Good morning, Syracuse.

Syracuse man Richard Macheda, who helped a woman escape a house fire last winter, received the New York State Senate Liberty Medal.

The longtime Cazenovia Fire Department member said he acted solely to help someone in need.

Trader Joe’s is hiring crew members and assistant managers for its soon-to-open Camillus store at 3515 W.

Genesee St. in the Fairmount Fair plaza — the second Trader Joe’s in Onondaga County, with plans to open before year-end.

Kayla Sicilia has been promoted to general manager at Tailwater Lodge in Altmar (along the Salmon River).

She advanced over eight years from a guest service agent to assistant manager with Woodbine Hospitality.

Upstate NY’s chip cluster shows growth with Micron pouring first concrete in Clay + proposals from GlobalFoundries and SK Hynix promising new projects in the Capital Region and Mohawk Valley.

The region faces challenges as it builds a competitive semiconductor industry.

Renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson delivered a humorous lecture at Syracuse’s Landmark Theatre on Wednesday, Oct.

21, engaging roughly 3,000 local science fans — his talk highlighted cosmic collisions and even joked about Syracuse's heavy snowfall.

Yummy Thai — a new counter service spot tucked behind a Valvoline oil-change shop at 6393 Thompson Road in DeWitt — offers a Thai menu with house rolls, papaya salad, noodle soup and curry.

The restaurant mainly serves takeout orders and is open Monday-Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Coach Gerry McNamara said Syracuse basketball players, including Aiden Tobiason (hamstring) and Tasman Goodrick, missed recent exhibitions to rest before their season opener against New Haven on Nov.

2 as the program addresses recurring injury concerns.

Coach Fran Brown named quarterback Steve Angeli to start at UNC on Saturday; he returns amid injuries, including season-ending shoulder surgery for Amari Odom and an ankle sprain sidelining Malachi Nelson—his performance after an Achilles tear will be closely watched.

Liverpool climbs to No. 1 in Syracuse field hockey after 11 straight wins while Port Byron slips to fifth following a loss + Liverpool will play in the Class A semifinals on Oct.

30.

Le Moyne College is set to shift its athletic program from the Northeast Conference to the Metro Conference next year + the move will place the school alongside six other New York conference members as discussions continue to finalize the change.

High school sports competitions on Oct.

21 showcased strong local effort as Rome Free Academy girls soccer won 2-1 over Liverpool in a Class AAA quarterfinal match, and various teams posted wins in volleyball, swimming, and boys soccer + delivered competitive play.

The Section III field hockey playoffs began Thursday as high school teams from the region entered competition for sectional crowns in four classes.

Top seeds like Liverpool and New Hartford are now playing with standout players ready to drive their teams to victory.