Live, Local, and Commercial-Free

Listen now at 89.7FM, 88.1FM in Ithaca, or by using our web player.

Local News: May 2, 2024

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…

Now Playing

Reload page to refresh.

Archive Player

Youth Farm Project Celebrates Earth Week with Greta Garrison of the Youth Radio Project

By Felix Teitelbaum

Youth Farm Project participants Stella Sapp-Dietrich and Etienne Exantus and Ray Hage Assistant Director of Cornell’s Science & Technology Entry Program (STEP) with Greta Garrison of the Youth Radio Project on WRFI.

Read More

CREATIVES: New Voices Literary Festival Preview with Raul Palma [AUDIO]

By Felix Teitelbaum

Listen to author Raul Palma in conversation with student organizers April Morales, Emily Trage, Riley Rhoder and Professor Jacob White. The 2024 New Voices Festival runs from April 24-26 at Ithaca College and in your community.  

Read More

Tune in, Turn on, and Take Part! Join Us for WRFI’s Spring “Fun” Drive and Be Part of this Community-Powered Radio Revolution!

By Felix Teitelbaum

What does community radio mean to you? We think this commercial-free, free-form, independent station helps make our listeners lives-and life in our communities-just a little better. We strive to make programing that opens ears, opens hearts, and leads us to ask important questions about our world. Even if it’s just to ask yourself, “What in…

Read More

LISTEN: Freedom of Expression at Cornell – Academic freedom

By Celia Clarke

This is the last of my three stories about freedom of expression at Cornell University this year. Here are links to the first and second stories. The academic theme at Cornell this year is “Freedom of Expression.”  In earlier stories, we reported about the general mood at Cornell around free speech, and students’ opinions about…

Read More

Latest from the WRFI News Team

Daily features and interviews from our community

Coronavirus Update, September 14, 2020

By WRFI News Staff | September 14, 2020 | Comments Off on Coronavirus Update, September 14, 2020

A student in the Odessa-Montour school district has been exposed to coronavirus, reports The Odessa File. The classmates and teacher at Hanlon elementary have been notified and will have to quarantine and temporarily take classes remotely. It is uncertain whether or not the exposed student has tested positive for COVID yet. More than 600 out…

Read More

Coronavirus Update, September 10, 2020

By WRFI News Staff | September 10, 2020 | Comments Off on Coronavirus Update, September 10, 2020

Even though Cornell’s Statler Hotel is temporarily closed for its regular hospitality business, it’s keeping busy as a space for students who are under isolation due to COVID-19 exposure, or who have tested positive for the virus.  As of Wednesday, the hotel was operating at almost 95% capacity, reports the Cornell Daily Sun. An anonymous…

Read More

Coronavirus Update, September 9, 2020

By WRFI News Staff | September 9, 2020 | Comments Off on Coronavirus Update, September 9, 2020

Governor Andrew Cuomo is reaffirming that colleges and universities in New York state that reach 100 COVID cases in two weeks must temporarily suspend in-person classes. Even though there have been 82 cases reported out of Cornell, only 31 cases will count towards that threshold. The Cornell Daily Sun explains that this is due to…

Read More

Coronavirus Update, September 8, 2020

By WRFI News Staff | September 8, 2020 | Comments Off on Coronavirus Update, September 8, 2020

It was announced Tuesday by the Chemung County Health Department and Schuyler County Public Health that a cluster of COVID-19 cases have been  linked to the Lighthouse Baptist Church, in Horseheads. According to a news release, the health departments found cases in both counties with help from the church and the New York State Department…

Read More