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Two years ago, voters in the Ithaca City School District rejected a proposal for a sweeping school district renovation project ... and by staggering margins.

Meanwhile, the issues have only continued to pile up: Leaky roofs. Overheated classrooms. Science labs that are no longer fully usable due to safety issues.

But now, in exactly one week, that project goes back in front of voters again — albeit at a third of its original size.

This week on Backstory: the plan to fix Ithaca’s ailing school buildings, plus a look ahead at the other things at stake in this year’s school district elections on May 19.

For more on how to vote in the Ithaca City School District elections, click here. If you don't live within the boundaries of ICSD, school districts across New York hold elections on May 19 too. Visit your school district's webpage to find polling places and other information. If you're not sure what school district you live in, find out here.

Access a time-stamped transcript by clicking the button with three lines on the embedded player. For a full page transcript, click here. The transcript is auto-generated and may contain errors.

Original air date: May 12, 2026

Produced and reported by Megan Zerez.

Hosted by Jimmy Jordan

Cover photo by Megan Zerez

Listen and subscribe to Backstory on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Amazon Music or wherever you get podcasts.

We're back!

For this inaugural episode of the second season, we’re returning to an issue that we’ve covered several times on Backstory: Flock cameras. Last spring, dozens of the artificial intelligence (AI) powered cameras began to pop up at intersections around the county. These cameras — and the software that powers them — allow law enforcement to track the path of a specific vehicle as it travels through the network of cameras. The idea, manufacturer Flock Safety says, is to help police officers respond quickly to crime.

But activists have been pushing back. And now elected officials are reversing course, less than a year since the first cameras were installed. But as we're finding out, there's still a ways to go before the cameras are completely gone.

Stay tuned until the end for additional news from this week.

Access a time-stamped transcript by clicking the button with three lines on the embedded player. For a full page transcript, click here. The transcript is auto-generated and may contain errors.

Original air date: May 5, 2026

Produced and hosted by Megan Zerez.

Reported by Jimmy Jordan and Megan Zerez

Cover photo by Casey Martin.

Listen and subscribe to Backstory on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Amazon Music or wherever you get podcasts.

Editor’s Note: This bonus episode of Backstory was originally scheduled for Dec. 19, but a technical issue prevented it from being released until today.

Former Ithaca Voice editor Matt Butler has been living and reporting in Ithaca for nearly a decade. This week, he's behind the mic one last time for this bonus episode looking back at a few of the thousands of stories he's reported in the past nine years. Plus, some musings about sports, local government and the future of news.

We’re also going to be taking a break from our regular release schedule after this episode: there are some big changes underway at The Ithaca Voice and we want to make sure it all goes as smoothly as possible. But stay tuned, we'll be back next year.

Access a time-stamped transcript by clicking the button with three lines on the embedded player or a full screen transcript here. The transcript is auto-generated and may contain errors.

Listen and subscribe to Backstory on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Amazon Music or wherever you get podcasts.

Nurses at Ithaca’s only hospital are looking to unionize. They say they haven’t had a cost of living adjustment in two years, pension plans are being phased out and the hospital is often short staffed. And with the big changes since Cayuga Medical Center became part of a larger regional health organization, it could be a crucial time for labor rights.

It's not the first time nurses have attempted to unionize: the last effort kicked off a decade ago but fizzled out. Workers say the stakes now are even higher — but so is the support. And they're confident that the second time's the charm.

But just days after the big announcement, it seems the battle is already well underway.

Stay tuned until the end for additional news from this week.

Access a time-stamped transcript by clicking the button with three lines on the embedded player. For a full page transcript, click here. The transcript is auto-generated and may contain errors.

Original air date: Dec. 12, 2025

Produced and hosted by Megan Zerez.

Reported by Jimmy Jordan.

Cover photo by Casey Martin.

Listen and subscribe to Backstory on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Amazon Music or wherever you get podcasts.

Ithaca's top government official was asked to resign this week. The move comes, most recently, after a high profile budget snafu. But relations have long been chilly between City Manager Deb Mohlenhoff and the elected officials who appointed her.

Almost two years ago, Mohlenhoff was hired to define the brand new role of city manager as Ithaca transitioned into a new form of government where an appointed city employee calls the shots rather than an elected mayor.

Since then, the city has seen some fiscal missteps, some of which have been chalked up to growing pains given the new structure at city hall. But those pains may have gotten to be too much to handle for the Common Council.

Access a time-stamped transcript by clicking the button with three lines on the embedded player. For a full page transcript, click here. The transcript is auto-generated and may contain errors.

Original air date: Dec. 5, 2025

Produced and hosted by Megan Zerez.

Reported by Jimmy Jordan and Matt Butler.

Cover photo by Casey Martin.

Listen and subscribe to Backstory on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Amazon Music or wherever you get podcasts.

Fifty years ago, the very last car drove down the stretch of State Street that would later become the Ithaca Commons. It was followed by bulldozers, backhoes and dump trucks, all to make way for the pedestrian mall we know today.

Today the Commons serves as the backdrop for some of the biggest stories we cover, from protests to festivals to affordable housing.

Former Ithaca city planner Thyss Van Cort was not only there that day when cars gave way to people, he helped make it happen.

Stay tuned until the end for additional news from this week.

Access a time-stamped transcript by clicking the button with three lines on the embedded player. For a full page transcript, click here. The transcript is auto-generated and may contain errors.

Original air date: Nov. 14, 2025

Produced and hosted by Megan Zerez.

Reported by Matt Butler.

Cover photo courtesy of the History Center in Tompkins County.

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Voters in Tompkins County headed to the polls this week to elect new local and county representatives, joining millions of voters in thousands of other local races across the country. This week on the podcast: a conversation from the newsroom on the biggest takeaways from Election Day 2025.

Access a time-stamped transcript by clicking the button with three lines on the embedded player. For a full page transcript, click here. The transcript is auto-generated and may contain errors.

Original air date: Nov. 7, 2025

Produced and hosted by Megan Zerez.

Reported by Matt Butler, Jimmy Jordan, Fernando Figueroa and Megan Zerez.

Cover photo by Casey Martin.

Episode notes

Listen and subscribe to Backstory on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Amazon Music or wherever you get podcasts.

Part I:

Surprise! There’s an unexpected two million dollar hole in the city budget after an accounting software error. What does that say about the city’s fiscal management? How will officials make up the deficit in what is already a tough budget year?

Part II:

In case that wasn’t scary enough for you, we’re taking a walk through Ithaca’s haunted history with the History Center in Tompkins County this Halloween. Did you know Cayuga Lake has its very own, shape-shifting, gender-bending, green-eyed lake monster?

We'll also be releasing a bonus episode with some of the spooky stories from this segment that didn't make it into the main show, so stay tuned!

Other notes:

Access a time-stamped transcript by clicking the button with three lines on the embedded player. For a full page transcript, click here. The transcript is auto-generated and may contain errors.

Original air date: Oct. 31, 2025

Produced and hosted by Megan Zerez.

Reported by Jimmy Jordan and Megan Zerez.

Cover photo by Casey Martin.