WRFI Community Radio News
1,133 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 22 hours ago -Original features and interviews originally aired on WRFI Community Radio News.
The show airs Monday-Friday at 6pm at 88.1 FM in Ithaca, 91.9 in Watkins Glen, and online around the world at http://www.wrfi.org/online-stream/
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Episodes
Local News: April 29, 2024
April 29, 2024 22:03More Suspensions for Cornell Protestors- The student encampment at Cornell remains in place. On Friday four students were temporarily suspended for their participation in the self-described “Liberation Zone.” According to the Ithaca Voice, Cornell administration announced Saturday that more students would be suspended and that referrals to human resources are being made for staff and…
Local News: April 26, 2024
April 26, 2024 21:07Adjustments Expected to Ithaca Water Bills Ithaca property owners may face unexpected water bills starting this year. The city has relied on equipment to remotely read water meters since 2005. However, batteries in the equipment started to fail during the pandemic and were never replaced. This means that many bills have been based on estimated…
Local News: April 25, 2024
April 25, 2024 22:02Student Protestors Occupy Cornell's Arts Quad— Activists at Cornell set up an encampment Thursday morning in the university’s arts quad. The Coalition for Mutual Liberation (or CML) called the encampment a “liberated zone” meant to further pressure Cornell to divest from what they call the university’s complicity in genocide in Gaza. Malak, a fourth year…
Student Protestors Occupy Cornell’s Arts Quad (Local News: April 25, 2024)
April 25, 2024 22:02Student Protestors Occupy Cornell's Arts Quad— Activists at Cornell set up an encampment Thursday morning in the university’s arts quad. The Coalition for Mutual Liberation (or CML) called the encampment a “liberated zone” meant to further pressure Cornell to divest from what they call the university’s complicity in genocide in Gaza. Malak, a fourth year…
Local News: April 24, 2024
April 24, 2024 21:53Pilot Program in Tompkins Adds Emergency Responders— Emergency response times in Tompkins County should be getting shorter. State Senator Lea Webb was in Ithaca Tuesday to announce additional state funding for the county’s Rapid Medical Response program. The two-year pilot program operates three emergency response vehicles and employs nine EMTs. According to Webb, emergency response…
Local News: April 23, 2024
April 23, 2024 22:59Cornell Undergrad Vote Supports Gaza Ceasefire, Divestment— Last week Cornell undergraduate voted in a referendum polling their views on a ceasefire in Gaza and divestment from 10 military contractors supplying Israel. According to the Cornell Sun, nearly 50% of eligible students voted. And votes for a ceasefire and divestment outweighed those against by nearly two…
Local News: April 22, 2024
April 22, 2024 22:44Public Hearing on ICSD Budget Announced— Ithaca City School District has announced a public hearing on its proposed 2024-2025 operating budget. The meeting will take place May 14 at 5:30 p.m. at York Hall at Ithaca High School. Last week we reported on a 5-hour meeting during which the board heard from taxpayers concerned with…
Local News: April 19, 2024
April 19, 2024 12:28Case Against Day Hall Protestors Conditionally Dismissed A case against Cornell student and staff protestors will likely be dismissed. Twenty-four members of the Coalition for Mutual Liberation who staged a sit in at Day Hall in March appeared before Judge Seth Peacock Wednesday. The charges will be dropped provided the defendants don’t commit further violations…
Local News: April 17, 2024
April 17, 2024 22:03ICSD Board Cuts Proposed Budget Ahead of May 21 Vote The Ithaca City School Board has made cuts to their proposed budget. According to the Ithaca Times, the adjustment was made after a 5-hour meeting with the public. Board members heard from a range of homeowners who spoke to the effect of rising taxes on…
Local News: April 16, 2024
April 17, 2024 00:42Graduate students at Cornell are pushing the administration to act more quickly in negotiations with their union. According to the Ithaca Voice, last week about 200 graduate students rallied at Day Hall. Organizer Sadie Seddon-Stettler said that the university isn’t making contract negotiation a priority. The union maintains a dashboard showing the status of various…
Local News April 15, 2024
April 16, 2024 00:01Competing rallies were held at Cornell Sunday. One was billed as a "Jewish Unity" rally and featured speakers who decried what they say is a rise in antisemitism at Cornell and across the country. The other was organized by the Coalition for Mutual Liberation whose demands include that Cornell divest from what they call genocide…
LISTEN: Freedom of Expression at Cornell – Academic freedom
