Local News for Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Avian Flu Confirmed at Cornell Game Farm

The outbreak of avian flu that was suspected at Cornell’s Reynolds Game Farm has been confirmed. According to WSYR, 500 pheasants had died from the H5N1 virus. The remaining 6000 birds were euthanized to prevent further spread of the highly contagious virus. The outbreak is the 14th to be detected in New York state in the last year. The state department of Ag and Markets and the USDA are watching for signs the infection could have spread from the Corell facility. The risk of avian flu contagion to humans is low and symptoms among humans are typically mild.

Ithaca Is Cleaning Streets—Don’t Get Towed

The city of Ithaca is cleaning its streets starting next week. Once street cleaning signs are posted on a street, the city is encouraging residents to rake debris from tree lawns into the curb for pickup. Cleaning of the streets in Collegetown will coincide with Cornell’s spring break. The city is reminding students and others to not leave their cars parked on city streets while away for the break. Cars left on streets to be cleaned will be ticketed and towed. A schedule street cleaning schedule can be found at cityofithaca.org.

Residents Pitch In to Reduce Waste Impacts

As more pressure builds to close the Seneca Meadows landfill, Tompkins County residents are playing an important part in reducing waste. Tompkins County Solid Waste is reporting that more than a million pounds of food scraps were diverted from landfills last year by participants in their food scraps recycling program. The agency operates 17 drop off points throughout the county. Residents dropped off food waste more than 82,000 times last year. Composting converts food waste into soil and saves energy and money by reducing tipping fees and waste transport.