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Mohawk Valley Realtors donate to military program at Sitrin
UTICA, N.Y. — The Mohawk Valley Association of Realtors (MVAR) recently presented more than $17,580 to Sitrin for its military program. The Sitrin program provides

Ithaca celebrates completion of three housing developments
ITHACA, N.Y. — New York State Homes and Community Renewal completed a new housing complex with 118 all-electric homes in Ithaca’s Northside Neighborhood and the rehabilitation of two outdated Ithaca Housing Authority properties in a $75 million project. The project preserves and adds to the city of Ithaca’s public-housing options, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office announced.
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ITHACA, N.Y. — New York State Homes and Community Renewal completed a new housing complex with 118 all-electric homes in Ithaca’s Northside Neighborhood and the rehabilitation of two outdated Ithaca Housing Authority properties in a $75 million project.
The project preserves and adds to the city of Ithaca’s public-housing options, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office announced.
The project included three housing communities — Northside Apartments, Overlook Terrace, and Southview Gardens.
Overlook Terrace, developed by 3d Development Group and the Ithaca Housing Authority, has five residential buildings with 10 apartments. Southview Gardens has four residential buildings with 26 apartments, a community building, and a laundry/mechanical equipment building. Northside Apartments has 17 buildings with 82 apartments — 12 more than the original development demolished to make way for it — and a community building.
Work at Overlook Terrace and Southview Gardens included mechanical and electrical upgrades; upgraded laundry facilities; new windows, roofs, doors, and flooring; and updated bathrooms, kitchens, and appliances.
The apartments are available for households earning up to 60 percent of the area median income.
“Redeveloping these properties was about more than just renovating buildings,” Ithaca Housing Authority Executive Director Brenda Westfall said in the announcement. “It’s about revitalizing communities, preserving affordability, and creating opportunities for families to thrive. Each improvement we make is an investment in the future, ensuring that everyone has access to safe, dignified, and sustainable housing. It’s a commitment to equity, stability, and the wellbeing of our entire community.”
All three developments are highly energy efficient and all electric. Some of the energy-efficiency measures included in the project are heat-reflective roofing systems with tapered insulation, Energy Star-rated appliances, energy-efficient lighting, and low-flow plumbing fixtures for a projected total energy savings of 15 percent.
State financing for the project included $10.6 million in permanent tax-exempt bonds, federal low-income housing tax credits that will generate $29.7 million in equity, and $18.8 million in subsidies from New York State Homes and Community Renewal. The project also received
$1.5 million through Homes and Community Renewal’s Clean Energy Initiative program, $9.3 million from the Ithaca Housing Authority, $300,000 from Tompkins County Community Housing Fund, and more than $90,000 from Ithaca Urban Renewal.
“The Ithaca Housing Authority’s Northside Apartments project provides a much-needed infusion of high-quality affordable housing in Tompkins County,” Tompkins County Legislature Chair Dan Klein said. “A lack of affordable housing is at the root of so many issues in Tompkins County. The county is proud to be a small piece of the financing puzzle that brought this project to fruition.”

LeChase Construction adds project manager
SYRACUSE — LeChase Construction Services, LLC recently announced the addition of Noah Gillette as a project engineer, based in its Central New York region. In this role, Gillette will assist project managers and superintendents by managing documentation and helping direct the efforts of project teams during the preconstruction, construction, and post-construction phases of assigned projects,
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SYRACUSE — LeChase Construction Services, LLC recently announced the addition of Noah Gillette as a project engineer, based in its Central New York region.
In this role, Gillette will assist project managers and superintendents by managing documentation and helping direct the efforts of project teams during the preconstruction, construction, and post-construction phases of assigned projects, according to a LeChase news release.
Gillette has two years of previous industry experience, working with other Syracuse–area firms, prior to joining LeChase. He attended Utica University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in construction management. Gillette was a member of the Utica University Student Contractors Association while a student there.
LeChase Construction Services, founded in 1944, is a full-service construction management and general construction firm based in Rochester. It has additional New York state offices in Buffalo, Syracuse, Schenectady, Corning, Binghamton, and Long Island, according to its website. The firm also has offices in New Jersey, Maryland, and North Carolina (2).

