Aliya Schneider reports for Columbia-Greene Media that Columbia County Sheriff David Bartlett is not denying he made a Facebook comment this week that some thought was racist, and others believed was faked. Under a video of someone else posted of a Black man urinating on the side of a Greene County road, Bartlett wrote, “Same over here brother. They do what they want, where they want. Time to go back where they came from.” Screen shots of the comment were shared all over social media this week. “I want a public apology and I want it now,” Jarin Ahmed, of Hudson, wrote on Facebook. “I am appalled by this comment and his audacity to make such a remark whatever the context may be. But in case it does matter — he made this comment in response to a black man urinating on the side of a road. My question to him and the entire department is: What gives you the authority (or who) to make racist comments like this?” Ahmed wrote. Bartlett claims he did not notice the color of the individual in the video, and that it is “absolutely untrue” that his comment was racist. “It had absolutely no meaning,” Bartlett said. “I’m not going to say something bad about somebody. That’s not me." The video was posted by Ken Ellsworth, of Palenville, a retired Hunter police officer. “As an elected official he should not be telling people to go back to where they came from period,” Trisha Arlene, of Ghent, wrote on Facebook. Others posted how the comment must be phony, some sort of Photoshopped image. Others are upset about Bartlett for another case in the local headlines recently. On Aug. 8 35 people assembled in Kinderhook Village Square calling for Columbia County Sheriff David Bartlett to resign because of the investigation into the alleged assault of Harold Handy over the July 4th weekend at the home of local business owner Alex Rosenstrach and his wife, Deputy Sheriff Kelly Briscoe Rosenstrach. Bartlett has said that no other police were at the party where the beating occurred, though unconfirmed reports indicated otherwise. State police assumed control of the investigation this week at the request of Columbia County District Attorney Paul Czajka. The district attorney’s office requested that state police handle the investigation given “the totality of the circumstances,” Czajka said. If an arrest is made, the Columbia County District Attorney's Office would prosecute; the state attorney general’s office declined to take the case. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

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Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics insurance rates in the individual market will go up by 1.8 percent, while small group plans will see a 4.2 percent increase, New York insurance regulators announced August 13. The increase in the individual market rate is the lowest increase since the Department of Financial Services was given authority over the premium rates 10 years ago. Overall the rate increases are far smaller than what insurance companies requested. More than 1.2 million New Yorkers use either individual or small group plans. “New York stepped up and flattened the curve, but consumers are still feeling the economic effects of the pandemic. Our number one job is consumer protection and ensuring that quality, affordable health care is available to everyone in the state,” Financial Services Superintendent Linda Lacewell said.  Some health insurance companies saw record profits in the first six months of the year as a result of the postponement of elective surgeries with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. That has resulted in lower payouts for claims than what was initially expected. But the New York State Conference of Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans are citing the ongoing uncertainty created by testing, vaccine costs and treatments as well as pent-up demand for elective procedures in support of higher rate increases. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com

The Woodstock Film Festival announced August 14, its 21st annual event will be a hybrid festival held at area drive-ins and online from September 3 through October 4. The festival "shifted its spring calendar online, producing a robust program of live conversations with industry luminaries, notable directors and actors, as well as a curated selection of streamable films with introductions from their filmmakers. Both programs have been offered to the public free of charge," according to a press release. The festival will screen a full lineup of films at the Greenville Drive-In Outdoor Cinema in Greenville and other area drive-ins including the Overlook Drive-In in Poughkeepsie, with some events planned in Woodstock, as well. There will be a full slate of films offered online, accompanied by Q&A sessions with the filmmakers. A special online conversation series will feature speakers from all corners of the film industry. The festival's Maverick Awards ceremony will be held in a modified way online, as well. Information is available at Woodstock Film Festival [dot] org.

