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Monday headlines PM

Mar 07, 2011 4:52 pm
Thousands without power; many outages may last through Tuesday
Jamie Larson of the Register-Star reports that thousands of homes were without power today throughout Columbia County, as pounding wind and precipitation brought down trees and power lines and flood waters entered basements. Many outages are expected to last through Tuesday and for those remaining without power tonight and Tuesday, Columbia County Board of Supervisor’s Chairman Roy Brown and the Emergency Management Office have announced the opening of “warming centers” at the Kinderhook Fire Station and Nivervile Fire Station 1 and at a Red Cross shelter opened at the Taconic Hills High School on County Route 11 in Craryville at 4 p.m.


Sweeney talks of loss, healing
John Sweeney, the once-rising Republican Representative whose career nose-dived after he lost a tough re-election battle to current U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in 2006, speaks freely to the Times Union's Carol DeMare in a new story. The 55-year-old father of four who says he had his last drink on April 6, 2009 recounts -- in the presence of his priest -- the damage caused by his drinking -- to his children, his career and himself. "Losing a seat in Congress wasn't my biggest loss," the four-term representative of the 20th District says. "It was the loss of myself and the loss of everything that went with it, the harm and hurt I created for people around me who I love and love me." Sweeney pinpoints the end of his political career not to the loss to Gillibrand, but when it was reported that State Police responded to a 911 call at Sweeney's Clifton Park residence for a domestic dispute between him and his wife, Gayle. The couple divorced in 2007.

Hinchey seeks to end tax increase on low-income workers

Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-Hurley), according to Mid Hudson News Network, has announced that he is sponsoring legislation to help end what he calls a tax increase levied on low-income wage earners. The congressman has noted that the tax bill signed by President Obama last year that lowers income taxes on individuals earning less than $20,000 a year and families earning less than $40,000-a-year (part of the same Bush tax cut extension) also did away with a tax credit which was more beneficial to than the federal two percent payroll tax cut... by about $200 a taxpayer. $200 is a lot of money,” Hinchey said. “Waiters, waitresses, grocery store clerks, those earning minimum wage, should not be paying for huge tax cuts. And they should be given tax breaks.”

Judge gives Mittnight 60 days to clean up property or face arrest
The Register-Star reports that a New York State Supreme Court Justice has signed an order giving New Lebanon resident Robert Mittnight Jr. 60 days to “remove from the premises" located on his Route 20 New Lebanon property, "all mobile home parts, construction demolition material, and the unregistered motor vehicles.” Mittnight was also order to pay $250 and ordered him to reimburse the town (plaintiff) for attorneys fees and disbursements incurred in the amount of $7,602.60. The judgment further stated that if the defendant failed to comply in removing the aforementioned items from his property, a warrant of commitment would be issued by the court directing the Columbia County sheriff to seize and incarcerate Mittnight until the contempt is purged. Mittnight's attorney said his client wouldn't sit around to get arrested and would appeal the judge's ruling.

In idyllic Easton, nuclear future?
The Times Union looks into the Washington County town east of Saratoga where Rep. Chris Gibson is talking about putting a nuclear plant, with its dairy farming town board ready to hear their residents' views on the matter before making any judgment. The other spot Gibson's talked about putting a plant? In Greene County, south of Catskill...

Orange County has largest population gain
Mid Hudson News Network looks at population growth figures in the Hudson Valley from 2000 and July 2010. Orange County experienced the largest population growth of all counties in the region by growing by 42,000 people, while Columbia County was the only county in the greater region that lost population, about 1,400. The county with the largest population remains Westchester, with 180,821 while the least population was recorded in Greene County with 48,562 people.