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Brooks-Rolling to depart executive-director position at UMEA in late June
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Me’Shae Brooks-Rolling, who has served as executive director of the Upstate Minority Economic Alliance (UMEA) since 2019, will leave the role at
Biden formally announces $6.1 billion Micron funding in visit to the MOST in Syracuse
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — U.S. President Joseph Biden on Thursday afternoon formally announced a $6.1 billion funding award for Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) during a visit to the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology (the MOST) in downtown Syracuse. The billions in funding will come through the federal CHIPS and Science Act for
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — U.S. President Joseph Biden on Thursday afternoon formally announced a $6.1 billion funding award for Micron Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) during a visit to the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology (the MOST) in downtown Syracuse.
The billions in funding will come through the federal CHIPS and Science Act for Micron projects in both the Town of Clay and in Boise, Idaho, where the chip manufacturer is headquartered.
The U.S. Department of Commerce has reached a preliminary agreement with Micron to provide the funding.
This money will support the construction of two fabs in Clay and one fab in Boise, Idaho. The funding is part of $50 billion in private investment by 2030 as the first step towards Micron’s investment of up to $125 billion across both states over the next two decades to build a “leading-edge memory manufacturing ecosystem,” per a White House fact sheet about Biden’s visit.
“In all, it’s going to create over 70,000 jobs across both states, at least 9,000 of which are construction jobs; [and] 11,000 manufacturing jobs,” Biden said in his remarks before a packed crowd at the MOST.
Biden also recalled the shortage of semiconductors during the coronavirus pandemicand noted that semiconductors are smaller than the tip of a human finger.
“[They] help power everything in our lives from smartphones to cars to dishwashers, satellites,” Biden said. “We invented those chips here in America … We made them move. We modernized them.”
The U.S. at one time produced 40 percent of the global semiconductor market’s chips, Biden added. “But over time, we stopped making them.”
When the pandemic shut down chip makers overseas, prices on a lot of products shot up, the president explained. In the U.S., a semiconductor shortage helped drive the surge in inflation in 2021 and contributed to long waits for several products.
“Folks, I determined that I’m never going to let us be vulnerable to wait lines again,”Biden contended. “We’re going to make [them] here.”
The funding will support the construction of the first two fabs of a planned four–fab “megafab” focused on leading-edge DRAM chip production at the White Pine Commerce Park in the town of Clay. Each fab will have 600,000 square feet of cleanrooms, totaling 2.4 million square feet of cleanroom space across the four facilities — “the largest amount of cleanroom space ever announced in the United States and the size of nearly 40 football fields,” per the White House fact sheet.
Sanjay Mehrotra, president and CEO of Micron Technology, called it an “historic moment for semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S.”
“Micron’s leading-edge memory is foundational to meeting the growing demands of artificial intelligence, and we are proud to be making significant memory manufacturing investments in the U.S., which will create many high-tech jobs,” Mehrotra said in a statement forwarded to the media ahead of the event. “We appreciate the foresight of U.S. President Joe Biden, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and the bipartisan delegation in Congress that supported the CHIPS and Science Act. Their steadfast focus championing these strategic investments will ensure U.S. semiconductor competitiveness for generations to come.”
Micron established two project-labor agreements (PLAs) at both the New York and Idaho sites for construction of new fabrication facilities. Both PLAs are the “largest in each state’s history,” per the White House fact sheet.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul; Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon; U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.); and Micron’s Mehrotra spoke to the gathering ahead of Biden.
Biden, Hochul, McMahon, and Schumer also remembered the deaths of Syracuse Police Officer Michael Jensen and Onondaga County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Michael Hoosock who were killed in the line of duty on April 14 while investigating the report of a stolen vehicle in the town of Salina.
Shannon Thomas, a second-year electrician apprentice and a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 43 union, introduced President Biden to the assembled crowd.
In contrast to the crowd of supporters inside the MOST, protesters gathered on the sidewalk along West Jefferson and South Franklin Streets behind fences as law-enforcement stood guard. One protester carried a sign that read, “Stop Funding Israeli War Crimes in Palestine.”
