Porcupine Soup reports that Hunter Mountain, a large employer on the mountaintop in Greene County, will require employees and dining guests to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Vail Resorts made the policy for all of its 34 North American resorts, including Hunter Mountain. “We are fortunate that the core of our experience takes place outdoors in vast mountain settings,” said Rob Katz, chair and chief executive officer of Vail Resorts. “However, as we welcome guests from around the world to the indoor experience at our resorts, we feel it’s important to do our part to combat the spread of COVID-19.” Lifts will operate at normal capacity this year, and masks will be required in indoor settings, including in restaurants, lodging properties, restrooms, retail, and rental locations, and on buses, but not outdoors. Hunter Mountain is tentatively scheduled to open November 19, and Windham Mountain did not respond about their reopening plans. Read more about this story at Porcupine Soup.

Roger Hannigan Gilson reports in the Times Union how a 23-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, Don Krapf, is running as an independent-minded candidate against his boss, current Sheriff David Bartlett, a Republican, in this fall's election. It is a strange election, in several ways, and if the number of yard signs in Columbia County is a proper gauge, it has generated the most interest among voters. Krapf is a Republican too, who recently left the party for this election. The incumbent, Bartlett, has been mired in controversy since last summer, when a party at the home of one of his deputies in Kinderhook ended with a local man being beaten almost to death. The ensuing investigation was first handled by others in the Sheriff’s Office with an obvious conflict of interest before being turned over to the State Police. More than a year later no trial date has yet been set for those who stand accused of the alleged assault of Harold J. Handy III. The case has resulted in rallies, a countywide campaign for justice on Handy's behalf, and a host of comments on social media. Bartlett has not been speaking to the media much since the incident. Krapf has, usually with his running mate for undersheriff, former state trooper Jackie Salvatore. Krapf says he will make her undersheriff, an unelected position. “I’ve been with the Sheriff’s Office for 23 years, and during that time, I’ve seen some real room for improvement,” Krapf said. He complained about the Sheriff’s Office “gradually and steadily moving away from community-centered policing,” but would not directly criticize Bartlett. Salvatore's constant presence in the Krapf campaign is his attempt to sound like a different kind of sheriff. “Full disclosure: I have a family riddled with alcoholism and substance abuse and know some people who have made some remarkable progress in recovery,” Salvatore told the newspaper. Krapf and Bartlett agree on one thing: both are not commenting on the beating of Harold Handy, and there is little official information about the assault case available for the public. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Natasha Vaughn-Holdridge reports for Columbia-Greene Media that Columbia County Democrats elected Sam Hodge their new chair on Sept. 23. The county Democratic committee voted unanimously for the 35-year-old, who was an assistant district attorney in the Bronx for seven years. "Our party is organized, engaged, and ready to put in the hard work to win," Hodge said in a statement. "We're the party that is putting forward ideas to innovate and reimagine how local governments can make our energy costs lower, internet faster, and housing more affordable. We've got the ideas, candidates, and organization to win." Voting begins Oct. 23 and lasts through Nov. 2 this fall.

Today's daily news update.

HudsonValley360.com has two COVID-19 headlines: "COVID surge at new record" about Columbia County, and "COVID infections skyrocket" about Greene County. Columbia County reported 20 new cases Sept. 20, 31 on Sept. 21, and 14 on Sept. 22. "it's troublesome to me in that the cases are spread out among the community. Again, I think this speaks to the virulence of the delta variant," said Jack Mabb, Columbia County's Health Department Director. Columbia County is now reporting 322 COVID-19 cases. The last time the county had more than 300 cases was in February, when the vaccines were first being distributed. Columbia County now has the second highest positivity rate in the Capital Region, at 6.9 percent. Only Greene County is higher, with 7.2 percent of those tested positive for the virus. There are currently 142 COVID-19 cases in Greene County. The last time there were that many cases in Greene County was Feb. 1. Officials in neither county said they were taking any new efforts, or changing any policies, to combat the rise of new cases. Read more about these stories at HudsonValley360.com.

Lori Todd reports in the Times Union about how much rain fell on the area Sept. 23. Up to three inches fell on parts of Greene County. Tannersville reported 3.2 inches of rain. Millbrook in Dutchess County reported 2.68 inches as of 4 a.m. Sept. 24. And 3.24 inches fell in Sundown in Ulster County. In Speigletown in Rensselaer County 2.4 inches of rain fell. Taghkanic led Columbia County with 1.91 inches of rain. The remnants of two hurricanes have passed over the area in recent weeks, soaking the ground. Rensselaerville, for instance, recorded 7.14 inches of rain in August. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Gabriel Poblete reports for City and State that this fall's election gives voters a chance to tweak New York's redistricting process. And while some may charge that the process is currently broken, as the 10-member state Independent Redistricting Commission just released dueling district maps along party lines, The New York Redistricting Changes Amendment on the Nov. 2 ballot probably won't change that. If approved by voters, the amendment would cap the number of senators at 63 in the state constitution. The amendment would also change approval of new redistricting maps from a two-thirds threshold to a simple majority, making it easier to whichever party is currently in charge in Albany. The amendment would also allow towns to be split in different districts. And the proposal would move up the redistricting timeline by about two weeks. “I would say this is like a very interesting part of the democratic process that most people don't pay attention to but has a huge impact on the direction of the state, the country," said Democratic state Senate Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris. Read more about this story at City and State.

