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Syracuse is hopefully getting its first dog park after a Syracuse native saw the potential in an old, beat-up ballfield on the outskirts of Syracuse University. Joshua Wilcox is a graduate student in Urban Planning at University at Buffalo and will be a part of the designing process for our canine companions. “From what I know it will be the first completely fenced in dog park. There will be a double gate and entry for it from what’s been proposed so far. It’s a really well drained field so it really makes a perfect spot.” said Wilcox. Wilcox ran the idea past Councilor Michael Greene and now the idea is taking off. “The fundraiser which is looking for $27,000 would go to put fencing in the area so that the area’s enclosed. It would have a separate area for large dogs and small dogs. It would put crushed stone on the ground so that it doesn’t get muddy. We’d also be looking to add benching for seating as well as hopefully a water fountain for both dogs and people.” said Wilcox. Two dog

Leaders from Syracuse, Onondaga County, and non-profit partners are making a final push to encourage responses for the 2020 census before the September 30 th deadline. Officials are spending the next six days going door to door in less responsive city neighborhoods to spread information about the census.

Many might forget that one of the essentials that Central New York families are struggling to afford during this pandemic is diapers. CNY Diaper Bank founder and director Michela Hugo says so many families have lost jobs, hours, and pay.

Onondaga County is trying to keep the momentum going in revitalizing the west side of Onondaga Lake by supporting business and neighborhood improvements in Solvay and Geddes. County Executive Ryan McMahon says nearly a million dollars is available for storefronts to improve their facades along Milton Ave.

Students in Baldwinsville will be going to school in person for three days and then having three days of school online. Jamesville-Dewitt will have kindergarteners and first graders in school each day, but grades 2 through 12 in a hybrid model. And all 20,000 students in Syracuse City Schools will learn remotely until the beginning of October.

Central New York tenants struggling to pay the rent due to job losses caused by the pandemic now have the federal government on their side after the CDC issued a ban on evictions nationwide through December. Executive Director of the Greater Syracuse Tenants Network Sharon Sherman says they’re certainly pleased with the long-overdue order.

Onondaga County has been relying on a combination of grant money, its own funds, and insurance company coverage to cover all of its asymptomatic testing. But now, insurance companies are less inclined to cover those tests.

The City of Syracuse continues to work toward improving police accountability as yet another unarmed black man was shot by police this week in Wisconsin. Citizen Review Board administrator Ranette Releford says discussions are happening now on police reform that she thought wouldn’t come until much later, though nothing is final.

One of the stakeholders at Thursday's I-81 Big Table meeting will be the Central and Northern New York Building and Construction Trades Council. President Greg Lancette says it’s probably been decades since he’s seen an effort like this for any project.

Several major stakeholders in the $2 billion I-81 replacement project will gather virtually Thursday to explore ways to ensure city residents can benefit from it. It’s being billed as the I-81 Jobs Big Table meeting, and we’re checking in with some stakeholders, including the Urban Jobs Task Force.

The Syracuse non-profit Tiny Homes for Good marked another milestone Monday, though it wasn’t the typical ribbon cutting. Executive Director Andrew Lunetta says the COVID-19 pandemic means the two homes on Marquette Street just off Spencer Street have been lived in and already have stories to tell.

Hundreds of Onondaga Community College students finally received their diplomas Sunday in a commencement ceremony. But they did so in an unorthodox fashion due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Carrier Dome renovations have been long discussed for the better part of four years, but Friday the project hit a major milestone. According to SU Chief Facilities Officer Pete Sala, the construction of a new roof atop the dome has reached a second phase, and construction is expected to be completed on schedule on September 18. Sala says the skeleton currently on the roof will quickly turn into a single structure, before his crew adds a new fabric topping. He says all the material they need is at their disposal. “The thing that’s the most comforting to me is everything we need to finish is here. We are just waiting for a couple panels, but we know they are very close to Syracuse for the fabric group. But again, those things are going very well.” While the roof is set to be finished on schedule, what is ahead of schedule is the dome’s long awaited air conditioning system. Sala says the progress on the system has gone far beyond his expectations. “Air conditioning is moving really,

Organizations in Syracuse already scrambling to find safe ways to reach hard-to-count populations for the census because of the pandemic now have one month less to gather and submit that information. The Trump administration announced this week that the census bureau will end field data collection and stop collecting data September 30 th .

COVID-19 has changed, sometimes cancelled, some of kids favorite summer activities in Syracuse.The city’s Parks and Recreation Department had to adapt with new health precautions in place and fiscal strain due to the pandemic. Now, they’re trying to keep some summer activities going in new ways.

Onondaga County and school districts are working on ways to keep the COVID-19 infection rate low while also getting as many children back into school buildings as possible this fall.

Hundreds of people gathered once again in front of Syracuse City Hall Saturday renewing their calls for the city to implement the People’s Agenda for Policing. A coalition of groups presented its demands a month ago, and two weeks later, Mayor Ben Walsh released a detailed timeline for his administration’s response . But the activists call it a meek answer with too many conditions and empty promises.

A diverse group of nearly two dozen people will begin meeting later this month to make recommendations to Mayor Ben Walsh regarding the future of Columbus Circle. Two members of the group share their perspectives and challenges the members must overcome.

Mayor Ben Walsh is set to release a timeline Thursday to address the demands of police protest groups not long after they wrapped up 40 consecutive days of marches throughout the city. Members of Last Chance for Change held a celebration and cookout Wednesday behind the Institute of Technology downtown.

Tourism in Central New York has all but come to a halt since mid-March when college sporting events were cancelled, and retailers and restaurants shut their doors. All but one convention booked for this year have bailed out.