Former Utica school superintendent sentenced for public corruption charges

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UTICA, N.Y. — Former Utica City School District superintendent Bruce Karam has been sentenced to pay more than $160,000 in restitution to the school district

Raymour & Flanigan plans new retail store in newly purchased Northern Lights shopping center in Salina

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only

SALINA, N.Y. — Raymour & Flanigan Furniture and Mattresses tells CNYBJ that it hasn’t set a timeline for opening a retail store in the Northern Lights shopping center that the retailer now owns. Raymour & Flanigan has purchased the Northern Lights shopping center at 132 Northern Lights Plaza in the town of Salina. It declined

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SALINA, N.Y. — Raymour & Flanigan Furniture and Mattresses tells CNYBJ that it hasn’t set a timeline for opening a retail store in the Northern Lights shopping center that the retailer now owns.

Raymour & Flanigan has purchased the Northern Lights shopping center at 132 Northern Lights Plaza in the town of Salina. It declined to disclose the purchase price.

The acquisition closed on April 11, the office of Salina Town Supervisor Nick Paro said in an announcement the following day. Raymour & Flanigan plans to open a retail store in the plaza “in the coming months” and “focus on attracting national retailers to fill vacant spaces,” per the town’s April 12 announcement.

“As a family-owned business that considers Syracuse its home, the company has always been committed to serving the people in the area and is always looking for new ways to grow in its backyard,” Raymour & Flanigan tells CNYBJ. “We’re excited about the opportunity to contribute to economic growth in the area, including development in the region and new job opportunities.”

Raymour & Flanigan is headquartered in the Syracuse suburb of Clay.

The retailer bought the Northern Lights property from Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK), a Chicago, Illinois–based commercial real-estate firm that operates offices in the Syracuse area.

“This plaza was once a jewel of our community, but has been in disrepair for many years now,” Salina Town Supervisor Nick Paro said in the announcement. “Its placement along Interstate-81 makes it a prime location for retailers to serve our community and grow their customer base, and I am thrilled to welcome [Raymour & Flanigan] to Salina.”

The large entrance sign lists current tenants that include Olum’s Furniture & Appliances, Petco, Party City, Flaming Grill & Buffet, and Paladino’s Pizza.

Originally built in 1956, Northern Lights has been a “retail staple” of the town of Salina for generations, the town said. “In its heyday,” the plaza was home to retailers like T.J. Maxx and Michaels, Media Play, and even local-favorite restaurants like Hofmann’s Hot Haus and Paladino’s Pizza, Paro’s office said.

“When Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy visited Paladino’s Pizza two years ago, he commented on the great pizza but dismal strip mall,” Paro noted. “I am excited to say that Northern Lights Plaza will be much more attractive and full of life for Portnoy’s next visit.”

OCC provides update on the school’s Micron-related activity

Manufacturing & Engineering, Education & Training, Subscriber Only, Technology

ONONDAGA, N.Y. — Onondaga Community College (OCC) says it’s working on a semiconductor summer program that would give students the chance to earn college credits in electromechanical technology. The five-week long program would be for recent high school graduates or high school students entering 11th or 12th grades. Details on the program were part of

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Tioga County Chamber to honor economic drivers

Southern Tier

OWEGO, N.Y. — Tioga County has a new way to celebrate the people and organizations boosting economic growth and development in the region with the

Second public meeting for St. Luke’s site-redevelopment project set for April 30

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Health Care, Mohawk Valley, Subscriber Only

NEW YORK MILLS, N.Y. — With one community meeting under their belts, the Town of New Hartford, Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS), Oneida County, and Mohawk Valley EDGE — working cooperatively as Reimagine St. Luke’s — are hosting a public-design principles workshop on April 30. The meeting takes place from 7-8:30 p.m. at the New

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Micron reaches deal with federal government for $6.1 billion for projects in Clay, Idaho

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Manufacturing & Engineering, Subscriber Only, Technology

CLAY, N.Y. — Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) has reached a $6.1 billion preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) funding agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce under the federal CHIPS & Science Law for projects in both the town of Clay and in Idaho. The PMT outlines key terms for Micron’s CHIPS agreement. To finalize the

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The PMT outlines key terms for Micron’s CHIPS agreement. To finalize the federal CHIPS agreement, the Commerce Department will now begin a due–diligence process on the proposed project and other information contained in the application, the office of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) announced Wednesday evening.

