Ithaca Minute from 14850 Magazine

Ithaca has faced a string of armed robberis at local businesses, including one in Collegetown this week, and there have been two arrests. A Lansing man was arrested soon after a robbery last Sunday morning on Meadow Street. This Tuesday, Ithaca police arrested a 15-year-old juvenile for an armed robbery last Tuesday at the Quik Shoppe convenience store on Ithaca’s northside. In that incident, a subject in a ski mask brandished a handgun and demanded money from the store clerk just before 10pm on July 21st. The A Plus convenience store on Green Street downtown was robbed last Sunday morning as well, and the Hilton Garden Inn was robbed Saturday night by a subject with a similar description to the A Plus. Then the University Deli and Grocery on Eddy Street in Collegetown was robbed on Monday night, and again, that person had a similar description. Police haven’t said whether the 15-year-old arrested for the Quik Shoppe robbery is a suspect in the other robberies. Victims have described the robbers as a young black or dark skinned male, heavy set or average build. Police ask anyone with information about the cases to call IPD at 607-272-3245. Subscribe to the Ithaca [...]

This episode was originally recorded for Talk of the Town on WVBR. The Downtown Ithaca summer concert series is a top draw each year for locals and visitors to the area, and after a short delay, the Downtown Ithaca Alliance has announced a summer lineup that will kick off beginning July 9th. The weekly shows will be virtual, at least at first. We talked to Downtown Ithaca Alliance special events director Scott Rougeau, who announced the lineup last week and laid out the plan. Subscribe to the Ithaca Minute in iTunes or Google Play, RadioPublic, TuneIn, Stitcher, or via RSS feed, or follow 14850.com on Facebook and Twitter.

Here’s the Ithaca Minute from 14850 Today for May 18th. The Ithaca Police Department says they again responded to a report of shots fired late Friday night in the area of South Titus and Geneva or South Cayuga and Clinton Streets, and “a white sports car was observed leaving the area immediately after the gunshots.” A statement from IPD Sergeant Mary Orsaio says no victims were found in the vicinity early Sat morning, and the investigation is continuing. The Ithaca Police Department says officers responded Saturday morning to a report of a suspicious backpack located on the railroad tracks west of Fulton Street near Agway and Ithaca’s “Jungle” area. The caller who found the bag suspected it might contain meth-making materials. Police discovered it to be an active one-pot meth lab and called in the New York State Police Contaminated Crime Scene Emergency Response Team to assist. The New York State Police say 52-year-old Cortland resident Douglas C. Linderberry was pronounced dead at the scene of Saturday afternoon’s one-car crash in the Town of Groton, at the area of Davis and Lafayette Roads. Mr. Linderberry had been “traveling eastbound on Davis Road at a high rate of speed when he [...]

Here’s the Ithaca Minute from 14850 Today for May 15th. The Tompkins County Health Department says they’ve “received notification that a GreenStar employee tested positive for COVID-19. The individual worked multiple shifts at the GreenStar location at 770 Cascadilla Street this weekend.” GreenStar’s new flagship Ithaca store opened just last week. Health Department officials say customers who went inside the store during the employee’s three shifts could have been exposed: Friday, May 8th, 7am-3:15pm Saturday, May 9th, 7am-3:15pm Monday, May 11th, 10:30am-7pm. If you shopped at GreenStar at those times the Health Department suggests you get tested at the Cayuga Health Sampling Site, which is open extended hours Friday, May 15th, 9am-4pm. The Friends of Stewart Park will be giving out free cloth face masks to those who need them this Saturday, May 16, from 1-3pm. They quote Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s statement: “Why wear a mask? Out of respect. When you wear a mask you are saying, I respect my neighbors. When you wear a mask you are saying, I respect nurses and doctors. When you wear a mask you are saying, I respect other people. We all need to show respect to one another in difficult times. Wearing [...]

Here’s the Ithaca Minute from 14850 Today for May 13th. The Spring Plant Sale hosted each year by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County is being moved to the farmers market pavilion at Steamboat Landing for this year, and though admission is free, tickets for admission in specific time slots are being offered online to help keep crowds down. Tickets “sold out” quickly for the initial date of May 17, and organizers have added a second date, May 25. They have timed-entry admission tickets, every hour on the hour: 80 tickets available via pre-registration and 20 spots held for day-of shoppers for each hour. Vendors this year will be limited to primarily edible plant sales under current New York State restrictions. Find more details at 14850.com. The chimes atop Cornell University’s iconic McGraw Tower haven’t been played since the university halted on-campus classes two months ago, but two graduating “chimesmasters” played a concert Tuesday night that will be available online for anyone to listen. The show was livestreamed and is still available to view at live.alumni.cornell.edu. And a Newfield man has been arrested in connection with a string of larcenies after Tompkins County sheriff’s deputies stopped a vehicle they suspected [...]

