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Latest Local Headlines

Local News for Monday, March 6th, 2023

By Lucas Santiago | March 6, 2023 | Comments Off on Local News for Monday, March 6th, 2023

The New York State Attorney’s Office is proposing a set of rules aimed at preventing price gouging. The rules define gouging as “any price increase over 10% during an abnormal disruption in the market.” According to the Times Union, New Jersey, California, and 8 other states already follow the 10 percent threshold definition. The office…

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Local News for Friday, March 3, 2023

By Felix Teitelbaum | March 3, 2023 | Comments Off on Local News for Friday, March 3, 2023

Ithaca Has a New Fire Chief Robert Covert II is the new Chief of the Ithaca Fire Department. The Common Council voted unanimously to approve his promotion during their meeting on Tuesday. Covert had been the Acting Chief since former chief Thomas Basher retired last August. He’s been a member of the department for 30…

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WRFI is your hyper-local, community news source for Tompkins and Schuyler counties. George Christopher, Lucas Santiago, and Felix Teitelbaum report.

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

Features and Interviews

Police Reform Skips School

By WRFI News Staff | May 28, 2021

While the most ambitions Reimagination of Public Safety in New York might be happening in Ithaca, the surrounding college’s police and safety departments will be continuing as they were. This Episode of Which Way Forward is all about that dynamic. This story comes to us from Ithaca Park Scholars Maia Noah and Lauren Leone. The…

Reflections

By WRFI News Staff | May 21, 2021

In this Episode of Which Way Forward, we hear from a student activist and professor from Ithaca College reflect on a year since Black Lives Matter protests swept across the United States. This piece comes to us from Ithaca College Park Scholars Jess Moskowitz and Syd Pierre. The music in this piece is from BlueDotSession.…

The Public’s Opinion on Reimagining Public Safety

By WRFI News Staff | May 7, 2021

On this episode of Which Way Forward, we explore many, many opinions and views on the Reimagining Public Safety process. All these comments and thoughts are from the public feedback period of the Reimagining Public Safety Draft Report. This ranged from early February 2021, to March 31st 2021. In that fast-moving span of time, community…

Which Way Forward: What the Plan is Made of

By WRFI News Staff | April 9, 2021

On April 1st, Ithaca and Tompkins County submitted their plans for reforming public safety. Although the Common Council and the County Legislature have committed to the points of their plans, they still have a long way to go before they’re realized. The recommendations don’t have the mechanics and power of policy behind them yet, and…

Which Way Forward: The road (so far) to reimagining law enforcement

By WRFI News Staff | February 5, 2021

This is the last episode of part one of the Which Way Forward: Redefining Public Safety series. WRFI News Contributor Fred Balfour lays out how Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Order for every municipality with a police department to reimagine its public safety practices will play out in Tompkins County. Ithaca Voice intern James Baratta walks…

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