February 11th, 2022 Daily Headlines

The Ithaca Children’s Garden has announced Candice Meade will lead the organization and replace long time Executive Director Erin Marteal. The Children’s Garden leads environmental programs for local youth. According to the Ithaca Voice, Meade was a 2013 graduate of Cornell University, and previously worked at the Institute for Conservation Leadership and the Annapolis Maritime Museum.

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Newfield is advancing plans to bring high speed broadband to underserved residents. According to the Ithaca Times, 136 households in Newfield have gone without adequate high speed internet connection. In April, Point Broadband, an internet service company, will begin the process of installing the network. The project should connect all but 4 of the underserved households in Newfield. 

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On Monday, a new medical facility, the Guthrie Ithaca City Harbor, opened offering both walk-in and primary care. According to the Ithaca Voice, the facility is equipped with state of the art equipment for various specialties including sports medicine, eye care, and breast care. The three-story facility is on Willow avenue, and is accessible by TCAT bus routes

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New York state will receive $70 Million from the Federal Government to plug abandoned oil and gas wells throughout the state. According to the Albany Times Union, the funds are provided through the bi-partisan infrastructure bill passed in November. There are thousands of these so-called “Orphan Wells' throughout the state including in Schuyler and Tompkins county. Methane from unplugged wells can pose a threat to both environmental and community health. According to the UN, over a 20-year period, methane is roughly 85 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.