The Columbia Paper is reporting Columbia County is changing its mass emergency alert system. All disaster, weather-related and other emergency warnings and alerts for county residents are currently provided by the Code Red system. Beginning August 29, all emergency alerts and notifications for tornadoes, earthquakes, severe storms and other weather, natural or man-made disaster and important emergency warnings and information will be provided by NY Alert. County 911 Director Rob Lopez and Emergency Management Director David Harrison, Jr., recommended the change to the county Board of Supervisors. According to Lopez and Harrison, the state has greatly improved its system, making it more reliable. The change will save the county more than $32,000 every year, and it will provide county residents with additional emergency and informational alert options. Hard-lined phones will begin to receive the alerts automatically August 29. For cell phone and email notifications, residents must go to the New York State NY Alert website and register for a free account. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Kenneth C. Crowe II is reporting for the Times Union three people in Rensselaer County have suffered fatal drug overdoses from fentanyl-laced cocaine and heroin this week, bringing the number of fatal overdoses this year to 48. Officials said August 13, the three recent fatalities were among eight overdoses during a two-day period. The deaths occurred in East Greenbush, Sand Lake and Troy, causing the county to issue a public health warning. Two people died from overdoses two weeks ago in the town of Bethlehem’s Delmar neighborhood. Local law enforcement said at the time it was believed that fentanyl-laced cocaine was a factor in those deaths. “The number of overdoses in such a short time this week is an obvious concern, and the reason we are issuing this warning. We want residents to be aware there is reason to be concerned," said Rensselaer County Health Director Mary Fran Wachunas. There have been concentrated overdose outbreaks throughout the Capital Region since the coronavirus pandemic led to a reduction or shutdown of in-person services starting in mid-March. In Rensselaer County there has been a 41 percent jump in fatal overdoses this year compared to all of 2019. During one week in May, 30 overdoses occurred, including two deaths, region wide. Officials believed those overdoses arose from drugs sold from a single batch of drugs containing fentanyl. Read the full story in the Times Union.

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Nora Mishanec reports for Columbia-Greene Media that though Hudson Mayor Kamal Johnson announced a 10 percent cut in the city's police budget two months ago, the cuts have not yet been made. “It would be almost impossible to make significant cuts in the Hudson Police Department budget without either significant concessions from the union, or a reduction in the size of the force,” City Treasurer Heather Campbell said, explaining that "very little" of the police budget is discretionary. Johnson said that Police Commissioner Peter Volkmann is looking for parts of the budget that have “too much padding,” and Volkmann has a report due to Johnson this month. Johnson instituted a hiring freeze in a June 15 executive order. Sgt. Dean Rowe retired July 9, and a police officer will be promoted to fill his role, allowed under the executive order. The budget may increase if Hudson loses a legal dispute with the police department’s union, the New York State Law Enforcement Officers Union, AFSCME, AFL-CIO, Council 82, Local 3979. Full disclosure: Johnson is a volunteer WGXC programmer. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Sarah Trafton is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media on the effort underway by a group of Catskill residents and village trustees to find a new home for the Catskill Community Center. The building that houses the center is located on Main Street in the village and is currently on the market for $1.5 million. The center's board of directors cited a lack of funding as the reason behind the sale. It is now exploring options for identifying a new location, offering a limited set of programs at a variety of locations or stop providing programming directly and instead establish an endowment to fund programs within the community. Amanda Herzog is a proponent of moving the center to Elliot Park, on Broom Street, located on the other side of the Catskill Creek from its current location. “...To better serve our community, I personally think it should moved to another area, ...” she said. It’s important that the proposed new center offer programming for all ages and meet the needs of all the hamlets of Catskill, Herzog said. The Community Center Revisioning Group made a site visit to Elliott Park last week, Village President Vincent Seeley said. Seeley wants to construct a new building at the cost of $1 million with an operating budget of $200,000 to $300,000 per year. The Community Center currently maintains its 13,000-square-foot building and a 15-person staff for less than $200,000, board of directors President Jeff Friedman said last month. The center provides a variety of programs such as the Youth Drop-In Recreation Center, Before and After School and Summer Recreation. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Amanda Fries is reporting for Capitol Confidential the state Office of Court Administration has decided to strictly limit eviction proceedings and extend a moratorium on carrying out evictions until October 1. State Sen. Brian Kavanagh, chair of the Committee on Housing, Construction and Community Development, said the court’s latest announcement is a welcome response to the ongoing public health and economic crises the state faces from the coronavirus pandemic. Since March, Kavanagh, and other elected officials and housing advocates have called for a pause on evictions during the pandemic. “I thank the leadership of our court system for continuing to recognize this today; for taking action consistent with the many other emergency measures that public agencies have implemented during this extraordinary time; and for providing relief from the threat of eviction for all residential tenants, at least for the next seven weeks,” Kavanaugh said. Many tenants have been unable to afford rent since the COVID-19 crisis began, forcing businesses to close or to ask employees to work from home and leaving millions out of work. While the Legislature allocated $100 million to assist families with paying rent and mortgage payments, lawmakers recognized that more funding would be necessary. Officials hope is that additional federal funds will be earmarked for housing assistance. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.

