Sam Raudins reports for Columbia-Greene Media that seven Greene County municipalities have the lowest vaccination rates in Capital Region. In Durham, Maplecrest, Jewett, Surprise, Coxsackie, Lexington, and Oak Hill less than 37 percent of their total populations have received at least one dose of the vaccine. In Surprise, the statistics are the lowest, with just 28.4 percent of the population with at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Coxsackie is only at 32.1 percent, Durham is at 34.6 percent, Jewett reports 34.7 percent, in Maplecrest 35.2 percent of the population has received at least one dose, Lexington is at 36 percent, and Oak Hill follows at 36.1 percent. Greene County Public Health announced on July 28, it is asking everyone to wear a mask in all public indoor settings to help prevent the spread of COVID regardless of their vaccination status. The request comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined the county is at substantial risk of community transmission. “Each person who is immune protects those around them. Although this system is not an exact science, it has been incredibly effective in reducing the transmission of all communicable diseases, not just COVID-19,” read a social media post from Greene County Public Health. The Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus is much more contagious, and spreading rapidly locally and across the country. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Patricia R. Doxsey reports in the Daily Freeman that the Ulster County Legislature has a rule prohibiting resolutions defeated in committee from being reintroduced for consideration. In July, in July Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan requested the positions of director of recovery and resilience at an annual salary of $126,374; recovery and resilience project manager at an annual salary of $79,875; and assistant director of recovery and resilience at an annual salary of $56,564 to administer the $34 million in American Rescue Plan funds allocated to the county. But that resolution was voted down in the Legislature’s Ways and Means Committee on July 20. So Ryan introduced an identical resolution for the August meeting, but with a $1 reduction in the director’s salary. Legislature Chair Dave Donaldson said he expects to rule the resolution “out of order.... Despite the idea that I support (the creation of the positions), I don’t believe it fits within our rules.” Assistant Deputy County Executive Dan Torres said the administration “resubmitted [the resolution] to allow us to continue the conversation with the Legislature on having staff administer the $34 million dollars of federal funds.” If the legislature does debate the issue, Ryan will have to deal with several members of the Ways and Means Committee who thought the proposed salaries were too high. a href="https://www.dailyfreeman.com/2021/07/28/ulster-county-legislature-rebukes-executives-resolution-to-create-three-positions/">Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Melanie Lekocevic reports for Capital Region Independent Media that Mayor Bill Misuraca said Ravena has a duck problem at the July 20 town meeting. “Certain people, maybe a group of people, think they are cute. I think little fuzzy ducks are cute, too, but they are not cute when they are defecating in your swimming pool and on your patio and creating a health hazard,” Misuraca said. “Also, there is a noise factor, too.” Complaints have come in from Biechman Road, Cary Street, and Woodlawn Drive. “I have been talking to people who live in the affected areas and they are upset, understandably so,” Misuraca said. “We have tried to reach out to the people that are feeding them, that are enabling these ducks and keeping them around. The more they feed them, the more they breed, and there is overpopulation. It’s not fair to the animals and it’s not fair to the people.” The village cannot trap them, since ducks are a federally protected species. Instead Misuraca is proposing a local law prohibiting feeding any wildlife, with the exception of birds, as long as the bird feeder is at least four feet off the ground, so it is not accessible to ducks. At this stage, he's calling for a fine of $300 for a first offense and $600 for a second offense, but still finalizing the law's language. But it may not matter since, “We are really hoping that we don’t have to have the police enforce this law and that people finally get the point to stop feeding the ducks,” Misuraca said. Read more about this story in the Ravena News-Herald.

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Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced July 28, that all state workers will be required to be vaccinated by Labor Day, or be tested weekly for COVID-19. Cuomo also encouraged local governments to take similar steps as well as school districts in areas where there are high COVID-19 positivity rates. Patient-facing healthcare workers at public-run hospitals will also be required to be vaccinated, Cuomo said. The federal government is expected to set a similar mandate for federal workers and contractors. "New York state is ... working with our unions to implicate this fairly," Cuomo said. "I encourage all local governments the same. It's smart, it's fair, it's in everyone's interest." The Civil Service Employees Association Wednesday announced its support for the policy; the union that represents State Troopers said it had been caught off guard by Cuomo's announcement and was reviewing its legal options. The Public Employees Federation, a union that represents mostly white-collar workers, said the mandate would have to be part of a collective bargaining agreement with the state. The New York State United Teachers in a statement said it wanted to encourage more shots on the local level. Reisman is also reporting the state bar association on Wednesday announced the formation of a task force to review vaccination mandates. That task force will look at whether broad mandates for vaccinations are needed and examine vaccine hesitancy among vulnerable groups such as people of color and Indigenous people. Roughly 75 percent of New York adults have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Read both stories at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

