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Utility industry ‘fixes’ seldom go as hoped
I worked in corporate planning at Niagara Mohawk (now National Grid NY) during the 1980s and 1990s, when the industry restructuring you describe so well began to take hold. (“Exploring a community utility, Rochester Beacon, Sept. 28, 2023.) That was what I’ll call a second wave of regulatory change in the utility industry—certainly well-intentioned, whatever one thinks of the actual results.
Rochester General nurses poised for second strike
A second strike against Rochester General Hospital authorized by Rochester Union of Nurses and Allied Professionals in a vote last week would send the union’s 900 members off the job for five days later this month. In the Oct. 11 poll, 91 percent of the union’s members voted to...
Feeling ‘Southern Fried Funny’
Comedian Amy Brown is excited to make her return to Comedy @ The Carlson with her show, “Southern Fried Funny” next Saturday. Originally from Geneseo, life and her physicist husband led her across the country until they eventually settled in Atlanta. Although she finds the culture to be very friendly and open like small-town Geneseo, there are still some things that shock her when she stops and thinks about it.
The path to affordable higher ed
Against a backdrop of growing cynicism regarding the cost of higher education and the Biden administration’s stalled attempts to cancel some student debt, higher education systems are buttressing efforts to guide families through a financial aid process that they say should provide affordable access to interested students. Area institutions...
Bello pulls ahead of Assini in contributions
As the election for Monroe County executive draws closer, Democrat incumbent Adam Bello has taken an advantage in campaign contributions. Republican challenger Mark Assini had a hot start at the beginning of the year, raising nearly $100,000 in total contributions from January to early July. From the months of April to June, he received contributions from 172 donors. The October campaign disclosure reports, which document contributions from late July to early October, show a significant slowdown, with $34,000 across 36 contributors in that time period.
Bringing dance to the community
Biodance, a contemporary repertory dance company, combines life with dance through site-specific work that explores the human condition, relationships, and social, political and environmental issues. Under Missy Pfohl Smith, artistic director and choreographer, Biodance spawned from a love for collaboration between dancers and other artists. Smith, who also directs the...
Community vigil draws overwhelming support
Dalit Spindel is overcome with sadness. What was supposed to be a joyful visit to Israel to mark her father’s 75th birthday had become clouded in tragedy. A day after the nation was brutally attacked by the terrorist group Hamas, Spindel made the painful decision to return to her home in Rochester.
Academy of Health Sciences expands student capacity
Academy of Health Sciences started the school year in a new building–the former Terrace Garden Lanes bowling alley–in the city of Rochester. The site has allowed the charter school to expand its capacity with 100 more spots for students. “We’re really excited that we’ve been able to take...
RIT secures support from Google Cybersecurity Clinics Fund
Rochester Institute of Technology will receive $500,000 from the Google Cybersecurity Clinics Fund to help build a cyber workforce and defend critical infrastructure in local communities. The first university to get such funds, RIT will use the dollars to deploy teams of students to provide free cyber assessment services and...
TYKEs launches season with a beloved giraffe
Next week, Theatre Young Kids Enjoy will open its 19th live-on-stage season with a popular children’s story. “Giraffes Can’t Dance,” is a musical based on the picture book of the same name by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees. The story centers around an uncoordinated giraffe, Gerald, who learns to gain confidence and embrace his unique style.
The long road to resolution
Congenital short staffing at Rochester General Hospital compromises patient safety, a report issued this week by the hospital’s nurses union claims. The Rochester Union of Nurses and Allied Professionals this evening will hold a candlelight vigil at RGH to highlight what it says are the hospital’s staffing and patient-safety concerns. The vigil comes as the 15-month-old union and the hospital reach the one-year point in still largely unresolved first-contract talks.
NextCorps gets $4.5 million in federal grant
NextCorps’ track record in fostering innovation has resulted in a $4.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation. The nonprofit, which has successfully administered Luminate NY and a manufacturing accelerator, will test a replicable model to better support the needs of early-stage, deep-tech businesses over a two-year period, officials say. Binghamton University’s Koffman Southern Tier Incubator will test the model.
RRH sued over chaplain’s abuse decades ago
A man is suing Rochester Regional Health, holding the health system accountable for sexual abuse he says he suffered decades ago at the hands of a Park Ridge Hospital Catholic chaplain. Identified only as JVW Doe 106 in a Sept. 27 State Supreme Court complaint, the man initially encountered the...
PAB receives 360 complaints, closes 77 cases, annual report shows
The city of Rochester’s Police Accountability Board released its first annual report today, providing an overview of its activities and findings between June 2022 and June 2023. “It was, and is, imperative that citizens of our community are aware of the work of the PAB, as well as our...
Reading the ‘Writing On The Wall’
You can hear the fondness in Coco Montoya’s voice when he remembers performances in Western and Central New York. Admittedly, some of that might be the memories of food. “Syracuse and Rochester, at Dinosaur (Bar-B-Que), that was our place,” says Montoya, an award-winning blues guitarist. “I’m here to make people dance and have a good time and that’s always easier when all you can eat barbecue is in the picture.”
Hyzon, former execs agree to pay $25.7M to settle fraud charges
Hyzon Motors Inc. and former Hyzon executives have settled fraud charges leveled by the Securities and Exchange Commission by agreeing to pay a total of $25.7 million. While Hyzon and executives accused of fraud by the SEC admit to no wrongdoing, former Hyzon CEO Craig Knight is barred from serving as an officer or director of a publicly held company for five years. Max Holthausen, who heads Hyzon’s European subsidiary, Holtzhausen Clean Technology, is similarly barred for 10 years.
Exploring a community utility
The push to reduce the economy’s dependence on fossil fuels has spurred a drive to electrify sectors from transportation to heating. Although distributed generation—electricity generated from sources near point of use, like solar and wind power—will play an increasing role in an electrified economy, centralized power generation and distribution is not going away.
Oculi wins big at Luminate Finals
Maryland’s Oculi, which took home the big prize at Luminate Finals, plans to move its headquarters to Rochester. The company also expects to use the $1 million investment from New York to scale its operations for mass production, expand sales, and develop advanced versions of its products. The hybrid...
Preserving stories of Black leaders
Next Monday, the artist-run nonprofit Visual Studies Workshop will host a discussion and book launch for its second “In This Moment” chapbook series at the Dryden Theater. The ITM project was started to demonstrate the breadth and scope of revolutionary work happening in Rochester’s Black community. “I...
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