Gwendolyn Craig is reporting for the Adirondack Explorer the invasive woolly adelgid insect has been found off the shores of Lake George. The state Department of Environmental Conservation announced August 11, that a camper in Washington County found the invasive insect in the Glen Island Campground off the shores of Lake George. It is the second ever recorded infestation within the park. The closest known infestation is 30 miles away in southern Saratoga County, according to the DEC. The news follows an announcement last week that the emerald ash borer was found in Warren County near the Schroon River. “It’s 2020 — why not?” said Jamie Brown, executive director of the Lake George Land Conservancy, referring to the string of bad news the world has dealt with this year. The hemlock woolly adelgid was found at Prospect Mountain in 2017 and the surrounded trees were subsequently treated. The Lake George Land Conservancy now plans to look more around Dresden and Putnam this winter. Winter is the best time to look for the woolly adelgid’s white clumpy masses underneath the tree’s needles. The DEC estimates 10 percent of the Adirondack Park’s forest is hemlock trees and many of them are in the Lake George wilderness area. Read the full story in the Times Union.

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Melissa Hale-Spencer is reporting for the Altamont Enterprise the Guilderland Town Board August 4, approved a resolution to allow the Champlain Hudson River Power Express Inc. to run underground lines through the town to deliver power from Canada to the greater New York City area. The measure carried on a vote of 4 to 1, with board member Laurel Bohl the only dissenter. “The people that oppose this are not just Canadians,” said Bohl. She named the Sierra Club, Hudson Riverkeeper, New York electric companies, New York clean-energy companies, and 22 labor unions as opposing the project. “Hydroelectricity from large dams is not really renewable energy,” Bohl said, citing a Harvard study that found “drastic negative effects on fish, forests, and the cultural identity of the indigenous community.” Town Supervisor Peter Barber named the federal and state agencies that have approved the project and said, “Governor Cuomo made it clear back on May 24 that these sorts of infrastructure projects are not only good for the economy, they’re good for the environment but also are necessary to restart the economy.” The $3 billion project, proposed by Transmission Developers Inc., has been in the works since 2008 and construction is expected to begin in 2021. A 1,000-megawatt high voltage direct current, HVDC, line will be buried underground in Guilderland, largely along railroad rights-of-way, according to Transmission Developers Inc. The cable is to be buried approximately 5 feet underground within conduits and is expected to have an operating and taxable life of at least 40 years, TDI says. The project route in New York begins in the town of Putnam in Washington Co., continuing south through the city of Saratoga Springs, into the greater Albany area and further south through Ravena, Coxsackie, Athens and the town of Catskill, where it will enter the Hudson River. Read the full story in the Altamont Enterprise.

