Kirk Tupaj

Utica

Multimedia Journalist and Photojournalist at WKTV-TV (Utica,NY)

Photojournalist/ MMJ @WKTV

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Articles

New Pope-Local Reaction

1 week ago | wktv.com | Kirk Tupaj

Millions of Catholics around the globe cheered as they waited to see who the new Pope would be. Robert Prevost, now known as Pope Leo the 14th is the first American Pope. Roman Catholic Pastor Tom Servatius serves as Vicar for Eastern Oneida County. Channel 2 sat down with Pastor Tom to get his thoughts on the new Pope. "He’ll be a bit of a moderate. He….
Roaring into Utica: Zoo’s Prehistoric Showcase Nears Completion

1 week ago | wktv.com | Kirk Tupaj

UTICA, N.Y. -- Excitement is building at the Utica Zoo as they work to put "Dino Discovery" in place. Truckloads of animatronic dinosaurs have arrived at the Utica Zoo. It’s a major attraction that’s scheduled to open on May 24. Andria Heath, the zoo’s executive director, said that there’s still a lot of work to do before opening day. "It is going to take some time to set it up. It’s sixteen thousand pounds of dinosaur, so we can’t get it already overnight," she said.
Tunnel to Towers Run/Walk

1 week ago | wktv.com | Kirk Tupaj

UTICA, N.Y. -- The Tunnel to Towers Foundation was started by the family of New York Firefighter Stephen Siller, who responded to the World Trade Center fires while he was off duty. Stephen ran 2 miles wearing all his turnout gear from the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to the Twin Towers. Stephen Siller perished in the South Tower when it collapsed. Stephen’s family started a fundraiser retracing Stephen’s run to the World Trade Center. The Run/Walk is now called Tunnel to Towers.
Thunder Wheels Are Back in Ilion

1 week ago | wktv.com | Kirk Tupaj

ILION, N.Y. -- A group of elementary students started riding their bikes to school last fall, and now that the snow is gone, they’re back at it. Last year, Finn Brien started riding his bike to school. Other kids wanted to ride too, so Finn’s mom Kate invited anyone interested to join in. In just a short time, there were 40 kids gathering to ride from Kate Brien’s house. Kate can't believe how it's grown. "It was just a thought he had.
Thunder Wheels Are Back

1 week ago | wktv.com | Kirk Tupaj

Last year Finn Brien started riding his bike to school. Other kids wanted to ride too, so Finn’s mom Kate invited anyone interested to join in. In just a short time there were 40 kids gathering to ride from Kate Brien’s house. Kate can't believe how it's grown. "It was just a thought he had. He wanted to ride his bike to school and now we’ve grown from 1 to about 45-close to 50 so it’s taken off really fast."Because the ride has grown, organizers are looking for volunteers to help.
Proposed Cannabis Farm Coming to Vernon Center Upsets Residents

2 weeks ago | wktv.com | Kirk Tupaj

VERNON CENTER, N.Y. -- Cory Finster and some of his neighbors have lived in Vernon Center for over a decade. It’s a country setting and generally quiet, but one day they woke up to see eight-foot fencing going up next to their property. Finster went to the Vernon Town Board to get answers. "The board had no clue, except for one person that I talked to. The rest of them had no idea what was going on," Finster.
Proposed Cannabis Farm Coming to Vernon Center

2 weeks ago | wktv.com | Kirk Tupaj

Cory Finster and some of his neighbors have lived in Vernon Center for over a decade. It’s a country setting and generally quiet, but one day they woke up to see 8-foot fencing going up next to their property. Cory went to the Vernon Town Board to get answers. "The board had no clue except for one person that I talked to. The rest of them had no idea what was going on.
Rome Health Phase 1 Expansion Nearly Complete

2 weeks ago | wktv.com | Kirk Tupaj

Phase 1 of Rome Health’s $45.7 million expansion project is nearly complete. The public will have more parking, a new lobby with clearly marked destinations, and an Intensive Care Unit with enough space to provide the best patient care. Anne Marie Czyz, Rome Health's President and CEO, talked about why the Intensive Care Unit was designed with a much larger space. "Critical care patients in today’s day and age are very, very ill, even in our community, so we need a multidisciplinary team.
Fenimore Art Museum Opens with New Exhibitions

1 month ago | wktv.com | Kirk Tupaj

Whether you’re into paintings, sculpture, pottery, or anything in-between, the Fenimore Art Museum has something for you. The Museum opened the season with 'The Thaw Collection of American Indian Art', a massive display of in-house works, and Boundless Spirit: American Folk Art. Julia Madore is the Museum’s Associate Director of Exhibitions. She says the Museum has art for people of all ages. "It has something for kids. Whether you sign up for our preschool Tuesday activity.
SUNY Poly Students Invent for People with Disabilities

1 month ago | wktv.com | Kirk Tupaj

Three Mechanical Engineering Students at SUNY Poly have invented a machine that will crush aluminum cans. Some of the cans that end up at redemption centers don’t have a returnable deposit, so they end up recycled as raw aluminum. They take up a lot of space, so the students came up with a way to save space and speed up the process. SUNY Poly Mechanical Engineering Senior Gabriel Purcell says they’ve been communicating for months through texts with ideas and concepts.