Headlines

– School Board Budgets: Groton, Trumansburg – This week, we’re sharing information about school district budgets. Next Tuesday voters will choose to accept or reject their district’s proposals. Here are links to the $25.8 million proposal for Groton, and Trumansburg’s $31 million proposal.  – Working for Tompkins County Pays Well Compared to Similar Places -…

-Ithaca’s State Theater Gets Over $100,000 in New York Budget- The State Theater in Ithaca is getting $103,000 allocated in the newly-passed state budget. The Ithaca Voice reports the money is from a $5 million program for over thirteen historic upstate theaters. The State Theater’s attendance has dropped about 38% since the onset of the…

A hearing about Ithaca school district budget set for Tuesday A hearing about the Ithaca school district budget is set for today at 5:30 at Ithaca High School. Members of the public can attend in person or by Zoom. The Ithaca Times reports the school board adopted a $158.5 million budget last month. Residents can…

– Next Ithaca Police Chief Will Get A 13% Raise – Ithaca’s next police chief will earn $150,000 a year and get a $50,000 hiring bonus. WSKG reports the city’s Common Council voted 8-2 last week for the raise. The city has had an interim police chief for over 2 years. It’s now conducting a…

– Republican Candidate for Ithaca Mayor Ends Campaign – The Republican running for mayor in Ithaca has withdrawn from the race. Daniel Medina told the Ithaca Voice he ended his campaign because he might not be living in Ithaca much longer. The home Medina rents was sold. He says given the cost of housing in…

– State Democrats Reform Bail Laws to Address Public Safety Concerns – Governor Kathy Hochul and the legislature have agreed on a $229 billion dollar budget. It includes changes to the bail reform laws that went into effect in 2019. The Albany Times Union says judges will have greater discretion when considering bail for repeat…

– Tompkins County COVID-19 Testing Site To Close – The COVID-19 testing site at the Shops at Ithaca mall will close this Friday. Tompkins County Whole Health and Cayuga Health say the site is no longer needed because of the steady decline COVID-19 cases over the past  months. People can still get PCR tests from…

– Tompkins County Legislature May Change Funding For Local Arts and Culture Groups – The Tompkins County legislature postponed a vote on funding to local arts and cultural organizations. The money usually comes out of the Hotel Tax Fund but legislators couldn’t agree on a resolution that would lower the amount in the fund. The…