Here’s the Ithaca Minute from 14850 Today for April 21st. The Ithaca Police Department is investigating the theft of a package from a porch in Ithaca’s west end on Monday afternoon, helped by home security video showing what appears to be a group of teens. A group of four is shown in the video walking by the house, then two stop and one of them plucks a package off the porch and puts it in the other’s backpack. And The Bike Rack in Collegetown has closed its doors after about 49 years, and longtime owner Gary Weidberg has retired. When Gary’s brother Cliff Weidberg started The Bike Rack in 1971, “he was attending Cornell Law and identified a need for quality, affordable bikes and service in a convenient location for the Cornell community,” Gary tells us. He passed the business along to his brother when he graduated, and Gary has since owned and operated the store and an ever-expanding accessory sales business for the 45 years since. Subscribe to the Ithaca Minute in iTunes or Google Play, RadioPublic, TuneIn, Stitcher, or via RSS feed, or follow 14850.com on Facebook and Twitter.

Here’s the Ithaca Minute from 14850 Today for April 16th. The Mirabito gas station and convenience store with a Dunkin Donuts stand on North Triphammer Road closed Wednesday evening for “cleaning and sanitization” of the store. The Tompkins County Health Department says on Thursday afternoon that an employee “is a confirmed COVID-19 case.” A Health Department spokesperson declined to comment to 14850 Today when asked about the case on Thursday morning. Health Department officials say customers who went inside the store during the employee’s two shifts could have been exposed: Thursday, April 9th, 8:45am-1:30pm Friday, April 10th, 2pm-6:30pm If you were inside the store at those times the Health Department suggests you get tested at the Cayuga Health Sampling Site at the Ithaca Mall parking lot, 10am-3pm weekdays. And both the Federal Government’s Internal Revenue Service and the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance have extended this year’s tax deadline from April 15 to July 15. (If you don’t both live and work in New York State, you may still have to file your tax return for another state.) Meantime, you can check the IRS’s Economic Impact Payments page to make sure you’re eligible to receive the stimulus [...]

Here’s the Ithaca Minute from 14850 Today for April 12th. New York State Troopers brought an injured bald eagle to the Janet Swanson Wildlife Hospital at Cornell University for treatment on Sunday afternoon, according to a statement from the New York State Police. Troopers Dan Huff and Ryan Boline from the Homer barracks responded to a call from the Preble area, where “witnesses told the troopers three of the regal birds were fighting in the air when this one fell to the ground.” The bird was awake and breathing but couldn’t move, according to the State Police. Troopers Huff and Boline “gently placed a blanket over it and placed it in a big tote,” before transporting the eagle to Cornell. The Ithaca Police Department says a “report of a young man being chased by another person that was brandishing a gun” early Saturday evening led to a juvenile individual being detained and charged with criminal possession of a weapon. Officers did find and detain one person in the area, with the assistance of the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Department. “During the course of the investigation a loaded handgun was recovered,” according to IPD. And Easter Bunny helpers Sheriff Derek Osborne andUndersheriff [...]

Here’s the Ithaca Minute from 14850 Today for April 9th. Ithaca’s annual community fireworks show has been canceled for 2020, according to an announcement from City of Ithaca mayor Svante Myrick. “A difficult choice made by the organizers at Rotary,” the Mayor says, “but I believe it is the right choice.” The community fireworks show, organized by the Ithaca Rotary Club for the last few years after Mayor Myrick worked to bring fireworks back to town after being elected eight years ago, typically happens within a couple of days of July 4th each summer. “I will work with Rotary to make sure 2021 is the largest celebration yet,” Mayor Myrick said this afternoon. The Ithaca Festival, the traditional kickoff to summer for Ithaca and Tompkins County, has been postponed to the weekend of August 27th-30th, according to organizers. “The Ithaca Festival Board of Directors and the Executive Director are committed to doing a festival in 2020 as long as it becomes safe to do so.” Participants who’d already applied to perform or be a vendor at the spring event are asked to e-mail organizers at [email protected] to confirm availability for the new dates. Participants should have gotten an e-mail with [...]

Here’s the Ithaca Minute from 14850 Today for April 6th.

Firefighters responding to a barn on Brooktondale road that’s been converted into six apartments found “one apartment heavily involved in fire” on Sunday evening. One apartment was a total loss, but the building was saved, and all occupants escaped safely. Brooktondale firefighters began knocking down the fire, and Ithaca firefighters advanced a hose line into the building towards the involved apartment. Crews also proceeded to the second and third floor of the building to check for occupants, fire, and pets. One iguana was located in the building and was safely removed.

An employee at the Wegmans coffee shop in Ithaca who “worked multiple shifts at Wegmans during the past two weeks” is a confirmed COVID-19 case, according to the Tompkins County Health Department.

If you were within six feet of any employee of the Wegmans Coffee Shop between Monday, March 23 and Saturday, April 4, 2020, the Health Department suggests you get tested at the Cayuga Health Sampling Site at the Shops at Ithaca Mall.

And the Ithaca Police Department took a moment on Saturday to thank two local businesses for generous donations to the department and on-duty officers today. IPD thanked Home Depot for a donation of N95 masks and Clorox wipes, and Sal’s Pizzeria for their kind donation of pizza and wings for the C-line staff.

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