ITHACA, N.Y. — Tompkins County officials received a directive from federal immigration officials to cease all local naturalization ceremonies. Naturalization ceremonies are typically held throughout t...

This is a developing story. It will be updated as more information becomes available. ITHACA, N.Y. — Cornell University has reached an agreement with the United States Department of Justice […]

ITHACA, N.Y. — The Tompkins County Public Library (TCPL) remains without a permanent leader as a second interim director takes the reins for the next three months. The library’s last permanent director, Leslie Tabor, resigned in February amid controversy and division over major changes implemented during her time heading the organization. Youth services librarian Kat Savage began her role as interim director on Oct.

ITHACA, N.Y. — Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) management said they need a cash infusion from its underwriters to help balance the agency’s 2026 budget. Otherwise, TCAT will have to make service cuts. Tompkins County, the City of Ithaca, and Cornell University are TCAT’s three financial underwriters. All three received a request for an additional $500,000 in financial support from the organization, which would bring their total contributions to TCAT to just over $1.5 million each.

ITHACA, N.Y. — After filing a request with the Public Service Commission (PSC) to increase delivery rates for its customers and thus raise electricity costs, New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) held its required public hearings in Ithaca last week to field residents’ input in the case. The rate cases, filed June 30, 2025, would increase NYSEG electricity delivery rates by 35% and natural gas delivery rates by nearly 40% if they are approved by the PSC, which oversees NYSEG and Rochester Gas & Electric (RG&E).

ITHACA, N.Y. — Traffic signals along the some of the busiest sections of Meadow and Fulton Street in Ithaca are malfunctioning. Tompkins County officials said the cause is yet unknown as of 9:42 a.m. Wednesday and that the outage had an "unknown timeframe." The outage as of 9:30 a.m. reached between Third Street near the Aldi supermarket until at least the Meadow Street bridge near the Wegmans supermarket, though it's possible the issue could be more widespread.

ITHACA, N.Y. — Rallies are a routine sight on the Ithaca Commons, but it’s seldom that those events feature flags celebrating President Donald Trump or other right-wing figures. Nevertheless, a group of about 18 people waved Trump and American flags during rush hour Tuesday as part of an event honoring the life of right-wing podcaster and political organizer Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed during an event in Utah last month. 

This story originally appeared in New York Focus, a nonprofit news publication investigating power in New York. Sign up for their newsletter here. ALBANY, N.Y. — A surprise move by the Trump administration could result in hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers losing their food assistance benefits as soon as November — disrupting one of the country’s oldest safety net programs months earlier than expected.

ITHACA, N.Y. -- For those seeking more fall-like conditions, this week will be favorable. Following a coastal system that will impact the Ithaca area tonight and tomorrow, a cool but dry pattern will take hold for the remainder of the week, with no rain expected from about sunrise Tuesday through about next Sunday afternoon. It'll be good weather for some warm cider and chunky sweaters, …

ITHACA, N.Y. — Volunteers of America Upstate New York (VOA) will operate Tompkins County’s emergency cold-weather shelter this year, adding those duties to their existing agreement to run the county-owned permanent housing shelter when it is constructed.  The contract with Rochester-based VOA was unanimously approved by the Tompkins County Legislature on Tuesday. VOA will operate the shelter out of the Cherry Street location soon to be vacated by Found in Ithaca, a vintage and antique marketplace, which is moving elsewhere.

ITHACA, N.Y. — Nighttime low temperatures are set to dip below freezing Thursday night for the first time this fall. Tompkins County will offer emergency shelter to anyone who asks through the state mandated “Code Blue” program. Tompkins County does not have a conventional congregate facility available, so those seeking shelter are expected to be provided rooms in local motels at no cost.

ITHACA, N.Y. — The City of Ithaca’s proposed 2026 budget tops $112 million, about a $6.1 million increase from 2025. City Manager Deborah Mohlenoff presented her proposed budget to the Common Council on Oct. 6. Spending increases, she said, are “based on the cost of doing business” for the city, and the budget is aimed at slowing down the rapid growth in property taxes seen in recent years without slashing services.

ITHACA, N.Y. — Cornell University's spending spree in Collegetown doesn't appear to be over yet, as the university moved forward with plans to purchase the property at 209-215 Dryden Road, just steps from the Big Red's campus. The Breazzano Family Center is a six-story, 76,200 square-foot office and academic building, purposely built for Cornell's use by developers John Novarr and Phil Proujansky in 2017…

This is an opinion piece written by Ward 3 Alderperson David Shapiro. It was not written by The Ithaca Voice. To submit opinion pieces, please send them to Matt Butler at mbutler@ithacavoice.org. Every year when budget season arrives, we face the same dilemma: our city has more needs than it has dollars. This year, two proposals in particular highlight that tension.