After satisfactory completion of the due–diligence phase, the Commerce Department will finalize the PMT.

President Joseph Biden plans a visit to the Syracuse area on Thursday, April 25 to announce the funding, but the White House is still determining final details, the website of WSYR-TV NewsChannel 9 is reporting.

This federal funding is part of a planned public-private investment of more than $100 billion over the next two decades. It represents the largest private investment in New York’s history, the Schumer’s office said.

The funding “was made possible thanks to Schumer’s push to bring Micron to Central New York,” his office noted.

“To all those who have had their doubts, believe it, Micron is here, Micron is real. And now with billions in federal investment from my CHIPS & Science Law, we are taking the next steps to get shovels in the ground to transform the Syracuse region and all of Upstate into a global hub for the chips that will power America’s future,” Schumer saidin the announcement. “From smartphones to AI to our nation’s most sensitive defense technologies, the memory chips Micron makes are in nearly every product of our modern economy, but as the pandemic showed when we don’t shore up our supply chains and make these chips in America it can skyrocket prices and threaten our national security. This investment will build a more secure economy for the entire country, with Micron in Central NY as its beating heart.”

Micron announced its plans for a semiconductor–manufacturing campus at the White Pine Commerce Park in the town of Clay on Oct. 4, 2022.

Gov. Kathy Hochul reacted to the announcement in a statement late Wednesday night.

“The largest private investment in American history is on its way to Central New York. New federal funding from President Biden’s CHIPS and Science Act will help lock in 50,000 jobs, a $100 billion investment, and millions of dollars in community benefits, along with aid from the Green CHIPS Act we passed here in New York,” Hochul said.

The MOST to use federal funding for renovations to create STEAM-education space

Education & Training, Nonprofits, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology (MOST) in Syracuse says it will use nearly $3 million in federal funding for a “major”renovation project at the facility. The money will help pay for a project to turn the eastern portion of the museum building into a STEAM education space, per

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The money will help pay for a project to turn the eastern portion of the museum building into a STEAM education space, per the Wednesday announcement. STEAM is short for science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.

The project will convert the space into classroom and instructional space; upgrade and modernize plumbing, mechanical, life safety, and other support systems; and add an elevator and other modifications for ADA accessibility. ADA is short for the federal 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act.

The MOST used its announcement to thank U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.), U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D–N.Y.), and U.S. Representative Brandon Williams (R–Sennett) for securing the funding for the project.

“The federal funding secured by these elected officials is transformational for the MOST and for the community we serve,” Lauren Kochian, president of the MOST, said in the announcement. “This project will enable us to expand and diversify the high-quality science and technology education that we offer the local community, most ofwhich we offer free to participants and their families. We are so excited about the impact that this project will have on educational opportunities for kids from all backgrounds.”

The east wing of the MOST, referred to as Phase 4, was completed in 1907 as part of the third New York State Armory built on the site, the MOST said. The interior has not been in active use since the 1980s and was not renovated as part of the original conversion of the building into the MOST in the mid-1990s.

The space is adjacent to the lawn on the Jefferson Street loop and features a four-story turreted tower. The interior, which is currently used for storage, includes 10,000 square feet of space and retains “considerable historical details” from its original construction. Crews handling the renovation will preserve and restore carved wood fireplaces, original hardwood floors, vintage light fixtures, and other handmade and locally crafted details.

“I am proud to deliver this nearly $3 million in federal funding for Syracuse’s beloved Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology. This will help the museum grow to give thousands of Syracuse kids and families access to new, state-of-the art classrooms and hands-on learning in science, math, and technology,” Schumer said in the MOST announcement. “From Micron’s major investment in Central NY to the exciting research going on at [Syracuse University], places like the MOST that combine learning and fun are how we can spark interest early on for the STEAM jobs that will be building Syracuse’s future.”

Mayor of Florence, Italy to address SU Class of 2024 at graduation ceremony

Education & Training

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse University (SU) has chosen Dario Nardella, the mayor of Florence, Italy, to deliver the commencement address for the SU Class of

Time to Prepare for OSHA’s new “Walkaround Rule”

Ask the Expert

In a development consistent with President Biden‘s growing reputation as leading the most pro-union administration in history, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has

People news: Community Memorial Hospital adds new physician assistant

Health Care, Mohawk Valley

HAMILTON, N.Y. — The Community Memorial Hospital (CMH) network announced it has added a new physician assistant to its orthopedics team. Jackie Ireland brings more

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