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Weather
High: 49; Low: 44. Warm, but rain ahead. See the 5-day forecast.
Photo of the Day
Robin Schlesing, a waitress at Gracie's Kitchen, got a much-needed Christmas surprise this morning. A customer left her a $1,000 tip.(Charlie Miller | cmiller@syracuse.com)
Customers leave waitress $1,000 tip at CNY diner: A generous group left a $1,000 tip on a $33.97 bill for a waitress at Gracie’s Kitchen on Christmas Eve. She hugged the customers, gave her co-workers $100 each, and then got on her walkie-talkie, which she says is a direct line to the North Pole. “Santa? Santa, this is Robin. Are you there?” she said. “Santa, everything’s going to be OK.” (Charlie Miller photo)
The Latest
Onondaga County spent millions on property for Micron: See every purchase since 2020 (map): Onondaga County has spent more than $30 million buying property for Micron Technology’s enormous chip manufacturing project in Clay since 2020, according to state and county land records. Nearly all of it has been in Clay. See a map of parcels bought since 2020 by either OCIDA or Micron.
What’s Trending
Reported shooting at Destiny USA appears to have been teens with BB gun, police say: Police and ambulance crews responded to Destiny USA on Saturday night for a reported shooting outside the mall’s Foot Locker store. Syracuse Police said the incident appeared to be teenagers with a toy gun and plastic pellets; no injuries or damage were reported. The mall was closed temporarily while police investigated, and later reopened.
Syracuse closing in on one of its warmest years ever recorded. It’s becoming a trend: This year is expected to go down as the second-warmest Syracuse has experienced in at least 120 years. Five of Syracuse’s 10 warmest years have now occurred since 2002; the warmest was 2012. Syracuse’s average temperature for all of 2023 has been nearly 4 degrees warmer than normal. That doesn’t sound like much, but it’s enough to make winters more rainy and icy than snowy, and to make already oppressive summer nights more dangerous for people without access to air conditioning.
Syracuse police investigate Christmas Eve shooting at gas station: Police are investigating a shooting at a Citgo Gas Station reported on Sunday night in Syracuse. Shortly after the shooting, a 29-year-old man arrived at Upstate University Hospital with several gunshot wounds. He’s expected to live, according to Syracuse police.
Looking ahead
New York minimum wage increases in 2024; here’s the new pay in your area: The minimum wage in New York is set to rise in all areas of the state on Jan. 1. In Upstate New York, the wage will increase to $15 an hour, up 5.6% over the current minimum of $14.20 an hour. The wage will increase to $16 an hour in New York City and Westchester, Nassau and Suffolk counties. Additional hikes will follow in 2025 and 2026.
- New York State Thruway tolls set to increase in January
- NYE, Salt City Blues Concert, more things to do in CNY this week
Gov. Hochul signs bill moving local elections to even years; McMahon threatens legal action: Hochul on Friday signed a bill that will move most local elections to even years. Democrats who control New York’s Legislature voted on the last day of their annual session to change most town and county elections to even-numbered years, when Democrats typically have their highest voter turnout. Most Republicans opposed the change, arguing it is a political ploy to win more local elections. Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon, a Republican who won reelection this year, said the county would litigate the law “on behalf of our residents who voted on the years they want their local elections.”
Sports
Which games does Syracuse need to win to make NCAA Tournament? Syracuse now sits at 80 in the NCAA’s NET rankings, which are used to assemble and sort teams that merit consideration for its postseason tournament. SU is currently 0-3 in Quad 1, 1-0 in Quad 2, 4-0 in Quad 3 and 3-0 and Quad 4. So what do the Orange need to do to make the NCAA Tournament in Adrian Autry’s first season at the helm?
MORE SPORTS:
- Christmas comes early for young Bills fan thanks to Josh Allen (video)
- How the Buffalo Bills can clinch a playoff berth in Week 17
- Offensive lineman becomes Syracuse’s 7th transfer addition of offseason and third from Georgia
- Section III girls basketball rankings (Week 4): 5 unbeaten teams remain
- CNY high school sports results, schedules, photos, news
In Brief
100-year-old woman dies after Cicero home catches fire on Christmas Eve
Carolyn Kelly, Syracuse music legend and NYS Blues Hall of Famer, dies
OCC student a ‘person of interest’ in fatal NYC stabbing of CNY college student
After a year of popular spicy chicken at an Eastwood sports bar, this chef is moving on
Today’s Obituaries
To view today’s obituaries, please click here.
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