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Local News: October 23, 2023

– Sludge fertilizer banned by Steuben County town – The town of Thurston in Steuben County has banned the use of sludge or biosolids as fertilizer. WSKG Public Radio reports the town board unanimously voted for the moratorium at its meeting last week. Town officials say they are concerned about the presence of PFAS or “forever chemicals”.  Recent water tests found high levels of the toxic chemicals in residential wells near places where the sludge was spread. The moratorium vote comes after Casella Waste Systems recently bought a local sludge-spreading plant. Casella opposed the ban. – Ithaca man convicted of getting $140,000 in COVID-19 loan fraud – An Ithaca man was convicted of…

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CREATIVES: Painter Arthur Bucknor – Hindrance and Flow: Inheriting the Sculptural Idiom

By Felix Teitelbaum

Ghanian-American painter Arthur Bucknor discusses his work, his father renown Ghanian painter Kobina Bucknor, and ⁠his upcoming show at the Cherry Arts⁠ with WRFI’s Felix Teitelbaum. The show opens Friday, March 29 and runs through May 12. There is an opening reception from 5-7 on March 29. The Cherry Gallery is at 130 Cherry St.…

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Join Us for The Listening Room, Thursday, March 21

By Felix Teitelbaum

Come enjoy crystal clear audio and crackling conversation with guest curators Rebecca Redelmeier and Aurora Berry, WSKG’s new reporters based in Ithaca. WRFI’s Felix Teitelbaum will also share a few sonic delights. The Listening Room is an informal salon for lovers of audio co-hosted by Story House Ithaca and WRFI Community Radio. Curators present selections…

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CREATIVES: Tabla Master Zakir Hussain with Monsoon Radio’s Daniel Bass

By Felix Teitelbaum

Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain talks with Daniel Bass host of WRFI’s Monsoon Radio about his upcoming concert at Cornell with Deopriya Chatterjee (bansuri) & Sabir Khan (sarangi) on March 22, the three Grammys he won last month, his first show in Ithaca in 1989, and more!

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Collage of women icons.

Celebrate Women with WRFI this Month

By Felix Teitelbaum

The month of March is Women’s History Month – a time to celebrate women of all backgrounds and recognize the struggle  for equality is not over. The first celebration of the fight for women’s rights was held on February 28th, 1909. The occasion was organized by the Socialist Party of America to commemorate the 1908…

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Daily features and interviews from our community

Local News: March 27, 2024

By Celia Clarke | March 27, 2024 |

– The Town of Caroline approves its first zoning law – The Caroline Town Board approved its first comprehensive zoning law by a vote of 3-1 during its meeting last Wednesday. WSKG Public Radio reports the decision comes after about four years of sometimes contentious community debate. The law was designed to limit development and…

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Local News: March 26, 2024

By Celia Clarke | March 26, 2024 | Comments Off on Local News: March 26, 2024

– State Senate passes bill banning permits for new gas extraction method – The New York State Senate voted to ban permits for natural gas extraction using carbon dioxide. The bill was introduced by Senator Lea Webb of the 52nd district which includes Binghamton and Ithaca. It came after a Texas-based company, Southern Tier Solutions…

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Local News: March 25, 2024

By Celia Clarke | March 25, 2024 | Comments Off on Local News: March 25, 2024

– Early voting for presidential primaries has begun – Early voting in New York’s presidential primaries began this past Saturday. Tompkins County has two early voting sites. They are in the Town of Ithaca town hall on Tioga Street in downtown Ithaca and the Finger Lakes Library System building on Dryden Road in Ithaca. To…

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Local News: March 22, 2024

By Felix Teitelbaum | March 22, 2024 | Comments Off on Local News: March 22, 2024

A new report says wage growth in Ithaca is the slowest among 30 similar college towns. Peter Meyers of the Tompkins County Workers Center told WHCU the report highlights what he called a “perfect storm of worker suffering.” Ithaca’s wage growth between 2017 and 2022 was just 16.9%. The top wage growth reported by the…

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