Local News: October 13, 2023

- Two more cases of Legionellosis found in Tompkins County in August, September -

Two more cases of Legionellosis were diagnosed in Tompkins County in August and September. Tompkins Whole Health says that brings the total number of cases to 14 since June. One person has died. Whole Health says the last reported case was in mid-September. Legionellosis is a bacterial disease that is not spread from person to person. The disease is most common during the summer and the bacteria is most often found in cooling towers. Tompkins County Whole Health and the state Department of Health investigated the cases. Several cooling towers in the area were disinfected.  Whole Health director, Frank Kruppa told WRFI, in an interview in September that the source of the bacteria has not been found.

- Public Service Commission denies wind, solar developers inflation increases -

New York public utilities regulators denied requests for more money from wind and solar developers this week. The renewable energy developers say the additional funds are needed because of a sharp rise in construction costs. All the developers already have contracts with NYSERDA and work on the projects has begun. The Albany Times Union reports that commissioners say the “inflation adjustment would cost $12 billion and that would be passed on to consumers. The developers say that without the money the projects are in jeopardy.

- Cornell graduate wins 2023 Nobel Prize in Economics -

1967 Cornell graduate Claudia Goldin has been awarded the 2023 Nobel Prize in Economics for her research on reasons for gender disparities in the U.S. workforce. Historically the gender gap in earnings was because of differences in education and career choices. But, Goldin’s work found that today the pay difference between women and men in the same job comes after women give birth to their first child. Goldin is a professor at Harvard University.