Iranian university students from Syracuse were cut off from news of friends and family as thousands died in Iran.
Laura Robertson
Laura Robertson is a staff reporter covering Onondaga County. Prior to joining Central Current, she lived on the edge of the Bering Strait in Nome, Alaska, where she worked as a reporter for a year. She graduated from Princeton in 2024, and speaks English, Farsi, and some Thai. She grew up just west of Binghamton in Tioga County and is excited to return to upstate New York.
Laura won the 2025 Nellie Bly Cub Reporter Award from the New York Press Club for her story on an infirmary profit model that led to dozens of deaths in New York State jails. A 2024 recipient of an Overseas Press Club scholar award, she’s interviewed Alaskan gold miners, Russian draft dodgers, and former Syrian freedom fighters, and reported from Tajikistan. She’s particularly interested in money flows, the intersections of business and politics, and how those things affect people on the ground.
You can reach her at lrobertson@centralcurrent.org with tips about things going on around the county, or with recommendations of ways to get to know Syracuse better!
Posted inOnondaga County
Onondaga County to pay $100K to woman who in 2022 gave birth at jail to baby who later died
Cheree Byrd gave birth to her daughter Ayanna at the Onondaga County jail after jail and healthcare employees ignored for days Cheree’s claims that she was in labor. Ayanna later died.
Posted inOnondaga County
At least $85M at risk for Onondaga County after Trump freezes funding for low-income families
The freeze is tied to a Minnesota fraud scandal. Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon, a Republican, called on Trump to restore funding to New York counties.
Posted inAquarium Project
Onondaga County legislators are still getting emails asking them to stop the aquarium. It’s too late, they say
Legislators acknowledged the aquarium will open this year and plan to turn their attention to making the aquarium work for residents.
Posted inPolicing
Upstate county lawmakers are pushing legislation to enforce biometric surveillance disclosure. Will Onondaga County follow suit?
Recent downstate reporting revealed Wegmans is using biometric surveillance to scan customers’ faces. Some upstate legislators want to make businesses like Wegmans disclose surveillance tools to customers.
Posted inOnondaga County
Democratic county legislators appoint Nicole Watts chair of the legislature — but not without drama
Before the session, the Republican caucus sent out a press release accusing the Democratic appointments of signaling “far left chaos.”
Posted inNews
Onondaga County lawmakers approve $550M plan to upgrade wastewater treatment plant amid concerns about sewer rates
Legislators also voted to approve the issuance of up to $515 million in bonds, the most in the county’s history, according to Comptroller Marty Masterpole.
Posted inNews
Why Onondaga County legislators may approve the largest bond issuance in the county’s history
For Micron to come to Central New York, it would need a significant upgrade to the Oak Orchard Wastewater Treatment Plant. A supermajority of legislators would have to vote to issue up to $515 million in bonds.
Posted inNews
Former city school board member to run for Charles Garland’s Onondaga County Legislature seat
Garland is not running for re-election next year, a promise he made to colleagues if they made him chair of the legislature. “I don’t have to become chair to keep a promise,” he said.
Posted inOnondaga County
Onondaga County Legislature Democrats, Republicans have spat over ‘lame duck’ appointments
Democrats argued the appointments should have waited until the party in January takes control of the legislature.