3 news stories to catch up on from this weekend

Here are the biggest news stories from the Syracuse area this weekend, including $60 million airport renovations and the appointment of a new city police chief. 

Little Rock police chief to head Syracuse Police Department 

 Mayor Ben Walsh announced the appointment of Kenton Buckner as head of the Syracuse Police Department on Friday. Buckner, who is the current police chief in Little Rock, Arkansas, will start at the end of 2018. 

Little Rock has experienced a 15 percent decrease in overall crime during Buckner’s last year as police chief, according to Walsh’s office.  

Buckner said at a Q&A forum Saturday that his first priority will be to end the recent gun violence in Syracuse, but he stressed that city residents must do their part in addressing the issues facing their communities. Buckner took questions about diversity in SPD, policing tactics and how he would get involved in the community. 

Syracuse Hancock International Airport completes $60 million renovations 

New York state Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) cut the ribbon in Syracuse Hancock International Airport’s redesigned terminal on Friday. The event marked the completion of a $60 million renovation project, WRVO reported. 

“It gives people a good sense as to the region that they’re visiting,” Christina Callahan, executive director of the airport, told WRVO. “If this is what the airport looks like, imagine what the rest of the community looks like.”  

The airport has new interior and exterior signage and more natural light and kiosks, per WRVO. The outside concrete canopy was replaced with a new facade and two glass pedestrian bridges. 

Syracuse man found guilty of murdering rival gang member in “execution”-style killing 

Cyrell Haygood, 24, was found guilty of murdering George Booker Jr., 22, in what Chief Assistant District Attorney Joseph Coolican called a gang-related “execution” on East Kennedy Street in June 2017, according to Syracuse.com. 

There was no personal connection between the two, but Brooker was a member in a rival gang, per Syracuse.com. The jury returned a guilty verdict at about 3:30 p.m. on Friday, per Syracuse.com.