Local News: March 27, 2024

– The Town of Caroline approves its first zoning law – The Caroline Town Board approved its first comprehensive zoning law by a vote of 3-1 during its meeting last Wednesday. WSKG Public Radio reports the decision comes after about four years of sometimes contentious community debate. The law was designed to limit development and…

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Local News: March 26, 2024

– State Senate passes bill banning permits for new gas extraction method – The New York State Senate voted to ban permits for natural gas extraction using carbon dioxide. The bill was introduced by Senator Lea Webb of the 52nd district which includes Binghamton and Ithaca. It came after a Texas-based company, Southern Tier Solutions…

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Local News: March 25, 2024

– Early voting for presidential primaries has begun – Early voting in New York’s presidential primaries began this past Saturday. Tompkins County has two early voting sites. They are in the Town of Ithaca town hall on Tioga Street in downtown Ithaca and the Finger Lakes Library System building on Dryden Road in Ithaca. To…

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Local News: March 22, 2024

A new report says wage growth in Ithaca is the slowest among 30 similar college towns. Peter Meyers of the Tompkins County Workers Center told WHCU the report highlights what he called a “perfect storm of worker suffering.” Ithaca’s wage growth between 2017 and 2022 was just 16.9%. The top wage growth reported by the…

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Local News: March 21, 2024

Overdose deaths and emergencies in Tompkins County continue to rise. According to data from Tompkins Whole Health the number of deaths has increased every year since 2019. The annual number of 911 calls related to overdose or poisoning has also trended upward. The ongoing impacts of COVID-19 and the increased presence of fentanyl and xylazine…

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Local News: March 20, 2024

Ithaca Police are investigating a potential bias incident in Collegetown Monday. According to reports by Cornell Daily Sun and the Ithaca Voice, a Muslim woman was spat on by a man on College Ave. Cornell President Martha Pollack condemned the attack in an email Tuesday saying “We must be united and firm in our rejection…

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Local News: March 19, 2024

A pro-Palestine group at Cornell is agitating for the university to divest from weapons manufacturers supplying Israel’s war efforts in Gaza. According to the Cornell Daily Sun, the Coalition for Mutual Liberation, or CML, held a campus-wide action Thursday. Members of the group said they would continue to violate Cornell’s controversial Interim Expressive Activity Policy…

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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…

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