April 11, 2024 22:00This is the last of my three stories about freedom of expression at Cornell University this year. Here are links to the first and second stories. The academic theme at Cornell this year is “Freedom of Expression.” In earlier stories, we reported about the general mood at Cornell around free speech, and students' opinions about…
Local News: April 11, 2024
April 11, 2024 21:00- Former Cornell student who threatened Jewish campus community pleads guilty - The former Cornell undergraduate who posted violent, antisemitic threats against the Jewish campus community pleaded guilty in the federal court in Syracuse on Wednesday. WRVO Public Radio reports Patrick Dai admitted to “posting threats to kill or injure another using interstate communications.” Under…
Local News: April 10, 2024
April 10, 2024 21:00- Cornell Tech diversity program sued for alleged discrimination against men - Cornell is facing another allegation of discrimination. The Cornell Daily Sun reports that Cornell alumnus Justin Gaffney Samuels filed suit in March against Cornell Tech and the City University of New York (CUNY). He alleges the admission policy for their “Break Through Tech” program…
Local News: April 9, 2024
April 09, 2024 21:00- Water shut off planned for Watkins Glen this week - Residents in Watkins Glen should expect the water to be temporarily shut off later this week. WETM-TV reports water will be cut on Thursday, April 11 starting at 4 AM. The shut-off is so work can be done on a high-pressure line. It should…
Local News: April 8, 2024
April 08, 2024 21:00- Horsehead’s considers property tax increase in proposed budget - The Village of Horseheads in Chemung County is considering a 7.5% property tax increase. Village trustees accepted the proposal in last week’s meeting. WENY-TV reports a public hearing about the budget will be held April 18 at 6 PM. You can find more information about…
Local News: April 5, 2024
April 05, 2024 21:00- Tompkins Whole Health issues eclipse safety reminders - Tompkins County isn’t in the “zone of totality” but a partial eclipse will be visible. Tompkins Whole Health says people should still be careful on April 8. Health officials say don’t look directly at the sun during the eclipse. Even a partial eclipse can cause temporary…
Local News: April 4, 2024
April 04, 2024 21:00- Groton awarded $4.5 million from state for downtown revitalization - The village of Groton has been awarded $4.5 million from NY Forward. The state initiative is for downtown revitalization and economic development projects. The Ithaca Times reports Groton plans to use the funds to attract more businesses, renovate some housing, and build new trails.…
Local News: April 3, 2024
April 03, 2024 21:00- TCAT to buy more diesel buses due to electric bus problems - The Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) plans to buy five more diesel buses. TCAT officials say they won’t be buying any more electric buses soon. The Ithaca Voice reports electric buses haven’t performed well in Ithaca’s cold winter weather and steep hills.…
Local News: April 2, 2024
April 02, 2024 21:00- Ithaca seeks public comment about proposed short-term rental policy - The City of Ithaca wants feedback from residents about the proposed short-term rental ordinance. The law will regulate residential rentals of less than 30 days. Links to more details and how to submit a comment are on our website, WRFI dot org slash news.…
Local News: April 1, 2024
April 01, 2024 21:00- Cornell issues comments about ongoing protests, Congress sends second letter - Cornell President Martha Pollack and Provost Michael Kotlikoff remain critical of ongoing protests on Cornell’s campus. In an op-ed in The Cornell Daily Sun, they say the protests are disrupting university activities. They say there should be “a robust campus discussion about what…
Local News: March 29, 2024
March 29, 2024 21:00- Tompkins County may pay for a support specialist for tenants of a private developer - Tompkins County is considering hiring a specialist to help people transition from homelessness into properties owned by the Vecino Group. That’s the Missouri-based company that owns Ithaca ArtHaus and the soon-to-open Asteri on Green Street. The Ithaca Voice reports…
LISTEN: Freedom of Expression at Cornell – Student views
March 28, 2024 22:10The academic theme at Cornell this year is “Freedom of Expression.” A few weeks ago we reported on the general mood around free speech at Cornell. Today, we’re sharing students' opinions about their free speech rights. WRFI asked to speak to someone in Cornell’s administration about free speech on campus. The request was denied. The…
Local News: March 28, 2024
March 28, 2024 21:00- State DOT to hold info session about upcoming road work in Ithaca - Residents in Tompkins County learn about some upcoming state road repairs on April 3. The State Department of Transportation is holding an information and feedback session about work it will be doing on State Routes 13/34/96 in the City of Ithaca.…
Local News: March 27, 2024
