Today's daily news.

Click above to download or play today's "Better Weather." Produced by Joe Demanso of the Catskill Makers Syndicate.

A day after President Donald Trump dispersed a large crowd of protesters using what reporters and other witnesses on the ground said was tear gas and rubber bullets for a photo opportunity, officials with the Park Police said what everyone saw on live television did not happen. A spokesperson for the U.S. Park Police said there was no tear gas, and that protesters were, "throwing projectiles including bricks, frozen water bottles and caustic liquids." The many reporters broadcasting live from the park across from the White House all showed the opposite, that a peaceful protest was interrupted by violent military police. Across the nation, and in Poughkeepsie, that scene Monday seemed to turn out more people on June 2 to protest about last week's murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. Geoffrey Wilson reported in the Poughkeepsie Journal that several thousand turned out for the 'We Can't Breathe' demonstration there, though the New York State Police only allowed 100 people to march across the Mid-Hudson Bridge. Wilson captured some of the sounds of the protest. PLAY THIS EXCERPT HERE. A few politicians were among the protesters, including Republican Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro. PLAY THIS EXCERPT HERE. In Albany on June 2, local television news reported far fewer protesters out on the streets than the night before, when nine were arrested. Protesters launched fireworks and threw other projectiles, and police shot tear gas, and were rough with protesters. Police did not give many details about who was arrested, but the Times Union reported that four of the people facing charges were from Albany, three from Schenectady, one from Clifton Park and one from Rensselaer. There are more protests planned this week in the Hudson Valley. On June 3 in Kingston people will be on the streets on their feet and in cars. The Citizen Action Hudson Valley group is organizing the March For Black Lives at 5 p.m. at Academy Green Park, 238 Clinton Ave, in Kingston. IndivisibleNY19 is organizing a Caravan Drive for Black Lives at the same time for people who would rather stay in cars. On June 4, a group called "Enough Is Enough" is organizing a protest in Catskill, The group will meet at the middle school, 345 W. Main St., at 5 p.m. June 4. "Lemme just make this clear. If you are not on this page to attend a peaceful protest take it somewhere else. We're not here to destroy our town," Tierra Hill wrote on the Facebook page organizing the event. On that same Facebook page for the Catskill rally, Hudson Mayor Kamal Johnson claimed that at the protest he organized in Hudson July 31, "we had three 'plants' who showed up in masks with signs and all that were only there to start trouble..... They was screaming F the police, waving their signs but I went over with others and [told] them it ain’t that kind of party."

Sarah Trafton is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Athens Village Board has banned all waterfront development as it continues to update the village's 13-year-old comprehensive plan. The board recently unanimously adopted a resolution imposing a moratorium on the approval of special use permits and site plans for the next six months in the waterfront districts. Board member Joshua Lipsman said the hiatus gives village officials the needed time to finish the plan and decide on next steps. The village of Catskill took similar action in September 2018, but although the new comprehensive plan was adopted in February, the development ban was extended in April because of the coronavirus shutdown. Athens is working with Community Planning and Environmental Associates to update its plan, and received a $9,900 matching grant from Hudson River Valley Greenway to support the process. A 19-member steering committee was formed in January to help guide the process. In addition to approving the moratorium, the board adopted a local law requiring short-term rental owners to register their properties. Those who violate the law will be subject to fines. Greene and Columbia counties have more than 1,000 Airbnb units each, according to the state Hospitality and Tourism Association. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

