Headlines for December 9th, 2022

City Approves Reimaging Plans

The City of Ithaca has approved the 2022 and 2023 work plans for the Reimagining Public Safety initiative. The plans include aspects of implementing alternative law enforcement responses, a community healing initiative, standardized data entry, a repurposing and review of SWAT teams, and many others. The plans were initially expected to be approved in September but were delayed by questions from some members of the Common Council on plans concerning community healing and traffic.

Legislature Plans to Give $6.5 in Recovery Money

The Tompkins County Legislature is planning to dish out $6.5 million of federal recovery money through the Tompkins Community Recovery Fund. According to the Ithaca Voice organizations around the county have made requests totalling $34 million. This means that only a select few requests will be met. The advisory committee reviewing applications will meet at least one more time on December 12. Their final recommendations will go before the full legislature at its December 20 meeting. After losing our News Director during the pandemic, WRFI applied to the recovery fund to bring back the role. However the application shows signs of not being granted.

AG's Office Substantiates Sexual Harassment Claims against Khan

Attorney General Letitia James has confirmed that allegations of sexual harrassment made against her former longtime chief of staff Ibrahim Khan have been substantiated. According to the Albany Times Union, the allegations came from at least two women. Khan resigned from the Attorney General’s office in late November. According to journalists Jeffrey Mays, Jonah Bromwich, and William Rashbaum one of the accusers says the Attorney General’s office initially withheld information to allow Khan to save face when resigning.