DOWNLOAD or PLAY the audio version of the local news headlines for Wed., Mar. 1 (10:30). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

Roger Hannigan Gilson is reporting in The Daily Mail the state announced its much-anticipated phase two broadband awards Tue., Feb. 28. More than $38 million will go to telecommunication companies in Columbia and Greene counties. In Columbia County, Fairpoint Communications, which serves the eastern and northern parts of the county, will receive $27 million. Frontier Communications, which covers parts of Clermont, Livingston and Gallatin, will receive $2.6 million. Gtel Communications, which serves the southwestern corner of the county, will receive $5.3 million. Mid-Hudson Data Corp., which serves much of Greene County, as well as Hudson and surrounding areas, will receive $850,000, and Margaretville Telephone Company in Delaware County will receive $2.5 million through the program. The funding announced Tuesday is the second of three phases of a state program intended to establish high-speed internet statewide by the end of 2018 through joint public-private investments in the telecommunications infrastructure. The state will begin taking applications for round three of the program in the next 30 days. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

Rosa Acheson is reporting in the Register-Star Hudson Police Chief L. Edward Moore is seeking clarification of the recent order issued by Police Commissioner Martha Harvey and Mayor Tiffany Martin Hamilton outlining aspects of city law enforcement's cooperation with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. The order followed recent reports of individuals being detained by the agency in Hudson. Local 3979, the union representing some police officers in the city issued a statement last week, asking the mayor to rescind the order, saying it limits an officer's ability to enforce the law. "To be clear, the order states that we will continue to comply with all applicable federal laws," Hamilton said. "The order specifies that HPD facilities and resources will not be offered voluntarily to ICE unless use of those facilities or resources is required by law." At a meeting of the Common Council Police Committee Mon., Feb. 27, Moore submitted a list of concerns, asking that certain aspects of the order be "checked by our legal department; to make sure the officers are protected from any kind of federal prosecution, for obstructing or sharing information, or breaking any kind of Grand Jury rules." Moore argued that the order, as written, assumes all police personnel are fully aware of all applicable state and federal laws. "My guys are experts in police work but not necessarily federal law," Moore said during the meeting. "If an ICE agent simply requests assistance and I say no, I need it clarified that doing so is not a misdemeanor." Hudson City Attorney Ken Dow said the commissioner’s order is strictly about the use of actual physical property and does not address the conduct of the Hudson police. Read the full story in the Register-Star.

February 27 Common Council Police Committee meeting recorded by Dan Udell and uploaded to the udellcommunityaction YouTube channel on Feb. 28, 2017.

Congressman John Faso (R-Kinderhook) issued this statement on the president���s address to Congress Jan. 28: “President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress today laid out a bold agenda of tax relief, national security strength and job creation through increased economic growth. I am optimistic that the Congress will work with the president on policies where we agree, and partner in a bipartisan way to deliver results for New Yorkers and all Americans.” Senator Kirsten Gillibrand had a different view: “President Trump made it clear in his speech tonight that many of his top priorities are still severely out of touch with our values in New York. I wanted to hear him outline a real plan to keep good-paying jobs in New York, but instead we heard more of the same talk about lowering taxes for rich corporations, building an expensive border wall, and gutting the Affordable Care Act that millions of Americans now rely on. These policies will not raise wages or create good-paying jobs for workers in New York. President Trump also acknowledged our urgent need for paid leave, and I encourage him to support my bill, the Family Act, which would create a national paid leave plan for every American who works.”

The Daily Freeman reports that Greene County Sheriff Deputy Kevin Haverly, 26, died early Tuesday after his marked patrol vehicle struck a telephone pole on state Route 23 near Ashland. Haverly was pronounced dead at the scene after his westbound car on Route 23 in Ashland, near the Windham town line, went off the road and struck the pole. State police at Catskill are investigating the accident and have asked anyone who witnessed anything to call them at (518) 622-8600. Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.