March 27, 2024 21:00- The Town of Caroline approves its first zoning law - The Caroline Town Board approved its first comprehensive zoning law by a vote of 3-1 during its meeting last Wednesday. WSKG Public Radio reports the decision comes after about four years of sometimes contentious community debate. The law was designed to limit development and…
Local News: March 26, 2024
March 26, 2024 21:00- State Senate passes bill banning permits for new gas extraction method - The New York State Senate voted to ban permits for natural gas extraction using carbon dioxide. The bill was introduced by Senator Lea Webb of the 52nd district which includes Binghamton and Ithaca. It came after a Texas-based company, Southern Tier Solutions…
Local News: March 25, 2024
March 25, 2024 21:00- Early voting for presidential primaries has begun - Early voting in New York’s presidential primaries began this past Saturday. Tompkins County has two early voting sites. They are in the Town of Ithaca town hall on Tioga Street in downtown Ithaca and the Finger Lakes Library System building on Dryden Road in Ithaca. To…
Local News: March 22, 2024
March 22, 2024 21:23A new report says wage growth in Ithaca is the slowest among 30 similar college towns. Peter Meyers of the Tompkins County Workers Center told WHCU the report highlights what he called a “perfect storm of worker suffering.” Ithaca’s wage growth between 2017 and 2022 was just 16.9%. The top wage growth reported by the…
Local News: March 21, 2024
March 21, 2024 21:02Overdose deaths and emergencies in Tompkins County continue to rise. According to data from Tompkins Whole Health the number of deaths has increased every year since 2019. The annual number of 911 calls related to overdose or poisoning has also trended upward. The ongoing impacts of COVID-19 and the increased presence of fentanyl and xylazine…
Local News: March 20, 2024
March 20, 2024 19:15Ithaca Police are investigating a potential bias incident in Collegetown Monday. According to reports by Cornell Daily Sun and the Ithaca Voice, a Muslim woman was spat on by a man on College Ave. Cornell President Martha Pollack condemned the attack in an email Tuesday saying “We must be united and firm in our rejection…
Local News: March 19, 2024
March 19, 2024 19:59A pro-Palestine group at Cornell is agitating for the university to divest from weapons manufacturers supplying Israel’s war efforts in Gaza. According to the Cornell Daily Sun, the Coalition for Mutual Liberation, or CML, held a campus-wide action Thursday. Members of the group said they would continue to violate Cornell’s controversial Interim Expressive Activity Policy…
Local News: March 18, 2024
March 18, 2024 22:03Former acting Ithaca Police Chief John Joly is suing the city and alleging racial discrimination and other offenses. According to the Ithaca Voice, Joly, who is white, was passed over for promotion to the permanent role after a bungled appointment process in 2022. Then Mayor Laura Lewis selected Joly for the role without the backing…
Local News: March 15, 2024
March 15, 2024 21:00- Ann Coulter to return to Cornell April 16 - Ann Coulter will speak at Cornell on April 16. Coulter is a controversial right-wing personality and Cornell graduate. The Cornell Daily Sun reports Coulter has “a long history of making bigoted remarks against minority groups including South Asians, Jews, Muslims and immigrants.” The paper reported…
Local News: March 14, 2024
March 14, 2024 21:00- Ithaca Tompkins airport among projects getting part of over $18 million new federal funding - Ithaca Tompkins International Airport is getting $1.5 million of federal funding for a new facility. A joint statement from New York Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand says the new building will bring the airport’s fire, rescue and snow…
Local News: March 13, 2024
March 13, 2024 21:00- State Assembly passes bill banning CO2 gas mining - The State Assembly banned permitting for a proposed new natural gas mining practice by a vote of 98-50. The bill was introduced after a Texas-based company, Southern Tier Solutions began approaching landowners about leasing their property using a new process. The company said it would…
Local News: March 12, 2024
March 12, 2024 21:00- Cornell makes changes to controversial Interim Expressive Activity Policy, faculty hold rally calls for it to be scrapped - Cornell University has made changes to its controversial “Interim Expressive Activity Policy”. A statement issued on Monday addressed three aspects of the policy that have been widely criticized. Candles shorter than 6” will be permitted…
Local News: March 11, 2024
March 11, 2024 21:00- Common council Wed meeting short-term rental policy - The Ithaca Common Council will hold a work session this week to hear about two special topics. The Council will get an update about the Reimagining Public Safety plan. They will also be hearing from staff about the draft short-term rental (STR) policy. The public agenda…
Local News: March 8, 2024
