WRFI Community Radio News
Active COVID Cases Reach New Heights, Hospitalizations Remain Low
(Dominick Recckio / Tompkins County) TOMPKINS COUNTY, NY — There are 428 active cases of COVID-19 in Tompkins County, burying the previous all time high of 330 active cases on January 8th, 2021. On August 26th, there were just 186 active cases. There have been an average of 60 new cases every day for the…
Read MoreCALL-IN SHOW: “1000 Conversations,” Ithaca’s Green New Deal w/ Luis Aguirre-Torres
Dan Burgevin’s Mural, “Sunrise on the Green New Deal,” located on the corner of West Buffalo Street and North Fulton Street in downtown Ithaca, NY. (Ithaca Murals) Two years ago, the City of Ithaca passed the Green New Deal resolution, promising that whatever it does to fight climate change will benefit the whole community, especially…
Read MorePush is On for Stronger NY Retirement Savings Program to Become Law
Around 85% of more than 200 small business owners in New York feel that workplace retirement savings plans are too expensive to pay on their own, according to an AARP NY survey. (Adobe Stock) ALBANY, N.Y. — A bill to bolster the New York Secure Choice Savings Program will reach Gov. Kathy Hochul’s desk in the coming…
Read MoreRecord for New and Active COVID Cases Broken in Tompkins Co.
(Dominick Recckio / Tompkins County) TOMPKINS COUNTY, NY — Tompkins County’s record for new cases of COVID-19 has been broken. The Health Department is reporting 130 new positive cases of COVID today, and a total of 364 active cases. The rise in cases is largely being attributed to the arrival of college students. In response to…
Read MoreEPA Built a Lead Containment Wall at Ithaca Falls. Will it be Enough?
Walter Hang has been calling for a complete remediation of the lead pollution at the Ithaca Falls Natural Area for almost 20 years now. Behind him, people enjoy the falls, stepping into the water. They are seemingly unperturbed by, or unaware of, the lead pollution at the site. (Jimmy Jordan / WRFI) UPDATE: The EPA…
Read MoreTaxi Driver Robbed of Vehicle at Gun Point
(Provided) ITHACA, NY — An Ithaca taxi driver was robbed of their vehicle on Saturday. The Ithaca Police department reported two suspects in the robbery. The victim told police that one of the suspects pointed a rifle at them, demanding the keys to their taxi while they were sitting in the vehicle. The two suspects…
Read MoreCOVID Cases Continue to Rise, Tompkins Co. Health Department to Host Community Update
(Dominick Recckio / Tompkins County) TOMPKINS COUNTY, NY — COVID-19 cases continue to climb in Tompkins County. The Health Department reported 92 new positive cases of COVID-19 over the weekend, and a total of 268 active cases for Monday, August 30th. The last time Tompkins County saw cases this high was January 25th. A significant amount…
Read MoreGov. Hochul is Investing $1M to Speed up Rent Relief
(Jimmy Jordan / WRFI) ITHACA, NY — New York is putting $1 million dollars into marketing and outreach efforts for the State’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP). The $2.7 billion dollar Rental Assistance Program was dubbed ‘poorly managed’ by the State Comptroller’s Office two weeks ago, namely for it’s poor outreach, sluggish application approvals, and…
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