Headlines for October 10, 2022

The Tompkins County Legislature has proposed 2.7 million dollars in funding for the Ithaca Tompkins International Airport. According to the Ithaca Voice, the funding would be in addition to tens of millions provided to the airport in 2019 for renovations as well as installation of a U.S. customs facility. The move was meant to increase riderships. However, the airport still struggles amidst record low ridership.  Tompkins County Administrator Lisa Holmes announced that in 2021 ridership had only returned to half of its 2019 level. She pointed to an increase in virtual meetings and residual Covid-19 anxiety as possible reasons for the low ridership. 

The Times Union reports that a federal judge has temporarily blocked key provisions of New York’s new concealed carry laws for firearms. The new law, named the Concealed Carry Improvement Act,  requires permit-seekers to disclose social media accounts and participate in assessment interviews.  The new law was a direct response to the Supreme Court striking down New York’s century-old gun restrictions in June. District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby summarized that the law had “reduced a first-class constitutional right to bear arms in public for self-defense ... into a mere request.”  The ruling also claims the law places too much burden on the applicant to prove their moral character. Governor Huchul and Attorney General Letitia James have announced their intentions to challenge Suddaby’s order. 

New York State’s largest landfill, Seneca Meadows, has filed with the Department of Environmental Conservation to add 47 acres and 7 more stories to the landfill which is already 30 stories high. According to activists with Seneca Lake Guardian, the filing is the first sign that Seneca Meadows is extending its original scheduled closing date of 2025. and will likely continue in operation until at least 2040. According to a press release from Seneca Lake Guardian, Seneca Meadows’ Texas-based parent company  donated $280,000 to elect pro-landfill candidates to Town Board and County races.  They say the landfill exposes local residents to airborne particles that contribute to respiratory illnesses like asthma and that the facility burns nearly a billion cubic feet of methane generated from the waste every year.