More than 16,500 have applied for the state’s free community college program

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NEW YORK CITY — More than 16,500 New Yorkers statewide have applied for the state’s free community college program for adults in high-demand fields through

Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties switches to outsourced chief investment officer model

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UTICA, N.Y. — The Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties has adopted a new investment-management model, naming longtime consultant Crewcial Partners as its outsourced chief investment officer (OCIO). Based in New York City, Crewcial has worked with the Community Foundation for several decades, per the Monday announcement. The expanded partnership marks a new phase

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Based in New York City, Crewcial has worked with the Community Foundation for several decades, per the Monday announcement. The expanded partnership marks a new phase in managing and growing the Community Foundation’s charitable assets, the Utica organization said.

This strategic move reflects the foundation’s “ongoing commitment” to long-term sustainability and sound financial stewardship of its more than $220 million investment portfolio.

For 30 years, Crewcial has worked with the Community Foundation and its investment advisory group (IAG), providing strategic investment guidance and oversight. Under the previous structure, investment decisions required approval from the Community Foundation’s board of trustees. Now, as the designated OCIO, Crewcial will take on full discretionary authority over key investment decisions — including ownership of investment manager selection, replacement, and portfolio management.

“We’re honored to continue our decades-long partnership with the Community Foundation in our new capacity as OCIO,” Mike Miller, chief investment officer of Crewcial Partners, said in the Community Foundation announcement. “Our deep familiarity with their mission, values, and long-term goals allows us to act with both speed and conviction in navigating today’s ever-evolving investment landscape to help ensure they can sustain their impact, grow with intention, and operate effectively for generations to come.”

The transition to an OCIO model will allow Community Foundation staff and the IAG to “concentrate more fully” on strategic priorities, core operations, and philanthropic growth.

However, the advantages of this partnership extend beyond just internal capacity, the Community Foundation notes.

The Community Foundation’s Nonprofit Agency Funds provide local charitable organizations with investment and gift-administration services. Through this new OCIO partnership, organizations that establish an Agency Fund will also benefit from the same investment expertise and oversight.

“It is our responsibility to steward our community’s assets both now and for years to come,” Erika Eastman, chief financial officer of the Community Foundation, said. “This new model supports our mission and future, and we feel confident that with Crewcial’s deep knowledge of our organization and proven expertise that we are set up for great success.”

Syracuse University inks pouring-rights agreement with Coca-Cola, switching from PepsiCo

Education & Training, Featured, New York News, Nonprofits, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse University has signed an agreement with the Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO), making it the official non-alcoholic beverage partner of the university

Butler Disposal employee killed on the job after car strikes him

North Country, Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Featured, Health Care, Law, Accounting & Taxes, New York News

GRANBY, N.Y. — An employee of Butler Disposal Systems, the largest trash hauler in Oswego County, was killed on the job Monday afternoon, Aug. 11,

Five finalists selected for ninth round of Genius NY business accelerator

Employee Benefits & Human Resources, New York News, Nonprofits, Small Business, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Technology

SYRACUSE — Firms from Utica, Syracuse, Ohio, New Jersey, and Sweden are among the five finalists selected for the ninth round the Genius NY business

Upstate Medical, SUNY Canton sign agreement for 4+3 doctor of physical therapy degree

North Country, Education & Training, Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Featured, Health Care, New York News, Nonprofits, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Upstate Medical University in Syracuse and SUNY Canton in St. Lawrence County have a new affiliation agreement for students who want to earn a doctor of physical therapy (DPT) degree. The new 4+3 DPT early-assurance program allows qualified high-school seniors the chance to complete their undergraduate education at SUNY Canton and “guarantees

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The new 4+3 DPT early-assurance program allows qualified high-school seniors the chance to complete their undergraduate education at SUNY Canton and “guarantees placement in Upstate’s competitive curriculum,” per the Upstate announcement.

“The agreement strengthens our commitment to preparing students for high-demand careers in healthcare fields,” Michele Snyder, dean of science, health and criminal justice at SUNY Canton, said in the Upstate announcement. “It builds on the established advantages of our career-focused programs while offering students a defined trajectory to earn their advanced degree.”

Under the pact, students accepted into the program will first earn an associate in applied science in the physical therapist assistant (PTA) program, followed by the bachelor of technology in health and fitness promotion program at SUNY Canton. Qualified students will then continue with their graduate studies at Upstate, culminating in earning their DPT.

