Each week, syracuse.com will look back at some of our best stories from the previous week. Here are six stories for the week of Sept. 1, 2024.

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Whistleblowing or dirty politics? Inside the anonymous 11th-hour accusations against John Mannion

A week before the Democratic primary election for Congress in Central New York, anonymous authors posted a letter online detailing what they said was a hostile environment while working for state Sen. John Mannion. Was the letter a political dirty trick, amplified by partisans on social media? Or was it a legitimate attempt to prevent an abusive boss from reaching Congress?

Finally! Syracuse family with smart twins escapes FAFSA prison

When Caroline and Myra Menon arrived on campus for move-in day at SUNY Geneseo two weeks ago, their mom was still staring down a bill for $21,740 for the first semester. It took seven months, but the high-achieving Syracuse twins finally got their financial aid approved Tuesday. A Syracuse.com article and editorial last month about the frozen aid finally got the wheels of bureaucracy to turn, their mother said.

In reversal, Syracuse University won’t demolish old frat house, scales back massive dorm plans

Syracuse University has scaled back plans for a new student dormitory after encountering resistance from city officials, neighbors and historic preservationists. Just ahead of a Syracuse Common Council vote this week on whether to protect a vacant mansion SU owns on Comstock Avenue, the university withdrew a demolition application filed in the spring as part of the dorm project.

NYS Fair vendors recall chaos, kindness after gunfire reports

Crystal Harrison had never seen anything like it. The seven-year veteran of the New York State Fair saw a sea of hundreds of people rush past her around 8:45 p.m. Sunday. The scare was prompted by two back-to-back reports of possible gunfire at the fairgrounds Sunday evening.

Syracuse mushroom foraging: His forest finds feed fine diners across CNY

Zach Papaleoni recently walked through Whisky Hollow Nature Preserve in Van Buren, scanning the forest floor. He bent down and plucked a small, tan-colored mushroom from the ground and twirled it in his fingers, examining the fungus from every angle. Papaleoni is an expert mushroom forager who supplies wild and cultivated mushrooms to about a dozen CNY restaurants, including The Krebs, The Century Club, Apizza Regionale, Lemon Grass, Rosalie’s, and Funk ‘n Waffles.

Hundreds of you responded to our survey: We need to limit cellphone use by students in school

As the new school year begins, at least eight states and 14 of the nation’s 20 largest school districts are instituting rules to curb students’ use of cellphones in schools. New York state may soon join them — and syracuse.com readers who responded to our call for opinions are overwhelmingly for it.