Ithaca woman wraps houses in plastic, fears asbestos from former library (2024)

A woman in Ithaca has sealed up the homes she rents with plastic in fear of she says are chemicals coming from across the street. Susan Kramer’s properties aren’t hard to see. She has several on West Court Street in Ithaca and they are all wrapped in plastic at the entrances and windows. Across the street, the old Tompkins County... more

Citizens Bank said it is playing a key role in the financing package for an affordable housing project in the town of Geneva. The bank, which has a branch on Hamilton Street in Geneva, said its Community Development Group is providing a $9.4 million letter of credit for Town Side at Pre-Emption, an $18.5 million, 88-unit affordable housing project on... more

A former Rochester City School District administrator is on track to be the next superintendent of Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES. The BOCES board said it has selected Vicky Ramos as the new district superintendent, pending successful contract negotiations. The formal appointment is expected to come at the BOCES board’s meeting on Jan. 7. Ramos would begin her new job in April.... more

Earlier this month, police reported that three youth stabbed a man near the Ithaca Commons. The process for the felony charges for the minors was a little different for police and prosecutors, as it was the first time they had to navigate new Raise the Age legislation for a serious crime in Tompkins County. Raise the Age legislation, signed by... more

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., have plenty of disagreements, with one notable exception: industrial hemp. Both agreed it was time to decriminalize industrial hemp. The two vigorously pushed through a new Farm Bill, recently signed by President Donald Trump, that removes industrial hemp from list of controlled substances. Why? Both Kentucky and... more

What were the biggest issues in 2018? Many of them came at the end of the year, as elected officials primed and previewed 2019 agendas. On this episode of The Debrief Podcast, Josh Durso and Ted Baker sit down to discuss what was, and what will be in the world of politics moving forward. . more

On December 26th at approximately 3:50 p.m. deputies responded to the Petro truck stop at 1255 State Route 414 for the report of a vehicle that had been driving erratically while on the Thruway. Deputies say the report indicated that the vehicle almost struck a parked car at another location. Deputies were able to locate the suspected vehicle and spoke... more

Thedeadline forbids to keep Sears from bankruptcy is later today, but the end is near either way for the MarketplaceMall store. Sears Holdings will close another 80 Sears and Kmart stores in late March 2019, and theHenrietta location is on the list. The closing will mark the exit of Sears from the Rochester retail scene. TheEastview Mall locationin Victor closed... more

An Auburn man is facing criminal charges after allegedly attacking a woman Thursday night, the Auburn Police Department said. Emmanuel L. Walls Sr., 34, of 273 State St., Apt. 2, was charged with aggravated criminal contempt, a class D felony; obstruction of breathing, third-degree assault, and second-degree criminal contempt, all class A misdemeanors. Police said Walls attacked a woman around... more

A new eatery is open for business at Eastview Mall. Prime Steak House, a 8,600 square foot restaurant, is the second location for Prime, and the first in the Rochester region. The restaurant specializes in steak but also offers a wide array of seafood dishes as well. The Eastview location features “an extensive wine room and a private dining area... more

The final legislative session of the 2018 calendar year in Seneca Falls didn’t go without some controversy, as the Board weighed in on typical end of year issues. First, a budget modification to deal with a shortfall in the Vince’s Park budget. While it’s unclear what caused the shortfall, Accounts Clerk Bev Warfel explained to the Board via email on... more

What does the future of law enforcement look like in Cayuga County as incoming Sheriff Brian Schenck takes office on Jan. 1, 2019? While change is inevitable during any leadership transition, like the one experienced by the Sheriff’s Office, Schenck maintains that a lot of things will remain the same. He addressed many of these issues – including his desire... more

Deputies say they responded to a crash involving a garbage truck on State Route 96 in the Town of Manchester on Saturday around 9:20 a.m. A Casella Refuse Truck was traveling on State Route 96 when an equipment failure on the truck caused the rear axle to separate from the 2008 truck. This caused the drive shaft to come apart... more

First responders from Waterloo, Seneca Falls, Fayette, and Border City were called to a structure fire at 107 E. Elisha St. in the village of Waterloo on Saturday. Around 2:45 p.m. firefighters were called to the scene for the report of an active structure fire. Reports on-scene indicate that an active fire was found upon arrival, and quickly extinguished within... more

Deputies announced the arrest of a 39-year-old fugitive following his appearance on a Rochester-area morning show. Anthony Lamarca, 39, of Rochester was indicted on third-degree grand larceny charges after being on the run from law enforcement for over a year. Deputies say he was located after being identified while being interviewed by a reporter on the Good Day Rochester morning... more

A bill that would have allowed those grieving to take more time off to grieve the loss of a loved one has been rejected by New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The legislation would have amended the Paid Family Leave Act to include bereavement. Cuomo vetoed the bill on Friday. If it had been approved, workers could have taken off... more

A flight from Ithaca headed to Dulles International Airport in Washington D.C. has been diverted to State College, Pennsylvania. According to the United Airlines automated flight tracking system, the flight left Ithaca just before 3 p.m. Friday, and made an unexpected landing at University Park Airport just after 3:50 p.m. According to the Executive Director at University Park, there was... more

Police in Newark say a 17-year-old is facing charges after falsely reporting a home invasion and abduction. According to police, officers responded to a home on Church Street on December 18 after receiving a report of a home invasion. It was later determined no such events took place. The teenager was charged with falsely reporting an incident and making a... more