Community
Reimagining Public Safety Draft Report, From Release to Now
The Reimagining Public Safety Draft report has made waves in Ithaca and Tompkins County, and has even rippled into the National news. Here, we track how the draft report was first released to the press, referred to in a GQ article, then presented to the Ithaca Common Council. The draft report and supplemental materials can…
Read MoreWRFI and Ithaca Voice reporters talk about the Reimagining Public Safety Draft Report and Townhall
The City of Ithaca and Tompkins County legislator held a joint town hall on February, 25th to field questions from the public on the draft report. WRFI News Director, Jimmy Jordan, speaks with Anna Lamb, and Matt Butler of the Ithaca Voice about that meeting, parts of the report, the public’s questions, and the challenges…
Read MoreShifting Immigration Policy and its Impact on the Ithaca Community
With the shift in presidential administrations, how immigration policy will change is one topic of concern not only on a national level, but also in local communities like Ithaca. In the past week, the Biden administration has taken some initial steps in changing immigration policy. WRFI News Team Intern Maia Noah has the story.
Read MoreIthaca and Tompkins County Release Ambitious Public Safety Reform Draft
Tompkins County and the City of Ithaca have released a draft of their Public Safety Reimagined report. The report comes in response to Governor Cuomo’s executive Order 203, mandating municipalities review their public safety systems. The draft report was produced under the advisement of the Center for Policing Equity. It includes 19 detailed recommendations for…
Read MoreBoard of Ed. Doesn’t Explain How They Reviewed Allegations Against Superintendent
LBrown-Allegations-ICSD-Avgar Ithaca City School District Superintendent, Dr. Luvelle Brown has been accused of professional misconduct. The allegations against Dr. Luvelle Brown come from his ex-wife, Anjanette Brown. She has accused him of abusing his power as Superintendent to benefit himself in a custody battle over their children The Board of Education Board said they have…
Read MoreCayuga Bird Club Members Participate in the 2021 Christmas Bird Count
Members of the local Cayuga Bird Club started out the New Year in an energetic and optimistic fashion by participating in a long-standing local tradition, the annual Christmas Bird count. This citizen science project is sponsored by Audubon. WRFI News Contributor Esther Racoosin speaks with Paul Anderson, past President of the Cayuga Bird Club, about…
Read MoreEnvironmental Groups Report that NYS Municipalities May Be Using Oil and Gas Liquid Waste For Road Deicing
Three environmental groups: NYPIRG, Earthworks and Food and Water Watch, have published an analysis showing that some municipalities in New York State have been granted permits to use liquid waste from gas and oil operations for deicing roads. Liz Moran, Environmental Policy Director for the New York Public Interest Research Group, or NYPIRG, discusses their…
Read MoreArea Congregations Together Hosts 2020 Virtual Thanksgiving Service
On November 22, 2020, Area Congregations Together, also known as ACT, hosted a virtual Thanksgiving Service. Suzanne Scholten, one of the organizers of the service, talks about how ACT decided on the theme for this year’s event, “Finding gratitude in hard times: What I learned from the impacts and challenges of Covid-19, economic crisis,…
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