Good morning, Syracuse.

Spooky season will wrap up this week with dozens of Halloween events Thursday–Saturday across Central New York, including family trick-or-treating at Destiny USA, Rocky Horror screenings, haunted attractions, museum programs, and multiple dog-friendly celebrations; most events have set times, ages, and ticketing details listed by hosts.

Bechtel drew about 500 people to a hiring fair at the Embassy Suites in DeWitt as it ramps up hiring for Micron’s Clay chip plant, offering on-the-spot interviews for trades + office roles and advertising openings that pay up to about $180,000 a year.

State utility regulators rejected National Grid's $169 million plan to heat and cool buildings at the Inner Harbor using treated wastewater, citing uncertainty about new development, missing county agreements + no DEC permit, so the proposed pilot will not move forward.

New York is mailing one-time energy rebate checks now to help residents with rising energy and gas costs, with mailings continuing through December; payments are $200 for joint filers under $150,000, $150 for joint filers $150,000–$300,000, and $100 for single filers under $150,000 (no application required).

Cortland County had the highest full-value property tax rate in New York in 2026 at $11 per $1,000 (state comptroller data), with Allegany second at $9.49; the full-value rate compares countywide levies on total property value rather than the number on your tax bill.

A new state bill would require all schools to test drinking outlets and install NSF-certified filtered bottle-filling stations within 60 days of finding lead, folding private schools into rules they're currently exempt from; filters must be in place before the 2027-28 school year and costs would be reimbursable.

Sixteen business, apartment, and land sales ranging from $2,500 to $5.38 million were recorded Oct.

8 to Oct. 14 in Onondaga County, including a $5,382,839 motel sale at 3979 State Route 31 in Clay and an abandoned 1.28-acre ag lot in Lafayette (Lot 57 Route 11A).

Steve Angeli returned from a torn Achilles and led Syracuse to a 31-30 overtime win at North Carolina on Saturday, completing 20-of-34 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns after receiving PRP and cortisone treatment that improved his mobility.

Syracuse hired Gerry McNamara as men's basketball coach last March and has nearly doubled staff size and boosted spending (roster budget is about $11 million) as the program tries to become more competitive in the ACC.