Neighbor offers shelter to central New York church after storm (Good Morning CNY December 26)

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Weather report

High: 30; Weak: 16. The clouds yield to the sun; see the 5 day forecast.

Photo of the day

Closing time: After opening nine years ago, Christmas Eve was last call at the Now & Later on Tipperary Hill in Syracuse. “Cheers for the years we’ve had and cheers for the years to come,” owner Jason Purdy told the crowd. Purdy, left, opened Now & Later Lounge downtown last weekend. (Photo by Charlie Miller)

The last

Enter one of the oldest grocery stores in Syracuse, frozen in time before the baker moved in (photos): Palace Theater owner and real estate investor Stephen Skinner has reached a deal to buy the former Nojaim grocery store and plans to reopen it next year as a neighborhood bakery. He and his new tenant, artisan baker Corey Bruce, aim to preserve much of what Rose “Ma” Nojaim and her family left behind. “It’s a time capsule,” Skinner said. “We’re going to try to keep everything.”

What is the trend

Bodycam shows guards punching handcuffed inmate in fatal assault: Several New York state prison guards detained an inmate while punching and kicking him in the groin and chest earlier this month at a New York-area prison. Utica, according to a state investigator. The inmate, Robert L. Brooks, 43, later died at a Utica hospital. He appears to have been fatally asphyxiated.

After a tornado ravaged their church, a neighbor found a room at the inn: The historic First Presbyterian Church suffered extensive damage after an EF2 tornado struck the city of Rome last summer. Zion Episcopal Church leaders suggested their church, located a block away, could serve as a temporary home. Since then, approximately 100 First Presbyterian worshipers have worshiped in Zion. “There are correlations between the fact that there was no room for Jesus in the inn and yet a place was found for him,” said the Rev. Edwina Landry, pastor of First Presbyterian. “A place has been found for us too.”

If you build it, they will sled: A DeWitt father has become a hit with the parents and children who live in his neighborhood. Doug Lawrence takes out his homemade snow cannon when it’s cold and this winter he built six different toboggan runs. The goal is to have 2 to 7 feet of snow in the yard, which requires about 10,000 gallons of water. These days, it takes Lawrence 40 to 50 hours to complete the site.

Looking to the future

Flavortown Mayor Returns to Syracuse: Guy Fieri visited Pastabilities again for a new episode of his Food Network TV show, “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives: Triple D Nation.” Pastabilities was first featured on Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” in 2012 to highlight the restaurant’s famous spicy hot tomato oil. The episode will air on Friday, January 3 at 9 p.m. ET.

Sporty

See our picks for the Holiday Bowl: Our writers don’t think it will be much of a game when Syracuse takes on Washington State on Friday. But there should still be some interesting things to watch: Will Syracuse cover the point spread? Will Kyle McCord break Deshaun Watson’s ACC single-season passing mark?

MORE SPORTS:

Brief

Menorah lit in downtown Syracuse to mark the start of Hanukkah

Syracuse Movie Becomes One of the Most Popular Streaming Services

Richard Gere remembers the ‘only cool kids’ in North Syracuse

Lawmakers vote to permanently close two bars linked to recent violent crimes

View state ELA test nonparticipation rates for New York school districts for 2023-2024.

Starbucks strike extends to 300 stores, including some in upstate New York

Today’s obituaries

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