Sam Raudins is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Greene County Public Health announced on July 28, it is asking everyone to wear a mask in all public indoor settings to help prevent the spread of COVID regardless of their vaccination status. The request comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined the county is at substantial risk of community transmission, according to a Facebook post. According to CDC data, the county has the highest rate of community transmission of the virus north of New York City. The same data shows that Columbia County and other Capital Region counties are at moderate and some northern counties are at low risk. The World Health Organization says community transmission is indicated when related cases cannot be confirmed through chains of transmission. State officials continue to consider the new CDC guidelines on masks. As of Wednesday, fully vaccinated New Yorkers are not legally required to wear a mask or facial covering in most public settings or businesses. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Bill Williams is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media members of law enforcement are actively looking for a Florida man, last seen in Hudson after he was reported missing, Hudson Police Chief L. Edward Moore said July 28. Jessie L. Webster, 44, of Lakeland, Florida, was last seen on the morning of July 23, at about 11 a.m., near Schuyler Court on Columbia Street, Moore said. Webster was in Hudson visiting friends and relatives who live in the area, according to police. HPD was contacted about his disappearance by a concerned family member, Moore said. They were worried about Webster because of the way he left — without saying goodbye or telling anyone that he was leaving. Hudson police have conducted numerous interviews with Webster's friends, relatives and acquaintances to learn more about his whereabouts and his condition. Police agencies throughout the area and police in central Florida are keeping an eye out for him, Moore said. There is no indication that Webster is in danger, but the department wants to confirm that he is safe before the case is closed, Moore said. Anyone with information is asked to contact Hudson police at 518-828-3388. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Pearl Cadigan reports in the Times Union that Mars Abrahamsen has started a free market in Hunter. Phoenix Web Collective, at 7947 Main Street in Hunter, isn't a store, but has items available for giveaway, not for sale. “There’s only so much stuff that I needed or wanted, but there’s all this other good stuff that I’m [thinking] like, ‘This is just going to be in a landfill and it’s still good,’ and I can’t in my right mind just leave it,” Abrahamsen said. “The need here is so grand…. Hunter is the fifth poorest town in New York,” with 20.5 percent of Hunter residents living at or below the poverty line. “People come in … and they don’t have any money and they want to make their daughter’s birthday special, and they find things that their kid goes wild over,” Abrahamsen said. The space gives away things in the front, and hosts a “Maker’s Space" filled with art supplies in the back. Down the mountain, the Catskill Community Fridge at the corner of Water and Bridge Sts. in Catskill, has the same policy, with everything inside free to those in need. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

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Nick Reisman reports at New York State of Politics that New York United for Justice, a coalition of 14 criminal justice reform organizations, called on New York to release information about COVID-19 vaccines in prisons. So far the state is yet to release public data on the rollout of vaccinations in prisons. “It is imperative that DOCCS and DOH provide the public with a clear and detailed picture of COVID-19 tracking and management in prisons, including vaccination data and how they are planning to fight future outbreaks. Prisons are ideal breeding grounds for COVID-19 outbreaks, and with potentially large numbers of unvaccinated people in prisons, we cannot risk creating another surge,” said Alexander Horwitz, the group's executive director. “Without transparency and accountability, DOCCS’ current approach poses a clear public health risk to all New Yorkers.” Prison officials say they have released vaccination rates, but the activists want more detailed data. "The Department has been reporting vaccination rates for months, which makes NYUJ’s claims completely false. All of the incarcerated population in NYS DOCCS correctional facilities have been offered a vaccine. To date DOCCS has administered a total of 15,195 vaccines," a DOCCS spokesperson said in a statement. "As of July 27, 2021, 14,786 or 46.2 percent of incarcerated individuals currently in DOCCS correctional facilities, have received the vaccine." Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Roger Hannigan Gilson reports in the Times Union that though there is a definite housing crisis in the city of Hudson, there is no movement on the issue. The city's largest developer is threatening lawsuits, as some city officials are against large tax breaks. Rents have tripled between 2000 and 2019 in Hudson, and then jumped 20 percent more in the past year as downstate residents displaced locals amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, the Hudson Common Council voted down a generous Payment in Lieu of Taxes plan for one affordable housing project proposed by the Galvan Foundation, and last week an independent analysis of two other PILOTs for housing projects from Galvan came back to the Hudson IDA. The analysis found the terms of one of the PILOTs was unnecessarily favorable to Galvan and recommended decreasing the total property tax breaks from $8.9 million to $8.4 million. The Galvan Foundation and the for-profit Galvan Partners LLC are Hudson's largest property owners. They own at least 89 parcels in the city worth more than $38 million. Certainly they have the means, and city officials are united saying the area needs affordable housing. Yet, still, no new affordable housing is being built in Hudson. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Sam Raudins reports for Columbia-Greene Media that there is an overdose spike alert in Greene County after there were three overdoses within two hours on some recent day. The story does not say when. One of the overdoses was with a prescription drug, and two others with heroin, and officials worried that the drugs could be laced with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid much stronger than morphine that can be deadly. "If it is a contaminated supply, and we don't have confirmation yet that that's what caused this, there will be some other testing that will be done by law enforcement to figure out exactly what it was. The potential is for it to still be out there if it is a contaminated supply," said Carl Quinn, Greener Pathways program director in the Twin County Recovery Services. The group is recommending that anyone using drugs to check their supply with fentanyl test strips, to make sure they have access to Narcan that can reverse an overdose, and tell others where they are at all times. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

