Good morning, Syracuse.

Carson Gambaro, a Syracuse University Marching Band alum, plays the Call to Post tradition at Saratoga Race Course from July Fourth Weekend to Labor Day Weekend in partnership with his father Tony, who taught him to play.

The duo also performs at local weddings and events.

Downtown Syracuse utility boxes brighten with new art from local artists (Unboxed: The Utility Box Art Project) that selected summer designs through community voting.

Soma Coker and Brooke Schmedicke will complete the painted boxes by the end of August.

At Syracuse.com's fall media day presented by SOS and Crouse Health, marching band members nominated teammates for standout music and creative designs.

The poll highlighted talents in color guard, brass, and percussion (with teams from Liverpool and East Syracuse among the nominees).

Dr. Vincent Sportelli, a local chiropractor known as the king of the midway, recalled his family’s long-held fair traditions at the New York State Fair, where he won games and gave away giant stuffed animals while his daughter Sophia carried on the legacy (including creative birthday surprises) from past contests.

Federal data showed that five jobs in the Syracuse area requiring doctoral degrees paid over $200K in 2025 (health care roles, including cardiologists earning over $460K, dominated the list).

The findings emphasize the value of advanced training for top earnings.

Preeti Jagadev earned the 2026 Exceptional Woman of Central New York (Educator) award after a student nomination honored her innovative teaching built on student feedback.

She will add a new course on responsible artificial intelligence this fall.

Hundreds of high school students sampled college life at Syracuse University's Summer College program this summer, living in dorms, taking college courses, and building confidence for higher education.

Students and families can plan ahead as the 2027 application opens mid-December.

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, leaves in Upstate New York will start changing in early September and reach peak colors by early October – local weather may shift these dates, so residents should check local reports.

Residents can now track lead pipe replacements using a new online dashboard (providing real‑time info by address).

The city said 2,205 pipes have been replaced of 16,500 as contractors work to meet EPA standards.

Phoebe’s near Syracuse University marks its 50th year with a seasonal summer burger created by Executive Chef Benjamin Burr – a half-pound blend of beef seasoned simply and topped with aioli, arugula, tomato and white cheddar on a soft Spanish roll – available until the menu changes for fall.

Teen Jake Campbell, 15, caught a 9-pound walleye during a post-dinner trip with his dad on Skaneateles Lake and later landed a 12-pound lake trout, with the duo looking to reel in more big catches before school starts.

Former Syracuse player Cole Swider has been selected to join USA Basketball for the ongoing FIBA World Cup qualifier.

The team is training in Miami (Aug. 20-24) and will face Chile on Aug. 27 and Colombia on Aug. 31.

Fayetteville-Manlius and Jamesville-DeWitt girls gymnastics participated in Fall Sports Media Days on Thursday, Aug.

13 at Cicero-North Syracuse High School—returning leaders including Tracey Kalin, Isabella Balash, Charlotte Pinsky, Ailey Babikian, Mia Arvidson, Gemma Ricciardiello and Erin Buckles were ranked by 2025 scores.