Local News: November 15, 2023

- This year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is from Broome County -

This year’s Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center is from Vestal outside Binghamton. It arrived in New York City this past Saturday. The tree is an 80-foot-tall Norway spruce that weighs 12 tons. It will be decorated with 50,000 lights and a 900-pound crystal star. The tree lighting ceremony will be on November 29. It will be up until January 13, 2024.

- Long-term plan to address homelessness accepted by Tompkins County legislature -

A detailed plan to address homelessness in Tompkins County was unanimously accepted by the county legislature last week. The Home, Again Tompkins plan was developed by the local Continuum of Care organization. It is a multi-year plan that would establish a Housing First strategy in the county. That’s an approach where people are given supportive and safe housing before trying to address the underlying reasons for their homelessness. The legislature’s approval does not include any promise of funding.

Program Note: You can hear the second half of our interview with local interfaith leaders on Thursday at 6 PM and Friday at 2 PM. The first half of the interview is online.