July 29, 2022 Daily Headlines

On Wednesday, The Tompkins County Workers' Center and the Alternatives Federal Credit Union announced a new living wage for Tompkins County. The Workers’ Center Coordinator Pete Meyers said they’re feeling quite excited because “the living wage gets updated every two years. This is the first time ever since 2006 that we decided to do it a year early, and we did that because the inflation pressures have been just so great in the past year alone. Workers are starting to say this is not enough, the 15.32 was not enough.” The new living wage is $16.61 an hour, an 8.5% increase from last year's $15.32 living wage. Meyers expects there will be another update in July of 2023.

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The Tompkins County Health Department is urging residents to avoid contact with bats and other animals that can carry rabies. Each year the county confirms a small number of rabid bats and wants to make sure community members are safe. As it becomes warmer outside, bats become more active and seek cooler locations on the lower floors of homes and businesses. If a bat comes in contact with a human or pet, the bat should be safely removed and submitted to the Health Department for testing. If you’re unsure about potential contact with a bat, contact the Health Department at (607) 274-6600. For information about rabies and how to safely capture a bat, visit tompkinscountyny.gov.

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According to the New York Times, for the first time in 75 years, the state ballot offers only two choices for governor, Gov. Kathy Hochul, and Representative Lee Zeldin. In the past, third-party candidates have appeared on ballots, but due to an election law promoted by former Governor Cuomo, the law tripled the number of voter signatures required for a party to get on the ballot. The Libertarian Party filed a lawsuit, and Larry Sharpe, the party’s nominee for governor, claimed the “rules are so tough that only the entrenched and connected can earn the right to appear on a ballot in New York.” The general election this year will be on November 8th, and early voting starts on October 29th. New York also has a primary election coming up on August 23.