Greta Jochem is reporting for The Berkshire Eagle xylazine, an animal tranquilizer, is being increasingly found in the illegal drug supply in New England, including the Berkshires. Jessica Kelly, prevention services supervisor at Berkshire Harm Reduction, said one year ago she would find the veterinary sedative, in 1 out of 20 bags of heroin. Today, Kelly estimates it is present in one in seven bags. The drug is not an opiate and so it does not respond to opiate overdose reversal medications like naloxone. Stephen Murray, an overdose researcher at Boston Medical Center, said the drug is a major concern along the I-91 corridor. The drug was first found in the drug supply in the early 2000s in Puerto Rico, and the Massachusetts Drug Supply Stream program discovered it in the opioid supply in mid-2021. The drug is approved for veterinary use only and when taken by humans, it is extremely dangerous. Dr. Jennifer Michaels, medical director for The Brien Center said, “The scary thing about xylazine is that naloxone and Narcan don't reverse the overdose." Because it is a sedative, the drug can increase the risk for overdose by suppressing breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure, Michaels said. It can also cause severe wounds. The drug seems to be toxic to the skin and tissue underneath it. People can fall asleep or be unconscious for hours lying on a body part, like an arm, decreasing blood supply to it, Michaels said. When injected, the drug can cause pain. "I've had multiple people report it feels like worms crawling in their skin, which causes a lot of picking that causes more infection rates and abscesses, too," Kelly said. Researchers do not know as much about xylazine as they want to. As its use has spread across New England, there has not been enough time to study it. Routine drug screenings of individuals at The Brien Center do not test for xylazine, Michaels said. "We don't really know how much it has infiltrated our patients' substance supply." Read more in The Berkshire Eagle.

Kenneth C. Crowe II reports in the Times Union that the state Department of Environmental Conservation it is continuing to clean up the PFAS at Taconic Plastics in Petersburgh in Rensselaer County. The DEC has working at the plant at 136 Coon Brook Road just west of Route 22 and south of Route 2 since 2016. “DEC approved a supplemental investigation work plan in August 2021 which requires Taconic to perform additional sampling of contaminated soils, groundwater, and surface water in the vicinity of Building 1, with the objective of assessing options for an interim remedial measure at the site,” the agency said in a recent community update. The DEC says it it still working on sediment and subsurface soil removal, backfill, and swale reconstruction behind Building 1, with plans to complete the interim remediation in 2023. PFAS is a poisonous so-called "forever chemical" that is difficult to break down and is linked to some forms of cancer. It has been found locally in drinking water in Cairo, New Lebanon, Hoosick Falls, Nassau, and other communities. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Nick Reisman reports at New York State of Politics reports that seven Republicans in the state Assembly have announced support for a bill to give free meals to students in all New York schools. That signals it has a good chance to pass this year with more than 70 members of the state Legislature signing letters of support for the universal school meal proposal. State Senator Michelle Hinchey and Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas, both Democrats, introduced the bill. Gov. Kathy Hochul will outline her budget proposal on Feb. 1 in Albany, and many lawmakers hope the free meals provision will be included in the plan. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

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There were protests around the United States, and locally in Troy and Hudson, after police in Memphis released videos on Jan. 27 showing at least five police officers savagely beating Tyre Nichols, who eventually died from the attack. Marketa Edwards, one of the organizers of the Troy protest on Jan. 28, was recorded speaking by the Times Union's H. Rose Schneider saying, PLAY EXCERPT OF EDWARDS' SPEECH. In Hudson, over 60 people turned out to the park in front of the Columbia Courthouse on Jan. 29 to protest the latest police killing caught on a video recording. Several local youth spoke at the event, including a 17-year-old named Gabby. PLAY EXCERPT OF GABBY SPEAKING A few local officials were there including State senator Michelle Hinchey, Assemblymember Didi Barrett, and Hudson Mayor Kamal Johnson. Claire Cousins, a member of the county Board of Supervisors from Hudson, urged the other politicians who were not there to come out next time. PLAY EXCERPT OF COUSINS SPEAKING.

