Snow, ice control team at Syracuse airport wins award

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The airfield at Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR) was closed for less than three hours during this past winter season, even though it saw a lot more snow than in recent winter seasons. That effort generated some recognition. The Syracuse Regional Airport Authority (SRAA) says it has won this year’s Balchen/Post Award […]

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Canoe and kayak launch opens at Kirk Park

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Law, Accounting & Taxes, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh on May 21 announced the formal opening of the canoe and kayak boat launch at Kirk Park during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The launch is located at the end of the Creekwalk near Hunt Avenue and will serve as one of three access points for water enthusiasts, providing opportunities

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Vancouver food business prevails in Binghamton business-plan competition

Small Business, Education & Training, Employee Benefits & Human Resources, New York News, Nonprofits, Southern Tier, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only, Technology

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — A company from Vancouver, British Columbia won the top prize in the 2025 Binghamton business-plan competition. Emkao Foods, Inc. plans to establish a manufacturing operation at 73 Griswold St. on Binghamton’s East Side. The annual competition awards a cash prize and administrative support to the contestant that submits the best plan for

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BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — A company from Vancouver, British Columbia won the top prize in the 2025 Binghamton business-plan competition.

Emkao Foods, Inc. plans to establish a manufacturing operation at 73 Griswold St. on Binghamton’s East Side.

The annual competition awards a cash prize and administrative support to the contestant that submits the best plan for developing a business in the city of Binghamton.

Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham on May 27 joined the Binghamton Local Development Corporation (BLDC) and SUNY Broome’s Entrepreneurial Assistance Program (EAP) to announce the competition winner.

Emkao Foods imports, manufactures, and supplies premium cocoa ingredients, sourcing its beans directly from smallholder farmers in Cameroon, the City of Binghamton said in its online announcement.

The company’s vertically integrated business model eliminates middlemen to control quality, reduce costs, and support fair trade. Its mission “centers on redefining transparency in the chocolate industry, with a strong focus on sustainability and traceability,” per the announcement.

“Emkao Foods, Inc. embodies the innovative spirit at the heart of this annual competition,” Kraham contended. “Now in its 15th year, the Binghamton Business Plan Competition has built a lasting legacy of celebrating and cultivating entrepreneurship, providing a springboard for local startups and helping small business owners grow their companies right here in our community. Emkao becomes the latest business to build on that legacy and help grow the local economy. I wish Emkao the best of luck and thank all this year’s finalists for their hard work.”

Emkao will use its $7,000 in prize money to help renovate the industrial space on Griswold Street and expand its operations there. The new location is expected to create about five local jobs.

Ayissi Nyemba, owner of Emkao Foods, Inc. called it an “incredible honor” to win first place in the business-plan competition.

“We’re thrilled to expand our operations into Binghamton and become part of such a vibrant, supportive business community,” Nyemba said in the city’s announcement. “This opportunity allows us to bring our sustainable, transparent approach to chocolate manufacturing to the Southern Tier, create new jobs, and build meaningful partnerships with local organizations. We look forward to growing together and making a positive impact in Binghamton.”

In addition to the cash award, the contest winner will also receive a range of administrative-support services to help grow their business locally, donated in-kind by Binghamton businesses and organizations.

In addition to the cash award, the contest winner will also receive a range of administrative support services to help grow their business locally, donated in-kind by Binghamton businesses and organizations.

The services include five hours of accounting services courtesy of Davidson, Fox & Co.; $500 of legal counsel courtesy of Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP; $500 in sign creation services courtesy of 3i Graphics & Signs; $500 in website services courtesy of Freshy; $500 in branding services courtesy of Idea-Kraft; one-year membership courtesy of the Triple Cities Makerspace; one-year membership in the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce; and a three-month co-working membership at the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator, courtesy of Binghamton University’s Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Partnerships.

The second-place winner of the 2025 Binghamton Business Plan Competition is BUZZHIVE, a startup offering an innovative “smart beehive” solution that uses advanced IoT technology and a mobile app to help beekeepers reduce colony losses, increase honey production, and manage hives more efficiently. Founded by Binghamton University graduates Mike Bronikowski and Luke Riddoch, BUZZHIVE is located at the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator. The company received a $2,000 second-place prize.

