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Local News: March 18, 2024

Former acting Ithaca Police Chief John Joly is suing the city and alleging racial discrimination and other offenses. According to the Ithaca Voice, Joly, who is white, was passed over for promotion to the permanent role after a bungled appointment process in 2022. Then Mayor Laura Lewis selected Joly for the role without the backing of the city’s selection committee. The committee favored former lieutenant Scott Garin who is Black. Joly’s suit is seeking $750,000 in damages. He remains on paid administrative leave from the department. A home on Cleveland Ave in Ithaca will be demolished to make way for redevelopment by Ithaca Neighborhood Housing or INHS. According to the Ithaca Times, the…

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Join Us for The Listening Room, Thursday, March 21

By Felix Teitelbaum

Come enjoy crystal clear audio and crackling conversation with guest curators Rebecca Redelmeier and Aurora Berry, WSKG’s new reporters based in Ithaca. WRFI’s Felix Teitelbaum will also share a few sonic delights. The Listening Room is an informal salon for lovers of audio co-hosted by Story House Ithaca and WRFI Community Radio. Curators present selections…

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CREATIVES: Tabla Master Zakir Hussain with Monsoon Radio’s Daniel Bass

By Felix Teitelbaum

Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain talks with Daniel Bass host of WRFI’s Monsoon Radio about his upcoming concert at Cornell with Deopriya Chatterjee (bansuri) & Sabir Khan (sarangi) on March 22, the three Grammys he won last month, his first show in Ithaca in 1989, and more!

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Collage of women icons.

Celebrate Women with WRFI this Month

By Felix Teitelbaum

The month of March is Women’s History Month – a time to celebrate women of all backgrounds and recognize the struggle  for equality is not over. The first celebration of the fight for women’s rights was held on February 28th, 1909. The occasion was organized by the Socialist Party of America to commemorate the 1908…

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LISTEN: Freedom of Expression at Cornell

By Celia Clarke

Cornell’s academic theme this school year is freedom of expression. It was meant to be a year of celebration of one of the university’s core values. Instead how freedom of expression is practiced or protected on campus has become a divisive issue.  The theme was announced last April months before war broke out between Israel…

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Daily features and interviews from our community

Local News: March 18, 2024

By Felix Teitelbaum | March 18, 2024 |

Former acting Ithaca Police Chief John Joly is suing the city and alleging racial discrimination and other offenses. According to the Ithaca Voice, Joly, who is white, was passed over for promotion to the permanent role after a bungled appointment process in 2022. Then Mayor Laura Lewis selected Joly for the role without the backing…

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Local News: March 15, 2024

By Celia Clarke | March 15, 2024 | Comments Off on Local News: March 15, 2024

– Ann Coulter to return to Cornell April 16 – Ann Coulter will speak at Cornell on April 16. Coulter is a controversial right-wing personality and Cornell graduate.  The Cornell Daily Sun reports Coulter has “a long history of making bigoted remarks against minority groups including South Asians, Jews, Muslims and immigrants.” The paper reported…

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Local News: March 14, 2024

By Celia Clarke | March 14, 2024 | Comments Off on Local News: March 14, 2024

– Ithaca Tompkins airport among projects getting part of over $18 million new federal funding – Ithaca Tompkins International Airport is getting $1.5 million of federal funding for a new facility. A joint statement from New York Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand says the new building will bring the airport’s fire, rescue and snow…

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Local News: March 13, 2024

By Celia Clarke | March 13, 2024 | Comments Off on Local News: March 13, 2024

– State Assembly passes bill banning CO2 gas mining – The State Assembly banned permitting for a proposed new natural gas mining practice by a vote of 98-50. The bill was introduced after a Texas-based company, Southern Tier Solutions began approaching landowners about leasing their property using a new process. The company said it would…

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