Syracuse local news

Sports fields and courts have been the platforms for statements about social and racial justice since games resumed this year.  Struggle with quality and discrimination are not new, though for Syracuse University, which had to deal with the issues 50 years ago amid student-athlete protests

It’s May 1970. Syracuse Football is set to start spring practice, Ben Schwartzwalder at the helm for his 21st year. Something was different though. Nine football players - mislabeled The Syracuse Eight - boycotted spring practice. Why? To stand up for equality and advocate for a more diverse coaching staff. A decision made in 1969 that affected their playing careers forever. The Eight were eventually suspended from the team and never got to play in the NFL.

The start of the 2020 school year finds parents, teachers and administrators questioning:  "Is it safe to head back to school without a vaccine for COVID-19?"  Researchers at Syracuse University have been researching effective ways air, heating and cooling systems may play to prevent airborne viruses from spreading while inside.  WAER takes you inside for an audio tour.

Voluntary furloughs and reopening the retirement incentive program are part of a new agreement between the largest county workers’ union and Onondaga County. Compulsory furloughs are also a part of the deal.

  Schools around Central New York are grappling with decisions about how to bring students and teachers back to classrooms safely – if at all.  Some new research out of Syracuse University could give them effective guidelines, if they’re willing to follow through.  Doctor Eric Schiff is interim Director of the Center of Excellence for Environmental and Energy Systems. 

National Overdose Awareness Day came at a time when the opioid crisis is being overshadowed by another public health emergency. Monday, we told you how the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has increased the urgency to fund substance abuse treatments. Last week, the state of New York took one step toward addressing the crisis by authorizing the use of the overdose reversal medication Narcan in public places, such as stores and restaurants.

The 2020 election is just 64 days away, as of Monday, with campaigns trying to figure out what might sway voters.  The path to the White House and Congress lies with voters, but the overall agenda is largely out of their hands.

Over the weekend, about 20 people gathered outside of the Matilda Joslyn Gage foundation in Fayetteville for a voting rally on the foundation’s front yard.  The rally was meant to inform Onondaga county residents about how votes are being suppressed in the US, and ways they can fight it.  

How might the Democratic National Convention that just wrapped up impact local elections here in Syracuse?  Congressional Candidate Dana Balter says the virtual nature of the event – without crowds, cheering or spectacle – is similar to her local campaigning done largely online.