In third place, SAVOR Meals received a $1,000 prize. Founded by Binghamton University students Kai Chen and Jason Moeller, SAVOR Meals is a food-tech startup that aims to transform how college students eat by making clean, convenient, and personalized meals both accessible and affordable.

The competition was judged by a volunteer panel of two active commercial loan officers and a representative from Empire State Development, the City of Binghamton said.

The prize money for the annual competition comes from M&T Bank (NYSE: MTB), the annual budget of the BLDC’s Marketing & Outreach Plan funded by the BLDC’s Urban Development Action Grant, and the Binghamton University Koffman Southern Tier Incubator.

Additional financial support was provided by Sall-Stearns and the Binghamton-Oneonta Building Trades Council, per the announcement.

State pension fund commits $2.4 billion more for sustainable investments

Insurance & Financial Services, Law, Accounting & Taxes, Subscriber Only

ALBANY, N.Y. — The New York State Common Retirement Fund (Fund) has committed an additional $2.4 billion to three funds as part of its Sustainable Investments and Climate Solutions (SICS) program. To date, the Fund has deployed more than $26.5 billion toward its goal of $40 billion, to specific investment opportunities in the SICS program,

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ALBANY, N.Y. — The New York State Common Retirement Fund (Fund) has committed an additional $2.4 billion to three funds as part of its Sustainable Investments and Climate Solutions (SICS) program.

To date, the Fund has deployed more than $26.5 billion toward its goal of $40 billion, to specific investment opportunities in the SICS program, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, trustee of the Fund, announced April 21.

The Fund has made commitments to the SICS program across asset classes including public equity, fixed income, private equity, credit, real assets, and real estate.

“Climate change poses a real threat to our investments, but the actions announced today will help position the Fund to address those risks and seize on opportunities generated as the world transitions to a low-carbon economy,” DiNapoli contended. “The Fund is a leader on addressing the investment challenges posed by climate change and our efforts continue. Over one million members and beneficiaries depend on the Fund’s long-term strength for a secure pension. These latest investments continue our commitment to prudently reduce risks to our portfolio and protect the Fund.”

The announced investments include $2 billion to the FTSE Russell TPI 1000 Climate Transition Index, an index fund that examines companies’ fossil-fuel reserves, carbon emissions, green revenues, management quality, and carbon performance.

The index is designed to reflect the performance of global and diversified indices, weighted to account for the risks and opportunities related to climate change. This is in addition to the $2 billion the Fund committed to this strategy in 2021, DiNapoli’s office noted.

The investments also include $250 million to the Oaktree Power Opportunities Fund VII, a fund targeting investments supporting infrastructure, including electric power, solar, and water systems though investments in aging infrastructure, energy efficiency, and renewable energy, primarily in North America.

The third investment was $150 million to the Vision Ridge Partners Sustainable Asset Fund IV. It’s a fund targeting investments focusing on climate mitigation and adaptation through identifying, developing, and transforming assets across energy, transportation, and agriculture, primarily in North America.

Annual review complete

DiNapoli also announced that the Fund has completed its annual review of thermal coal, oil sands, shale oil and gas, and integrated oil companies, which is a part of its broader review of the transition readiness of energy-sector investments that face “significant climate risk.”

The Fund will continue to restrict its investments in 39 coal, oil sands, and shale oil and gas companies and has newly restricted investment in eight coal and shale oil and gas companies that the Fund has determined are not prepared for the transition to a low-carbon economy.

They include Kinetic Development Group Ltd., NLC India Ltd., PT Petrindo Jaya Kreasi Tbk., Yancoal Australia Ltd., Civitas Resources Inc., Peyto Exploration & Development Corp., Texas Pacific Land Corp., and Viper Energy Inc.

Eleven coal and shale oil and gas companies were removed from the restricted list, DiNapoli’s office noted.

The Fund will not directly purchase or directly hold debt or equity securities, or invest through an actively managed account or vehicle, in these restricted companies. The newly restricted securities, valued around
$31.1 million, will be sold by the Fund.

In 2019, DiNapoli released a Climate Action Plan, which contains a multifaceted strategy that included a goal of committing $20 billion to sustainable investments. In 2024, after reaching the initial commitment target, DiNapoli set a new goal of deploying $40 billion to sustainable investments and climate solutions by 2035.

