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The Ithaca Voice
Kessler appointed Ithaca City Attorney
ITHACA, N.Y. — Victor Kessler was appointed Ithaca City Attorney on Wednesday by Common Council in a unanimous vote. Kessler first joined the ranks of City Hall as an assistant city attorney in September 2021. His appointment to city attorney ends a seven-month long search to fill a key leadership position in the City of Ithaca.
TCAT wins $1.2 million award to purchase hybrid buses
ITHACA, N.Y. — Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) was awarded a $1.2 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to purchase two new diesel-electric hybrid buses, officials from the local bus agency announced Thursday. The two buses are not expected to cruise the hills of Tompkins County “for...
Obituary: Sean Burns
Sean Patrick Burns passed on July 5th, 2024. He is predeceased by his parents Tom and Marilynn, his beloved brother Ric and his best dog Tash. He is survived by his brothers Tom and Tim, his sisters Norma Jean and Kelly and his brother-in-law John Van Order, his nephews Rick, Josh, Sean Dylan and David, and his nieces Erica and Gabrielle.
City starting process for another swing at $10M Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant
ITHACA, N.Y. — The City of Ithaca is starting the application process for Round 8 of the New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) grant, which awards $10 million in funding to one lucky community in each of the state’s 10 economic development regions. The state initiative aims...
Finger Lakes Cancer Center now affiliated with Cayuga Health System amid financial struggles
ITHACA, N.Y. — The Cancer Resource Center of the Finger Lakes (CRC), a nonprofit offering supportive services to those affected by cancer, announced its recent affiliation with the Cayuga Health System on July 11. The affiliation agreement went into effect July 1, the same day Kim Pugliese, the former...
Police find missing elderly man safe after day-long search around Taughannock Falls
ITHACA, N.Y. — New York State Police have found a 92-year-old man who was missing since at least Wednesday. State Police Public Information Officer Aga Tinker confirmed to The Ithaca Voice that the man was found alive Thursday afternoon after a lengthy search. The man, named Eckhart Lindemann, was...
City council overwhelmingly passes “good-cause” eviction after heated debate
ITHACA, N.Y. — Common Council overwhelmingly voted to adopt “good-cause” eviction protections on Wednesday, giving some tenants in the City of Ithaca the right to renew their lease as well as protection from rent hikes. Ithaca, where over 70% of the city’s population are renters, is now...
Tompkins County Board of Elections announces Voting Sticker Contest winners
ITHACA, N.Y. — Ahead of the contentious 2024 election season, Tompkins County residents can get excited not only to participate in civic engagement but to receive hand-drawn stickers, courtesy of two local students. Ahava Sapp, a second-grade student at Belle Sherman Elementary School, and Ruby LeCroy, a sixth-grade student...
Update: Tornado watch issued ahead of “severe” Wednesday afternoon storms
ITHACA, N.Y. — The National Weather Service has put out a tornado watch that includes Tompkins County, in effect until 9 p.m. Wednesday night. The watch does not mean that tornadoes are forecasted, but rather that the powerful thunderstorms projected throughout Wednesday afternoon and evening could evolve into a tornado.
The workforce woes plaguing the Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility
ITHACA, N.Y. — The City of Ithaca has struggled to recruit and retain employees to run the Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility, where workers are paid tens of thousands of dollars below what would be considered a competitive salary. As a result, the city has become increasingly dependent on a private company to manage and partially staff the plant.
County officials move forward with local minimum wage increase evaluation, but state law looms
ITHACA, N.Y. — The Tompkins County Legislature will soon discuss the possibility of implementing a higher local minimum wage, though history shows that New York State’s law could interfere with such an effort. The county’s Housing and Economic Development Committee voted to approve a resolution Monday that would...
Opinion: Common Council has the opportunity to protect tenants under new state law
This is an opinion piece written by New York State Assemblymember Anna Kelles and Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo about the upcoming good cause eviction legislation vote. It was not written by The Ithaca Voice. To submit opinion pieces, please send them to Matt Butler at mbutler@ithacavoice.org. New York State faces...
County takes first step toward potential new 100-bed Ithaca emergency shelter
ITHACA, N.Y. — Tompkins County officials will begin accepting applications from developers interested in designing and constructing a new county-owned emergency shelter in the city of Ithaca before the end of the month. The selected developer or development team will complete each phase of the project, from design to...
Heat advisory in effect until Tuesday night as temperatures near 100
ITHACA, N.Y. — A heat advisory has been put into effect from noon on Tuesday until 8 p.m. Tuesday evening, with temperatures entering the mid-90s and heat index values reaching 100 degrees. The advisory, issued by the National Weather Service, warns that “hot temperatures and high humidity may cause...
Council will debate ranked-choice voting, open primary reforms before potential referendum
ITHACA, N.Y. — Local advocates submitted a petition to Ithaca’s City Clerk Wednesday that may lead to a pair of election reforms being put to a citywide referendum in November. Pat Sewell and Tom Clavel are part of a group trying to introduce ranked-choice voting and open primaries...
New businesses to add dining options in downtown Ithaca
ITHACA, N.Y. — A new restaurant and a deli opening soon are expanding the food options available in downtown Ithaca. The Lotus opened in May on North Aurora Street adjacent to the Commons. The restaurant fills the space that used to be Viva Taqueria which had been vacant since Viva moved across the street in the spring of last year. The Ithaca Deli will open in the old Starbucks location on East Seneca Street.
Weather: Hot & humid with flash flood risks mid-week
ITHACA, N.Y. — Steamy, stifling, sizzling, sticky, soupy and sultry. I have another s-word in my vocabulary for describing how I personally feel about the hot, humid conditions expected for the week ahead, but my editor won’t let me publish it. The big risk this upcoming week, other...
Town of Ithaca Planning Board gets first look at 800-bed Maplewood II proposal
ITHACA, N.Y. — This week, the Town of Ithaca’s Planning Board got its first look and their first chance to weigh in on Cornell Univresity’s plans for an 800-bed addition to its Maplewood graduate and professional student housing complex. As previously reported when the plans were first...
Fireworks, festivities and more: A guide to Fourth of July celebrations in the area
ITHACA N.Y. — Fireworks shows and celebrations with food, live music and more are planned for the week and weekend to celebrate the Fourth of July. Here’s a snapshot of what’s happening in and around Tompkins County. Thursday, July 4. The Fourth of July will likely be...
Two Ithaca supportive housing projects receive $12.7 million from state
ITHACA, N.Y. — New York State has awarded two Ithaca supportive housing projects with $12.7 million total, part of a slew of funding announced last week for permanent supportive housing projects in the state. Leaders of both local projects that were awarded, The Stately Apartments and The Meadows at...
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