Part I: An ambitious project to provide permanent supportive housing for some of Ithaca's most vulnerable has garnered renewed scrutiny after an alleged arson attempt last month. The downtown building, Asteri, has also become the subject of a disproportionate number of calls to law enforcement since it opened last year. Now, local officials are seeking accountability. So what's next for the building and its residents?

Part II: Trumansburg's longstanding Grassroots Festival kicked off Thursday. We go back to the roots of the beloved local event with local musician and Grassroots co-founder Jeb Puryear.

Editor’s note: transcript is auto-generated and may contain errors. Access it by clicking the transcript button on the embedded player.

Original air date: July 18, 2025

Produced by Megan Zerez.

Reporting by Megan Zerez and Matt Butler.

Additional episode music: Heaven and The Earth by Donna the Buffalo.

Cover photo by Matt Butler.