The Ithaca Times

Results: Ithaca’s School Budget Overwhelmingly Passes On Tuesday, Ithaca’s voters approved the district’s proposed 2025-26 budget and elected two incumbents and two new members to the board of education, according to preliminary results released by the

Results: Ithaca’s School Budget Overwhelmingly Passes

TCAT Rolls Out Summer Service as New Buses and Staffing Boost Aim to Improve Reliability ITHACA, N.Y. — Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) is set to roll out its summer service on May 25 as the organization’s leaders say they are in a good position

TCAT Rolls Out Summer Service as New Buses and Staffing Boost Aim to Improve Reliability

Cornell Lists Historic President’s House For Sale at $2.5 Million Cornell University listed the historic “Robin Hill” property at 511 Cayuga Heights Road, their official President’s House, for sale at $2.5 million on Thursday.

Cornell Lists Historic President’s House For Sale at $2.5 Million

Council Debates Historic Preservation Impact on Housing Crisis ITHACA, N.Y. — A proposal to place a moratorium on the creation or expansion of historic districts sparked an intense debate at the May 14 meeting of Common Council, with

Council Debates Historic Preservation Impact on Housing Crisis

Ithaca’s Participatory Budgeting Pilot Launches with City Hall Plaza Project ITHACA, N.Y. — The City of Ithaca is introducing its new participatory budgeting process through a small-scale redesign of City Hall Plaza. The pilot project aims to educate the public

Ithaca’s Participatory Budgeting Pilot Launches with City Hall Plaza Project

Election Guide: Seven Candidates, Four Seats on Ithaca’s Board of Education Editor's note: a segment of this story stating that Karen Yearwood was a member of the Revenue Exploration Committee has been removed. She was not a member and the Times

Election Guide: Seven Candidates, Four Seats on Ithaca’s Board of Education

Fifth Ithaca School Cited by Education Department for Academic Underperformance Cayuga Heights Elementary is the latest of nearly half of the schools in the Ithaca City School District (ICSD) to be flagged by the New York State Education Department (NYSED)

Fifth Ithaca School Cited by Education Department for Academic Underperformance

Ithaca Tenants Ramp Up Pressure for Rent Control As City Vacancy Study Stalls ITHACA, N.Y. — With approximately 75% of Ithaca residents living in rental housing and the majority of those renters classified as cost burdened, the Ithaca Tenants Union (ITU) is pushing

Ithaca Tenants Ramp Up Pressure for Rent Control As City Vacancy Study Stalls

The Ithaca Times: A New Chapter for a Community Institution Last week, ownership of the Ithaca Times was transferred to Pathways to Equity, Inc., a​n ​​Ithaca-based non-profit organization. Jim Bilinski, publisher of the Times for over 50 years, since even

The Ithaca Times: A New Chapter for a Community Institution

Ithaca Planning Board Reviews Downsized Waters Edge Development ITHACA, N.Y. — The long-anticipated Waters Edge development on Ithaca’s waterfront has been dramatically scaled back since it was first presented to the planning board, leaving members of the board

Ithaca Planning Board Reviews Downsized Waters Edge Development

Shared Kitchen Ithaca Opens to Expand Food Entrepreneurship Opportunities ITHACA, N.Y. — Shared Kitchen Ithaca, a new nonprofit organization offering a state-of-the-art shared-use commercial kitchen, is officially scheduled to open on May 8, providing small and emerging foo...

Shared Kitchen Ithaca Opens to Expand Food Entrepreneurship Opportunities

Federal Agents Detain Farmworkers On Bus to Work, Union Says Immigrant Organizers Targeted ALBION, N.Y. — Federal immigration agents stopped a bus of farmworkers on their way to work Friday morning and detained between 14 individuals, some of whom were leaders in a

Federal Agents Detain Farmworkers On Bus to Work, Union Says Immigrant Organizers Targeted

At Least Six Cornell Students Have Had Visas Revoked By State Department ITHACA, N.Y. — At least six international students at Cornell University have had their visas revoked, according to data obtained by the group We Are Higher Ed.

At Least Six Cornell Students Have Had Visas Revoked By State Department

Over $1 Billion of Cornell Federal Funding Frozen, Trump Officials Say The Trump administration has put over $1 billion in funding on hold for Cornell as the university faces a federal investigation from the Department of Education over civil rights complaints.

Over $1 Billion of Cornell Federal Funding Frozen, Trump Officials Say

Tompkins County Legislators Push for Independent Investigation into NYSEG Legislators in Tompkins County are calling on the New York State Legislature to commission an independent investigation into New York State Electric & Gas Corporation (NYSEG) as constituents repor...