The Altamont Enterprise is reporting Democrat Gary Greenberg, a candidate for state senator in the 46th District, has failed in his attempt to have his name appear on the primary ballot. Greenberg had been challenged on the number of qualifying signatures he received, and on May 4, Acting State Supreme Court Justice David A. Weinstein ruled that the state Board of Elections was correct to rule certain signatures ineligible, finding Greenberg's claim that the process was unconstitutional invalid. Greenberg’s petition originally had 337 signatures. After a review by the state board of elections, only 291 of those were ruled valid. Signatures were nullified because of mislabeled dates, incorrect addresses, and other inaccuracies. Greenberg told The Enterprise he would not continue his appeal, saying there was little time left to campaign. At the same time he said he would mount a write-in campaign, or, if the governor reopens the petition process, try to secure another line. Greenberg entered the race late last year and after Jeff Collins dropped out, he became Michelle Hinchey’s only Democratic opponent. Saugerties resident Hinchey is the daughter of the late U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, and she has received the endorsement of the Democratic committees in each of the district's five counties — Greene, Montgomery, Albany, Schenectady and Ulster. Greenberg is a Greene County resident and a child-victims advocate. The incumbent senator, Republican George Amedore, is not seeking re-election. Conservative Richard Amedure, of Rensselaerville, is running on the Republican line. Read the full story in the Altamont Enterprise.

The Columbia Paper is reporting contractors working for the Columbia County Department of Public Works will begin the process of replacing the county Route 21 bridge in Hillsdale on June 15. The bridge spans a tributary of Agawamuck Creek in the town of Hillsdale. County Route 21 will close at the bridge site just before the work begins and traffic will be directed to a temporary detour that will be posted by the county’s project contractors. That detour will cross sections of county Route 21, state Route 22, state Route 203 and county Route 7 in the towns of Hillsdale and Austerlitz. The work is expected to take approximately 4 to 5 months to complete. Read the full story story in The Columbia Paper.

Today's daily news update.

MidHudsonNews [dot] com is reporting state Sen. Peter Harckham has introduced legislation that would extend the date for the upcoming school board elections and budget vote until June 16. The annual vote is currently scheduled to held by absentee ballot because of the coronavirus. However, many of the ballots are not getting distributed because the company hired by many districts to print and mail them ran short on paper and envelopes, so the mailings may not reach voters in time to be returned by June 9. Harckham said if the proposal does not make it through the legislature, the governor should issue an executive order pushing the school board and budget voting by back one week. Read the full story at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.

A group called "Enough Is Enough" is organizing a protest in Catskill June 4, about the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police last week. The group will meet at the middle school, 345 W. Main St., at 5 p.m. June 4. "Lemme just make this clear. If you are not on this page to attend a peaceful protest take it somewhere else. We're not here to destroy our town," Tierra Hill wrote on the Facebook page organizing the event. There is also a protest June 3 in Kingston in person and in cars. The Citizen Action Hudson Valley group is organizing the March For Black Lives at 5 p.m. at Academy Green Park, 238 Clinton Ave, in Kingston. IndivisibleNY19 is organizing a Caravan Drive for Black Lives at the same time for people who would rather stay in cars. In Hudson on May 31, Mayor Kamal Johnson organized a peaceful protest at Promenade Hill Park.

Robert Gavin is reporting for the Times Union Albany County District Attorney David Shares June 1, asked Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to appoint Attorney General Letitia James to serve as special prosecutor in every criminal case where a police officer is criminally charged or accused of misconduct. Soares, a four-term Democrat, refused to recuse his office from investigating the Albany police shooting of Ellazar Williams in 2018 and other cases involving police-civilian confrontations. His change of heart occurred in the midst of a primary battle and against the backdrop of widespread civil unrest following the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Soares said that effective immediately, his office will request special prosecutors on all new cases involving police defendants. In his statement, Soares said he is calling on the governor to expand a 2015 executive order to allow James’ office to handle all such matters, thereby eliminating any appearance of conflict or skepticism about the process. Cuomo's 2015 order permitted the attorney general to investigate the deaths of unarmed civilians during interactions with the police. Soares faces a June 23 primary challenge from Democrat Matthew Toporowski. In a statement to the Times Union, Toporowski called Soares' action, "a reactionary move to remedy a history of regressive policies." Read the full story in the Times Union.

Today's daily news.

