Good morning, Ithaca.

Ithaca’s Seen Nutrition, a bone-health start-up, won $500,000 at the state-funded Grow-NY Food and Agriculture Startup Competition for its patented real-food calcium supplement—made with New York milk.

The company plans to hire locally in operations, finance, sales and medical marketing to expand its product line and help women build strong bones.

A locally made Stockinghall Cheddar from Old Chatham Creamery won best American-produced cheese and tied for fifth-best in the world at the World Cheese Awards in Bern, Switzerland—head cheesemaker Jeremiah Timmins said he was surprised when Murray’s Cheese submitted the batch during a delivery run. He said the win encourages him to continue refining the cheesemaking process.

A local marketing expert advised that businesses succeed by focusing on one clear promise instead of offering a range of unfocused services—this strategy builds customer trust and long-term loyalty.

The expert cautioned that trying to be all things to all people often leads to vague messaging and customer disconnect.

Sheriff Derek Osborne said 44 year old Nathan Cramer was found safe after he went missing around 7:15 a.m. on November 28th following Thanksgiving—no further details were released.

The Fashion Speaks Gala hosted by Cornell Fashion Industry Network on November 15 at the Statler Hotel ballroom brought together fashion leaders — including designer Prabal Gurung and former executives from Givenchy and Vera Wang — with Cornell fashion students in shimmering gowns and tailored tuxedos. The event offered direct industry advice on design, marketing and sustainability while bridging students to hands-on networking opportunities.

A Cornell lab made the darkest fabric ever using a simple two-step process that copies the light-absorbing structure of riflebird feathers—its method uses a special dye and plasma etching to create nanofibrils that trap light.

The researchers have applied for a patent and plan to use the fabric in cameras, solar panels and wearable designs.

Cornell faculty received CTI's Innovative Teaching and Learning grants for the academic year 2024 to 2025 to study how students learn by telling stories and reflecting on their work.

The projects use tools like AI to help teachers see how students think in STEM and engineering courses—shaping future lessons.

Cornell researchers found that ancient olive oil marks on pottery may be misidentified when calcareous soils break down its residues, raising questions about past claims.

The team ran lab tests using soils from Cyprus and New York—this work will guide future studies in ancient residue analysis.

A Cornell study compared Mud Pond and Texas Hollow Pond and found that small differences in depth and light led Texas Hollow to emit more than twice the carbon dioxide while Mud Pond released nearly double the methane.

Researchers say the findings — which reveal new details on pond gas behavior — will guide future research to refine carbon emission models in New York ponds.

Cornell’s Climate Initiative, AI Initiative and Atkinson Center announced eight AI and Climate Fast Grants to help research teams lower the energy use of artificial intelligence and use AI in environmental work.

Each team will receive between $10,000 and $25,000 plus the grants will support efforts to design more sustainable technology.

The NYS Division of Consumer Protection warned shoppers on Cyber Monday about AI-generated scams and fake online stores that imitated trusted brands.

Officials said New Yorkers lost over $17 million last year to online shopping scams and urged buyers to check website URLs carefully — avoiding fake sites on social media.

Cornell researchers received a $250,000 grant from the Gates Foundation to develop the MAGNILyser—an affordable, battery-powered device for TB testing in areas with limited lab access—and will build and test prototypes at Cornell before validating its use in Uganda.

Pets of the week include two cats from CNY Snap and two dogs from Cortland County SPCA that are looking for forever homes.

Smokey and Midnight are playful bonded cats about 1 year old — all are neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped — while Yennefer, 4.5 years old, and Millie, 7 months old, each offer a unique personality.

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.

An Evening with Evan Horne

8-10 p.m. — Kitchen Theatre Company — $20 — Experience the immersive sounds of cinematic-folk artist Evan Horne in an intimate setting.

New Year's Eve Dance Party

8:30 p.m. — Foundation of Light — Check event page for ticket details — Celebrate the new year with a night of games, raffles, and festive fun.