☀️ Today’s Weather
Thursday is going to be a cold one. Leftover lake effect snow will linger east and southeast of Lake Ontario through the afternoon, dropping anywhere from 1–3 inches (a few spots could see up to 4"), before clouds eventually break for some sunshine. Highs will only flirt with 29°F, winds gusting up to 25 mph, and tonight drops down to a brisk 13°F, so if you're heading out to see Brett Young at the Landmark Theatre tonight, layer up before you go.
🗞️ Top Stories
1. Syracuse Has a Dog Problem, And It Just Got Worse The city's stray animal situation has been a mess for a while, but now Syracuse is scrambling after its partner kennel ended its contract, and the city still doesn't have a permanent shelter site, a full year after first announcing plans for one. Stray dogs are piling up with fewer places to go, and the clock is ticking. If you've ever seen a loose pup wandering on your street, this one hits close to home.
2. $176 Million Settlement Approved for Catholic Diocese Abuse Survivors A judge has signed off on a $176.1 million settlement between the Catholic Diocese of Syracuse, its insurers, and parishes to compensate survivors of clergy sexual abuse. It's one of the largest settlements of its kind in the region and marks a significant, if long overdue, step toward accountability for the people who were harmed.
3. Taste of Syracuse Could Change Hands, Here's Why That Matters Turns out the company behind beloved local events like Taste of Syracuse and the Nationals allegedly used those events as collateral for a $1 million loan and then defaulted. Now the lender is going to court to take ownership. Nothing is canceled yet, but the future of some of CNY's most popular summer staples is suddenly a little uncertain.
⚡ Quick Hits
New York's Attorney General is suing Valve Corporation, the company behind Steam, over "loot box" mechanics in video games, targeting what the state calls predatory practices aimed at younger players.
Baldwinsville schools took the unusual step of publicly pushing back against false rumors swirling around its Club America chapter (a Charlie Kirk-affiliated student group), after staff were hit with a wave of ugly online insults.
A Syracuse AI startup is developing technology to "talk" to animals — using sounds and signals to keep deer, geese, and other critters off train tracks and highways. Only in CNY.
The Nottingham twins showed up to their basketball playoff game dressed as ESPN broadcasters, and honestly that's the kind of energy we need more of in high school sports.
Someone in Liverpool is having a very good week… a $7,000+ winning TAKE 5 lottery ticket was sold there. Check your tickets, folks.
📅 Events This Week
🎶 Brett Young: 2.0 Tour — Tonight (Thu. Feb. 26), 8 PM at the Landmark Theatre; country fans, this one's a big deal — grab your tickets if you haven't already.
🎭 Picnic (SU Drama) — Running through March 1 at Syracuse Stage; a Pulitzer Prize-winning play that's worth catching before it closes out this weekend.
🍁 Sugarbush Saturdays — Sat. Feb. 28, 10 AM–1 PM at Beaver Lake Nature Center; a fun, free-spirited maple syrup experience perfect for families.
❄️ Tully Winterfest — Sat. Feb. 28, 1–8 PM at ONCO Fermentations; chili cook-off, live music, beer garden — a proper small-town winter send-off.
Stay warm out there, CNY, spring is closer than that 13°F low tonight would have you believe.