Representatives from both campuses indicated that “high-paying, in-demand” careers await graduates. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists median pay for physical therapists at $101,020 per year, and the job outlook is “growing at a much faster-than-average pace.”

To secure an interview for admission into the selective program, students should have a high-school GPA of 90 percent or higher (recommended); four years of science and math; and eight hours of observational experience with a physical therapist.

To join the program, high-school seniors must simultaneously apply to both SUNY Canton and Upstate. Upstate’s enrollment for the new the 4+3 DPT early-assurance program will run from Sept. 1 to Feb. 1, 2026.

To apply, visit the university’s Doctor of Physical Therapy – 4+3 Early Assurance Program website. SUNY Canton’s admission process uses the SUNY application, Upstate said.

Open house on the fifth contract of the I-81 project set for Wednesday

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Education & Training, Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Featured, Law, Accounting & Taxes, Manufacturing & Engineering, New York News, Nonprofits, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) will host an open house on Wednesday, Aug. 13, focusing on the construction on

Renovation work continues, as Syracuse STEAM High School readies for first class

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Education & Training, Subscriber Only

SYRACUSE — Just a few weeks away from the start of the 2025-2026 school year, construction crews continue their efforts to get the new Syracuse STEAM High School ready to welcome 250 freshman students for instruction. STEAM is short for science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. The school is bringing new life to the former

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STEAM is short for science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. The school is bringing new life to the former Central Tech High School building across from the Centro Bus hub in downtown Syracuse. It’s located at 701 Warren St. South & East Adams Street.

Crews are working to complete the first and second floors and a portion of the basement area, which meets the needs of the curriculum and programs for the incoming freshman class, Archie Wixson, Onondaga County facilities commissioner, told reporters taking the July 20 tour.

After school opens, the construction work will continue, but it will be “off hours” in the basement and on an upper floor, he added.

“These contractors know how to work around the children, and we put safety and barricading measures in place, so there’s no crossover between the construction and the students,” Wixson said.

C&S Companies of Syracuse is the construction manager for the project, he added.

“The reality is we’re going to be ready to welcome in those freshman students, and the work will continue … and by the time we have the first day of school in 2026, we will be fully done,” Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh said.

Walsh, Wixson, Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon, and Anthony Davis, superintendent of the Syracuse City School District, guided the tour through the area’s first regional technical high school with the renovation effort ongoing.

The project cost has risen to about
$100 million, Wixson said when asked about the current cost figure. The project was announced as a $74 million effort at the time of the groundbreaking on Dec. 7, 2023, per the office of Gov. Kathy Hochul. The state committed $71 million to project.

Davis said he’s spoken to a few students who will begin their work at the STEAM High School this fall, and they’re feeling “excitement” at what’s coming up.

The STEAM High School is open to students in Onondaga County as well as those in Cortland and Madison counties as well, Davis told reporters during the question-and-answer session inside the school.

“I had the honor of speaking at the last Central Tech class reunion and explaining to them what’s happening in this building. The sense of pride that they had to see this building come back alive was extremely important,” Davis noted in his remarks.

“During my time in the previous administration, there was a lot of interest in this building for housing or some other mixed-use redevelopment, but to [former] Superintendent Alicea’s credit and others in the community, they had a vision for what this could be,” Walsh said in his remarks. “It was different, but it aligned perfectly with the Syracuse Surge strategy and with all of our other efforts on workforce development, building off of the amazing success of the career and technical-education programs that the Syracuse City School District has continued to build upon.”

Syracuse Surge is the city’s strategy for “inclusive growth in the New Economy,” per the city’s website. Walsh launched Syracuse Surge in 2019.

Brockway-Carpenter Real Estate moves to new Utica office

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Mohawk Valley, Small Business, Subscriber Only

UTICA, N.Y. — Brockway-Carpenter Real Estate LLC has come a long way since starting as a home-based business just a few years ago. The company recently celebrated its new office in Utica as it continues to grow. Andrew Carpenter-Brockway, owner and broker, first got into selling real estate in 2016, right after completing his first

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Andrew Carpenter-Brockway, owner and broker, first got into selling real estate in 2016, right after completing his first year as a high-school teacher.

