Latest news with #RescueMission
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Forget about tomorrow': Ralph Rotella's advice as he celebrates his 50th anniversary in business
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — Before he touches a single shoe, Ralph Rotella really shines as a backroom barista. He often treats regulars to espresso made in his old-school stove-top kettle from Italy. Rotella was only 16 years old when he moved from Calabria, Italy to Syracuse. At 20, he followed in his uncle's footsteps and opened Discount Shoe Repair with a partner in 1975. 50 years later, the store sits in the same block. 'When you enjoy something you like,' Rotella said in his broken English, 'the time go by so fast.' Old than Ralph is the shop's equipment. When he opened Discount Shoe Repair, Ralph bought the collection from another Italian cobbler retiring from Buffalo. The machines run the same, but a lot has changed over the years. Ralph has seen the City of Syracuse through his window. 'When we set up,' he remembers, 'It was beautiful. After few years, got worse, come back again.' The industry has evolved too. 'Shoes are a like a car,' Ralph said, 'every few years, they change style.' He sees more plastic and vinyl than leather nowadays. A form of super glue he calls his savior. Some overly-worn shoes, he'll suggest are junk. Ralph doesn't know how many pairs of shoes he's handled in his career. 'It's gotta be a million,' he guesses. 'Figure… few hundred a week… for 50 years.' He's more diligent at counting donations to his annual shoe drive, collecting for the Rescue Mission. When asked his thoughts on retiring, Ralph said: 'Not yet. If I retire, what am I going to do home? People who retire… they get so bored. I'm only 71. Maybe five more years.' Five more years of his customer service and coffee. 'Take a little break. Life is too short. Enjoy today, forget about tomorrow,' said Ralph. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Syracuse's homeless community feels isolated due to downtown fence
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR) — For years, the Dickerson Street and South Clinton Street intersection has been a hotspot for Syracuse's homeless community. But now there is a clear divider between the Rescue Mission and downtown Syracuse after a chain link fence was put up Wednesday morning. 'I'm not in support of the fence, but I think we've got to do something to mitigate the influence of the Rescue Mission,' Jeffrey Fudesco, a lifelong Syracuse resident, said. 'They call it the 'Rescue Mission Neighborhood.' That means that it's off the books, there's no taxes, and it's just all poverty services.' Fudesco said over the past three years, the area underneath the bridge has become an open drug market. 'It's really hurt business downtown…especially for City Market,' he said. 'Working-class and professional-class people do not want to come down and have to step over bodies and walk through people selling drugs and using drugs on the street.' But the decision has made some feel unwanted in their own city. 'Me, at the mission, so now…I'm looking at a dead end,' Steve Buckingham, a Rescue Mission resident, said. 'I already feel like I'm at a dead end. It doesn't help.' With the Rescue Mission located directly on Dickerson Street, Buckingham said the fence makes the homeless community feel blocked off from the city. 'We're caged in like animals,' Rachel Monahan, a Rescue Mission resident, said. 'The emergency personnel can't really get over here now, as best as they could, due to the fence, and it's not fair to the ones who actually need the medical attention right away.' NewsChannel 9 reached out to the City of Syracuse and the Syracuse Police Department for comment on the fence and is waiting to hear back. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Pueblo Rescue Mission employee who allegedly stole thousands heading to trial
(PUEBLO, Colo.) — The suspect who allegedly stole thousands from residents of the Pueblo Rescue Mission (PRM) is heading to trial after rejecting a plea agreement. Former PRM employee, 65-year-old Lori Arabie, allegedly stole large sums of money, between $10,000 and $20,000 of residents' cash. According to previous arrest papers, Arabie was allegedly the only one with access to a safe in her office, where residents stored their cash onsite. