Sentinel Today

Utica’s Common Council approved a 2026–27 budget with no property tax increase after revising the plan with new state aid, but the vote exposed sharp disagreements over paving, firefighter gear, and the council’s limits on the mayor’s spending flexibility.

Recovery Sports Grill in Verona has closed after 17 years, leaving longtime patrons mourning the loss of a beloved community gathering place known as much for its friendships and staff as for its food.

A month after the Boonville church explosion, the community has raised more than $40,000 to support the five injured victims as most recover at home and one continues to fight through a long recovery.

Utica’s police union is condemning Mayor Michael Galime’s interim appointment of James Holt as deputy chief, warning it could worsen morale and retention.

Shook, a new healthy eatery in Ilion founded by young entrepreneur Madison Conigliaro, offers quick customizable meals while supporting local community programs.

A small fire at Utica’s long-vacant historic Kempf Building was quickly contained Thursday morning, with officials saying squatters likely started it while trying to strip wire for scrap.

At a tense Lee Town Board meeting, officials debated sensitive town records being kept at a deputy supervisor’s home instead of town hall.

CAVA plans to open its first upstate New York location later this year in New Hartford’s Consumer Square.

Worthington Steel is marking 70 years in business and looking ahead to the Rome plant’s 100th anniversary in 2026, while highlighting its local impact, its push into electrical steel, and its plans for continued growth.

Central New York’s Red Cross depends on volunteers to respond to house fires and other local emergencies, providing immediate support to families in crisis when they need it most.

New Hartford officials are fast-tracking plans for a Chick-fil-A and another unnamed fast-food spot at Avenue Plaza while focusing closely on traffic concerns and ongoing town financial cleanup.

Bellamy Elementary posted the biggest year-to-year academic gains in the Rome City School District as the district reviewed ESSA accountability labels for 2025–2026, reset state intervention timelines, and outlined next-step improvement plans for identified schools.

Rome City School District is building its next budget around the full tax-cap increase to protect student programs and operations, while it waits for final state aid numbers before sending the plan to voters in May.

Utica firefighters condemned a councilor’s joking “hazard duty” remark during a budget discussion about replacing chemical-laced turnout gear, saying it trivialized cancer risks.

In 2025, Mohawk Valley Health System handled rising patient demand while expanding outpatient and preventive services, investing in staffing, navigating leadership changes, and planning further growth in 2026.

Symeon Tsoupelis Senior, founder of Symeon’s Greek Restaurant in Yorkville, has died, and his family vows to continue his legacy of Greek cuisine, warm hospitality, and community care.

New York’s Central and Northern district lawmakers split along party lines after Trump’s State of the Union, with Republicans praising his economic, border, and security agenda and Democrats warning his policies are worsening affordability and undermining trust in elections.

New York state awarded $9 million in tax credits and subsidies to help DePaul Properties move forward with the Columbia Square Apartments affordable housing project in Utica.

Utica Anime-Fest returns to the Delta by Marriott Utica on Saturday, Feb. 28 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., featuring vendors, artists, panels, special guests, and a 5:30 p.m. Sailor Moon concert, with $20 admission.

Two Cousins Pinball in Marcy has launched the CNY Pop Culture Monthly Marketplace, a once-a-month event bringing vendors selling comics, toys, cards, and other collectibles to the same building on River Road.

Bon Appétit’s February issue spotlighted Chesterfield’s Tavolo in Utica for its iconic Utica greens as part of a feature on upstate New York’s Italian American “Littler Italies.”

In Utica, Citizen Action of New York rallied with parents and child care providers urging lawmakers to fund higher wages and key investments to address shortages and build a path to universal child care statewide.

A suspected propane leak at "Abundant Life Fellowship Church" in Boonville triggered an explosion and fire on Tuesday, critically injuring four firefighters and the pastor while crews investigated the gas odor.

Utica’s mayor and Common Council are battling over whether the city must keep charging outdated charter-set fees—highlighted by 1964 ski rates at Val Bialas—until the council formally updates them, with broader implications for funding and access to other youth and recreation programs.

Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon’s annual “Valentines for Vets” program brought hundreds of student-made cards to local veterans across the 119th Assembly District to show gratitude and connect generations.

