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 January 3, 2023

“Go Ithaca” Goes Further Ithaca’s Go Ithaca program received an $800,000 grant New York State’s Climate Smart…

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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 20, 2023

By Celia Clarke | September 20, 2023 |

– Tick-borne illnesses double in Tompkins County – Tick-borne illnesses are on the rise in our region and across the country. According to The Ithaca Voice, the number of cases of Lyme disease in Tompkins County has doubled in the past year. Part of the reason is milder winters because of climate change. Ticks, especially…

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Local News: September 19, 2023

By Celia Clarke | September 19, 2023 | Comments Off on Local News: September 19, 2023

Opponents of the draft payment agreement between Cornell and the City of Ithaca protested on campus Monday evening. The new proposal would require Cornell to pay Ithaca $4 million a year over the next 21 years with regular increases for inflation. That’s up from the $1.6 million currently paid. Opponents like Kay Minnix don’t think…

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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.

Keep up to date on local news. Follow us wherever you get your podcasts.

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