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Local News: September 29, 2023

– Ithaca’s 2024 budget to be presented minus Cornell funding – It’s municipal budget season. Ithaca Mayor Laura Lewis will present the city’s proposed 2024 budget at the October 4 Common Council meeting. It’ll be the first budget in over 20 years that will not include a contribution from Cornell. The Common Council postponed a vote on the negotiated annual pay agreement until October 11. On October 5, the Tompkins County budget will be presented at a public forum. The public can attend either meeting in person or view them live online. – Ithaca workers’ group says the working class will be hurt if Cornell doesn’t give city more in new funding agreement…

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Julian Eagle: A Tribute to WRFI’s Very First Youth Radio Volunteer

By JT Stone

At fourteen, Julian Eagle started working at WRFI as the station’s very first Youth Radio volunteer. This week would have been his 21st birthday and this month was the one-year anniversary of his death from Fentanyl poisoning. WRFI’s JT Stone got his start in radio working with Julian. He filed a tribute to a young…

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LISTEN: Memories of Lost Cat, Gavin Mahoney

By Celia Clarke

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

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 recently oversaw the DEC Environmental Remediation, Materials Management, and Mineral Resources divisions. Before joining the DEC, she served…

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CREATIVES: Quintron and Miss Pussycat [AUDIO]

By Felix Teitelbaum

Felix Teitelbaum interviews New Orleans-based artists Quintron and Missy Pussycat on August 24, 2023. They’ll be appearing in Ithaca at the Cherry Arts, Sept. 11. The show is a benefit for WRFI. You can learn more about the duo and get tickets to the show here.

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Latest from the WRFI News Team

Daily features and interviews from our community

Ithaca Attorney Sujata Gibson discusses her candidacy for NY Assembly 125th District [AUDIO]

By WRFI News Staff | March 17, 2020 | Comments Off on Ithaca Attorney Sujata Gibson discusses her candidacy for NY Assembly 125th District [AUDIO]

Barbara Lifton, Assemblywoman for Ithaca and the 125th district announced on Friday January 31st that she will not be seeking re-election for a tenth term. Ithaca Attorney Sujata Gibson is one of seven democrats who have thrown their hat into the ring to take Lifton’s seat. Gibson joined WRFI News Director Michayla Savitt on Your…

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Coronavirus Update, March 17, 2020

By WRFI News Staff | March 17, 2020 | Comments Off on Coronavirus Update, March 17, 2020

It was announced today that Ithaca College will be switching to remote instruction through the end of the semester, according to a message from President Shirley Collado. The school had planned to originally start up classes again on Monday, April 6th. Additionally, Ithaca College has set August 1st as the new target date for commencement.…

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Coronavirus Virtual Town Hall – March 16, 2020 [AUDIO]

By Felix Teitelbaum | March 16, 2020 | Comments Off on Coronavirus Virtual Town Hall – March 16, 2020 [AUDIO]

On Monday, March 16 from 6-7pm WRFI held a virtual town hall meeting on the air and online. The program, our first ever call public call-in show, saw overwhelming interest from the community. The show broke the internet – or at least maxed out our our web-stream capacity. Luckily, you can listen to the whole…

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WRFI DJ Checks in from New Rochelle COVID-19 Containment Zone [AUDIO]

By WRFI News Staff | March 16, 2020 | Comments Off on WRFI DJ Checks in from New Rochelle COVID-19 Containment Zone [AUDIO]

WRFI’s Michayla Savitt checks in with WRFI DJ Joe Romano of The Joe Show. He resides in the coronavirus containment zone in New Rochelle.  

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