Author: ed

Investigators have revealed that a 23-year-old law student who later died in a failed terror plot in Nevada had previously planned a mass shooting at Siena University. Key Data/Impact Section Context & Event Details Official Response & Safety Sources

ITHACA, N.Y. — Tompkins County legislators rejected two new size options for a planned Center of Government on March 3, deciding instead to stick with the direction set in 2025 after neither alternative won a majority. County Administrator Korsah Akumfi and Deputy Administrator Norma Jayne had presented four-story concepts at 37,850 and 57,521 square feet, but both failed to pass following debate over scope and cost. According to the administrators, space shortages and years of deferred facility work leave no viable “do nothing” path. Cost concerns drove much of the dissent. Legislator Iris Packman estimated about $20 million in debt…

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — A Cornell University student was arrested Saturday at Syracuse University after police found him carrying a firearm, authorities said. Mateu Healey-Parera, a member of Cornell’s College of Art, Architecture and Planning, was taken into custody at approximately 4 p.m. at the Schine Student Center while waiting for a bus back to Ithaca, according to the Syracuse Police Department. Police said Healey-Parera possessed a bolt-action rifle, along with 40 rounds of ammunition. He was charged with criminal possession of a weapon on school grounds, a felony under New York State law. Healey-Parera, who is from Mansfield Center, Connecticut,…

ITHACA, N.Y. — Members of a joint law enforcement task force seized more than 50 grams of methamphetamine during a traffic stop on West Buffalo Street late Sunday evening, authorities said. The stop occurred around 10 p.m. near the 800 block of W. Buffalo Street and involved a vehicle carrying three Ithaca residents: 35-year-olds Omar J. Punter and Christopher L. Wright, and 29-year-old Destynie M. Wilkinson. A small child was also in the vehicle and was turned over to an uninvolved immediate family member. The traffic stop was conducted by the Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) detail, a collaborative effort…

DRYDEN, N.Y. — Local officials and developers gathered in the Town of Dryden this week to break ground on The Villas at Maple Ridge, a new senior living community designed to address the regional shortage of age-restricted affordable housing. The project, located off Route 13, will provide modern, accessible living spaces specifically for residents aged 55 and older. The development is a collaborative effort between private developers and local housing agencies, using state tax credits and regional grants to ensure a portion of the units remain below market rate. The site plan for The Villas at Maple Ridge features community…

ITHACA, N.Y. — New York State Assemblymember Anna Kelles announced Saturday that she will seek reelection to represent the 125th Assembly District. Kelles, a Democrat who was first elected to the seat in 2020, currently represents a district that encompasses all of Tompkins County and the City of Cortland. During her announcement, Kelles highlighted her legislative focus on environmental protection, affordable housing, and healthcare access. She cited her work on the “Build Public Renewables Act” and her advocacy for the “Coverage for All” bill as key pillars of her platform. Kelles stated that her primary goal for a potential third…

ITHACA, N.Y. — FedEx has confirmed it will close its shipping center on Warren Road in Ithaca this June, marking the latest local impact of the company’s multi-year “Network 2.0” restructuring strategy. The initiative, which began in 2022, aims to consolidate FedEx’s historically separate Ground and Express operations into a single, integrated network. By merging these divisions, the company intends to eliminate redundant delivery routes and streamline package processing, with a stated goal of achieving $2 billion in annual savings by the end of 2027. The Ithaca closure is part of a broader wave of shutdowns across Upstate and Central…

ITHACA, N.Y. — The three-story building that has served as the longtime home of the Ithaca Times at 109 N. Cayuga St. is officially on the market for $1.885 million. Longtime owner Jim Bilinski, who purchased the property in 1987 and served as the publication’s publisher for 53 years, is selling the 9,012-square-foot structure . The building houses the newspaper’s offices on the ground floor and eight apartments on the upper levels, which were converted from 20 hotel rooms during a late-1980s renovation. The sale follows a broader transition for the publication, which moved to nonprofit ownership under Pathways to…

ITHACA, N.Y. — Assemblymember Anna Kelles has officially launched her bid for a fourth term representing New York’s 125th District, which includes Tompkins and Cortland counties. Kelles, a Trumansburg native first elected in 2020, began the petitioning process earlier this week and held an official campaign launch party Tuesday at the Argos Inn. “Anna is a devoted and tireless public servant who harnesses the capacity to address the impact of health care, racial justice, childcare, reproductive care, environment, food insecurity, housing, and more across the community,” said Linda Hoffman, chair of the Tompkins County Democratic Committee. Kelles has received the…