Rosa Acheson and Nick Olivari are reporting in the Register-Star the scheduled site plan review for the haul road proposal by A. Colarusso and Son was removed from the Greenport Town Planning Board agenda, Tue., Jan. 24, after the board was notified company representatives were still working on an updated narrative. They proposal will be back on the board's agenda in February. The new haul road, as proposed by Colarusso, would run from the company facility on Newman Road to the Hudson River waterfront. Planning Board Vice Chairman Robert MacGiffert said a representative from the company left a message for the board Tuesday, confirming the absence. “When people showed up to the meeting last night, we let them know what had happened and the rest of the meeting went on as planned. We don’t cancel,” MacGiffert said. An update would have been posted online notifying the public, he said, but internet service was down at town hall and members of the board were unable to alert the wider community. Read the full story in the Register-Star.

William J. Kemble is reporting in the Daily Freeman opponents of the Pilgrim Pipeline continue to press the Saugerties Town Board to take a position in opposition to the project. At a board meeting last week, Bill Barr, a member of the Coalition Against Pilgrim Pipeline, urged the board to take a stand against the increased use of the region for moving oil. “The pipeline and the barges are all part ... of a major coordinated assault to turn the Hudson Valley and the Hudson River into a major conduit or superhighway for crude oil,” he said. The Town Board last year adopted a resolution saying it had no confidence in the pipeline proposal. The proposed 178-mile double pipeline would move Bakken crude from the Port of Albany to northern New Jersey, and then send refined crude back north to Albany, largely along the I-87 corridor. The pipelines present risks from leaks that would threaten personal property, public infrastructure and environmental resources. More than two dozen other New York communities, including the town and village of Catskill, have already passed resolutions in opposition the project. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Bethany Bump reports in Capitol Confidential that fiscal conditions improved in three local school districs, according to a report issued Jan. 25 by state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. Conditions at schools in Catskill, Hunter-Tannersville, and Kinderhook all improved from 2015 to 2016, according to the report. The Hunter-Tannersville schools went from "significant" fiscal stress to "no designation," while Kinderhook and Catskill improved from "susceptible." Read the full story in Capitol Confidential.

The Cairo-Durham school district is the next locality to consider a tax exemption for a certain type of property owner. Cairo-Durham will might give an exemption for low-income and/or disabled citizens, with a 6:45 p.m. Feb. 2 public hearing in the Cairo-Durham Middle/High School library. Several other local school districts have been voting on exemptions for veterans.

Activists are complaining online that local Congressperson John Faso is not publishing his schedule online. Chris Gibson, who Faso replaced when he did not run for re-election, did publish his schedule online, but Faso has not in his first month in office. Protesters have marched outside of his district offices (in Kinderhook, Kingston, and Delhi), and are now calling him, asking for his schedule to be published. A Faso spokesperson wrote to WGXC, "When there are hosted events by the Congressman we will notify constituents via social media, his website, and newsletter." Faso recently spoke before the Ulster Chamber of Commerce, but has not "hosted" any events in the district since taking office.

Dara Lind reports at Vox.com that President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order Jan. 25 that does something to strip funding from “sanctuary cities.” A sanctuary city is a jurisdiction that limits their cooperation with federal immigration agents when identifying or turning over unauthorized immigrants. Trump has not signaled what definition of “sanctuary city” the executive order will use, or what funds would be targeted. On Jan. 10 Kingston adopted a version of a sanctuary city law, and on Jan. 23 Hudson's police committee had a discussion about the town adopting the policy, that can be seen on a YouTube video on the WGXC Newsroom website. Albany is also considered a sanctuary city. Read the full story at Vox.com<./a>

Diane Pineiro-Zucker reports in The Daily Freeman that a Rockland County corrections officer is accused of a hate crime for threatening a taxi driver last weekend in New Paltz. Andrew M. Plachecki, 26, of Congers allegedly displayed his service weapon while committing the crime, authorities said Jan. 24. Plachecki will resign Jan. 25, the Rockland sheriff told the paper. Plachecki allegedly called the cabbie an "expletive piece of Muslim expletive” and held a 9mm Glock 26 handgun to the cabbie’s head. Plachecki was charged with menacing, displaying a weapon as a hate crime, and reckless endangerment as a hate crime, all felonies. Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.

Paulina Firozi in The Hill reports that New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand will vote against Betsy DeVos for Education Secretary, again splitting a vote with fellow Democrat Chuck Schumer. "Students, parents and teachers deserve an Education Secretary whose commitment to public education and safe schools will not waver,” Gillibrand posted on Facebook, announcing her decision. While Schumer and Gillibrand often vote the same way, Gillibrand was the only senator to oppose retired Marine Gen. James Mattis as Defense secretary, while Schumer, the new minority leader, voted to approve. Gillibrand also voted against John F. Kelly to be homeland security secretary. Read the full story in The Hill.

Local weather forecast:

TODAY : A slight chance of showers before 7 a.m., then a slight chance of showers after 8 a.m. Mostly cloudy. High near 45. Thursday night, a slight chance of rain showers before 10 p.m., then a slight chance of rain and snow showers between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m., then a slight chance of snow showers after 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy. Low around 29.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS
FRIDAY: A chance of snow showers, mainly after 3 p.m. Mostly cloudy. High near 39. Friday night, a slight chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy. Low around 27.
SATURDAY: Mostly cloudy. High near 36. Saturday night, mostly cloudy. Low around 23.

Sunrise today: 7:13 a.m.
Sunset today: 5:03 p.m.
LENGTH OF THE DAY: 9:50 hrs.

PUBLIC MEETINGS
Today is the fourth Thursday of the month.

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

ATHENS Town Planning Board meeting, 7 p.m. at community center, 2 First Street, Athens (945-1052).
CHATHAM Village Board meeting, 7 p.m. at Village Hall, 77 Main Street, Chatham (392-5821).
CHATHAM Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 488 Route 295, Chatham (392-1651).
COLUMBIA County Board of Supervisors Finance Committee meeting, 3 p.m.; Opiate meeting, 5 p.m. at 401 State Street Office Building, Hudson (828-1527). COPAKE Zoning Board of Appeals meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 230 Mt. View Road, Copake (329-1234).
COXSACKIE Town Board workshop meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 16 Reed St., Coxsackie (731-2727). HUDSON Community Development and Planning Agency meeting (tentative), 12 p.m. at 1 North Front St., Hudson (751-1044).
WINDHAM Town Board meeting, 8 p.m. at Town Hall, 371 State Rt. 296, Hensonville (734-4170).

DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local news update for Wednesday, January 25 (4:00). (Produced by Alanna Medlock.)