Local News: January 31, 2024

- Ithaca Common Council may start meeting more frequently -

Ithaca’s new mayor, Robert Cantelmo has proposed the Common Council meet more frequently. The Ithaca Voice reports instead of once a month, Cantelmo wants the whole council to meet three times a month in shorter meetings. The plan would also require changing the schedule for committee meetings. There’s no date set for a vote on the changes.

- Corning announced 2023 financial report confirms 200 area job cuts -

Corning, Inc. shared its 2023 financial report in a conference call on Tuesday. The Corning Leader reports it was the first confirmation that 200 jobs in the Corning area will be among the 1100 cut worldwide.

- The values of public libraries in rural communities -

Public libraries have been in the news a lot over the past few years. There have been calls to ban books, pull funding, or cancel certain events. Brian Hildreth heads the Southern Tier Library system. He says libraries play an important role, especially in rural communities.

"Many of our communities have a public library on their Main Street. And in some of those communities other than the post office…the public library is the only public institution on that Main Street that provides cultural and educational resources and just places for people to come together and celebrate the way we live our lives in our communities, he said.

The Southern Tier Library system includes mostly rural libraries in Schuyler, Steuben, Chemung, Yates, and Allegany counties. 

To hear more about one of them, in Odessa, tune in on Thursday at 6 PM.