Wells closure fiasco, salmonella turtles, animal care and testing

Good morning ☀️

It's Wednesday, so I'm touching on some historic events and people here in Ithaca, later on in this newsletter.

If you have any Finger Lakes moments you’d like to share, send your best photos and a short passage to JMack@gannett.com so you can help spread the love to other readers each Friday.

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Without further ado, here's an update on the botched closing of Aurora's Wells college.

Did Wells mislead workers? They signed contracts just before closure announcement, union claims

Since the abrupt closure announcement of a historic college in the Finger Lakes, its alumni, former and would-be students have fought to protect its liberal arts legacy.

Wells College Contingent faculty union members filed unfair labor practice charges against Wells College after the school's bargaining team refused to provide the union with financial information relevant to the talks.

SEIU Local 200 United and the Wells Legacy Society are trying to keep the college's storied history and artefacts in the Finger Lakes. Read on about it here.

Here's some more of what you need to know today

• Salmonella in the shell: The CDC announced Friday that fifty-one reports of salmonella illnesses linked to turtles have been reported in the last year .
• Peace, love and Hope, What Woodstock was about: Lear about the historic 1969 music festival and a bit of why it still matters today in this special to the USA Today Network.
• Longtime Ithaca residents pitched in to help out the newbies: This guide from 14850 Today has tons of info on getting to know the area, how Ithaca operates, and some things to do.

New York State Fair: Stay safe, test for avian flu

The New York State Fair is now underway, and those who are there have hopefully done this already, but if you ever want to bring your animals out to the public and keep them with other animals, especially those with similar genetics, you must first get them tested for a number of sicknesses, including avian flu.

"Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus has been detected in dairy cattle in 13 states in the U.S. So far, the virus has not been found in New York dairy animals," Cornell Assistant Professor Elisha Frye said in a Tuesday statement."

The Cornell University Animal Health Diagnostic Center works with the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets to test milk samples submitted by veterinarians on behalf of farmers, providing tests paid for with federal funds.

In June, the State Department of Agriculture announced increased testing requirements for dairy cattle entering fairs or exhibitions to prevent the spread of Avian flu.

Cornell CALS students and programs help farmers - be they invested in dairy or crops - get the tests and resources they need for animals and their livelihoods.

That’s about all I’ve got for you this today. Check your inbox tomorrow for more updates, and feel free to reach out to me at jmack@gannett.com with any comments, questions, or concerns regarding this newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Ithaca Journal: Wells closure fiasco, salmonella turtles, animal care and testing