March 08, 2024 22:00- Newfield to review mobile home park law in public meeting - The town of Newfield will review its mobile home park law at a public meeting on March 28. The law has not been updated since 1998. Tompkins Weekly reports residents say there are problems with severe potholes, frequent water main breaks and other…
Local News: March 7, 2024
March 07, 2024 22:00- Ithaca Common Council approves permanent cease-fire resolution - The Ithaca Common Council approved a resolution calling for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza at its March 6 meeting. The Ithaca Times reports the vote came after over an hour of public comments and sometimes heated debate among the Council members. The resolution condemns the killing…
Local News: March 6, 2024
March 06, 2024 22:00- A congressional committee subpoenas Cuomo in COVID-19 investigation - A congressional subcommittee investigating the coronavirus pandemic has subpoenaed former governor Andrew Cuomo. The Albany Times Union reports that a focus of the Republican-led committee’s inquiry is a 2020 order issued by Cuomo to nursing homes. It required facilities to allow residents with COVID-19 to…
Local News: March 4, 2024
March 04, 2024 22:00- State law saving Ithaca Carshare goes into effect - The Ithaca Carshare bill became law on March 1. The new law resolves a technical insurance regulatory issue that resulted in Ithaca Carshare and other nonprofits losing insurance coverage for their vehicles. Ithaca Carshare stopped all operations last May. The carshare will reopen sometime this…
Local News: March 1, 2024
March 01, 2024 22:00- Recent rise in overdose concerns Tompkins County officials - There have been five overdose deaths in Tompkins County since February 18. That brings the total this year to six. The Ithaca Voice reports that’s more than occurred over the same period last year. There’s been a steady increase in overdose deaths in the county…
LISTEN: Freedom of Expression at Cornell
February 29, 2024 23:30Cornell’s academic theme this school year is freedom of expression. It was meant to be a year of celebration of one of the university’s core values. Instead how freedom of expression is practiced or protected on campus has become a divisive issue. The theme was announced last April months before war broke out between Israel…
FEATURE: Freedom of Expression at Cornell
February 29, 2024 23:30Cornell’s academic theme this school year is freedom of expression. It was meant to be a year of celebration of one of the university’s core values. Instead how freedom of expression is practiced or protected on campus has become a divisive issue. The theme was announced last April months before war broke out between Israel…
Local News: February 29, 2024
February 29, 2024 22:00Ithaca College president, La Jerne Terry Cornish says the college’s enrollment is rebounding from the significant drop it experienced during COVID lockdowns. She spoke at the Ithaca Rotary Club luncheon on Thursday. "In 2019, the first year class including transfers was 1506, and 2020, but COVID year, the first year class was 995." she said.…
Local News: February 28, 2024
February 28, 2024 22:00- Tompkins County Alcohol and Drug Council will stop addiction treatment services -The Tompkins County Alcohol and Drug Council will end its patient services and lay off most of its staff. The Ithaca Voice reports the Council has struggled to hire qualified nurses to staff its new 40-bed detox center. The Council is gradually ending…
Local News: February 27, 2024
February 27, 2024 22:00- Ithaca holds open house about redesign of part of Route 13 near waterfront development - The City of Ithaca wants feedback about the redesign of a portion of Route 13. The area stretches from Falls Creek to where the road splits near Purity Ice Cream. An open house will be on Wednesday, Feb. 28,…
Local News: February 26, 2024
February 26, 2024 22:00- Tompkins County property values go up almost 20% - Tompkins County has started mailing out this year’s property assessment values. Property values in Tompkins County are up an average of almost 20%. The Ithaca Voice reports the increase is due to rising sales prices. Between 2020 and 2023 the average residential property prices in…
Local News: February 22, 2024
February 22, 2024 22:00Cornell’s “interim expressive activity policy” has mostly been criticized in online comments and town hall meetings of students, faculty, and staff. Risa Lieberwitz is a professor in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, a member of the faculty senate and president of campus chapter of the American Association of University Professors. Here is some…
Local News: February 21, 2024
February 21, 2024 22:00Cornell’s academic theme for the 2023-24 school year is freedom of expression. The outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas happened shortly after the school year began. The University’s support of student and faculty freedom of expression has been tested by on- and off-campus protests and in some cases, social media posts. One student is…