Good morning, Syracuse.

Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital celebrated volunteer Matthew Byrne’s 30 years of service at its pediatric unit (over 7,500 volunteer hours) on Friday, Aug.

7. He said his goal remains to lift the spirits of children.

Hundreds of volunteers helped local nonprofits on United Way’s Day of Caring by painting, pulling weeds, and cleaning community spaces across Central New York, and the organization urged residents to support these efforts by donating through its Show Up, Raise Up campaign.

United Way of Central New York faced a funding shortfall of over $1 million and cut grants to local agencies; Catholic Charities received (nearly $500,000 reduced to $15,000) and the Center for Community Alternatives dropped funding (from $131,000 to $15,000).

The American Red Cross provided assistance to five adults after a house fire on Tully Street in Liverpool on Thursday, Aug.

6, as the Syracuse Fire Department responded quickly after reports of someone trapped and controlled the fire within 10 minutes with no injuries reported.

On Thursday night, the Palace Theatre showed Withdrawal, a film that depicts two young artists enduring heroin withdrawal and fighting to save their relationship (director Aaron Strand drew on his own experience with addiction) to spark conversations about opioid struggles in our community.

U.S.-based Afghan artist Zelikha Zohra Shoja will screen her experimental film In Search of Bluer Tongues at Light Work today at 6:30 p.m. in Syracuse (collaborator Fatemeh Kazemi will lead a creative dialogue after the screening).

Oswego professor Ritu Radhakrishnan earned the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service for her leadership in equity and inclusion — her roles include chairing the Diversity Committee and guiding community education efforts.

Teacher Saida Balume is setting up her classroom at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary for fall—adding personalized decorations that reflect her Congolese heritage so each student feels seen while the district covered basic supplies.

Local families can now opt in to a new investment account program that gives free seed money for children in select Central New York counties.

The accounts offer up to $1,000 for babies and $250 for older kids (with extra funds for Micron workers) and lock funds until age 18.

Upstate Community General is set to tear down its closed parking garage and build a new 800-space structure on a nearby lot as part of a $63 million project; the design-build team will be chosen in November and the new garage will open in August 2028.

Central New York’s Parade of Homes will use a scattered site format with eight custom-built homes in Baldwinsville, Camillus, Chittenango, Jamesville, Liverpool, Manlius, Minoa, & Onondaga from Sept.

17-20 and Sept. 24-27. Tickets cost $15 and will be purchasable through an app starting Aug. 17.

Syracuse football training camp began today as coaches prepare for the 2026 season after a 3-9 finish in 2025 by studying opponents like SMU's Kevin Jennings + N.C.

State's CJ Bailey, who are drawing early preseason attention. The team aims to adjust its game plan to spark a turnaround.

Jamesville-DeWitt athletics will rejoin the OHSL for the 2026-27 season after nine years away as enrollment drops left it as the smallest school in its former league.

The move gives the Red Rams an enrollment advantage, will cut travel, and allows key rivalry matchups to continue.

Billy Idol Concert

7:30 PM — Empower FCU Amphitheater at Lakeview — Ticket prices vary — Enjoy a night of classic rock with Billy Idol in a vibrant outdoor setting.