UTICA — The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Utica formally reopens on Oct. 24 following “a multimillion-dollar renovation.” 

The landmark hotel was scheduled to hold a late afternoon event that day with the Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce to “celebrate the grand opening,” the chamber said in a news release.

 DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Utica’s roots date back to 1912. The hotel has more than 7,000 square feet of event space that can accommodate up to 300 guests. It holds wedding receptions, business meetings, and other gatherings. 

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Utica is owned and managed by Visions Hotels. 

The Central New York Community Foundation announced that it recently awarded $342,520 in grants to nonprofit programs in the fields of arts & culture, education, environment and animals, human services, and public and societal benefit. The organizations receiving grants included the following.

– Friends of Beaver Lake received $32,003 to create new exhibits that will provide visitors with a “deeper awareness of the complexity of the ecosystem and the decisions that affect it.” 

– Good Life Youth Foundation was allocated $56,123 to develop Good Life Enterprises, a social enterprise and job-training program for youth facing poverty in Syracuse. The training will teach them the necessary skills to be successful in future job endeavors, the foundation said in a news release.

– Museum of Science & Technology Foundation (MOST) received $59,975 to fund phase one of renovations to its traveling exhibit area. 

– Person to Person Citizen Advocacy Association was provided $11,637 to hire a consultant to assist with organizational and fund development. The consultant will provide coaching and assistance for staff and board to obtain stable fundraising dollars. 

– Refugee & Immigrant Self-Empowerment (RISE) received $25,000 to create a job-advancement counselor staffing position and program to help refugees and immigrants achieve “self-sufficiency” through employment. 

– Ronald McDonald House of CNY was offered $24,282 to support technology upgrades that will assist with growth in occupancy and fund development. The upgrades will increase the staff’s capacity to effectively manage day-to-day operations of guest services and donor management, the foundation said.

– Skaneateles Early Childhood Center received $25,000 to replace its roof. The new roof will prevent water leakage and fix compromised barrier and insulation that could pose a danger risk to children. 

– Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School was allocated $19,000 to install a library to support its literacy program. The new library will serve and address the low literacy rates of students that live in underserved areas in the city of Syracuse. 

Established in 1927, the Central New York Community Foundation says it encourages local philanthropy by supporting the growth of permanent charitable endowments for the betterment of the region. The foundation says it’s the largest charitable foundation in the area with assets of more than $226 million. It awarded $14 million in grants last year to nonprofit organizations. 

The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) forecasts that New York farmers produced 77.9 million bushels of grain corn in 2017, up nearly 6 percent from 73.5 million bushels in 2016. The agency made the forecast on Oct. 1.

The increase is a rebound following a 13 percent production decline last year and a 16 percent drop in 2015, according to past NASS data on corn production.

Nationally, the USDA reported that U.S. grain-corn production totaled nearly 14.3 billion bushels in 2017, down almost 6 percent from 15.15 million bushels in the prior year.

New York manufacturers reported increased activity in shipments and employment, resulting in a boost to a monthly gauge on the state’s manufacturing sector.

The Empire State Manufacturing Survey general business-conditions index rose 

6 points to 30.2 in October, its highest level in three years.

The index fell less than a point to 24.4 in September after climbing 15 points to 25.2 in August, which, at the time, was its highest level since September 2014.

A positive reading indicates expansion or growth in manufacturing activity, while a negative index number points to a decline in the sector.

The results of the October survey indicate that business activity “grew at a robust pace” for New York manufacturers, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said in a news release issued Oct. 16.

The survey found 40 percent of respondents reported that conditions had improved over the month, while 14 percent said that conditions had worsened.

Survey details

The new orders index fell 7 points, but at 18.0, pointed to “solid gains” in orders. The shipments index advanced 11 points to 27.5, its highest level in “several” years. 

The unfilled-orders index moved down 7 points to 2.3. The delivery-time index fell 12 points to 3.1, a level indicating “slightly longer” delivery times, and the inventories index fell 14 points to -7.8, a sign that inventory levels “declined modestly.”

The index for number of employees rose 5 points to 15.6, suggesting that employment “expanded more strongly” this month. 

The average-workweek index registered zero, indicating that the average workweek “held steady.” 

Prices increased at a “somewhat slower” pace than last month: the prices-paid index fell 9 points to 27.3, and the prices-received index moved down 7 points to 7.0.

Indexes assessing the six-month outlook suggested that firms “continued to be optimistic” about future conditions. 

The index for future business conditions climbed 6 points to 44.8, and the index for future new orders also came in at 44.8. Employment was expected to “increase modestly.” 

The capital-expenditures index edged down 3 points to 21.9, and the technology-spending index was “little changed” at 16.4.

The New York Fed distributes the Empire State Manufacturing Survey on the first day of each month to the same pool of about 200 manufacturing executives in New York. On average, about 100 executives return responses. 

BINGHAMTON — The Mildred Faulkner Truman Foundation of Owego has awarded a $15,000 grant to continue to provide scholarship assistance to Tioga County students attending Binghamton University in the 2017-2018 academic year.

Since 1998, Truman Foundation scholarships have helped more than 494 Tioga County students enrolled at Binghamton University. In the current academic year, 56 full- and part-time undergraduate students from Tioga County are enrolled at Binghamton University, it said in a news release. Of these, 47 students qualified for financial aid. 

Mildred Faulkner Truman was born in Owego in 1897. She became a director of the Owego National Bank and the Tioga County Historical Society, and was a member of the First Presbyterian Union Church. Her husband, James Truman, practiced law in Owego.

 Upon her death in 1983, Truman’s estate established a foundation to support nonprofit organizations serving Tioga County residents with grants for critical needs, aid for capital projects, and seed money for special projects and programs, the release stated.

 Eligibility for this funding is based on Tioga County residency and financial necessity, which is determined by the Binghamton University financial aid office through completion of a financial-aid form, available at http://www2.binghamton.edu/financial-aid/services/apply-via-fafsa.html.