan R. Bailey, M.D. said in a release about the survey. “More economic relief is needed now from Congress as some medical practices contemplate the brink of viability, particularly smaller practices that are facing a difficult road to recovery,” she contends.

The AMA’s nationally representative survey of 3,500 physicians, administered from mid-July through August 2020, “illustrates precarious trends and realities that physicians face as they continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic,” per the release.”

Financial impact

• 81 percent of physicians surveyed said revenue was lower than in February. Revenue reductions were 50 percent or more for nearly 1 out of 5 physicians.

Patient volume

• 81 percent of doctors were providing fewer in-person patient visits than in February. In-person patient visits fell 50 percent or more for greater than one-third of physicians.

• Despite increased telehealth visits since February, almost 7 out of 10 physicians were providing fewer total visits (in-person plus telehealth). Total patient visits fell 50 percent or more for greater than 1 out of 5 physicians.

Practice expenses

• Spending on personal protective equipment (PPE) since February increased 50 percent or more for nearly 2 out of 5 medical-practice owners.

• 36 percent of physicians said that acquiring PPE was very or extremely difficult, especially for smaller practices that lack purchasing power to compete with larger health systems.

According to the AMA survey, most medical-practice owners reported that the federal financial-assistance programs offered early in the pandemic were very or extremely helpful.

You can check out the full AMA survey results at https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/2020-10/covid-19-physician-practice-financial-impact-survey-results.pdf

Syracuse Stage announces new board president, chair, and treasurer

Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — Syracuse Stage announced that it has named Herman Frazier, who is senior deputy director of athletics at Syracuse University, as president of its board of trustees. Frazier has been a member of the Syracuse Stage board since 2017 and served as treasurer during the 2019-2020 season. Before coming to Syracuse in 2011, he

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Onondaga County hotel occupancy falls 31 percent in September compared to a year ago

Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — Just over four out of 10 hotel rooms in Onondaga County were filled with guests in September, as the coronavirus pandemic continued to hamper the hospitality industry. The hotel occupancy rate (rooms sold as a percentage of rooms available) in the county was 43.5 percent in September, down 31.3 percent from September 2019

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Broome County hotels had nearly half their rooms occupied in September

Regional News, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Broome County hotels posted an average occupancy rate (rooms sold as a percentage of rooms available) of 49.6 percent in September, the highest mark since the COVID-19 pandemic started. In comparison, the county’s occupancy rate was 46.2 percent in August, 38.1 percent in July, 34.1 percent in June, and 27.3 percent in

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