Tyler O'Neill is reporting for Spectrum News Democrat U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan was appointed January 27, to the House Committee on Armed Services and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, his office said. Ryan represents the redrawn 18th Congressional District. The Armed Services Committee handles defense policy, military operations, and the organization and reform of the Department of Defense and Department of Energy. Ryan served on this committee during his previous term. "I maintain my commitment to ensuring our service members and military families are properly supported to preserve and promote America’s security, prosperity and values both at home and abroad," he said. Ryan served in the U.S. Army as a combat intelligence officer from 2004 to 2009, including two tours in Iraq. The Congressman will also serve on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, which oversees all modes of transportation nationwide. "Whether you take Metro-North to New York City, travel Route 17 through Orange County or need improved broadband in Dutchess County, I will fight every day to make sure that funding comes right back here to the Hudson Valley," Ryan said in a statement. Read the full story at spectrumlocalnews [dot] com.

Jammel Cutler is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Hudson City Hall is set to undergo needed renovations, according to a resolution recently adopted by the Common Council. The resolution authorized the mayor to enter into a contract with VMJR Companies of Glens Falls to complete the alterations required to bring the historic former bank building into compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. The cost of the project is $669,500, and the resolution authorizes expenditure of $337,933 from the general fund. Construction is expected to begin in February and the work will be completed in three or four months. Changes to the building’s facade include removing the marble steps that lead to the side door of the building and dropping the door to sidewalk level. The existing door will continue to be used and the marble plinths and pilasters on either side of the doorway will remain unchanged. “The improvements will make access to the second floor a lot easier for folks,” said Mayor Kamal Johnson. “I’m happy that we’re finally getting to this point as a city.” The renovations will make the building more accessible, and the general environment is going to be more inviting for everyone, he said. VMJR has completed similar projects at locations throughout upstate New York — at the University at Albany, Siena College, the State Education building and Middleburgh Central School. In Hudson, the company successfully completed the St.Paul’s/St. Mary’s Church historical restoration. Read more at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Andrea Macko at Porcupine Soup that as a horrific police beating video is released in Memphis, in Greene County, Hunter Mountain officials took down a photo they posted of the East Coast Police Winter Games from Jan. 18 and 19. The image removed showed skiing officers displaying “thin blue line” flags. Hunter Mountain posted on social media that, “In celebrating the 27th Annual NYPD ski races, a photo including ‘thin blue line’ flags was posted. Feedback on the post was swift, leading us to remove the photo and work to better understand its undertones and meaning. We will continue to have conversations about this internally and do better to ensure that inclusivity is conveyed and celebrated in all that we do.” The group Anti-Racist Catskills thanked Hunter Mountain on social media, writing, “We hope that your actions to remove these photos show a good faith effort to do the right thing and was not merely an attempt to cover/hide your actions.” Other comments on social media attacked Hunter Mountain for removing the photo. Read the full story at Porcupine Soup.