Click above to download or play today's "Better Weather." Produced by Joe Demanso of the Catskill Makers Syndicate.

Marches continued around the United States June 1, as President Donald Trump gave a defiant address to the nation about militarizing the response to protests about the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis last week. Military police then shot tear gas at a peaceful gathering, and cleared out protesters and priests from across the White House so that Trump could hold a Bible up in front of a church for a photo opportunity. When asked by a reporter, "Is that your Bible?" he replied, "It's a Bible." Bishop Marian Budde of the Episcopal Diocese of D.C. said her church was not notified about being a backdrop for his photo op, and that, “what we are witnessing now is the shredding of our national fabric.” In this state, New York City implemented a curfew for the first time, but Albany did not. There were large protests in Brooklyn and Manhattan, mostly peaceful, but with looting and police confrontations later in the evening. In Albany, the Times Union reported the protests throughout the day were mostly peaceful marches. But after 9:30 p.m. there was a standoff at the city's police headquarters as some near the crowd of 300 shot off loud fireworks and police shot back tear gas around Henry Johnson Boulevard. The Buffalo News reported that in the Western New York city, two law enforcement officers were injured when an SUV with two people with gunshot wounds in it drove through a line of police officers in a rush to get medical attention. Locally, the Daily Freeman reported that Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa posted on Facebook May 31 about two absolutes that are not accurate. "Not one member in law enforcement condones the actions that led to this tragic crime," Figueroa wrote. "Law enforcement is the only profession where if a police officer commits a murder or crime in another state, all police officers are considered responsible," Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan said that Ulster County officials, "have zero tolerance for any form of police brutality in our county."

The Columbia Paper is reporting American Red Cross has an urgent need for blood donations to prevent another blood shortage as hospitals resume surgical procedures and patient treatments that were temporarily halted this spring in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthy people who are feeling well are asked to make an appointment to donate in the coming weeks and months by visiting RedCrossBlood [dot] org, calling 1-800-733-2767 or downloading the Red Cross donor app. Hospital demand for blood products has grown by 30 percent in recent weeks at the same time, blood drives are being canceled as many businesses and community organizations remain closed. To encourage donors to make and keep scheduled appointments, the Red Cross is offering a thank you gift to those who donate from June 1 through June 30. Upcoming blood donation opportunities in Columbia County are June 10, 1 to 6 p.m., at the Chatham Firehouse, 10 Hoffman Street in Chatham; and June 11, noon to 6 p.m., at the Hudson Elks Lodge at 201 Harry Howard Avenue, in Hudson. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

cnynews [dot] com is reporting U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado June 1, voted with a bipartisan coalition to add flexibility to the Paycheck Protection Program and to make it more accessible to upstate businesses in need of assistance. The program gives small businesses loans of up to $10 million to cover payroll and other operating expenses, and is designed so loans are forgiven if the business retains its employees and their salary levels. The Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act extends the loan forgiveness requirements and the rehiring deadline so that PPP works better for small businesses in need of assistance. “...The bipartisan measure passed by the House today will allow more businesses and agricultural producers to use these funds as they chart new paths to reopening,” said Delgado, a member of the House Small Business Committee. The bipartisan Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act makes updates the current 8-week covered loan forgiveness period to 24 weeks and extends the rehiring deadline; increases the current limitation on the use of loan proceeds for non-payroll expenses from 25 percent to 40 percent; extends the program from June 30 to December 31; and lengthens the loan terms from two to five years. Read the full story at cnynews [dot] com.

