Some of the stories that made the news Fri., Jun. 26 through Sun., Jun. 28

Rick Karlin reported at Capitol Confidential Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Sun., Jun. 28, sent a letter demanding the state Education Department take immediate action to protect transgender students from discrimination. Cuomo specifically cites the department's "failure to implement and monitor the provisions of Dignity for All Students Act relating to gender identity and gender expression." The letter was sent following the release of a report last week from the New York Civil Liberties Union detailing the discrimination such students regularly face in New York schools. In addition to the issue itself, the letter represents ongoing tensions between the governor and state ED. Last week the governor described the department, which he does not control, as a ”black box” in terms of transparency regarding testing and teacher evaluations.

Emilia Teasdale reported in the Columbia Paper the Chatham Town Board has approved a resolution recognizing “that climate change is happening and that human activities are a key contributor to it.” The measure was brought to the board by the Citizens for Climate Change Lobby. A similar resolution was adopted by the Hillsdale and Ancram town boards. In the resolution, the board agreed to urge the county, state and federal governments “to take prompt and effective measures to rapidly address climate change by promoting and encouraging a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels and their associated infrastructure," and more.

More than 1,000 high school seniors in Columbia and Greene counties received their diplomas in ceremonies held Fri., Jun. 26 and Sat., Jun. 27, as family and friends turned out to celebrate the successful completion of 13 years of K-12 education. According to accounts in the Register Star and The Daily Mail, the graduating classes varied in size — the Germantown High School senior class consisted of 37 students, while the Ichabod Crane Class of 2015 boasted 150 members.

Laney Salisbury reported in the Watershed Post the Mountain Top Arboretum in Tannersville is testing the effectiveness of a pesticide against the emerald ash borer. The test is being performed on three acres in the arboretum’s seven-acre Woodland Walk. The non-native emerald ash borer, is, according to some experts, the most destructive forest insect to invade the U.S. Previously towns in the northeast have used the insecticide emamectin benzoate on individual ash trees. The hope now is for a way to protect larger areas, as the insect is spreading rapidly throughout the northeastern United States.