Rachel Silberstein reports in the Times Union that the Schoharie County government is defying a state order to reinstate their health director. Dr. Amy Gildemeister was unanimously approved for a new contract by the county Board of Health, but the supervisors' board has refused to authorize her salary, because she enforced mask mandates and advocated for vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gildemeister's previous term ended on Jan. 21, and Gildemeister had been going into the office since then as directed by Acting State Health Commissioner James V. McDonald, who in a Jan. 12 letter advised that only members of the county health board, not legislators, have the legal authority to appoint or remove a county health official. "Finding no evidence that the Schoharie County Board of Health engaged in the required removal proceeding, or provided Dr. Gildemeister an opportunity to be heard, I must also find that the Board of Supervisors' attempt to remove Dr. Gildemeister is null and void as a matter of law," McDonald wrote. But this week Gildemeister's access to her office has been restricted. A spokesperson for the state Department of Health says the agency will take enforcement action against the Schoharie County Board of Supervisors. More than half of the state's county public health leaders have left their jobs since the start of the COVID-19 health crisis, including, in recent weeks, the health directors in Columbia and Greene counties. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Heather Bellow reports in The Berkshire Eagle that Great Barrington's Select Board’s Housing Subcommittee Chair, Leigh Davis, is proposing a real estate tax break for anyone who offers year-round affordable rentals on a portion of their property. If the Great Barrington board approves of the idea, the proposal could come before town voters at annual town meeting in May. Officials are looking at an affordable housing rental exemption in Provincetown as an example of one way to help the affordable housing crisis locally. David said, “It encourages affordable housing within neighborhoods and it's a 'scattered sites' approach." The entire area has seen soaring housing prices in recent years, and a shortage of affordable housing. Davis also wants the town to consider levying a 0.5 percent to two percent fee on some real estate transactions to add to the town’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Read more about this story in The Berkshire Eagle.

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Roger Hannigan Gilson reports for the Times Union that the village of Coxsackie January 25, adopted a moratorium on short-term rentals to give officials time to study whether the rentals should be further regulated. The moratorium imposed a three-month pause on any new Airbnbs, Vrbos, or any property available through a short-term rental website, with the ability to extend the moratorium twice for a total of nine months. The village, with a population of less than 3,000 people, has had an influx of new residents and businesses since the pandemic began and redevelopment of the village center is underway. But members of the village board said interest in the community has also led people to buy properties expressly to rent them out on short-term rental platforms, turning the homes into investment properties. The village currently has 24 short-term rentals, mostly located in or around the Reed Street Historic District. Vacation rentals in the town of Coxsackie bring the total number to 65, a significant increase from the 28 short-term rentals reported in the fourth quarter of 2020. Under current village law, short-term rental owners must register with the village and pay a fee. That requirement was added after one rental "got out of hand" with excessive noise, underage drinking, and police calls, Mayor Mark Evans said. The moratorium will "preserve the status quo," according to village attorney Rob Stout Jr., and allow current short-term rental owners to continue to operate. The moratorium includes a variance for undue hardship. Those looking to establish rentals who believe they would be unduly impacted are able to ask for a variance by appealing to the village board. The city of Hudson and the town of Woodstock currently regulate vacation rentals. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Tyler A. McNeil reports for The Daily Gazette that Republican Jeff Moore has withdrawn from the race for Schenectady City Council under pressure from his local party committee after his controversial, conspiracy theory-laden social media posts from recent years were exposed. In the recent past, Moore publicly speculated that high-ranking officials have been conspiring to advance a global communist world domination scheme. Posts show a flood of offensive and bigoted ideas about Islam, LGBTQ+ issues, mass shootings and nationalism, as well as Holocaust comparisons. He called President Barack Obama a "man of Kenya," and is a 2020 election denier. “In the New Age of Communism, the ‘Toxic White Male’ is the new Jew…,” Moore wrote in a February 2022 post for Empire State Conservatives, drawing a comparison to the plight of Jewish people forcibly labeled by Nazis during the Holocaust. “Then came [COVID-19] and the ‘Unvaxed’ is the new Unclean.” Moore terminated his candidacy on January 24 after The Daily Gazette, which had researched his social media activity, forwarded 52 of his offensive posts to the city’s Republican Committee. Schenectady GOP Chair Matt Nelligan swiftly condemned Moore’s postings. Moore declined to explain his social media history, but he apologized for not disclosing it to Republican officials before being chosen to run for office. Nelligan’s Democratic rival Mayor Gary McCarthy described Moore’s blogging records as “conspiracies in the Twilight Zone and the theater of the absurd.” Read more in The Daily Gazette.