“I really just wanted to supplement my income,” he says. That first year was a little slow, but things started to pick up enough in his second year that Andrew convinced his husband Daniel Brockway to also earn his real-estate license.

Together, the pair marketed their services as the Brockway-Carpenter team, and business continued to increase.

By 2021, Carpenter-Brockway was ready to take the venture full time, even though his husband was no longer in the business, and launched Brockway-Carpenter Real Estate.

Working out of his home that first year, “I had my best year that year,” he says. He knew the next logical steps were to add some agents to help the business grow even more, and to do that, he needed an office.

Carpenter-Brockway found space in Whitesboro in 2022 that he leased for three years until moving to the new Utica office, at 288 Genesee St.

Along with being larger, the new office offers more defined workspace. The previous space was basically one large room for his 10 agents to share and a small office for Carpenter-Brockway. The new office features a common area and reception space, conference room, private office, shared office space, and a storage room.

Even more appealing is the location, which is closer to the resources the agency uses including lawyers and title companies, Carpenter-Brockway says.

“I think it’s just a melting pot of a whole bunch of resources and businesses we can support,” he notes. “We had access to all these people before, but now they’re even closer.”

To kick things off, Brockway-Carpenter Real Estate recently held a meeting featuring a title company, mortgage banker, attorney, and real-estate photographer.

Now that the agency is settled into its new space, Carpenter-Brockway says growth is the goal, and that means growth for his agents as well as for the company.

“A lot of my agents are new agents,” he says, adding that he has developed a number of tools to support them as they learn the business. That includes an agent portal for his team where he regularly uploads training materials.

Carpenter-Brockway does the same for his clients, and he believes that educational component sets his agency apart from the competition.

The home-buying process can be confusing, especially for first-time buyers, so he offers a client portal with information on each step of the process and what to expect next.

“They’re always informed all throughout the transaction,” he notes.

Locally, the home-buying market has not slowed down much, he adds, especially in the New Hartford and Whitesboro areas.

In addition to his real-estate business, Carpenter-Brockway and his husband also recently purchased Woody’s Ice Cream Place at 246 Mohawk St. in Herkimer.

Upstate airports win federal funding for projects, equipment

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

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Airports serving the Binghamton area, Ithaca, Oswego County, and areas of the North Country are recipients of federal funding for projects and equipment purchases. They’re among 16 facilities awarded a total of more than $21 million for the projects. This federal money was awarded through the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Airport Improvement

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Airports serving the Binghamton area, Ithaca, Oswego County, and areas of the North Country are recipients of federal funding for projects and equipment purchases.

They’re among 16 facilities awarded a total of more than $21 million for the projects.

This federal money was awarded through the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Airport Improvement Program, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.) and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D–N.Y.) said in the announcement.

The funding will help pay for projects that strengthen safety measures, modernize terminals, and enhance the passenger experience at New York’s airports.

Funding awards

The lawmakers’ announcement included a list of the airports, their funding award, and how they’ll use the money.

The Oswego County Airport in Volney will use a nearly $77,000 award to reconstruct existing runway signage and rehabilitate existing runway lighting. Additionally, the money helps pay to reconstruct the precision approach path-indicator system, per the announcement.

The FAA also awarded the Ithaca Tompkins International Airport more than $128,000 for new aircraft rescue and firefighting equipment, along with more than $1 million to replace existing snow-removal equipment.

The Greater Binghamton Airport, located in the town of Maine in Broome County, will use $1.3 million to reconstruct 51,000 square feet of an existing terminal building and replace the electrical system and associated lighting.

Additionally, an award of nearly $732,000 will help the Corning–Painted Post Airport rehabilitate 3,269 feet of existing paved runway.

In the North Country, the FAA awarded Massena International Airport more than $253,000 to replace existing snow-removal equipment.

In addition, Ogdensburg International Airport will use nearly $475,000 for its terminal-expansion project and more than $181,000 to conduct an airport wildlife-hazard assessment and develop a wildlife-hazard management plan.

Lake Placid Airport will use an FAA funding award of more than $156,000 to reconstruct 1,100 square yards of the existing general-aviation apron pavement and fix an additional 5,600 square yards of existing general-aviation apron pavement. In addition, the facility was awarded more than $270,000 to replace existing snow-removal equipment.

Also, Plattsburgh International Airport will use more than $1.1 million to purchase snow-removal equipment, Schumer and Gillibrand said.

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