Sharon Owens sworn in as mayor of Syracuse (Good Morning CNY January 1)

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Weather

High: 17. Low: 12. A terribly cold start to the year. Check out the 5 day forecast.

Photo of the day

Owens sworn in as mayor of Syracuse: In a historic moment for the city of Syracuse, Sharon Owens was sworn in Wednesday night to become the city’s first black female mayor. Her husband Shaun held the Bible during the ceremony; Syracuse Municipal Court Judge Staci Dennis-Taylor administered the oath of office. Owens, 62, is the city’s 55th mayor in its 177-year history. She is the second woman in this position. (photo by Dennis Nett)

latest

See the most expensive homes sold in Onondaga County in 2025: A historic Skaneateles property set a record for the most expensive residential sale in Onondaga County, changing hands last year for nearly $18 million. The sale beat the previous record when Adam Weitsman bought the same property in 2021 for $13.1 million. The transaction highlights Skaneateles’ booming luxury real estate market, where the median home price has risen to about $1.19 million thanks to intense buyer competition and historically low inventory. A total of 44 home sales in the county in 2025 had prices of $1 million or more.

What’s trendy

Walsh defends snowplow efforts after historic storm – “People take it for granted”: On his last day as mayor, Ben Walsh praised the work of his snowplow drivers during the snowiest big city in America during the worst storm in 80 years. Two feet of snow fell on the streets of Syracuse on Tuesday, the highest total in one day since 1946. “I think people take that for granted when they talk about how they remember it back then,” he said. “Unless you’re 80 years old, you don’t remember a storm like we had yesterday.”

• Tuesday was Syracuse’s snowiest day in nearly 80 years
• National Grid is warning residents to clear snow from vents and watch out for power lines

The county will distribute bottled water to residents affected by the broken line: Onondaga County will distribute up to 4,000 cases of bottled water Friday to residents of towns affected by a burst water main this month. According to officials, no one ran out of water and water supplies in the six affected cities are still sufficient to meet current demand. Friday’s water distribution is a proactive way for residents to conserve water, a county official said. Here are the details.

Looking ahead

2026 News Preview: Stories we’re watching in the coming year: Micron is breaking ground. The Interstate 81 viaduct collapsed. Syracuse will have a new mayor and SU will elect a new chancellor. We’ll see what Democrats do with a majority in the Onondaga County Legislature for the first time in 50 years. We asked our reporters to look ahead to the big news we’ll be watching in 2026. There’s a lot on the horizon. Here is a preview.

Sports

Syracuse forward Donnie Freeman drives past Clemson Tigers shortstop Nick Davidson at the JMA Wireless Dome on Wednesday. (photo by Scott Schild)

Donnie Freeman-fueled Syracuse rally falls short against Clemson: Donnie Freeman, who had missed Syracuse’s previous nine games with a lower leg injury, nearly led the Syracuse Orange to a comeback win against the Clemson Tigers in his return to the lineup on Wednesday. Freeman scored all 18 of his points in the second half, but his potential game-tying 3-pointer in the final seconds was off target and the Orange fell 64-61 at the JMA Wireless Dome.

MORE SPORTS

In short

Onondaga County Legislator Julie Abbott, defeated in November, won a county job

Trailblazers and Trendsetters: Caprice Hibbler has become the mentor she always wanted

Plant manager, other execs out after 2 devastating fires at Novelis

A woman who jumped from a window to escape a house fire in Syracuse has died

Syracuse reality star speaks out after arrest: ‘Nothing can break me’

Chain restaurant in Destiny USA is closing after 6 years

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