Headlines for November 14, 2022

According to the Ithaca Times, Ithaca Tompkins International Airport is looking to expand its services and bring more flights into the city. The airport recently announced that Delta Airlines will begin a new service from Ithaca to JFK International Airport in early January. Now, Ithaca Airport Director Roxane Noble says that the airport is discussing plans with United Airlines to connect flights to Dulles International Airport in Virginia as well as with affordable airlines, like Spirit, to provide lower cost flights out of the airport. No deal has been made yet. While the airport pushes to expand service, ridership is still down since the onset of the pandemic. According to the Ithaca Voice, the proposed 2023 Tompkins County budget includes up to $3.1 million to help the airport pay for the debt it accrued with its recent terminal expansion project. 

The Times Union reports that every county in New York State reported an increase in Republican Party votes in the gubernatorial election. The development is a stunning one in a state that has remained solidly deep-blue for decades. Although Governor Hochul scored her first full term as governor by more than 320,000 votes against her challenger Lee Zeldin, the margin of victory per county shrunk by an average of 14 points. This occurred even as the number of registered Republicans in the state continues to shrink. Rivaled only by Florida’s red wave, the data serves as a surprising oddity in an election marked by Republican disappointment, as the party failed to make many of the gains that polls had predicted.  

The Citizens Preparedness Corps, or CPC, will be offering training in downtown Ithaca on December 6th. The organization works to provide Ithacans with the “tools and resources” needed to respond to emergency situations and natural disasters, including proper measures in home safety and emergency supply stock-ups. The training will be taught by the New York National Guard, alongside local Tompkins County emergency management personnel. Participants will be provided a disaster preparedness kit free of charge. You can register online at the Citizen Preparedness Corps website.