Real Life Rosies pre-apprenticeship program celebrates graduates
UTICA, N.Y. — On Tuesday, April 23, Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC) and the Manufacturers Association of Central New York (MACNY) celebrated the third and
Walsh releases Syracuse housing strategy that calls for “difficult and disruptive choices”
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh on Wednesday released the Syracuse Housing Strategy, which his office describes as a “multi-year framework for improving housing conditions in the City of Syracuse.” The strategy calls for “additive new work that builds on major initiatives” currently underway. They include the Resurgent Neighborhoods Initiative, the East Adams neighborhood
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh on Wednesday released the Syracuse Housing Strategy, which his office describes as a “multi-year framework for improving housing conditions in the City of Syracuse.”
The strategy calls for “additive new work that builds on major initiatives” currently underway. They include the Resurgent Neighborhoods Initiative, the East Adams neighborhood redevelopment, and the community grid vision plan, Walsh’s office said. It also includes programs like the Syracuse Land Bank and downtown–revitalization efforts.
Walsh’s office cites the strategy as indicating “almost 100% of the old way of doing community development will have to be shelved. Resistance to such change is to be expected. Without such change, Syracuse’s housing markets will not begin to truly recover nor get to a point where they are able to withstand the new and different demographic and other challenges headed Syracuse’s way.”
The 70-page plan recommends focusing the city’s housing resources on both stabilizing “distressed” neighborhoods to prevent further decline and investing in “middle”neighborhoods to leverage current and potential market demand for quality housing.
The Syracuse Housing Strategy proposes using a “cluster approach” to implement strategies in groupings of 30-50 contiguous city blocks with similar market conditions and neighborhood identities.
“The Syracuse Housing Strategy is a smart framework to accomplish the massive challenge of revitalizing the city’s housing stock. It presents interventions that will breathe new life into city neighborhoods,” Walsh contended in the announcement. “The strategy also recognizes we are doing a lot of things right already and encourages continued commitment to those neighborhood initiatives. It challenges us, though, to make difficult and disruptive choices to use the limited resources we have available in ways that will make more Syracuse neighborhoods attractive for new residents and private investment.”
The Syracuse Housing Strategy was developed based on significant community and stakeholder input in conjunction with the czb, a planning firm based in Bath, Maine.
Iti is available online at syracusehousingstudy.com.
The City’s department of neighborhood and business development will hold a community open house regarding the strategy on April 30 from 5:30–7 p.m. at the Northeast Community Center at 716 Hawley Ave. in Syracuse.
Studio Central Post, a post-production facility, opens in downtown Syracuse
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Studio Central Post, a post-production facility, has opened a 30,000-square-foot facility at 219 S. West St. in Syracuse. Its location is equipped
Comptroller audit addresses lax accounting in Chenango County town
LINCOLN, N.Y. — Recent audits by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s office found some accounting shortcomings in the town of Lincoln in Madison County, where a former town clerk was arrested for stealing from the town, according to the audit reports. The first audit, which covered Dec. 1, 2017, through June 1, 2022, found
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LINCOLN, N.Y. — Recent audits by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s office found some accounting shortcomings in the town of Lincoln in Madison County, where a former town clerk was arrested for stealing from the town, according to the audit reports.
The first audit, which covered Dec. 1, 2017, through June 1, 2022, found that the former town clerk failed to properly account for, deposit, report, or remit collections.
“When receipts are not accurately and promptly recorded or deposited, officials do not have assurance that all collections are accounted for, and money could be lost or misappropriated,” the comptroller’s report read. “For example, as of April 13, 2022, the former clerk could not account for cash totaling $3,869.
The audit found the clerk also failed to deposit $4,038 in cash collections recorded from Jan. 1, 2018, through April 13, 2022. The clerk also did not maintain complete records for cash collected, resulting in town officials finding $622 in cash in her office with no supporting records.