Financial-wellness programs are a valuble employee benefit

Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Insurance & Financial Services, Subscriber Only

Financial wellness can be an overlooked part of overall wellness and is a benefit area employers might not think about adding to their portfolio. However, one area expert says, the benefits can be far reaching. The National Fund for Workforce Solutions defines financial wellness as having control over day-to-day and month-to-month finances, having the ability

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The National Fund for Workforce Solutions defines financial wellness as having control over day-to-day and month-to-month finances, having the ability to absorb a financial shock, being on track to meet financial goals, and having the financial freedom to make choices that allow one to enjoy life.

Somewhere around 90 percent of Americans have indicated in numerous surveys that finances are their number one concern, Chris Manderfield, head of retail banking strategy for KeyBank, says. Of that 90 percent, three-quarters of those Americans don’t know where to go for help with their finances.

“As a result, employers are losing, on average, eight hours a week for every employee that works for them,” Manderfield says.

Fortunately, he adds, there are programs out there that employers can incorporate into their benefit packages to help employees with their financial wellness.

“The value proposition resonates with them,” Manderfield notes.

There isn’t one clear cut reason why finances concern so many people or why they struggle to find help. Rather, it’s a combination of factors, he says.

“There’s a reason 90 percent of consumers are worried,” he says. “That doesn’t happen overnight. There’s a compounding effect.”

It starts education, or the lack thereof, especially at the high school and college levels when young people are having their first financial encounters — first jobs, college loans, and more.

“I think there is a gap in terms of providing educational content,” especially as people progress through stages of life and their financial needs change, Manderfield says.

That lack of education can lead to poor decisions that tax finances. But there is a further compounding factor, he adds. That is shame or embarrassment.

“I think there’s a hesitancy for raising your hand to say I have an issue, and I don’t know how to solve it,” Manderfield says.

Key Bank’s solution is its Key at Work program, a free program employers can add to their benefit package. The program is a mix of digital and in-person assistance employers can utilize how they want, when they want.

A number of other programs are available, and employers can research to determine which one best meets the needs of their employees.

“It’s removing those barriers to getting help,” he says of such programs.

Providing that type of benefit to employees also benefits the employer, he adds. It can help an employer attract and retain employees. It can also boost productivity as employees spend less time worrying about their finances and more time focused on their work.

The National Fund for Workforce Solutions recommends these six steps for starting an employee financial wellness program — understanding your employees’ financial lives, assessing their financial wellness needs, determining the right kind of financial wellness solution for your company, finding and committing to the program, implementing and evaluating the program as a solution, and making any necessary changes based on evaluation and feedback.

Five Star Bank parent company to pay Q2 dividend of 31 cents in early July

Banks & Credit Unions, Insurance & Financial Services, Law, Accounting & Taxes, New York News, Subscriber Only

WARSAW, N.Y. — Financial Institutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISI), parent company of Five Star Bank, announced that its board of directors has recently approved a quarterly cash dividend of 31 cents per share of its common stock outstanding. Financial Institutions will pay the second-quarter dividend on July 2, to shareholders of record as of June 13.

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2025 Cybersecurity Conference Event Supplement

Technology, Subscriber Only

With a staggering 500% increase in cyberattacks over the last five years it’s no longer a question of if you will be attacked but when. Join us for an engaging afternoon where you and your leadership team will gain insights and practical strategies to pro-actively protect your business and be better prepared for an attack.

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OPINION: Our country needs effective leadership

Opinion, Subscriber Only

I do not remember being as concerned about the quality of our political leadership and the direction our leaders want to take the country as I am today. If you look at the places where we expect strong leadership — the courts, the Congress and, especially, the president — it’s hard not to be disappointed,

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And our country needs effective leaders. We’ve come through a difficult time. The COVID-19 pandemic caused over 1 million deaths and strained our health-care system. Inflation and inequality have shaken our faith in the economy. We are deeply divided by partisan politics.

Judging by public-opinion research, I’m not alone in my concerns about our leaders. When I was first elected to Congress, in 1964, something like 80 percent of Americans trusted government to do the right thing. Today the numbers have flipped: Only about 20 percent trust government.

Trust in Congress is especially low and has been for decades. But even the Supreme Court, which has often been held in high regard, has seen its reputation slipping. A recent Pew Research Center survey found negative views of the court were higher than positive views for the first time in over 25 years of polling. As for the presidency, Democrats viewed it favorably and Republicans unfavorably when Joe Biden was in office. Now that Donald Trump is president, their views are reversed.