Diane Valden in The Columbia Paper reports that with a 12-month moratorium on commercial solar energy installations about to lapse this spring, the town of Copake will likely vote on a new town solar law in March. Copake has already held a public hearing on the proposed law. In Greenport, where a similar moratorium is in place, officials there are rolling out their new solar town law with a March public hearing. In Hillsdale, Town Supervisor Peter Cipkowski said the Hillsdale Town Board will renew their solar moratorium in March, then conduct a public hearing on a new solar law prior to a board vote at the April 11 meeting. In Livingston, the Town Board amended its Town Zoning Law with new solar energy language at its Jan. 12 meeting. There, large-scale solar systems require a special use permit, with a site plan review. Ancram banned large commercial wind or solar projects in 2014. The Town of New Lebanon has a special meeting Feb. 28 to discuss proposed changes to Zoning Regulations, including solar regulations. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Robert Downen reports in The Albany Times-Union that a New York Civil Liberties Union lawsuit for a farmworker may have larger implications for farms and farm labor. The NYCLU filed a suit for Crispin Hernandez, a former worker at Marks Farm in Lowville who says he worked 12-hour days, six days a week, and claims he was fired for requesting basic work protections. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a defendant in the lawsuit, said he would not oppose the it, which effectively granted collective bargaining rights to state farm workers. The Farm Bureau, which represents more than 21,000 New York farmers, was granted intervenor status in the case, so it is slated to be a battle between the interests of farmers against farmworkers. The bureau claims long days are justified as, "There is only one person who has a say in the length of our workday, and that is the good Lord above," former Farm Bureau President Dean Norton said in December. Read the full story in The Albany Times-Union.

Amanda Fries is reporting in the Times Union the Hoosick Falls Village Board on Mon., Feb. 27, postponed its vote on a $1.04 million settlement offer from Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics and Honeywell International. The two companies have been blamed for the PFOA contamination of the village water supply. The motion to table was approved, six to one, with Mayor David Borge casting the only dissenting vote. Borge argued that without the settlement money the village is facing "real financial issues." The settlement covers the costs of village expenses for engineering, water sampling, and legal and public relations advice since the contamination was first discovered in 2014, but it limits the village's ability to bring future claims against the companies. That provision prompted many community members, environmental advocates and other public officials to strongly oppose the agreement. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Today is Day 15 of the WGXC Radical Radio 2017 Winter Pledge Drive. WGXC must raise $20,000 to keep WGXC Hands-on Radio on the air, live and local during the coming months. Your support will make all the difference. Call (518) 697-7400 or go online to wgxc.org [slash] donate. Thank you for supporting creative community radio in New York's Greene and Columbia counties.

Local weather forecast:

TODAY: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9 a.m., then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3 p.m. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds. Mostly cloudy. High near 68. Wednesday night, a chance of rain and thunderstorms before 1 a.m., then a slight chance of rain between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds. The National Weather Service in Albany has issued a Wind Advisory for all of eastern New York and adjacent western New England from 7 p.m., Wednesday, through 7 p.m., Thursday. Wind gusts could get up to 50 mph. Mostly cloudy. Low around 35.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS
THURSDAY: Mostly sunny. High near 37. Thursday night, partly cloudy. Low around 23.
FRIDAY: A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy. High near 35. Friday night, partly cloudy. Low around 15.

Sunrise today: 6:28 a.m.
Sunset today: 5:46 p.m.
LENGTH OF THE DAY: 11:17 hrs.

PUBLIC MEETINGS
Today is the first Wednesday of the month.

WGXC suggests calling ahead to confirm time and location.
All numbers are in the 518 area code unless otherwise noted.

COLUMBIA County Board of Supervisors Broadband Sub-committee meeting, 4 p.m. at 401 State Street, Hudson (828-1527).
COPAKE Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
GREENE County Legislature Health Services Committee, County Resources Committee and Public Safety Committee meetings, 5 p.m. at 411 Main Street, Catskill (719-3200).
GREENPORT Town Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 600 Town Hall Drive, Greenport (828-4656).
GREENVILLE Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 11159 Route 32, Greenville (966-5055).
HUDSON Common Council Youth and Aging Committee meeting, 5:30 p.m.; Arts, Entertainment and Tourism Committee meeting, 6:45 p.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren St., Hudson (828-1030).
JEWETT Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, 7 p.m. at municipal building, 3547 Co. Rte. 23C, Jewett (263-4646).
KINDERHOOK Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 4 Church St, Niverville (784-2233).
PRATTSVILLE Planning Board meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 14517 Main St., Prattsville (299-3125).
VALATIE Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Martin H. Glynn Municipal Building, 3211 Church St., Valatie (758-9806).

POLITICAL EVENTS
PLANNED PARENTHOOD Fundraiser, 5 p.m., Mar. 3 at Traghaven Whiskey Pub and Co., Tivoli. Bard's Jazz Today and The Cupcakes perform.
PEOPLE'S MARCH for Education Justice, 1 p.m., Mar. 4 at locations across New York: Buffalo, Rochester, Schenectady, Kingston and New York City. Organized by Citizen Action of the Hudson Valley and Alliance for Quality Education of New York.
NEW YORK CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION Day of Action, Mar. 13. Action at State Capitol in Albany by the NYCLU against policies of the Republican administration.

DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local news update for Tuesday, February 28 (3:47). (Produced by Alanna Medlock.)