The clerk also failed to record 44 checks totaling $4,320 in the accounting system and improperly voided other receipts totaling $769.
“These unrecorded receipts and voids enabled the former clerk to conceal cash collections that were recorded but not deposited,” the report read. “The town board did not perform an annual audit of the former clerk’s records, as required.”
In July 2023, the former clerk, Amy Becker, was arrested on charges of petit larceny for stealing nearly $4,000 from the town. She subsequently pled guilty, paid restitution of $3,869, and received a one-year conditional discharge.
DiNapoli’s office recommended that going forward, the Town of Lincoln perform an annual audit of the clerk’s records and that the clerk promptly deposit and record collections.
“To ensure the town’s continued financial integrity and accountability, it is imperative that we uphold best practices moving forward (since 2022),” Town of Lincoln Supervisor Melissa During said in a written response to DiNapoli’s office. “By adhering to established guidelines and implementing more robust internal controls, we can safeguard taxpayer funds, mitigate risks, and maintain transparency in our operations.”
The second audit by DiNapoli’s office focused on making sure the Town of Lincoln board and supervisor ensured that disbursements were supported and approved.
The audit, which covered Jan. 1, 2020, through Dec. 31, 2021, found that the board and former supervisor did not ensure disbursements were adequately supported and properly improved. Three payments totaling $2,605 were not audited and approved by the board. Claims totaling $109,158 were improperly paid prior to the board audit, and claims totaling $533,518 were improperly audited and approved by the former supervisor rather than the board.
Additionally, 13 claims totaling $23,116 did not contain sufficient supporting documentation. Former bookkeepers did not maintain time records to support the hours for which they were paid, and one bookkeeper received $1.751 in additional pay with no evidence of approval.
DiNapoli’s office recommended the Town of Lincoln consult with legal counsel about the unsupported claim payments to the former supervisor and bookkeeper and seek recovery of those funds. Going forward, the town board should audit and approve claims prior to payment when required and ensure all claims include adequate support before approving them.
The Town of Lincoln has contracted with an outside vendor for bookkeeping and payroll services since February 2022.
In a letter to DiNapoli’s office, During, who took office as supervisor in 2022, noted she only pays claims that have been audited and approved by the board and all hourly employees are maintaining detailed time records.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central New York (RMHC of CNY) says it is nearly 75 percent of the way toward reaching its $1.1 millionfundraising goal to pay for an ongoing renovation project. The organization is renovating more than 9,000 square feet of previously unfinished space on the fourth floor of the
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central New York (RMHC of CNY) says it is nearly 75 percent of the way toward reaching its $1.1 millionfundraising goal to pay for an ongoing renovation project.
The organization is renovating more than 9,000 square feet of previously unfinished space on the fourth floor of the house to add six new family suites. RMHC of CNY expects to complete the expansion project later this spring so that it can start using the new suites by this summer to “serve even more guest families in need.”
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central New York is located at 1100 E. Genesee St. in Syracuse.
To date, RMHC of CNY has raised $815,000 toward its $1.1 million goal, including a $350,000 gift from the Feehan Family Foundation Inc., per its Tuesday announcement.
“This expansion will allow us to keep even more families comfortable and close when it matters most,” Beth Trunfio, executive director of RMHC of CNY, said in the announcement. “We are in the process of raising $1.1 million to support this project and, while we are trending toward our goal, we are asking community members to consider donating to the project to help us meet the evolving needs of guest families.”
Those interested in donating can do so online at rmhcny.org/fourth-floor or call (315) 476-1027 to learn more about commemorative giving opportunities, RMHC of CNY said.
