Record number of Covid cases in New York state; more top stories (Good Morning CNY for Dec. 28)

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Photo of the Day

GERE BLOCK BUILDING GETS GRANT FOR RENOVATION: The state is providing $1 million to assist with the transformation of the historic Gere Block building on Syracuse’s Far Westside into a food market, education center and co-working space. Built by the Gere family in 1874 and later expanded, the three-story building near the intersection of West Fayette Street and Erie Boulevard West is believed to have been used initially as an Erie Canal warehouse. At the time, the canal ran behind the building. Scott Dumas, CEO of Papyrus Business Solutions and a partner in the project, said his goal is to restore the building to its former status as a commerce hub. Find out more about the project and see more photos. (Rick Moriarty photo)

What’s trending

State sees record numbers of Covid-19 cases: New York state set a new record for Covid-19 cases in a single day on Christmas Eve, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced, with nearly 50,000 people testing positive. The numbers don’t include a surge in at-home tests, leaving the state’s cases likely higher. Meanwhile, the number of New Yorkers hospitalized with Covid-19 surpassed 5,000 for the first time in nine months on Monday.

Stephen Schwartz: ‘Defying Gravity’ Is Why ‘Wicked’ Must Be Two Movies

Lucy Hale’s ‘Which Brings Me to You’ Sells Wide – The Hollywood Reporter

‘A loss to the community:’ Movie-goers say their final goodbye to Village 8 – 89.3 WFPL News Louisville

2021′s best outdoor dining: The Covid pandemic has changed how we eat out at restaurants. After the shutdown last year, more of us are getting the food to go, and many restaurants have added outdoor eating areas. Outside dining certainly isn’t new, but it’s become more common. Here are some of our favorite outdoor dining spots we reviewed this year.

The best New York sparkling wine to ring in 2022? See our rankings

Movies filmed in Syracuse among 2021′s best: It’s the time of year where film critics begin churning out their “best of” list for the year — and three movies filmed in Syracuse are figuring prominently on some of those lists.

Looking ahead

Cool celebration returns to CNY: Ice Masters, feature more than 80 individual hand-carved ice sculptures by world-renowned sculptors, is returning to the New York State Fairgrounds this week. The drive-thru experience combines light up displays, carved from more than 150,000 pounds of clear ice blocks, with holiday tunes.

“First Day Hikes” fill New York state: Start your New Year off right and fill your lungs with fresh air on one of many Upstate New York hikes planned on January 1. From seal walks to fire tower treks, lakefront trails, boardwalks, towpaths, walks along waterfalls, historic estates, military forts and more, there are plenty of options in every corner of the Empire State.

Sports

Syracuse Orange forward Cole Swider dives for a loose ball in front of Brown Bears guard Kino Lilly Jr. during Monday night’s game at the Carrier Dome. (Dennis Nett photo)

Orange returns from layoff with easy win: After a two-week pause between games due to Covid-19 protocols, the Syracuse men’s basketball team resumed its season Monday night in the Carrier Dome with a dominant 93-62 win over Brown. The shooting of Buddy Boeheim and Joe Girard led the Orange’s second-half surge.

Axe: CNY sports defined by change, adaptation in 2021: The stories that make the 2021 Syracuse sports postcard are defined by change and adapting to unprecedented times. We lost legends, watched “Buddy Buckets” light it up from downtown in March Madness, were rattled by scandal in two big Syracuse University sports programs and pleased with the performance of running back Sean Tucker. Here is a look back at some of the biggest stories of the year.

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