Good morning, Ithaca.

Dairy farmer Tyler Beck of Beck Farms in Freeville is running the New York City Marathon to raise $26,200 for fresh milk donations to local families.

The first donors giving $1,000 or more by Sept. 25 will have their names on his marathon shirt.

Cornell University Library’s Rivers of Ice: Three Centuries of Glacial Science will open Sept.

17 with a reception (5:30 p.m.) at the Hirshland Exhibition Gallery and run through August while photographer James Balog will deliver his talk at 4:30 p.m. in the Hollis E. Cornell Auditorium.

Ithaca Murals uses colorful outdoor art to spark community conversations with over 400 murals (an ongoing living art project emphasizing social justice and inclusion), and the nonprofit will host a Mural Jam on Oct.

4 in Southworks where community members can help paint and celebrate local voices.

Comedian Brad Williams brings his Tall Tales Tour to State Theatre of Ithaca for a 7 p.m. show on Oct.

8. The performer, known for his film roles and comedy specials, draws audiences with engaging humor.

Cornell researchers used a custom germanium metasurface to turn a burst of light into a tiny magnetic field that lasts 300 femtoseconds (about 20 light wave cycles).

Their breakthrough may soon boost quantum and photonic computing and data storage.

Cornell’s Einhorn Center is launching its Community-Engaged Fellowship Program to support 42 new Engaged Fellows from 19 schools for 2026-2027.

Faculty and staff will attend monthly sessions led by university officials to develop community projects and teaching initiatives.

Edgar Medina Tovar joins Cornell’s Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology and Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics in September as an assistant research professor and will begin as an assistant professor in January 2027 (he will study fungal evolution to develop antifungal treatments).

Governor Hochul announced on Wednesday, Sept.

2 that over 400 districts will expand the free pre-k program for thousands of four-year-olds statewide – marking the largest increase in pre-k funding in state history. The program will be universally available by the start of the 2028-2029 school year.

COVID-19 positive tests in New York increased from 70 in early July to 383 by Aug.

28 (CDC rates activity as very low), with experts noting the rise as part of a seasonal pattern when summer ended.

A longtime Dryden property owner met with the town planning board on Aug.

27 to request a zoning exception for expanding housing at Hillside Apartments off 253 Ringwood Road near Yellow Barn State Forest. The Cornelius family plans to add five duplexes to its 47-acre site pending review by town officials.

Ithaca College women’s soccer lost in overtime last season, and the Bombers will boost their offense along with a stronger defense for a championship push in 2026.

Coach Mindy Quigg said improved communication is key for the team’s future success.