Sheriff lieutenant shot hunter Saturday in Cairo
Andrea Macko in The Greenville Mountain View Pioneer reports the hunter, Robert Warrings of Cairo, who was shot on Blackhead Mountain Saturday, was shot by Greene County Sheriff's Lieutenant Kenneth Leis. [The Pioneer does not have a website to link.] Macko says a spokesperson for the New York Department of Environmental Conservation says Leis told authorities he was shooting at a fisher cat, a small animal that can be trapped but not shot. "According to sources, Leis fired several shots at Warrings, some of which came very close to Warrings' head," Macko wrote. "Sources also said Warrings confronted Leis after the shots were fired and that the two men, who were acquainted prior to the incident, exchanged words." Leis hit Warrings in his backpack, which saved him from injury.

Toddler's father seeks $11 million from town and county
Andrea Macko in The Greenville Mountain View Pioneer (no website) reports John Davies, the father of the toddler who drowned this summer at an unlicensed day care facility in Greenville is suing the town and Greene County for $11 million. Davies' suit claims the town and county allowed the unlicensed operation of the facility, failed to investigate complaints or inspect the facilitiy or follow rules for child care facilities.

Taghkanic taxes going up 11 percent after town left state fund
Debora Gilbert in The Columbia Paper reports the Taghkanic town board approved an 11 percent tax increase with the 2011 town budget November 16. She writes:

"Expenditures next year include an $18,256 for the town's contribution to the state unemployment system due to the firing of an individual who was earning the salary as a machinery and equipment operator though he did not have a commercial driver's license. The license is a state requirement. The town's liability, which was not discovered until the individual filed for unemployment and the board started receiving bills from the state Labor Department, arose because the town opted out of paying into the state unemployment fund. As a result, when a claim is filed it is on its own for its share of the payments. A search to determine the history of the opt-out decision, which may have been made in 1996 or before, has so far proved unsuccessful. The roughly $30,000 that could be paid out by the town over two years in unemployment claims effectively erases any gains by the Town Board's last minute belt-tightening measures. Cuts included slashing all salary increases, cutting library contributions in half, cuts to consultants, and the elimination of funds for town beautification and celebration. The total town expenditures for the general fund and Highway Department come to $1.1 million. The amount to be raised by taxes next year is $670, 162, up from just over $600,000 in the current fiscal year. The tax rate in the new budget comes to $2.07 per $1,000 of assessed value, up from $1.86 in the current budget."

Rensselaerville passes budget with slight tax decrease
Andrea Macko in The Greenville Mountain View Pioneer (no website) reports the Rensselaerville town board passed its 2011 budget Nov. 17, with a tax decrease of one-tenth of one percent. The 2011 budget is $1,933,618, down from $2,038,029 in 2010. Councilwoman Marion Cooke voted against the budget, while the Supervisor Marie Dermody, and council members Gary Chase, Dale Dorner, and John Kudlack approved. Cooke questioned borrowing money from the highway fund for the general budget. The board also passed a motion unanimously to freeze spending, though the story does not say for how long.

Birthdays
Nov. 25 birthdays include Ba Jin, Bucky Dent, and Erick Sermon.