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Rescue Mission employee allegedly stole up to $20,000 from residents According to arrest documents, the intake documents that residents sign at PRM require them to save 30% of their income, which comes from jobs, disability payments, Social Security, and other sources. The residents were supposed to give the money to Arabie, who would then save it in the safe. According to an affidavit, Arabie stated in an email to another coworker that she had lied and attempted to blame the theft on her son. In the same email, she also alleged that a resident staying at the Mission had stolen the money. An arrest warrant was issued for Arabie in December for felony charges. The day after Christmas, she surrendered to police in Pueblo and was booked into the Pueblo County Jail. According to the 10th Judicial District Attorney, a plea agreement was rejected on May 30, and Aravie is now set for a jury trial to begin on November 3 at 1:30 p.m. Arabie's next court appearance is on June 23. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Roanoke City Council passes initiative to help combat homelessness
ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) – Roanoke City Council unanimously voted in favor of Mayor Joe Cobb's initiative, Mayor's Hope and Home Task Force, during Monday's meeting. Homelessness numbers have risen in Roanoke since the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 300 people experiencing it as of January. Beyond existing homeless providers in the city, Mayor Cobb wants to hear from other sectors of the community, like business leaders and educators, to determine the best path forward. Along with providing affordable housing, Mayor Cobb wanted the name to reflect a sense of hope, which he said is just as important. 'For people who are experiencing homelessness, there are many days that don't feel very hopeful, and most days feel more like survival,' Mayor Cobb said. ''What can I do to make it through the night,' 'What can I do to make it through the day,' and the obstacles seem insurmountable.' With the green light from council, Mayor Cobb said he's hoping to get it started as soon as possible. US homelessness up 18% as affordable housing remains out of reach for many people He wanted to stress this won't replace any existing services but rather add additional support. 'It will broaden awareness and education in the community,' Mayor Cobb said. 'It will really allow us more holistically to address not only the challenges, but to create opportunities to reduce homelessness in the community.' One of those local resources is Rescue Mission Ministries. For the past 76 years, anyone in need has visited the Rescue Mission and received three meals a day, and a safe place to sleep. It shelters an average of between 200 and 220 people each night. 'They're out during the day, but they always come back at 3:00 in the afternoon when we start the shelters back up,' Lisa Thompson, the Rescue Mission's director of development and communication, said. 'They really seem to very much appreciate it, and it fills our hearts to be able to do what we do for them.' Thompson said there is no limit to how long guests can stay at the Rescue Mission. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Green River Road 1 reconfigured after 2024 washout
HENDERSON COUNTY, Ky. (WEHT) – In February 2024, receding floodwaters caused a portion of Green River Road #1 in northern Henderson County to wash into the Green River. Fast-forward to May of 2025 and the area is repaired and a new section of the road has been moved by 65 feet, keeping it away from the banks of the Green River. Officials initially feared these repairs would exceed $200,000. Henderson County Judge Executive Brad Schneider says the final price tag was $70,000, with 75% of that covered by state grants. The cost was considerably lower, according to Schneider, thanks to the county using recycled concrete rubble from the ongoing I-69 Ohio River Crossing (ORX) project to repair the area. HPD arrests two juveniles following car theft report Henderson County Engineer Nick Stallings says 850 feet of new roadway has withstood two rounds of flooding, including the historic floods in April of 2025. 'We were actually lucky with the second flood because the waters came in slow and they left slow,' explains Stallings. 'So, with slow, stationary, stagnant water, it doesn't pour everything out. So if it came in quick and went out quick, that would be a turbulent flow, that would take out more of our road.' Towards the end of his presentation, Stallings jokingly said he believes this will be the last update on Green River Road 1, a nod to the hope that this new configuration will stand up against future flooding. Green River Road 1 reconfigured after 2024 washout Boat tour sheds light on Pigeon Creek debris 'Please stop': Trash dumping and theft on the rise at Evansville Rescue Mission Teen Outback exploring historical designation to save facility New Jasper swimming pool ready for holiday weekend Eyewitness News. Everywhere you are. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