ITHACA, N.Y. — The hills are changing color. There’s a distinct crispness in the air. It can all mean only one thing: budget season is upon us here in the City of Ithaca. The city’s yearly operating budget covers everything from property tax rates to availability of city-funded youth programs to parking rates in municipal garages. Common councilmembers received an…

ITHACA, N.Y. — Being a senior in high school comes with its fair share of challenges — college essays, placement exams and navigating the complicated world of being a teenager with adult responsibilities looming on the horizon are a few examples. And yet, some students in Tompkins County have managed to balance all of this with the additional responsibility of helping local governments create climate policy, with the goal of not only protecting the county’s natural environments but also building resilience against a warming climate.

ITHACA, N.Y. — Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo announced on Friday the formation of an advisory committee to study the financial compensation the city’s elected officials receive. The group will be responsible for delivering a report and recommendations on what elected officials in Ithaca should be paid. Its members will be tasked with reviewing pay structure in similarly sized municipalities, work requirements of council members, as well as living wage standards in Ithaca.

ITHACA, N.Y. — Local officials and public schools received a spate of threatening emails Monday morning, spurring an investigation from federal and local law enforcement. Tompkins County Sheriff Derek Osborne said in a press release that the threats appear to be part of a larger campaign, as several other counties reported similar incidents Monday morning. Osborne said local law enforcement is investigating the threats, as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

NEWFIELD, N.Y. — Law enforcement responded to a fatal two-vehicle crash that killed a Newfield man over the weekend. Officials said Shaquille M. Stuttle, 31, was pronounced dead at the scene after a black 2019 Toyota 4-Runner struck his Honda CR-V while he attempted to cross Route 34 while driving east down Decker Road in the town of Newfield around 11:13 a.m.

ITHACA, N.Y. -- It feels uncannily summer-like right now, other than the early sunsets and late sunrises. However, this heat will be replaced with more autumnal conditions following a sharp cold front Tuesday night, which will also be our only chance for significant rain this week. If you're waiting for sweater weather, hang on, it's coming. Dry conditions continue into Sunday.

This story originally appeared in New York Focus, a nonprofit news publication investigating power in New York. Sign up for their newsletter here. ALBANY, N.Y. — In theory, the process that determines your energy bills plays out in public, through innumerable documents and comments posted online and hearings that are open to all.  In practice, watchdogs say, the key decisions are made behind closed doors, in confidential settlement proceedings where utilities set the agenda and bring legal firepower that is impossible for most other participants to match. 

ITHACA, N.Y. — Cayuga Health and Foodnet Meals on Wheels have announced a new partnership that intends to bring food and connection for senior citizens throughout Tompkins County. Starting on Oct. 23, the two organizations will collaborate to provide weekly community dining lunches served at Cayuga Health’s location at The Shops at Ithaca Mall in the former Sears location. Doors will open each Thursday at 11 a.m.

ITHACA, N.Y. — What happens when you try to ban students from using smartphones throughout the school day? In the Ithaca City School District (ICSD), in practice, the state-mandated ban hasn’t resulted in a total, cold turkey elimination of student phone use. Nevertheless, hundreds of students and educators across two schools reported a significant, across-the-board decline in student cell phone usage, according to student-run surveys.

ITHACA, N.Y. — The first frost advisory of the season has been put into effect for the overnight hours leading into Thursday morning. The National Weather Service announced that the temperature is expected to dip between 33 to 38 degrees from midnight Thursday until 8 a.m., which will result in frost formation. The most direct threat of the low temperatures is to outdoor plants.

ITHACA, N.Y. — A candidate forum for the Tompkins County Legislature revolved around affordability issues — a perennial concern in Tompkins County — and raising the minimum wage, along with the looming financial challenges the county will face as a result of federal spending cuts. There are 16 open seats on the Tompkins County Legislature, but just four of them…

ITHACA, N.Y. — Steeped in the waters of the Finger Lakes, and raised among their rolling hills, Yvonne Taylor knows just how precious the nature that surrounds her is. For her commitment to keeping titans of industry from changing that, she’s now been recognized as one of the most influential climate leaders in the country. Taylor, the co-founder and vice president of advocacy group Seneca Lake Guardian, was named to Grist’s List of National Climate Leaders, one of the most prominent environmental awards in the country.