Mid-Hudson News reports that the number of school districts statewide designated in a financial stress category has declined considerably since school year 2019-20, and the 2021-22 school year continued the trend, according to a new report by Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s office. Just one school district in the state, Mount Vernon in Westchester County, was rated as having “significant stress;" five school districts were rated as having “moderate stress.” State officials said the reasons for the decrease this year are largely the result of significant increases in both federal and state aid. According to the report, although increased federal and state aid has reduced fiscal stress in school districts, the increases in federal aid are temporary and the state’s plan to fully fund Foundation Aid by school year 2023-24 is currently on track, but it is not binding on future legislatures, nor is maintaining aid at that higher level. The report noted that school officials still face operational and staffing challenges to decide how best to provide services to their students in the future. Read the full story at Mid-HudsonNews [dot] com.

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Andrea Macko reports for Porcupine Soup that Kimberly Kaplan is resigning as Greene County’s director of public health. There have been a wave of resignations and removals of local public health directors, including in Columbia and Schoharie counties. Schoharie County officials recently ousted county health director Amy Gildemeister, and Columbia County's Jack Mabb recently retired. In New York, 29 of the state's 57 county health officials have retired or left their jobs since 2020, according to data collected by public health advocates. Current Deputy Director of Public Health and Clinical Services Laura Churchill was appointed as director unanimously by Greene County lawmakers on Jan. 17. Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

Roger Hannigan Gilson reports in the Times Union that New Lebanon is hosting a silent auction on Feb. 9 to help fund a new fire station for its all-volunteer department. The Lebanon Valley Protective Association has an anonymous donation of of $250,000, but needs another $250,000 to build the new station. The fire company hopes to consolidate their two current stations, said Ed Godfroy, fire company president. While the company will lose response time by consolidating the stations, it will have "better coordinated" responses, Godfroy claims. Town Supervisor Tistrya Houghtling is married to the fire company's chief and must recuse herself from any decisions related to the fire department. The silent auction is at 6 p.m. on Feb. 9 at M&M's Tap and Tavern on Route 20 in New Lebanon. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Tyler A. McNeil reports in the Daily Gazette that Republican Elise Stefanik was appointed this week to a new Congressional panel that her party says is to probe abuses of power within the federal government. Democrats say the Republicans are investigating the weaponization of government by weaponizing the government. Stefanik, who represents New York's 21st Congressional District including Rensselaer County, becomes one of 15 members on the U.S. House of Representative Judiciary Committee’s new Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government. Stefanik said in a statement, that “There are serious questions about how government agencies have gotten away with this for so long, and we will get to the bottom of how these corrupt agencies are being weaponized against everyday Americans.” Democrats say the new group is analogous to the House Un-American Activities Committee of the 1950s. Paul Tonko, a Democrat who locally represents the 20th Congressional District, said about the new panel that it is, “Chaired by one of the most right-wing partisans in Congress who voted to throw out the 2020 election results, this committee’s explicit purpose is to sabotage the work of the Department of Justice and the January 6th Select Committee.” Read more about this story in the Daily Gazette.

Eduardo Cuevas and Kayla Canne report in the Poughkeepsie Journal that now most incarcerated New Yorkers come from upstate, not New York City. In 2000, around 66 percent of New Yorkers incarcerated in state prisons came from New York City. That number has decreased to about 42 percent in 2020. "It's no longer something we can brush off as a New York City problem," said Emily Widra, a senior research analyst at the Prison Policy Initiative and an author of the report. "It's really affecting the whole state and communities in every county." VOCAL-NY's civil rights campaign director, Nick Encalada-Malinowski, says the shift is partially because New York City has some progressive reform policies, which the rest of the state lacks. “What’s happening for a lot of counties is they are incarcerating people rather than addressing any of their kind of immediate needs,” Encalada-Malinowski, said. “You have people especially in jail, but also in prison, just cycling through. No one’s actually addressing what got the person there.” Read the full story in the Poughkeepsie Journal.