Politics aside, there is plenty of evidence that our public officials aren’t providing the leadership we need. In the Congress, hyper-partisanship and infighting have been the order of the day. Compromise is rare, and fiscal deadlines are met with brinksmanship and threats of a government shutdown. In 1948, President Harry Truman, stymied at getting his programs adopted, railed against a “do-nothing Congress,” but that Congress passed more than 900 bills; the 118th Congress, serving in 2023-24, passed only 150.

The Supreme Court, meanwhile, has reversed its own precedents on abortion, affirmative action, campaign finance, religious freedom, and presidential immunity. Critics see the justices as politicians in robes, not impartial arbiters of the law and the Constitution.

I have concluded that leadership in dealing with our problems is not going to come from the courts or Congress. They simply aren’t structured to provide the scope and range of leadership that we need. That leaves the president; he’s the one who must respond to our expectations.

Unfortunately, Donald Trump hasn’t shown that he is up to the task. We can’t say that Trump hasn’t taken decisive action, but he hasn’t offered the coherent approach that we need. In my view, one of the most important characteristics of a leader is the ability to unite people to attack a problem. Trump seems almost allergic to compromise. I hope he can attain a degree of success; but, so far, there is not much evidence that he will.

I have written previously about the traits that make for effective leaders in government. First, leaders need to act with integrity; the public needs to know that they will do what they say. They need indefatigable energy and drive, but they also need patience and perseverance. They need to be able to put aside partisan differences. They need to be able to listen to contrary opinions and check their ego at the door. Unfortunately, these qualities are lacking.

Ours is a big, complex nation, and it’s difficult to get people to agree about a problem and unite around a solution. But bringing people together is an essential quality of leadership. Our leaders need to consider diverse views, focus on solutions, and bring Americans together rather than dividing us. We need that kind of leadership now as much as ever.

Lee Hamilton, 94, is a senior advisor for the Indiana University (IU) Center on Representative Government, distinguished scholar at the IU Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, and professor of practice at the IU O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Hamilton, a Democrat, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years (1965-1999), representing a district in south-central Indiana.

OPINION: Trump Secures Border As Illegal-Alien Encounters Down 94% in First 3 Months

Opinion, Subscriber Only

One Big Beautiful Bill will add $47 billion to border wall Southwest-border encounters once again were at record lows in April at just 12,035, according to the latest data compiled by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, recording record lows for the third month in a row. Overall, illegal immigration has been reduced from 559,009

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One Big Beautiful Bill will add $47 billion to border wall

Southwest-border encounters once again were at record lows in April at just 12,035, according to the latest data compiled by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, recording record lows for the third month in a row.

Overall, illegal immigration has been reduced from 559,009 in the period from February through April 2024 to just 34,762 in 2025 since President Donald Trump took office, a drop of 94 percent. It’s the lowest ever on record in data dating all the way back to 2000.

The swift change came as President Trump declared a national-border emergency on Jan. 20 under the National Emergencies Act, immediately deployed the military to the border, resuming construction of the southern border wall, declaring gangs and drug cartels to be terrorist organizations, and expediting their removal under the Alien Enemy Act and by the Attorney General.

Now, more help is on the way after the passage by the U.S. House of Representatives of President Trump’s signature legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, by a slim 215-214 vote on May 22.

The vote came two days after President Trump rallied House Republicans in a closed-door meeting to get the bill across the finish line. Trump closed the deal.

One item that probably didn’t hurt was it adds $46.5 billion of critical border wall and other barrier construction funds. When Paul Ryan was House Speaker the American people couldn’t get him to add two bricks to the wall in 2017.

The bill also adds another $4.1 billion to hire more Border Patrol agents, $2 billion for retention and signing bonuses,
$1 billion for more inspection equipment, and $2.7 billion for more surveillance equipment.

The President is always the most powerful when he has Congress’ backing, and so it is with securing the southern border that the enfeebled former President Joe Biden left open on purpose to flood the country with millions of illegal-alien refugees.

According to data compiled by U.S. Border Patrol encounters and the Office of Field Operations inadmissibles by the Office of Immigration Statistics, there were some
10.8 million border encounters all told from January 2021 to November 2024.

