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Local News: April 26, 2024

Adjustments Expected to Ithaca Water Bills Ithaca property owners may face unexpected water bills starting this year. The city has relied on equipment to remotely read water meters since 2005. However, batteries in the equipment started to fail during the pandemic and were never replaced. This means that many bills have been based on estimated water use. Now that the city has started to replace the equipment, bills based on actual usage can be issued. Many accounts may have been underbilled and some overbilled. Customers who’ve overpaid will be reimbursed. According to the Ithaca Voice, Common Council is looking at a plan to place a $1,000 cap on back charges to customers who…

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Scalia’s Death: Next Steps for the U.S. Senate

By WRFI News Staff

Lori Sonken talks with John Lawrence, former chief of staff to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, about the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and the Senate’s reluctance to consider a nomination in an election year. This interview aired on February 19, 2016.

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High Lead Levels in Ithaca City Schools

By WRFI News Staff

  Walter Hang speaks with WRFI’s Lori Sonken and Esther Racoosin about the high lead levels at Caroline and Enfield Schools in the Ithaca City School District.  This interview aired on February 23, two days before the superintendent announced that water is turned off at drinking water fountains in all district schools.   .  

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Presenting the opera “Semele” at Ithaca College-February 22nd 2016

By WRFI News Staff

Esther Racoosin of WRFI Community Radio News talks to the cast and production staff about the upcoming production of Handel’s “Semele” at Ithaca College.  The rehearsal pianist, assistant director, vocalists and others talk about the plot of the opera, the staging, and what it is like to sing the challenging parts of the baroque oratorio.

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18th Annual Homelessness Marathon to Air Tonight

By Felix Teitelbaum

It’s that time of year! WRFI is proud, once again, to air the Homelessness Marathon brought to us by Geneva broadcaster, Jeremy Alderson. Starting tonight at 7pm and ending tomorrow morning at 8am (in time for Democracy Now!) tune in to hear to hear stories of homelessness from those who experience it first hand. To petition HUD…

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Local News: April 26, 2024

By Felix Teitelbaum | April 26, 2024 |

Adjustments Expected to Ithaca Water Bills Ithaca property owners may face unexpected water bills starting this year. The city has relied on equipment to remotely read water meters since 2005. However, batteries in the equipment started to fail during the pandemic and were never replaced. This means that many bills have been based on estimated…

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Student Protestors Occupy Cornell’s Arts Quad (Local News: April 25, 2024)

By Felix Teitelbaum | April 25, 2024 | Comments Off on Student Protestors Occupy Cornell’s Arts Quad (Local News: April 25, 2024)

Student Protestors Occupy Cornell’s Arts Quad- Activists at Cornell set up an encampment Thursday morning in the university’s arts quad. The Coalition for Mutual Liberation (or CML) called the encampment a “liberated zone” meant to further pressure Cornell to divest from what they call the university’s complicity in genocide in Gaza.  Malak, a fourth year…

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Local News: April 24, 2024

By Felix Teitelbaum | April 24, 2024 | Comments Off on Local News: April 24, 2024

Pilot Program in Tompkins Adds Emergency Responders- Emergency response times in Tompkins County should be getting shorter. State Senator Lea Webb was in Ithaca Tuesday to announce additional state funding for the county’s Rapid Medical Response program. The two-year pilot program operates three emergency response vehicles and employs nine EMTs. According to Webb, emergency response…

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Local News: April 23, 2024

By Felix Teitelbaum | April 23, 2024 | Comments Off on Local News: April 23, 2024

Cornell Undergrad Vote Supports Gaza Ceasefire, Divestment- Last week Cornell undergraduate voted in a referendum polling their views on a ceasefire in Gaza and divestment from 10 military contractors supplying Israel. According to the Cornell Sun, nearly 50% of eligible students voted. And votes for a ceasefire and divestment outweighed those against by nearly two…

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