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– Budget for Slope Day more than doubled for 2024 – The Cornell Student Assembly voted to add $400,000 Slope Day budget making it $715,000 for 2024. That’s more than double the current budget. The day is an end-of-school-year celebration on the campus and headlines well-known musicians. The Cornell Daily Sun reports that the bump is partly because of student complaints about last year’s line-up and the rising cost of booking star talent. – Reinventing Public Safety initiatives move forward in Enfield and Groton – Tompkins County’s Reinventing Public Safety plans are moving forward. The county opened two Community Resource Hubs in Enfield and Groton. The hubs are staffed and open two hours…
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.
Read MoreThe 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…
Read MoreFelix 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.
Read MoreIn this week’s episode of The Scene, international labor law expert Desiree LeClercq breaks down the 2023 National Labor Relations Board proceeding that held three Ithaca store closures by Starbucks to be in violation of federal protections for organizing workers, and discusses the larger contexts in national and international worker rights.
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– Budget for Slope Day more than doubled for 2024 – The Cornell Student Assembly voted to add $400,000 Slope Day budget making it $715,000 for 2024. That’s more than double the current budget. The day is an end-of-school-year celebration on the campus and headlines well-known musicians. The Cornell Daily Sun reports that the bump…
Read More– Health insurance costs for Cortland County employees, retirees may rise – Cortland County retirees and employees may see their health insurance contributions rise by 10% in 2024. The Cortland Voice reports the county is facing a $1.3 million gap in the 2024 budget. The insurance increase would close that gap. The legislature is set…
Read More– Ithaca Leaders Postpone Vote on Cornell Funding, Approve Homeless Encampment Policy – The Ithaca Common Council held a special meeting Wednesday night to vote on two highly significant matters. But, they postponed a vote on the proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Cornell until an October meeting. Mayor Lewis said that would give Alderpersons…
Read More– Tick-borne illnesses double in Tompkins County – Tick-borne illnesses are on the rise in our region and across the country. According to The Ithaca Voice, the number of cases of Lyme disease in Tompkins County has doubled in the past year. Part of the reason is milder winters because of climate change. Ticks, especially…
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