Good morning, Ithaca.

The Tompkins County Office for the Aging is asking for nominations for an annual award honoring older adult volunteers who help the community; submissions must be mailed or emailed by Feb.

20, and winners will be recognized at events in May (including Older New Yorker’s Day on May 26 in Albany).

On Jan. 3, the Groton Fire Department quickly contained an attic fire at the Assembly of God Church on South Main Street using mutual aid and limiting damage (with no injuries), and residents can learn volunteer firefighter information at the fire station on designated Wednesday nights.

Governor Hochul last month announced nearly $64,000 to the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail through Empire State Development's Market New York Program to increase tourism to local wineries; the funding targets six million people in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.

Officials say the campaign will help boost the Finger Lakes' winery visits.

Tara Fischer joined the Weill Institute as an assistant professor who will study cell-repair processes and neurodegenerative disease.

She will begin her role in January at Cornell with local interdisciplinary collaborations.

Cornell-led research shows narrative-only performance reviews are considered fairest by employees and help them understand how to improve.

The study tested feedback formats with 1,600 participants and noted that numerical ratings can sometimes make employees feel negatively evaluated & lower motivation.

A Cornell researcher led a study with over 13,000 participants in spring 2024 to test climate messages that increased belief in climate change by about 1.16 points.

The study in Nature Climate Change found the messages did not prompt donations and worked similarly for all political views.

A Cornell psychology professor found that people made flu vaccine decisions based more on the overall impression (gist) of risks and benefits than on precise facts.

The studies tested this theory among college students and local community members and suggested that health messages could better align with core values.

Cornell researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine and Cornell Engineering developed ultrasmall nanoparticles called C’dots that reprogram melanoma tumors to boost immunotherapy effectiveness.

The study published in Nature Nanotechnology suggests the approach may also treat other solid tumors and is funded by the NIH and Parker Institute.

Mint, Shorty, Beau and Buffy are available for adoption from CNY Snap and the Cortland County SPCA.

The four cats range from a playful kitten to a senior companion with special needs, offering diverse options for local families.

Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks at Cornell Big Red Men's Hockey

7-8:30 p.m. — Lynah Rink — Tickets starting at $15 — Catch an exciting NCAA hockey matchup as the Nanooks take on the Big Red in Ithaca.

Live Music – The Soul Benders

6-8 p.m. — Hopshire Farm and Brewery — Free entry — Experience powerful blues and rock from the acclaimed Ithaca-based band The Soul Benders.

Sky Stories - The Round Time

7:30-9:00 p.m. — The Cherry Arts — Ticketed event — Experience the world premiere of Round Time, an aerial showcase of old rhythms and new cycles performed by talented female aerialists.