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Syracuse resident Valerie Hill seemed to have it all…a successful entrepreneur, stable finances…then it came crashing down. She gave up her businesses to save her marriage, but the eventual divorce ruined her good credit, and she lost the house and car. Then, Hill’s parents became ill, requiring hospitalization and nursing home care.

Dunbar is in her blood. For Dunbar Association board member and treasurer Liz Page, it all began with nursery school more than 70 years ago. In high school, she was a volunteer, then served later as a staffer and liaison to the United Way.

A music series that brings live concerts into different Syracuse neighborhoods will continue again next month. This year, the music shares the stage with health and community.

Onondaga County’s Town Supervisors and Village Mayors say the state DOT has not considered their input regarding the department’s recommendation of a community grid to replace the I-81 viaduct through Syracuse.

It’s been just over a year since two 40-foot concrete sidewalls tumbled off a railroad bridge onto South Clinton Street in Syracuse. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the news was startling to those who live, work, and drive near the railroad viaduct that winds its way through the city. Officials later learned that an inspection two years prior found several structures of the bridge posed at least some hazard.

They’re as young as nine years old. They come from gangs, or are orphans. Some have been prostituted and trafficked. Many started working before they were 10, and haven’t finished school. The youth from the streets of Managua, Nicaragua are part of a group called the Nicavangelists , and brought their talents, culture, and hope to Syracuse Friday.

The chants of "U-S-A, U-S-A" were earsplitting for those who lined streets in New York City Wednesday to celebrate the US Women’s National Soccer Team for their victory in the World Cup. Fans, many of them families with young girls, kept streaming in to catch a glimpse of their heroes. The Women’s Team won the final of the World Cup Sunday 2-0 over The Netherlands in France. All of the team members were present for fans to see, riding atop several trucks and buses, including Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Tobin Heath, Crystal Dunn, Alyssa Naeher and others who captivated the nation and the world in their undefeated run to the cup, which they won for the second straight world cup. Many of the fans along the parade route held signs supporting one of the team’s loudest cries, one for equal pay. The members of the USWNT, despite being the best in the world, make far less than their male counterparts on the USMNT. In fact, the team members are all party to a lawsuit against the US Soccer

A park in the center of downtown Syracuse that has struggled to find its identity in recent years is about to get a facelift. City councilors Monday approved an agreement for site preparation to begin soon at Perseverance Park on South Salina between Fayette and Washington Streets.

Onondaga County lawmakers Tuesday approved $25 million worth of renovations for NBT Bank Stadium, but it doesn’t come without some reservations. The county and state are splitting the cost. Legislator Tom Buckel was the lone no vote, saying he’d rather put the money toward a new stadium downtown, where it should have been in the first place.

The influence of the Stonewall Uprising in New York City 50 years ago can be seen in the oversized portraits on display at Syracuse’s ArtRage Gallery . Community engagement organizer Kimberley McCoy says the subjects of Hudson Valley artist Joe Radoccia weren’t necessarily at the riot or even alive at the time…

As many as 600 people are expected to fill Marcellus Park next week for the annual 5K walk/run to raise awareness for ovarian cancer. “ Teal There’s a Cure ” is holding its 11 th annual fundraiser on July 4 th . Ovarian cancer might be one of the less common types of cancer, but it does have a comparatively lower survival rate due to its later diagnosis. Committee member Wendy Carl Isome is a survivor. She was diagnosed in 2010. "As you can imainge, your life changes in an instant when you're diagnosed with cancer," said Isome. "So after I completed my chemo, I really wanted to get the message out to other women who were experiencing symptoms to go see their doctor." The problem is symptoms are non-specific, and usually don’t present until the later stages of the disease. Isome remembers she had abdominal pain before her diagnosis. She says there is a way to remember some typical symptoms: "It's called B.E.A.T: Bloating, eating or feeling full, abdominal pain, or trouble with your

Children and adults alike could hardly contain their excitement earlier today at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo where officials had a surprise… “I see it! I see it! I see it!” a little boy exclaimed when baby Asian elephant Ajay emerged into the yard, accompanied by his mother Mali and grandmother Targa. It was the first public introduction of Ajay, and the five month-old, 700 pound pachyderm showed no hesitation as he made his way into the yard. Dozens of visitors had a birdseye view from the new $2.2 million walkway and overlook that’s been years in the making. Zoo director Ted Fox says it’ll be one of the best elephant exhibits in the country in size and complexity. “ We put elements in that don’t exist anywhere else, like the walk-through tunnel, the topography, and the grass seed mix. There are very few places in the country where you can see elephants grazing on natural grass, and that’s exactly what they get to do here.” Fox says it’s just the latest in a series of improvements to the

Neither farmworkers, nor their employers are claiming victory after passage of legislation at the state capitol that includes some labor protections that most other workers enjoy.

If organizers get the record crowd they’re expecting for this Saturday’s Pride Parade and Festival, they say it’s an indication of how far the community has come. Realities are changing for gay, lesbian, transgender and other residents here in Central New York. Organizer Sam Castleberry is on the board of C-N-Y Pride . He says the festival is a time to celebrate the L-G-B-T-Q community in a comfortable and supportive way. “I'm getting calls from the parents of 16-year-olds saying, ‘Hey, my son or daughter or child has just come out as trans or coming out as LGBT. And then I'd like to bring them to the pride festival,’ which really shows you how much things have changed.” At the same time, Castleberry says you can’t get past the political overtones. He notes it’s the 50 th anniversary year of the Stonewall Riots that started the gay rights movement. And the celebration makes a statement. “It's a way of saying we are still here and recognizing that just as quickly as we can gain all

There’s growing concern that the lack of high-speed internet access among low income urban and rural households, immigrants, and other minority populations might leave them undercounted in the upcoming census. That’ll be the focus of a summit Wednesday hosted by the Central New York Digital Inclusion Coalition. Co-chair and director of the LaFayette Public Library Scott Kushner says the census bureau will start by sending postcards that direct residents to a website.

Hamdi Farah knew in college that she wanted to be a teacher for the younger refugee children in Syracuse’s Somali-American community, but she had doubts about the idea. How could she teach them English, for example, when she wasn’t always sure of correct spellings herself?

Aromas of curry, cumin, turmeric, onions and other spices fill the room as goat curry cooks in a huge pot on the stove. Meanwhile, various dishes from cuisines around the world are served to customers. “It’s a blessing to feed people who were fasting the whole day; it’s a really beautiful benefit from God,” says Tatyana Mahmud.

Ten years ago, 15-year-old Khadijo Abdulkadir arrived in New York City. But as she took her first steps off the airplane and into the United States, there was one thing she and her family forgot onboard: her sister.

It’s been three years in the making, and Syracuse city planners are ready to present the final draft of a new zoning ordinance and map Wednesday that will shape the city’s land use for years to come. The city began the ReZone Syracuse project in 2016 in an effort to modernize zoning codes that hadn’t seen a comprehensive overhaul since the 1920’s.

As a high school junior in Puerto Rico, Rita Paniagua decided to fulfill a civic engagement requirement by teaching English to schoolchildren in an impoverished village west of San Juan, where she lived.