ITHACA, N.Y. — Ithaca’s New Roots Charter School started the school year earlier this month with its first official middle school cohort. The school enrolled 50 students in grades 6 – 8, who are split between two mixed-age classrooms. The “Montessori-inspired” charter school received formal state approval to add a middle school program during its charter renewal process in February…

ITHACA, N.Y. — A long-awaited proposal for a community responder program is now being considered by the City of Ithaca’s Common Council. The proposal would introduce a team of unarmed responders aimed at reducing reliance on traditional law enforcement for non-violent calls, as well as reducing disproportionate contact between vulnerable populations and the criminal justice system. The program is tentatively named Responders Offering Outreach, Trust and Support, or the ROOTS Team.

Robert Louis “Bob” Stull of Ithaca, New York, passed away on August 13, 2025 at the age of 94. Born in Sherman, Illinois on July 26, 1931 to parents Fred Allen Stull and Mary Ellen McCue Stull, Bob was the second of five children: Richard Francis McCue (deceased), John Frederick “Freddie” Stull, Freida Stull Green, and Thomas Stull. Bob graduated from Williamsville, IL, high school in 1949.

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Following last week's rainy weather, it's back to our drier daily grind. High pressure remains in control for the week ahead, so this will be one of the very rare instances of a forecast with no precipitation in it. The weather will be great for your early fall festivities, especially with some cooler temps with mid-week, but some of the advancement we made against the statewide drought will evaporate over the next several days.

ITHACA, N.Y. — The annual Apple Harvest Festival has begun, as of Friday afternoon, as scores of visitors will descend on the Ithaca Commons for a weekend of apple-themed products and festivities, live music and food. The festival kicked off at noon on Friday and will run until Sunday evening. Each day will feature a variety of musical performances, though it does not appear that a schedule has been released.

ITHACA, N.Y. — Telling someone to kick rocks may be a sign of frustration, but for Community Science Institute volunteers (CSI), it is a call to action — a call for science. On a cool August morning, CSI volunteers Di Florini, Lucy Gagliardo, Beth Burton and CSI’s water quality scientist Dan Pascucci, met up at 600 Road in Slaterville Springs. …

LANSING, N.Y. — A longtime retail staple of Tompkins County has a new owner after 60 years. The Triphammer Marketplace has been sold by one prominent local family to another well-known local name. The plaza sold on Sept. 19 for $11.98 million, according to the deed filed with the Tompkins County Clerk. It was sold by Triphammer Development Co. Inc., the business entity of the Thaler family of real estate owner-developers, and was bought by Triphammer Partners LLC, comprised of the husband and wife team of Spencer and Kristen Ferguson Kopko.

“One can find oneself with a reputation for being unreasonably stubborn, my situation from the beginning to the end. . . .” So wrote Carol Rubenstein about her four years gathering, transcribing and translating the poetry and songs of the indigenous people of Sarawak, though it could have been her life’s motto. Carol died on September 4th, 2025, stubborn and beautiful as ever.

DRYDEN, N.Y. — For sale in Dryden: a trio of student dormitories, well-maintained, gently used. For someone with the financial means and the interest, Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3) invites them to drop by and kick the figurative tires. The 117,000 square-foot trio of Tioughnioga, Seneca and Cascadilla Halls, were built in the late 2000s off Farview Drive. Designed to host 402 students in 107 suite-style dorm units, the dorms sit on 28.05 acres which can be subdivided following negotiations with a potential buyer.

ITHACA, N.Y. — Tuesday was a short meeting for the City of Ithaca Planning and Development board, featuring a Collegetown midrise receiving final approvals to move forward with construction permits, while a lack of Planning Board members stymied a signage plan for a small business. The Planning Board is still seeking members to avoid such situations. Use this table of contents to navigate to a specific project covered during the meeting.

Mark A. King, age 65 of Wappinger, NY, passed away suddenly on September 18, 2025. Mark was born in Ithaca, NY on January 20, 1960 the son of Alberta Jane Claflin, and the late (Donald) Claflin and the son of the late Donald A. King. Mark had his own construction business for many years which he loved going to every day.

ITHACA, N.Y. — Voters will have another opportunity to speak with candidates for the Tompkins County Legislature ahead of upcoming elections this November. The non-partisan event will be hosted at the Tompkins County Public Library’s BorgWarner room on Monday, Sept. 29 from noon to 2 p.m. The Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce, the Community Foundation of Tompkins County and the Ithaca Board of Realtors are organizing the event.

