Raymond Pignone reports for Columbia-Greene Media that small county fairs in New York eligible for state reimbursement for youth competitions after Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation addressing the issue on Sept. 12. The bill, from state Sen. Michelle Hinchey and Assemblyperson Carrie Woerner, lowers the required amount fairs must give out from $5,000 to $2,500. Locally, the Greene County Youth Fair in July, and the Labor Day weekend Columbia County Fair are both smaller fairs. Hinchey said in a statement, “Small county fairs across New York state provide invaluable leadership opportunities that help young people build independence and life skills and gain confidence in their abilities.... Through this legislation, we’re providing our small county fairs with a critical economic tool to help them maintain youth fair involvement and support our next generation of leaders.” Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.