Ava Pukatch

1 week ago | wrvo.org | Ava Pukatch

The Watertown City Council recently approved a plan to bond for $12 million, repairing the leaking Thompson Park reservoir. The 5 million gallon reservoir leaks thousands of gallons a day. The $12 million bond is the maximum price of the project should the council proceed with replacing the reservoir entirely. City officials say having the bond ordinance needs to be approved before you spend any dollar you intend to borrow on.

3 weeks ago | wrvo.org | Ava Pukatch

The Syracuse Common Council recently held a budget hearing for the city’s fire department. Chief Michael Monds said the budget is focused on the safety of firefighters and the people they’re sworn to protect. About one out of every four dollars of the city budget goes to the city's police and fire departments. Monds said the past few years have been some of the busiest on record for the department. He said in 2024, the department responded to close to 28,000 calls.

3 weeks ago | wrvo.org | Ava Pukatch

Its budget season with the Syracuse Common Council reviewing Mayor Walsh’s proposed $348.4 million budget. The Syracuse Police department recently held its budget hearing. Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile said the department is asking for $6.5 million for overtime pay – but notes the use of overtime can be unpredictable on a day to day basis. Although he’s optimistic with changes they’ve made to operations.

1 month ago | wrvo.org | Ava Pukatch

Former central New York Rep. Brandon Williams testified this week in his Senate confirmation hearing to lead the National Nuclear Security Administration. Williams would be an Undersecretary in the Department of Energy. Williams served 6 years in the military, working as a nuclear submarine engineer. During his one-term in Congress he was a member of the House Subcommittee on Energy. In this role leading the NNSA, he would be in charge of modernizing the country’s nuclear arsenal.

1 month ago | wrvo.org | Ava Pukatch

Zoo New York is pushing Jefferson county lawmakers for more funding to build on the Zoo’s recent success since reopening. Zoo New York is asking for $375,000 in annual funding from Jefferson County. Emily Griffin, with Zoo New York, said the zoo is not in the same place it was when it closed for six months back in October 2023. “We're not here asking for a lifeline," Griffin said. "We put in a lot of hard work to get to the financial and organizational level that we're currently standing at.