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Ithaca Passes Short Term Rental Ordinance, Green New Deal Plan- Ithaca’s Common Council passed to major resolutions at its regular meeting Wednesday night. The first enacts a long-discussed short term rental ordinance. Under the new regulation, a permit is required to operate a short term rental. A “short term rental” is defined as one for fewer than 30 days. Only owners or long-term lease holders would be granted the permits. Permit holders must live in the building at least 184 days per year. Short term rentals are allowed only in one- and two-family homes and owner-occupied apartments. The other resolution Common Council passed Wednesday is called Justice50. It lays out a plan to…
Local volunteers are sewing face masks in response to shortages of protective gear for health care providers, people in the service sector and community members from COVID-19. Here we speak with three people in the community who have been organizing these efforts: Carol O’Driscoll, Director of Surgical Services at Cayuga Medical Center, Ithaca Mask Makers…
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Juliana Garcia and Josh Dolan, two of the organizers of the Tompkins COVID-19 Mutual Aid Response Facebook Group, discuss what they and other activists are doing to assist local residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. They describe components of the Facebook Group and encourage folks to join whether they need assistance or would like to provide…
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WRFI’s Roger Smith interviews Ithaca storyteller and poet Jay Leeming, who talks about his career in the arts and why stories are like wild animals. Leeming also gives a sample of his performance style with an excerpt from the ancient Mesopotamian epic of Gilgamesh. Interview first aired on WRFI’s “Your Morning,” March 13, 2020. Jay…
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The Greater Ithaca Activities Center hosted its annual Martin Luther King Jr. community breakfast on Saturday, Jan. 18. Gathered in the Beverly J. Martin Elementary School gymnasium, community members enjoyed a meal, musical performances and guest speakers, primarily focusing on the themes of empowerment and racial justice. Photo and reporting by WRFI news contributor J.T.…
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Daily features and interviews from our community
Ithaca Passes Short Term Rental Ordinance, Green New Deal Plan- Ithaca’s Common Council passed to major resolutions at its regular meeting Wednesday night. The first enacts a long-discussed short term rental ordinance. Under the new regulation, a permit is required to operate a short term rental. A “short term rental” is defined as one for…
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Cornell Professors Condemn Student Suspensions On Tuesday, more than 325 Cornell professors signed an open letter condemning the University’s suspension of four students. The students were suspended for their role in the pro-Palestinian encampment on Cornell’s campus. The letter calls the suspensions “unwarranted and excessive.” Meanwhile suspended undergraduate protestor Nick Wilson rejected a deal from…
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Chemung Sheriff’s Office Gets Boost for Door Breach Training The Chemung County Sheriff’s office has a new training tool. WETM reports that the Elmira-based manufacturer the Hilliard Corporation donated a reinforced door to the Sheriff’s Special Services Unit. The door will be used in training deputies in breaching locked, reinforced doors. The technique is used…
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More Suspensions for Cornell Protestors- The student encampment at Cornell remains in place. On Friday four students were temporarily suspended for their participation in the self-described “Liberation Zone.” According to the Ithaca Voice, Cornell administration announced Saturday that more students would be suspended and that referrals to human resources are being made for staff and…
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