The Coxsackie-Athens Jazz Band Winter concert Dec. 20, 2016.


Coxsackie-Athens Select Chorus


Coxsackie-Athens High School Chorus


Coxsackie-Athens Concert Band

DOWNLOAD or PLAY the audio version of the local news headlines for Wed., Dec. 21 (7:13). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

Greg Hudson is reporting in The Daily Mail the Greenville Fire Department received voter approval to purchase a new $650,000 tanker engine next year. The vote was held December 13 at the department's annual commissioner election. Of the approximately 1,000 eligible voters in the Greenville Fire District, only 28 cast a ballot, Chief Cliff Powell said. "It was an overwhelming vote to approve it, 20 people voted yes and 8 voted against it," Powell said. He said the new truck will replace a 40-year-old tanker taken out of surface after it ruptured. While district taxpayers will foot the bill for the vehicle, taxes will not increase, Powell said. The truck will be custom built for the Greenville department by South Dakota-based emergency vehicle manufacturer Rosenbauer, and delivered in 10 to 12 months. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation Tue., Dec. 20, released an independent report on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's review of the PCB cleanup of the Hudson River. Using the EPA's own criteria in the assessment, the state agency found the Superfund cleanup lacking, and said the final outcome was "not protective of the public or the environment." The DEC forwarded its report on to the EPA in anticipation of the federal agency's release of its Five Year Review in 2017. Contacted by the Associated Press Tuesday, State Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos called on the EPA to “finish the job and hold GE accountable for cleaning up the Hudson River.” State officials want the EPA to perform additional sampling and complete a detailed evaluation of the dredging and conduct additional remedial work in order to achieve the targeted fish PCB reductions originally identified. The DEC has also recommended the investigation be expanded to included the portion of the site between the Federal Dam in Troy and the Battery in New York City. Read the full report online at www [dot] DEC [dot] NY [dot] gov.

Rick Karlin is reporting at Capitol Confidential New York experienced a net population loss this year, for the first time in 10 years, according to the Empire Center, which examined Census data. While upstate has been steadily losing population for years, immigration into New York City has offset that decrease to keep the statewide population stable until now. The most recent information shows the state lost nearly 2,000 people from a year earlier, for a total population of 19,745,289. New York is the fourth largest state in the nation, behind California, Texas and Florida. New York led the country in foreign immigration last year. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.

Debby Mayer reports in The Columbia Paper that Richard Jennings II was elected to the Germantown fire commission Dec. 13. Jennings was the only candidate on the ballot, and got 71 of the 87 votes. Crystal Kilmer got 14 write-in votes and James Maruniak got one. All three vote-getters are firefighters with Germantown Hose Company #1. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

The Schoharie News reports that the Schoharie County office building was evacuated at noon Dec. 19 after officials received a mailed bomb threat. Dogs searched the building but found nothing. Read the full story in The Schoharie News.

Matthew Hamilton reported in Capitol Confidential that there were more discussions in Albany Dec. 19 about a possible special session of the legislature before the end of the year, but nothing definite. Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie would both only stress that it's "the people's business" that should bring legislators to Albany, not a pay raise. "All of the questions seem to be about the pay raise, but it's really about are we going to come back to do things that are important for the people of the state of New York, that's the most important thing," Heastie said. "If the pay raise or the commission (to recommend a raise) is a part of that, so be it. But it's not a trade. We're not making trades. It's, 'Are we going to come back to do the business of the people of the state of New York?'" Local Assemblymember Pete Lopez, who represents Greene County in Albany, explained the situation in a statement to consituents: "As Albany leaders wrangle with the Governor over [a] special session, I believe they will attempt to force a vote that includes the controversial pay raise in the same bill as much needed and expected ethics reforms. This omnibus bill will inevitably include a message of necessity from the Governor, using the Hanukah and Christmas holidays as additional pressure points to move the bill before the first of the year. The pay raise issue will likely be advanced as an extension of the failed Commission which many feel was manipulated by the Governor to wring concessions out of the legislative leadership, particularly Speaker Heastie and his conference." Read the full story in Capitol Confidential.

New York State Board for Historic Preservation announced 26 new additions to State and National Registers of Historic Places, but only one near the WGXC listening area. The 600 acres where the Woodstock Music Festival was held in Bethel was included, "as the site of one of the most important cultural and social events of the second half of the 20th century." The designation can make grants available to restore or maintain historic places.

Local weather forecast:

Today: Mostly sunny. High near 38. Wednesday night, a slight chance of snow after 4 a.m. Mostly cloudy. Low around 26.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS
THURSDAY: A chance of snow before 11 a.m., then a chance of rain and snow between 11 a.m. and noon,turning to rain after noon. Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny. High near 39. Thursday night, partly cloudy. Low around 26.
FRIDAY: Mostly sunny. High near 41. Friday night, partly cloudy. Low around 26.

Sunrise today: 7:21 a.m.
Sunset today: 4:27 p.m.
LENGTH OF THE DAY: 9:05 hrs.

PUBLIC MEETINGS

Today is the third Wednesday of the month.
WGXC suggests calling ahead to confirm time and location.
All numbers are in the 518 area code unless otherwise noted.

CATSKILL Town Board Committee meeting, 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall, 439 Main St., Catskill (943-2141).
GREENE COUNTY Legislature public hearing on senior citizen tax exemption, 6:15 p.m.; public hearing on Local Law #3 of 2016 (exemption from Real Property Tax Services by persons with disabilities and long-term disability income, 6:20 p.m.; public hearing on Agricultural District #124, 6:25 p.m.; and, regular full meeting of the Greene County Legislature, 6:30 p.m., all at County Building, 411 Main St., Catskill (719-3270).
GREENE COUNTY Planning Board meeting, 6:30 p.m. in Room 427, County Building, 411 Main St., Catskill (719-3270).
HUDSON Zoning Board of Appeals meeting (tentative), 6 p.m. at City Hall, 520 Warren St., Hudson (828-1030).
NEW LEBANON Board of Education meeting, 7 p.m. at junior-senior high school, 14665 NY-22, New Lebanon (794-7600).
STUYVESANT Zoning Revision Committee meeting, 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 5 Sunset Dr., Stuyvesant (758-6248).
TACONIC HILLS Board of Education meeting, 6:30 p.m. at high school, Board of Education Room, 73 County Route 11A, Craryville (325-0390).

DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local news update for Tuesday, Dec. 20 (2:43). (Produced by Alanna Medlock.)