The Ithaca Voice

ITHACA, N.Y. — A hot and humid stretch of weather will set in for the first half of this week, with heat index values likely climbing into the 100s for Tuesday. A drier air mass brings slightly cooler but substantially less humid air for Thursday and Friday, with dry conditions until at least the start of next weekend.

ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca Police Department will now need approval from Common Council before applying for grants to purchase tactical equipment and surveillance technology. Council approved the change Wednesday. Many residents spoke in favor of the resolution, which, as amended, passed 9-1.

ITHACA, N.Y. — The Ithaca Common Council voted Wednesday to make the city the proud owners of the former SSH Reynold J. King U.S. Army Reserve Center at 101 Sunrise Road. The 5.67-acre property on West Hill was sold to the U.S. Army in 1957 and developed into a 14,000 square-foot Army Reserve Training Center, but it has been shuttered since 2018. The federal government deemed the property surplus. The U.S. Army has offered to sell the land to the city for its appraised value of $1.7 million.

ITHACA, N.Y. – The Town of Lansing has become inundated with Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests, which the town supervisor said have cost more than $200,000 to fulfill, strained staff resources and put pressure on the budget which could lead to a tax increase. Lansing Supervisor Ruth Groff said Tuesday that fulfilling FOIL requests, which allow the public to obtain government records under state law, cost the town more than $200,000 from October through mid-June alone.

ITHACA, N.Y. — The City of Ithaca is rolling out a new online tool to help residents report housing and habitability concerns. The tool, announced Wednesday, will allow community members to track code complaints and property maintenance violations, connecting users directly with the City of Ithaca Building Division. According to the Wednesday news release, the tool aims to improve transparency by allowing users to better track the city’s response to complaints.

ITHACA, N.Y. — Fourth Ward Alderperson Patrick Kuehl announced Wednesday that he will resign from Ithaca Common Council effective Aug. 5. Kuehl announced his resignation at the start of Common Council’s Wednesday meeting, cutting short the four-year term he was elected to serve in 2023. He said in a statement that he is stepping down in order to pursue a doctoral degree at the University of Texas at Austin, where he will study American government and public law.

ITHACA, N.Y. — As the City of Ithaca launches the planning process for the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI), officials say they want the community’s help to shape the future of downtown Ithaca. After nine attempts, the city was awarded the coveted $10 million state grant in April to invest in housing, local businesses and other improvements. The DRI is a state program that provides municipalities with funding for projects aimed at revamping downtown districts.

ITHACA, N.Y. – The Tompkins County Office for the Aging (COFA) is set to relocate to 31 Dutch Mill Road in Lansing, as plans for the county’s Center of Government project move forward. The office is scheduled to resume operations on July 20. The downtown office will be closed for visitors on July 16 and 17 to facilitate the move, though residents can still call the office and receive assistance remotely.

ITHACA, N.Y. — Charges have been dropped against Ira McKinley, whose arrest after saving a woman from a dog attack sparked criticism and an outpouring of community support. McKinley was arrested June 13 and charged with two class A misdemeanors — resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration in the second degree — and violations for trespassing and disorderly conduct. The victim of the dog attack, Margaret Wakeley, condemned his arrest, saying she was outraged.

ITHACA, N.Y. – For years, the City of Ithaca’s Collegetown neighborhood has had at least a few construction sites running, and this summer is no exception. Following part one of this summer’s construction series, which looked at Cornell, this second installment takes a look at Gun Hill and Collegetown.