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Morelle backs bipartisan bill to boost small businesses; measure passes House, heads to Senate
Rep. Joe Morelle said Wednesday he voted in favor of bipartisan legislation aimed at strengthening small businesses and expanding investment opportunities, a bill that has now passed the U.S. House of Representatives and awaits consideration in the Senate. Congressman Joe Morelle The measure, known as the Incentivizing New Ventures and Economic Strength Through Capital Formation Act, or INVEST Act, cleared the House on a bipartisan vote and is designed to modernize federal ca
Dec 15, 20252 min read


Plans to Develop Rochester Into a Walkable City Discussed at Community Event
Reconnect Rochester hosted a community event Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, at the Little Theatre featuring a screening of the PBS documentary Walkable USA , followed by a panel discussion with local leaders about efforts to make Rochester a more walkable city. Panelists: Shawn Dunwoody of Dunwoode Design and vice president of Hinge Neighbors; Galin Brooks, president and CEO of the Rochester Downtown Development Corporation; and Erik Frisch, deputy commissioner of neighborhood and b
Dec 8, 20253 min read


Barnhart Raising a Red Flag on County Dealings With Airbnb
Monroe County Legislator Rachel Barnhart is demanding the release of all county records related to Airbnb’s lobbying efforts as lawmakers prepare to vote on whether the county will opt out of New York’s new statewide short-term rental registry — a system designed to track Airbnb and other vacation rentals, standardize tax collection, and enforce safety and licensing rules across the state. Monroe County Legislator Rachel Barnhart The registry, approved by lawmakers earlier th
Dec 1, 20253 min read


Cooney Marks 100,000th Imagination Library Book in Rochester, Announces Major State Funding Push
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — State Sen. Jeremy Cooney delivered the 100,000th book distributed through the Rochester chapter of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library on Tuesday, using the milestone to announce $1 million in statewide funding for the early literacy program — and to launch an effort to secure $7 million next year. Sen. Jeremy Cooney (L) and RCSD Superintendent Eric J. Rosser visited a preschool class at Flower City School No. 54 to celebrate 100,000th book distributed throu
Nov 26, 20253 min read


Rochester Unions Accuse City of Misusing Healthcare Funds; City Says Benefits Are Fully Funded
Four Rochester municipal unions are accusing the City of Rochester of improperly using money from a joint healthcare fund for retiree medical costs, saying the funds were contractually reserved for active employees. The city, however, says it has fully met—and will continue to meet—its healthcare obligations and that the joint committee overseeing the account has operated collaboratively for more than a decade. In a joint statement, the presidents of IAFF Local 1071, the Roch
Nov 25, 20252 min read


EDceptional Welcomes Paul Miller as Chief Academic Officer
Rochester, NY — November 24, 2025 — EDceptional, a Charter Sector Support Organization dedicated to helping Rochester charter schools thrive through innovative solutions and strategic partnerships, announces the appointment of Paul Miller as its first Chief Academic Officer. Dr Paul Miller Miller brings more than 25 years of experience as an educator, school leader, and nonprofit CEO dedicated to transforming educational systems for excellence and equity. He most recently se
Nov 24, 20252 min read


Hochul Signs $600M RCSD Modernization Bill, Paving Way for Major School Upgrades
Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed legislation authorizing an additional $125 million for Phase III of the Rochester City School District’s long-delayed modernization program, state lawmakers announced Monday. Assemblymember Harry Bronson and Sen. Jeremy Cooney The measure (S7157B/A7385), sponsored by Sen. Jeremy Cooney and Assemblymember Harry Bronson, raises the total investment for the current phase to $600 million. The money will be used to modernize aging school buildings, exp
Nov 24, 20252 min read


Former School Without Walls Student Dr. Anqesha Murray-Cody is Shaping Science Culture
On a crisp Rochester morning, a teenage Anqesha Murray-Cody might have missed school if it weren’t for her high school bus driver, who knew she had a tendency to sleep in and would call with a friendly reminder to get up and go. Her mother, she recalls with a laugh, “didn’t make me go to school. She was kind of hippy-like in that way.” That quiet persistence from her community, paired with a freedom to explore, planted the seeds for a life defined by curiosity, resilience, an
Nov 21, 20259 min read


Remembering Troy Anthony Bronner, Founder of Elim Christian Fellowship
Bishop Troy Anthony Bronner, a nationally respected preacher, author and the founding pastor of Elim Christian Fellowship in Buffalo and Rochester, died this week, leaving behind a transformative legacy that reshaped urban ministry in Western New York and beyond. He was 62. Elim Christian Fellowship announced his passing and asked the community to keep his family and congregation in prayer. [Funeral arrangements are listed at the end of this article.] A Dynamic Preacher and
Nov 20, 20256 min read


Global Entrepreneurship Week Brings Four Days of Innovation, Collaboration to Rochester
Rochester is joining a worldwide movement this week as Global Entrepreneurship Week Rochester 2025 (GEWROC) kicks off a four-day celebration aimed at empowering entrepreneurs and strengthening the region’s business ecosystem. Running Nov. 18–21 at multiple locations across the city, GEWROC features more than a dozen partner organizations and over 40 speakers offering workshops, bus tours, wellness events, advisory sessions and networking opportunities. Organizers say the week
Nov 17, 20252 min read


Metro Justice Calls on City Council to Back Public Utility Study Following Opposition to RG&E Rate Hikes
Metro Justice and the Rochester for Energy Democracy (RED) coalition have welcomed Rochester City Council’s public opposition to the latest RG&E rate hike proposal — but say words are not enough. The coalition delivered a statement Thursday, Nov. 13, during the Speak to Council session at City Hall, urging Council to take concrete action by advancing a City-led public utility study. Pastor Wanda Wilson of RocACTS delivered the statement on behalf of the RED campaign, ahead of
Nov 14, 20253 min read


$13 Million Investment Will Bring New Affordable Homes to Rochester’s Upper Falls Neighborhood
Monroe County Executive Adam Bello and Rochester Mayor Malik Evans joined local, state, and federal leaders Monday to break ground on a $13 million housing development that will bring 22 new affordable single-family homes to the city’s Upper Falls neighborhood — a historically redlined area long affected by disinvestment The First Genesis Single Family Homes project, spearheaded by the First Genesis Development Corporation in partnership with Rochester Management Inc., Atlas
Nov 12, 20253 min read
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