WRFI Community Radio News

Fresh at 5pm every weekday we bring you local news headlines from across our listening community—all in about 2 minutes. Listen live (88.1FM in Ithaca, 91.9FM Watkins Glen, and 89.7FM across the southern Finger Lakes) or wherever you get your podcasts.

Local News for Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Democratic PAC to Spend Big in NY’s 2024 Midterms A Democratic PAC will be spending big in…

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Features and Interviews

LISTEN: Memories of Lost Cat, Gavin Mahoney

By Celia Clarke | September 7, 2023

The Ithaca artist known as Lost Cat died in April. His name was Gavin Mahoney and he was 55. Mahoney was best known for the many stick cat figures he painted around the city. Shortly after his death friends, admirers, and fellow artists put on a memorial art exhibition. And in July, a sculpture was installed downtown in his memory. I spoke with a few of his friends at both events. Here’s some of what they said about Mahoney’s life and how they will remember him.

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LISTEN: Interview with Dareth Glance, New York Department of Environmental Conservation Director, Region 7

By Celia Clarke | August 31, 2023

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation divides the state into nine regions. Dereth Glance is the new Region 7 Director. It covers Onondaga, Tompkins, Cortland, Chenango, Oswego, Madison, Cayuga, Tioga, and Broome counties. Glance most…

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LISTEN: WRFI News Feature — Pulling Invasive Wild Water Chestnut in the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge

By Celia Clarke | August 3, 2023

Invasive species continue to change our ecosystems. Recently I went to the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge at the top of Cayuga Lake to help pull wild water chestnuts. It’s been in New York for a while but…

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Local Headlines

Local News: September 25, 2023

By Celia Clarke | September 25, 2023 |

– Budget for Slope Day more than doubled for 2024 – The Cornell Student Assembly voted to add $400,000 Slope Day budget making it $715,000 for 2024. That’s more than double the current budget. The day is an end-of-school-year celebration on the campus and headlines well-known musicians. The Cornell Daily Sun reports that the bump…

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Local News: September 22, 2023

By Celia Clarke | September 22, 2023 | Comments Off on Local News: September 22, 2023

– Health insurance costs for Cortland County employees, retirees may rise – Cortland County retirees and employees may see their health insurance contributions rise by 10% in 2024. The Cortland Voice reports the county is facing a $1.3 million gap in the 2024 budget. The insurance increase would close that gap.  The legislature is set…

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Fresh at 5pm every weekday we bring you local news headlines from across our listening community—all in about 2 minutes. Listen live (88.1FM in Ithaca, 91.9FM Watkins Glen, and 89.7FM across the southern Finger Lakes) or wherever you get your podcasts.

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