Good news for upstate higher ed
Western New York has cheaper-than-average tuition, according to a new report from the College Board. Nationally, the average tuition cost is $7,605, reports the Buffalo News:
In comparison, it cost $6,053 to attend Buffalo State College this fall, $6,333 to attend Fredonia State College and $7,135 to attend the University at Buffalo.
For private schools, the paper reports the gap tends to be even higher:
The average cost at the nation’s private nonprofit colleges increased 4.5 percent this fall to $27,293, the report shows. That compares with $18,490 at Hilbert College; $20,570 at Medaille College; $21,060 at D’Youville College; $25,650 at Niagara University; $26,895 at St. Bonaventure University; and $30,007 at Canisius College.
Meanwhile, Cornell University has picked up $80 million for its Center for a Sustainable Future, reports the Press & Sun-Bulletin. Center director Frank DiSalvo says the gift came after positive feedback rolled in for the center's work:
The money, said DiSalvo, will turn the three-year pilot program into a permanent research center -- now called the David R. Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future. The mission of the center, said DiSalvo, focuses on problems related to energy, the environment and economic development. The money will not only make the center permanent, but will also help hire new faculty, make external partnerships and continue to fund anywhere from 12 to 15 projects each year, he said.
And a new president for Binghamton University could be in the offing before the end of the year. That's according to the Press & Sun-Bulletin, which reports that the new leader will be the first for the school in nearly 20 years:
The pool of candidates has been narrowed to between eight and 12, she said. It will be trimmed to five semifinalists after confidential off-campus interviews in mid-November, she said. Those five candidates will meet with faculty members, alumni, students and other university officials in December before the search committee recommends three finalists.
Sorry New Jersey
But we're number one. The Tax Foundation, a think-tank that promotes cutting taxes, says New York now has the worst business climate in the nation. The Press & Sun-Bulletin reports:
New York has the worst individual income tax, fifth-worst unemployment insurance tax and ninth-worst property tax, according to the Tax Foundation study. Business leaders say the state has a long way to go to improve its economic development efforts, but the next governor has to start with tax cuts and caps on property taxes and state spending to attract investment and drive private-sector growth.
Third quarter earnings
More earnings reports are rolling in from across the region:
*Graham Corp. says profits were up $1.6 million over the previous year (Buffalo News)
*Profits at Evans Bancorp dropped by 46 percent (Buffalo News)
*Pacemaker-maker Greatbatch Inc. boosted sales by 5 percent in the third quarter (Buffalo News)
*Financial Institutions, the parent company of Five Star Bank, took home 43 cents a share (Buffalo News)
*Anaren Inc., an electronics maker, made $4.1 million (Post-Standard)
*Chemung Financial picked up 71 cents a share (Press & Sun-Bulletin)
Florida-bound
Niagara Falls' airport is getting a new airline. The Buffalo News reports that Spirit Airlines will add service between Niagara Falls and Fort Lauderdale in January, and service to Myrtle Beach in the spring.
Credit card fraud
Police in Syracuse suspect that an Onondaga County computer might have been hacked. Visitors to the civic center, War Memorial, and Oncenter who used their credit cards have seen evidence of fraud on their accounts. From the Post-Standard:
Police said they didn’t know the “specific point of compromise” in Onondaga County. The cards weren’t taken, but instead the information contained on the magnetic strip was copied and a new card made. The new card was then used to make fraudulent purchases, “typically gift cards,” Colavita said.
Bringing the corner to life
Redevelopment for one corner of downtown Rochester means using every "tax relief [tool] in its arsenal," reports the Democrat and Chronicle. As a result, the Brooks Avenue corner, across the river from the University of Rochester, now has a coffee shop, a hotel, and a business center.
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