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– 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 to vote on the resolution at their September 28 meeting. – State mandates push Tompkins County budget up – Tompkins County’s 2024 budget recommendations were presented to the legislature earlier this week. County Administrator Lisa Holmes submitted the $254 million budget includes a 2% tax levy increase. It also contains increases of several million dollars because of state…
Ithaca pastor responds to United Methodist Church decision to maintain same sex marriage ban [AUDIO]
Retired Methodist pastor Rebecca Dolch served as a pastor for decades in Ithaca, including at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, and at Forest Home Chapel Methodist Church. They are both “reconciling churches,” which means they’re inclusive of all sorts of people. Here, Rebecca Dolch speaks with WRFI’s Laura Rosbrow-Telem about a recent United Methodist Church…
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The Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) in Ithaca, New York celebrates its 14th annual Darwin Days from February 9th to February 16th, 2019. Jim Harper, Manager of marketing and communications at PRI talks about the Darwin Days events happening at locations around Ithaca. He also provides a sneak preview of the new exhibit at PRI’s Museum…
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Every year, a group of MLK scholars is selected at Ithaca College to pursue social change and educate their peers on injustices. The freshmen travel south, steeping themselves in the history of American racial injustice and the events of the civil rights era, and speaking with people who worked alongside Martin Luther King jr. They…
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A number of groups are appealing a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation decision. The agency granted Cargill a permit for its Mine Shaft #4 project for their salt mine beneath Cayuga Lake. The petitioners include the city and town of Ithaca, CLEAN, or Cayuga Lake Environmental Action Now, the Town of Ulysses, and…
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– 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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– Ithaca Leaders Postpone Vote on Cornell Funding, Approve Homeless Encampment Policy – The Ithaca Common Council held a special meeting Wednesday night to vote on two highly significant matters. But, they postponed a vote on the proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Cornell until an October meeting. Mayor Lewis said that would give Alderpersons…
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– 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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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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