☀️ Today’s Weather
Saturday's starting off with a wintry feel, with snow showers and flurries in the morning that should taper off by afternoon. We're looking at a trace to an inch of accumulation in spots, temps only reaching 34°F, and breezy WNW winds with gusts up to 30 mph making it feel closer to the teens and low 20s. The good news? If you're heading to the Dome for the Syracuse lacrosse game this afternoon, skies should be calmer by then.
🗞️ Top Stories
1. Gerry's Back and the Money Is Already Flowing It's official: Gerry McNamara is returning to Syracuse as head basketball coach, and the CNY donor community is losing its mind (in a good way). A prominent courtside booster is rallying a group to commit millions toward the program, and McNamara himself says they'll "be in the game" when it comes to the roster budget. It's a feel-good story for a fanbase that's been patient for a long time, and things are moving fast.
2. Micron Drops $35M+ Into the Community Micron kicked off its Syracuse-area Community Week with a major announcement: $35.5 million in grants for housing, a bus line, and workforce development in Central New York. The state kicked in another $8.5 million on top of that, mostly for job training. As the chip plant build-out continues in Clay, this is a reminder that the economic ripple effect is already very real for everyday CNY residents.
3. Unlicensed Medical Firm. Three Deaths. $875K Settlement. The Onondaga County Justice Center has been using an unlicensed medical provider, NaphCare, for three years, and two inmates died during that time. The state AG's investigation led to an $875,000 settlement and a five-year ban for the company. It's a sobering story about accountability in the county jail system that deserves more attention than it's getting.
📅 Events
Joe Turner's Come and Gone — August Wilson's powerful drama continues at Syracuse Stage through Sunday. Saturday shows at 2 PM & 7:30 PM, Sunday at 2 PM. A genuinely great piece of theater if you haven't caught it yet.
Maple Syrup Celebration — Saturday & Sunday, 9 AM–6 PM at Critz Farms in Cazenovia. Wagon rides, sugarhouse tours, and an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet. This one sells out so grab tickets before you go.
Candlelight Pops — Saturday at 7 PM at Inspiration Hall. The Syracuse Orchestra plays pop and rock hits by candlelight. Honestly one of the better date nights this town has going.
Home & Garden Show — Fri–Sun at the Empire Expo Center at the NYS Fairgrounds (10 AM–7 PM Sat). Perfect if cabin fever has you daydreaming about a new deck.
Breakfast with the Bunny at the Zoo — Sunday at 9:30 AM & 11:30 AM at Rosamond Gifford Zoo. Family breakfast with Easter Bunny photo ops included. The zoo is also mourning the recent loss of their beloved camel, George. Worth a visit to show them some love.
A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie — Sunday at 8 PM at the Oncenter War Memorial. The Bronx rapper brings his melodic drill sound to downtown Syracuse.
🏀 Sports
Syracuse Crunch — Saturday night at 7 PM vs. the Rochester Americans (Upstate Medical University Arena). It's Canal Mules Night — only in Syracuse, folks. Come for the hockey, stay for the gloriously quirky theme nights.
Syracuse Men's Lacrosse — Saturday at 2 PM at the Dome vs. Duke. Both teams are in the top 10 and Duke comes in a perfect 8-0. The Orange are 8-2 and this is the kind of ACC showdown that puts CNY on the national lacrosse map. Don't sleep on this one.
Syracuse Women's Lacrosse — Saturday at 10 AM vs. Pittsburgh. The Orange ride an eight-game winning streak into this ranked ACC matchup. Pitt is 5-6 — SU should handle business, but streaks are made to be tested.
Syracuse Softball — The Orange (11-12) have a Sunday doubleheader vs. NC State (19-14) after weather wiped out Friday and Saturday's games. They'll need to bring energy for two full games against a seasoned NC State squad.
New York Yankees — Saturday at 7:15 PM vs. the San Francisco Giants. The Yanks are a perfect 2-0 out of the gate and heading west. The Giants are still looking for their first W — New York will try to stay hot.
New York Mets — Saturday at 4:10 PM at home vs. Pittsburgh. Coming off Opening Day behind a strong Jonah Tong start, the Mets open a home series trying to build some early momentum.
New York Knicks — Sunday at 7:30 PM at Oklahoma City. New York (48-26) heads to face the West-leading Thunder (58-16) in one of the toughest road tests on the schedule. Buckle up.
March Madness — Elite Eight Weekend — The bracket is down to eight. Saturday features #3 Illinois vs. #9 Iowa (6:09 PM, TBS) and #1 Arizona vs. #2 Purdue (8:49 PM, TBS). Sunday brings the East and Midwest Elite Eight games: #1 Michigan vs. Tennessee (2:15 PM, CBS) and #1 Duke vs. UConn (5:05 PM, CBS/TNT). The Final Four in Indianapolis gets set by Sunday night, so check your brackets now while there's still something left to root for.
Stay warm out there, CNY. Spring is coming, we promise. See you tomorrow!