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WAER | By Chris Bolt
Published January 30, 2021 at 4:26 PM EST

SPOT NEWS

New Syracuse Creekwalk Extension Reaches into City's South Side

Syracuse’s Creekwalk trail is now 2.2 miles longer after officials cut the ribbon Wednesday on the extension from Armory Square to Kirk Park in the heart of the city’s south side. 

It’s been more than six years in the making from the planning stages, funding, community meetings, and environmental reviews to, finally, design and construction. 

 

SPOT NEWS

Syracuse University Students Get Screened for COVID-19 as They Begin Moving in to Campus Dorms

Syracuse University freshman are starting their college careers in much the same way they ended high school not long ago…in a very strange way due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Students have begun moving in to on-campus dorms with a mix of excitement and caution.

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Syracuse University students move in to campus as they arrive for the fall semester. But they approach college with COVID concerns, testing, and uncertainty in what is supposed to be an exciting right of passage. WAER's Scott Willis reports

  SPOT NEWS

Several Thousand at Black Lives Matter Rally at Syracuse City Hall Urging End to Police Violence

A large, diverse crowd heard messages of change, of past violence, of hope, and of vigilance at a Black Lives matter rally in front of Syracuse City Hall Saturday afternoon.  Organizers billed the gathering as “The Fight Against Police Terror,” though the messages and sentiments covered a much broader range of racial justice issues.  Speakers remembered those killed during violent incidents with police, including George Floyd, Brionna Taylor, and many others.  There were also calls for changing police practices, even defunding police.  

 

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The largest crowd many could remember clogged streets for a rally proclaiming Black Lives Matter and calling for an end to police violence. The rally remained peaceful and was remarkably diverse days after violence and looting filled streets in Syracuse and many other cities reacting to the death of George Floyd. WAER's Chris Bolt reports

SPOT NEWS
LOCAL HOSPITALS STRUGGLE WITH CAPACITY AMID HOLIDAY SPKES OF CORONAVIRUS CASES

Leaders at Syracuse hospitals are pleading with the public to take appropriate safety measures to curtail the spread of COVID-19 and reduce the stress on their facilities.  WAER’s Scott Willis reports at the same time, they’re expressing some optimism with the pending arrival of a vaccine.

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Hospital leaders discuss bed shortages and post-holiday spike in cases. WAER's Scott Willis reports.

  INVESTIGATIVE STORY
Measuring the Impacts of Police Reform

The echoes of protests, marches and rallies have gone quiet in Syracuse.  But one issue a the center of the uproar, police conduct against people of color, has not.  The killing of George Floyd sparked public outcry but numerous issues of police reform have been in the works for years.  What was gained from the movement against policing seen as racist?  On this episode of City Limits Winds of Change Chris Bolt looks at the progress being made and whether it's enough for those feeling racial injustice.

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Measuring the impacts of police reform proves to be a moving target. While many proposals have ben made and laws passed or changed, the actual impacts on police violence, diversity, transparency and more are moving forward only incrementally after all the attention the issues drew in summer and fall protests and meetings. WAER's Chris Bolt sorts through it all.

NEWS FEATURE

Syracuse Columbus Circle Working Group set to Begin Shaping New Future for Controversial Monument

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.  

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Syracuse considers removing a statue of Christopher Columbus after a century or more, amid recent protests. Many views are being taken into account, though still not everyone is happy with the process. WAER's Scott Willis reports.

 NEWS FEATURE
RACISM ON SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS CONTINUES TO STOKE PROTESTS, MISTRUST

Racist graffiti and other vandalism on the Sryacuse university campus drew national attention as much for the actions as for the university handling of it.  Demands made by students and community activists were debated, some accepted, and others the point of still more controversy.  Administrators walked a fine line between honoring the demands of protestors and safely running the university.

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Protests over racist acts on the Syracuse University campus continue, as university officials find it tough to reform campus policies that satisfy the call for change. WAER's Chris Bolt reports
News
Chris Bolt
Chris Bolt, Ed.D. has proudly been covering the Central New York community and mentoring students for more than 30 years. His career in public media started as a student volunteer, then as a reporter/producer. He has been the news director for WAER since 1995. Dedicated to keeping local news coverage alive, Chris also has a passion for education, having trained, mentored and provided a platform for growth to more than a thousand students. Career highlights include having work appear on NPR, CBS, ABC and other news networks, winning numerous local and state journalism awards.
See stories by Chris Bolt