Tompkins County Legislators Push for Independent Investigation into NYSEG

Affordable Housing, Daycare Coming to Downtown Ithaca ITHACA — The Ithaca Common Council has approved the transfer of city-owned property at 205 West State Street to the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency (IURA), paving the way for a

Affordable Senior Housing, Daycare Coming to Downtown Ithaca

Ithaca to Adopt FEMA Flood Maps, Impacted Residents Must Buy Flood Insurance by June 18 ITHACA, N.Y. — The Ithaca Common Council voted unanimously on April 9 to advance legislation to align the city’s floodplain regulations with updated FEMA and New York State Department of

Ithaca to Adopt FEMA Flood Maps, Impacted Residents Must Buy Flood Insurance by June 18

Ithaca Reviews Revised Encampment Plan, Eyes Major Improvements for Southwest Park This article has been updated with information from the updated report presented to the Ithaca Common Council on Wednesday, April 9, 2025.ITHACA, N.Y — An updated draft report from Ithaca’s

Ithaca Reviews Revised Encampment Plan, Eyes Major Improvements for Southwest Park

Ithaca Unions Demand Fair Wages as Cost of Living Soars Update Thursday, March 27: This story first appeared in the Wednesday, March 26 edition of the Ithaca Times. Since then, Cornell and the Graduate Students Union have reached a tentative

Ithaca Unions Demand Fair Wages as Cost of Living Soars

Ithaca Carshare Celebrates One-Year Back On The Road, Plans Expansion ITHACA, N.Y. — One year after relaunching operations, Ithaca Carshare has recorded over 11,000 bookings and helped community members travel more than 165,000 miles.

Ithaca Carshare Celebrates One-Year Back On The Road, Plans Expansion

Strike Unlikely as TCAT Workers and Management Reach Tentative Agreement After lengthy negotiations and an overwhelmingly-approved strike authorization vote, Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) workers and management have reached a tentative agreement and have made a...

Strike Unlikely as TCAT Workers and Management Reach Tentative Agreement www.ithaca.com/news/tompkin...

Momodou Taal’s Lawyers Notified of Visa Revocation Before Trial Against Trump Free Speech Violations ITHACA, N.Y. — Momodou Taal’s student visa has been revoked by the Department of State, according to a Justice Department email sent to Taal’s legal team just four days before

The Justice Department says that Momodou Taal’s visa was revoked on March 14, but they didn't notify Taal’s legal team until March 21, just four days before he was scheduled to appear in trial for his lawsuit against the Trump administration. www.ithaca.com/news/ithaca/...

Federal Agents Could Try to Detain Cornell Grad Momodou Taal Ahead of Court Hearing on Trump’s Free Speech Crackdowns ITHACA, N.Y. — Days after filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration that challenges the constitutionality of two executive orders that violate free speech, Cornell graduate student Momodou Taa...

When asked about the credibility of reports that federal agents could be trying to detain Taal before he can make his case against Trump in court, immigration attorney Eric Lee said, “Those reports are very credible.”

Ithaca Common Council Approves $30,000 Municipal Fee Study to Examine Cost Recovery Model ITHACA, N.Y. — The Ithaca Common Council has approved a $30,000 contract for a municipal fee study to establish a framework for evaluating and adjusting city fees.

Ithaca Common Council Approves $30,000 Municipal Fee Study to Examine Cost Recovery Model

Ithaca School District Proposes “Rollover” Tax Cap Budget The Ithaca City School District (ICSD) has revealed preliminary budget numbers for the 2025-26 academic year. The district is proposing a “rollover” budget that meets the state tax cap, responding

Ithaca School District Proposes “Rollover” Tax Cap Budget

Library Place Tax Abatement Moves to New Ownership as Travis Hyde Faces Financial Strain On Wednesday, the Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency (TCIDA) made the unconventional decision to transfer the tax abatement for Library Place, a downtown luxury housing development, to the ...

Library Place Tax Abatement Moves to New Ownership as Travis Hyde Faces Financial Strain

West End Diorama Finds Permanent Home at Cherry Gallery ITHACA, N.Y. — The Cherry Gallery will become the new long-term home of the West End Diorama, a meticulously crafted scale model that recreates Ithaca’s West End neighborhood as it

West End Diorama Finds Permanent Home at Cherry Gallery

Cornell Students Sue Trump Administration Over Free Speech Violations ITHACA, N.Y. — A Cornell professor and two graduate students have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, challenging executive orders that unconstitutionally suppress free speech and threat...

A Cornell professor and two graduate students have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, challenging executive orders that unconstitutionally suppress free speech and threaten international students who criticize U.S. foreign policy

Ithaca College Faces Federal Civil Rights Investigation Into Race-Based Scholarships Amid federal pushback on DEI, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has opened an investigation into scholarships geared toward students of color at Ithaca College.

Ithaca College Faces Federal Civil Rights Investigation Into Race-Based Scholarships

TCAT Workers Approve Strike Authorization Vote With 84% Support ITHACA, N.Y. — Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) workers have overwhelmingly approved a strike authorization vote, with 84% of union members voting in favor, the United Auto Workers (UAW) TCAT

Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) workers have overwhelmingly approved a strike authorization vote, with 84% of union members voting in favor, the United Auto Workers (UAW) TCAT Bargaining Team announced Wednesday.