Local News: March 20, 2024

Ithaca Police are investigating a potential bias incident in Collegetown Monday. According to reports by Cornell Daily Sun and the Ithaca Voice, a Muslim woman was spat on by a man on College Ave. Cornell President Martha Pollack condemned the attack in an email Tuesday saying “We must be united and firm in our rejection of Islamophobia and all other forms of hate…” Student groups including the Coalition for Mutual Liberation have criticized Cornell’s administration for previously failing to condemn Islamophobic incidents.

An unarmed responder unit is up and running in Ithaca, but some questions remain about the program’s long-term management. According to the Ithaca Voice, the city’s current program is modeled on Tompkins County’s CARE or Crisis Alternative Response and Engagement Team and is a partnership between the IPD and Tompkins Whole Health. The city’s April 2023 Reimagining Public Safety plan would place the unit under the management of a deputy city manager, however that position remains unfilled. City Manager Deb Molenhoff was at a meeting last week in part to gather input on the creation of the deputy role. Several newly seated councilors questioned the need for the position. 

Elmira will apply for $10 million in state aid to breathe new life into the city’s southside. According to WENY, Mayor Dan Mandell says plans for the funds include creation of a health center and renovations to Brand Park. The city was awarded $10 million from the same program in 2016.  Those funds were invested in the downtown area on the northside.