ITHACA, N.Y. — A former Ithaca College student who went missing from Buttermilk Falls earlier this month has been found safe in Pennsylvania over the weekend, police confirmed. Former Ithaca College student Jonathan D’Agostino had been missing since Sept. 7, when he was reportedly last seen leaving the school’s campus. D’Agostino had reportedly abandoned his phone, car and other possessions at Buttermilk Falls State Park along with a concerning note, according to a report from…

ITHACA, N.Y. — U.S. Rep Josh Riley was among the 95 Democrats who voted in favor of a bipartisan resolution condemning political violence and honoring the life and legacy of conservative pundit Charlie Kirk. Kirk was shot and killed by a gunman on Sept. 10 in Utah. Riley represents New York’s 19th district, of which Ithaca is a part, in the U.S.

ITHACA, N.Y. — The technology for bicycles has remained pretty much unchanged since their invention in the early 1800s. Two wheels, a steel frame and some pedals can go quite far, and a new bike shop in downtown Ithaca wants to make sure of that. Sebastian Desystemizer is the owner of newly opened bicycle shop Old Steel. Its small storefront is wedged between Zaza’s and a former barbershop.

ITHACA, N.Y.— A former employee and current resident of the troubled Asteri building said he is pursuing legal action against the company that owns the building over allegations of wage theft. Three other former employees also described similar issues in interviews with The Ithaca Voice. The downtown Ithaca building, which opened in August 2024 with promise and fanfare, introduced 181 units of affordable housing, including 40 units of housing for people transitioning out of homelessness.

ITHACA, N.Y. — Musicians of all stripes took to dozens of tiny stages throughout Ithaca’s Fall Creek neighborhood this Sunday for the city’s annual Porchfest celebration. Thousands of revelers swing danced, toe tapped and moshed in neighborhood streets and backyards in a music-festival-meets-block-party spectacle, all set against a glorious September day. Works by budding sidewalk chalk Picassos, Ithaca’s culinary artists and dozens of other local artisans and creators were also on display. All photos by Casey Martin, for The Ithaca Voice. Navigate the gallery by using the arrow buttons, or swipe if viewing on a cell phone.

ITHACA, N.Y. — Many students may be fond of repeating the age-old complaint that their school lunches sometimes feel like they should be tested in a laboratory. Now, with the help of a new $617,770 federal grant, Ithaca City School District (ICSD) will partner with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) laboratories to do just that. It’s part of a larger effort to “review and enhance meal offerings” and phase out “ultra-processed” foods, per a Sept.

ITHACA, N.Y. — Bouquets of flowers, hundreds of tea lights and La Virgen de Guadalupe candles were among the many items marking a makeshift memorial for Cornell University freshman Joselyn Garcia. Garcia was found unresponsive in her dormitory room in the early hours of Sept 19 and was later reported deceased. Her death occurred just a few weeks into her first semester at Cornell.

ITHACA, N.Y. — A two car collision caused minor wrinkles for Sunday's Porchfest festivities. In police scanner recordings, first responders on the scene reported both drivers as alert and responsive. There were no pedestrian injuries reported.  The collision occurred around 11:30 a.m. near the intersection of Cayuga and Lewis Streets in Ithaca’s Fall Creek neighborhood — just as musicians and vendors for Ithaca’s annual Porchfest festival worked to put the finishing touches on their displays.

ITHACA, N.Y. -- For those of you out strolling Porchfest in Fall Creek today or looking to get some yard work done, it will be pleasant close to the weekend. However, an expansive storm system will make things more unsettled for much of the week ahead. Some needed rain is on tap for Tompkins County during the week, and temperatures will trend above normal for the first week of astronomical fall.

ITHACA, N.Y. — On most days, some Ithaca porches are capable only of producing the odd creak or squeak, maybe a wind chime if you’re lucky. This Sunday is an exception as over 160 artists and bands take to dozens of tiny, creaky stages around Fall Creek during the 18th annual Ithaca Porchfest. On Sunday, Sept. 21, aging porches will sag with a myriad musicians and their instruments while others may take to pollinator friendly yards and overgrown driveways throughout Ithaca’s Fall Creek neighborhood — all to bring a free, all-ages, all-genres music festival to the people’s doorstep. 

ITHACA, N.Y. — Dozens of Ithaca teachers and their supporters marched the hallways of the Ithaca City School District’s (ICSD) main offices Thursday afternoon. It’s the latest development in the increasingly heated and visible clash between the teachers union and the school district. The district’s roughly 600 teachers have been negotiating for a new labor contract, after it expired at the end of the last school year…

ITHACA, N.Y. — Tompkins County municipalities have signed a letter addressed to the New York State Department of Conservation (DEC) opposing a state directive that they say would significantly increase the cost of providing sewer services. The Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility is co-owned by the City of Ithaca, the Town of Ithaca and the Town of Dryden, but other municipalities in the county occasionally direct wastewater to the plant.