Keeping the web site alive

We were sad to hear about the closing of the Cortland Standard. That's not just because we host their web site, but also because of what this means for the community. We haven't been paid for months, but we will keep the site live as long as possible as a public service and in the hope that someone will buy the paper and continue it, even as a web-only news outlet. We are dedicated to preserving essential local news outlets and we've helped restart newspapers that have failed in other communities. We would be happy to help do so in Cortland as well. – Bill Ostendorf, president, Creative Circle Media Solutions
Top story

Goodbye Cortland, and Godspeed

After more than 157 years, the Cortland Standard will cease publication. Today's is the last edition.
This is the last edition of the Cortland Standard you will ever read. The family-owned newspaper will cease publication, a casualty of declining readership and increasing costs. It was the second-oldest family-owned newspaper in New York, but one of the five oldest family-owned newspapers in America.
News

Here’s what the loss means to you

Losing a newspaper means the greater Cortland area becomes a news desert, joining 54 million Americans who lack reliable access to local news, according to a report by the Medill School of Journalism …

A note from the publisher

This is the last edition of the Cortland Standard. The presses have been silent since August, when we shifted our printing to a facility in Oswego. At the time, I had hoped that cost-saving …

Retailers doubt consumers will give up gas

With nine months until most new construction in New York must be all-electric — no natural gas — contractors and heating specialists say they lack guidance on the regulations and dislike …

Free admission to attend The Showcase

Guthrie Medical Center has sponsored The Cortland Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual Showcase event, covering all admission fees. The event goes from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 29 at JM McDonald …
Today in features
The Imagination Celebration will be on display March 24 to April 5 at the Dowd Gallery at SUNY Cortland, featuring the art of greater Cortland area students.
Dowd Gallery presents Imagination Celebration 2025
The Imagination Celebration showcasing the art of elementary and high school students will be on exhibit from March 24 to April 5 at the Dowd Gallery at SUNY Cortland. An opening reception will …
Dried mushrooms are key to a creamy, umami-laden mushroom soup, although some mild creminis can add bulk to the broth.
The publisher has no morels
The publisher does something that alternately amazes and leads me to conclude he’s nuts. Or both simultaneously. He forages for mushrooms. I’m a big mushroom fan, myself. The …
Beer and cheese: What's not to love? Welsh rabbit is a centuries-old meal that's as tasty as it is cheap.
A 300-year-old joke is still a good meal
My spousal unit, The Brain, has been wanting to eat a bit less meat. Who am I to argue? One, she’s one of the five smartest people I’ve ever met, and she’s never wrong. Two, …
This is an artist's rendition of Mariner 6 as it approached Mars more than 50 years ago.
Mariner 6 sends home crucial data about Mars
On Feb. 25, 1969, NASA launched the Mariner 6 probe to Mars. The spacecraft was to perform a close flyby of the planet and transmit the data it captured back to Earth. Mariner 6 was equipped …
Ann Marie Thorell, right, and Olivia Celis rehearse the opening scene of "Eleemosynary." The show opens tonight at Cortland Repertory Theatre.
Three-woman SUNY play opens tonight at CRT
Everything one goes through growing up has the potential to affect future relationships. These relationships are under a microscope in a play by three acting students out on at Cortland Repertory …
Sponsored Content

Physical therapy and exercise can prevent and treat osteoporosis

Cayuga Health provides patients with several effective therapies for treating and preventing osteoporosis including medications, vitamin and mineral supplements, and bone building exercises.
Osteoporosis occurs when your bones progressively break down and become weaker. The disease is often described as silent because you may not notice outward symptoms until a fracture occurs. …
Death notices
COX — Jeffrey R. Cox, 67, of Brooktondale, died Feb. 26, 2025. Services will be private at the convenience of the family. Perkins Funeral Home, Dryden is assisting the family.
Amanda S. Whiteman Reynolds, 42, of Preble, died March 3, 2025. Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by the Donald L. Barber Funeral Home.
Ronald Conrad Doney Ronald Conrad Doney, 94, died March 1, 2025, in Ivins, Utah. He was born on March 12, 1930, in Franklin, Idaho. Funeral services will be held March 8, 2025, and are under the …
NEWTON — Quincy Newton, 47, died on Feb. 16, 2025. Services will be at a later date. Zirbel Funeral Home is caring for the family.
Sports

Dryden boys basketball wins first sectional title in program history

The Dryden boys basketball team poses with the winning plaque and banner after winning the first Section IV Class B title in program history Sunday at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton. The Lions beat Waverly 51-48.
BINGHAMTON –– Danny Murphy banked in a shot with 10 seconds remaining to give the No. 1 Dryden boys basketball team a two-point lead over No. 2 Waverly and the Lions hung on in the final …
Cincinnatus' Ava Larrabee, center, plays a ball down the field during the 2024 season.

The Standard in Sports Podcast, Episode 46: Cincinnatus girls soccer players Cassia Schuyler and Ava Larrabee

Cincinnatus girls soccer players Cassia Schuyler, the Cortland Standard's 2024 girls soccer player of the year, and Ava Larrabee talk about their careers, their future plans in the sport and their volleyball season with Sports Editor Paul Cifonelli on the latest episode of The Standard in Sports Podcast, presented by the Cortland Standard.
Moravia's Joe Baylor, right, drives to the basket against Delaware Academy Saturday at Tompkins Cortland Community College.

Moravia boys basketball captures third straight sectional title

DRYDEN –– The No. 1 Moravia boys basketball team used a late-game run to fend off a final surge from No. 2 Delaware Academy (Delhi) to win 57-47 in the Section IV Class C championship …

Dryden boys basketball looks to claim Section IV Class B crown

The No. 1 Dryden boys basketball team will compete for the Section IV Class B title against No. 2 Waverly at 3:15 p.m. Sunday at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton. Dryden earned a …
Special sections
Think frittata, but with tofu instead of eggs. It's a good way to get the flavor -- and nutrition -- without having to pay high egg prices.
Think frittata, but with tofu instead of eggs. It's a good way to get the flavor -- and nutrition -- without having to pay high egg prices.
Think frittata, but with tofu instead of eggs. It's a good way to get the flavor -- and nutrition -- without having to pay high egg prices.
Think frittata, but with tofu instead of eggs. It's a good way to get the flavor -- and nutrition -- without having to pay high egg prices.
Think frittata, but with tofu instead of eggs. It's a good way to get the flavor -- and nutrition -- without having to pay high egg prices.
Web Extras
11 iconic mother figures across TV history
Stacker compiled a list of 10 of the most unforgettable maternal figures in television history using information from IMDb and various media outlets.   
What you need to know before becoming a collector of live insects or snails
(BPT) - Insects and snails are a critical part of the planet's ecosystem. Bees, for example, pollinate important crops and provide high-quality food like honey, while snails feed on dead or rotting …
Visiting U.S. National Parks is More Popular Than Ever, Breaking Visitor Records in 2024 with over 330 Million Visits
America's 63 national parks draw in serious hikers, but they also provide opportunities for beginners and families to unwind, take their time and soak in nature's beauty. While many travelers often …
9 lives and more? 60 years of groundbreaking medical advancements have improved cat health and longevity.
Meowtel explored advancements in feline medicine, nutrition, and care that are helping the more than 350 million domestic cats worldwide live longer.
There is currently no bird flu vaccine for people.
How bird flu differs from seasonal flu − an infectious disease researcher explains
Avian influenza infections in the US have been rising over the past year, but there’s no evidence so far that people can infect each other with this strain of the virus.