Your Morning Edition For Friday!
Solar farm approved, homeless problem in Ithaca, electric buses coming to New York, court date set for murder, and latest on workers financial struggles. Plus, FLX Today debuts on Tuesday!
Our editors have been busy curating the most-important news for today’s Morning Edition newsletter. The Morning Edition is a daily digest of the biggest stories that matter to your life in the Finger Lakes. Today’s newsletter is sponsored by Canandaigua Dentistry. Learn more about them and other FingerLakes1.com partners by scrolling down.
What’s News Today? Get Caught Up Fast!
ELECTRIC BUSES: School districts across New York will be receiving almost $70 million in federal funding for electric school buses, via a grant awarded through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Bus rebate competition. It is part of a $1 billion investment from the bipartisan infrastructure law. New York state has made commitments to having all electric school buses by 2035. One challenge with climate-change initiatives is the initial investment in the new technology. [READ MORE]
SOLAR FARM APPROVED: A large solar project in Cayuga County will move forward. The Citizen reports that a 200-megawatt solar generation facility in Northern Cayuga County has been approved. The Electric Generation Siting and the Environment unanimously approved the solar farm that will be developed by Next Era Energy in Conquest. It will be a 900-acre array complex with a total price tag of $215 million. The total property footprint is around 2,300-acres. [READ MORE]
HOMELESS PROBLEM: The Ithaca ‘Jungle’ has been cleaned up. That’s thanks in part to the hard work of local volunteers, who showed up Thursday morning to clean the area. Those who showed up to help said they will return if it gets bad. Some of those who came out to help felt confident that it would since local and regional leaders aren’t doing enough to address the root causes of homelessness. [READ MORE]
COURT DATE SET: An Auburn woman facing a murder charge for a March shooting will go to trial on January 9th, 2023. Shameek Copes, 28, of Auburn has been charged with second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. A trial date was set for January 9th. Copes pleaded not guilty to the murder and weapons charges. Prosecutors say Copes was caught on camera killing Smith. [READ MORE]
LOCAL COMPANY HONORED: A longtime Waterloo business has received a new honor. Sessler Companies has been added to the New York State Historic Business Preservation Registry. The company was nominated by Assemblyman Jeff Gallahan, R-Manchester. The registry was created in 2020 and is administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation in an effort to recognize businesses that have been in operation for over 50 years that have become a fixture in their community and contributing to that community’s identity. [READ MORE]
MOST WORKERS ARE STRUGGLING: A new workplace study finds that 80% of employees have a problematic level of debt, which includes credit card, medical, and student loan debt. That same study published by the Employee Benefit Research Institute and Greenwald Research found that three-in-four workers agree that employers have a responsibility to make sure employees are mentally and physically well. The Workplace Wellness Survey examines worker attitudes towards employment-based benefits in the workplace, as well as a broad spectrum of financial well-being, employment-based health insurance and retirement benefit issues. [READ MORE]
Let’s Get Social: Something Shared
Did you see the Goodyear Blimp in the Finger Lakes yesterday? If you were among those who spotted the blimp flying over Ontario, Seneca, or Cayuga counties on Thursday – during the afternoon hours – you’re not alone. This photo was captured by Greg Cotterill, of Finger Lakes News Radio.