JMA Wireless to use $44 million CHIPS award for facility upgrades, new jobs
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — JMA Wireless in Syracuse will use nearly $44 million from the federal CHIPS & Science Law for upgrades to its 5G manufacturing

OCC holds December graduation, nurse-pinning ceremony
ONONDAGA, N.Y. — Onondaga Community College (OCC) awarded associate degrees to about 230 December 2024 graduates during a ceremony held Wednesday evening, Dec. 11. OCC held the ceremony at the SRC Arena on campus at 4585 West Seneca Turnpike. Prior to the graduation ceremony, OCC also held its nurse-pinning ceremony, recognizing 29 students who completed
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ONONDAGA, N.Y. — Onondaga Community College (OCC) awarded associate degrees to about 230 December 2024 graduates during a ceremony held Wednesday evening, Dec. 11.
OCC held the ceremony at the SRC Arena on campus at 4585 West Seneca Turnpike.
Prior to the graduation ceremony, OCC also held its nurse-pinning ceremony, recognizing 29 students who completed their nursing degrees this semester.
The pin they receive “symbolizes their hard work and dedication,” OCC said. Nursing graduates were called up individually and “pinned” by either a professor, a family member, or a friend who is also in the medical profession. The Nurse Honor Guard also participated in the ceremony, welcoming graduating students into the nursing profession.
OCC’s December graduation ceremony included remarks from the student speaker, Karar Abed, a graduate of East Syracuse Minoa (ESM) Central High School who moved to the U.S. from Iraq and plans to become a heart surgeon.
About the speaker
Abed moved to the U.S. in 2016. He learned English and completed several college courses on the way to earning his high school diploma at ESM in June 2023. That fall, he came to OCC where he was part of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, the Lillian Slutzker Honors College, and the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry program.
During the summer of 2024, OCC says he participated in a summer research program, Bridges to Baccalaureate, at SUNY Binghamton. During his final semester at OCC, he interned at Upstate Medical University in the biochemistry department where his focus was cancer research.
Abed completed his mathematics and science degree at OCC and will transfer to SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry to major in biochemistry. His goal is to become a heart surgeon, OCC said.

SUNY Poly professor receives $150K in grants for wireless-research project, workshop
MARCY, N.Y. — SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s Arjun Singh, an electrical and computer engineering professor, was recently awarded two grants totaling $150,000 from the Air Force

MVCC Foundation inducts four into Hall of Fame
UTICA, N.Y. — The Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC) Foundation inducted four new members into its Hall of Fame during a ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 7, on the Utica Campus. The MVCC Hall of Fame recognizes individuals “who have embraced our community, modeled the way, inspired confidence, and encouraged excellence at MVCC,” the community college
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UTICA, N.Y. — The Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC) Foundation inducted four new members into its Hall of Fame during a ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 7, on the Utica Campus.
The MVCC Hall of Fame recognizes individuals “who have embraced our community, modeled the way, inspired confidence, and encouraged excellence at MVCC,” the community college said in a news release. Selections are also based on business or professional achievements or awards, leadership service to the local community, personal achievements, leadership support and involvement at MVCC, significant contributions to MVCC athletics, and any other appropriate qualifications. This year’s inductees are:
• Dean and Professor Emerita Jennifer A. Boulanger
• Dean and Professor Emerita Marianne Buttenschon
• Administrator Emeritus Dennis B. Rahn
• Professor and Coach Penny Trojan
Much more information on each individual inducted into the MVCC Foundation Hall of Fame is available at: https://halloffame.mvcc.edu.