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There was a three-hour wait time for emergency services in the afternoon Sept. 23 at Columbia Memorial Health hospital in Hudson, the hospital reported. That was down to an hour in the evening as heavy rains fell on much of the area. Greene County, meanwhile, added 26 more COVID-19 cases on Sept. 23, according to the Greene County Public Health Department. There are now 144 cases in Greene County. On July 2 there was just one case of COVID-19 in Greene County. On Aug. 2 there were 19 cases. On Sept. 16 Greene County topped 100 COVID-19 cases, with 134 as of Sept. 19. Greene County officials have changed no policies as the case counts increase. Schools in Catskill, Saugerties, Cairo, Greenville, and Coxsackie have reported coronavirus cases since school started two weeks ago.

Brendan J. Lyons is reporting for the Times Union the state Civil Service Employees Association, or CSEA, has filed a petition seeking an injunction to halt the vaccine mandate that is scheduled to go into effect on Monday. The union represents roughly 5,600 people who work in the state's court system. A similar petition was also filed in state Supreme Court in Albany this week on behalf of a group of Buffalo-area physicians, nurses and a nursing home administrator. And Kate Lisa is reporting for the Johnson Newspaper Corp a U.S. district judge September 23, dismissed a request from nine state security guards for a temporary restraining order against the vaccine mandate. The nine downstate members of the State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association filed a lawsuit naming Gov. Kathy Hochul and other state heath officials. A federal judge has now dismissed the restraining order in that case, but the plaintiffs will pursue the complaint, arguing the mandate violates their 14th Amendment rights and discriminates against certain state workers. The legal action is developing as Hochul's administration has not backed down from the mandate. It requires that public-facing workers, mainly in hospitals, nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, receive at least their first vaccination by September 27, or risk being suspended or terminated from their jobs. The state Office of Court Administration issued its own mandate for vaccinations, which contends the requirement must be negotiated when they involve workers protected by collective bargaining. The health department's mandate affects both public and private health care facilities. Thousands of nurses and other medical professionals have declined to be vaccinated. Many hospitals are already reducing or eliminating elective surgeries and some are diverting patients to other hospitals to deal with the staffing issues. In Hudson, Columbia Memorial Health continues to divert patients from its Emergency Room. Hospital officials announced September 22, the facility was experiencing higher-than-normal wait times due in part to staffing shortages. The Hochul administration this week was in negotiation with multiple state labor unions, who have said the state's mandate should have been subject to collective bargaining and not simply imposed under a provision of state health law. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Natasha Vaughn-Holdridge is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the former Chatham village treasurer Barbara Henry September 22, pleaded guilty to attempted official misconduct for stealing village funds. Henry, 60, of Chatham admitted in Chatham Town Court to stealing almost $4,000 from April 2017 to April 2018. Henry was originally charged in March with first-degree tampering with records, two counts of grand larceny in the third degree and official misconduct. District Attorney Paul Czajka [CHAI-kah] said the recommendation was for Henry to plead guilty to attempted official misconduct and Chatham Town Justice James Borgia-Forster agreed. Borgia-Forster ordered Henry to pay full restitution and imposed a $250 fine. A joint investigation by state police and the state Comptrollers Office found that Henry used her position as treasurer to waive her share of health insurance premium costs and have the village fully fund that benefit. Henry was employed by the village from 2012 until August 2018. Henry is also accused of stealing more than $8,420 in funds between October 2014 and December 2020 from her other employer, Cadmus Lifesharing Association, a nonprofit organization in Massachusetts, which cares for individuals with disabilities. Czajka said he has deferred to the Massachusetts authorities to prosecute that matter. Chatham Mayor John Howe expressed relief at the conclusion of an ordeal that has lasted more than two years and said he was pleased the village was made whole again. Former Chatham village police chief Peter Volkmann was convicted as a result of the same probe into Chatham’s finances that caught Henry. Volkmann, 57, of Stuyvesant, pleaded guilty in February, to fourth-degree grand larceny and official misconduct. The District Attorney’s office said with guilty pleas from Henry and Volkmann all of the stolen funds from Chatham have been restored and neither will be eligible for public office again. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Noah Zweifel is reporting for The Altamont Enterprise Berne Town Board member Bonnie Conklin abruptly resigned from her position this week, citing political obstructionism as the reason. Conklin submitted her official letter of resignation, dated September 19, to the town clerk and to the Enterprise editor, as well. “Today in our changing world, I feel politics in our town, state, and [at the] federal level are becoming very challenging,” Conklin wrote. “...Whether it’s social media or face-to-face discussions, the goals are put aside and progress is delayed. I prefer to get things done. When someone is elected to office, let them do their job. Support and encourage each other.” Conklin's resignation was effective September 20, and comes halfway through a four-year term. Supervisor Sean Lyons said he was caught off-guard by her abrupt departure. “I had no advance warning of this and I had no reason to even suspect Mrs. Conklin was thinking of resigning at any time let alone days before a meeting and entering the heart of budgeting season for 2022,” Lyons said. “I am disappointed by this announcement.” Conklin, a Conservative, and Lyons were both backed by the GOP, along with the majority of the town board, except for Joel Willsey, the lone Democrat. This was Conklin's second resignation from the town board. She previously resigned when the board had a Democratic majority. A Republican at the time, Conklin quit in 2013, two years into a four-year term, frustrated over being the only non-Democrat on the board. While Conklin enjoyed majority status this time around, she was not always at ease with her GOP-backed colleagues, taking issue with the decision to limit public comment at board meetings, and voting against establishing a Recreation and Parks Advisory Board. In tendering her resignation, Conklin said she feels she can accomplish more for the town “on a volunteer basis.” Read the full story in The Altamont Enterprise.

