Ellen Abbott

For the first time in over a decade, Republican primary voters will be choosing who will be the GOP candidate in the race for governor of New York this year. Candidates have been crisscrossing the state looking for support in advance of this year's primary.

State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett recommends residents get vaccinated and boosted, get tested following symptoms and exposure, and return to wearing masks in all public indoor spaces in a five-county area, including Onondaga, Oswego, Madison, Cayuga and Cortland counties.

“Sleep is one of the pillars of health along with a balanced diet and regular exercise,” said Dr. Antonio Culebras. “If you don’t sleep well, you won’t be healthy."

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) is pushing for legislation that would provide more funds for two programs that would help deal with maternal health among Black women.

The Upstate New York Poison Center has some advice for families getting at-home COVID-19 test kits: store them safely and keep them away from kids.

The decision by Rep. John Katko (R-Camillus) to not run for reelection this year leaves a huge hole in central New York’s political landscape. The four-term Republican’s announcement last week that he is retiring ultimately helps Democrats, according to Syracuse University political science professor Grant Reeher.

A coalition of environmental, civic and social justice groups is asking Gov. Kathy Hochul to modernize and expand the state’s Bottle Bill.

The books are closed on the 2021 edition of the New York State Fair. While the average daily attendance this year was less than half what it was in 2019, it was to be expected, as COVID-19 cases rise and the fair for the first time became an 18-day affair.