Herkimer College provost inducted into Genesis Group Hall of Distinction
HERKIMER, N.Y. —Michael Oriolo, chief academic officer and provost of Herkimer College, was inducted into the Genesis Group’s Hall of Distinction for lifetime achievement in education. Oriolo was honored at the Genesis Group’s 18th Annual Celebration of Education at Hart’s Hill Inn in Whitesboro on Thursday, Nov. 21. Oriolo joined Herkimer College in 1981 as
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HERKIMER, N.Y. —Michael Oriolo, chief academic officer and provost of Herkimer College, was inducted into the Genesis Group’s Hall of Distinction for lifetime achievement in education.
Oriolo was honored at the Genesis Group’s 18th Annual Celebration of Education at Hart’s Hill Inn in Whitesboro on Thursday, Nov. 21.
Oriolo joined Herkimer College in 1981 as a mathematics instructor. Since then, he has fulfilled leadership roles in the college including division chair, division dean, and dean of academic affairs before his role as provost, according to a Herkimer College news release. As provost, Oriolo oversees more than 40 associate degree, certificate, and micro-credential programs, and is responsible for many services provided by Herkimer College including the Library, the Academic Support Center, the Internet Academy, among many others.
Herkimer College Officer-in-Charge Nicholas Laino delivered remarks introducing Oriolo at the event. He said, “Michael has a deep knowledge of higher education policies and programs, specifically within SUNY and at Herkimer College, and most importantly he approaches every decision by asking what is best for the students. It was my honor to publicly thank Michael for his remarkable contributions to education and his unwavering commitment to Herkimer College.”
This achievement is the most recent of Oriolo’s accolades, as he also received a SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service in 1992.

Assessing the Likely Tax Impacts of the 2024 Election
President-Elect Donald Trump will return to the White House in 2025 — a year that already was expected to see significant activity on the federal

OPINION: Violence in Prisons is Rising: Albany Needs to Act
Violence in state prisons has reached another record high, and there are no signs this growing crisis will slow down anytime soon. Inmate-on-inmate assaults surpassed 2023 levels in September. The Mohawk Correctional Facility just saw a 12-day spike in altercations involving weapons, drugs, and multiple injured officers. It’s painfully obvious the havoc that progressive criminal-justice
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Violence in state prisons has reached another record high, and there are no signs this growing crisis will slow down anytime soon. Inmate-on-inmate assaults surpassed 2023 levels in September.
The Mohawk Correctional Facility just saw a 12-day spike in altercations involving weapons, drugs, and multiple injured officers. It’s painfully obvious the havoc that progressive criminal-justice “reforms” have caused is impacting prisons, putting all parties in danger.
Considering the circumstances, it is not surprising the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA) is sounding the alarm. According to state data, assaults on prison staff have already jumped more than 62 percent compared to all of 2021; inmate-on-inmate assaults over that same period have risen 138 percent.
“We have made it clear to the Governor, State Legislature, and [Department of Corrections and Community Supervision] that this system is unsustainable, and the safety inside the facilities are being neglected by state leaders,” the NYSCOPBA said in a recent statement.
The state’s poorly crafted HALT Act is one of the biggest culprits preventing prison staff from protecting inmates and officers, alike. The law, painted as a way to improve conditions for prisoners, severely restricts segregated confinement for even the most dangerous inmates and subsequently limits correctional officers’ ability to maintain order. With a lack of effective disciplinary actions among inmates, it’s no surprise chaos in correctional facilities is on the rise.
As we prepare to begin a new legislative session in January, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and Gov. Kathy Hochul to rethink this failing policy. They need to look no further than the clear and obvious spike in prison violence for justification to repeal the law. The men and women working in correctional institutions are public employees. It’s unconscionable that through misguided regulation, state officials have created more dangerous and violent conditions for this dedicated workforce.
New Yorkers are increasingly unsafe across the board. From our broken bail and immigration laws to how we treat incarcerated individuals and those charged with protecting them, New York State is failing. In 2025, we need to refocus our public-safety priorities to restore law and order, and protect the people who have made a commitment to protect all of us.
William (Will) A. Barclay, 55, Republican, is the New York Assembly minority leader and represents the 120th New York Assembly District, which encompasses all of Oswego County, as well as parts of Jefferson and Cayuga counties.
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