This story first appeared in The American Prospect and New York Focus, a nonprofit newsroom investigating how power works in New York state. It was written by editor-at-large Lee Harris. Sign up for their newsletter here. ITHACA, N.Y.—In 2019, Ithaca, New York, a lush college town bounded by giant gorges, set a goal of going carbon-neutral by 2030. That might sound like a vague, […]
Tompkins County challenging findings in FCC’s broadband maps
TOMPKINS COUNTY, N.Y. — Tompkins County has filed a challenge against the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) draft maps depicting gaps in broadband access throughout the county. The FCC has an inaccurate read on around 1,200 addresses, which its maps say have access to broadband when they don’t, according to county officials. What’s at risk? “The […]
Community Justice Center announces staff hire, fills data analyst position
TOMPKINS COUNTY, N.Y. — The Community Justice Center (CJC) now has two employees working to implement the public safety reforms of Tompkins County and the City of Ithaca. Matthew Davids has been hired as a Data Analyst for the CJC on Tuesday, bringing to an end a hiring process that began in July 2021. Monalita […]
Local Cornell Cooperative Extension gets $3.5 million to lead Southern Tier clean energy efforts
TOMPKINS COUNTY, N.Y.—The Cornell Cooperative Extension in Tompkins County was one of four Cooperative Extension locations chosen to “lead statewide efforts to establish a network of Regional Clean Energy Hubs” according to an announcement from the extension last week. Tompkins County’s CCE was chosen by NYSERDA along with ones in Oneida County, Dutchess County and […]
County, CDC raises local COVID-19 health alert level after recent uptick in cases
ITHACA, N.Y.—The Centers for Disease Control and Tompkins County have both raised the COVID-19 health alert level to “medium” from “low” after the latest aggressive variant of the coronavirus has become the most prevalent form of COVID-19 in New York. There was no updated masking policy accompanying the announcement (Tompkins County’s mask advisory was dropped […]
2022 weather a “perfectly normal” year
ITHACA, N.Y.—In many ways, 2022 was a tumultuous year. It was the year we attempted to crawl back to pre-COVID lifestyles, dealt with record inflation and it always seemed like some place in the nation or world was experiencing a natural disaster. Yet, while it may not have felt like it, with the heat waves […]
Police looking for suspect in Saturday night stabbing
ITHACA, N.Y.—Ithaca police are looking for a suspect in connection with a stabbing incident that took place Saturday night in Ithaca. According to a police press release from Sgt. Thomas Condzella, around 7:35 p.m. on Jan. 21, police responded to a report of a stabbing in the 100 block of Chestnut Street. The circumstances of […]
Weather: Widespread, moderate snowfall tonight through Monday morning
ITHACA, N.Y. — You still have a few hours to dig out the shovels and grab the snow brush from the car before it gets a wintry shell. A coastal storm system is likely to drop several inches of snow across Upstate tonight into tomorrow, in what’s been something of a rarity so far this […]
Update: BorgWarner closing one Lansing plant by end of 2024
Update (Jan. 21, 2023): While a BorgWarner spokesperson quoted below initially stated the consolidation and closure plan would be finished by Q3 2023, another official, Michelle Collins, has corrected that timeline after publication. She said they plan to have the closure finished by Q4 2024, giving the plant a full year longer. Original story (Jan. […]
Hearing leaves some unanswered questions about ICSD school threat concerns
ITHACA, N.Y.—An anticipated day of testimony in New York State Supreme Court ended without many definitive answers Wednesday, as only one member of the Ithaca City School District administration was called for questioning during a hearing about the shooting threat made on a school bus in late October. The testimony was prompted by a situation […]