Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.

Adirondack Railroad resumes service between Utica and Old Forge
UTICA, N.Y. — The Adirondack Railroad resumed service between Utica and Old Forge after repairs were made to damage along the tracks caused by severe

Hochul removes interim tag from State Fair Director Hennessey’s title
GEDDES, N.Y. — Just ahead of the start of this year’s State Fair, Gov. Kathy Hochul is removing the interim tag from the title of

KeyBank consolidates two Ithaca branches, formally opens one new office
ITHACA, N.Y. — KeyBank (NYSE: KEY) on Friday formally opened its new branch at 604 South Meadow St. in downtown Ithaca, which represents a branch

FuzeHub grants awarded to projects in Central New York, Southern Tier
ALBANY, N.Y. — FuzeHub announced it has awarded grant funding to collaborative projects in Central New York and the Southern Tier through its Jeff Lawrence

Syracuse-Rochester-Buffalo region competing for Tech Hub designation
The Syracuse-Rochester-Buffalo regions are working together as one to become a federally recognized Tech Hub through a nationwide competition created in the CHIPS & Science

Upstate University Hospital to again require masks, COVID tests
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Upstate University Hospital is again requiring staff, visitors, and patients in clinical areas to wear masks at the downtown facility, Community campus,

CNY sites receive FAST NY funding to prep shovel-ready sites for development
MARCY, N.Y. — Seven locations, including ones in Oneida, Broome, and Onondaga counties, will share $39.6 million in funding from the Focused Attraction of Shovel-Ready
Oswego County teacher charged with stealing more than $4,000 from CiTi BOCES
OSWEGO, N.Y. — New York State Police in Pulaski recently arrested an Oswego County teacher for allegedly falsifying time sheets while working for the Center for Instruction Technology and Innovation (CiTi) BOCES to get paid for more than $4,000 in tutoring work he didn’t complete. State Police on Aug. 9 charged William J. Fisher, age
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OSWEGO, N.Y. — New York State Police in Pulaski recently arrested an Oswego County teacher for allegedly falsifying time sheets while working for the Center for Instruction Technology and Innovation (CiTi) BOCES to get paid for more than $4,000 in tutoring work he didn’t complete.
State Police on Aug. 9 charged William J. Fisher, age 72 of Fulton, with one count of 3rd degree grand larceny, three counts of 1st degree falsifying business records, and one count of corrupting the government in the 4th degree — all felonies.
Fisher was an adult literacy teacher at CiTi BOCES in the town of Mexico. During an internal audit, CiTi BOCES found discrepancies with Fisher’s time sheets and notified the New York State Police, who in turn, contacted the New York State Comptroller’s office to partner in the investigation.
Fisher was required to meet with students for tutoring sessions and provide them with work packets. The investigation found that from January to September 2022, he did not provide these sessions to at least three students and instead submitted false timesheets to be paid for sessions that never occurred, according to a State Police news release.
He was allegedly paid at least $4,409 to which he was not entitled, based upon his deception. During the course of the investigation, Fisher was hired by the Oswego Central School District but has since been suspended from that job, the release stated.
“William Fisher was supposed to help adults earn their GED and open a path to greater opportunities, but instead falsified timesheets to line his own pockets,” DiNapoli said in a separate news release issued by his office. DiNapoli partnered with Oswego County District Attorney Gregory S. Oakes, and State Police Acting Superintendent Steven Nigrelli on the investigation.
Fisher was arraigned in Oswego County Centralized Arraignment Part (CAP) Court and is due back in court on Aug. 22.

Rockbridge names chief investment officer
SYRACUSE — Rockbridge Investment Management announced it has appointed Adam C. Gagas as its chief investment officer. Gagas will also retain his role as managing director of institutional services at Rockbridge, which is an advisory firm based in Syracuse. Prior to joining Rockbridge Investment Management in 2021, Gagas held several positions in the financial sector.
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SYRACUSE — Rockbridge Investment Management announced it has appointed Adam C. Gagas as its chief investment officer.
Gagas will also retain his role as managing director of institutional services at Rockbridge, which is an advisory firm based in Syracuse.
Prior to joining Rockbridge Investment Management in 2021, Gagas held several positions in the financial sector. He served as the CEO of Disciplined Capital Management, LLC, an SEC registered investment advisory firm, and as the founder and CEO of Breakwall Asset Management, LLC, a New York State registered investment advisor located in Oswego. His career also includes work as an analyst on teams managing multi-billion-dollar portfolios at Skandia Asset Management and Principal Global Investors in New York City.
Gagas also serves as an adjunct instructor of corporate finance and portfolio management in the SUNY Oswego School of Business. He currently serves as a board member of Pathfinder Bank, Oswego Health, the Phi Sigma Kappa National Educational Foundation, and Oswego’s historic Riverside Cemetery.
Gagas earned a bachelor’s degree from Hobart College with majors in economics and Russian Studies, and an MBA with a concentration in finance from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University.

Pathfinder Bank names VP, senior commercial lender
OSWEGO — Pathfinder Bank has recently hired Joseph Pedrotti as VP and senior commercial lender. “We are thrilled to welcome Joe to our team,” Ronald G. Tascarella, the bank’s first VP, chief lending officer, said in a Pathfinder news release. “With his wealth of knowledge in commercial banking and his deep roots in the Central
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OSWEGO — Pathfinder Bank has recently hired Joseph Pedrotti as VP and senior commercial lender.
“We are thrilled to welcome Joe to our team,” Ronald G. Tascarella, the bank’s first VP, chief lending officer, said in a Pathfinder news release. “With his wealth of knowledge in commercial banking and his deep roots in the Central New York business community, Joe will be a tremendous asset to our company’s continued growth and success.”
In his new role, Pedrotti’s primary responsibilities will include generating new commercial loans and deposits, developing and maintaining business relationships, and monitoring and ensuring credit quality for existing loans in the greater Syracuse market.
Pedrotti brings more than four decades of banking experience, having most recently served as VP, business banking officer at Citizens Bank’s Syracuse office. Before his time at Citizens Bank, Pedrotti held several positions at Community Bank, KeyBank, and M&T Bank.
Pedrotti is a graduate of Columbia College and holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
Pathfinder Bank says it is a New York State chartered commercial bank headquartered in Oswego. The bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pathfinder Bancorp, Inc, (NASDAQ: PBHC). It has 11 full-service offices located in its market areas consisting of Oswego and Onondaga County.
Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.