WOOC's Steve Pierce speaks with Poestenkill Town Board member Eric Wohlleber about newly-discovered PFOA pollution in Rensselaer County drinking water and a public meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, September 27, 2021 to address it.

Today's daily news update.

Luis Ferré-Sadurni reports in the New York Times that New York State health commissioner Dr. Howard A. Zucker resigned Sept. 23. Gov. Kathy Hochul said that she agreed with his decision and that she would allow him to “stay on board” until she found a replacement. “I thank Dr. Zucker for his willingness to stay on board so we don’t have a gap in leadership until a person is identified,” Hochul said. “I think I made it very clear on my first day in office that I’d be looking to build a new team. There will be other changes forthcoming. But I do respect everyone who has been a public servant, I thank them for their service.” Zucker was criticized often for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and his potential involvement in helping obscure the death toll of the coronavirus in nursing homes and withholding health data from the Legislature last year, which is under investigation. His resignation comes as the COVID-19 pandemic has returned with the stronger Delta variant leading to rising case counts and many deaths. Read more about this story in the New York Times.

MidHudson News reports that former president Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against his cousin Mary Trump, three New York Times journalists, and the New York Times in Dutchess County Sept. 21. Attorney Alina Habba claims the defendants had “Collective efforts in tortiously breaching and/or interfering with his contractual rights and otherwise maliciously conspiring against him.” Further, the lawsuit claims “Defendants engaged in an insidious plot to obtain confidential and highly-sensitive records which they exploited for their own benefit and utilized as a means of falsely legitimizing their publicized works.” Trump wants “no less than $100 million dollars in damages.” Most legal experts said the lawsuit has little chance of success. Read more about this story at MidHudson News.

Kenneth C. Crowe II reports for the Times Union that Rensselaer County is doing more testing of wells for PFOA contamination to the south and east of Algonquin Middle School. "In January, state-required water tests revealed contamination at the Algonquin Middle School in the Averill Park Central School District," Crowe writes of the results that showed contamination of 12 parts per trillion. Since then, drinking water at two homes nearby tested for PFOA above the new state standard of 10 parts per trillion. So far, officials can't say what is the source of the PFOA contamination. A community meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Sept. 27 at the Poestenkill VFW at 25 Veterans St. with Poestenkill Water Manager Robert Brunet, town resident and former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Judith Enck, and Michele Baker of NY Water Project and a Hoosick Falls resident. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Today's daily headlines.

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Dr. Ronel Cook, the Superintendent of the Catskill schools, announced more COVID-19 cases there on Sept. 22. "I wanted to inform you that two Catskill Elementary School students and an employee at Catskill High School have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. One student was last at school on September 17, while the other student and the employee were last at school on September 20. No additional quarantining resulting from contact within the school setting was required for either case," Cook wrote online. Though school only resumed last week, Catskill schools previously reported other COVID-19 cases. So have schools in Cairo, Greenville, and Coxsackie, and in nearby Saugerties. On July 2 there was just one case of COVID-19 in Greene County. On Aug. 2 there were 19 cases. On Sept. 16 Greene County topped 100 COVID-19 cases, with 134 as of Sept. 19. Greene County officials have changed no policies as the case counts increase.