Utica’s Board of Estimate and Apportionment has approved Mayor Michael Galime’s proposed $93.3 million city budget, including a 2.9% property tax increase and major funding for public safety. Next, the Utica Common Council will hold departmental hearings Feb. 23–25 before a final vote due by March 20, ahead of the fiscal year that begins April 1.

The Utica Zoo is mourning MeiLin, a red panda born at the zoo in 2019 who became a beloved ambassador for her endangered species. She was found dead on February 5 after recent veterinary treatment, and Cornell University is conducting testing to determine the cause. MeiLin leaves behind two healthy male cubs, Bao and Momo, and a lasting conservation legacy with staff and visitors.

Utica’s Val Bialas Ski Center is set to reopen after major upgrades, but a dispute over outdated pricing versus affordability threatens its long-term future.

West Utica is investing over $500,000 to upgrade three parks with new playgrounds, resurfaced courts, safer materials, and added shade, aiming for completion by late May.

The county NAACP's Black History Month event in Utica spotlighted local youth through powerful student-led tributes to Black pioneers, emphasizing that young voices are vital leaders of today.

Rome’s Zoning Board of Appeals denied a proposal to turn the long-vacant former Mapledale Dairy on West Dominick Street into a pickup sandwich deli after neighbors and a councilor argued it would increase traffic and noise and change the area’s character.

Jeff Kent’s first "Hall of Fame" visit in Cooperstown was less about celebrating his achievements and more about feeling humbled as he realized he’s now part of baseball’s much larger history.

A former New York prison guard who was cleared by a jury in a high-profile inmate death case is now turning around and suing the state.

Governor Hochul has proposed a law to ban local police partnerships with ICE in New York, aiming to keep immigration enforcement separate from community policing and public safety efforts.

Big news for Central New York’s biotech scene—CUNY Upstate Medical Center’s Biotech Accelerator is getting a major boost. State officials have just announced nearly $3 million in funding for a renovation and expansion project that aims to grow the region’s life sciences ecosystem.

Gordon Mower, who confessed nearly three decades ago to killing his parents on their family farm in Richfield Springs, is back in court. This time, he says he got bad legal advice when he took a plea deal in 1996.

The Rome Common Council approved up to $70,000 in bonds for window blinds at City Hall to address severe heat and glare issues caused by large uncovered windows installed during recent renovations.

When a major winter storm dropped more than 14 inches of snow on Utica, it was the city’s Department of Public Works that stepped up to keep things moving.

Eight elementary school positions have been cut in the Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Central School District, part of a broader plan to reconfigure grades across the district starting next school year.

A legal battle is unfolding in the town of Deerfield, where a proposed affordable housing project has sparked a heated dispute between a nonprofit developer and the local government.

In Utica, property owners are legally responsible for clearing snow from sidewalks in front of their properties, and failure to do so can lead to warnings, fines, or added costs on their tax bill.

In a world where you can rent everything from treehouses to submarines on Airbnb, it takes something special to stand out. And yet, tucked away in the quiet woods of Remsen, there’s a cabin doing just that.

A 49-year-old man, Wilson Rentas-Jimenez, has been sentenced to twenty-five years in state prison for a brutal attack inside a woman’s home. The sentence was announced by the county District Attorney’s Office.

Former Proctor High School principal, Andre Paradis, is suing the Utica City School District—and one of its board members.

Mathew Brooks, a resilient 18-year-old from Eaton, was honored in a heartfelt commencement ceremony just days before his passing, leaving behind a legacy of strength and kindness.

The Rome Common Council began 2026 by unanimously approving funding for local organizations, property leases, infrastructure projects, and administrative resolutions, setting a collaborative tone for the year ahead.

Former correctional officer, Michael Fisher, is currently on trial for manslaughter after allegedly failing to intervene while fellow officers fatally beat inmate Robert Brooks.

Utica University is turning eighty this year, and there’s a lot to celebrate—including a new chapter of leadership. Stephanie Nesbitt has just stepped in as the university’s 11th president, bringing with her not only deep institutional knowledge, but a genuine passion for the community she’s served for over a decade.

Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado is stepping up his challenge to Governor Kathy Hochul, and this week, that campaign brought him to Utica.

Hundreds gathered in Rome this past Saturday for what’s being called an "ICE Out for Good" rally—a national call to action following a fatal shooting by "Immigration and Customs Enforcement" in Minneapolis.