Good morning, Ithaca.

Wegmans and the Food Bank of the Southern Tier launched their 32nd annual Check Out Hunger campaign—which lets shoppers donate $2 to $5 at checkout until Saturday, Nov 29—to provide three meals for every dollar donated as rising costs and paused SNAP benefits increase food insecurity in local counties. The campaign has raised over $2 million since 1993 to serve families in need.

Beginnings Credit Union celebrated its new name with a ribbon cutting on November 12th and hosted Business After Hours with the Tompkins Chamber and Downtown Ithaca Alliance; the credit union—formerly CFCU Community Credit Union—marks a fresh start as it continues serving its members.

The Cornell Glee Club will perform its fall concert tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Sage Chapel on East Hill — the free show is open to everyone.

Cornell researchers developed porous ultrafiltration membranes that use machine learning to sort molecules by chemical affinity rather than size.

The study, published on Nov. 13th in Nature Communications, showed that blending block copolymer micelles can pave the way for cost-effective filtration processes in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

On Oct 21, the Cornell Institute for Digital Agriculture held its annual workshop at the Statler Hotel to showcase AI's role in improving agriculture + food systems while bringing together experts from various Cornell colleges and industry partners.

The summit featured keynote talks and project updates that discussed how new AI tools can boost farm productivity and sustainability.

Benny Goldman, an assistant professor at Brooks School, is expanding his research on class gaps and social mobility by mentoring a predoctoral fellow (Mahmoud Majdi) and launching projects that will test cost-effective interventions to help low-income children; his work uses big data to show how a child's environment shapes their future.

Ithaca City School District and the Teachers Association reached a tentative deal on Oct 30 that raises teacher pay with 7% annual increases and expands paid leave (12 weeks for parental and FMLA needs).

The contract draft will be shared with teachers for a two-week vote (before review by the school board) before the new deal is formally adopted.

Sabreen NoorAli is a clinical assistant professor at Ithaca College who studies speech-language pathology and works to help children develop clear speech in more than one language.

Trained in Pakistan and beginning her teaching career in Fall, she uses implementation science—real-world tests of best practices—to improve assessments that rely too much on English.

Cornell researchers found that many U.S. fruit and vegetable farmers believed sustainable practices would add more labor than they actually do.

The study surveyed over 500 farmers and interviewed nearly 50 in New York and California, and it showed that practices such as crop rotations, compost use, and reduced tillage boost farm resilience and lower overall labor needs—researchers say better farmer-to-farmer sharing may help change these views.

In New York's Southern Zone, the firearms hunting season for deer and bear starts Saturday, November 15 and ends December 7.

The state's Department of Environmental Conservation urges hunters to follow safety rules—like wearing a fluorescent hat—and to report their harvest within 48 hours.

Cornell researchers developed ProKAS — a biosensor that uses barcoded peptides and mass spectrometry to track enzyme activity inside living cells, a breakthrough that may guide future cancer treatment research.

The study showed the device quickly processed samples to map kinase activity across cell regions.

Johnny Lisi interviewed WICB sports commentator Colin Martin to preview the upcoming Winter 2025 season of college sports events.

The podcast recorded (November 13) offers local listeners a look at what the season will bring.

Trombone Shorty Concert

7-9 p.m. — State Theatre of Ithaca — Ticket prices vary — Experience the electrifying sounds of Trombone Shorty, a New Orleans legend in the jazz scene.

AG, Food and Environmental Systems In-Service

9 a.m.-6 p.m. — Cornell University — Check Official Website for entry fees — Engage with experts on sustainable agricultural practices and innovative food systems.

Absolute Queen - A Tribute to Queen

8-9:30 p.m. — State Theatre of Ithaca — Tickets available online — Rock out to the legendary hits of Queen with Almost Queen.

Pink Talking Fish Live Performance

7-9:30 p.m. — State Theatre of Ithaca — Tickets available — Experience a unique fusion of Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, and Phish in one unforgettable concert.

Jazz Social at the Regent Lounge

5:00-6:30 p.m. — The Statler Hotel at Cornell University — Free entry — Experience delightful performances from award-winning jazz ensembles in a charming lounge atmosphere.

Macro Workshop with Anmol Bhandari

11:40 AM - 12:55 PM — Ives Hall — No entry fee — Explore macroeconomic theories and applications with a leading economist in an interactive workshop.

Béla Fleck Concert

8:00-9:30 p.m. — State Theatre of Ithaca — Tickets required — Experience an evening of innovative music featuring Béla Fleck and his talented ensemble.

The Wood Brothers Concert

8:00-9:30 p.m. — State Theatre of Ithaca — Tickets available — Experience the soulful folk sounds of The Wood Brothers in the heart of Ithaca.

A Very Merry Classic Christmas with Jessica Lynn

7:00-8:30 p.m. — State Theatre of Ithaca — Ticket prices vary — Enjoy a festive holiday concert featuring award-winning artist Jessica Lynn.