Sarah Trafton is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Hunter-Tannersville School District has approved an agreement with the Greene County Sheriff’s Office to put a police officer in the school. The Greene County Legislature authorized the county's first four school resource officers in 2018, assigning two to Cairo-Durham, one to Greenville and one to Windham-Ashland-Jewett. The agreement with Hunter-Tannersville is effective September 1, and will run through the end of the school year. The district will pay just under $62,000 to the county for the service. “We are happy to announce that our SRO program is expanding this year as we are adding one SRO for the Hunter-Tannersville School District bringing our total to five,” said Sheriff Peter Kusminsky on August 12. “This will mean that all school districts in Greene County will [now] have either an SRO or armed security on school grounds.” Hunter-Tannersville District Superintendent Nate Jones said the decision was prompted in part by an increase in school violence on a national level. “Obviously, the safety concerns nationally were a big precursor to saying we need to start tidying things up at our buildings,” Jones said. In touting the program, Kusminsky said, it establishes a working relationship between police and school districts. “The school resource officer is a valuable link between the school community and law enforcement,” he said. The Hunter-Tannersville contract will be voted on by the full legislature August 19. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics sales tax revenue for local governments continues to fall. Comptroller Tom DiNapoli said August 12, the state brought in $116 million or 8.2 percent less last month that during a similar period last year. The revenue decline is the latest monthly drop in sales taxes, but it was not as steep as previous months as businesses continue to reopen for the second month in a row. Speaking of the downturn, DiNapoli said, “This is going to have a long-lasting effect on revenues for counties, cities and many towns and villages around the state. The federal government needs to step up and provide financial help to those hit hard by this virus. Without action, communities may need to make severe cuts to critical services.” Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

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The Altamont Enterprise reports that about 140 people came to the town park in Berne in southern Albany County on Aug. 9, most of them for a peaceful "Black Lives Matter" rally. They heard from CiCi Ferrara, who told what it is like to be the only African-American student in her class in the rural Berne-Knox-Westerlo district. “I knew others saw my brown skin and thought I did not belong,” she said. Ferrara told a story of unruly students on her school bus, and a girl stepping into the aisle next to Ferrara saying, “You guys need to stop it … You’re acting like a bunch of N-words.” And then she said in front of the large crowd, “I did not say anything.” Two dozen counter-protesters had a lot to say from the park's parking lot. Ken and Kelly Gonyea of Berne were there. “These organizations are burning down towns,” said Ken Gonyea. “I’m sure you’ve seen it on TV. They’re people getting attention by creating a racial divide.” Locally, there was a bit of violence and looting in Albany a few months ago, but since then counter-protesters were arrested with guns in Troy, there were threats to a Schoharie County Black Lives Matter protest, and a counter-protester on a motorcycle slightly hurt one of the pro-Black Lives Matter protesters in Greenville. Greene County Sheriff Peter Kusminsky spoke to The Enterprise about that incident, saying, “a motorcycle came into contact with one of the protestors in a parking lot … There were no injuries or damage and the investigation is closed.” Another counter-protester in Berne who would not give his name but said he was from Rensselaerville said, “I’m here to make sure nothing gets desecrated in our town.” But there was little trouble at this event. Grace Nichols, just moved to Berne, and said she has two children who are half Mexican and half Asian. “It’s very important we’re one human family,” she said, “but people of color have not been treated like equal members of our family.” Read more about this story in The Altamont Enterprise.

Paul Kirby reports in The Daily Freeman that Assemblyperson Chris Tague, a Republican from Schoharie, said he was worried about local funding at an Aug. 11 online hearing on mail-in voting this November. New York expects up to five million mail-in ballots in the November general election because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the New York Post. “As usual, with this year’s mail-in voting, the governor has decided to pass the buck onto local governments with another unfunded mandate,” Tague, said of Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “This is a double whammy, and will strain the budgets of our local governments and also test their ability to accurately process their ballots with limited staff, potentially allowing for more mistakes to be made." Tague represents the 102nd Assembly District covering Greene and Schoharie counties and bits of Ulster and Columbia counties, and is running against Democrat Betsy Kraat this fall. “I understand we are approaching this election facing unprecedented circumstances, but we cannot allow the integrity of our elections to be sacrificed for the sake of expediency,” he said. State Senator Jen Metzger, a Democrat from Rosendale, was more concerned that all votes get counted, then the costs. “We need to make sure that every New Yorker can safely exercise this most fundamental democratic right in November, and the purpose of today's legislative hearing was to assess the experience with voting in the June primary, which included a 16-fold increase in absentee voting," Metzger said in a statement. “We want to make sure our counties and our state are as prepared as possible for the upcoming election amidst the uncertainty created by this pandemic." Read more about this story in The Daily Freeman.