Feature

If you live, work, or walk around Ithaca, you probably remember the headlines from 2021. The city was abuzz with a radical idea to "reimagine public safety"; with some calling to "abolish the police." The headlines were loud, but the complex policy reality left many residents scratching their heads, wondering: Who will show up when I call for help? Five years later, we have an answer. The heated political rhetoric has cooled, giving way to a new reality that is now live on ou

If you’ve been following local news, you know that 2026 is already a year of big shifts for Ithaca. But while we’ve been talking about housing dashboards and school closures, a major change to food security just quietly went live. As of March 1, 2026 , a longstanding New York State waiver has expired. For many of our neighbors relying on SNAP (formerly food stamps), the "rules of the game" just changed significantly due to the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 . What

Whether you’ve been following the local headlines or noticed the "Flock Off Ithaca" signs around town, the debate over Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) just reached a major turning point. This week, the Ithaca Common Council made a definitive move regarding the city’s relationship with surveillance technology. Here is a breakdown of the recent decision to end the Flock camera contract and what it means for our community. The Vote: Ithaca Says "No" to Flock On Wednesday

On February 19, 2026, the Dryden Town Board voted unanimously to permanently ban data centers and commercial cryptocurrency mining operations . This makes Dryden the first town in New York to implement such a total prohibition. Why the ban? Energy Grid Strain:  Officials and the Climate Action Committee argued that data centers consume "exorbitant" amounts of electricity, which could lead to higher utility rates (NYSEG) for local residents. Climate Goals:  New York’s Climate

With all of the talk of a local AI data center, I was curious what the LLM's themselves would say about the environmental impact of AI. I asked them to present it as a student report. Gemini: As a student diving into this, the main thing I’ve realized is that AI’s environmental impact is a massive paradox. It’s essentially a "high-cost, high-reward" scenario where the technology we need to save the planet is also one of the fastest-growing threats to our energy and water st

Our recent story on the upcoming closure of Kinney Drugs on March 5, 2026, sparked a wonderful conversation among our readers. Thanks to the eagle-eyed members of the NextDoor community , several historical inaccuracies in our original piece were brought to light. To ensure the history of this neighborhood landmark is preserved accurately, we emailed staff at The Tompkins Center for History and Culture , who provided links and access to the archival materials and newspaper re

If you’ve walked through Collegetown, the Commons, or down South Hill anytime in the last five years, you’ve probably asked the same question that dominates every local dinner party: “What are they building there?” Until this month, finding the answer required the patience of a saint. You had to dig through PDF agendas from Planning Board meetings, decipher rumors on Reddit, or wait for the steel beams to actually go up. But as of January 2026, the City of Ithaca has handed u

In early 2026, public attention in Ithaca City School District  shifted toward a tough topic: the possibility  of closing one or more elementary schools. This isn’t a decision that’s been made yet — but it’s one that’s been flagged by a recent study and raised at school board discussions.  What Triggered the Discussion A demographic and financial study  presented to district leaders shows that: Enrollment in the district’s elementary schools has been declining  for years, wit