Trees can act as a second line of defense against pollutants from the community grid — but only with the right strategy.
Debadrita Sur
Debadrita Sur is a multimedia journalist and Report for America corps member who reports on the I-81 project and public housing for Central Current. In 2023, Sur graduated with a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University, where she reported on housing and homelessness, and co-produced a short documentary on food insecurity in the South Bronx.
After graduating, she joined The Buffalo News as a general assignment reporter, where she covered daily breaking news and long-term enterprise stories on pedestrian safety, homelessness in Erie County, and Jewish and Arab families in Western New York reacting to the Middle East conflict, among other topics. She later joined Reach PLC in New York City, where she worked on tight deadlines to cover breaking news on a myriad of topics, but mainly focusing on the Russia-Ukraine war as well as the Trump administration across three publications. Sur grew up in Kolkata, India, and completed her undergraduate degree in English literature from Presidency University, while also working for a London-based cultural magazine, Far Out, on the side. Deb speaks Hindi, Bengali, English, and German.
When she’s not reporting, Sur is either reading, trying to recreate her mom’s chicken recipes, making adventure bucket lists, or playing with her cat, Mountain Dew. She can be reached at dsur@centralcurrent.org
Posted inInterstate 81
Tacky mats are a NYSDOT guardrail against I-81 construction pollution. How can you get them?
The DOT has taken a wide range of measures to protect the community against the fallout of construction, including the tacky mats.
Posted inHousing
Redevelopment of public housing in Syracuse pushed back 1 month, city says
The Syracuse Housing Authority was supposed to close on the first phase of public housing’s redevelopment by the end of August or early September. The closing date has been delayed until the end of October.
Posted inHousing
Syracuse city official hired to helm Blueprint 15, nonprofit at center of public housing redevelopment
Sarah Walton, who previously served as the city’s director of East Adams neighborhood development, will lead Blueprint 15 on an interim basis.
Posted inNews
Meet the former public housing tenant connecting SHA residents with resources during redevelopment
Rachel Titus-Cox used to live on Dablon Court. Now, she’s helping residents who live there connect with resources as the Syracuse Housing Authority redevelops public housing.
Posted inInterstate 81
Where should air quality monitors be placed near I-81 viaduct? Syracuse residents can help decide
The Onondaga Environmental Institute and Focusing Our Resources for Community Engagement CNY will host the first of three workshops at 6 p.m. on Oct. 9 at Beauchamp Library.
Posted inHousing
After a year under scrutiny, Syracuse Housing Authority head Bill Simmons fires back
One week after the board of the housing authority met in private with legal counsel, Executive Director Bill Simmons dismissed the meeting as a typical review. He sat down with Central Current for a Q&A.
Posted inHousing
Syracuse Housing Authority’s board won’t say what prompted closed-door meeting over ‘personnel matters’
Calvin Corriders, the president of SHA’s board, declined to comment on whether embattled Executive Director Bill Simmons was the subject of the private discussion.