WAER 88.3 News | NPR from Central New York

About 150 people braved snowy roads and frigid temperatures Monday morning to donate, pack and distribute food and clothing at the Martin Luther King Jr Day of Service held in the Southwest Community Center.

Supporters of the Community grid option for the future of Interstate 81 thorugh downtown Syracuse don’t feel like their voices are being heard. WAER’s Chris Bolt reports on a petition drive to try and get the ear of Albany on the crucial upcoming I-81 decision. The raised portion of I-81 through Syracuse – called the viaduct – has been the topic of much debate. Any consensus on the best option to replace it as it crumbles seems unlikely.

They’ve been waiting for 12 years. And earlier this week, Central New York civil rights advocates learned that both chambers of the state legislature passed a measure that protects gender identity. The Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act, or GENDA, was previously approved in the assembly, but never the senate. Central New York Chapter Director of the NYCLU Yusuf Abdul-Qadir says it’s timely given the Trump administration’s attacks on gender non-conforming people. " It would prohbit discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations like hospitals, doctor's offices, businesses that serve the public. It's a fundamental protection in the human rights law." He says New York joins 18 other states and Washington DC in extending such protections. Abdul-Qadir says they’re clearly needed. There are no local statistics, but a national transgender survey in 2015 found 30 percent reported discrimination in the workplace, 23 percent in housing, and 31 percent in public services like

One of the best experiences one can have going downtown is finding a new favorite restaurant. If you've been itching to try something a little different for your dining experience, this episode of The 315 is for you! This week Joe Lee and Kevin Kloss visit Kasai Ramen, the newest ramen restaurant in Armory Square. The guys enjoyed a meal and then invited Owner and Chef Kyle Mastropietro into the studio to talk about what makes his spot unique.

It’s no secret that Syracuse has one of the highest poverty rates in the country, nearly three times the national average of about 12 percent. But an analysis by the Brookings Institution looks at just who is living in poverty, and why. That could be the key to finding ways to boost populations that are struggling.

Officials at the Food Bank of Central New York are bracing for the worst if the partial government shutdown continues beyond the next couple weeks. Right now, they have enough of a cushion to get them through a short-term interruption in food deliveries to their warehouse.

It might seem like one of the quickest ways out of poverty is a steady job. But despite low unemployment and government-funded job training, those who need jobs the most find obstacles to getting them. Some built-in factors get in the way but there are policies and practices that could hold promise. In this episode of City Limits, Chris Bolt examines the role local businesses play in reducing poverty in Syracuse.

Many Central New York skiers likely have been waiting for more ideal conditions to hit the slopes this season, and it looks like they might be in luck. Some ski resorts are optimistic after a rather lackluster start.

The Greater Syracuse HOPE Initiative has been working to make a difference in Syracuse’s poverty problem. Last year, the organization asked the community what programs they think would make an impact. From that community input, HOPE chose eleven proposals and has spent the last year developing them. City Limits’ Katie Zilcosky sat down with Greater Syracuse HOPE’s Executive Director to talk about what changes 2018 brought to Syracuse and what is still to come.

It’s been almost a year since City Limits introduced listeners to Providence Services and some of the people who use the shuttle-to-work service. At the time, the fledgling non-profit was making the most of small grants and donations to take people to work who didn't have access to a car. The goal was to help lift people out of poverty by providing transportation to better paying jobs. In this episode of City Limits, Scott Willis checks back with Providence Services to see where things stand a year later.

Thirty years ago Friday, at 2:03 p.m., the Syracuse University community was forever changed by what we’d eventually learn was the terrorist bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. The dean and chaplains of Hendricks Chapel held a private service for family, friends, and faculty in the chapel to remember the 270 people who died aboard the plane, including 35 SU students. They then gathered at the Wall of Remembrance. The Crouse Chimes played the alma mater, Amazing Grace, and rang 35 times in memory of the students lost. Many family members of the victims, as well as SU faculty, also gathered for remembrances at Arlington Cemetery and Lockerbie, Scotland.

Many Central New York farmers are probably breathing a sigh of relief now that the Farm Bill has made its way through Congress. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer claimed success in securing many of its provisions, including relief for struggling dairy farmers.

Onondaga County is looking to ensure the stability of its 15 villages for the next decade. County Executive Ryan McMahon says the renewed Enhanced Village Improvement Program aims to help them address public safety, neighborhood development, and other needs.

A holiday concert this weekend will include music from a range of cultures, while also touching one of Syracuse’s most pressing problems – poverty. “Christmas from Dublin” will be performed in the Palace Theater this Saturday. Organizer Live Space Entertainment is working with organizations that help the homeless and families in need.

The Romaine lettuce recall from three weeks ago, right before Thanksgiving, is probably still fresh in the minds of many Central New Yorkers. The shelves were bare at just about every supermarket and salads weren’t available at restaurants for at least a week due to e-coli contamination.

The City of Syracuse has reviewed U.S. Census data and issued a report showing that while the poverty rate has fallen to 32 percent, there are five conditions that more negatively impact residents here than other major Upstate Cities.

The board tasked with oversight of the Syracuse Police department says it is eager to get to know new Syracuse police chief Kenton Buckner. The Citizen Review Board examines grievances against officers and can recommend corrective action.

An ongoing problem that first generation Americans face is the ability to balance both their native culture and American culture, representing both when the time calls for it. Recently, though, as social media continues to grow, first generation Americans are finding it easy to express and embrace both their cultures on their social media accounts Natalie Fahmy brings us this report through a collaboration between The Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and WAER.

This holiday season farmers from around New York State are giving the gift of food. The New York Farm Bureau announced on Tuesday that they donated more than 10,600,000 pounds of food this year through November, and dropped off another shipment to the Food Bank of Central New York. The food donation is the largest from state farmers in a single year, and translates to almost 9,000,000 meals for New Yorkers in need.

The Catholic Diocese of Syracuse has released the names of every priest, living and deceased, who has had a credible allegation of sexually abusing a minor. Bishop Robert Cunningham says he made the difficult decision in hopes of bringing healing to the victims and the church.