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Joshua Solomon reports in the Times Union that North Country Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik on July 27 attempted to blame House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, for an attempted right-wing coup at the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6. "Nancy Pelosi bears responsibility, as speaker of the House, for the tragedy that occurred on Jan. 6," Stefanik said, though the Republican who represents the 21st Congressional District in New York bears more responsibility. Stefanik did not ever clearly say that Democrat Joe Biden defeated Republican Donald Trump for president. Stefanik voted against the certification of the electoral college vote before and after the riot. And the Associated Press fact-checked Stefanik's claim that Pelosi was responsible for the armed right-wing insurrection, reporting that Pelosi has no day-to-day oversight of the Capitol Police. After the attack Pelosi said a "failure of leadership at the top" was at fault, and the top three security officials at the Capitol resigned over the security failure. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York and the chair of the House Democratic Caucus, called the Stefanik smear "sick and cynical." Gov. Andrew Cuomo's top advisor, Rich Azzopardi, called Stefanik a "traitor" in a tweet July 27. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Melanie Lekocevic is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Emergency Medical Technician shortage is a growing problem in Greene County. “There’s not enough staffing and not enough money out there to put a crew on, so when there is a shortage, you have to get people from somewhere — someone has to go,” Greene County Legislature Chairman Patrick Linger said Mon., July 26. “It’s a big problem right now in the county.” One of the issues is that the pay rate for EMTs is not competitive with other employers, Greenville Town Supervisor Paul Macko said. “They can go to a Stewart’s Shop or Cumberland Farms for that much and more,” Macko said. Nadine Myrdycz, EMS chief at the Town of Coxsackie Ambulance, said her agency has several part-time openings. “We don’t have a lot of applicants,” Myrdycz said. “Every agency probably within New York state is short. I don’t know if it is because of the lack of courses because of COVID or people moving on to other careers like working with paid fire departments or working as paramedics, or moving on to medical or PA (physician’s assistant) school.” The number of applicants for new positions with the Greene County Paramedics is declining, President Mark Evans said. “We have not experienced a severe shortage at this point, but the pool of paramedics out there available to be hired is certainly very small,” he said. The town of Coxsackie was able to fill two full-time openings this year through the civil service list, Town Supervisor Rick Hanse said. “Our employees have civil service protection and we have a very generous health insurance plan, which I think is a motivating factor for a lot of people looking for work,” he said. Evans said a concerted recruitment effort is needed to bring new people into the profession. One way to do that is to utilize volunteers to give them an opportunity to explore the field and decide if it is right for them, he said. In 2019, EMTs and paramedics responded to 8,432 calls in Greene County. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Porcupine Soup is reporting that a resident of Ashland is among three men charged with a hate crime in Fleischmanns, in Delaware County. The morning of July 24, a Jewish man reported to state police that as he was walking along Main Street in Fleischmanns village a man got out of a pickup truck and stole his shtreimel (sch-TRAY-mell). A shtreimel is a fur hat worn by some Ashkenazi Jewish men, mainly members of Hasidic Judaism, on Shabbat and Jewish holidays and other festive occasions. According to troopers, the suspect returned to the pickup truck, which was occupied by the two other suspects, who all shouted anti-Semitic slurs and then drove off. Investigators were able to develop information that led them to identify the suspects. They were identified as Korey O. Bush, 25, of Ashland, Johan Diamond, 21, and Wesley R. Eignor Jr., 24, both of Delaware County. All three men have been charged by State Police with third-degree grand larceny as a hate crime, a class C felony. All three were arraigned and remanded to the Delaware County Jail on $5,000 cash bail or $20,000 bond. Read the full story at porcupinesoup [dot] com.

Brendan J. Lyons is reporting for the Times Union that a federal judge on July 27, gave preliminary approval to a proposed $65 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit involving three companies blamed for polluting the public and private water supplies in and around the village of Hoosick Falls. The settlement would assure cash payments and long-term medical monitoring for thousands of property owners and residents, including those who were found to have elevated levels of a toxic substance in their bloodstream. In a 17-page ruling, U.S District Senior Judge Lawrence E. Kahn said he is likely to grant final approval to the settlement because it is "fair, reasonable and adequate." A hearing on the final settlement will be held on February 2 in Albany. The preliminary settlement was reached in a proposed class-action lawsuit filed in 2016 in federal court. The complaint accused Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics and Honeywell International, and later 3M and DuPont Co., of responsibility for the continued pollution of the community's water supplies, which are contaminated with perfluorinated chemicals that were used at factories in the village. The settlement is intended to compensate former and current residents for the potential health consequences of their exposure to the chemicals, as well as the potential loss of property value, and to provide a system of early detection for any related health issues they may suffer in the years ahead. The payments under the proposed settlement could be divided among roughly 1,800 qualifying property owners. Read the full story in the Times Union.

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