Ariél Zangla is reporting for the Daily Freeman if Ulster County does not receive direct federal financial support, county officials will have to make "much more difficult and costly reductions" to balance its budget and stabilize its finances, County Executive Pat Ryan said May 31. Ryan described a financial stabilization plan drafted by his administration to manage the county spending plan going forward. The plan, divided into three phases, outlines the amount of money the county expects to save from its actions. Ryan said it is still unknown how the COVID-19 pandemic will ultimately impact its sales tax receipts and state aid, so the plan includes several variables because of that uncertainty. County Legislature Minority Leader Ken Ronk said the financial stabilization plan is "a good start," adding that he and Ryan have had a lot of conversations recently about the county's finances. The plan builds in flexibility to allow the county to respond to changes in funding and revenue reductions, Ronk said. Phase one was implemented in mid-March and included a spending and hiring freeze, and offered buyouts to employees to help reduce expenses. Phase two of the plan, which is beginning now, identifies up to $10 million in immediate operational spending cuts. It could also call for the use of some of the county's unappropriated fund balance, which currently totals about $24 million. The third phase of the financial stabilization plan looks to streamline county government and to identify more opportunities for shared services with local municipalities and organizations. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Today's daily news update.

Jeanette Wolfberg is reporting for The Columbia Paper the Hudson Board of Education May 19, adopted the district's $50 million 2020-21 annual budget. The spending plan calls for a 1.79 percent increase in spending and a 1.99 percent increase in the tax levy. "Spending is contingent on state decisions, which are contingent on federal aid," Wolfberg writes. The board chose to keep the tax levy increase under 2 percent, because "there are a lot of people struggling to pay their bills right now,' Business Administrator Jesse Boehme said May 26." In addition to the budget, the ballot will include the election of candidates for school board. There are two board vacancies and two candidates are running, both incumbents: Sage Carter and Carrie Otty, who is currently serving as board president. A second proposition on the ballot calls for the creation of a reserve fund. District residents will vote by absentee ballot and marked ballots must be received by 5 p.m., June 9, to be counted. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Rick Karlin is reporting for the Times Union state lawmakers last week passed legislation that, if signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, would allow school districts, counties and other entities that levy property taxes to allow installment payments, or a grace period up to 120 days. The bill was described as a way to give relief to homeowners who have lost jobs or income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some taxing districts, most are located downstate, as well as the city of Albany, already allow installment payments of sorts. This bill would make it easier for all other localities to do so. Tax experts said there could be complications with slowing the flow of property tax dollars to schools and municipalities. This is especially true for school districts already suffering from cash flow issues or insufficient reserves, said Michael Borges of the Association of School Business Officials of New York. “We are still reviewing this legislation,” said Mark LaVigne, deputy director for the New York State Association of Counties. “At this time, we believe that there are deficiencies that would make it impractical to implement and therefore would not achieve its intended impact.” Read the full story in the Times Union.

Sarah Trafton and Abby Hoover are reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Greene County Youth Fair is among the latest events canceled due to coronavirus concerns. The fair was scheduled to take place July 23 through 26 at Angelo Canna Town Park in Cairo. Now in its 66th year, the fair gives Greene County's young residents an opportunity to show off their skills in livestock handling, arts and crafts, baking and more. Greene County Agricultural Society President Alex Johnk said last week, "Our team of volunteers decided the safety of exhibitors, vendors, volunteers, families and guests is too important. This was not an easy decision, and we would like to thank everyone who has supported the fair. We are already making plans for 2021 and will strive to make this a wonderful event next year.” Athens Performing Arts has announced its 2020 summer concert series would be canceled, and Catskill's Music in the Park series will not be happening this year either. Summer youth programs are canceled at parks throughout Columbia County. However, the summer program at Oakdale Lake, run by the Hudson Youth Department, has not been canceled and Director Nick Zachos is working to make limited programming available for the city’s 600 youth. Farmers markets are open. The Coxsackie Farmers Market will open for the season June 3. The weekly market will be open from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., with first 30 minutes reserved for elderly and special-needs shoppers. Catskill’s farmers market will likely make a comeback and may be incorporated into a pending proposal to close Main Street. The Hudson Farmers Market is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, and is located in the two city parking lots on upper Columbia Street in Hudson. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.