Now, the House has done its part to secure the border, with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act headed to the Senate and President Trump hoping to sign the bill into law by July 4. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R–La.), Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R–S.D.) and President Trump all campaigned on securing the border, and soon they’ll be able to show they got it done in Congress. Stay tuned.

Robert Romano is the executive director of Americans for Limited Government, a conservative 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that says it is dedicated to restoring constitutionally limited government, allowing individuals to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.

VIEWPOINT: Colleges Face Federal Requirement To Contact Students About Loan Debt

Business Mentors, Education & Training, Insurance & Financial Services, Subscriber Only

On May 5, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) released a “Request for Institutions to Provide Repayment Information to Former Students to Prevent Defaults” (GEN-25-19). Noting that “only 38 percent of Direct Loan and Department-held Federal Family Education Loan Program borrowers are in repayment and current on their student loans,” ED estimates that “almost

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Although the ED paused its requirement that students make payments on their defaulted federal student loan debt in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ED resumed collection of defaulted student loans on Monday, May 5, 2025, and is asking institutions whose students have incurred federal student-loan debt to contact those students who have student-loan debt, particularly those who are in default. The deadline for making these communications is June 30, 2025.

Communications to Students

ED is tasking institutions with ”providing clear and accurate information about repayment to borrowers through entrance and exit counseling,” and states that colleges and universities are responsible for “disclosing annual tuition and fees and the net price to students and their families on the costs of a postsecondary education.” Conceding that higher-education institutions have provided “direct advice and counsel to students regarding their borrowing,” ED warns that “institutions must refocus and expand these efforts as pandemic flexibilities come to an end.”

The Secretary [of Education Linda McMahon] is directing institutions to provide the following information to all borrowers who have not been enrolled at the institution since Jan. 1, 2020, and for whom they have contact information:

• Remind the borrower that he or she is obligated to repay any federal student loans that have not been repaid and are not in deferment or forbearance;

• Suggest that the borrower review information on StudentAid.gov about repayment options; and,

• Request that borrowers log into StudentAid.gov using their StudentAid.gov username and password to update their profile with current contact information and ensure that their loans are in good standing.

ED requires that institutions include all three of the bulleted information statements above in the institution’s notice to borrowers.

The department expects this outreach be performed no later than June 30, and suggests that institutions “focus their initial outreach on students who are delinquent on one or more of their loans in order to prevent defaults.” A future communication from ED will provide assistance to institutions on how to identify and communicate with those borrowers.

A press release posted on April 21, 2025 stated: “There will not be any mass loan forgiveness.” It also stated that “Later this summer, ED will send required notices beginning administrative wage garnishment” for those borrowers in default.

Impact of Cohort Default Rates (CDR)

ED’s announcement reminds colleges and universities that Section 435 of the Higher Education Act, which governs federal student-aid programs, provides that institutions “will lose eligibility for federal student assistance, including Pell Grants and federal student loans, if their CDR exceeds 40 percent for a single year or 30 percent for three consecutive years.” Because the repayment pause on student loans ended in October 2023, “CDRs published in 2026 will include borrowers who entered repayment in 2023 and defaulted in 2023, 2024 or 2025.” Furthermore, says ED, “those borrowers whose delinquency or default status was reset in September 2024 could enter technical default status / be delinquent on their loans for more than 270 days beginning in June and default this summer.” Therefore, it is in the institutions’ interest to contact former students in order to minimize the college or university’s cohort default rate in order to avoid being barred from the federal student-assistance program.

Publication of an Institution’s Student Loan Default Rate

The May 5 communication reminds institutions that ED has data on the repayment status of each borrower as well as that borrower’s institution(s) attended. The department will calculate non-repayment rates for every college and university that participates in the federal student aid program and will publish this information later in May on the Federal Student Aid Data Center website.

ED has promised to announce further requirements and information for institutions participating in the federal student-assistance program. Bond will provide updates as this additional information is released by ED.

Barbara A. Lee is of counsel in the New York City office of Syracuse–based law firm Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC. Lee provides higher-education clients with legal counsel in all aspects of education law, including academic and student affairs, faculty tenure and promotion, diversity hiring initiatives, governance issues and sexual harassment issues. Contact her at blee@bsk.com. This article is drawn from Bond’s website.

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One Big Beautiful Bill will add $47 billion to border wall

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Communications to Students

Impact of Cohort Default Rates (CDR)

Publication of an Institution’s Student Loan Default Rate

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