Cryptocurrency Mining, An Emerging and Unregulated Industry?

Greenidge Generation LLC is a natural gas power plant that’s mining cryptocurrency on an industrial scale, and Greenidge aims to expand its operations.  The last round of government approval needed to give the greenlight to Greenidge’s expansion, is the Torrey Town Planning board. Torrey is a small, rural town in the heart of the Finger…

Read More

Cornell Engaged Grant to support opioid use research project

Each year, Cornell University awards engaged research grants to community centered projects. This year, they awarded four grants totaling 192,000 dollars to community centered projects. One of the projects that received this public service grant is working to address opioid use in the greater Ithaca community. WRFI news intern, Maia Noah reports.     

Read More

Redistricting New York State- An Introduction

New York’s state senate and assembly districts are redrawn every 10 years, after the census. In 2014, New York joined two other states with a constitutional amendment to move redistricting to an independent committee but requiring legislative approval which opens the process to potential gerrymandering.  To report on how this process is proceeding, WRFI news…

Read More

Greenidge Generation, From Peaker Plant to Mining Bitcoin

Greenidge Generation LLC operates a natural gas power plant near the shore of Seneca Lake, that has evolved into a bitcoin mining operation. Greenidge’s parent company now boasts that it’s the first bitcoin mining operation with it’s own in-house energy supply being publicly traded on the stock market, but they have attracted the scrutiny of…

Read More

Tompkins Food Future: Development of a Food Systems Plan in Tompkins County

Katie Hallas, the Coordinator of the Community Food System Plan, discusses Tompkins Food Future.  This project will create a local food system whereby sustainable, equitable healthy and affordable food is available for all members of our community. For more information, visit http://www.tompkinsfoodfuture.org (photo: Compost SDIM0891 by Stefan Szczelkun, courtesy of Creative Commons)  

Read More

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 More