Headlines for August 31, 2022

Following an election in May, the Ithaca City School Board was left one member short of their usual nine members. School board member Rob Ainslie was controversially voted out and replaced by new member Karen Yearwood and Kelly Evans vacated her seat  and was replaced by Jill Tripp. However, member Nicole LaFave, who was not due for reelection until 2024, also vacated their seat. This leaves the board to grapple with filling the seat as they enter the new academic year. According to The Ithaca Times, three potential options are being discussed including organizing a special election, filling the seat with an appointment, or continuing the year with an eight-person board.

Four Ithaca police officers are being sued in two separate lawsuits filed in July. The Ithaca Voice is reporting the suits are being brought on behalf of Cadji Ferguson and Rose DeGroat and claim officers used unlawful and excessive force during their arrest on the Ithaca Commons in 2019. Ferguson was acquitted, and Degroat’s charges were eventually dismissed. The lawsuits seek a minimum of 500,000 dollars, damages, and an injunction for excessive use of force. 

This Thursday, a new Aldi grocery store is opening in Northeast Ithaca. 14850.com is reporting the grocer has  been at its Third Street location in Ithaca for 24 years. The new store continues the expansion of the discount chain, which opened its first U.S. location in Iowa in 1976. Aldi now has over 2000 stores across the United States. 

New York’s new gun laws will take effect tomorrow. The new laws are intended to counter the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down previous rules that strictly regulated carrying a firearm in public. The new guidelines limit carrying firearms in “sensitive places” and require 16 hours firearms training, additional background checks, and safe storage of guns. More detail can be found at the Attorney General’s website.