New Energy New York selects finalists for battery-startup accelerator
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Four finalists will compete in the inaugural ChargeUp Battery Startup Accelerator at the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator in Binghamton. Binghamton University, the
Love’s Travel Stops selects PAR data product
NEW HARTFORD — Restaurant-technology company PAR Technology Corp. (NYSE: PAR) announced it has added Love’s Travel Stops to its roster of clients for its PAR Data Central enterprise food-management solution. The Love’s network includes brands such as Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s, Arby’s, Bojangles, Taco John’s, Love’s Deli, Dairy Queen, Back40, Naf Naf, Subway, Godfather’s, BB Subs,
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NEW HARTFORD — Restaurant-technology company PAR Technology Corp. (NYSE: PAR) announced it has added Love’s Travel Stops to its roster of clients for its PAR Data Central enterprise food-management solution.
The Love’s network includes brands such as Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s, Arby’s, Bojangles, Taco John’s, Love’s Deli, Dairy Queen, Back40, Naf Naf, Subway, Godfather’s, BB Subs, and Chester’s locations across stores and travel stops in the U.S.
“The implementation of Data Central has transformed our operations, providing a comprehensive solution to effectively manage food costs across all our brands,” Love’s Operations Lead Margaret Barnes said in a PAR news release. “It has empowered our teams to make data-driven decisions, helping to enhance efficiency and profitability. With streamlined processes and robust reporting features, we’re better equipped to meet the evolving needs of our customers while optimizing our operational resources.”
PAR Data Central allows Love’s to use its existing tech stack and helps the company track food costs and centralize operational processes.
“At PAR, we are dedicated to delivering tangible results for our customers,” PAR CEO Savneet Singh said. “Love’s decision to select Data Central as its exclusive back-office management provider underscores the value our solutions bring to the table. Together, we are reshaping how businesses manage their operations and enhancing their competitive edge.”
Headquartered in Oklahoma City, Love’s Travel Stops operates 642 locations in 42 states.
PAR Technology offers restaurant point-of-sale, digital ordering, loyalty, and back-office solutions. Clients include more than 70,000 restaurant locations in over 110 countries.
A total of 11 watershed research and education projects across New York state, including several in the Great Lakes watershed and Mohawk River basin, will share in $325,994 in grant awards, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the New York State Water Resources Institute (WRI) at Cornell University recently announced. Cornell
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A total of 11 watershed research and education projects across New York state, including several in the Great Lakes watershed and Mohawk River basin, will share in $325,994 in grant awards, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the New York State Water Resources Institute (WRI) at Cornell University recently announced.
Cornell University received three grants. It will use $33,700 for its FLX PFAS Project, which uses targeted water sampling to identify sources of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in the Finger Lakes, according to an April 11 DEC news release.
The second grant, totaling $7,200, will be used to help understand the impacts of tile drain density on watershed-scale nutrient concentration by creating a geospatial dataset covering the state to assess the impact of agricultural tile drainage on nitrate and phosphorus levels in streams. Statistical models will be built to compare nutrient concentrations between areas with significant tile drainage and those with limited drainage, informing decisions on prioritizing best-management practices to mitigate nutrient loadings in key agricultural regions, per the release.
A third grant of $40,000 will be used to continue to improve water literacy and education of the Mohawk River watershed through art, science, and indigenous studies with Cornell students and middle-school students in towns along the river. The project examines how art-based field experiences with the watershed improve learning and change student attitudes and behavior toward the environment.
The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, partnering with Hobart and William Smith Colleges, was awarded $40,000 to research the isolation of benthic cyanobacteria and investigate their toxin production from the Finger Lakes and the embayments of Lake Ontario, the release stated.
SUNY Oneonta received $25,000 for its work measuring the biological productivity of Hudson River tributaries and the impact of dams on tributaries. The project focuses on understanding how natural and human factors affect the flow of nutrients and energy through these vital waterways, crucial for sustaining fisheries and ecosystem health.
“Protecting the health of New York’s remarkable watersheds will help ensure aquatic habitats continue to thrive and that communities are better prepared to withstand the challenges of climate change along their shorelines,” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said in the release. “Through DEC’s partnership with the New York State Water Resources Institute at Cornell University, secured through the state’s Environmental Protection Fund, these grants are advancing valuable education programs and projects that will support DEC’s work managing New York’s watersheds.”
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