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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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Local News: September 8, 2023

By Celia Clarke | September 8, 2023 | Comments Off on Local News: September 8, 2023

Seneca Falls Town Board rejects draft host agreement for Seneca Meadows landfill The Seneca Falls town board voted 3-2 to table a proposed host agreement for the Seneca Meadows landfill. The deal is estimated to be worth $173 million for the town over the next two decades. The proposed expansion of the landfill has been…

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LISTEN: Memories of Lost Cat, Gavin Mahoney

By Celia Clarke | September 7, 2023 | Comments Off on LISTEN: Memories of Lost Cat, Gavin Mahoney

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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Local News: September 7, 2023

By Celia Clarke | September 7, 2023 | Comments Off on Local News: September 7, 2023

– Ithaca Negotiations For New Host Payments With Cornell Breakdown – Ithaca Mayor Laura Lewis issued a statement on September 7 saying that negotiations with Cornell University for a new voluntary payment agreement had failed. Lewis says negotiations ended on August 11. In her statement, Lewis says Cornell owns almost half of Ithaca’s assessed property…

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Local News: September 6, 2023

By Celia Clarke | September 6, 2023 | Comments Off on Local News: September 6, 2023

Ithaca Schools Cancel Outdoor After-School Activities Because of Heat After-school outdoor activities in the Ithaca City School District were canceled on September 6 because of the extreme heat. Wednesday marks the third day in a row that the National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for the region. Temperatures reached the mid-90s in parts of…

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