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Local News for April 13, 2023

Local News for April 13, 2023   SUNY Ends COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate For Students  SUNY students are no longer required to get the COVID-19 vaccine to attend classes. SUNY Chancellor John King announced the end to the mandate on Tuesday. SUNY will continue to encourage students, staff, and faculty to get the COVID-19 vaccine and boosters. The announcement was made the day after President Biden signed a congressional resolution ending the national emergency response to the coronavirus pandemic. Racist and Anti-Semitic Graffiti Found in SUNY Cortland Building Graffiti of the “n-word” and a swastika were found in a SUNY Cortland building recently. According to the Cortland Voice University president Erik Bitterbaum condemned the…

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Voices: Ithaca CarShare Members on Life with Car Access

By Celia Clarke

It’s been over a week since Ithaca CarShare temporarily closed. The nonprofit stopped operating on May 19 because of an insurance problem that can only be solved with new state legislation.  I called Ithaca CarShare members – Ellie Santoro, Jayne Soulman, and Marybeth Michelson-Theiry to find out how not having access to the car share…

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INTERVIEW – Liz Field, Ithaca CarShare

By Celia Clarke

Ithaca CarShare is closing down today. They intend for this to be a pause but they are facing insurance problems that can only be solved by the state legislature. I spoke with Executive Director Liz Field about the situation, how it’s affecting their members, and what comes next. We talked on the day before the…

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This Week on The Scene: Dan Torop on the Science, Technology, and Art of Images

By Chantal Thomas

In this week’s episode of The Scene, photographer and art professor Dan Torop discusses his recent work in the exhibitions Falling Water and Three Rainbows; the science and technology that he has used in rendering images of the physical world; and the social and cultural histories that accompany and shape tools of photography and other forms of visual rendering.

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Daily features and interviews from our community

Local News for June 7, 2023

By Celia Clarke | June 7, 2023

– Air Quality Warning Stays In Effect – The state Department of Environmental Conservation has issued another air quality warning for today. Smoke from Canadian wildfires is causing hazy skies and poor air quality across most of New York state including the southern Finger Lakes.   Joanne Labounty is with the Binghamton office of the National…

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Local News for June 6, 2023

By Celia Clarke | June 6, 2023

– Ithaca Police Expand Search For Missing Man – Ithaca Police expanded their search for a missing man to include part of Newfield on Friday. Police say Thomas Rath went missing on May 19 under suspicious circumstances. Rath was first reported missing from the encampment known as “The Jungle” along Ithaca’s inlet.  He is 6…

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Local News for June 5, 2023

By Celia Clarke | June 5, 2023

Tompkins County Announces $700,000 In Grant Funds For Nonprofits Tackling Opioid Crisis   Tompkins County nonprofits can now apply for some of the opioid settlement funds. The County’s Opioid Task Force will distribute $700,000 in grants for work related to the opioid crisis. The money comes from settlements paid by drugmakers and distribution companies. Information about…

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Local News for June 2, 2023

By Celia Clarke | June 2, 2023

– Tompkins County Considering A 2 Percent Tax Levy Increase – Tompkins County Administrator Lisa Holmes is proposing a 2 percent tax levy increase in the 2024 budget. She says it’s necessary to cover rising energy costs and emergency services. It would cost the average homeowner about $50 more. To pay for it the county…

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Local News for June 1, 2023

By Celia Clarke | June 1, 2023

– State Regulators Vote To Settle Lawsuit Preventing Marijuana Retail Licenses In Finger Lakes – Retail marijuana licenses can now be issued in the Finger Lakes Region. The state’s Cannabis Control Board agreed to settle a lawsuit during their meeting on Tuesday.  The Albany Times Union reports a Michigan resident sued New York because he…

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Local News for May 30, 2023

By Celia Clarke | May 30, 2023

– Ithaca Common Council Members Introduce Gun Storage Legislation – The Ithaca Common Council is considering a gun storage law. It would require gun owners to lock up or disable their firearms in their homes. The issue was discussed at last week’s City Administration Committee meeting. The Ithaca Voice reports the legislation would carry fines…

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