Headlines for October 14th, 2022

Ithaca alderpersons Jorge DeFendini and Phoebe Brown are calling for reparations to be included in the City’s 2023 budget. According to the Ithaca Voice, the two, who represent Ithaca’s 4th and 2nd Wards respectively, want $2 million set aside for direct cash payments, funding for Black institutions, and the creation of a committee on reparations. DeFendini cited similar programs in Evanston, Illinois and Providence, Rhode Island, and acknowledged that more research would be necessary into how precisely to execute such a plan. 

Starting Monday, the city of Ithaca will host a series of community forums with the three finalists for the City’s Chief of Police position. Each candidate will have their own forum at the Greater Ithaca Activities Center. The first is this Monday October 17th with another the following Monday October 24th and Tuesday October 25th. All the forums will begin at 6 PM.

Today is the final day to register to vote in New York state before this November’s midterm election. According to the Cornell Daily Sun, Tompkins residents can register in person at the county Board of Elections at 128 E Buffalo Street in Ithaca. Election day is November 8th, but voters can vote early from October 29th through November 6th at either Ithaca Town Hall or Crash Fire Rescue on Brown Rd. If residents can’t vote in-person they can fill out an absentee ballot application available on New York state’s website. For more information about registration, voting, and ballot information, go to vote411.org.