Local News: February 15, 2024

- A programming note - Yesterday we announced that a story about Cornell’s Year of Freedom of Expression would air tonight. We have postponed the broadcast of that story and will update you when it is rescheduled.

- Several Cornell fraternities suspended on hazing allegations -

Several Cornell fraternities are suspended while the university investigates allegations of hazing. The Cornell Daily Sun reports the accused fraternities are banned from having any chapter activities and any members are prohibited from contacting any new or potential members. Twenty-eight Cornell fraternities were suspended between 2017 and 2021 because of hazing allegations.

- Finger Lakes Land Trust completes its largest project to date -

The Finger Lakes Land Trust has completed a conservation project in Steuben County covering almost 1,000 acres. It’s the largest project ever by the organization. The land is located southwest of Corning and includes a mile along the Canesteo River. The area is home to black bears and bald eagles. Conservation of the area will protect wildlife habitat and improve water quality for the Conesteo River and areas downstream. The land trust says it will open the property to the public in the spring of this year.

- Ithaca Common Council gets update on Green New Deal -

Ithaca’s Common Council got an update about the city’s Green New Deal initiative at its meeting on Wednesday. The Deal calls for the city to reach carbon neutrality by 2030. It has a goal along  the way of municipal electrification by 2025. Work on that will begin this year. Rebecca Evans is the City’s Director Of Sustainability and Climate Justice. 

"Municipal electrification. This is the big one. This will be the first time that the city is going to have to make some financial decisions about the Green New Deal. And some pretty heavy ones because we will need to electrify our fleet and our facilities and provide the infrastructure so that we don’t set things on fire in the process," she told the Council.

Ithaca’s Green New Deal was approved by the Common Council in 2019.