Perhaps the new attractions and revamped layout paid off for the New York State Fair: the event has had a record-setting 2018 season so far. Read: “Fair Thee Well: What’s new at the 2018 NY State Fair” Overall attendance through Tuesday was ahead of 2017’s numbers by 50,054 people, and five of the seven days of the fair have set daily attendance records, according to official fair records. Saturday also broke 2010’s all-time record by over 12,000 attendees (115,324 fair-goers were recorded in 2010, and Saturday blew it away with 127,394). Have you gone to the fair yet this year? Are…
Author: Central New York Heartbeat
The fallout of the Flint water crisis continues in Michigan as a judge ruled this week that prosecutors have enough evidence to take a state official to trial for manslaughter. Nick Lyons was the director of the state’s health department and is accused of “failing to issue a timely alert about the outbreak” of Legionnaires’ disease, according to the Associated Press. Lyons admitted to knowing several cases of the rare disease had been reported months before it was disclosed to local doctors, and nearly a year before the public was warned, NPR reported. At least a dozen people died from…
President Donald Trump headed to Central New York on Monday to support the re-election of Claudia Tenney (R.-NY) as representative of the state’s 22nd District. Landing at Griffiss International Airport in Rome ahead of the Utica-based fundraiser, the president was greeted by a cheering crowd of more than 200 supporters, the Utica Observer-Dispatch estimated. The local paper called the visit “a moment in area history,” as the last sitting president to head there was Harry Truman in 1948. More flocked in Utica’s downtown area – less than an hour’s drive from Syracuse – where both Trump fans and protesters set…
Marc Forster’s “Christopher Robin” is the latest Disney movie to hit the big screens, exploring what happens when children inevitably grow up and lose their kid-like wonder for the world. In its opening weekend, the movie made $25 million and was given about 6/10 stars on movie rating website Rotten Tomatoes – just above average. Movie reviewers with Kids First! said it was surprisingly melancholy and made them tear up on more than one occasion, and one top critic on rotten tomatoes said: “this particular story comes at a time when the world at large needs a little more hope,…
A recent study said Sen. Bernie Sanders’ newest plan to give everyone in the country affordable health care would cost tens of trillions of dollars, and people are torn whether the benefits outweigh the cost. The study, done by libertarian policy center the Mercatus Center at George Mason University in Virginia, said under “Medicare for All,” government spending on health care would rise to $32.6 trillion over 10 years, the Associated Press reported. The plan calls for all residents to be covered with no copays and deductibles. “If every major country on earth can guarantee health care to all, and…
Every year at the end of July, Syracuse spreads its creative wings to celebrate Arts Week. More than 20 arts and cultural organizations host different events and showcases throughout the week, culminating with an all-out fest-fest downtown on the weekend. The AmeriCU Arts & Crafts Festival draws tens of thousands to Columbus Circle to peruse goods made by local and international crafters, the Northeast Jazz & Wine Festival keeps things bubbly on Clinton Square, the Stage of Nations ECOfest promotes unity at Hanover, and the Syracuse New Times and Family Times street painting contest puts hundreds of dollars of prize money…
Widespread criticism and confusion spread throughout the U.S. – and the world – Monday evening after President Donald Trump met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin during the Helsinki Summit in Finland. The summit came days after the deputy attorney general publicly indicted 12 Russian military intelligence officers for hacking the Democratic National Committee, the Clinton presidential campaign and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, according to The New York Times. The agents are accused of monitoring hundreds of employees, implanting malware on systems and stealing and leaking documents all around April 2016. During the Helsinki meeting, Trump took Putin’s side on the…
Recent news of Hailey Baldwin’s engagement to pop singer Justin Bieber has blown through national celebrity magazine headlines and astounded fans across the nation. But as the Baldwins are Syracuse’s claimed celeb-family, we at the New Times thought we’d see what the locals think of the lovely young couple – if anything. Hailey Baldwin, 21, is the daughter of actor Stephen Baldwin, for those not keeping up. She and Bieber, 24, had only been dating for a few weeks before the announcement but have known each other since 2015 and dated in the past, according to People Magazine’s extensive relationship…
The Syracuse New Times prides itself on being a creative, alternative weekly that brings you – our readers – the best in events and goings-on throughout Central New York. Part of this is our annual “Best of Syracuse” contest, which invites people from across the area to vote to see which businesses and local personalities are the best of the best, from best sushi restaurant to best florist. This normally happens once per year in the fall, but what if it happened more often? After hearing complaints from some readers that the voting survey is too long and has too…
The Trump administration has faced harsh criticism for its “zero tolerance” immigration policy, including local protests in Syracuse last week. The policy, which refers all illegal border crossings for federal criminal prosecution (according to TIME magazine), was announced earlier this year by Attorney General Jeff Sessions and has led to an increase in the number of separated families. On Tuesday, June 26, Customs and Border Protection officials said – despite the pressure from the administration – they would be suspending the practice of detaining adults who arrive with children, according to NPR. “A much better system would be to keep…
This weekend is the Jamesville Balloon Festival. While there are more tame alternatives like live music and crafts to entertain festival goers, the unique experience of reserving a ride in a hot air balloon is the festival’s showpiece. Over two dozen balloons are brought on site to carry passengers high above the clouds. Rarely will Central New Yorkers get the chance to see a bird’s-eye view of the rolling county hills and beachfronts – especially at sunset – and the $200-$250 rides need to be reserved early to ensure a flight. So, we want to know: Have you ever gone in…
On June 11, the restaurant chain formerly known as IHOP (International House of Pancakes) revealed the meaning behind its announced “IHOb” rebranding. The company teased the mystery name online in early June. While many speculated the theme would still be related to morning comfort foods – bacon, breakfast, buttermilk, etc. – the true name was more drastic: International House of Burgers. The name change is an allegedly temporary marketing tactic to release a new line of steak burgers, according to Forbes magazine. The new IHOb logo appears on the company’s website, its social media accounts and handles, menus and on…
President Donald Trump canceled an arranged White House visit with Super Bowl champions the Philadelphia Eagles, continuing his longstanding feud with the NFL over its policies regarding the National Anthem. The NFL stated players must stand for the anthem or remain in the locker room. “I don’t think people should be staying in locker rooms. But still, I think it’s good. You have to stand proudly for the national anthem, or you shouldn’t be playing, you shouldn’t be there. Maybe you shouldn’t be in the country,” Trump said in an interview with Fox & Friends. While Trump originally praised the…
Starbucks closed about 8,000 stores on Tuesday, May 29, for its employees to undergo anti-bias training after the arrest of two black customers in early April sparked outrage and concern nationwide. Donte Robinson and Rashon Nelson, both 23, were waiting for a business partner at a Starbucks in Philadelphia when the store manager called police on them, according to NPR. The manager claimed they were trespassing because they were in the store without buying anything, and the two men were arrested and held in custody for several hours. Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson and Police Commissioner Richard Ross said the store…
Memorial Day Weekend is coming up. The U.S. federal holiday is a time for remembrance of those who have died while serving in the country’s armed forces, and is usually marked by cookouts, parades and other forms of celebration. In Central New York, one of the annual events is the Watchfire at the New York State fairgrounds. A large pyre is lit at dusk, like the ones that used to be lit after a large battle to help lost soldiers find their comrades. “Using that time honored model symbolically, we use the warmth and light of our Watchfire to guide…